Never Fear! SUPERMAN is here!! ... Again! ... *yawn*? ...

I don't know what you've been told, but this ain't 'the Butterfly' it's 'the Tootsie Roll'... and by THAT, I mean - Have you heard the news? There's a NEW Superman in town. 

He goes by the name of Henry Cavill. You may know him from The Toudors (on Showtime). I, personally, am not familiar with the man's work, and I guess he "looks" the part ... (You decide), but I really wish they'd make up their minds already!

The previous attempt at a Superman reboot - Superman Returns (2006), starred Brandon Routh, who I felt actually did a great job. His 'Clark Kent' was a bit better than his Superman, and it certainly didn't hurt that he was nearly the spitting image of Christopher Reeve, the best Superman of them all.

Routh  Reeve

                          
The movie itself wasn't that great. And from a box-office standpoint, it was sorta a flop. It had a couple great action scenes, and Kevin Spacey KILLED it as Lex Luthor, but the overall story was garbage and Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane was 'Lois LAME'! (hahaha I kill me!) So, yeah. Do it over. Cool. This new adaption his being directed by Zack Snyder. He did 300, The Watchmen, and remake of Dawn of the Dead, which was actually one of the BETTER remakes of most 'remade' films that you will find. Plus the story comes from David Goyer and Christopher Nolan, and we already know what THEY can bring to a DC hero franchise. So this new film has already got a solid foundation beneath it.

Nevertheless,  I think they should have left Routh in place. Superman is an iconic figure. Every generation or so, a change-up is warranted, perhaps, but it helps to have one principal image to identify with that iconic image for as long as possible. Especially when he's already pretty good.  Michael Keaton got 2 showings at Batman. Christian Bale is getting 3. Does everyone even REMEMBER Kilmer or Clooney? No, they do not. Let Routh don the cape on one more time!

Oh, and Tom Welling needs to fire his agent.

Getting it straight from the Outsourced ...

Has anyone been watching Outsourced (Thursdays; 10:30pm) ?  Folks were, though a lot of help was coming by way of its fairly strong Office lead-in. But now, with its new LATER time period, the show may be seeing some rougher waters ...

This show, I think, may have turned off a lot of viewers based on it's premise, which u can surmise from its title, and rather derivative and stereotypical (ha! listen to how I sound with my big fancy words!) first couple episodes. But if there is anything I can appreciate in a TV show is it's ability to grow beyond itself, come into it's own, and really find it's voice. Outsourced has done this faster than any Freshman sitcom I've ever seen, and what we're given is a refreshing and pretty original ensemble cast of office workers that have been delivering the "laugh out loud" funny week-in and week-out. The best of the bunch is Rajiv (Rizwan Manji), the scheming Assistant Manager who floats effortlessly between "extremely passive aggressive" and "extremely aggressive aggressive". Also look for Anisha Nagarajan as the shy and reserved, but keenly aware Madhuri, and Office Space's Diedrich Bader who plays Charlie, the creepy but hilarious best friend.

I'm really hoping this show gets a 2nd season. It is right up there in the ranks of 30 Rock and The Office. I highly recommend watching an episode, if you haven't yet.  You will NOT be let down!

Thursday Jan. 27, 2011 episode

 Try this one out :)

Royal Rumble toil and trouble ...

WWE presents the Royal Rumble! (Sunday; January 30th, PPV)

Felt like taking a stab at making some predictions for this year's event!


Title Match 1:

Champion: Edge vs. Challenger: Dolph Ziggler - for the World Heavyweight Title

Winner : Dolph Ziggler, with title changing hands. Edge has gone as far as he can go as Champ, for the time being, and it's Dolph's time to shine. He's been on a giant roll lately, and with Vickie Guerrero at the helm of Smackdown, the 2 are poised to be the new power couple literally running the show. Of course, he won't do it clean. Vickie will offer TONS of help to secure the win. Edge will go nuts and the real feud between him & Dolph will begin.

Title Match 2:

Champion: The Miz vs. Challenger: Randy Orton - for the WWE Championship

Winner: The Miz, retaining the title. I predict Miz to shock the WWE Universe in the first great upset of 2011. The kid has worked hard and, albeit a heel, is the new and growing face of the WWE. He's been dogged by peers and commentators as "scared to fight", but his pride has been boiling to prove everyone wrong. A-Ry will offer a ton of help and probably wind up being the deciding factor in the match, but I believe Miz will put in a hell of a fight, and ultimately get the pin, legitimizing his current reign as WWE Champ.

