Little Tidbits: 8/28/09

• Saw Inglourious Basterds last week...twice. This movie is spectacular! It stars Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, leader of the eponymous main characters, a group of Jewish-American soldiers against the Third Reich in Nazi-occupied France. Besides Pitt, other headliners include Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfuss, a French-Jewish girl whose family was killed in a very spectacular, tension-filled scene, at the beginning of the film. She forms a second storyline to the main conflict. And of course, my favorite character, one who has inspired the main villain in my own novel-in-progress, is Christoph Waltz as Han Landa, the Jew Hunter, a very intelligent, charismatic villain who earns his nickname. Waltz plays Landa as a cool customer, one who will lead you own, let you get enough rope to hang yourself. While this movie was awesome, the only drawback was that the soundtrack is not as memorable as Tarentino's Kill Bill. Movie Grade: A.
• I will become an online examiner soon, specializing in "B-films", writing about them. It's a paying gig, and I will be posting the link in a few days.
• The Blackest Night is rocking DC Comics, and I'm enjoying it so far. However, my only worry at this point is that seeing love ones return issue after issue will get boring after a while. I'm collecting the main series, Green Lantern, and Green Lantern Corps. Nevertheless, I have faith in Geoff Johns, the man whose brought awesome comic sagas like Infinite Crisis and Legion of Three Worlds.
• World's Most Wanted in Invincible Ironman is rocking as well! Confronted by Madame Masque last ish, Tony escapes with the help of Pepper Potts, who stays behind to fight Masque. Meanwhile, Maria Hill, almost driven mad by the Controller, hides out in Natasha Romanov's/Black Widow's apartment, needing to get Tony's files to someone...i forget. Speaking of Natasha, comic continuity is a funny thing, as she's dealing with Maria in Ironman, and then captured by Norman Osborn, along with Captain America Bucky Barnes, in Captain America: Reborn #2.
• Started watching Code Geass last week. I'm on episode 5...awesome story so far. In this anime, in an alternate history, Japan was conquered by Britian, and redubbed Area 11. Lelouch, the main character, a student, becomes embroiled in an underground resistance against the ruling Britannia when he, through a series of mishaps, finds a green-haired girl who grants him a unique and vital power: the ability to control minds. Great stuff.
• Wow, both Halloween II and The Final Destination...in the same weekend? I shutter at both titles. I think Rob Zombie should have called his movie H2, as imo, there is already a Halloween II, with Jamie Leigh Curtis. And THE Final Destination? What is this, FAST AND FURIOUS again? I'm sure both will deliver the goods...unlike that horrible Prom Night.
• Heroes and Smallville start in September. I'm not looking forward to Smallville, as I see no point in continuing it; it has overstayed its welcome, worn out the guest bed, messed up the kitchen, and asked for seconds. The credibility of Clark not flying, not being Superman is past the breaking point now...last season essentially introduced most of the pieces of the classic status quo...Lois Lane and him working at the Daily Planet, disguised as a reporter, based in Metropolis...only missing thing is Perry, a pair of glasses, the outfit, and flying! Season Nine SHOULD be the last season of the show. As for Heroes...the last season finale went down a few dozens of points because of the lack of superhero showdown. What's the point of having a show about individuals with POWERS if you're not going to show them?! That's like having a show about space and spaceships, but the main characters are always in the kitchen. I was also frustrated at how the villains were always jobbed or made inefficent...Danko and his government soldiers were nothing more than Putties, often treated like a joke. Arthur Petralli, the most powerful villain introduced so far...jobbed by a bullet. While I enjoy Sylar very much, I wouldn't mind seeing some other prominant villains stay around for a while...also wouldn't mind seeing some Web characters, like Santiago, introduced...as well as bringing back a few of the old characters...like Molly Walker.