Year: 2009
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $45.99
Studio(s): Disney Pixar
Release Date: November 10, 2009

Feature/Film: A
Instead of sequels like Toy Story 3 and Cars 2, I’ve preferred the more recent Pixar projects like Ratatouille and Wall-E for their “big picture” concepts and experimental narrative devices. Their latest release, Up has all of those things, and something no other Pixar film has, an lasting emotional effect that will bore into your heart. Co-drected by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, the Monsters Inc. tandem returns to showcase the full life of Carl Fredricksen voiced by Ed Asner, a lonely and retired balloon salesman who jumps into adventure to honor a promise he made to his late wife.

Up’s opening is like a complete film all by himself, Carl’s life unfolds before us as a young boy who meets a girl named Ellie, brought together by their love of explorers and adventurers, one in particular, Charles Muntz (Chistorpher Plummer) who seeks out new worlds in his zeppelin. Muntz is accused of being a phony and gets in his dirigible and goes to South America to bring back proof of his findings. Next is a montage assembly of important scenes of their Carl and Elli’s life together is done without dialogue, just big band music behind a sweet love story playing out from their friendship into boyfriend and girlfriend, then husband and wife who renovate the old abandoned house they used to play in as children. Then his entire world was taken away from him.

Now a shut-in, Carl turns his hearing aid down, closes the shutter and longs for the days when he and Ellie rebuilt that home, shingle by shingle. The house serves as a living mausoleum. Even the neighborhood has left him and his house is the only speed bump that stands in the way of commercialization.

Rather than be dragged away to the nursing home, he devises a getaway, loading every balloon he has to lift the house into the sky where he’ll navigate to the flat-headed tepuis of Paradise Falls in South America, the place where he and Ellie said they’d retire. They never did go on that adventure they saved up for, because the complexities of life got in the way. What else does Carl have to lose, as long as he takes the house with him, Ellie is at his side, right? What he doesn’t know is that an 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) stowed away on his porch, leaving him in the care of Carl.

Russell is best described as…a whole-hearted, adorable Asian-American boy, eager, and yearning for adventure. He has his own story but that’s not as important as him being a trusting friend. There’s no turning back now, and once they crash land in the tropical jungle, they must finish the journey on foot, dragging Carl’s house behind them. And this is where Carl’s adventure begins, the same place Muntz just happens to be.

What’s more interesting is the somber and powerful portrait of a cantankerous old fool who never thought his actions through. He is unlikeliest of interesting protagonists, but bears with him a very heavy and sad story. Once a romantic, always a romantic and Carl just can’t let his wife go, dragging behind him all of his memories, but Russell shows him, through his innocence–while testing Carl’s patience–that there’s still much to live for. Carl sees a lot of young self in Russell, someone who he’s departed long away from.

Carl realizes he needs to allow another person into his heart, to care again for someone other than Ellie, and let the house go. But that’s easier said than done, especially when one spends their whole life building towards something, and is a few days walk of fulfilling it. With every hurdle that stands in his way, Carl is tested in what burden he must bestow and decide what kind of happiness will drive him forward.

While Pixar’s Wall-E was environmentally responsibility, Up is a much more mature film that allows the audience to look within for the need of some cathartic release, studying life’s highs and lows, how the best people can be dragged down to misery by their regrets and sorrows instead of facing life’s changes as new challenges; it happens to more people than you think. While Up reminds us of what a sad and scary life can be in the later years and that without companionship, or someone to share it with, life can be one big drag; it also shows that as long as you hold those near to your heart, and the desire to bring out that young explorer, then there’s always time for new adventures.

Video: A+
Disney/Pixar once again keeps the bar high for how good animated films look in high definition. Up has a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There were several times I had to say out loud, “Wow!” The primary and secondary hues are almost like neon lights because they burst off the screen. From the colors of the balloons to the color of the natural landscapes, they’re clean, bright, and provide unmatched boldness and rich quality. Blacks tend to go on and on and on, and for an animated film there’s plenty of blacks used in this film, giving a much more cinematic feel to the film. Detail is crisp in every shot but it’s hard not to notice the level of exhaustive efforts reproducing Dug’s body of hair, the hundreds of balloons, to the multi-textured skin of Carl is superb.

Audio: A+
The folks at Disney/Pixar are not going to let anyone down with Up’s 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio audio track. It’s a whimsical, playful, and active soundtrack that does a fair amount of movement around a home theater and maintains dialogue and LFE sound at comfortable levels. Scenes like when the House pulls up from the ground, or when Carl flies into a rain storm really come alive in high definition audio. Really take note of the storm scene where the thunder and lightning just burst out of nowhere like a real storm of that nature. The howling winds blow laterally to the left and right and swirl all around the room. Immersive environments like the jungle scenes, or when our heroes are surrounded by a pack of rabid dogs, both impress with proper placement and and add to a scene’s depth perception. Echoes play correctly and there’s no drop offs when the sound does move. There was really no doubt going in that the audio would kick a lot of butt on this blu-ray and it did not disappoint. Other audio selections include: 2.0 English DTS-HD, English Descriptive Service 2.0, 5.1 Dolby Digital EX tracks for French, Spanish and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish. There are test bars and audio tests to optimize your home theater and a screen saver in the setup menu.

Extras: A-
Like all Disney discs, there a overwhelming amount of extra material that should take plenty of hours of exploration. First off, the design of the entire package is clever. The menus and load screens play up the whole balloon and Dug theme. The delightful big band score plays in the background and makes you want to jump up and waltz with your kids or spouse. I wasn’t too fond of the lack of creativity on the menu navigation which was at times a bit clunky, nor was I appreciative of the lack of a “Play All” feature on any of the discs. While this Up’s extras don’t come close to that on Wall-E, there’s still plenty to make Up an investment of your time.

