The biggest shocker in this Radar piece isn’t that Scientology is a cult, or that there are many angry people out there that are trying to bring the organization down. No, the biggest shock is that the most effective anti-Scientology movement in recent memory is driven by a bunch of jejune brats with delusions of grandeur, recruited from the filthiest and most depraved pits of teh INTERNETZ. Yes folks, the l33t members of Anonymous (you’ve seen the youtube vids, right?) hail from sites like 2chan.org, which is mainly known for teenie porn and lolcats. While the article is a nice bit of writing that neatly sums up Scientology’s current woes, the real interesting bit is what the writer implies: Hubbard’s encephalitic baby has been reduced into one big ‘tard fight between pseudo-celebs and a bunch of kids. You heard it here first, folks: cosmic justice DOES exist in the world!

CD | The Odd Couple
Gnarls Barkley / Downtown
Fluff. Goddamn fluff. I’d stop right there, if I didn’t have a word count to meet. Sure, the disc is harmless enough, and most of it’s pretty catchy. But I just can’t get over the fact that one of the founding members of Goodie Mob is hustling this neo-soul-revivalist bullshit. Look Cee, why don’t you just change your name to Nora Jones right now and save us all a headache or two?

DVD | Mafioso
Alberto Lattuada / Criterion
Oh Criterion, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways, starting with this lovely little gem from one of the great unsung names in classic Italian cinema. Lattuada’s whip-smart black comedy still seems fresh and vibrant nearly 50 years after the fact. This flick was one of the first to place the mob on screen, and it still remains one of the best. Pick it up to experience one of the first truly great Italian films.

Book | Knowledge of Hell
António Lobo Antunes / Dalkey Archives
Ignore the fact that the title is kind of pretentious, and you have a helluva novel in hand. It’s a gripping if emotionally exhausting narrative, shifting constantly between different perspectives and illustrating some truly hellish scenes. The prose spits fire and shits gold at every turn, often reading like a very angry version of a lost Proust text. It’s a difficult read at times, but well worth the effort.