fearman's definitions

Tom Clancy

Middling quality thriller novelist who probably does his homework on the research end of things, is full of American jingoism, and avoids including sex scenes in his books because he thinks that makes them more respectable. Has had two middling good movies made of his work, The Hunt for Red October and The Sum of All Fears.

Bernie says she'd rather watch the movies they make of his books than read Tom Clancy's originals.

by Fearman May 26, 2008

boarding school

Same essential mistake, only taking up four times as much of the day. Also a place that tries four times as hard to take the credit when a former student takes over his daddy's job.

He used to attend a day school, but that wasn't disastrous enough so he went to boarding school instead.

by Fearman May 28, 2008

Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

JOKER:
Tell me, my friend, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Line habitually used by the Joker (Jack Nicholson) in Tim Burton's Batman. Best movie in the franchise, pre-Christian Bale.

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? I ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it.

by Fearman May 28, 2008

all-singing, all-dancing

All-singing, all-dancing: state of the art, perhaps a little conceited, best new thing. Popularised by the movie Fight Club (1999), starring Brad Pitt, David Norton, Meatloaf and Helena Bonham-Carter, directed by David Fincher and based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk.

We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

by Fearman May 28, 2008

this is your life and it is ending one minute at a time

Catch-phrase from Chuck Palahniuk's breakthrough novel Fight Club, and the David Fincher movie based on it. This is your life and it is ending one minute at a time. Reminder of mortality, prod in the back to go out and do something with yourself.

This is your life and it is ending one minute at a time, boy.

by Fearman May 28, 2008

family rod hypothesis

The belief that children who are abused (emotionally, physically or sexually) inevitably go on to abuse any children they have themselves. Thought up by an abusive and deeply narcissistic parent who wanted to dismiss any misgivings on their own or their offspring's part as the idealism of green and inexperienced minds, and who held to the belief that if everyone does something it must be OK. Truly adult minds are not impressed by such phony reasoning. If the family rod hypothesis were true, the human race would rapidly be descending into violent dysfunction, with new traditions of bully-boys being established as the old ones persisted. A rather dangerous idea in the age of the multi-megatonne thermonuclear warhead, don't you think?

Like all redneck bully-boy cowards, John taught his kids the family rod hypothesis.

by Fearman May 28, 2008

now a minor motion picture

Now a minor motion picture: a blurb I have yet to see on a book cover. Have you?

How to Rationalise Telling Sam She was Akin to a Dead Mouse in a Latrine in Swahili, by R.A.K. Martin-Smythe. Now a minor motion picture from the Confrere Brothers.

by Fearman May 30, 2008