Geek Weekly ... the blog!

Happy Holidays from Geek Weekly and Prime Time Geek!

2008-12-25T11:24:00.000-05:00

No surprise this is among my all-time favorite geek-related images for the holidays ... :)

If you're celebrating Christmas today, as I am, or any other holiday (fifth day of Hanukkah, I believe it is today), I hope it's filled with joy, laughter, and the love that comes from being surrounded by family and friends. Among the things I have to be most thankful for this year is the support of you all reading this right now, for helping Geek Weekly and the upcoming Prime Time Geek a reality. Thank you all!

2008-12-21T12:56:00.001-05:00

On the final episode of Geek Weekly before the show transitions to Prime Time Geek ... thoughts on the passing of Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the First Lady of Star Trek, tons of movie news, including an update on Thor, new adaptations of The Crow and The Phantom, a fifth Terminator movie, and Frank Miller looking to adapt Buck Rogers, and a review of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for the PS3. All this plus your Comic of the Week and New Krypton Spotlight, right HERE in Geek Weekly for the week of December 19, 2008!

Wolverine Trailer, BSG and Heroes Webisodes, all SORTS of geeky goodness this week!

2008-12-17T08:40:00.002-05:00

First, yesterday, was all the movie news about Thor, the Terminator franchise, a new "Crow" film, and a new animated film based on the Bakugan series on Cartoon Network (see, I cover anime!). Now here's some geek fun we can WATCH ... first, the Wolverine trailer:

Second, the new BSG Webisodes, entitled "The Face of the Enemy":

And last but not least, the new Heroes webisode, entitled "Heroes: The Recruit":

Thoughts? Opinions? Post 'em! And you can be sure I'll be talking about these and all the other movie news this week on this week's Geek Weekly, the LAST episode before the show transitions into "Prime Time Geek"!

2008-12-13T18:15:00.000-05:00

The sketch comedy group Night of the Night Wolf drops in for a visit, also a look at the finale of Bad Night, the latest Criminal story from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, final crisis rolls on interminably over at DC, while Dark Reign begins over at Marvel, the New Krypton Spotlight shines its light on Action 872, and a holiday geek gift list that will not break your bank! Find it all HERE in Geek Weekly for the week of December 12, 2008, the second-to-last episode of Geek Weekly before it becomes Prime Time Geek!

BREAKING NEWS (HA!): Punisher: War Zone flops

2008-12-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

Lots of news sources covering box office tallies relayed the story on Sunday, but I think Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter reports it best. My only question is: Is ANYONE really surprised??

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE OPENING WEEKEND -- $4.0 MILLION

Punisher: War Zone placed eighth at the box office over the weekend with an estimated $4.0 million.

The weekend performance of Punisher: War Zone is the worst of the 19 modern-era Marvel films starting with Blade's premiere on August 21, 1998.

The film, produced by Lionsgate and starring Ray Stevenson, screened in 2,508 theaters as the only major wide opening over the weekend.

By comparison, 2004's Punisher had $13.8 million in its opening weekend. Howard the Duck opened with a $5.0 million weekend in 1986.

Four Christmases topped the box office in its second weekend with $18.1 million. It was followed by Twilight with $13.2 million, Bolt with $9.6 million and Australia with $7.0 million.

The post-Thanksgiving weekend is considered a lull weekend in the holiday box-office season.

Lionsgate has another comics-inspired movie, The Spirit, opening on Dec. 25.

New "Geek Weekly" for the week of December 5th, 2008 is available for download now!

2008-12-08T11:40:00.001-05:00

Batman R.I.P. and Secret Invasion reach their finales, New Krypton in Superman hits its stride, the Galactica prequel, Caprica, gets the green light, and Geek Weekly gives you a preview of the fantasy and sci-fi movies hitting theaters this holiday season, as well as the five gifts to make your geek go ga-ga! Find it all HERE or on Itunes - it's "Geek Weekly" for the week of December 5, 2008!

Also, here's the info on the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar mentioned in the podcast - order one now!

Prime Time Geek is proud to promote he 2009 Geek Girls Calendar, available now!

