Missing body parts could serve as the topic for a whole other blog, couldn't it? We could talk about how the missing body parts assume different body parts according to genre and gender. Nothing is funnier than a severed head rolling out of an overnight bag in black comedy. But a severed limb in movie like Hostel? Not quite as funny.

Just as Margaret says, the missing finger in the comic noir points to Harry's impotence as well as towards the direction of film noir. The first neo-noir that came to mind when reading the post was Romeo is Bleeding. It's been a century since I've seen the movie but Lena Olin's one-legged assassin remains etched in my mind. Unlike Harry, her lost body part becomes a symbol of her power and her ability to transcend gender. (I still love the cyborg fatale. I admit it) Although Boxing Helena has many flaws, the fact that its heroine achieves emotional liberation once her limbs have been amputated raises questions about castrated/castrating women. (I can't help but think of people who choose to get their limbs amputated.)

I probably should save the following for another thread, but I wanted to ask a question. Is there any way we can persuade network and basic cable television to eliminate commercials for absorbing shows? Perhaps HBO will buy the few series that cry for a commerical free ride (Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Resuce Me) After watching TV series on HBO and DVD, I'm finding it almost impossible to enjoy moments of entertainment intoxication. But like any addict, I can't seem to hold out. If it's on and I'm at home, I gotta turn it on.