The RP’s Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Film

The film world has gathered in France for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.  Lots of good stuff is going on there–here is a pretty good run-down of everything that has happened so far.  [Guardian]

Where were you in 2004?  I was in high school, being awkward.  So was Napoleon Dynamite, who became hero to millions of awkward high school boys like me everywhere.  Nowadays, Fox has decided to make an animated TV show based on Napoleon Dynamite–featuring the entire original cast.  Cool idea, or too dated? [/Film]

Thor–which I liked pretty well–managed to beat out the newcomer Bridesmaid–which I loved–in the box office this week.  If you haven’t seen either, I recommend both. [Film Junk]

Speaking of Thor, the guy who plays him (Chris Hemsworth) has been confirmed as the title character from Snow White and the Huntsmen.  This film follows the story of the Huntsman after he decides to defy the evil witch and not kill Snow White.  He will be acting alongside Charlize Theron and Kristin Stewart.  I don’t know how I feel about this film, but I like Hemsworth.  [The Movie Blog]

Netflix has revolutionized the way that I watch movies.  I don’t know about you, but the ability to watch tons of great films on my television on demand has made my life a lot easier.  It’s about to get a lot more awesome, as Netflix and Miramax have agreed to a deal to stream a large portion of Miramax’s library.  Miramax is, for my money, the best independent film distributor, with films like Pulp Fiction, The Queen, and Good Will Hunting. [WSJ]

Finally, this probably ought to go under The Politics of Humor, but I’m stealing it because I love it.  The Ambiguously Gay Duo, the long-dormant SNL sketch, made a glorious return last weekend with Jon Hamm, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Colbert, Steve Carrell, and Ed Helms.  There is probably a lesson here that relates to the RP’s latest post about gay marriage, but I’m just going to laugh, because this sketch is hilarious.   [Hulu]