The 40-man Over-the-top-rope Battle Royal:

This is always a complicated contest to call. You have certain factors to take into account. The winner of the Rumble gets to select either the Raw or the Smackdown title holder to compete against at Wrestlemania. So 1 factor that has to be taken into account is "Which winner would bring an instant and and highly anticipated feud for Wrestlemania?" I've already predicted Ziggler to win Smackdown's Heavyweight title, but it still remains to be seen how much of a show he can CARRY as Champ. He may very well end up turning over the title before Wrestlemania comes around, nullifying any anticipation to be had for someone choosing HIM as their opponent from winning the Rumble. Therefore, although Kane, The Big Show, and Alberto Del Rio will make it interesting, the winner will most likely come from Raw.

Cena is EASILY the over-dog on the Raw roster. Also, they've already started to build his feud with a now more capable Miz. The 2 could actually carry a very strong rivalry that the WWE Universe could get behind, and cheer for Cena as he ultimately wrests the title from The Miz at Wrestlemania. The only people from Raw who could give Cena a run would be Sheamus or C.M. Punk. Unfortunately, Sheamus has been spiraling lately, and I don't see him coming out of it in time to win the Rumble, and Punk & The New Nexus will be nullified by Wade Barrett & The Corre.

So, yeah. Cena should win it, right? ... Well, not so fast! There is 1 last factor to account for with the Royal Rumble ... the ever looming - "Dynamic Return"! Look for someone who's been off both Raw & Smackdown rosters for a significant amount of time to run in around the #40 spot in the Rumble as a "big surprise" to everyone. So the question begs - "WHO would fit that bill?" Only 2 names come to mind. The 1st? The Undertaker. However, the problem with that is he's on Smackdown. 'Taker winning to then challenge Ziggler at Wrestlemania?  *yawn*. Besides, I'm sure he'll back to defend his undefeated streak against Kane. So ... who else?? ...

I'm swinging for the fences on this one, but for the Raw roster Dynamic Returnee, who will blow the roof off the Arena when he rushes in at the #40 spot to eliminate Cena, win the Rumble, and challenge The Miz to an AWESOMELY constructed title match for Wrestlemania?

Winner: Triple H. Told ya. Swinging for the fences. I don't know what his official status is right now. "Super injured reserved"? "Unofficially retired"? No clue. But if there is even ONE wrestling bone left in his body, he's due for a supreme comeback and the WWE Universe could use him. Someone to temper the "Superman complex" of John Cena. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that Shawn Michaels has been reintroduced, having already been announced as an inductee to the Hall of Fame. So he'll be Triple H's wing-man for the next couple months to counter the A-Ry effect. If H can stay healthy, he'll win the title at Wrestlemania.

My predictions. Let's see how smart I am :)

Sephora Succotash ...

Have you seen this poster hanging in the windows of the Sephora store lately?

I don't know what they are selling ... I don't WANT to know what they are selling ... ... I wonder if THEY even know what they are selling!! ... It's a little bit ... uhm ... welll ... ah, Fuck it. We're all adults here, right? (although if you ARE under 18 and reading this blog, god bless you :) We know EXACTLY what this is. It's just sorta funny how they are getting away with it :)

How I love the new millennium :)

EJ vs. Will Smith ...

Ya know what? I like Will Smith. I really do. But he's really asking for it ...

Or is he pushing it ... I'm not sure ... probably both! ... What did the West Philadelphia (born & raised) A-lister do to EJ now? ... It's what he's BEEN doing and what he's continually TRYING to do! Namely - shit all over my favorite movies.

First, this past summer, he puts out the remake (that nobody wanted or asked for) of the Karate Kid, my favorite movie of all time, and he places his son Jaden in the starring role. Admittedly, the remake wasn't that awful. In fact, it was actually kinda entertaining, but the original with Ralph Macchio was flawless and remains in a class all its own. Smith didn't need to mess with it, but he couldn't help himself. So, ok. Fine. I forgave him.

Couldn't he leave well enough alone? Nope! What could he possibly have his sights set on NEXT (just to piss me off)???

Yep! That's right. The remake of Annie, starring Willow "I whip my hair back n' forth" Smith. Believe it! It's true!

Annie was one of the first movies I EVER watched in a movie theater, and has always had a special place in my heart. There've been remakes - "made for TV's" and "direct to videos", but this would be the 1st theatrical remake that Papa Smith is petitioning SONY for. It's not a done deal yet, but this is Will Smith we're talking about. It's probably only just a matter of time till he gets his way.

Willow is cute and energetic and speaks to the kids of today, and I'm sure she couldn't be any WORSE an actor than her brother ... But nobody could ever even come CLOSE to Aileen Quinn as the spunky, irresistible orphan with a mean right-hook.

