I am sitting here working on my posts watching Batman: Returns and Batman and Catwoman were in the middle of a big fight seen and my thoughts immediately go to Big Bang Theory. First I said something about counting catwomen and then I lower my voice and say “I’m Batman”. If you haven’t been watching Big bang Theory you might get either one of those jokes. They are both from the series premiere (I think it was three weeks ago). Funny stuff.
Sheldon and Leonard were talking about being a superhero as they were walking up the stairs and Sheldon said he could never be the Green Lantern without some one coming to him from the planet Oa and giving him a power ring but with enough start up capital and a research facility he could be Batman. Leonard just looks at him asking “You could be Batman?” Then Sheldon lowers his voice and says “I’m Batman. See?”
When we first saw this we almost died laughing. Especially since that was our biggest complaint about Batman: The Dark Knight.
In the season opener of Big Bang Theory we find Sheldon staying over at Howard’s because he cannot keep a secret Penny told him from Leonard. Once settled in bed Sheldon begins to ramble about Catwoman due to the Halle Berry Poster over Howard’s bed.
Here’s their conversation. After this I will give my list of favorite Catwomen.
Sheldon: That poster of Halle Berry is a little unnerving.
Howard: So don’t look at it.
Sheldon: She’s like my fourth favorite Catwoman.
Howard: No Kidding.
Sheldon: Yeah, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eartha Kitt and then her.
Howard: What about Lee Meriweather?
Sheldon: Oh, I forgot about Lee Meriweather.
Howard: Well I’m glad that is settled.
Sheldon: That makes Halle Berry my fifth favorite Catwoman. It’s Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriweather …
Howard: Please I’m begging you go to sleep.
Sheldon: I’m trying. I’m counting Catwomen.
Sheldon: She did make a fine mutant in the X-Men movies, though.
Howard: Oh for God sake.
Sheldon: She’s not my favorite of the X-Men though. In order that would be wolverine, Cyclops…wait I forgot Professor X. Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Iceman, then Storm, Angel, the Beast…No wait Nightcrawler. Professor X, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Cyclos, Iceman, then Storm, Angel, the Beast…
I have to disagree with Sheldon a little on the order of Catwomen.
My favorite Catwoman is Michelle Pfeiffer, then Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Halle Berry, Lee Meriweather. (And we’ll throw Adrienne Barbeau in there as well. She played Catwoman in Batman the Animated Series).
Batman: Gotham Knight is out on DVD now. It is the latest animated feature from
DC Comics. It is actually six mini movies all done (or should I so over done) in the anime / mango style. Just because anime is getting more popular doesn’t mean every thing needs to be produced in that style let alone in six different variations of the style. I don’t think any of the stories stands up on their own and they certainly don’t move smoothly from one story to the next. Over all I say avoid this or simply rent it or get it on demand like I did.
The best thing about this is that they got Kevin Conroy to voice the bat. He is the voice of Batman in almost all the animated versions to appear on TV. So if they could get him for this production why not use him in the Justice League animated film earlier this year?
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was very good. Most people seem to have an issue with the fact that Narnia is not the same place it was in the first film. How could it be it is 1300 years later? For once I read the book first and this was a very close rending of the original. All but one scene, that is.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was pretty good. At first Harrison ford appears really old and you think how the heck is he going to pull this off. Surprisingly he does and you soon forget how Old he really is. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending (sorry spoiler alert)… I didn’t mind the whole alien thing or even the space ship leaving I the thing I did not like was how the 13 skeletons became one living breathing alien. They were dead and dead is dead even in alternate dimensions. A friend of mine did not like that Indy wasn’t on a search for a religious object. I beg to differ and say the crystal skulls are a religious object just not a Christian one. Perhaps after another viewing I’ll see past the resurrected alien and like it a bit better. Who knows.
