Love is an asterisk

Of the entertainment news stories worth reflecting on today, the most exciting one is the news that Joss Whedon is apparently in final negotiations to direct The Avengers, a movie that will bring together several of Marvel's most prominent superheroes in the fight against evil. Whilst interest levels in the project weren't particularly high (after all, until the release of Thor and Captain America, it's hard to know how worked up it's worth getting, notwithstanding the fact that The Avengers will feature more Robert-Downey-Jr.-as-Iron-Man awesomeness), if Whedon takes the job then it'll be hard not to start looking forward to May 2012. Full story here.

The debate over 3D in cinema is one that looks set to run and run; Martin Scorsese has thrown his hat into the ring in the past, arguing that even films such as Precious would benefit from utilising the technology. He's now confirmed that his next project - an adaptation of Brian Selznick's children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret - will be filmed in 3D, an announcement that undoubtedly lends credibility to the technology as an artistic device, rather than just a gimmick. It'll be interesting to see how the argument develops over the coming years; leading American film critic Roger Ebert recently denounced 3D as "a distracting, annoying, anti-realistic, juvenile abomination to use as an excuse for higher prices," and leading British film critic Mark Kermode was no less damning in his review of Clash Of The Titans.

For those interested, much of the Glastonbury 2010 line-up has been announced. It is, as usual, something of a mixed bag. The headlining triumvirate of U2, Muse and Stevie Wonder isn't up my street at all. Elsewhere, though, the line-up largely consists of the most prominent alternative bands of the moment (Vampire Weekend, Broken Bells, the xx, Phoenix), indie veterans (The National, Broken Social Scene, The Hold Steady, The Flaming Lips) and curiosity-value inclusions (Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, George Clinton). Were getting a ticket not such a nightmare I'd be very interested in attending, much more so than at any point in the past.

Lastly, an album of the year candidate: over at the LCD Soundsystem website, This Is Happening is streaming in its entirety. The sprawling "Dance Yourself Clean" is one of the strongest opening tracks I've heard in years, and it sets the standard for everything that follows. Well worth checking out.