Disc 1
I love Pixar’s Cinexplore Audio Commentary by Bob Peterson and Pete Doctor who co-directed the film. They are some of the most intelligible tracks you’ll hear because they talk about all of the elements of taking a concept and carrying it through. Meanwhile storyboards, animatics, the discussion of themes and design amongst other visual aids are thrown up into the picture-in-picture box. Cinexplore track are some of the finest around and make that eighth or ninth viewing in the middle of the week a little more bearable.

Partly Cloudy: Theatrical Short HD (5:46) is an adorable animated short on how storks get their deliveries. It’s so good, I may use it someday when my future kid asks where babies come from.

Dug’s Special Mission: All New Original Short HD (4:40) like the Wall-E original short, This Dug short gives a little bit of back story that brings up to the point where we meet Dug in the movie.

Adventure is Out There HD (22:17) is probably my favorite extra outside of the Cinexplore Commentary. This shows the inspiration for Up’s setting, which had to be a place where Carl couldn’t just dump Russell to the nearest social worker, so the filmmakers were inspired by these large flat-topped mountain cliffs that rose up out of Venezuela called Tepuis. They were originally brought to their attention by tepui naturalist and filmmaker, Adrian Warren. They feature some of the oldest exposed rocks in the planet and Peterson, Del Carmen, Docter and the lead animators actually made the multiple day trek through rigorous terrain, and climbed the tepuis to research them for the film. Some of the tepuis visited were Roraima, Kukenan, and Angel Falls.

Alternative Scene: The Many Endings of Muntz (4:56) is a deeper look into Muntz and his character, whether or not he’s a villain and other alternate endings

Digital Copy Tutorial (1:00) shows you how to activate your digital copy disc.

Sneak Peek Previews for Disney Movie Rewards, Dumbo 70th Anniversary Edition, Ponyo, Disney Prep & Landing, Toy Story 3, The Princess and the Frog and Santa Buddies.

The Egg HD (1:57) is an easter egg (get it?) short of an early concept that had Muntz relating special powers with egg and the Fountain of Youth and it didn’t match Carl’s story.

Disc 2

Documentaries

• Geriatric Hero HD (6:24) looks deeper into our grouchy protagonist and his life story. The Pixar animators tapped their grandparents while studying aging, as well as, the movement of the elderly.

• Canine Companions HD (8:26) takes a look at Muntz’s talking dogs.

• Russell: Wilderness Explorer HD (9:00) shows the creation and design of the character of Russell, the young boy who would voice his role.

• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin HD (5:04) You guessed it, a whole feature on that crazy looking bird, Kevin.

• Homemakers of Pixar HD (4:38) reveals how Carl’s house was built, and how models were built to accurately get lighting and shadows just right. The symbolism of the house

• Balloons and Flight HD (6:25) is a look at dirigibles, balloons, and the nostalgia of a future promised.

• Composing for Characters HD (7:37) the emotional heart of the film is added in the composition of the score done by Michael Giacchino who made sure to give every character a theme.

Alternative Scene: Married Life HD (9:13) is an explanation and storyboarded punchy alternative to the Carl and Ellie’s childhood romance.

Up Promo Montage HD (5:52) is a bunch of cute Up shorts strung together.

Worldwide Trailers HD Trailer #1 (1:52) Trailer #2 (2:33)

The DVD is included for all those folks or parents who have DVD players in the kids rooms, in the van or a portable player. This is a real ingenious move by Disney to think about those worried about having to rebuy it in the future. They give you the film in every single way you can imagine. Including…

Digital Copy Disc for when you want to take Up with you on the go.

Overall Shock Value: A+
For the first time I felt some real emotional reaction watching a Pixar film. Sure, there’s lots of adventure and fun for the entire family, but the big moments in Up for me are the ones that really tug heavily at the heart strings. I’m still thinking about it, actually. The extras are nothing short of amazing and could eat away a day in one sitting but since I doubt Up is a film you’ll only watch once, savor those supplements over time. The beautiful design and animation teams of Up deserve once again high praise and their work can best be experienced on blu-ray. With this package where you get the blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy disc all in one, there’s not better value for your movie dollar.

Year: 1999
Running Time: 139 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $34.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Film/Feature: A+
Fight Club was heralded by modern and contemporary critics and masculine film buffs alike, as a modern American classic, ten years ago for its relevance and its harsh comment on this country’s way of life. With the 10th Anniversary blu-ray release, it was a proper time to revisit Fight Club to see whether or not that kind of immediate reaction aged well over time.

Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club looked at how susceptible ordinary people can be while working in soul-sucking careers. Though it’s not the career paths, but rather our dependency on the consumer cycle of the world that sucked the most of us. Slaves to insurmountable debt, slaves to the things we feel the need to buy, eventually makes us slaves to our jobs; Fight Club is as timely now more than ever. As a nation, we’re worse off than in 1999: iPhones, Blackberries, hybrid cars, XBOXs or PS3s, Costco memberships, Widescreen LCD TV’s, casual Fridays, country club lifestyles and the retro fashion revival of the 80’s. Yeah, it’s that last one that puts us over the edge. Two market crashes and a shortage of jobs, those things that consumed our free time, also consumed what was left in our bank accounts. Our belongings would eventually own us, and whether you agree with that philosophy or not, there’s nothing stopping the one-direction moving walkway.