Wall-e - This little robot will steal your heart. I just pretty much loved this whole flick. When I first heard the Wall-e soundtrack I couldn’t help wondering why they included the two songs from Hello Dolly. This becomes clear once seeing the film. The beginning is a little slow, but worth it. My only complaint (and not really sure it is a complaint] is that Wall-e did not affect more of the humans on the ship prior to the big final scene. I just think his presence on the ship would have caused more than two people to “awake” from their self-absorbed worlds before the big ending. Overall this is an excellent film worth both a big screen viewing and addition to my DVD collection when it comes out.
Hell boy 2 - I don’t usually get to say this, but this sequel was just as good as the first film. Had I not known this going in to the film I would have said the guy from Pan’s Labyrinth must of had something to do with this, and well, yes he did. Boy does it show, but in a good way. Visually stunning. But we get more than just new other worldly characters to look at, the story is good and our main characters are developed further as well. The scene that stands out the most for me has Hellboy and Abe singing to a Manilow song. You really have to see it. This film is well worth the big screen price tag.
Batman: The Dark Knight - Well here I go again this sequel is just as good (may even be better) than the first one. I tried to stay away from too many spoilers on this film before seeing it, which was a little hard to do after Heath Ledger died. It really is a darn shame too because he made one hell of a great Joker and it would have been nice to see him play the part again. The few glimpses I saw of the film before hand had me worried they were putting too many villains in one film like the last batch of Batman movies. But it is nicely done. Heck you don’t even need to see the first film to go see this one. We do get a glimpse of Scarecrow at the beginning, but the story is all about the Joker and Harvey Dent. By the end of the film I was getting a little tired of Christian Bale’s Batman voice. It actually started to grate on my nerves. I don’t mind his regular speaking voice too much even with his speak impediment, but when he lowers his voice for the Bat it just really bothers me. (And not just me but the two people that went with me said the same thing.) Since we saw the film it seems many other people have posted their reviews and have pretty much said the same thing.
The Batman Dark Knight figures are pretty cool. I’m not talking about the six-inch figures or even the deluxe figures (although the deluxe Joker does look more like Heath than the others). I am referring to the small 3.75-inch scale figures. You have probably noticed by now that I have a thing for small toys and action figures. Even though I never really collected the Star Wars figures that’s my favorite scale. At first Mattel only released the large figures and a bat mobile with a 3.75 inch figure, but I wasn’t going to pay that much money when all I wanted was the bat.
Then they appeared on the pegs at my local Target, they being three different two packs of batman figures in my favorite scale! I grabbed the Batman / Joker-set and the Batman / Bruce Wayne set. I didn’t really feel the need for The Batman / Scarecrow set as I did not need another Batman and the Scarecrow does not thrill me. There is also a little play set, which includes a Batman as well (again I wasn’t paying 15 bucks just for a Batman). The only thing is the figures could have had a little more articulation. I would have liked elbow joints especially since the Joker’s jacket kind of kills the articulation in the legs. Batman’s cape is cloth, which is nice. Also there are no peg holes for stands. Bummer, but there is cool treads on Batman’s boots.
In case you were wondering what I was talking about in my last post, I am speaking of the new line of DC toys from Mattel the DC Infinite Heroes. This a new scale for The DC guys standing a mere 3.75 inches tall (same scale as Star Wars and Indian Jones).
According to my sources (Toy magazines, internet, and Previews) these weren’t supposed to hit until August with new waves in the fall, but I found them at Toys R Us and Target already.
Available now are: Shazam, Adam Strange, Guy Gardner, Zoom and two three packs, which consist of Gordon and two Gotham Swat team members and Flash, Weather Wizard, and Mirror Master.
I was able to pick up the 3 packs at Target and got 4 of the 7 individual figures pictured on the backs of the cards at Toys R us (Target had the same individual figures I had already purchased at TRU). My guess is the rest pictured will appear in another wave of figures.
Since I stopped collecting the Justice League figures (they were just too hard to find and the new figures are all in 3-packs with figures I already have. It was getting way too expensive plus they are hard to display. My entire collection fell over like dominoes. These are a great alternative. DC Infinite Heroes will feature new and classic characters, I might not even mind having to buy yet another Batman and Superman in the new scale (although I do think the new small scale Dark Knight figures will fit right in with this tiny plastic crowd.
