The 168 Turnaround: We’re Havin’ Us A Book Burnin’!

THIS WEEK: June 5 – June 11, 20011

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE II: If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, then you know that I’m not a big fan of Dutch film writer and director Tom Six, a man whom most of you know as having been the mastermind behind the popular horror film, The Human Centipede (First Sequence).  The original story idea (of a mad scientist attaching three people mouth-to-anus) was a curious one, and one I didn’t want to write off sight unseen.  The execution of the film, however, was juvenile.  And now comes news that the British Board of Film Classification has banned the film’s sequel, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), in the UK.  In the sequel, the central character becomes aroused while watching the original film, and tries to reenact the events therein.  How is this any worse than the original film?  Glad you asked; however, because we’re in polite company, I’ll give you the link and you can read for yourself.

BURNING BOOKS: I love to read and buy books.  Anyone who has been to my apartment can testify to that—there are books everywhere.  Which is why I can sympathize with Saskatchewan resident Shaunna Raycraft who, in an act of true heroism, agreed to buy her neighbour’s collection of over 350, 000 books.  As it turns out, the neighbour’s husband had recently died, and, unsure of what to do with the his massive collection, she decided to do the easiest thing and have herself a good old fashioned book burning in the back yard.  It is here that Mrs. Raycraft so nobly stepped in.  Now, however, Raycraft is faced with the problem of what to do with so many books.  Even storing them has been a burden, what with her having to buy a new house because her old home wasn’t big enough to hold the collection.  And that, my friends, is some serious book love.  For the full story, head over to the CBC.

CATWOMAN: Accidents happen—it’s a fact of life.  And being a celebrity sure doesn’t exempt you from those accidents.  Just ask Anne Hathaway, who recently gave a stuntman a black eye while on set during the filming of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.  Hathaway, who plays Catwoman in the movie, reportedly got carried away during a fight scene and accidentally struck a stuntman in the eye socket with the stock of her prop rifle.  Feeling awful about the whole thing, Hathaway apologized to the stunt actor by giving him an engraved pen.  The engraving said—and I kid you not—“No one packs a punch like Anne.”  Classy, Ms. Hathaway.  Classy.  For more info, click here.

DWAYNE JOHNSON: I freely admit that I love Dwayne Johnson action movies.  The former WWF (now WWE) wrestler has made some stinkers, but I’ll gladly forgive him for those.  After all, he’s such a mass of absurd manly stereotype that it’s near impossible not to smile when he steps on screen and flexes every muscle in his body with a mere eyebrow raise.  And so I’m happy to hear that he’s in talks to appear in G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, the sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.  The first movie was fun, but ultimately forgettable.  But if Johnson can do for this franchise what he did with the Fast and the Furious franchise, then I’d say we’re in for a treat…an outrageously silly and cartoonish treat, but a treat nonetheless.  Click here to read more.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Flipbook Animation: Mortal Kombat
Growing up, I was never allowed to play violent video games, especially games like Mortal Kombat.  And so I did what any young kid would do at the time: I gathered up my quarters and snuck off to the nearest arcade.  My favourite arcade game?  Obviously Mortal Kombat.  In any event, this video brings back memories.  Thankfully, however, I never had to resort to drawing my video game battles.

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The 168 Turnaround is a week-in-review column, a place for me to reflect on the week’s most interesting pop culture news items.  If it mattered to me or I think it might matter to you, then it will be here.  If I’ve overlooked an important news item, or if you have a comment or question, please leave a response below.  Thank you for reading.