David Fincher faithfully adapted Palahniuk’s fiction novel in a way that plucked a universal chord among many film buffs widespread across the country. Though supported by the studio, Fight Club took a life of its own, mostly on DVD. Its cynical and prophetic ways were razzed nationally by critics who felt it was the shining example of the downfall of cinema. Quite the contrary, it endured and the fascination spread like a resilient epidemic popping up in art houses on an annual basis. People liked what the film said, where it went, and who drove behind the wheel. Fight Club attacked the culture that generations built their worlds around, it targeted corporate brands and put a cynical choke hold on liberal media after they tried to strike it down with conservative criticism, and therefore in some insane ironic imitation of art, gave legitimacy to Tyler Durdenisms. It’s a story of men getting back to the basics and tearing down the system, piece-by-piece, sticking it to the man, but who also lost sight of what was right in front of them.

Ten years ago we were introduced to Edward Norton’s nameless schlub, a young professional with no emotional connections. Be becoming a support group voyeur, he lived through other people’s sorrow. He was an addict and needed saving and found it in his antithesis, a part-time soap salesman/part-time anarchist, Tyler Durden. Played by Brad Pitt, Durden becomes the good Shepard, the Yoda for frat boys with too much testosterone. With his newfound friend, Norton and Pitt’s alter egos massage their masculinity by pummeling the flesh of each other and similar lost men, looking to feel something–anything. Durden dominates Norton’s character, like a boy who masters the controls of a remote controlled plane, performing stunts, assigning homework for an anarchist’s way of life, full of simple mantras and maxims. Armed with a legion of dolts, that could only be derailed by a woman.

Helena Bonham Carter played an arousing adversary named Marla, whose odd behavior and blithe disregard for others is initially met with a bad taste of cigarette butts and typhoid fever. You wanted to damn her feminine ways; rid yourself of her compassionate heart and silence her incessant moans of delight. But as Norton’s character spirals into his own darkness, the resistance towards Marla turns into sympathy; especially after a dramatic U-turn.

Fight Club is its own support group, for those who bought into its cinematic brilliance from our couches. It’s never as good as the first time you went to Fight Club–well, you know why–you had to fight. While none of us could ever truly wrap our heads around Norton’s nameless character, nor his sickness, we continue to come to the Fight Club to watch him fulfill his destiny. The Fight Club support group may have an improved new look and a brand new sound in blu-ray, but it will still surround you with its big manly bitch tits for you to cry in and give you an outlet to destroy something that’s beautiful. Besides, 10 years later, it’s still cheaper than going to a movie, and there’s still the free coffee.

Video: A
For the first time Fight Club is seen in high definition on a 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in the original 2.40:1 aspect ratio, and I do declare that this is a transfer that would make Jack proud. Fight Club has always had this designed look of a gritty, messy and imperfect look. And all of that is maintained, but detail has taken a step upward. The texture of skin and the pores are clearly visible. From well-aged leather and wool to a flannel shirt bought at the thrift store, the texture of clothes are easily distinguishable, despite all of the tunnel dark sequences. In one scene, I noticed the color of Edward Norton’s eyes have this blue-ish green color that I had never previously never saw before. Some of the other visual notes I rave about are the shine on liquid, sweat, and blood; the reflections in see-thru glass, even being able to see through Brad Pitt’s amber shades. The dark locations cast dozens of shadows on people’s skin and the delineation, and overlapping of those shadows are clearly reproduced. Blacks are intensely deep, and some look more vibrant, more colorful than when I first remembered seeing it on DVD. For example when Tyler picks up Marla from her apartment. The green glow from the hallway lights bouncing of the sickly green walls really shines. There are no obnoxious post-enhancement effects, artifacts or haloing. Grain is present but is purposely placed so to give a manly, weathered look and this transfer preserves Fincher’s vision.

Audio: A+
Okay now we’re getting to my favorite part of this release. Fight Club on blu-ray sports a 5.1 English DTS-HD Dolby TrueHD audio track; I believe I’ve died and gone to Durden Heaven. To say this audio track is explosive would be understating it. It gets in your grill, it rattled your ear drums, and it triggers your other senses. Your nose will flare, your mouth will drool, and the hair on your neck will have a collective hard-on. It’s incredibly immersive, full of subtle sounds that recreate each location on screen, inside your viewing room. From the opening title sequence to the Dust Brothers score, to the closing scene with the Pixies, your head will morph into a rattle as the music swirls around your head.

There are three scenes I want to point out. The first is the transition from Chapter 8 into 9, where Jack character is talking about his “Single Serving Life” when his plane rips in half. The winds come tearing through and roar past your head, your subwoofer sounds as if it rips a hole in your floor. Mind-blowing, I tell you. In Chapter 27, Tyler drives the stretch car into a parked car and launches off the edge of the road. You can feel the weight of both cars on the impact, all of the glass breaking and flying in every direction, a large tree scraping by and the rain dropping into puddles after the car comes to a complete stop. Finally, all of the scenes in the actual Fight Club itself, create this Colosseum environment, where the crowd noise such as the spitting, the buzz of the lights, the echo of Tyler’s voice, the sound levels distortion; all of it, add more expression to these scenes. You’ll be able to explore these scenes more in-depth in the extras. But it’s not all about the crazy sound effects. A lot of it is atmosphere. There’s a ramping up of the music in dream sequences, or internal thoughts, the sleep-inducing quiet of a desk job. Ren Klyce was nominated for an Oscar in Sound Effects Editing and it’s well-deserved. This is one of the most exciting soundtracks I’ve heard this year. Folks, this is the reason you get a blu-ray player.

