When you’ve grown up in a word of arcades and consoles, it’s sometimes easy to forget how weird many of the basic concepts of gaming are. Mario is a series about an overweight plumber jumping on the heads of giant mushrooms and turning them into coins. Pac-man has you guiding a yellow circle with a flapping mouth through a maze to collect pellets and fruit, while being chased by a quartet of colourful ghosts. Much in the same vein, early comic book idiosyncrasies eventually became core elements of the medium: visual cues for sound appear out of thin air, and gigantic blocks of text hang in the middle of scenes, yet somehow don’t disrupt it. You may not notice how experimental some of these fundamental mechanics are until you see them applied in a different medium. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a patchwork of such elements, set in a world that’s equal parts Nintendo and Marvel. Physical actions are punctuated by BAMS and POWS, and pocket change pops out of broken thugs instead of bones. The absurdity of video game logic playing out as a living comic book is never of question in Scott Pilgrim, you’re either on its level or left in the dust, making for an unapologetically niche, but vibrant tribute to these past times.

Set in the fantastical realm of Toronto, Canada, thefilm follows the turbulent love life of the titular Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). Scott is a twenty-three year-old college grad coasting through life, in a band, but out of work, and spending most of his time hanging out with his band mates, or his new (and much younger) girlfriend. Still reeling from the heartbreak of his last relationship, Scott is content to simply spin his wheels until a mysterious American-Ninja rollerblade delivery-girl begins using his head as a subspace highway (stay with me here). He quickly becomes infatuated with the girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and as twee romance takes hold of the two, Ramona’s past comes back to haunt Scott in the form of evil exes. See, Ramona’s past lovers have formed a league of evil ex-boyfriends, seven in all, who seek to destroy Pilgrim using kung-fu, mystical powers and veganism (which, unlike ovo-lacto vegetarianism, bestows immense psychic powers). Scott’s wiry frame hides his incredible fighting prowess and so he steps up to dismantle Ramona’s old flames by using his fists, his wits, and the unstoppable force that is a three-piece indie band.

So, Scott Pilgrim is basically a romantic comedy, just one that’s spent all its quarters for sanity meds on arcade tokens instead. The world of Scott Pilgrim is an 8-bit one, even though those are real people you’re watching. Based on the comic series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Pilgrim’s world is much like our own, only it’s been run through a Nintendo cartridge a couple of times times. Scott earns points for daily activities, and even levels up at key moments. In Scott’s world, 1-ups wait for those who earn them and people can store five foot sledgehammers in a purse, Granny tweety-style. There is absolutely ZERO explanation given as to how such a world functions and, you’ll either buy the bit and premise, or you won’t. The film doesn’t stop for anything, and while it doesn’t take anything too seriously, the interpretive physics and wire-fighting are played straight, without ever seeming like some sort of parody.  The nonchalance everyone shows for flaming katanas and lesbian ninjas lets you know that this world doesn’t care why such things exist, so why should you? O’Malley’s knack for blending fan-boy absurdity with the everyday makes for a terrific blend on film; wouldn’t every bad date movie find just a little life by throwing in some pyrotechnics for no reason?

While the rules are more or less game-based, director Edgar Wright presents his adaptation as if the viewer is watching a comic book in motion. There are many, many comic book movies out there, but most are a translation of the story instead of the way it gets told. With Pilgrim, Wright has made a movie that feels like a comic book come to life. Shot changes feel like moving to another panel and each scene transition plays like a turning of the page. Most shots are accentuated with little comic book elements ranging from visual onomatopoeia, to HUDs showing vital character statistics. It’s a real treat for the eyes, one that will no doubt benefit from multiple viewings in order to soak up all the hidden Easter eggs. The whole movie is structured like a video game and as Scott’s trials increase in difficulty, so too does the insanity.