The images speak for themselves - twelve of the loveliest girls in geekdom donated their time and efforts to the creation of this one-of-a-kind product, the proceeds of which go ENTIRELY to a great cause. All proceeds from the sale of the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar go towards the B.A.S.E. Camp Children's Cancer Foundation. B.A.S.E. Camp provides a year-round base of support for children and families who are facing the challenge of living with cancer and other life-threatening hematological illnesses. According to their website: B.A.S.E. Camp has a double meaning. First, it is an acronym for Believe, Achieve, Support, and Educate. Second, it is a term used in climbing for a place that is set to provide the starting point for a long assault on a mountain. We feel that cancer, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, and other rare/orphan hematological diseases are just such mountains in childrens lives. For more information on B.A.S.E. Camp and their efforts to help children fighting cancer, check out their website at www.basecamp.org. This is a fantastic opportunity to give this holiday season to a cause that needs everyone's help. Order the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar today by clicking on one of the two options below!

OPTION B

Need a calendar for 2009? Order the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar NOW!

2008-12-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

I will repost this info along with the standard blog entry accompanying this week's podcast later in the week, but 'tis the season to be calendar shopping, and since I believe this to be a GREAT choice, I wanted to start spreading the word. Plus, it's for a great cause, so all the more reason to start talking it up. MANY thanks to Tobey for telling me about this and Margie for allowing "Geek Weekly" to get involved!

Yes, 2009 is almost here, which means (among other things) that you're going to need a new calendar. Now, if you're like me at all, you're probably waiting until after the first of the year, when absolutely everyone selling calendars drops their prices on them to around $1, to pick up your Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Twilight, The Dark Knight, Star Trek: Ships of the Line, or Dragonball Z calendar. Well, this year I wholeheartedly recommend you shelve that strategy and instead choose to adorn your walls with 12 months of geektastically gorgeous geek girls!

Prime Time Geek is proud to promote he 2009 Geek Girls Calendar, available now!

The images speak for themselves - twelve of the loveliest girls in geekdom donated their time and efforts to the creation of this one-of-a-kind product, the proceeds of which go ENTIRELY to a great cause. All proceeds from the sale of the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar go towards the B.A.S.E. Camp Children's Cancer Foundation. B.A.S.E. Camp provides a year-round base of support for children and families who are facing the challenge of living with cancer and other life-threatening hematological illnesses. According to their website: B.A.S.E. Camp has a double meaning. First, it is an acronym for Believe, Achieve, Support, and Educate. Second, it is a term used in climbing for a place that is set to provide the starting point for a long assault on a mountain. We feel that cancer, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, and other rare/orphan hematological diseases are just such mountains in childrens lives.

This is a fantastic opportunity to give this holiday season to a cause that needs everyone's help. Order the 2009 Geek Girls Calendar today by clicking on one of the two options below!

OPTION B

New Geek Weekly for week of November 14, 2008 is available for download now!

2008-11-16T14:08:00.000-05:00

Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, and George Perez head to the big Con in the Big Apple in February, Comic of the Week showcases the return of Alex Ross to the world of Kingdom Come, Batman sues Batman, Captain America rockets forward with its director, Black Panther finds a talented voice, and Thor returns to the world of animation, Christian Slater finds a new Worst Enemy in the ratings, and EA Sports wants you to get Active! Find it all HERE in Geek Weekly for the week of November 14, 2008!

JJ Abrams' USS Enterprise ... can you say "mishmash?"

2008-11-12T09:27:00.004-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but it looks EXACTLY the way Abrams describes it, a combination of the TOS and movie Enterprises, except it's haphazard, like the two were thrown together crudely, not smoothly blended together. I find it disconcerting ... be interesting to see it in motion during the trailer attached to "Quantum of Solace" ...

2008-11-10T10:21:00.003-05:00

Author Michael Crichton passes away at the age of 66, Writer-Producer Jeph Loeb gets fired from Heroes, DC Comics announces the end for three major Batman-related titles early next year, Fox moves Sarah Connor Chronicles to Fridays to lead off the night for Dollhouse, the new series from Joss Whedon, and the original Ghostbusters reunite and are coming to your PS3 and XBox next summer! Find it all here on Geek Weekly for the week of November 7th, 2008!

Just had to share this - Wassup 2008! Enjoy!

2008-11-06T09:14:00.001-05:00

Who knew it had already been 8 years since this ad campaign?? :)

A few words about the supposedly impending death of Blu-Ray ...

