indefinite articles

As someone who’s been alive since 1939, I’m very familiar with the movie The Wizard of Oz. I don’t actually remember seeing it for the first time — it’s one of those things that seems to have always been in my memory. The Oz story is still incredibly popular and influential, with two major reinterpretations coming out in the last five years. So I thought I’d go back to beginning, to a time before the songs, the Technicolor, the Pink Floyd, to explore where it all started: with L. Frank Baum’s original book series.

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I’ve never been a big fan of spectator sports. The Olympics, regardless, have held a special place in my heart since I was a kid. Though I always make sure to tune in for the big-name events like swimming and gymnastics, I also keep an eye out for less popular but equally entertaining events. There’s one that’s obscure enough and oddly named enough to truly stand out: the modern pentathlon.

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Dear Brendan Fraser,

Your career seems set for a bit of a low-key renaissance this summer. Glad to see it. I’ve always found you a likeable actor, and it’s good to have you returning to the limelight, or at least the penumbra of the limelight. Thanks to TNT, I’ve probably seen you in The Mummy half a dozen times. I even voluntarily watched the incredibly bizarre sequel. When you were on Scrubs, I totally bought that you were the coolest guy J.D. and Dr. Cox knew.

Looking over your CV, though, one thing that stands out is that you don’t really seem to be much of a risk-taker. Aside from the occasional low-profile indie, the vast majority of your films are remakes or adaptations, and you’re rarely asked to bear the entire star-power burden alone. True, Rachel Weisz wasn’t that famous before The Mummy and your Journey to the Center of the Earth co-stars are unknowns, but in both cases the special effects share the billing with you, to be honest.

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