When DC first announced they were holding FanDome on October 16, I wondered if there would be any inclusion of Smallville since that date also corresponds with the first time the iconic show about Clark Kent’s high school years aired in 2001.
Continue reading “DC FanDome Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of ‘Smallville’”
Since Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938, we’ve seen several versions of him. Evil versions, younger and older versions, even a version that became his earth’s sun! The incarnations that always tend to do the best are the ones that focus on the values of the character. Namely, his family values as mild-mannered, small-town raised Clark Kent, and his heroic values as the powerful protector of Metropolis.
Continue reading “Wolé Parks and Writer Jai Jamison Discuss THAT REVEAL on ‘Superman And Lois’”
One year ago, history was made when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Wonder Woman Justice opened in theaters.
Why is this a cinematic milestone?
For the first time in history, the Man of Steel, the Caped Crusader, and the Amazon appeared together in a live action story. This is of monumental importance because not only are these iconic heroes the flagship franchises of DC Comics, they are also the cornerstones of western media and western culture.
Continue reading “The Red Capes Are Coming: A Batman v Superman Retrospective”
It goes without saying that I haven’t been the biggest fan of Warner Brothers’ approach to the films based on their roster of DC Comics superheroes (also known as the DC Extended Universe). Even before Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad debuted to less-than-enthusiastic reviews, I went on record being against the DCEU’s tone and aesthetic. After BvS failed to become the pop cultural behemoth it was supposed to be, the folks at DC Films attempted a much publicized “course correction” to take their movie universe in a different direction — and if the Comic-Con trailers for Wonder Woman and Justice League are any indication, consider me all in for this new “course.” But as much as I’m looking forward to this new phase of the DCEU, I will never be satisfied until they recast the two characters I feel they’ve bungled the most: Lex Luthor and the Joker.
If you follow this site, you know there aren’t many things we obsess over more than The CW’s DC Universe and Hamilton. And since most of the original cast of the Broadway phenomenon has moved on — or is about to move on [sadface] — I figured why not mash up our favorite things and imagine which DC characters the Hamilton cast could play in the Berlanti-verse? We all know how much they love casting Broadway talent on these shows in the first place. Besides, Lin himself has said we should expect these guys on our favorite shows anyway:
Continue reading “Green Arrows and Ham: Five ‘Hamilton’ Stars who Should be in the DC Universe”
Five years ago today, Smallville ended its historic ten-year run on The CW, fka The WB. At the time, it was the longest running genre series on-air and is still the longest running superhero series in television history. It’s hard to believe now, when superheroes have completely permeated popular culture, but Smallville’s popularity was a rarity in the early 2000s. The current incarnation of The CW — which after the acquisition of Supergirl from CBS should just rename itself DCTV — owes a great debt to the Superman origin story shepharded by Into the Badlands creators Al Gough and Miles Millar. (FYI, Craig Byrne, founder of Kryptonsite — the definitive Smallville destination on the internet, penned a must-read retrospective of the series at Collider).
Continue reading “Waiting for Superman: The Beginning of the End of Smallville“
I’m examining Batman v Superman from the perspective of the ridiculous and (not) unprecedented fan “outrage” and critical overreaction.
First thing, let’s take a look at the phrase “confirmation bias.” Here’s the definition:
Confirmation bias, also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities.
Simply put, if people desperately wish to cling onto or believe in a certain conclusion, there’s nothing in the universe that can change their mind. They will not entertain — nor have the ability to entertain — anything that falls outside of their way of thinking.
Continue reading “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Confirmation Bias”
I didn’t hate Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I walked into the theater last night fully expecting to hate it. Two and a half hours later, I ended up merely not liking it. That’s progress, I guess?
That said, there were a couple things I actually liked (most having to do with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman) and I can’t deny that Ben Affleck looks like Batman (even though he sure doesn’t act like him). But the thing that distracted me throughout the movie was the fact that it contained a lot of elements that were executed better in other live action adaptations.
Continue reading “Things Other Movies Did Better Than Batman v Superman“
Before I begin this review, I want you all to watch this clip from Man of Steel.
I remembered watching that scene from that film and actually yelling out loud how incredibly stupid and unnecessarily melodramatic that was.
That’s exactly how I felt after watching Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Since when did Jimmy Kimmel Live become the go-to place for movie studios to drop their most anticipated trailers? It made sense before to have all-Marvel or all-Star Wars editions — Disney owns ABC, after all — but using Kimmel to reveal Warner/DC’s formal entry into the cinematic superhero wars was a surprise. Like, why not use The CW’s two-part Flarrow crossover1 to show off their big guns? Corporate synergy, remember? Still, like a proper nerd, I tuned in to Kimmel to see the latest tease for what will be the biggest movie of March 2016.
Continue reading “Guess We Don’t Need to See Batman v Superman Now”
So yeah. That happened.
If you haven’t heard, the Oscar-nominated actor has been cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. Oscar winner Jeremy Irons has also been tapped to play Alfred Pennyworth in the film (which has been pushed to Summer 2016). Best know for portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Eisenberg’s name wasn’t on anyone’s radar for the role — those names belonged to folks like Bryan Cranston and Joaquin Phoenix, to name two. So this news was definitely… unexpected.
Continue reading “Jesse Eisenberg is Lex Luthor… Wait… Wha?”
