24 8.7: Just because you’re paranoid don’t mean they’re not after you: I was tempted to go with one of two songs for tonight's episode. The runner-up to the Nirvana lyric above was Garbage's "Stupid Girl," in reference the subplot where Starbuck lets her hilljack ex-con lover and his troglodyte friend loose in an evidence warehouse...but it didn't seem emphatic enough. No, for that to be the lead, I needed a song with a title along the lines of "You Are the Dumbest Motherfuckers in the History of Dumb Motherfuckers," and a quick check of my iTunes library reveals nothing that has both 'dumb' and 'motherfucker' in it. I am clearly listening to the wrong bands. Slumdog President is fast becoming my second-favorite character on the show this season (though he's admittedly a distant, distant second to Renee Walker). He was smoove like Wilt Chamberlain - take that any way you like - when the peace accord was about to be signed, but Jason Schwartzman's betrayal has evidently shaken him to the core...or has it? That's the beauty, if you want to call it that, of this show; we only know what we've seen, so we have no way of determining Slumdog's next move, since we don't know really know him at all. On the surface, the sudden paranoia and ruthlessness is in stark contrast to his affability in the first two hours. But who knows, maybe the reason he's so shaken is because he thought he and Jason Schwartzman were on the same page, only to discover that little brother was much more hardcore than he ever knew.

"What's my sign? 'Out of order.'"

Filmgoing young females end the reign of the Na’vi, finally: Yes, so for those who read Friday’s post, The Hollywood Reporter’s Carl DiOrio was wrong and Nikki Finke was more right than even she knew on her first, non-updated, version of her weekend box office post. The Nicholas Sparks adaptation starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, “Dear John,” seriously exceeded even the most optimistic [Continued at Premium Hollywood. Comments?]

Big Pumps to Fill: Yesterday I mentioned an upcoming new film version of “Damn Yankees!” with the part of demonic pro-temptress Lola currently left uncast. Just to show you how that role can be played, here’s a lengthy clip — my favorite scene from my dad’s favorite movie — that shows you just how great Gwen Verdon was in [Continued at Premium Hollywood. Comments?]

Friday night movie news dump: Because I will it to be so… * It’s getting mighty meta here. Via Anne Thompson, will show biz blogger/reporter Nikki Finke be in any position to sue HBO over their series about a presumably fictional entertainment blogger/reporter with a “no-holds-barred” attitude? asks THR, esq. She’s apparently already threatened to sue the Gawker. And here’s a [Continued at Premium Hollywood. Comments?]

Will “Avatar” become the Octo-b.o. king?: Yes, folks, at last we have a teeny-tiny bit of suspense and disagreement among the prognosticators of b.o. (that’s “box office” for those who’ve never read Variety).  Hot off the news that’s she stands to be mythologized by HBO — and make no mistake, the “no-holds-barred” fictional film blogger “Tilda” will be inspired primarily by [Continued at Premium Hollywood. Comments?]