Other audio selections include: 2.0 English, 5.1 DTS French, 5.1 Dolby Digital Spanish and Portuguese tracks; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Extras: A+
Exclusive to Blu-Ray
Since this is an anniversary disc and you’ll be trying to determine if you want this or not, I’m pushing the Blu-Ray exclusives up before the DVD extras, which have been ported over from the fine 2-disc collection. Also note that all of the extras and film fit on one disc, so when I commonly gripe about packing more on less, this is what I’m talking about folks. Also there is a big of a gag that Fincher put in that is best experienced by just loading the disc up. I’m sure by the time you read this, it will have been spoiled on the internet, but just remember back when Fight Club was first released how poorly it did and the bad reception it got from critics, as well as what was playing at that time.

A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club HD is a cool interactive feature where after hearing one of Fincher’s right hand men, sound designer Ren Klyce talk about trying to find and create those perfects sounds. Klyce recalls how they created the perfect sound for that thrusting punch to match the ghastly images on the screen. In the interactive experience, you get to hear the difference in tweaking the audio in two different environments as well as being able to tinker with each channel in your home theater setup, with four scenes: Welcome to Fight Club, Angel Faces Beating, The Crash, and Tyler’s Goodbye.

Flogging Fight Club HD (9:58) is brief look at Spike TV’s honoring of Fight Club’s 10th Anniversary by its acceptance into the “Guy Movie Hall of Fame.” Half of it is a five-minute clip montage of the film, but the rest of it is Fincher, Pitt and Norton writing their acceptance speech, performing their speech which included laughing at the least-flattering taglines by critics, highlighted by Pitt reading a quote from Kenneth Turan of the LA Times and saying, “He is a cock.”

Insomniac Mode: I am Jack’s Search Index is another user-friendly feature that allows a user to sift through all of the topics and then where ever these topics are discussed, you get a listing of all of them, and you can skip directly to that reference. Fox also categorized each commentary track so you can peruse and cherry pick what you want to hear in each commentary. For example if you want to jump to a story involving IKEA and the Soundtrack liner notes, you can go right to that point of the Fincher commentary instead of trying to remember what chapter that may be in.

Old Extras

There’s a ton of features I forgot about by looking through this collection of great DVD extras. After being accustomed to seeing everything in high definition though, its too bad we could get to see this stuff remastered as well. Another user detail I found sorely missing out of the DVD extras is a “Play All” feature. First, there are FOUR audio commentaries in all and all of them are well done.

Audio Commentary by:
#1 David Fincher speaks about dealing with studios, how he stumbled on the book and how Fox came into purchasing the rights to the movie, advertising, his favorite parts, and the destruction of buildings at the end was actually the first thing that was done. There are only English and French, Dannish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles for this commentary.

#2 David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton are in the same room talking about bonding, putting Edward through the wringer, the controversy over Fight Club being labeled a violent film, the dispelling of pro-fascism, their reactions to how slow it took with the public amongst dozens of other things. They yuck it up and is one of my favorite commentaries because I think we get a true sense of working relationship but their friendship. You walk away thinking, “I want to hang out with these guys!” Helena Bonham Carter’s comments, which were recorded separately are added on scenes with Marla or anything else she wanted to chime in on like how Fight Club is as much a generational representation of women today as it is men. There are only English and French, Dannish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles for this commentary.

#3 Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) and Jim Uls (screenplay) discuss adapting the novel to film, how Meatloaf’s fat suit violates health codes for Planet Hollywood, benefits of sitting in cancer support groups, the real people the characters are based on, research for the book, the speed at which cancer kills, and other little known facts about the film. There are a lot more moments of silence in this commentary but it’s no less interesting than the other tracks. There are only English and French subtitles for this commentary.

#4 Alex McDowel (Production Designer), Jeff Cronenweth (Director of Photography), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer) and Kevin Haug (VisualFX Supervisor) cover everything else including five “subliminal Brads”, the look and tone, creating real support groups, Lighting, Costuming, working with Fincher, prank cigarette burns, whether or not the Paper Street house was real or fiction, and the rest of the nooks and crannies not covered in the other three tracks. There are only English and French subtitles for this commentary.

Behind-the-Scenes Vignettes with Multiple Angles and Commentary SD by Kevin Haug (VisualFX Supervisor) Cliff Wnger (Special FX Coordinator) Kevin Mack (Visual FX for Digital Domain), and Richard “Doc” Bailey (Digital Animation Supervisor/Producer). You can choose a segment (Production, Visual Effects, On Location) and then within one of these processes, you can choose various angles and commentary tracks. It’s just another example of the all-access openness that Fincher has on his films.

Seven Deleted and Alternate Scenes SD Chloe and Rupert (00:53), Marla’s Pillow Talk (00:35), Copier Abuse (3:15) Tyler Quits Smoking–with two angles (1:28) Angel face’s beating–with two angles (3:14) Walter (1:39) Tyler’s Goodbye (1:55)

Promotional Gallery
Lobby Cards/Advertising – 21 Stills (1:40) Press Kit – 35 stills (2:50) Stills – 157 Stills (13:05)

Art Galleries
Storyboards for the entire film– 267 stills (22:16), Visual Effects–18 stills (1:25), Paper Street House –37 stills (3:05), Costumes and Makeup –22 stills (1:50), Pre-Production Paintings –50 stills (4:10), Brain Ride-Map –34 stills (2:50),

Transcript of Edward Norton Interview at Yale University October 3, 1999is fine read about his character at 13 screen shots long.

