The DC Countdown Begins in March

Identity Crisis comes to an end this week. What's next for the DC Universe? Don't know for sure, but one big clue is this cover, which promotes DC Countdown, an 80 pg. special for only $1, out in March. It's written by DC superstars Geoff Johns (Flash, JSA, Teen Titans, Green Lantern: Rebirth), Greg Rucka (Adventures of Superman, Wonder Woman, Gotham Central) and Judd Winick (Batman, Green Arrow, Outsiders) with art by a team of DC's best. Take a look at the cover below and let the speculaton begin.

Who is Batman holding?

It's Great to be David Goyer

Who the heck is David Goyer?

David Goyer wrote all three Blade movies, and also directed the third one, which premiered this week. He also wrote the script for Batman Begins, out next summer. Before that, he co-wrote Starman and JSA for DC Comics, and he may be making a brief return to do a story arc on Superman/Batman.

But what's next for Goyer, who just signed a writing/directing deal with Warner Bros.? Nothing offical yet, but he all but confirms that he will be writing and directing The Flash, with Ryan Reynolds (who co-stars in Blade: Trinity) as Wally West.

See him talk about his movie projects at the Blade: Trinity premiere here.

Lost on "Lost"? Catch Up!

If you think it's too late to jump on for what's one of the biggest hits of the new TV season, I've got good news.

Starting this week, ABC will start rerunning Lost from the beginning through to February when it comes back with new episodes.

I haven't seen it since it's on the same time as Smallville, but I think I'm gonna start now.

New Batman Begins Poster Ad

Here's the international teaser poster for Batman Begins. This one's even cooler.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Teaser

Johnny Depp stars as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Here's the new teaser trailer.

Batman Begins Teaser Poster

The first full trailer is expected to appear with Ocean's Twelve next weekend.

"Bewitched" Teaser Trailer

Coming next summer, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/bewitched/

Have You Seen This Sponge?

A nationwide crime wave has captivated the public as 9-foot, inflatable Spongebob Squarepants are disappearing from the tops of Burger Kings across America. Plankton is the chief suspect. Read the gruesome details here.

I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!

Godzilla Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

"I'd like to thank all the little people I stepped on to get where I am today."

Bloggers Blogging About Blogs

The number one word of 2004? According to dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, it's "blog."

Merriam-Webster defines "blog" as "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks."

Blogs had a big impact in this election year. It was bloggers that first cast doubt on the CBS News report calling Bush's military service into question, and who speculated Bush was wearing a listening device during one of the debates.

Read about the popularity of blogs and check out the full list of Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2004

Batman vs. The Joker: Round 1 (again)

The story's been told and retold dozens of times, but DC is telling it again. Gotham Central writer Ed Brubaker tells the tale of the first meting between Batman and the Joker in a 64-page one-shot special, Batman: The Man Who Laughs, for $6.95 in February. Here's how DC describes it:

A mysterious homicidal maniac is killing prominent citizens of Gotham City, each time leaving an unusual calling card: a ghastly rictus grin plastered on the victims' lifeless faces. The Dark Knight Detective is on the case, and before long finds himself taking on the Clown Prince of Crime! This adventure establishes the conflict that rages to this day!

See a preview of the cover and first few pages here.

Just one more thing....

One of my favorite television franchises continues to be a big draw around the world, according to this article.

Why so popular? Columbo star and executive producer Peter Falk has a theory:

"Stepping aside and looking at it objectively, I can say that it does represent quality television," he said. "We broke our asses to try and avoid smoke and mirrors. We had no car chases, no cheap sex jokes and very few fake clues and some genuinely unpredictable and very entertaining surprise endings. And that, in all modesty, really is in the realm of some of the classic Agatha Christie stories."

The article also mentions that a new Columbo movie is in the works.

Smallville goes to the dogs

This season has seen Lois, the Flash and Mr. Mxyzptlk. But, you ain't seen nothing yet. Coming up later this season is none other than...

Krypto, the Super-Dog!

Maybe, he'll be joined by his buddy...

Cooper the Bat-Hound!

Smallville News Flash: Lex is a Scoundrel!

In a revelation to no one but his boyfriend Clark, we find out that Lex likes the ladies. He has frequent one-night stands with women whose names and faces he barely remembers. But one morning, one of them is dead in his hotel bed. So we have a murder mystery on our hands. Sounds promising. But, no…

Clark and Chloe do their Mystery, Inc. shtick with Chloe having way too many resources for a high school student and making way too many leaps in logic – missing earring? Must be a different woman. Uh, OK. Of course, she’s right because there’s no time for anything more.

Meanwhile, Lana is dreaming, and it’s not about Clark – no, she’s having flashbacks to clips of her bad acting as the witch Isobel, but this time she sees Dr. Quinn, Medicine Witch Doctor, that is, Jane Seymour (a former co-star of Christopher Reeve’s in Somewhere in Time). The weird thing is the woman in the dream is …. Jason’s mother, kicking Lana’s subplot back into high gear as it becomes apparent that Lana and Jason being together has been arranged. Ooh….sorry, still not interesting.