Hmmm ... I wonder who's gonna play Daddy Warbucks and Miss Hannigan ... Suggestions???

Currently, the best Comedian there is ...

Yeah, I dunno ... Maybe I'm comedy minded as of late ... Maybe I'm feeling inspiration from my friend Emily's blog site, which you should totally check out! - I Want to be Tina Fey

Either way, it's Friday, and the homestretch to the weekend, so to ease ya'll into it, I thought I'd share a slice of the Funniest man in the 'Game of Funny' right now ... Bill Burr ... good stuff lays ahead ....

Jersey Sure, Why not?

First there was GTL. Then there was T-Shirt time. What do we have now in Season 3 of MTV's mega-hit Jersey Shore (Thursdays, 10pm) ? - The Grenade Whistle. And it was awesome. Finally, an outstanding episode and a reminder of just why people watch this show in the first place!

After last week's snoozefest at the shore down in Seaside, this week's ep turned it back up, going out, being ridiculous, dodging grenades, and yep - Sam & Ron fighting. She's nuts. He's nuts. They're both nuts for being WITH each other. And even though watching the 2 of them go back and forth can be tiring at times, tonight it was the highlight. Ron sure cried a lot for a "tough guy", but Sam definitely gave him reason to!

If only she got a clean shot on JWoww like that! Speaking of whom, J's insertion into the affairs of Sam & Ron could have been marked as 'sinister' ... if she were smart enough to be that conniving ... all debatable ... But, without giving away TOO much, the episode was one of the best of the season. Extra credit goes to the (unfortunately brief) return Rider, Snooki's BFF from back home, who I enjoy a whole lot, and Deena giving the boys something to laugh at in the barbershop. The Situation is such an ass :)

So what, little girl? ... U think ur Smrater than me?!

This little girl, who goes by the name "Charlotte", knows a hell of a lot more about the Presidents of the United States than you, and everyone you sip Mocha Lattes with at lunch. Check it out!

Feeling dumb yet? ... Well, you should. But then again, we don't know Charlotte. Or her dad. Or his agenda or his end game or what-have-you for orchestrating this dog & pony show .... Sure, she's clever and adorable, but so was Lassie. And I could still kick Charlotte's ass in a street fight. That's for sure.

"Baby Genius"? or "Trained Seal"? You decide! (before someone else decides for you)

Isn't it about time that u caught VD? ...

After what felt like forever, Vampire Diaries (Thursdays, 8pm), one of the finest yet most underrated shows on Television is back with new episodes tonight on the CW!!!

Where'd we leave off? - Basically - The new Werewolf in town, Jules, is no pushover. She's as dangerous as they come, and has bitten Rose to prove it. "Werewolf bite being toxic to Vampires"? Is it b.s.? - Nope! As Rose discovers, seeing how badly infected she's becoming and watching her undead life is start to whittle away...

Superbad Vampire Elijah - Major villain? or man with his own agenda? ... (can't he be both??) Elena is more confused than ever...

What will happen with Bonnie (she's so cute!) & Luca? ... Will they finally hook up? Or will Jeremy, Elena's un-killable little brother, finally get the girl? ... And why are all black people Witches on this show? ... Haha Just kidding. But seriously. They are!

And lastly, Vampire Caroline (my current favorite) is entering a love triangle with 'just survived his 1st transformation' Werewolf Tyler (congrats!) and her hapless human ex-boyfriend who just can't catch a break.

Seriously. I don't care what u THINK u think about the "vampire genre" on television. This show is awesome. One of the best thing you could possibly spend an hour doing each week ... So stop being an asshole and fuckin watch it already!!

Action in ANY language ...

This is the greatest, most fun and personally rewarding action sequences I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing ....

Good ol' Manny discovered this and passed it along. Snaps for that! And despite being an Indian movie, apparently dubbed over into Russian, nothing can be taken away from the gratuitous, over the top, robo-fighting that will put a smile on your face for the next 10 minutes.

Enjoy! (and you're welcome)

Cougar Town is Cougar-riffic!

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it - Cougar Town (Wednesdays, 9:30pm) is a hella funny show! Everyone raves about Modern Family, which IS pretty ok, but Cougar Town is hands down  the best of the ABC Wednesday comedy lineup.

Some shows are "funny", but it's the special ones that actually make you laugh out loud. I especially love the self referential jabs it takes at itself for it's title and original premise ... The original premise being what most "critics" I've spoken to say they DON'T like about the show. If they actually watch it now, they'd see how far this show has grown past it and really come into its own, with the best and funniest clique of friends on a sitcom since ... Seinfeld. ... What? ... You thought I'd compare it to ANOTHER comedy about a group of friends? ... I have no idea what u are talking about :)

Plus every single opening title screen is different and awesome.