Rounding out the extras are Three Trailers, Two movie theater PSAs, 12 TV Spots SD, Five Internet Spots SD, Dust Brothers Music Video SD (3:32)

Overall Shock Value: A+
After 10 years since the first punch was thrown, I’m still spitting up blood. With big corporate buyouts, massive debt across the country, and the desire to buy-buy-buy, we move closer to a homogenized and mass consumer-centric generation. And of course, buying this blu-ray plays right into that ploy of consumerism. Don’t cha just love irony? This continues to be an American classic, of a cynical breed of filmmaking that speaks to many generations, man and woman, young and old. The blu-ray interactive extras are fun little adventures, but I am always going to lean towards superior sound and picture as the biggest reason to upgrade when it’s deserving. The new DTS-HD soundtrack is as perfect as it gets, and the transfer projects Fight Club as we’ve never seen before. So for that alone, I highly recommend upgrading to blu-ray.

Bonus Palin jokes: Tina Fey hosted this year’s Ad Council Annual Dinner where had some more fun with at the former governor’s expense, including a brief impression at the end — and you can watch it all on Youtube (thanks Popwatch!)

I’ll leave the individual episode reviews to John Keegan’s excellent Critical Myth column. Instead, I want to take this opportunity to look back at the last eight and a half seasons of the show since tonight’s episode “Pandora” marks the mid-season finale of what has become the Supermanliest of Smallville seasons.

When the show debuted back in 2001, I was as skeptical as the next guy. While a show about a teenaged Clark Kent sounded interesting, I was worried that it would either be campy (a la those old “Superboy” shows) or melodramatic (like everything else on The WB at the time). And sure, those early episodes definitely had a “7th Heaven/Dawson’s Creek” vibe, what with all the pining after Lana and over reliance on a pop music soundtrack. But I thought overall it was still a good show with just enough nods to the Superman legend to please my inner-nerd.

What I really dug from the outset was the casting. As a guy who also grew up on “Dukes of Hazzard” (What can I say? I’m from rural Virginia, after all), seeing Bo Duke play Pa Kent was awesome sauce. Also loved the idea of former cinematic Lana Lang Annette O’Toole as Martha and John Glover as Papa Luthor. (Brief tangent: but one of my favorite aspects of the early seasons of “Smallville” was the family dynamic. I always liked that Superman was one of the only superheroes that was not thrust into superheroics because of tragedy–a la Bruce Wayne or Peter Parker–and actually had a grounded family he could always return to. So yes, I prefer a Superman with Ma and Pa still around. End rant.) And while I’d never heard of Michael Rosenbaum or Tom Welling at the time, each actor has gone on to be the definitive Lex and Clark in my mind. And they made Lana Lang Asian American. I mean, I had to watch!

But it didn’t become my favorite show until midway through its second season with the episode “Rosetta.” For the uninitiated, that was the episode where Clark learned of his Kryptonian origins. Oh, and it guest starred Christopher Reeve.

The one thing that I don’t think people give the show enough credit for is the fact that it has made the Superman story relatable to modern audiences. That’s one of the knocks against Superman whenever a Superman franchise crashes and burns [*coughSupermanReturnscough*]. Part of its appeal is that the characters are able to grow and develop. I like to think of “Smallville” as a 220-hour “Superman” movie. In fact, my hope is that if we can never get a theatrical Superman movie starring Welling, Rosenbaum and Erica Durance, than I hope the series finale will be a two-hour movie event called “Superman.”

I think the reason “Smallville” works for me is because I appreciate it for what it is, a 21st century retelling of the Superman myth. When detractors berate the show for “not lining up with the comics,” I always ask myself, which comics are you talking about? The ones where Superman doesn’t fly? The ones where Lex and Clark grew up in Smallville together? I mean, who picks up a copy of Superman: Red Son and says to himself “Heresy! Superman’s spaceship didn’t land in Russia!” These guys have never hidden the fact that this is a reinterpretation of Superman. And hasn’t the mainline DC continuity been rebooted more times than a five-year-old PC running Windows? Plus, I think the SV creators have enriched a lot of the Superman legend with elements like the meteor shower, de-aging the Kents and characters like Lionel Luthor and Chloe Sullivan. To be fair, though, the producers have made some ill-conceived missteps, too: making Smallville essentially a suburb of Metropolis, a Kryptonite-powered Lana, Chloe Sullivan fans, etc.

I mean, I’ll be the first to call “Smallville” out on the carpet when it screws up. For example, during most of Season 7, I was firmly in the camp that the show should end sooner than later. And I do get the feeling that the showrunners like taking three steps back for every step forward, prolonging the inevitable. I always felt the smartest thing the “Lost” ‘runners did was establish an endgame and gear its storytelling to that point. The one thing “Smallville” has had since the beginning was its endpoint. We all know Clark Kent will become Superman, so it’s painfully obvious whenever the story stalls. But I have to admit, the show has a renewed energy this season, its ninth, because it has essentially embraced the Superman. I didn’t think it had it in them, but the show has become a live-action comic book (having abandoned its “Dawson’s Creek”-like melodrama years ago). This season alone has featured live action interpretations of Zod, Metallo, Toyman, Roulette, Speedy, Jor-El, the Wonder Twins, and will be getting the JSA and Amanda Waller later in the season.

For the fans who complained that “Smallville” was more teen drama than live action superhero show, I hope they’re tuning in this season. If not, tonight’s episode, the mid-season finale and last of 2009, might be the best jumping-on point. In it, Lois is transported to an apocalyptic, alternate future in which Zod and his minions have taken over the planet. You don’t get more comic book-y than that, right?

