January 2013

Detective Comics #16

/ / Comics

detective-comics-new-52-16-coverBy far the best issues of Death of the Family have kept the Joker at arms length. Last month’s issue of Detective Comics provided an intriguing tale of Clayface and Poison Ivy that was the best issue of the comic I’ve read since the reboot. This month takes on the Joker’s reign of terror more directly but, thankfully, the Face-Off version of the Clown Prince of Crime never makes an appearance.

Detective Comics #16 features Batman working overtime stopping all the Joker gangs and cults which have sprung up since the madman’s return. Some these include only dumb kids, but some, like the new “League of Smiles,” are leaving a trail of bodies. The back-up story features more of the self-proclaimed Emperor Penguin putting together his own criminal empire by killing the competition in a way that makes it look like nothing more than part of the Joker’s latest craziness.

I’m not sure about the reveal of the Merrymaker, the villain apparently pulling the strings of the League of Smiles, but this is again a really good Batman comic – something in short supply since the launch of the New 52. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

Detective Comics #16 Read More »

The Bakersfield Expedition

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Big Bang Theory – The Bakersfield Expedition
  • tv.com: link

The Big Bang Theory - The Bakersfield Expedition

While on a road trip to a comic convention in Bakersfield with Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Leonard’s (Johnny Galecki) car is stolen leaving the foursome stranded in the middle of nowhere dressed as Star Trek: The Next Generation characters.

…

The Bakersfield ExpeditionRead More »

The Bakersfield Expedition Read More »

GQ believes Beyoncé is still Bootylicious

/ / Books & Magazines

For it’s February cover story GQ names the “100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century” beginning with singer-songwriter/actress Beyoncé. In her interview with Amy Wallace, Beyoncé discusses her 16 Grammys, her comeback after giving birth to her daughter Ivy, performing at halftime for this year’s Super Bowl, her upcoming HBO documentary, Destiny’s Child, the the official Beyoncé archive, her sister Solange, touring, and her new endorsement deal with Pepsi. You can find the pics from the photoshoot inside.

…

GQ believes Beyoncé is still BootyliciousRead More »

GQ believes Beyoncé is still Bootylicious Read More »

Zero Dark Thirty

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Zero Dark Thirty
  • IMDB: link

zero-dark-thirty-poster
The Best Movie of 2012
Three years ago director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Marc Boal collaborated on The Hurt Locker which won them both individual Academy Awards as well as taking home the coveted Oscar for Best Picture. With Zero Dark Thirty the pair reunite to examine the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden.

The project was not with pitfalls or controversy. Bigelow and Boal were about to start filming an entirely different script when news hit that American forces had found and killed the man responsible for the attacks on 9/11. Scrapping their initial project, Bigelow and Boal refocused to examine the work that went in to finding America’s most wanted.

The film’s detractors (almost none of whom have seen the film) attack it for what some believe is a pro-torture stance, the filmmakers access to classified information surrounding the search for bin Laden, and some have even argued against what they (wrongfully) believe is a pro-Obama propaganda piece. None of these allegations are true. What is true, however, is Zero Dark Thirty is the best movie of 2012.

…

Zero Dark ThirtyRead More »

Zero Dark Thirty Read More »

Gangster Squad

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Gangster Squad
  • IMDB: link

gangster-squad-posterGangster Squad is an average straight-to-DVD action flick that happens to be set in the 1950’s and boast a cast of actors all of whom are slumming here. Adapted from Paul Lieberman’s book, the film centers around real events in Los Angeles when a select group of cops worked to take down gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) by any means necessary. And by “adapted” I mean any relation to the events covered in Lieberman’s book (such as who survives and how Cohen was eventually taken down) to screenwriter Will Beall‘s script are likely accidental.

I can only guess director Ruben Fleischer lured the likes of Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, and Robert Patrick to the project with the proposal of making something akin to The Untouchables (which this film desperately wants to be compared to). With poorly cast actors, dreadful dialogue, costumes and sets that feel more like costumes and sets than period locations and attire, Gangster Squad couldn’t be further from Brian De Palma‘s terrific film. It’s actually closer to something as completely forgettable as Takers.

…

Gangster SquadRead More »

Gangster Squad Read More »