2008-11-03T09:58:00.002-05:00

I started to read a story last week on Yahoo! Tech that had the subject line, "Is blu-ray the new laserdisc?" (find that story HERE) and I couldn't decide whether to be angry at the ignorance and the rush to judgment being shown here, or to panic at the possibility that the blogger could be right and I could say that I in fact owned two fully-functional dead format players (yes, my laserdisc player still works).

In my confusion, I turned to the source I've always trusted in regards to video formats these past few years, the site that convinced me a while back that Blu-Ray would triumph over HD-DVD and eventually be the home video format of choice for videophiles and casual buyers alike, The Digital Bits. And sure enough, their Editor-in-Chief, Bill Hunt, had read the Robin Harris ZDNet article around which the Yahoo! Tech blog was built around, and it set him off. What follows is Bill Hunt's editorial on the subject, and if you're reading this, please keep in mind that Bill Hunt and The Digital Bits have been covering this sort of thing since the dawn of DVD--they're well-connected in the multimedia world, theirs is a respected voice in terms of online journalism covering these subjects ... they know what they're talking about! So if you own a blu-ray player or a PS3 and you'd started to worry (as I admittedly did as a knee-jerk reaction), read this in take comfort in an informed and non-alarmist point of view:

As you may know, there have been a couple of recent reports online that the Blu-ray format is D.O.A. or otherwise doomed to failure. The most recent such proclamation is an alarmist piece by ZDNet's Robin Harris, that has resulted in a small flood of e-mails from readers today, some concerned, many skeptical and all curious as to our reaction.

Look, folks... let's have a little perspective here. People have been predicting the death of Blu-ray Disc for more than two years now. And many of those doing so were either staunch HD-DVD supporters previously or simply NEVER saw much of a future for Blu-ray or high-definition discs. Harris, it seems to me, falls into the latter category. He's a fine guy, I'm sure, but from what I've read of his work, he's never really been much of a videophile. He's a storage guy. Hard drives. It says so right there in his bio: "Robin Harris has been selling and marketing data storage for over 20 years in companies large and small." There's nothing wrong with that, and more power to him. But I don't expect him to be any kind of advocate for a home video format, other than one based around a downloading model. And he's hardly the person to best judge the future of what is, at its very essence, a HOME VIDEO FORMAT.

That's not to say that Harris doesn't make some valid points. The BDA's licensing fees are too high, and there are still too many barriers (not the least of which is cost) to smaller content producers adopting the format. I'll give you a few more obstacles the format faces: Blu-ray Disc player and movie prices are still too high. Studios should cut software prices across the board by $5 to $10. Profile 2.0 players should become standard and cheap, and fast. The need to continually update player firmware for title after title has been very frustrating, most recently with the James Bond Blu-rays. That's not a big deal if you have a PS3, but if you have a profile 1.0 or 1.1 player, it means either downloading and burning a firmware update disc, or calling the manufacturer's tech support line and requesting one be sent to you by mail. That's a pain in the ass, and the industry needs to figure out a way to make it easier. The economic slowdown and the lengthy format war haven't helped either. I do think the industry should take a look at Harris' recommendations for what a more "forward looking strategy" for the Blu-ray format ought to look like. I actually agree with a couple of them.

But let's get real here. Blu-ray is NOT dead. It's not close to death. It's not even remotely sick or ailing. Saying otherwise is simply a clever ploy to get a LOT of people to read your columns. Look folks, Blu-ray is still essentially a NEW format to most people. This is the format's FIRST YEAR of unopposed exposure to consumers - the first year it hasn't been embroiled in a bitter format dispute with HD-DVD. The standard DVD format didn't begin to really take off until well over a year after its Divx pay-per-view nemesis finally died. It's worth noting that my prediction has ALWAYS been that Blu-ray and DVD would co-exist for many years, and that Blu-ray would gradually increase its market share over time. If I had to guess, I think the mix a few years from now is going to be 50% DVD, 30-40% Blu-ray and some smaller percentage of downloading. Blu-ray isn't going to replace DVD, the single most successful format in the history of consumer electronics, and anyone who thinks otherwise is out to lunch. But Blu-ray's future is plenty bright, folks.

