Talking About Stuff, with Mike and Christiana

Check it out! Looks like a really sweet romantic comedy.

It's actually an older film, starring Jack Nicholson. It's called: Shining.

And this trailer makes it look really light-hearted and funny! A must watch!

UPDATE!

I totally meant to give credit for the link to PolySciFi. It was an accident ommission only, not intentional.

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Wow, a Reuters story just blew the whole secret twist of the movie Flightplan in the very first sentence! If you don't want to be spoiled, don't click this link!

Flight Attendents Outraged over Jodie Foster Film

I won't repeat it here, but dang!

Not that the twist is anything all that special. After all, in my review, I thought the script was pretty awful.

Further, I can see how it would be hard to report the story without giving away the twist, but right there in the first line, with no warning whatsoever? I swear, there's no respect for dramatic presentation anymore.

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I just stumbled across one of the more bizarre announcements you're likely to hear this week.


Fraggle Rock film in development

The Jim Henson Company is in the early stages of creating an all new “Fraggle Rock” feature film. The idea of returning to Fraggle Rock has been floating around ever since the show ended in the ‘80s, but now the Henson Company feels that it the right time to bring the Fraggle’s universe back to life and reintroduce the world to the funny little creatures known as Fraggles. Henson responded saying that early work on a Fraggle Rock film is underway.

The story goes on to suggest that the film would likely feature the fraggles going into "outer space", meaning, the human world. (Betcha it has something to do with Gobo having to rescue his Uncle Travelling Matt!)

You know, my first reaction to this news was incredulous surprise.

Me: "Fraggle Rock? Seriously?"

But the more I think about it, the more I think this is something I'd actually like to see. Fraggle Rock was really an incredibly charming show and it might be nice to see something new from the Henson company instead of Muppet Wuthering Heights or something.

Besides, just dig that groovy theme song!
MP3 of the song
WMV of the opening credits

Oh, and just because I can, here's the theme song for Dangermouse!

Under no circumstances whatsoever should you go to this site. It's like crack.

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First up, not only are we getting Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2nd Gig on November 18th on Adult Swim, but there are rumors circulating at the Anime News Service that they may even make a third series!

The director of the existing episodes was accepting an award and after answering a few questions about what he would be doing next, he said this:

"well... I'll tell you what..". After a couple of glances in the direction of Mr. Ishikawa of Production I.G. Kamiyama said "Think of... a sequel to 2ndGIG. "

At the same site, it sounds like we may now know what Hayao Miyazaki's next film project will be, and I must say, it's a really interesting choice.

According to a blog entry of an anonymous editor working for a publisher in Tokyo, the next film animation work to be tackled by Studio Ghibli will be based on the Earthsea series of novels by American fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin.

Now, that's a great series of books, and much of the content is right up Miyazaki's alley. (Young protagonist, fantastical setting, magic, heavy nature themes and imagery, etc.) Still, to my knowledge he's never adapted something with such a large existing fanbase as the Earthsea series. Of course, his primary audience is Japan, so perhaps they are less familiar with the books. Still, no matter which direction he goes with it, I'd bet good money on it being better than the Scifi Channel's disastrous mini-series version.

Sadly, given that it's still in the book licensing stage, the finished product is probably quite a ways off.

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I actually found myself a little bit underwhelmed by last night’s episode, but on reflection, I can’t put my finger on any reason for that, so I suspect that it really has more to do with me being a bit distracted, rather than any flaw in the show itself.

I suppose part of the problem though is that sending Jim home last time was such a no-brainer that it didn’t really leave the tribe dealing with very much in the way of ramifications at the opening here. Pretty much story #1 at the beginning of last night’s episode was Blake’s now-it’s-here-now-it’s-gone breathing problem.

I don't think that he is faking exactly, as Judd suggested, but it is a little fishy. He’s having so much trouble breathing that he can barely stand up straight without reeling, and then he comes out and turns into a superhero during the challenge? My first reaction during that challenge was: “Oh good, it looks like he’s getting better.” Because after all, getting knocked out because you’re sick or injured kind of sucks. But then right after the challenge, he’s on his back again!