And who wants to help Lex, besides Clark, that is? Lionel, who apparently wasn’t lying when he said he was a changed man at the end of the body-switching episode. Lionel is filled with good and wants to atone for all of his past evil deeds. In addition, he can see the dark in people, and now he sees it in Lex. And in case that wasn’t enough for ya, you get the scene near the end where Lex is standing in darkness, while Lionel is bathed in light.

It makes sense of course that Lionel has had a miraculous reformation. It’s hard to see Lex as bad when there’s someone worse than him. You had a lot of sympathy for the guy because of his father. But now, Lex is the worst of the two. And, he has casual sex!

So Lionel gives Clark a valuable clue which leads Clark to the victim’s house, where Lex is burning photos/evidence. And Clark helps him. Oh, Clark, when will you learn?

Of course, Lex isn’t guilty of this (or another) murder in this episode. He’s much slicker than that. It was an obvious frame. But Clark learns once again that Lex can’t be trusted, and there’s more wink, wink, nudge, nudge references to their destiny as enemies. Only Lionel’s character arc was interesting this episode.

And hey, doesn’t anyone use a phone in this town? Ever notice how Clark and Lex keep showing up at each other’s places unannounced? Man, call first. No one likes the pop-over.

Thy Name is Doom

Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck) as Dr. Victor Von Doom

500 Greatest Songs of All Time?

This week, Rolling Stone has published their list of "the 500 greatest songs of all time." Number 1? Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone."

The Beatles have 23 songs on the list (26, including solo efforts), and the Rolling Stones have 14.

All time? seems a little extreme. Maybe if it said "rock" or "pop" but whatever. Thes lists are subjective anyway.

See the list (and hear snippets of many of the songs) here.

How to Dismantle an SNL Audience

This past weekend, U2 was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Not only did they do their current single (and iPod commercial), "Vertigo," and another song from their new albun, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (in stores today), but they surprised the TV and live audience by closing the show with their classic, "I Will Follow," with lead singer Bono roaming the studio like he owned the joint, much to the delight of the woman in the front row who got a lap dance and cast member Amy Poehler who got quite a long hug.

At the end of the song, while closng credits rolled, Bono repeatedly said "live," probably a reference to the ill-fated Ashlee Simpson appearance on the show last month. Reportedly, the band did 3 more songs for the live audience after the show ended at 1 am.

See them perform "I Will Follow" on the show here.

What's in that TrimSpa anyway?

At last night's American Music Awards, model/reality show subject Anna Nicole Smith looked fabulous showing off her slimmer self, famously thanks to her use of the TrimSpa product. But then she started talking. Hoo boy!

Smallville’s Witchy Women

Well, it couldn't last. After three great ones in a row, this week we get a campy little episode that relies on the acting ability of Kristin Kreuk to carry it. And, she's just not that good.

Unlike Tom Welling and John Glover, who both displayed a little versatility in the body-switching episode, when Kristin is asked to do more than Lana, she just can't handle it. Part of it was the script, I'm sure, but every time she spoke as "Isobel," I cringed. Alison (Chloe) Mack and Erica (Lois) Durance didn't really have enough to do besides look like sexy Goths to make a judgment on their ability to act out of character, but I thought Chloe did pretty well with the few lines she had. Lois just had to look good. Which she did exceedingly well.

Well, at least Lois looked good.

The episode certainly continued this season's trend of amping up the sex and skin factor, which is good or bad depending on your perspective. For the ideal WB demographic, that's a good thing, but for a "young Superman" show, it might be a bit much.

With the three teen witches wreaking havoc among the student body to pop music, this episode reminded me a lot of The Craft, which had a similar storyline. The scene with Clark screwing up the visit with the Princeton scout, however, was straight out of Risky Business. Except for the final moments when Lana learns it was Lex, not Clark that got Jason fired, we had no progression of storylines this week. Even Clark's football playing didn't really factor in (except for the Princeton recruiter, I guess). We still don't really know anything about the connection between Lana's tattoo and the cave symbols, other than the fact that Lana is apparently the descendent of a witch. But what does that mean? And, following last week's Mxy episode, we again see that Clark is vulnerable to magic. But that's it. No Lionel, precious little Lex, and even Clark's parents didn't show up until the very end. Heck, Clark barely used his powers in this episode. I hope no one was tuning in for the first time this week.

I have to say, though, I do like the Jason character. He's not a bad guy, except for his poor judgment in dating a student. I like how he and Clark get along, and he can play the older brother role better than Lex can now.

Speaking of Lex, wow, can he play the piano or what? By the way, did Lana make his scroll disappear? Did it come back? What happened there?

Next week, we get more Lex and Lionel, so things should heat up again.

Fantastic Four Promo Reel

Not quite a trailer, but an early promo piece. It looks pretty good.

Fantastic Four Promo Reel

The Fantastic Four hits theatres next July.