LETTERS

I really enjoyed reading Liz Armstrong's recent essay, "This Is No Longer Las Vegas Art," in the February 1 edition. It was fascinating and insightful. It supports my love of photographing this place, where I've lived just under three years. I particularly laughed out loud at these sentences:

"Las Vegas is an exhaust valve for the rest of America, and that's something locals take for granted. People come from all over the planet to blow their waste."

I look forward to reading more of her astute works. I think you found a gem of a writer here and I hope she gets more opportunities to share her reflections.

Hi Josh Bell,

Although your review of Stephen Frears' fascinating and intelligent film The Queen was written months ago, I only came across it today, and I feel compelled to write to you and tell you how much I loved it (the review, I mean, although obviously I also loved the film). I had seen Helen Mirren only in Calendar Girls and Teaching Mrs. Tingle prior to seeing this movie, and although I enjoyed her performances in both, those movies don't showcase what she is truly capable of, as this film does. After having seen it in October the minute it went into limited release here in Toronto, I set about seeing every performance of hers that I could find; she amazed me so much that I was quite annoyed that I wasn't familiar with any of her other work. I have now seen everything of hers that I can find and have yet to see a single performance that she has given that hasn't blown me away; among the most spectacular was her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I, which was so brilliant and fierce that I still have chills when I watch it, and of course, her role as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Dame Helen is truly an exceptional and fearless actress.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Michael Sheen's portrayal of Tony Blair and I loved the script; Peter Morgan is an incredible writer, and Stephen Frears did a terrific job of showcasing the talents of this tremendous cast. You said as much, and more eloquently than I can, in your review. Thanks very much; I really enjoyed reading it!

Mr. Bell,

You stated in your fine February review of The Good German that it is set in post-WWII Berlin, as was the case with The Third Man. The Third Man was set in Vienna. Ask Harry Lime.

Editor's Note: You are correct, sir. Thanks.

Mr. Josh Bell,

It's no wonder that the SlyLie Channel programming is going down the crapper. Ever since Barry Dildo ... er ... Diller owned the channel, before selling it to that idiotic French water company Vivendi, there has been no management that understands or really knows the sci-fi genre. The company president, Bonnie Hammer, has admitted in interviews she knows nothing about it. Senior VP of Programming Mark Stern made the following comment in a July 10, 2003, Hollywood Reporter interview:

"'What makes Scorsese really attractive is we're trying to get ourselves out of sci-fi as just hard science fiction,' Stern said.

'We're looking to say we're more than just that.'"

With comments like that, it's no wonder that the SlyLie Channel has forgone its original credo from September 1992 ... "all science fiction, all the time."

After pissing off TOS Battlestar Galactica fans with the Moore Ron "popcorn letter" and abuse in an interview with Aaron Douglas (who called TOS fans "stupid" for not wanting the new show), it was only a few steps into the crapper for the SlyLie Channel and the programming team. People thought that when NBC bought the channel from the floundering Vivendi company, programming would have gotten better with more funding. Obviously, NBC had other ideas and is using the channel as the dumping ground for the shit programming they won't put on their "network" channels. I call the channel the SlyLie Channel because of the lies about shows and their fates. Programs that they "said" would be continued, including press releases about "unprecedented 2-year contracts," ended up getting the axe 3/4 of the way through their season.

The SlyLie Channel? I could care less if it continues to operate or not. What the hell does wrestling have to do with science fiction anyway? Yes it's fake but it's not even CLOSE to science.