Here’s what I think is happening. This is mostly in his head. It’s not that he’s making it up or deliberately shirking his work, it’s just psychosomatic. Part of it is real, I’m sure. None of those people are likely feeling at 100%, so I doubt that he’s completely healthy, yet his performance during the challenge suggests that this is something he can shrug off when he really wants to. It’s like when people have panic attacks. It is real but the cause is psychological, not physiological. I suspect this is similar.

His system got a massive shock by both the blow to the shoulder and the exhaustion and dehydration from that first challenge. As a result, the animal part of his brain is effectively hiding under the bed and sucking it’s thumb, unconvinced that the danger has passed. So it’s trying to make him take it easy. It’s not necessarily that his body physically needs the rest any more than the others do, but I think that the extreme effort and strain has triggered a fear response in his subconscious.

He’s afraid of exerting himself that much again, even if he’s not actually aware of it. But then, when it’s “important,” such as during the challenge, the conscious part of his mind overrides that fear response and his body rises to the occasion. Then, when they return to camp and the pressure is off, the fear response returns.

If I'm right, by the way, Margaret could actually be contributing to the problem by insisting that he rest all the time.

Anyway, if it turns out that he actually has asthma or something, I’ll owe him an apology, but short of that, this sort of situation is tailor-made for phrases like: “suck it up.”

Okay, so now that that’s out of the way, I have to say that that reward challenge last night was pretty cool. Seeing everybody clinging upside-down like giant awkward spiders was excellent.

Though what was up with Rafe’s inability to get up that ladder? I don’t begrudge him falling off the ropes themselves, because I’m sure that was way harder than it looked, but that ladder didn’t look overly complicated to me. He may continue to have trouble physically, which would be a shame, because he seems like a fun guy to me.

So of course, the other remaining biggie last night was Garry and his eyebrow-raising plot to keep his former occupation a secret. Now, it actually wasn’t a super shock to me last night because Jim on Survivor Live had mentioned that Danni the sportscastress recognized him right away. (Props to her for that, btw.)

I hadn’t necessarily expected it to come out so quickly, especially since they weren’t on the same tribe, but Garry was living in a dream-world if he really thought he’d be able to keep it secret for the whole game. Even if no one actually blew his cover, it was a huge part of his life and he’s spending 24-7 with these people in stressful circumstances. The only way he’d successfully manage to keep it under wraps is to have to clam up whenever the talk gets personal, which would only make him seem standoffish. Having a secret would turn into an albatross around his neck, much heavier and more problematic than the information itself. Frankly, I think that he’s overestimating how much people will care.

But he’s screwed now! Even given the dubious strategy of trying to keep it a secret to begin with, he should have fessed up immediately when Brian called him on it. He should have said something like: “Yeah, I was worried people would see me as a threat before I got to actually play the game, so I didn’t tell. Sorry about that everyone, but I hope you’ll see how much I can contribute during this phase of the game.” He could then even make it charmingly self-deprecating by saying something like: “How could I have known someone would actually recognize me?”

Unfortunately, it seems he isn’t quite that sly.

In fact, he’s very very very not sly.

I think he botched his denial so badly that no one who heard it will have any doubt that he’s lying. So now, with every word he’ll only be digging himself ever deeper. (Also on the not-sly front, did you see his reaction when Lydia came to him for support? Even this early in the game, he couldn’t even tell her a white lie like “I haven’t made my mind up yet.” What makes it worse is that he ended up voting for Morgan anyway, so basically he alienated Lydia for no benefit whatsoever! And then what exactly did he think he was going to accomplish by running over and tackling Judd during that second challenge?)

I think the only way that Garry’s foolish denial won’t be the end of him is if, for some reason, Danni leaves the game in the next couple of episodes. If she’s gone, then people are just left with “Do we believe him or not?” and the issue could mostly drop, because it might seem reasonable that she was only saying it to psych them out. If she sticks around though, it becomes a dramatic he-said-she-said, which practically guarantees that the issue will stay in everybody’s mind. I think that there are ways that he could get himself out of this, but I don't think that he's up to the task. Being in the NFL might have made him a target, but lying about it is worse.

Appropos of nothing, but simply because it has to be said, Bobby Jon is a freak.

Last up, I think it’s pretty clear that Nakum is not unified in the slightest. Garry’s denial, the concern about how long they should keep Stephanie, the debate about Morgan vs. Lydia, and the utterly cold way they shut out Morgan at the end. There is barely a pretense of unity in that tribe. They have major problems as far as I’m concerned, which is a shame, because I like several of the people on that tribe.

