Trailer for Joss Whedon's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

So, how do you follow up one of the most expensive - and most successful movies of all time? That's right, you hire a bunch of mates you've made over seventeen years of making TV shows and films and stage your own version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in your house and back garden and film the results.

The film stars Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker as Benedick and Beatrice, reprising the thwarted lovers relationship they honed to perfection over five seasons of Angel. Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Castle) plays incompetent policeman Dogberry, with Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Universe movies and the upcoming Agents of SHIELD TV series) as Leonato and Sean Maher (Firefly) as Don John. The UK release date has been set for 14 June.

This wasn't very much on my radar until I saw the reviews, which have been largely positive (The Guardian review above even suggests it's the best modern Shakespeare movie since Luhrmann's Rome + Juliet). Assuming my local cinema shows it, I'll try to check it out.

Orson Scott Card writes lame version of HAMLET

Science fiction author Orson Scott Card has, most curiously, chosen to rewrite Hamlet to make it lame.


Hamlet's Father was actually written a few years ago and appeared in a few anthologies, but a new, stand-alone edition from Subterranean Press is due out soon. The new version of the story removes the complex characterisation and thematic development of Shakespeare's play and instead proposes that everything bad that happens in the story is down to the fact that Hamlet's father was homosexual. In fact, we learn that Hamlet's father was not only gay, but managed to infect a number of other characters (Horatio, Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) with teh gay as well by molesting them as children. Hamlet's father maintains his menacing gay ways even in undeath, and it is implied that at the conclusion of the story Hamlet's spirit will be taken to Hell by his gay dad and have gay things done to him for all eternity. Potential readers are advised that reading may have to be undertaken with earmuffs, lest you be distracted by the sound of an axe being ground in the background.

Naturally, this hilarious nonsense lends itself well to satire, and Scott Lynch has already taken up the baton. There have also been a number of complaints to SubPress about the book, enough that they have posted a response on their website.

A rumour that Gary Oldman and Tim Roth are considering reuniting to make Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Now Benders, Apparently, based on the Card book, cannot be substantiated at this time. Mainly because I just made it up.