Keith is the Editor-at-Large of the groundbreaking graphic novel anthology SECRET IDENTITIES and Outreach Director for SIUniverse Media. Visit the official Secret Identities blog to keep up with Keith and the rest of the SI team

Longtime DC artist Trevor von Eeden has been putting together a biography of boxer Jack Johnson as a graphic novel. It’s due out next month. Here’s a piece on it from the New York Times.

Huh?

Oh boy, I can hear the fanboy complaints already. But you know what, this is one I have to question as well. The Gods of Asgard are part of Norse mythology. Even if there are black Norwegians out there somewhere (which I doubt, but I suppose anything’s possible), they’ve gotta be the tiniest of minorities.

This isn’t like Michael Clarke Duncan playing the Kingpin in Daredevil (which this will undoubtedly get compared to). Nothing in the Kingpin’s history as a character suggests he absolutely has to be white for the movie version, and plus, there are few good actors who have the size necessary to play the Kingpin. Heimdall, on the other hand, is a character from the mythology of a very specific culture, one known for its pale-skinned, fair-haired natives!

I’m really surprised at director Kenneth Brannagh for choosing political correctness over historical accuracy. I thought he was smarter than that. I’m sure we’ll get some BS in-story explanation about how “Heimdall” is from some obscure Moor-like tribe of Asgardians that live off in the mountains or something. And I’m sure Idris Elba’s a decent actor and will pull the role off competently, but this is nothing but a flimsy excuse to fill a quota.

(Left: “Heimdal,” by Danish artist Johan Lundbye, via Wikipedia.)

Elba will also be starring in the highly-anticipated — around these parts at least — adaptation of Andy Diggle’s DC comic, The Losers.

Bonus: Here’s Joe Budden on the Russian Roulette instrumental courtesy of 2dopeboyz
Joe Budden – Russian Roulette

Electronic Arts is clearly not on the same page. I might have paid $10- $15 (and maybe even $20.00) and thought nothing of it. Forty bucks just seems cruel. Waitaminute, NO online multiplayer? ZERO? The WALMART board game is $15 bucks, folks. FAIL.

Check out the redux after the jump.

[View with PicLens]

Having discovered the Logan’s Run novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson back in high school, I was pretty psyched to hear about this adaptation. It looks like this adaptation will stay true to the novel, rather than the 1976 movie starring Michael York.

I had the chance to interview William F. Nolan about the new adaptation, his plans for other series with Bluewater, and the state of a new Logan’s Run movie:

TFAW.com: It is nice to (virtually) meet you, Mr. Nolan.

William F. Nolan: Thanks, glad to (virtually) be here!

TFAW.com: We were really excited to hear about Logan’s Run: Last Day, the new comic book adaptation of your novel. How did the comic come about?

Nolan: My good friend and author/filmmaker Jason V. Brock (Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man) and his wife Sunni saw an article about Bluewater in the local Vancouver, WA paper. Jason does some agenting on my behalf and contacted Darren G. Davis, the president of Bluewater.

We scheduled a meeting at their offices in Vancouver, and they were very excited about the Logan property. Jason (who is also an artist and the Art Director/Managing Editor of Dark Discoveries magazine) and I assisted in working on the designs and costumes for some of the characters, which they are using in the final comic. Also, Jason had come up with a great storyline for a new Logan book we are outlining that uses the original book and expands on the backstory, updating it significantly.

That’s where Paul J. Salamoff comes in: he was chosen to adapt the novels into comic format, but none of us really wanted a “straight” adaptation of the books–it’s been done by MGM, Marvel, Malibu Graphics, and so on. It was time for a fresh take on Logan. Paul was perfect for the job. Not to mention that the four of us–Darren, Paul, Jason, and myself–all work well together and have gotten to be friends.

TFAW.com: Logan’s Run isn’t a stranger to comics. Other publishers have done mini-series adaptations over the years. Is there something special in today’s world that prompted you to move forward with an adaptation?

Nolan: I was not happy with Marvel or Malibu’s versions. I very much disliked the art in the Malibu edition, though they were faithful to the books. As far as the Marvel version, it was just too “superhero”: Logan is a real character, not a superheroic one, and I was never that pleased with it. In addition, they were really adapting the MGM movie, which is flawed, not the book that I wrote with George Clayton Johnson.

Given the current trend of Hollywood getting interested in comic book works, I feel that this is the perfect time to get a really great version of Logan out there . . . and this is the one.

TFAW.com: To what degree are you involved with the Bluewater Productions adaptation of Logan’s Run?

Nolan: I have final creative say-so over the artwork and storyline, as well as writing for some of the other titles we have planned.

TFAW.com: Will Paul Salamoff be staying pretty close to the original story or have you given him some freedom to move about in the world you’ve created?

Nolan: Paul is working off the outline that we provided, but has added a couple of elements. He is actually being faithful to the first two books (Logan’s Run and Logan’s World) at the start of the series. All of us are excited about the directions that we could go after these first six or so issues.

TFAW.com: What has Daniel Gete brought to the table in terms of art for Last Day?

Nolan: His work is very good. Jason and I both like his rendering and layouts a lot. His vision is in concert with ours: strong and direct–perfect for Logan.

TFAW.com: For someone who might only be familiar with the 1976 film version of Logan’s Run, what differences can they expect to see in the comic?

Nolan: We wanted as many things as possible to be different from the film, for legal and artistic reasons. We went back to the source material as much as possible, and built on that. You’ll see very soon!

TFAW.com: Awhile back, I heard that the series was scheduled for 24 issues. Is that still the case?

Nolan: Yes, 24 issues is correct. We have a lot planned for the series.

TFAW.com: Are you planning on working with Bluewater Productions on any other series?