Poor Morgan. I think she was probably the only one who really believed the unity thing. Considering she’s a magician’s assistant, you would have thought she would know the old saw about what it means when you don’t know who the sucker is. If she’s that unaware of the dynamic around her, she totally deserved to go. But still, she was so cheerful and naïve, watching her get voted out was like seeing someone stomp on a butterfly.

So, thoughts for next time? I have reevaluated my initial concern that Amy would be unable to avoid bossing people around. It seems that being a little weaker physically might actually have been a blessing in disguise, as it denied her any credibility for telling others what to do. As long as it doesn’t get so bad that she starts costing them challenges, she might well be around for a while. The preview for next week seemed to suggest that she injures her foot, but I suspect that it won’t be as big a deal as the preview made it look.

Heh. Given that I felt somewhat unengaged immediately after the episode, I sure found a lot to say about it.

P.S. For next week’s episode, I plan to experiment with podcasting. It has become a weekly ritual for me and my old friend Mike to discuss the most recent episodes of Survivor and The Apprentice. I found these discussions sufficiently entertaining that I wondered if others might find them entertaining too. And since podcasting is cool, I thought I’d give it a try.

If all goes according to plan, Mike and I will record our conversation in a listener-friendly way, and I’ll have it up on the site by Friday morning. At the very least, I’ll have an mp3 of it available for download, but I’m hoping to also supply an RSS feed for those of you who know how those work.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

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The Fantasy League portion of the Survivor Website is now active. Better head on over there to select your team before tonight's episode, or else everyone else will have a head start!

Still, the site seems to be having some troubles, likely due to them waiting so freaking long to set up the site and having everybody and their cousin trying to set up their teams all at once.

So if you have trouble setting up your team, my suggestion is to just check back a few times over the course of the day. Good luck!

And good luck with your selections!

Also, so far Hannah and Kevin have said they want to be in my tribe, anyone else?

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Okay, in case any of you haven't actually watched the episode already, I'll put my reactions in hidden text.




UPDATE! As I predicted, the (mostly) full Survivor web site is up now. Still no fantasy league though.

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30-second Bunny Theater has got a new piece up: The Big Chill. Actually, since I last linked to them, they've also put up Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Click here to see all of the cartoon bunny re-enactments.

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I want to start this post by encouraging any of you out there who are not Survivor fans already to give the show a chance. Commit yourself to five episodes. Just watch the first five episodes and then participate in the discussions (here or elsewhere,) afterwards.

If you do that and still don't enjoy the show, fair enough. At least you gave it a fair shot. However, I suspect that if you do watch those first five, you'll find yourself watching the rest of them too. By the time the finale comes around, you'll be a full-fledged convert.

Join us...

Okay, now for some predictions.

Christiana’s Prediction #1:

Although Stephanie and Bobby Jon will be showing up, I do not think that they will be just playing the game like all of the new castaways. I think they will be involved in some other, perhaps only subtly different, capacity. Team captains of some sort, for example. Also, look for reactions from the other playels to vary from nonplussed to outright pissed.

Christiana’s Prediction #2:

The strife and chaos will start early. The first few episodes are usually fairly sedate, since everybody’s still trying to be nice to each other and they’re still well-fed and psychologically sound. But this bunch is skewed much younger, with more than half of them in their early-to-mid-twenties, and none of the young ones particularly strike me as much of a leader. Furthermore, some of the older ones might be more inclined to take charge, but I suspect that they will come across as bossy, and the young, know-it-all castaways will resent it. So I predict at least two heated arguments before the episode is over.

Christiana’s Prediction #3

Amy will be the first to go, for exactly the reasons I mentioned above. She’s a corrections officer, and used to taking control of things. She’s also used to people having to do what she tells them under threat of force. This would not necessarily be a problem, except that, from her intro video, she doesn’t seem to realize the distinction between her job and working with people who she can’t smack around. This will not go well and they will boot her for it.

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I posted about some preliminary trailers a few weeks back, international trailers, I think.

But now they've posted the final, official release trailer, and it's better than either of the others.

It's an EXCELLENT trailer. Check it out.

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I don't have much to say now that I haven't already said, but let's put it out there.