Let's look at this from another perspective. One month ago, Paramount's Iron Man became the first Blu-ray Disc release to sell 500,000 units in its first week of release. Industry sources tell me that the title has CONTINUED to sell well and is closing in on 1 million units sold. If Iron Man doesn't get there first, Warner's mega-smash hit The Dark Knight is on deck for release on Blu-ray Disc on 12/9. Does anyone think it isn't going to fly off the shelves too? Either way, by the end of the year (almost certainly by the end of January), one of these two titles - and quite possibly BOTH - could hit 1 million units sold. That milestone will have been reached just a little more than two years after the Blu-ray format was launched. Do you know how long it took DVD to have its first million selling title? Just under THREE years - The Matrix, which debuted on the format in late 1999. Seems like Blu-ray's right on track to me.

The format's got LOTS more going for it too. First, player prices are finally dipping below $250, right on track with the pace in the early days of DVD. Best Buy has its Insignia brand BD player priced at $249, and a Samsung player on sale for $229. Multiple retailers are expected to be selling Blu-ray players for LESS than $200 on Black Friday and for the holiday season. According to Video Business, Sears will be selling Sony's BDP-S350 for just $179.99 and Samsung's BD-P1500 for $199.99, both profile 2.0/BD-Live ready players. Look for other BD player deals at select retailers to follow, some as low as $149.

Second, look at all the great titles available! You know, earlier this year many of the studios were telling me that big titles were coming for the holidays, and that the floodgates were really going to open in 2009, but I STILL didn't expect the torrent of great titles we're seeing now. Consider the new releases alone... Transformers, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight, Cloverfield, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Hancock, Wall-E, Sex and the City, Tropic Thunder, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Rambo, There Will Be Blood, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Kung Fu Panda, Casino Royale and many, many others.

Now consider the AMAZING catalog titles that have been (or will soon be) released on Blu-ray... SIX vintage James Bond films, ALL of the Austin Powers films, Sleeping Beauty, Blade Runner, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Godfather Collection, ALL of the Terminator films, Starship Troopers, all of the Planet of the Apes films, all of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Casablanca, How the West Was Won, L.A. Confidential, JFK, all of The Matrix films, FIVE Stanley Kubrick films including 2001, The Nightmare Before Christmas, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the Omen films, Bonnie and Clyde, the Die Hard films, ID4, the Mission: Impossible films, Dawn of the Dead, the Dirty Harry films, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Superman and the Superman II: Director's Cut, the Spider-Man films and on, and on, and on.

In his piece, Harris claims there are few quirky indie films on the format. Has he not seen Transsiberian, Sukiyaki Western Django, Mongol, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Persepolis, Shinobi or any of the MANY such titles now available or coming soon? What about the documentary titles? Baraka, Planet Earth? The TV titles? Heroes, Lost, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Torchwood, Pushing Daisies, Band of Brothers?

You think all of those titles are impressive? Look at the tip of the iceberg of what's coming next year: The Star Trek films, Braveheart, Pinocchio, The Lord of the Rings films, King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur, North by Northwest, the Ghostbusters films, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, the Rush Hour films, The French Connection, Napoleon Dynamite, Office Space, Raging Bull, Ronin, the new Battlestar Galactica TV series and HUNDREDS of others. That's just scratching the surface. There are titles that I KNOW FOR A FACT are in the works for release on Blu-ray in 2009 that will blow your minds, but I can't mention them by name yet. MAJOR catalog releases. For god's sake, folks... The Final Countdown is on Blu-ray! Are you kidding me?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

The question isn't, "Is Harris right?" The question is, "Is Harris even PAYING ATTENTION?" Of course not. He's fine guy... but he's A DATA STORAGE GUY. He's not a film guy. He's not a home video industry expert. Make no mistake, the Hollywood studios are 110% behind the Blu-ray Disc format, folks. So are the hardware manufacturers, and so are all the major retailers. They're going to blow the doors off this format in 2009 in terms of amazing releases. And watch for prices on hardware and software to get even more affordable in the coming year. Blu-ray is going to be around for quite a long while, I don't care what Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Robin Harris tell you. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE A MOVIE FAN. PERIOD.

Blu-ray is dead?! Yeah, right! And I've got a bridge in Alaska to sell you.

As Charlie Brown might say, "Good grief..."

New Geek Weekly for the week of October 24th, 2008 is available for download NOW!