SKIN-teresting? ...

Have u watched MTV's Skins yet? Have u?? (Mondays, 10pm) Well, if u haven't, I strongly suggest that u make some time to check it out!

I initially described it as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off ... if Ferris was an asshole who used the F' word a lot" ... and I stand by that. I also liken it to - Kids - the 1995 movie with Rosario Dawson. But after watching the 2nd episode ... I'm still a little perplexed by the show ... but in a GOOD way!

I honestly can't say (or don't know if) I LIKE the show! And I mean that by it's content, its stories, and its characters - none of which are particularly "likeable". I appreciate the teen drama as much as the next guy, but is MTV just stunting for the sake of showing off? "Let's see how far we can push the envelope till it tears, and even when it does - so what? We made our point."? ... Is MTV beyond that mentality? Nope. I don't think so. But there is no denying that the gratuitous sex, drug use, and general disaffected disposition of pretty much all the teens is enticing to watch. The extended music montages, trippy cut scenes, and occasional SUPER extended dialogues might just be "style"... or "lack of"! It consistently floats back and forth between the two.

I don't know where the show is going ... but maybe that's the point. I'm fairly certain that it will result in the eventual death of one of the primary characters ... my guess would be Cadie - the EXTREME drug addict of the show. (keeping in mind that this show was adapted from a UK show, so those that have seen Skins in its original inception probably already know the outcome ... unless MTV decides to go off in its own direction with it)

There's been a lot of controversy about the influential and potentially harmful depiction of the teens on this show, as u can already figure there would be. People stupider than me who get all up in arms and frantic worrying about what this one tv program will do to the minds of their precious 14 and 15 year olds. (it seems that words like "bitch", "ass", "dick" and "shit" no longer need to be bleeped out (thank goodness) ... although, fyi - "fuck" still does need to be bleeped, apparently)  ... But isn't this just what real kids are really like in real life anyway? I certainly HOPE so ... er ... uhm, I mean - I imagine so :) ... but just a very sensationalized and extreme version of it. And, uhm ... isn't that pretty much like every other show on TV?

Whatever. Anyway ...

"Brilliant Car-wreck"? I don't know yet, but when I turn it on, I can't look away. It definitely makes me think - "hmmm ...", so that's at least SOMETHING for me in today's television environment. And I will definitely be tuning in next week to see what happens (if anything) next.

Perfect Couples ... oh, NBC ...

So ... I gave Perfect Couples (Thursdays, 8:30pm) a shot ... u may have heard murmuring about the "quality" of this show, long before its premiere ... I know, I did! But I chose to ignore them, and just see for myself. Ya know? Afterall, I ... well ... uh ... ya know ...

Yeah. Her. If u don't know who this is, I find it difficult to believe that u are even reading a blog. (It's Olivia Munn, stupid.) Her presence alone should make it possible to get through almost ANY half hour of TV. I mean, in the end, how bad could Perfect Couples possibly BE, right?!

3 words: Un-Watch-Able. At the 1st commercial break, I deleted it from my DVR. Couldn't stomach another second of it. Forget the fact that it wasn't by any means or on any level funny. It's was just painful. What can a viewer find more tiring? - A cliche, a premise or a stereotype? Perfect Couples dares u to answer that question with every single grating "character" interaction and plot device on the show.  

The good news is that there is no way 'the genius think-tank' at NBC will allow this garbage to actually continue for too much longer. It's so cute to listen to the stars trying to promote the show like they think it actually HAS something!

I challenge u to see if u can get through a full episode! If u can, let me know, and u'll win a prize!
(ps - no u won't)

9 more days ...

... or 16, depending on how you look at it!

The word is Feb 3rd, current Verizon subscribers can order it, while everyone else will have to wait another week (Feb 10th) for the long sought after I-phone 4: Verizon edition.

So the question now that people have been debating is - is it worth it all the fuss?

• Its a CDMA phone, not GSM like AT&T. What does that mean? - In short, it does your voice talking and all your data transmissions on two separate streams, which CAN'T be done at the same time. So you won't be checking your e-mail or updating your Facebook in the middle of your phone conversations with the Verizon brand.
• It is not a World phone, so if u take it overseas (outside the U.S.), all you've got now is a 5 mega-pixel camera.
•  It's still trapped on the 3G Network. Verizon DOES have the 4G LTE network available in most places that matter, but I-phone was being built and play tested for Verizon way before the 4G network was available. The antenna wasn't designed for it. And to try and make those accommodations now? ... well, let's just say that we wouldn't be getting it on Feb 3rd ...
• Lastly - the I-phone 5. It will no doubt hit the shelves June/July. Should u buy the older model less than 5 months before the release of the newer one? ...

