The ASININE 2004 Organizing Committee has introduced a hyperlink policy that is laughably bureaucratic at best, and a deterrent to bonhomie at worst. What next? Policies dictating the manner in which spectators can point at the five rings? Mandates when you take in an opposing sponsor’s meal? Oh, wait.

Some solid hoots from the Times:

Mr. Gallo argues that the whole episode was exaggerated by the press and points out that the movie received a standing ovation at its official Cannes showing. In any case, it is coming to American theaters with some of the worst advance word in recent cinematic memory, almost daring moviegoers to go see it.

Denial’s a bitch, ain’t it, Vince?

After making “Buffalo ’66” Mr. Gallo said he had all but decided to leave filmmaking because he hated working with stars (he publicly insulted his costars, Christina Ricci and Anjelica Huston, as well as Ms. Sevigny), with unions and with almost everybody else involved in the movie business.

Gallo, by the way, is 42.

A few years ago, he says, he was offered what amounted to a blank check by a Japanese distribution company to make another movie, which at that point was little more than a vague concept and a title � “The Brown Bunny.” He said he had come up with the name before envisioning any kind of story (rabbits are his favorite animals, and he has always been a little obsessed with the color brown).

Hey, Vince, I love ducks and black myself, but you don’t see me making a movie called The Black Duck.

When he explained that the movie would involve a scene of real oral sex, Ms. Sevigny said she was hesitant but eventually concluded that the scene was integral to the movie. (She also smokes crack during the scene � but that, she said, was faked.)

So in the Vincent Gallo universe, it’s an act of artistic integrity to debase Chloe Sevigny by demanding real oral sex, but it’s appropriate verisimilitude when you fake smoking crack.

“If people are sitting there watching `The Brown Bunny’ and waiting for the motel scene, then I just can’t relate to them.”

It’s the insomniacs who will be doing just that when they tune into your movie on Showtime at some ungodly hour looking for T&A. Too bad, Vince. That’s your target audience.

“I feel much better now that I’ve placed this piece of work in the world.”

Helpful hint to Vince’s publicist: “A piece of _____” often connotes something else.

(via Amy’s Robot)

We’ve relaunched the Wrestling an Alligator site. Character bios, actor bios, a revised excerpt, and a coherent design are some of the fringe benefits (no pun intended). More’s coming this week. Stay tuned. Please also note that if you’re interested in catching the show, advance tickets will be available starting on August 25.

Czeslaw Milosz has passed on. He was 93. Sam has links o’plenty.