Roger Ebert continues to prove himself a class act.

Ebert, recovering from a long illness during which he has been absent from the film criticism scene, describes his re-emergence for his own Overlooked Film Festival.

I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks. I still have my brain and my typing fingers.

. . .

We spend too much time hiding illness. There is an assumption that I must always look the same. I hope to look better than I look now. But I’m not going to miss my festival.

Read the full article at suntimes.com.

Oh frabjous day! Callou! Callay!

The Camellia Grill in New Orleans has reopened its doors.

I may weep.

Internet radio shut down?

Here we go again -- something new and interesting may die at the hands of corporate interests.

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. The Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC has more than tripled the royalty rates for webcasters and left unchanged they will kill Internet radio. These exorbitant rates go into effect on May 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). Without Congressional action the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Please take a moment to send a letter to your member of Congress to keep Net radio from being silenced.

If you like and use Pandora or other internet radio sites, you need to get involved now.

Bean Cup! (tunes I like)

AmyMo asked for the secret location of my music blog / podcast / whatever you want to call it where I occasionally share songs.

It's here. I'll leave a link to it in the sidebar. In her honor I'll even add a few more songs to it and try to be diligent about keeping updated with fresh songs every so often.

Don't steal music, kids. That's just wrong. All of this music is available on CD or on iTunes and I leave each song up for just a limited time, then it vanishes into the ether.

If you want a real music podcast from someone who actually knows something about music, I suggest the Icrywolf Eclectic Music Podcast. Go on, it won't bite.

Ambrosia software on piracy

When I was in college, Ambrosia Software made the coolest Mac games around, and for the most part they were available on the shareware honor system. I bought one or two but, being pretty poor and not really much of a gamer, I played a few levels of the other games but wasn't a big customer of the company.

I do remember, however, the day that they started locking the games' higher levels behind registration codes, and I remember thinking that the party was over. This article from Ambrosia admin Matt Slot illustrates the way that companies grow up and presents a casual examination of just how many people will "steal" software if they can. Not that I've ever stolen software. 'Course not.

[via Daring Fireball]

Bob Clark killed by drunk driver

Bob Clark, director of the classic A Christmas Story and other films both beloved (Porky's) and not-so-beloved (Baby Geniuses) was killed this morning along with his 22-year old son by a drunk driver in Pacific Palisades, CA. It's a really sad day for lovers of cult cinema like Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. So long, Bob. Your place in film history was cemented by A Christmas Story but we love you for the other pictures too.

Read the full story at Cinematical.

Alanis Morisette performs "My Humps"

In a word: magnificent.

I can't believe it either, Bob.

Cult Movies Podcast #36

We've been cranking on the podcasts lately -- here's #36. The half-hour format seems to suit us pretty well. If you're listening, we'd love to hear your thoughts/reactions/complaints.

Listen to the Cult Movies Podcast #36.