What do all of you want to see happen tonight?


Also, if you need something to watch after Survivor, at 9, the WB is replaying the first episode of a new show that premiered on Tuesday. Supernatural. It's about a pair of brothers who are well-versed on ghosts and beasties of the night, since their father is a passionate, committed ghost hunter, searching for the think that killed his wife and their mother many years ago.

Now he's missing and the brothers must go on a road trip across the country trying to find him.

I watched the first episode and I was pretty darn impressed. It has a great cast, (talented and easy-on-the-eyes both!) and high-quality special effects, but most of all, it has some truly scary stuff. It's the best straight horror show I've seen in a long while.

It's not perfect. A lot of the "banter" is a little cliche and scripted in parts (though the cast manages to salvage much of it,) and there is a slight over-reliance on the sort of flickery-jump-cutty effect that was first popularized in The Ring. That said, let me reiterate that even the less original bits are presented with remarkable skill and there's plenty of original stuff as well.

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I've been receiving a lot of hits in the last few days from people searching "Survivor Guatemala fantasy league" and have even received an email asking me about it.

What's the Survivor Fantasy League, you ask? Well, basically it's just a fun Internet companion game to Survivor, where you choose four of the castaways and are awarded points based on how they do on each week's episode. It can add an extra level of entertainment to the show, particularly during the early part of the season before the people's personalities really start to come out.

The new season starts this Thursday at 8 on CBS, but the main Survivor Site is still just the simple preview that they've had up for weeks. Where's the full site? Where's the Fantasy League signup?

Well, I don't have any official answers or inside information, but I suspect that two things are going on.

First, the fantasy league simply doesn't start until Episode 2. This is the same as the past two seasons, by the way. Presumably they want to have the premiere and let people get a better look at the castaways before they choose their tribe. So I don't think anybody has to worry that they're going to miss out on points because they were not able to sign up prior to the premiere this Thursday. Just remember to check back after the first episode airs. I'd bet good money that the full site and the fantasy league will be up and running by Friday morning.

So that explains the absence of the Fantasy League, but why still the bare-bones preview site? Well, remember that the previews talk about "not one big surprise, but two!"

Of course, it seems pretty clear that those surprises entail the return of Stephanie and Bobby John from Survivor Palau. It's not totally clear whether they will be playing the game in the normal way or whether they will be on the show in some other capacity. But I'd say that the full site isn't up yet in order to preserve the surprise, whatever form it may take.

So, as I said before, I don't "know" this stuff, it's just what makes sense to me.

Regardless, I'm psyched for this season, and can hardly wait for Thursday night.

Also, as I did last season, I plan to start a private tribe on the Survivor Fantasy League once it gets running. Everyone still picks their own four castaways, but the private tribe provides a handy way to compare your scores to those of all your friends. Also, the various tribes compete against all the other tribes, even though I don't think there is a prize for that.

If you want to be a part of my tribe, just let me know and give me an email address to send your invite to. Hannah, Kevin, and Mike(Meitin) did it last time. Are you in again this year? Also, anyone else with an interest, just drop me a line with the "Contact me" link and you're welcome to join too!

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In these days of war and disaster and political infighting, it can be easy to lose perspective. The 24-hour news media permeates everything with an ever-thickening layer of gloom and scandal.

So in these troubled times, it is up to us to see that society does not lose sight of what really matters.

That's right, I'm talking about 1980's pop-rock.

So, in the interests of advancing the public debate, I have decided to compile a list of five songs that, to me, truly embody the 1980s. It is not that these are the best songs of the 80's per se, but rather that they represent the way I look at that decade.

So, on with the list, in no particular order...

Walk Like An Egyptian (The Bangles, 1986), (Video)

What the hell ever happened to songs that aren't about anything except some silly new "dance"? I think it must have been around the time that those glow-light sticks came into vogue, because suddenly you were supposed to look "cool" when you danced, and so bouncing around with your arms awkwardly trying to resemble an Egyptian hieroglyph suddenly gets you laughed at in the bad way instead of the good way.

Now I'm all for songs that make a powerful statement, using meaningful or poetic lyrics to make you think, or at least, to really make you feel something. But still, I think there's still room for songs that make you feel like dancing around with silly arm movements and a big goofy grin on your face.

