which is, I guess, why some folks are questioning the veracity of the story and/or the origin of the extra appendage on the doll.

D'ohh. I am a dope. Is the Sun known for making stuff up? Is it like the Weekly World News here?

(holy cow -- the WWN has a tiny batboy as their URL icon thingie!)

Is the Sun known for making stuff up?

The Sun is a British tabloid newspaper. It has been known to make things up in the past, though it is still somewhat more reputable than the US mags like National Enquirer, WWN, etc.. In its hands, the truth is extremely maleable, though.

In its hands, the truth is extremely maleable, though.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Male-able. Truth... the Hulk...

whimpers at terrible pun

goes to hide in corner

But I found the ending too predictable, it felt like a cop-out in a way I don't think I can properly articulate--it was very much a nonsensical gut-reaction thing.

I've pimped this movie to many, many people - sometimes based solely on Patrick Swayze - and a lot of them didn't like the ending either. I loved it though, I found it interesting and moving and what-the-fucky. And now I've watched it way too many times to even consider a different ending being appropriate, you know? Also, I love that cover of Mad World so damn much. Such a beautiful song, and it complemented the montage perfectly.

I don't think I've ever felt that way about a film, though--I'm too cynical about the medium, or something. Maybe cinema is just too finite for me--a bad ending usually ruins the film for me, but a bad ending to a novel seems to have a less dramatic effect on my reaction, probably because I can't read a book in two or so hours.

That's really interesting. Films are definately a big part of how I define my identity. Although, now that I think of it, a lot of them are films that I feel are a part of me because I watched them to death when I was a child, not so much films that I watch fresh now and instantly feel some sort of identity connection with.

The Sun tends not to outright lie - for that kind of crazy-ass National Enquirer journalism it's the Sunday Sport in the UK. Instead The Sun is the most lowbrow of our tabloids. It's arguably the most popular newspaper - partly, perhaps, because of the topless girls on Page 3. It's infamous for its response to our shameful sinking of the General Belgrano ship (during the Falklands War) as it was running away and in International waters (blahblahblah don't-bomb-them-cakes) with the headline "Gotcha!" But otoh Tony Blair has done exclusive interviews with them in the past, in the lead up to elections, and it's arguable that having The Sun come out and officially back Blair was v. helpful in getting him elected the first time.

The political power of the the media was evident in the hostility of the Murdoch press towards the British Labour party in the 1980s, promoting the general view that they were 'unelectable'. This was vividly illustrated on the front page of The Sun on the eve of the 1987 general election, which featured a picture of Neil Kinnock's head in a light bulb beneath the headline "will the last person to leave the country please turn out the lights!" Murdoch was also widely credited with the Tory election triumph over Labour in 1992. The Sun is Britains most popular newspaper with sales consistently over 3 million and a readership of up to 10 million.

Tony Blair, the new Labour leader, travelled to Australia to visit with Murdoch, persuaded him to reconsider his support, and succeeded in getting Murdoch's papers to support Labour in the 1997 election campaign. In return Blair unilaterally repudiated the Labour pledge to seek a decentalisation of the media.

Also, I love that cover of Mad World so damn much.

Me too. I woke up to it one morning (it was playing on the radio) and now it's one of the three songs which don't drive me batfuck when I get a line from it stuck in my head on an endless loop.

Although, now that I think of it, a lot of them are films that I feel are a part of me because I watched them to death when I was a child, not so much films that I watch fresh now and instantly feel some sort of identity connection with.

My mum hated me watching the television endlessly, so I re-read books instead. Once in grade four I read Roald Dahl's The BFG twelve times in a row just because it was a book I knew I liked. Which is probably part of the reason why I interact better with books than movies--I'm addicted to characters, and cinematic characters often seem to exist at a bit of a remove, just as a result of the medium they're presented in. If I was going to be honest, I'd say that LotR is my favourite movie (I have a little snobbish devil-on-my-shoulder who says I shouldn't admit that, but it's true so I might as well cop to it), but I only really feel in love with the LotR movie when I watched it the third time and I wouldn't have gotten to the third watching if I didn't already love the characters from the book.

In return Blair unilaterally repudiated the Labour pledge to seek a decentalisation of the media.

Dude. Just when I think I'm getting too cynical, I realise I still harbour odd notions regarding journalistic impartiality.

Leigh, I got the tape today, thanks so much! Ooh, and it has a Prime logo instead of a Channel 7 one, and Canberra commercials...how cute!