2008-10-26T14:36:00.006-04:00

Terrence Howard talks about being replaced for Iron Man 2, 007 Daniel Craig says no to Thor, Sarah Palin gets her own comic and Marvel introduces a female Black Panther in February, Secret Invasion and Final Crisis roll on but Superman New Krypton Special is the Comic of the Week, the Shatner blasts George Takei, and zombies infect Grand Theft Auto IV! It is all HERE in Geek Weekly for the week of October 24, 2008! Download, rate, and review it on Itunes or at www.switchpod.com NOW! :)

Geek Weekly - 10/24/08

New "Geek Weekly" for the week of October 17, 2008 is available for download!

2008-10-20T11:21:00.006-04:00

Terrance Howard out, Don Cheadle in for Iron Man 2, JJ Abrams talks Trek and the Shatner, the CW talks Smallville sweeps plans, Sci Fi Channel announces the return of BSG, Darth Vader and Yoda arrive as DLC to Soul Calibur players, Lil Big Planet runs into a lil big problem, and the Red Rings of Death drag Microsoft into a California court room. Find it all HERE on Geek Weekly for the week of October 17, 2008!

Still trying to plug Geek Weekly!

2008-10-17T11:30:00.006-04:00

So astute visitors to this page may have noticed some new bells and whistles, and they're all geared toward providing yet more means of accessing and downloading the "Geek Weekly" podcast, which admittedly gets more attention from me nowadays than this blog does! In the future, however, I want to integrate the two - use this blog to both promote and supplement stories that I report on during the "Geek Weekly" podcasts. Since I'm a one-man operation in this thing, it's important to me to utilize as many resources as I can in order to bring more attention and more new listeners to the show, just to keep it going!

So, now "Geek Weekly" can be found on the following podcast directories:

Well, it's not up YET on Podcast Pickle, but it will be. Both sites offer the option to review the podcasts, so readers, put in a good word for me if you can! Thanks again for all your help!

Alex Ross provides cover art for "Kollector's Edition" of "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe"!

2008-10-10T11:06:00.004-04:00

Two words: BAD. ASS.

Check out the video for the interview with Ross and a "behind the scenes" take on the creation of the poster ...

Games blog: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe-the Joker's Fatality

2008-08-29T12:58:00.002-04:00

I've talked to a few people who weren't too excited about Midway's upcoming fighting game for the PS3 and XBox 360, "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe", which introduces the magically-powered Mortal Kombat characters and universe into the world of the DC Comics characters. It stands to reason that if you're not a fighting games fan, you're not going to care too much about this. BUT if you are a fighting games fan (which I am) and you're even a casual fan of comic books (don't even need to address that!), then this one is looking more and more like it's worth a glance. Now, a concern/disappointment from a different quarter has arisen in terms of the games' violence--specifically, old time MK fans are disappointed because the upcoming game will be rated "T" for Teen, whereas other entries in the series have been rated "M" for adult. In other words, MK fans have reservations because they think the game won't be violent and gory ENOUGH.

Well, this may or may not have an influence on that opinion, but those with that opinion should check this video out from GameTrailers.com. Stick around for the end when they show off The Joker's fatality ... and THEN tell me the game isn't going to be violent enough. :)

First podcast!! Listen now to "Movie Rap"!

2008-08-04T00:40:00.003-04:00

Please give us a listen and tell us what you think--"Movie Rap" is a one-hour podcast we want to record weekly. This is our first recording, so not much in terms of production elements, but that's coming soon. For now, enjoy the podcast and stick around during the breaks for some surprises ... :)

Comics Blog: Michael Turner, Writer/Artist, founder of Aspen Studios, dead at 37

2008-06-30T08:48:00.004-04:00

Michael Turner, famed comic book writer/artist and co-founder of Aspen Studios, passed away from complications deriving from his fight against cancer. He was 37 years old. Turner exploded onto the comic book scene in the late 1990's, discovered by writer/artist Marc Silvestri at a comics convention. Silvestri hired Turner to work for Top Cow Productions, and it was there that Turner would co-create Witchblade, a comic which went on to become a best-seller, inspire a short-lived television series, and continues to this day. In 1998 Turner created his almost-equally popular comic Fathom, and shortly thereafter, 2002, he left Top Cow to form his own company, Aspen. Under the Aspen banner, after settling a lawsuit with Top Cow in 2003, Turner continued to work on Fathom as well as his new series, Soulfire, both of which continued to be top-sellers.