Nolan: Yes. I signed on to do have an adaptation done of Sam Space, my future-noir character, for a run of four to six issues, and Dark Universe, a run of six issues utilizing my horror stories as source material. I am slated to adapt at least two of these, and Jason Brock has been tapped to adapt three of my stories.

TFAW.com: There have been whispers of a remake of the Logan’s Run movie. Are there any plans to move forward on a film project?

Nolan: It’s more than a whisper–it’s been in “pre-production” for 13 years! Joel Silver is involved, as well as Bryan Singer, among others. They still plan on making it, but when . . . that is the question. We’re hoping that the direction that we plan on taking the comics will light a little fire under Hollywood, as well as give them a bit of direction for a possible way of doing justice to the spirit of the books. It is a great candidate for a remake, as the technology has improved dramatically since 1976 and they could really do a lot with it.

TFAW.com: One last question: At TFAW.com, we’re always looking for ways to go above and beyond for our customers . . .

Nolan: I think I know what you mean . . . would you like some signed copies of the comics? I’m sure Darren would be happy to supply some for you guys, and I love to sign for fans! How about 15 or so copies for you guys?

TFAW.com: Absolutely. I think our readers would like that very much. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us about Logan’s Run: Last Day, and thanks for signing some books for us!

Nolan: No problem: any time!

—————-

You heard what the man said, we’re getting 15 signed books, and we’re offering them up to 15 random people who pre-order any Logan’s Run: Last Day issue by 1/24/10. Winners will be announced in the TFAW.com Newsletter on 1/28/10!

In the meantime, check out the four-page first look and whet your appetite. ;0)

Bonus Shout Out #1: to Disgrasian and their awesome theory on how Manny became the first fighter to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes:

Bonus Shout Out #2: to Complex who ran a Fight Night Face-Off: Filipino Women vs Puerto Rican Women leading up to the fight.

So it is a bit unfortunate that the time has finally come for Samuel’s motivations to become clear. As much as it was necessary for the good of the season arc, since it begins to answer some of the pressing questions about Samuel and his activities since the season premiere, it also feels a bit too simple. It renders Samuel a less compelling villain to have him searching for more and more power.

Essentially, Samuel has an ability that is somehow amplified by the presence of other metahumans. This makes him tremendously dangerous. The fact that he was basically the brother with more ambition than wisdom makes it very clear that his temper would be an issue. Tying Samuel’s story into the revelations about Coyote Sands was a nice touch, and it does explain where Mohinder has been all this time.

I’ve liked the slow and measured pace of the plot, if only because it gives the writers more time to delve into the characters. But I now have to wonder if Sylar was trapped within “Nathan” and Matt’s mind for so long because the writers needed to pace out the revelations about Samuel first. With Samuel’s amplified ability now revealed, I get the feeling that his time is short.

After all, Sylar is sure to get his body back sooner rather than later, and he will very likely retain some knowledge of the carnival. He will want to get back to it, and since Peter has a compass, that seems the most likely means. If Sylar discovers the true nature of Samuel’s ability, right down to how it can be amplified, there’s little doubt that he would want that power for himself. It would be like the ultimate fix.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. If this is going to be the final season, then it would make sense to have Sylar take control of the carnival (right down to killing Samuel and taking on his appearance, for example), and forcing the familiar heroes to band together to take him down, once and for all. Maybe, if the series comes to an end, the writers will finally have the excuse to deliver a fitting bloodbath of an ending.

For now, the trick is getting the characters in place for whatever climax the writers do have in mind. I can only assume that is the point of the subplot with Tracy and Claire. As much as I bought Claire in her pseudo-Buffy role at college, I have little interest in her latest angst. For that matter, Tracy has been all over the map this season, and I never liked her anyway. It’s clear they’re meant to go to the carnival before long.

I’m glad that they gave “Nathan” a little more screen time, since I think the actor deserves a better sendoff. I was expecting his inevitable exit to come in this episode, but I suppose the writers intend to drag it out a bit longer. That said, it should be interesting to see how Peter handles the truth about “Nathan”, as well as how Matt intends to get out of the mess that Sylar has made of his life. Could Matt’s apparent sacrifice have been foreshadowing?

Perhaps the most egregious element of the episode, however, had to be Hiro’s decision to place Mohinder in a mental institution. Never mind how that was supposed to work exactly; the writers fudged a number of details to ensure that Mohinder would be out of play until they needed him. It’s the fact that Hiro’s solution to his own problem was no better than Samuel’s decision to trap Charlie in some unknown time and place. Hiro’s character arc has been horrid this season, and that’s taking into account how much of the character’s development had been erased by the third season.

Despite some of the flaws of this episode, the story is still holding my attention. I’m not happy that Samuel seems to be shifting into a typically villainous role, concerned only with the accumulation of his own power, when something a bit more nuanced might have been more satisfying in the end. That said, the story is still moving forward at a deliberate pace, and this season is still solid. This episode just didn’t quite hit the mark.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

DARK AVENGERS #11: Sigh. I just have a soft spot for the Molecule Man, I’m sorry guys. And I really think Bendis has hit his groove with this title, mixing his patented naturalistic dialogue with action, perfectly complemented by Mike Deodato’s moody art. Plus, in this issue, we get some painted pages by Greg Horn, and I don’t know the last time I saw interior art by the guy, but it looks great. This is a great looking comic, lots of fun, and I’m going to be a little sad to see it go (assuming it does, in fact, go after the upcoming Siege event).

