Burn before or after reading?

September 12, 2008

If you're primarily a movie-goer, you already know that "Burn After Reading" is a new movie by the Coen brothers ("Fargo," "No Country for Old Men," etc.) scheduled to hit the big screens this weekend. If you're primarily a reader, however, you may be confused.

Two years ago, it was falsely reported in an online entertainment magazine that the Coen brothers' new movie "Burn After Reading" would be a loose adaption of former CIA director Stansfield Turner's memoir entitled "Burn Before Reading: Presidents, CIA Directors, and Secret Intelligence."

Both storylines do actually involve the CIA. But the similarities end there. I haven't seen the movie yet myself but I can pretty much guarantee you this: Brad Pitt will not be playing Stansfield Turner.

Yet the rumored connection between Turner's book and the Coen brothers has continued to swirl around the Internet ever since that inaccurate 2006 report, despite reporting in the mainstream press to the contrary.

Anyway, if you're buying a ticket this weekend, just be sure you know what you are seeing.