Forgive me for being a butthead, but the number and variety of responses to this topic suggest its, well, silliness. That's okay, I'm all for silliness and lord knows I'm in favor of having a dozen pieces of e-mail everyday. But should we maybe think about what this forum is for? I'm not suggesting that it's necessarily being used improperly now; I'm simply curious what purpose it serves and who is using it. To be frank, these lists of films with scientists are absurd. And the previous discussion about whether silent or sound films are better basically served to demonstrate a collective lack of thought. Which is fine if we all wish to admit to ignorance, but, well, sometimes I get embarrassed. Well, Douger, whaddya want, you might ask, correctly demanding constructive criticism. Well, I guess I would opt for a combination of the terribly concrete (calls for papers, job listings (especially for cranky boys)) and the passably erudite (as evinced by a couple responses to the silent/sound thing (one of the most incisive of which pointed out that that picayune subject wasn't what the whole thing was about to begin with)). I don't want to turn this into the Al Franken Decade or anything (how's that for an obscure allusion?), but I also see it becoming this odd parlor game. By the way, in "Colossus: The Forbin Project" there's this fabulous scene in which the head scientist tries to explain to the computer how much sex he "needs". See what I mean? Incidentally, I would like to begin a movement of people who think the death of Christian Metz will revitalize theory against the mind-numbing effects of the cultural studies hegemony. I've been rereading this note for several minutes. I have decided to send it. Is that a bad idea?