Will Palladin Play in Pyongyang?
Truth … and fiction … can be found in the strangest places. An independently produced feature film about a “lost” Hollywood star hiding from fame and fans in Central America seems to have captured the imaginations of some conspiracy-minded Internet users in China, owing to a rumor, apparently begun by a Chinese blogger, or launched in a Chinese chat room, that the film contains cryptic messages about North Korea—specifically, the relationship between Dear Leader Kim Jong-il and his third and youngest son and designated successor, Kim Jong-un, also known as Brilliant Comrade. The low-budget, high-quality film, Looking for Palladin, tells the story of a young and cynical Hollywood agent tasked with tracking down an aging, reclusive screen legend (played by real-life legend Ben Gazzara) in order to persuade him to accept a lucrative, but possibly demeaning, cameo role in a sequel to a picture in which he starred—and in which his character actually died. (No matter; the money is good, the