See, it seems like fun was still allowed in the 80's. Now I think fun is making a bit of comeback recently, but for so long during the 90's and the early 00's it seemed like all we got was anger, angst or... um, I can't think of another a-word, but how about pretentious posturing?

But in the 80's it was still acceptable to have a big, non-drug-induced smile on your face while you were dancing, or even just while listening. And it is for sheer fun, that I nominate "Walk Like An Egyptian".

Oh whey oh!

Stand (REM, 1988), (Video)

REM's "Green" Album was the first album I ever bought. I was ten years old at the time, and I'd heard "Stand" on the radio. It was loads of fun and it felt... good. It felt right. Yeah! Stand in the place where you live! Think about direction! Singing along felt like being a part of something.

Only as I revisited the song years later did I realize how incredibly trite and stupid it is.

But here's the thing, it was written that way on purpose! Watch the video for crying out loud! There is no way in hell that was meant to be taken seriously, not even in the "fun" 80s. The band's guitarist came up with a pleasantly stupid, but catchy guitar riff, and challenged singer and songwriter, Michael Stipe, to come up with lyrics to match. Stipe, a notably political fellow, basically set out to write the stupidest, emptiest, shallowest lyrics he could think of.

So given that the whole song was kind of a joke, consider that "Stand" was R.E.M.'s first big hit, and it was largely the result of that song alone that they were launched to such prominence. The song was just like grilled-cheese made with Wonder-Bread and good old American cheese food product. Oh, and don't forget the margarine! So was it really any surprise that it went over like gangbusters? Clearly, I was not alone in failing to grasp the irony. Of course, I was only ten years old at the time. (I also really enjoyed another song on that album, "Orange Crush", because I also enjoyed Orange Crush.)

For a creative-writing class I took in college, I once wrote a satirical piece where all of the republicans in congress had gotten together to decide how best to deliberately destroy the environment. It was not so much an endorsement of any particular environmental policy, but a jab at the spurious and non-productive style of debate wherein it is assumed that the other side does not merely disagree with you, but is consciously setting out to do harm.

I got an "A" on the story, but at the bottom, the teacher wrote "Pretty scary."

I went up to her and asked. "It was supposed to be satire, did that not come through?"

"Oh, it did," she said. "It's just that it's kind of true."

So, it is in that vein, namely, satire being misunderstood as sincerity by the very people being satirized, that I say "Stand" represents the shallow, me-first, sanitized worldview held by many people (myself included) during the 1980s.

Still kinda fun to sing along to though...

Rock the Casbah (The Clash, 1982)

This song is included for similar, but subtly different reasons as "Stand". It wasn't satire really, but "Rock the Casbah" was, no question, one of The Clash's least politically-conscious songs. At the base of it, it's kinda about music censorship, but not in any really meaningful or coherent way. Check out this brief synopsis from Songfacts.com:

Joe Strummer wrote the lyrics about an Arab ruler (the Shereef) who hates music, but is defied by the citizens and even his own air force. Strummer was inspired by a news report of Iranians who were flogged for owning Disco albums.

Wow... deep stuff, eh? It's rebellious on approximately the same level as "Footloose."

But the thing is, The Clash were an extremely idealistic, outspoken, politically conscious band. And yet, this song, one of their "just for fun" songs, was one of only two Clash songs to even crack the US Top 40. In fact, when this song, out of all their songs, became a success, it eventually led to the breakup of the band, because they no longer felt like they had any credibility singing about rebellion and politics when they had made so much money singing about "that crazy casbah sound"!

American people have a tendency (we had it then, we have it now, we will have it for years to come) to overwhelmingly embrace fun, but shallow, things and to fundamentally reject anything with substance or meaning to it. And that tendency broke up The Clash, "The Only Band that Matters."

I hope you're happy.

One could make an argument that "Rock the Casbah" is, strictly from a musical perspective, one of their best songs, but that could potentially weaken my moral indignation.

Fact: "Rock the Casbah" was used as a rallying cry for US Troops during the first Gulf War.

Tainted Love (Soft Sell, 1981)

Why "Tainted Love"? Well, it's a kick-ass song, that's why! Want to make something of it?

It's not the subject matter or the societal context that lead me to nominate this one, but rather it's the music itself.

