theinferior4+1

Australian court rules in favor of a restaurant owner who sued a critic over a negative review. I'm from a line of lawyers (my father has been the town justice of my small hometown for almost forty years) and grew up with his words ringing in my ears: Don't ever put anything on paper that you wouldn't want read in court. Still, if I'd always heeded that advice, would I have becomne a writer? Or a book reviewer?


http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2104346,00.html

Last night I went to see RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER.

Meh.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the trailer for UNDERDOG, the forthcoming live-action version of the famous cartoon. The theatrical one was longer and different from the one here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HYBmKdVk-jQ

But you should still get a sense of the film.

Remember when Disney made goofy, uncondescending, non-smarmy stuff like THE SHAGGY DOG and THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR and THAT DARN CAT!...? This looks like a throwback to that era.

And they've made Underdog's girlfriend Polly Purebred a King Charles Spaniel, one of the most lovable and winsome breeds in existence.



If you always rejoiced when Krypto appeared in a Superman story, I think you need to see UNDERDOG.

And of course, since it was filmed in my burg of Providence, I get all the added frissons of watching Underdog zip through familiar scenery.

Wait! There he goes now, right past my third-story window!

Tomorrow, or today, depending on when you read this, is the final day that Katherine Dunn will be a guest blogger on the Inferior 4; the final day when you'll have chance to pick her brain and avail yourselves of her considerable experience in writing, journalism, and assorted life arts.  So take a shot and get her talking. 

We'd like to thank Katherine for being such a gracious guest and issue a standing invite to her to drop by the 4 any old time....

Last chance, y'all...