In 2000, Turner was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of cancer, in his right pelvis. He underwent surgery, in which he lost his entire hip, 40% of his pelvis, and three pounds of bone. The surgery was followed up by radiation treatments, which prolonged his life and permitted him continue reaching new heights of popularity among comic fans.

In 2004, Turner contributed covers for DC Comics' best-selling storyline Identity Crisis, written by novelist Brad Meltzer. In addition, he contributed cover art for The Flash and cover and interior art for a pivotal story arc in Superman/Batman, "The Supergirl from Krypton", written by Jeph Loeb, which reintroduced Supergirl into mainstream DC continuity. He would continue to contribute cover art for DC Comics until 2008, most notably variant (alternate) covers for Justice League of America, the new ongoing Supergirl title, and the cover to Superman/Batman #26, which presented a story written by Jeph Loeb's son, 17-year-old Sam Loeb, who also succumbed to cancer in June 2005.

Marvel Comics' most high-profile titles benefited from Turner's distinctive artwork, as well. In 2005, he produced variant covers for the best-selling miniseries Civil War and the ongoing series Wolverine: Origins. In 2006, he produced the variant cover for the first issue of the new Thor series, which returned Thor to regular monthly publication after an absence of two years. As recently as 2008, he'd been announced as the artist for the new ongoing series Ultimate Wolverine. He also continued to do cover art for independent comics such as Dynamite Entertainment's adaptation of the popular sci-fi TV series Battlestar Galactica.

Turner passed away at his home in Santa Monica, CA, surrounded by family and friends. In his tragically short career, Turner left a lasting mark on the comics industry with his unmistakable style and his always-unique take on iconic characters. His first and arguably most memorable creation, Witchblade, continues to be a talked-about property in terms of television series and film adaptation, and the original TV series continues to be a cult favorite. Turner's work, in particular his work on female characters, always sparked powerful responses and debate amongst comic book readers, both positive and negative. Whether you liked the work or not, you could never ignore it, and for that reason alone Michael Turner's name will resonate in the comics world for decades to come. But whether you were a fan or a critic of the man's artwork, one must acknowledge the bravery and fortitude of the man himself, who continued to produce prolifically for years while battling a disease that was slowly killing him. For myself, I can't say that I always loved Turner's work, but I can say that I can only hope to be capable of that kind of bravery should I ever have to face such circumstances.

Rest in Peace, Michael Turner.

Remembering George Carlin ... Rest In Peace

2008-06-23T08:31:00.001-04:00

(this is the same blog post I posted on MySpace earlier today)

When I logged into my computer this morning, the top headline on Yahoo! hit me like a fist:

Comedian George Carlin dead at 71

It's just one of those things you think will never happen, like a favorite relative that you know is getting older, that maybe they'll kick-off someday, or maybe, just maybe they're so stubborn and crotchety that they'll hang around forever just to piss the powers-that-be off. That was Carlin: defying convention, following in the footsteps of Lenny Bruce in the '60s and bring acerbic yet goofy comedy to a whole new generation from the late '70s to today. How else can you describe the irreverence of a man who could title a book, "When is Jesus Bringing the Pork Chops?" In fact, he once said, during his 1982 HBO Special "Carlin at Carnegie", "That's my job, thinking up goofy shit."

Now I'm the first to admit that in recent years Carlin's work was a bit too bitter and cantankerous for me. It seemed as though he'd spent half his life screaming to anyone who would listen that it was, in fact, okay to be comfortable with ourselves, our bodies, and our sexuality and to talk about them in a frank manner, as opposed to allowing our government and our supposed authority figures dictate to us what was "decent' and "indecent" to say in public forums, and his routines began to feel like he was venting frustration rather than trying to entertain. But the man's conviction (not to mention the fact that he was RIGHT) was undeniable, and we always remember him not only because he made us laugh, but like all the truly great comedians of our time, he made us THINK. Think about our social phobias, our use of language, of euphemisms, of the things we take as a given when we really shouldn't--Carlin asked us to question all these things through his goofiness, his irreverence, his refusal to accept the decrees of so-called authority. His was an unforgettable voice--at least, it was to me. Rest in peace, you cranky old bastard. You will be missed.

