Superman Doomsday

Superman Doomsday Trailer

I cannot wait for this!

I have the original Superman Doomsday graphic novels (somewhere), and eagerly read the story when it first came out around 1993 starting with "Death of Superman", then "A World Without Superman", and then the return of the Man of Steel. This Direct to DVD movie follows all three major plot lines from the comics, covering three years of comic continuity.

There are changes from the source material, however.

Doomsday doesn't beat the snot out the Justice League before tangling with Big Blue. And, we will not see the four pretenders who take up Supes' mantle (Cyborg Superman, Steel, Superboy, and Last Son of Krypton). Those two are the biggest deviations. Apparently, in this version, Superman is the only hero on Earth.

The DVD will also be PG-13, so expect more visceral violence than in previous DC animations. It should be interesting to see what they show and do.

Villains in the DVD will be Lex Luthor, Doomsday, and Superman himself. (He fights his darker side). Toyman is also listed on imdb.

Casting includes Adam Baldwin as Superman, James Marsters as Lex Luther, Anne Heche as Lois Lane, and a few other voices you might recognize from numerous voice overs in animation.

I have high hopes for this movie. It has got to be better than the enjoyable, yet lackluster Superman Returns. We'll find out in a couple of months.

Superman Doomsday will be available on 8.17.07

You can see more at the Official Superman Doomsday Website!

You Won't Like Me When I'm Angry!

I love comics. I love super-heroes.

Hulk is one of my most favorite super-heroes. Sometimes on the side of angels, sometimes not. Always looking out for himself.

Hulk has gone through so many incarnations, so many vastly different looks, it can be difficult to decide which one to do a particular movie on.

Most people know the iconic Lou Ferrigno Hulk from the television series, The Incredible Hulk. I loved the series while growing up, even if Hulk was too skinny, too short, and not green enough. Compared to my beloved Hulk comics, that is.

They got one thing right, however ... the facial features. Savage Hulk is my absolute favorite look for the Emerald Giant. Lou captured the bestial Beast-Within appearance I have always felt Hulk was best suited for.

The 2003 movie, Hulk, used pure CGI to create Hulk's face (and body), though it did seem extrapolated from actor Eric Bana's actual facial features.

I enjoyed the movie for what it was, but felt Hulk's portrayal was overdone in a few ways. The biggest of which was his growing to huge, tree-sized proportions. It makes sense in a way. He'd need a massive frame to carry and utilize the correspondingly massive musculature. He did keep to the Hulk maxim of growing stronger the angrier he got. His face was very humanized, less bestial which gave him a humanity for the audience to relate to, but detracted from the overall monster-inside-us counter-point director Ang Lee seemed to be trying to make.

The fight scenes, excepting the final battle, were fantastic. Pure super-hero beauty on screen, pure Hulk. I was even excited to see they kept Hulk's leaping miles at time in. The middle of the movie was the best, while he fights the Army and escapes from the underground bunker. I even enjoyed the comic-style transitions between scenes Ang Lee utilized.

Unfortunately, Hulk didn't do as well as hoped, and was panned by many critics, both film and comic buffs alike.

The upshot is a new, Hulk movie is going forward. Not a sequel, but a re-start. A re- imagining of the Verdant Behemoth with new cast, and radically different look for the eponymous title character, The Incredible Hulk. I'm stoked after seeing this clip from Comic-Con!



Edward Norton will be playing Bruce Banner, with Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and William Hurt as Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross. Tim Roth will be playing Emil Blonsky, which means we may actually see some hero vs. villain action in this movie with Hulk going up against the Abomination!

The Incredible Hulk is currently slated for a July 13th, 2008 release.

Poll Position

I've added another Poll to the right side of the screen, bottom of the first section. You may choose multiple answers.

I did this Poll for several reasons. First, I finally found out why I could not adjust my blogger layout (and how to work around it by removing the 2 from the www2 URL prefix). B, I woke up with a bad head cold and went back to sleep after taking the kids to camp, reawakening at about noon-thirty in time for a bologna sandwich lunch. And, 3, I never know what to put up, really.

You gotta admit, it beats having another Fart post!

If you inadvertently came here looking for information about the 1982 Namco arcade game, you're not entirely out of luck. You can watch the original Pole Position commercial (love that theme song!) or download a version to play right on your computer!

And just because I wubs joo all ...

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Best.
Movie.
Ever.

Not!

Near the beginning of The Simpsons Movie Homer berates a crowd of people for watching an Itchy & Scratchy movie they paid for when they could watch the same thing at home, on TV! More prophetic words by Homer were never spoken.