"Tainted Love" makes very heavy use of synthesizers and electronic noises to create a sound that just hadn't really been ever heard before, but was on the verge of exploding all over the place. "Tainted Love" is practically THE definitive 80's song, from a musical perspective. Memorable, singable lyrics, an unusual sound, a dancable, clappable beat. Any dance club with an 80s night had better plan on playing this one at least once a week for perpetuity.

Just to delve into societal context briefly, this song came out just as the AIDS epidemic was starting to get noticed. Though it was not written about AIDS, the parrallels are obvious.

Then in 1993, the song briefly regained its place in the forefront of American consciousness in 1993 with this Levis commercial. It's odd, because though I remember loving it at the time, the commercial now seems far more dated than the song itself.

Come On Eileen, (Partial Video)

Do I even have to explain this one?

Like "Tainted Love", I've included it primarily for how it musically embodies everything we mean when we talk about "80's music". Unusual instrumentation. Bouncy beat. Lyrics about awkward lust. And of course, what may be the single best-ever example of total nonsense words sung as though they are legitimate lyrics.

I challenge you to listen to this song and not sing along to the last "Too-ra-Loo-ra, Too-ra-Loo-rye-aye!"

If you can do it, you have no music in your soul.

And that makes five. Whew! That was a lot of work, but a lot of fun just the same.

So, what do you all think? Am I on the mark or way off base? Did I forget some infinitely superior example or just leave out your favorite? Comment, damn you!

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Just spotted this...

Stars to Sing in 'Emmy Idol' Contest

In an "American Idol"-style competition, stars and singers ranging from William Shatner to Donald Trump to Frederica von Stade will perform themes from TV series, with viewers able to pick their favorite song via online or text-message voting.

Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars") will be the only solo performer, with her version of the "Fame" theme, while others will sing duets.

The dynamic duos announced by CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the contest tagged "Emmy Idol":

— William Shatner ("Boston Legal") and opera's von Stade with the theme from Shatner's 1960s series "Star Trek."

— Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace") and Trump ("The Apprentice") with the "Green Acres" tune.

— Gary Dourdan ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") and R&B artist Macy Gray with "Movin' On Up" from "The Jeffersons."

*Blinks*

Um...

*twitchtwitch*

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Survivor's Richard Hatch Indicted for Tax Evasion...

After rejecting a plea deal earlier this year, original "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch was named today in a 10-count indictment charging him with tax evasion and fraudulently using charitable donations to cover personal expenses.

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At last, a hurricane relief fundraiser that manages to combine the vast reservoir of our unique American culture and the miracle of human life...

Britney to screen baby's birth for Katrina Victims

You know, I don't set out to keep making fun of her. I really don't, but she just brings it out in me.

In truth, I kind of resent it.

Link (once again) thanks to Dave Barry
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Okay, if you're really determined to avoid spoilers, don't read on, but I don't see this one staying secret much longer.

If you want to go ahead and read it though, check out the scoop right here.

And my take?




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I have to tell you, one of the smartest, most exciting, most interesting science fiction television shows I have ever seen was Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex which I watched on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

When the series ended, I was seriously bummed.

Well, hallelujah! Because there's more to come!



I first heard about the existence of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig, right here at Aint-it-Cool News.

It was frustratingly short on details however, so after a little more searching, I turned up this!

New episodes of Samurai Champloo, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex on November 19.

I've been having a lot more thoughts about the whole Katrina thing, some of them positive, some of them negative, and some of them confused. Most of them are still a little... raw though, so for now, I'm making a conscious decision to focus on something else for a while.

Like this. Apparently I'm not the only one who's confused.

Britney stumped by Kabbalah's Hebrew Texts

Pop star Britney Spears has confessed that she cannot understand her Kabbalah books, the holy texts on the mystical Jewish faith.

Though the pregnant singer, who was introduced to the Kabbalah religion by her friend Madonna, says she is not able to get enough of the religion, she is determined to remain devoted towards it.

"I read the Kabbalah books and I meditate on them," the Sun quoted the dedicated star as telling Elle magazine.

"They are all in Hebrew. I don't understand everything. But it's kind of OK that you don't," she added.

However, Britney's husband Kevin Federline doesn't seem to share her dedication.

"Kevin isn't into it as intensely as I am. For some reason I'm thirsting for it. But he looks at the books every once in a while," she said.