Here are a few of my favorite Carlin bits. I was in middle school when I first saw some of these, and they're still hilarious to me today. Enjoy!

Carlin at Carnegie, 1982

Carlin on Campus, 1984

George Carlin: Playin' with Your Head, 1986

George Carlin: Doin' it Again (1990)

TV Blog: Smallville: "Arctic"

2008-05-16T07:58:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry, Clark. But this glowing orb is my ticket off this sinking ship of a show. Now you've got to carry this gig all by yourself.

SPOILER ALERT!!! STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED LAST NIGHT'S (5/15/08) EPISODE!!!

That's it? That's Lex Luthor's great swan song, his final triumph? That's Michael Rosenbaum's grand exit from this series that he's been a part of for SEVEN years? By literally bringing the house of cards down on top of not only Clark (Tom Welling), but himself as well, leaving them both buried in the ice of the Arctic?

Oh, and let's briefly cover the other "hanging" plot threads for next season:

1) Chloe's (Allison Mack) going to prison for hacking government computers;

2) Kara's (Laura Vandervoort) trapped in the Phantom Zone (something of a season finale family tradition in the House of El--hey, it worked for getting Clark out of the picture at the end of Season 5!);

3) Lana (Kristin Kreuk) broke up with Clark via DVD (OUCH!! Guess it's better than email or text message break-up, though);

4) Jimmy's (Aaron Ashmore) ... well, Jimmy's still lame;

and 5) Lionel Luthor (John Glover) ... is still dead.

Well. That was disappointing.

That had to be the most UNDERWHELMING season finale I've seen for ANY show in quite some time. I have even LESS enthusiasm for next season than I did before last night's show aired, and I didn't think that was possible. Of course I'll tune in, because I'll want to see what preposterous explanation they're going to pose for Lex's absence, something like Clark saying, "I couldn't find Lex in all the snow and ice ... he must be dead!" Yes, Smallville fans, after seven years of quality hissable performances from Michael Rosenbaum, his character will in all likelihood get the same treatment Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles) got at the start of Season 5, presumed dead and buried even though we never see a body. At least Ackles got a consolation prize from the CW, a starring role in Supernatural.

Action Figure News: NECA's upcoming "Conan the Barbarian" series!

2008-05-15T14:32:00.004-04:00

Okay, so maybe these are a tad late, considering the movie first came to theaters in 1982. But anyone with a taste for nostalgia (yes, that would be ME) and who would agree that Conan the Barbarian is still one of Schwarzenegger's best films (and the better of the two Conan films, though I know some who would debate that) I think would agree that these are VERY well done renditions of Ah-nald in all his Cimmerian blood-soaked glory. What's most impressive to me is the facial sculpts on both figures--not only do they REALLY look like Schwarzenegger, but they accurately reproduce his facial expressions in those scenes in the film (his days as a pit-fighter slave near the beginning and the attack on Thulsa Doom's temple, respectively)! NECA's really outdone themselves with this assortment ... guess I'm going to have to find room somewhere in my place for these, too ...

UPDATED: Smallville Series Finale tonight (or at least it SHOULD be ...)

2008-05-15T10:10:00.004-04:00

Sorry, found this image of Mack while doing a Google search for her and just HAD to include it ... WOW when did she do this? GO CHLOE!

UPDATE (11:09AM) - Well, looks like the folks at the CW haven't lost their minds completely: they've signed a deal with reps for Allison Mack to bring her back as a series regular next year, after all. Here's the word from TV Guide's insider, Mike Ausiello:

Smallville fans, consider this bullet officially dodged: Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that after weeks of tense negotiations, Allison Mack has sealed a deal to return next season as a series regular!

[The crowd roars]

Although the specifics of the new contract -- which was signed just hours ago -- are being kept under wraps, I'm told it calls for Mack to appear in all episodes produced next season. As I reported earlier this week, the actress' reps were (wisely) using the imminent departure of Smallville vet Michael Rosenbaum as leverage in the negotiations. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the strategy paid off.

My concerns still stand, of course--you're still losing Lex and Lana as regulars, but Lana will appear for a few, and even if Lex appears in a 3-4 episode arc, that might not be too bad. This business about introducing Doomsday as a villain next season, though? The CW seems determined to have Smallville jump the shark, as if a great many people didn't think it had done so already.