My Guy Gardner Figure will be going back as I just learned of a TRU exclusive
6- pack, which will include Guy, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Man hunter, damaged Man hunter and Qwardian, Like the JL figures the only unique ones will be Hal Jordan, John Stewart and damaged Man hunter.
Future 3-packs are Superman, Wonder Girl and Super Girl and Captain Boomerang, Star fire and Raven. Toyfare also lists Hush as an individual figure which would make sense if this first wave has four individuals and list three other figures on the back.
Each figure has 10 points of articulation, a pretty good likeness and the all important peg hole for a stand (not included).
Looks like the female figures will only have six to eight points of articulation and I am keeping my fingers crossed they will have a hole in the foot too.
Justice League A New Frontier is a very entertaining animated film based on the graphic novel by the same name from Darwyn Cooke. The League is up against The Centre an evil of biblical proportions. Learn the origins of Martian Man Hunter and Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern. Set around he same time as the McCarthy era. Can the Justice League unite and save the world?
Animation is very good not overly anime-influenced like most animation these days. Voices are all very fitting with only one exception, the voice of Batman. Jeremy Sisto does the voice while I liked him in Six Feet Under his voice for a cartoon sounds more like a villain that of the Batman. All our other heroes had nice clear, crisp voices, but Bat’s was gravelly and sinister. Yes, he is the Dark Knight, but Sisto’s voice might have been too dark.
Lucy Lawless made a nice Amazon (once again) playing a Wonder Woman with a slightly twisted sense of justice.
Additional Cast: Phil Morris, Neil Patrick Harris, Lucy Lawless, Miguel Ferrer, David Boreanaz
Earlier this week I wrote about all the Star Trek references in Monday’s episode of The Big Bang Theory but I had missed the first few minutes of the show. Thanks to CBS.com for posting full episodes I was able to see the rest of the show and get you all the following transcripts of the stuff I missed on Monday.
Howard: Yo, more details about the new Star Trek film. There’s going to be a scene depicting Spock’s birth.
Rajesh: I’d be more interested in a scene depicting Spock’s conception.
Sheldon: Oh, please. For Vulcans mating or if you will , Pon Far is an extremely private matter.
Leonard: Still I would like to know the details. His mother was human and his father was Vulcan they couldn’t just conceive.
Howard: Maybe they had to go to a clinic. Imagine Spock’s dad in a little room with a copy of Pointy Ears & Shapely Rears.
Rajesh: How come on Star Trek everybody’s private parts are the same? No alien lady ever told Captain Kirk, ‘Hey get your thing out of my nose’.
Sheldon: You want me to use my intelligence in a tawdry competition? Would you ask Picasso to play Pictionary? Would you ask Noah Webster to play Boggle? Would you ask Jacque Cousteau to play Go Fish?Leonard: Come on you need a four person team. We’re for people.Sheldon: By that reasoning we should also play bridge, hold up a huppa and enter the Olympic bobsled competition.
Penny: Tickets to that please.
Leonard: Sheldon. What, do I have to quote Spock’s dying words to you?
Sheldon: No. Don’t.
Leonard: The needs of the many…
Howard: Out weigh the needs of the few…
Sheldon: Or the one. Damn it I’ll do it. (Holds up the Vulcan salute.)
A few weeks ago on my way to work I noticed a bit of graffiti on a bridge I go under every day. I tried for a few weeks now to get a piture of it one that was clear enough to bother posting. I think this one will do. The top image is a cropped detail shot of just the graffiti the bottom image is a little wider so you can get a better idea of the entire scene.
It actually took me two days of driving by this to actually confirm that it was a cool Batman graffiti that I saw and not just your ordinary everyday tag on a bridge.
Someone took the time to paint a large white rectangle then come back and fill in the red and blue campaign banner for Harvey Dent. I have been trying to stay away from too much info on The Dark Knight, don’t want to ruin the film for myself, you know. I do know Harvey Dent is mentioned on the official site and I have seen online campaign posters for him, but this is the first real world example I have seen.
