Miscellaneous Miscellany

Funny how everyone's making a fuss about Brad Renfro not being included in the Oscars' tribute list of those who died this and last year. But no one seems to care that two bigger names weren't included either - Edward Yang and Kon Ichikawa.

(They don't have to be members of the Academy or nominees, say the rules.)

Well, there you go, another reason why the Oscars are meaningless.

And while Spielberg may think his action of pulling out of the Beijing Olympic Games as artistic advisor is honourable and such a big deal, it's really as meaningless as the Oscars. Spielberg's self-proclaimed noble intention is to help Darfur. But someone should really remind him of this - Clinton's bombing of an aspirin factory in Sudan, because he thought they were making weapons.

So how about Mr Spielberg kindly removing himself from all activities in the US, including breathing on its soil, and moving elsewhere in protest of all the atrocities ever committed (and is still being committed) by his government throughout history and around the world?

But I say screw all that, because there's a new Jim Jarmusch film coming along. The Limits Of Control is being shot in Madrid even as we speak. And it stars Isaach De Bankole, Gael Garcia Bernal, Bill Murray, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton.