Lex Luthor-related stories
Posted May 19th 2009 5:35PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV on DVD, OpEd, Video, Reality-Free
It's been a long time since the
Super Friends were on television. To prove it, DC Comics has released a preview of the new
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies video, the latest in their animated onslaught of the direct-to-DVD market.
Like most of the stuff DC Comics produces for the animated market, this one is based on a comic book. The basic plot is the Lex Luthor is the President of the United States and declares Superman and Batman as, you guessed it, public enemies.
Looking at the preview, two thoughts come to mind. First, the American animation style is no longer present in action movies (although it's still around for comedies) and has been superseded by the Japanese style. The movie looks like anime, plain and simple. Second, there are an awful lot of villains in the movie, plus quite possibly the coolest-looking mad-scientist rocket ever.
The video follows so you can judge for yourself.
Continue reading Take a look at this Superman/Batman preview
Posted Mar 11th 2009 3:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Video, Celebrities, Reality-Free
I'm beginning to think that Jon Hamm is one of the funniest people on television. Maybe it's the serious, moody demeanor he displays on
Mad Men that makes his comedy really stand out when he does it, but he's a funny guy. His
episode of Saturday Night Live was one of the best in years, and he had a funny scene on
30 Rock. The
Funny or Die video after the jump shows more of his humorous side.
That's Hamm as super villain Lex Luthor, asking the government for a bailout. Seems that Luthor and his corporation have lost billions of dollars trying to do various things to take over the country and/or get rid of Superman. The video isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but it's clever, and you can see bits of Don Draper in Hamm's portrayal of the bald bad guy. Oh, about that: it's an obvious wig that makes him look a little bit like Max Headroom in close-ups, but it's actually funnier this way.
Continue reading Lex Luthor asks for a bailout - VIDEO
Posted Jun 20th 2008 10:01AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Retro Squad, Reality-Free, Super Friends
Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.
When the
Super Friends cartoons involving the Legion of Doom had finished, what did the 13 Doomsters do with their time? Rich had some thoughts on what the
Super Friends had going on. Forgetting anything that happened in later comic books and other shows involving the characters, here's what might have happened to the Legion ...
Continue reading Where Are They Now: The Legion of Doom
Posted Jun 19th 2008 10:21AM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
In early May, we told you that
Smallville was looking at
adding two new characters to fill in the void left my some major departures (read here
Lex,
less Lana, and
no more Lionel, since the character got killed). The two characters were that of Doomsday, the only DC Comics character to have killed Superman, and Tess, a female villain set to take care of Lex's estate.
Gossip columnist Michael Ausiello reports on his website that
the show finally cast both roles.
Battlestar Galactica's
Sam Witwer was cast as a reviewed/revamped version of Doomsday while newcomer
Cassidy Freeman will play Tess.
Slight spoilers about both roles coming up!Continue reading BSG's Crashdown cast as Smallville's Doomsday
Posted Jun 17th 2008 2:20PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Retro Squad, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Super Friends
Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.Remember when you were watching
Pinky and the Brain and the Brain would think of these abstract, convoluted plots for taking over the world? Or when Scott Evil was pointing out to his father how easy it would be to shoot Austin Powers in the head rather than subject him to some sort of silly trap from which he could escape. I'm convinced they were parodying the Legion of Doom's methodology from the
Challenge of the Super Friends which ran from 1978 to 1979 on ABC. Their simple goal was stated in the opening credits: the conquest of the Universe, with a subordinate goal of the destruction of the Super Friends. They failed every time, and I think that's partially due to poor planning.
With that in mind, here are the top five silliest plans from the Legion of Doom to accomplish their goals:
Continue reading Super Friends: The five silliest plots by the Legion of Doom
Posted May 15th 2008 10:02PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S07E20) After a pretty intense set of scenes from the past season, we open with Edward Teague trying to run to South America (as all fugitives tend to do). His stewardess ends up being Kara, who takes a very sinister turn as she threatens to throw Teague out of the plane. When he gives her the information she requires, she destroys the plane and kills him anyway (along with everyone else on the plane).
For the last time this season: Somebody saaaavvvveeee meeeee...
Continue reading Smallville: Arctic (season finale)
Posted May 8th 2008 10:42PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S07E19) Lex is still pursuing the secret of Veritas. In his journeys, he encounters a cloaked stranger who tries to kill him and later on tries to kill Clark. I think this episode borrowed a page or two from
The DaVinci Code. For that matter, I think half the season did.
Lex has been hurt or nearly killed a great deal since the start of this series. It's unlikely his latest chest mutilation will ever heal. It wouldn't surprise me if he left the area of
Smallville entirely. Oh, wait...