Oh, there were a few moments that you wouldn't see splash across your television during a typical Simpsons episode. But, as with more recent seasons, it appears the willingness to stretch boundaries was dropped in order to keep it PG. Well, PG-13 is the rating given to The Simpsons Movie, but it is far, far less PG-13 than any other similarly rated movie released this year. You'll see the reason for the rating if you watch this film. It's not language ...

This is not to say I did not like the movie. I did. I laughed many times, snickered a lot, and even sang along with about 2/3 of the hundred or so other movie-goers when Homer sings the Spider-Pig song ...

"Spider-Pig, Spider-Pig, does whatever a spider-pig does."

You don't get that sort of unplanned, spontaneous audience participation in many movies.

The movie plays out like a long episode of The Simpsons. Unfortunately, the closer to the film's release it got, more and more of this lean 87 minute movie was shown in trailers, clips, and talk shows. While it does drive up interest in seeing the movie, it detracts from the final experience because you've seen the gags dozens of times. Some held up to the hype, like the spider-pig song, while others drew flat amused laughter, as if they once found it funny but now ... meh. (The wrecking ball scene is a perfect example).

The story is not a bad one, a bit more epic in scope than most episodes, but nothing ground breaking.

Lake Springfield has become dangerously polluted. Lisa Simpson exhorts the town into doing something about it. Dumping into the lake is banned. Good ol' Homer, however, dumps in a silo full of porcine poop instead of going to the hazardous materials plant. Now the lake is toxic, threatening the rest of the country, forcing President Swarzzennegger to place a containment dome over Springfield. Homer is found out and blamed. Now, Homer and family must save Springfield and themselves. Hilarity ensues.

In the course of this straight forward plot, we get to meet a high profile band, an extremely high profile actor, the entire population of Springfield, and, of course, Spider-Pig.

If you are a die-hard Simpsons fan, you should rush out and see this. If you merely like the Simpsons, do as Homer suggests and save your money for the DVD or rental. If you hate the Simpsons ... well, there must be something wrong with you. See your family physician immediately!

If you do go to see this at a theater, wait through the credits for some more fun and a surprise or two. ~.^

I give The Simpsons Movie 3 of 5 Raivynns!

Raivynn Rating

Will the Simpsons Movie Stink?

Based on this trailer, it just might!



Ok, Ok ... I had a post I wanted to do. I really did. Then I got sidetracked. Then, I got lazy. Plus I need a shower if I'm actually going to go see the movie today because ... well, Eau d'Naturale doesn't go over well in a crowded theater.

I'll let you all know how it was!

Something

I am supposed to post something everyday, so here you go ...

Something!

My kidney is hurting. no real post today. I should go to the doc, but after the $700 radiator, kids' camp fees, and my previous meds and visits, compounded by the fact I am uninsured ... I ain't got nothing to pay the doc with. *sigh*

My legs are doing much better, however. Healing up nice, awaiting the next outbreak in quiet fear and consternation. I *cough cough* saved some of the meds so if it happens again, maybe I can catch it quick without having to lay out a few hundred bucks again.

Dunno what is really wrong, kidney wise. No pain while going or anything like that. One doctor told me it was my back muscles not my kidney. But, I think he was just not willing to spend much time and effort on an uninsured patient. I know the difference between back muscle pain and kidney pain. I've had kidney stones (well, it was more of gritty sludge which is worse, I've been told), and this feels similar. Far, far less painful, but the ache is close.

I have been drinking a lot of milk and caffeinated soda the last week or so. Both are extreme contributors to the build up of calcium in the kidney. Especially for those prone to it. Gonna lay off the soda and moo juice a while. Stick with plain ol' Tampa water ... which is about as clean as drinking out of the gutter after a summer rain. Always sediment or something sticking to the sides of my cup after I drink it. Might be my pipes. The place is going on 20 years old ... =/

I use bottled water, if i can. But I hate dipping into the hurricane supply we try to keep in stock. We have several flats of those 20 oz. bottles. Easy to carry, stackable, and can be placed in the truck quickly. Plus, no need to worry about cups and other stuff in an emergency, and they can be used for other purposes when empty (if needed, use your own imaginations! ~.^).

So, there you go .. something posted. Hope you're happy now!

Harry Potter - The Musical!

Okay, so it's really just a guy singing a home-brew song about (the then upcoming) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book. This guy and his brother are spendign a year with out written communication and are doing daily video blogs to each other. (You can learn more at www.brotherhood2.com)