Thought I first saw the posters or a link to them on the official site. Now the official site links to a Heath Ledger Memorial Page. But there is always the online campaign headquarters for Harvey Dent with posters, stickers etc for you to download and use in your support of Mr. Dent. You can then upload your images and videos, but I don’t think they meant for you to vandalize bridges. Then again maybe they did. I am not going through the hundreds of uploads looking for this piece of work any who.
There is a fan trailer for The Dark Knight on YouTube that shows a Two-Face coin being flipped. If WB does have Dent turn into Two Face in the film I hope it is not until the end. If we learned nothing from the third and fourth films from their past attempts on this franchise it was not to cloud the film with multiple villains.
Heath Ledger died today in a Manhattan apartment said to be owned by Mary-Kate Olsen [this is most likely not true]. According to CNN.com he was pronounced dead at 3:30. We still don’t know the actual cause of death as of yet, but police say it may be a drug overdose as over the counter sleeping pills were found next to the body. He was only 28 years old. He will be missed. We will get a chance to see his last finished film later this summer. He played the Joker in the film Batman: The Dark Knight.
He will live on in his many films like Brokeback Mountain, Monsters Ball, The Order, A Knights Tale and the upcoming Dark Knight to name but a few.
Update [sort of]: This is what you get for going with the first news source. Bad, incomplete and wrong information. Apparently it was his appartment and the pills were perscription. Most likely an accidental death. And the rumors abound. May his family find comfort in knowing their son was loved by the American public even if though the weirdos out there are louder than the rest of us. What’s up with the “heath ledger mind control victim” rumor that’s going around any way?
After hearing about Batwoman being a Lesbian in the 52 comics way back in 2006 I could not wait for the first issue to hit the stands. Even though she did not appear until issue 11. The idea that finally a main character was going to be portrayed as a strong lesbian had me reeling. Heck, she was the only reason I ever even picked up the first issue let alone all 52.
I was disappointed that we did not get to see more of her and Renee Montoya through out the series. But by the end of the story I had fallen in love with the character. I really wanted more. I still do. Both of these characters are strong enough to continue their stories outside of 52.
I only recently read that the proposed new Batwoman books were cancelled and it broke my heart.
Since DC has tried to bury the Kate Kane storyline and only keep it within the pages of 52 while releasing several of the other boys from the series, which is a big shame. We need more strong female characters. And what better to keep fan boys reading it than the typical lesbian fantasy.
Please DC bring her back out of the bat closet.
Renee as the Question is also a VERY good story that needs to be told, and perhaps the one place you can try giving us back Kate Kane even if only as a periodic guest in a new Question book.
Comics have not been for kids for a very long time. Kids comics are still out there fear not. But the majority of the comics are geared toward adults so the demoralization of our nations children cannot be the issue here. So what is DC comics so afraid of?
The character was popular enough for you to make an action figure out of it. Why not keep it going. Don’t tell me the Christian right is in control of the comics industry. They can’t be or we wouldn’t have any comics on the shelves. What are you afraid of? A little press? I thought there was no such thing as bad press. Any press is good press, right? I have been reading through some of the garbage written by some of the moral majority and I cannot believe the crap they are spewing forth. As if one lesbian superhero is going to make all the good little boys and girls turn gay. Hell, if it does we better ALL get toaster ovens for that.
The new Batman film is starting to pique my interest. Finally, there is a true dark Dark Knight film. Yes, the first two Batman films were darker and edgier than the rest of the films, which I like to forget about ever existing. The trailer shows a promising story and a scary Joker. Who knew Heath Ledger could pull it off? Check out the Batman Dark Knight trailer below to see what you think.
I am seeing the name Harvey Dent thrown around. Hopefully, this is just his introduction and we won’t be hit with two bad guys yet again. You would think they would have learned from the fist time they tried to make the franchise fly and it failed. Or look at Marvel’s worst Spidey film to date. We do not need or want more than one villain at a time people.
