Wowzers

So, Sarah Palin is the official pick for the VP of the Republican ticket. Never heard of her? You're not alone.

This is being described as a Hail Mary pick, and that's probably fair. But this is not a graceful Doug Flutie wing and a prayer to the endzone. It's more akin to a Rex Grossman, third and long unthinking heave into mid-air. It's a pass off the back foot, made by a stumbling candidate who's panicking under pressure.

A lot is being made of the impact this pick will have on disgruntled Hillary cupporters, but I don't see it. The argument is that women across the nation will choose a fanatically anti-choice creationist with a year and a half of experience as Governor of a sparsely populated state with a history of major governmental corruption (to which Palin has made her own notable contribution as of late) to be the next in line to be President... because she's a woman. Which is just about as offensive to Clinton supporters and, frankly, women in general, as one can get.

I don't think any Clinton supporters are really that disgruntled. The Palin choice may help to energize women who are already in the Republican base, but that base consists for the most part of people who already believe that President Obama will confiscate every firearm in America and enforce mandatory abortions to pave the way for the coming Islamic invasion. The point being, you're probably not picking up a ton of votes here.

The timing is an inspired way of stealing bounce from a great speech by Barack Obama who, in front of a TV audience of 38 million, finally went on the attack against McCain. And ain't it about damn time. The Obama campaign is to be lauded for it's valiant efforts to remain above the fray of the typical presidential smear campaign, but at some point this high mindedness is just going to reduce a great candidate to a punching bag. So far, apart from a couple of ads regarding McCain's housing situation, Obama's campaign has remained frustratingly above the fray. This is American politics, and when someone hits you in front of a crowd of people, you hit them back. It's time to loose the hounds and draw some blood. McCain is not George Bush, but he represents a continuation of his ruinous policies, and that deserves to be said. And with the appointment of an inexperienced vice presidential candidate, McCain just made his age a valid campaign issue. The man is unlikely to make it through two terms, and that means that everyone who is thinking about voting for President McCain has to consider that they also may be voting for President Palin. And I can't wait to see what a debate with Joe Biden makes that prospect look like.

Snap Judgment: Son of Rambow

On the heels of his first feature, 2005’s critically bashed but not half bad adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, director Garth Jennings is hitting from the other side of the plate in his latest effort. Son of Rambow leaves behind the territory of the sci-fi epic in favor of a coming of age tale that’s charming and kid friendly but has enough genuine laughs that it avoids getting stuck in the “aw, shucks” territory that it could have occupied.

Son of Rambow follows two British youngsters, hooligan Lee Carter and quiet, religious Will Proudfoot. Both boys are navigating the path to manhood without the benefit of a father figure. Instead, they find John Rambo to latch onto, and in their raucous, harebrained remake of First Blood, they find strength in one another, supporting each other and bringing one another’s dream (such as a menacing flying dog) to vivid life. And while Jennings is apparently unable to leave his music video background completely behind, which results in a couple of fantasies and dream sequences that are out of touch with the rest of the film, the film within a film crafted by Lee and Will is an unabashed love letter to the joys and catharsis of filmmaking.

And yeah, it’s all a little pat, especially with a third act that you’ll swear you’ve seen before. And some moments will have you scratching your head, like a pee wee new wave club that’s apparently nestled in the halls of a British prep school. But warts and all, Son of Rambow is a fun romp through the perils of childhood that even the most cinematically hard hearted can find themselves warming up to.