 

• It's the Verizon network. Finally! And not speaking solely out of loyalty to my current phone provider, but it IS the best in overall phone service. Both calling quality AND customer service. I've had AT&T in the past. Couldn't wait to jump ship. And since then, i've never looked back.
• In the CDMA vs GSM controversy - the door actually swings both ways. Part of AT&T's problem was the overload of information and data processing that their crappy 3G network wasn't equipped to handle, all flowing down that same GSM tunnel. This resulted in poor connections, dropped called, and tons of data delays and lag times. On the CDMA, since the calls are not operating on the same pipeline as your data, the result will be far superior quality in both that AT&T users never got to enjoy.

Ok. So what's the verdict? If u tally up the "pros" and "cons", then there is less sensibility in going out and grabbing the I-phone 4 when it launches ... 

But "Smart Phones" aren't about sensibility. Quite frankly, nobody needs about 95% of the bells and whistles their phone comes with. But we Want them. The same way that we've been wanting and clamoring for the Gold Standard in Smart Phones - the I-Phone - to hit Verizon. So now that it finally has, is anyone REALLY gonna burden themselves with logic and over-thinking when it comes to purchasing it? - Hellz fuckin no. It's a shiny new toy, and I've been good, so I'm gonna GET the god damn thing ... and when the I-phone 5 launches in 5 months, I'm gonna get that fucker too!

So?? Wanna make something OF it?!?!

9 days ...

Jesse Why-can't-he?

Has anyone else noticed that Jesse McCartney seems to be sticking around WAAAAY longer than his originally expected 15 minutes was supposed to have allowed?

Not to hate on him TOO much, cuz truth be told - I kinda like the kid! And his moderate to fair success could be attributed to continually doing his thang (fyi - people HATE it when you 'do your thang', so be mindful of that and watch out) - the "I'm a teen - oh, wait - no, I'm not - R&B - Pop - Soul - Groove" music ... But he does it JUST below the radar ... 

He's like Justin Bieber & Justin Timberlake, but WITHOUT everyone wishing his demise or praying for him to fall flat on his face ...

Gritty ...

Okey-dokey. Blog is up. Much like a fight, rather than over-think it, I'm just gonna run forward, arms flailing and flaying wildly, and hope for the best. If I take any hits along the way, I'll get up, dust myself off, and make any necessary adjustments.

1st up? - I love movies. So? - we watched the Coen Brothers' latest film - True Grit this past Friday.

Not gonna bore you with psychoanalyzing the thing, it was just a very good film. Suddenly Jeff Bridges is relevant again, and moreso than with Tron: Legacy, True Grit is the showcase for why. Excellent performances all the way through, especially from Matt Damon who is one of the best (and maybe under appreciated) actors we have today. Josh Brolin plays "asshole" picture perfect, as usual, but the new kid - Hailee Steinfeld - is the driving force of it all. She won't win anything come Oscar time, cuz ... well ... she just won't. The Oscars do suck in a lot of ways. But she's definitely awesome, and she'll certainly have a whole lot of work in the future.

Seems like a lot of young actresses turn in these terrific performances that get recognized much more often than their male counterparts. For every Haley Joel Osment, there's a Kirsten Dunst, an Anna Paquin, a Keisha Castle Hughes, AND a Hailee Steinfeld. You boys better step ur game up!

Anyways ... Just so you are up with the ratings system for how these movies go:

• Loved it - one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and worth every cent of the ticket price. I can't state enough how much u need to go see this movie ...
• Liked it - it was an enjoyable flick for the most part and I'm glad I watched it. Will I run out to buy it when released on video? ... Probably not.
• Leave it - ranging from the truly forgettable to the "wait a minute ... that didn't make any sense" in the 1st 5 minutes after I leave the theater. Basically - a whole lotta nothin.
• Loathed it - a movie that literally makes me ANGRY after I exit and for days and weeks after. Angry that I wasted my time and money, and angry that such a piece of shit was ever made and that people actually received payment to do so.

So for True Grit? - I Liked it.
Close to "loving it", but not quite. Coulda used a vampire or a ninja or something ... Maybe a Ninja Vampire ... Still very good though.

M'kay? Done. That's the first thing I've ever blogged about. Historic.
Please come back again in the future ... Please? ... I'll pay you money.
(ps - no, I won't)