I hadn't seen the original in a few years so I thought it would be worth seeing within 48 hours after seeing the remake, and I was shocked at how good the first film was, better than I remembered, and how dismal and witless the remake turned out to be.

The main fault is changing the through line. Michael Rennie's Klaatu has come to warn earth against its violence and never stops trying to speak to leaders who can listen. Keanu Reeves gives up much too easily, and his mission is less sensible.

Then there's the character of the two Klaatus. Michael Rennie is bemused, compassionate, curious, and angry when need be. Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu as an emotionless cypher who apparently has done much less research on earthlings than his previous version has.

From there, it's a steady devolution. The new spaceship is lovely and shiny, but we don't get to go inside as we do in the 1951 version. The new little kid is whiny and one-dimensional and doesn't move the plot forward; the original is curious, spunky and plays a significant role in the story. Even Professor Barnhardt's equation has some meaning in the original movie since it's related to "celestial mechanics," but in the remake it's just there on the blackboard and proof of Klaatu's intelligence. And the music is forgettable, unlike the gripping Bernard Herrmann score.

I loved the almost noirish feel of the original, while the remake felt muddy and wasn't really beautiful to look at scene-by-scene.

I relished the wit and literacy of the screenplay, but there was barely a line in the new version that didn't seem clichéd ("We can change! We can change! We can change!")

Last but not remotely least, there's Gort, who actually serves a purpose in the original, and looks scary since he's not CGI. Watching the 1951 version left me curious to see it again some time; watching the remake just left me feeling suckered.

So we either lionize the shoe thrower or condemn him?

What about acknowledging that this is the closest Bush has come to raw criticism in eight years? That he's insulated himself more than any other president (with "free speech" zones, for instance). That he still disavows any role in the disasters he's created here and abroad?

I'm not happy that anyone is throwing shoes at an American president, but I'm more ashamed of the fact that he has single-handedly brought us to a new low in international esteem; that he has shown contempt for the Constitution he swore to protect; that he has filled the government with unqualified appointees who have wreaked havoc in their bailiwicks; that when he travels abroad he acts in ways that demean the presidency and our country; that when he speaks at home with his ever-present backdrop of soldiers, he fosters a disgusting cult of militarism completely antithetical to what the Founders imagined in a chief executive.

How about rage? Rage at seeing one's country illegally invaded, ripped apart, sectarian violence encouraged, oil plundered, fortress-style permanent bases planted there, sovereignty mocked, at least tens of thousands killed and many more turned into refugees, not to mention the ancient culture of Babylon--an international treasure--plundered and ruined.

"Understand the frustration" has got to be one of the most mealy-mouthed responses in the last 24 hours, as bad as Chris Matthews chuckling about how "nimbly" the president ducked. He admires the guy!

How dare salon devote so much time to the plebian pie? How anti-intellectual. I demand matching space given to the neglected petit four.

I am already beyond sick of hearing what a nice guy Rick Warren is--even from Juan Cole, who should know better. The man is an ideologue and a bigot, no matter what good works he does in the world and how much he says he likes gays or Muslims or puppies. He is a hate-monger, plain and simple. Stop making excuses for him! He degrades gay relationships by comparing them to incest and pedophilia. Just as bad in my book is his anti-choice stance which he buttresses with obscene references to the Holocaust. Each time he does so, he cheapens and demeans the murder of millions of people.

As for the blogger, this is simply idiotic:

"the word marriage is a religious, holy, word that people who go to church on sundays are told belongs to them. like yamaka, menorah, or matzo."

1) Marriage is a secular institution as well as a religious one.

2) There is absolutely nothing sacred or holy about matzah, yarmulkahs or a menorah.

3) If matzoh belongs to people going to church on Sundays, I quit doing Pesach.

It's not just literary fiction that will suffer in the current climate. Writers are being dropped who aren't writing literary fiction. Uncertainty and panic aren't good for any industry--and yes, publishing is an industry. Maybe it's Victorian roots have been dressed up with digital book reading devices, but it's still a business. One that was doing much better before entertainment companies et al. starting buying up firms and imprints to turn fantasy profits.