DARK REIGN: THE LIST – AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: Adam Kubert draws an amazing Spider-Man (no pun intended), but I guess you wouldn’t expect anything less from the guy. First off, I’ll say its a smart move by Marvel to use Mr. Kubert on specials and short runs, rather than promising he can deliver a monthly book. That’s another win in Mr. Wacker’s column, in my book. And this book looks great. Reading wise, Dan Slott turns in another near perfect Spider-Man script, perfectly melding character moments, old-school fun, and good story. Except, and I’m going to get back on my soapbox now that we’re done with this “List” event… Basically nothing happens. In the grand scheme of things, I mean. The one List book that had a major event was The Punisher, which by all accounts was, I think, a high mark for Rick Remender, The Punisher, and Marvel in general. Not that every issue of The List needed to hold up to that standard, but I wish there was some sort of moving the story forward, that something had happened. There is a minor victory for Peter Parker towards the end of this book, and its a nice moment, but honestly, is Parker leaking a video on the internet really going to show up as a plot point in any other book?

It’s frustrating, because I would really, really like ASM: The List to be the biggest and baddest part of this mini-event, but it just can’t be, because… You can’t have Spider-Man win that big. Spidey can’t actually reveal Norman’s true villainy to the world, because that would mean Spider-Man was revealed as a world-wide hero. There’s ways around that, sure, but Spider-Man works best when everybody hates him. So he can’t win that big, he has to win, but kind of lose. And he can’t kill Norman, because he doesn’t kill. Plus, we got to save that for Siege, right? My point is, as a fan, I still think of Osbourne as Spider-Man’s villain, and I feel like Spidey needs to take him down, but given the character, and the layout of the Universe, that just can’t happen. So instead, I’m frustrated.

Anyway, great looking issue, solid read, if you want some pretty Kubert art, pick it up.

DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #5: This title is growing on me, but veeeery slowly. Not to sound like a broken record, but considering you’ve already got Deadpool and Headpool in the book, it seems unnecessary and repetitive to even include the Deadpool double narration boxes. I’d rather just see those two bicker and be done with it. I also like how The Gisch is filling out the supporting cast with fun riffs on previous DP continuity. I’m curious to see where this goes after this arc, and hopefully, it can forge its own way, and move out of… Way’s… shadow.

INCREDIBLE HULK #604: You know that feeling when you take a deep breath and let it out, and how relaxing and refreshing that is? That’s what having Greg Pak back on the Hulk is like. A breath of fresh air, or at least air you’ve breathed before that feels fresh again. Or something. Anyway. Banner, Skaar, and Warbound vs. The Leader? What’s not to love? Pak keeps adding his own take to the Hulk mythos, and shows why he’s the best writer of the character since Peter David. Love this series, pick it up.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #31: Dan Slott and Christos Gage bring it all together to end out the best arc of this title in a good long while. Classic Avengers action, classic avengers moments, great fun shout outs and good actions pieces. My only caveat is that the art seems a little crowded, but that’s a quibble when its so much fun to just see heroes being heroes, and all working together to save the day. Fun.

NOMAD: GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD #3: As nice as it is to see Sean McKeever back at Marvel, working in high school (where he excels), this just isn’t grabbing me. It ain’t bad, by any means, its a well crafted comic book, but I guess I just don’t care enough about Rikki Barnes yet. Ah well.

PUNISHER #11: Tony Moore and Rick Remender working together is a-okay with me. And this Frankencastle storyline gets to an insane, over the top start, as you might expect. Love it.

REALM OF KINGS: Abnett and Lanning have one of the most complex, yet easy to follow road-maps for their cosmic books I’ve ever seen. And it all kicks off in spectacular fashion in this one shot. I thought they couldn’t take the action and danger to another level. I think I was wrong. Love these books, love the direction of them, and I love the focus that’s happening throughout. Great stuff.

REALM OF KINGS INHUMANS #1: On the other hand… There’s a killer last page to this issue, but otherwise, it’s one of the more snooze-worthy Inhumans mini-series in a while. Granted, the characters are in a place where they’re all miserable, and for the first time in a long time, they have a real status quo that can’t immediately be broken, but it feels like the backbone of this cosmic universe has moved on to Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.

THUNDERBOLTS #138: Jeff Parker makes his debut on the title, and while I love the Parker, this won’t knock anyone’s socks off. However, he continues the feel of the past few issues well without missing a beat… I’m just looking forward to him maybe blazing his own path. And maybe bringing in a few A-Listers. It feels like this title needs a new mission statement, and soon.

WAR MACHINE #11: The little title that could keeps chugging along, and though I THINK it’s canceled already, Greg Pak has made a fascinating uber story that has done a lot to build up Rhodey’s character, and define his supporting cast. It’s too bad this won’t be around in the long term, because in Year Two, it feels like it could have gotten quite good.

WOLVERINE WEAPON X #7: I’m totally loving this storyline, with Logan caught in the world’s most disturbing lunatic asylum, scared and fighting for his life. Sure, it’s not the most original story of all time (it’s been done in Buffy, for one), but I’m completely caught up in the mystery, and can’t wait to find out how Wolvie ended up there. Kudos to Jason Aaron for turning in another solid arc.

X-MEN LEGACY #229: Speaking of little engines, I still don’t get what this title is about (other than secretly The New Adventures of Rogue and Gambit), but Mike Carey, as always, chugs right along with a solid story that pays tribute to Generation X, one of the much beloved, much forgotten pieces of X-history past.

Hey everyone! We’re back for our weekly video blog, Wednesday New Releases! On deck this week: Fall Out Toy Works #2, Amazing Spider-Man #612, Adventure Comics #4, Outsiders #24, Batman Battle for the Cowl Hardcover, and Eaglemoss’ Buffy and Angel figurines:

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