The 1 Show You Should Be Watching Tonight

Television
The 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony from Beijing, 8pm (Eastern) on NBC. It's better with some food and some friends, too. So get on it.

4 Upcoming Projects from Mr. Spielberg

Movies

He is America's favorite director, and easily the most well-known filmmaker in the world. Love him or hate him, his influence on our pop culture is undeniable. He is Steven Spielberg. 2008 has been an up-and-down year for Mr. Spielberg. In February, he pulled out of his role as an artistic advisor for the Olympics Opening Ceremony, because of China's support for the Sudanese regime. Then, of course, there was the fiasco that was The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But we have not lost faith in our favorite son. So for those of us who have been waiting with bated breath for Steven's next triumph, here are the candidates, according to that great resource, imdb.com:

1. Tintin (2009) "pre-production"

The Belgian children's comic - dripping with suspense and intrigue - was simply destined for the big screen. Word is that it will be animated using live-action capture technology, though I think watching a straight Spielberg live-action take would be a thrilling experience. These studios try to make their animation too real as their top priority, and it seems to take some of the magic away from it. And Tintin was definitely fantasy for us little kids who weren't really in to the fantasy genre. Steven Moffat - creator of the funniest sitcom of the last 10 years, "Coupling" - is rumored to be writing the screenplay.

2. Interstellar (2009) "announced"
Mr. Spielberg's next foray into science fiction (his home turf) will focus on the theories of American physicist Kip Thorne, according to imdb. From what I could find out online, Thorne is one of the foremost experts on Einstein's theory of relativity, and a lot of his research has to do with black holes, so a sci-fi writer could definitely go crazy with that. And it looks like that writer might be Jonathan Nolan, kid brother to Batman director Christopher Nolan. Jonathan already shares writing credits on his big brother's films The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Memento. I know that will make some sci-fi buffs drool.

3. Trial of the Chicago 7 (2009) "in-production" UPDATED!!
Just as I was writing this passage, this story broke from British entertainment site digitalspy. Mr. Spielberg has decided for the moment to pull out of this project about the 1968 riots at the Democratic National Convention and their aftermath. This would have been Spielberg's first production with the immensely-talented political screenwriter Aaron Sorkin of "West Wing" and A Few Good Men fame. Hopefully they will get the chance to work together in the future, because I can't imagine a combination like that creating anything but screen gold.

4. Lincoln (2010) "announced"
Mr. Spielberg's much-anticipated biopic on the 16th US President may be ready to shoot as early as next year, according to imdb. Liam Neeson is rumored to play the leading role, and would be an absolutely inspired choice (he certainly has the height for it!). The film, if it is made, will undoubtedly be controversial; and it may be a huge success, if Spielberg can manage that magic touch of excitement he is always able to add to his historical epics.

So which of these films will you be rushing out to see? C'mon, you know you want to comment.

Today’s Special: Top 6 Stories of the Day & a steaming-hot side of Failure?

WELCOME to my new column! Every week I’ll be musing on whatever strikes me, tickles me, kills me, or even annoys me about life today in our global culture. And then I’ll write it out for you so you can tear it to shreds, back it up, or pick it apart however you’d like with your comments. I wish I was clairvoyant and could tell you if this blog has a chance in heaven’s great goodness (yeah, I said it) of lasting past next week. But since I’m not one to depend on the occult, or being struck by a freak bolt of lightning and having Tobey Maguire play me in the film version, I’m going to try to reason it out – using the six best news stories of the day. Each story covers one of my favorite topics, and hopefully it will whet your appetite for some pretty cool things to come.

1. Movies
Due to the radical notion that people might be tuning into the Olympics this year, the major studios pushed the release of this weekend's premiers up to today. Apparently the Beijing Olympic Planning Committee has spent 300 million dollars on the Opening Ceremony. I know I for one will be forgoing a movie Friday night to see what China has come up with, even as desperate as I am to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (there was a first one?).
Why this means disaster for my blog: How can I compete with 300 million dollars? I'd have to have some serious talent to keep the public's interest... Yikes.

2. Music
So people have been scalping tickets on eBay for U2 concerts that don't exist. Bono is telling people to check their website for any future concert dates. What amazes me is that people were searching eBay in the first place to find upcoming concerts. I guess you can be just enough of a fan that you'll buy tickets if you can get a bargain, but not enough of a fan that you'd think to check the band's own site to see if they're actually on tour. Or maybe eBay has turned us into such addicts that we'll buy anything - even nothing - if we can feel the rush of bidding for it.
Why this means success for my blog: I would never sell you bogus concert tickets. And don't we need a little more trust in the world?

3. Pop Culture
You have to watch this video. I know you're seeing it everywhere, but according to Eoin O'Carroll of the Christian Science Monitor, "apparently, she recited all this without cue cards." It would make my year if she kept this going all the way to November.
Why this means disaster for my blog: My first post, and already I'm talking about Paris Hilton. I should just quit now.

4. Sports
The story of Lopez Lomong is extraordinary. His escape from Sudan to Kenya, nothing short of miraculous. His journey to the United States, epic. And he will now be carrying the flag of the US, his home country, in the Olympic Games. Talk about the American dream. Nothing makes me feel more patriotic than that.
Why this means success for my blog: Seeing what Lopez has accomplished, you just realize that anything is possible. And perspective is very healthy for a writer.

5. Food
British TV chef Anthony Worrall Thompson inadvertently tried to poison legions of UK vegetarians when he told a reporter from Healthy & Organic Living magazine that one of the wild foods he enjoys using in salads is Henbane, which just so happens to be a deadly toxic plant. In his apology, the chef explained that he had misspoke and was referring to Fat Hen instead, a different herb that is indeed imbibed by some in the organic food world.
Why this means disaster for my blog: I, too, have been known to misspeak on occasion. Reading this blog may end up being hazardous to your health.

6. International Politics
To the great dismay of democrats around the world, the West African nation of Mauritania's weak democratic government was overthrown in a bloodless coup today, led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who promptly named himself President. The now former President Abdellahi, who as far as anyone can tell is being held under house arrest, had been seen as corrupt and ineffectual in dealing with the food shortage plaguing many poor countries in the world today. Abdellahi had been elected in Mauritania's first ever free and fair Presidential elections last year. We can only hope the new military regime has more of an interest in stability rather than greed, and democracy rather than power.
Why this means success for my blog: That's a really depressing story, but how many other people do you know that could pick out Mauritania on a map? Heck, even pronounce it? Sure, I don't have any street smarts, or any book smarts. What I do have is a little bit of useless cocktail party knowledge. Keep me around, and you can impress your friends with how smart you seem. Trust me, I've been fooling people for years!

So I've had my say. And that leaves it 3 to 3. Leave me a comment! I can't really make this a success without you.