Comedy has always been about cruelty to some extent — after all, the pratfall, the pie in the face, and the insult are three of the oldest and most reliable laugh-getters of all time, and they all involve robbing someone of their dignity for the amusement of others. But the notion of the prank as entertainment doesn’t have quite the same history; while funny stories that involved tricks played on others have been common enough through the history of literature, theater, and filmmaking, it wasn’t until Allen Funt created the TV series Candid Camera for the fledgling ABC network in 1948 that someone struck upon the idea of tricking someone into making a fool of themselves purely for the purposes of getting a laugh. Since then, the prank as folk art form has been firmly established. Ashton Kutcher dressed up Candid Camera in a trucker hat and an ironic ’70s rock band T-shirt, called it Punk’d, and made it a hit all over again.

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In my original review of I Am Legend, I dubbed the film “more of a tantalizing, middle-of-the-road misfire than an outright failure.” Having recently had the opportunity to view the alternate theatrical version of the film included in Warner Brothers Home Video’s upcoming two-disc special edition of I Am Legend, that original sentiment takes on even greater meaning than it did in the original review.

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Few endings in recent memory have stirred quite as many gut reactions as the one in No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Cohen’s brilliant meditation on… well, what were they getting at exactly? While many critics are keen to spout their own educated opinions on the matter, the fact remains that there might not even be an answer for this controversial lightning rod of a closer. And though this reviewer is more than happy to continue to ponder the film’s final act, the real joy is to see the great film debate renewed once again. Case in point, the comment board on Jeffrey Wells’ recent Hollywood Elsewhere post, where parties on all sides weigh in with their highly opinionated thoughts on the matter. It goes without saying that those who haven’t seen the movie should sway away from the discussion, but for those that have, it’s become a fascinating forum for film fans on both sides of the argument to share their thoughts. Readers looking to delve further into the rabbit hole best check out Premiere’s thoughts on the matter, as it includes a bit more novel-to-screen comparisons as well as a conclusion that should aggravate confused moviegoers even more. To this, I say – what a great time to be a movie lover!