10:30AM

This past season has certainly had its ups and downs, like any other, and this season's finale promises to place all the principals in cliffhanger-style danger, just as many others have, except this time we know certain things FOR CERTAIN going in:

1) Goodbye, Lex: Michael Rosenbaum has said his official goodbye in an open letter to fans--he will not be back as a regular next season (though he MAY do a limited number of episodes);

2) Goodbye, Lana: Kristin Kreuk is also leaving as a series regular, though it IS confirmed she WILL do a limited number of episodes next season (last report was seven).

In addition, there's this bit of news, not as certain:

3) Goodbye, Chloe (maybe): Allison Mack is not contractually signed for Season 8, and many in Hollywood are reporting that her representatives are demanding from the CW more than the network is willing to pay. TV Guide's Mike Ausiello reported earlier this week after previewing tonight's episode that given what occurs tonight, it would not be difficult AT ALL to explain Chloe's absence from the show next year.

So, potentially, we could have Smallville without Lex, Lana, OR Chloe, with the returning principals being Tom Welling (Clark), Erica Durance (Lois), and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen). The return of Laura Vandervoort (Kara) is even in question, as her name was not mentioned among the show's cast at the CW's "upfront" presentation in New York this past week (neither was Mack's, although Kreuk was given second billing). So, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy ... shall we rename the show "The NEW new Adventures of Lois and Clark"?

Once again, I must renew my call to end this show NOW, gracefully, with the majority of its original cast still onboard. It won't happen, no matter how much fan outcry there is, but I have to ask one more time. Without Lex, Lana, and Chloe (and with Pete Ross long departed, along with Jonathan and Martha Kent), this is no longer Smallville at all, and "Lois and Clark", well, that's been done before. The CW is keeping this show alive on a respirator, basically--the ratings have been falling all season, and with all the changes planned will PLUMMET next season--because they have precious little else to hang their hopes on. There are simply too many fans out there, particularly fans of Allison Mack, who won't tune in next year because it's too much. I'm not even sure I will be watching next year, given what we know now. And with what tonight promises, a FINAL confrontation between Lex and Clark with all the cards at last on the table, however it resolves itself I'll be happy to not watch a single episode again, rather than endure the show's slow demise in the absence of its most essential elements.

TV Blog: Smallville "Descent"

2008-04-17T14:02:00.002-04:00

So now we begin what will be the swan song of both Lex Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville, the final five episodes of the season that will finish Luthor's journey toward being the super-villain we viewers have always known he'd become, while also bringing to a close Rosenbaum's active involvement in the series. Of course, it's possible he could return for a few spot episodes next year, as Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) is slated to do, he will certainly not be a regular. Tonight's episode, "Descent", begins with the death of a major character--the trailer leaves very little doubt who the victim is--and apparently deals with the aftermath and how this act moves Lex from the "morally bankrupt" category to the "diabolically evil" category.

For me, I know I'll miss John Glover's presence on the show, but this is something that needed to happen to the Lex character, so I'm looking forward to it in that respect. In the last few years I've had no trouble whatsoever loathing Lex, but now the "true" evil will emerge, and it will be all the easier.

For the last four episodes, anyway.

Movie Geekiness: "Incredible Hulk" theatrical poster

2008-04-15T14:04:00.003-04:00

Universal Pictures today released to media outlets the final theatrical poster for their entry into this summer's superhero movie mayhem, "The Incredible Hulk".

Maybe it's just me, but looking at this image, with Bruce Banner (Edward Norton this time out) in the center of the image, walking with head downcast and sadness weighing upon him as palpably as the bag slung across his shoulders, I can almost hear the piano tones of the theme song from the "Incredible Hulk" TV show with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno. I know I'm one of the few right now, amongst the many out there who still remember the last "Hulk" movie and were disappointed by it, but I think they're on the right track with this one. Everything I've seen so far in terms of marketing and trailers tells me this is a Hulk character and story that will feel much more familiar to the general movie-going populace, in addition to being quite the superpowered beatdown once the two gamma-irradiated combatants, Hulk and Emil Blonsky/Abomination (Eric Roth), get down to business.

Not nearly as excited for this one as I am for "Iron Man", of course, but I'll go see this one, for sure, and I'm hopeful it will succeed more than its predecessor.