* “Why won’t you play the game?” Your very-much-lead item today is Scott Woods’s “In Search of Digital Love,” an hour-long audio documentary/review/essay/mixtape/mash-up/sound collage/whatever exploring Daft Punk’s flawless song “Digital Love.” Aided and abetted by critics Brian MacDonald, Michaelangelo Matos, and Nate Patrin, Woods makes some really astonishing sonic connections here, sometimes by simplly riffing off a single word uttered by his interview subjects–a suite of samples from ’70s/’80s songs with the word “Magic” in the title, for example. (This makes me want to make a playlist of such songs, but adding in my twin faves from this ’80s-radio-staple subgenre, the Alan Parsons Project’s “Magic” and Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra.”) Meanwhile, I never would have thought of “Layla,” but dang if that isn’t dead on. And there’s science-fiction content galore in there, as you also might expect. (I’m proud I recognized Lenny Van Dohlen’s voice in the commercial for Electric Dreams simply from remembering him as Harold in Twin Peaks–which is also sampled!) I’m so impressed by this thing it’s not even funny. Take the time and listen to it. (Via Tom Ewing.)

* Recently at Robot 6: How to write comics and Lady Gaga/Beyonce/”Telephone” tribute art.

* In a very fine postcript to Not Coming to a Theater Near You’s Kubrick retrospective, Aaron Cutler talks about Steven Spielberg’s A.I., lingering on the heartbreak of it. I need to revisit this film.

* Tom Spurgeon reviews the John Porcellino King-Cat collection Map of My Heart. I like when Tom discusses what new things he gets out of experiencing a familiar, even beloved work in a new format, and this review is of a piece with his earlier commentary on Fantagraphics’ excellent Love & Rockets digests.

* Always love a Jeffrey Brown superhero piece.

* Eve Tushnet liked Deadgirl, the hot-zombie-woman-as-sex-slave movie. I’m glad to hear it’s about misogyny rather than a function of misogyny. On the other hand, my wife’s admonishment that we’ve had quite enough art told from the perspective of misogynists, thank you very much, continues to haunt me.

* Apparently They’re very happy with the performance of Caprica and want to make more Battlestar Galactica spin-offs.

* Speaking of: I am very late to this game, but I know you gonna dig Katamaran’s mash-up of Battlestar Galactica with the feel of Spike Jonze’s video for the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” This thing had me laughing out loud, hard, on the train.

I suppose it’s worth pointing out that you could never do this with Caprica. (Via Topless Robot.)

* Twilight Saga: New Moon RiffTrax available simultaneously with the DVD release! BALLS OUT. (Also via Topless Robot, bless his heart.)

* Finally, I took one last dip into last week’s Lost thoughts comment thread. Take a look, then I’ll see you back here tonight!

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