Continue reading Smallville: Quest
Posted May 2nd 2008 10:01AM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: Smallville, Celebrities, Reality-Free
We knew it was coming. At the end of February 2007,
Smallville actor, Michael Rosenbaum, announced his intentions of leaving the show at the end of the 2007-2008 season in order to tackle new projects. For the past year, fans (I include myself here) hoped that the actor would change his mind. How can
Smallville be, well,
Smallville without Lex Luthor? Things looked grim when
the actor reminded us last February that he was done with the show, come the Season 7 finale. And today, fans around the world must come to the realization that Rosenbaum wasn't joking: he really is leaving the show "to start the next chapter of my life and career," he says in
a joint statement with The CW.
Continue reading Smallville - Rosenbaum out, Doomsday in
Posted May 2nd 2008 12:20AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S07E17) Most sci-fi or fantasy television series have used a "parallel universe" or "what if" storyline in which we see what life would be like if a different set of circumstances existed in the characters' universe. As of tonight's episode,
Smallville is no exception to this rule. In fact, it's kind of surprising the creators haven't done it before now since they seem to rely on television clichés.
Somebody saaaaaavvvveeee meeeee....
Continue reading Smallville: Apocalypse
Posted Apr 24th 2008 10:24PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S07E17) In a mild diversion from the main story arc of the season, Jimmy Olsen becomes James Bond. At least he's a James Bond that makes breakfast.
Of all the characters in the show, the ones who have undergone the most growth is Chloe. It makes sense since the character was created specifically for this series (although it was somewhat as a Lois Lane stand-in).
Continue reading Smallville: Sleeper
Posted Apr 17th 2008 10:40PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S07E16) Smallville returns from its hiatus with a death that was extremely predictable (particularly given the spoilers available throughout the Internet). I'm trying not to spoil it for anybody who hasn't watched yet so I'm saving the reveal until after the jump. It's surprising that they didn't even wait for the opening credits for
that particular reveal.
At this juncture, I think it's safe to say that the character permanently died. No alternate timelines. No Kryptonite-fueled resurrections. No clones. No imaginary stories. Mind you, in the
Smallville universe, it wouldn't surprise me if this or any death was only temporary (such as with
Buffy before it).
Continue reading Smallville: Descent
Posted Mar 27th 2008 11:00PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Episode Reviews
(S07E15) This episode could have easily been the season finale of Smallville. It had characters change, characters vanish and a very sad cliffhanger ending. I wonder if it was the last one written before the writer's strike started?
It opened with a quiet day on the Kent farm. Then Brainiac (played by James Marsters) showed up and things got violent. In a rare instance, Clark showed up on time in the beginning to save the day, rather than the end of the program. On another note, that farm gets trashed a LOT.
Continue reading Smallville: Veritas
Posted Feb 1st 2008 12:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Smallville, Video, Celebrities
Can you imagine Smallville without Lex Luthor?
That's the possibility that arises after you watch this video (also embedded after the jump) of star Michael Rosenbaum at YoungHollywood.com. Most of the video is just Rosenbaum explaining what he's doing at the Sundance Film Festival, what he gets in free stuff for being on a TV show, who his mom looks like, and how to fake a smile for all the cameras that are always shoved in his face. But in the last few seconds of the clip, Rosenbaum tells fans to watch the show "for only a couple more months, and then I'm done."
Continue reading Is Rosenbaum leaving Smallville? - VIDEO
Posted Nov 9th 2007 11:43AM by Kevin Kelly
Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Episode Reviews
(S07E07) Okay, this was the first time I ever watched
Smallville and had my jaw drop. Seriously. Why? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let's examine the facts: Lana and Clark are deep into dating mode. Plus, she's been staying at the Kent farm with him ever since she's returned from the dead. However, they've apparently not be able to um ... consummate that relationship because of Clark's superpowers. I guess if he gets amorous with someone, he might accidentally hurt them. Not to mention burn the place down, which he used to do when he'd get turned on.
While it's not clear how they've been getting around this, they sure didn't have to worry about it on this episode. Clark gets struck by lightning while close to some kryptonite, and his powers get transferred to someone else. Yes, again. However, this time he gets to keep his powers, and Lana is the beneficiary of the souped-up abilities. How do they celebrate this event? By knocking boots. Literally. They have such powerful sex that it causes seismic waves across Smallville. In fact, they practically destroy the Kent farm in the process. Holy cow.
Continue reading Smallville: Wrath
Posted Nov 2nd 2007 2:03PM by Kevin Kelly
Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Episode Reviews
(S07E06) Shades of Superman past! Kara getting sent off-world by her Dad Zor-El while Krypton starts to come apart around her? Egads. Plus all of that crystalline Kryptonian architecture that the
Superman: The Movie provided us with. Then snap cut to Kara almost getting run down in the sky by a jetliner in a really nice special effects shot that probably blew their budget for a show to come later in the season featuring nothing but talking heads. Yes, this episode of
Smallville begins with a bang.
However, that bang turned until a turning stomach once I had to witness that Lionel / Clark hug. Is it me or was that a pretty bizarre and awkward man-embrace? Clark's gone from hating to loving the Luthors more times than I can count, but hugging Lionel? I never thought I'd see the day.
Continue reading Smallville: Lara
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