It’s not long before the fist-fights become bass battles and sword clashes, which can be a lot to handle. The escalation can lead to fatigue before even half the exes are dispatched of, and the film sags during the second act. Yet every fight brings something new and fresh to the experience, leaving the viewer excitedly waiting to see what’s in store for the next brawl. And it’s during these intense sequences that director Wright really shows his talent for filming complex action, which was hinted at by the 30-minute shootout that capped off his last film, Hot Fuzz. Wright’s always had known how to inject energy into mundane tasks (a trademark he takes time to skewer here) but hasn’t had a chance until now to go all out. Here, his highly kinetic filmmaking is applied to a property that needs a lot of energy, and the results are impressive.

Despite weighing all of 120 pounds, Scott is a 1^st class ass-kicker, and Wright’s willingness to go over the top fits in perfectly with the material. Scott will be fighting more than half a dozen foes at one time but the action is never cluttered because the choreography is so well thought out. Most fights contain extensive shots where you can visibly see Cera belting out and taking shots, and you never feel like you’re just watching a stunt double. Even when a battle between the anime avatars of rock sub-genres breaks out, Wright’s measured approach to chaos makes the mayhem effortlessly watchable. As an action picture, Pilgrim is a winner because instead of trying to walk the tight-rope of plausibility, it says “to hell with it”, and instead focuses on being as crazy as possible, back flipping and roundhouse kicking all the while.

Yet, Scott Pilgrim’s success as a comic book/video game come to life means it has substantially more difficulty with an area that is a pitfall for both mediums: character. While O’Malley’s creations are endearing in print, on the big screen, they feel far more two-dimensional. There’s an uncanny valley to real people acting like cartoon characters that’s a bit jarring at first, and the only way to get over it is to realize that these aren’t people you’re watching, but instead the kind of broad archetypes you would find in a comic book. There’s a distinct lack of depth to everyone, including Scott, which makes the introspective elements of the story feel hollow. In fact, the central romance between Scott and Ramona seems incredibly dysfunctional, with Scott being inexplicably obsessed with a girl who’s consistently cold and fickle. Then there’s the treatment of Scott’s high school girlfriend, the inventively named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Scott thoroughly mistreats her, an addition to the film not found in the books, and the resolution to their relationship is rushed, leaving you thinking of Scott as kind of a dick.

The lack of depth in the characters will be exacerbated for some people by the film’s overt “hipness.” Remember, this is a film about young twenty somethings in Toronto, where seemingly everyone is in a band, and the dress code is strictly value village/Urban Outfitters. Be prepared for dialogue that’s steeped in irony and sarcasm, though it helps that its often very funny all the same. Despite its more youthful sensibilities, the complete lack of self-seriousness lets the actor’s words come off as light-hearted and goofy as opposed to obnoxious. A lot of that is due to the fact that the massive ensemble cast is excellent all the way through. Between its two leads, seven villains and a dozen other supporting characters, Pilgrim is bursting with charming and memorable performances that stay true to the source material, which is especially impressive since some characters are on screen for less than five minutes. Stand outs from the supporting cast include Anna Kendrick as Scott’s know-it-all sister, and Kieran Culkin as Scott’s exuberantly gay and equally hilarious roommate. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is perfectly mysterious as Ramona, which makes it a shame she doesn’t have more to do here. But the real star is Cera as Pilgrim, and if anything is going to convince people that he has a future as an actor, this is it. Breaking out of his more nebbish roles, Cera is playing the hero here, one you mostly want to root for, despite his shortcomings. About the highest compliment I can give him is that at no point did a think I was watching Michael Cera, which is a pretty damn big step forward.

There’s really no other movie out there quite like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. While it may fall short as a love story of fully realized characters, the film manages to create a world of such imagination and energy that it’s almost impossible not to get swept up in it. Staying true to its niche spirit, the movie never settles for broad appeal and knows what it wants to be: a tribute to the wonderfully weird worlds of video games and comic books.

4 out of 5

Directed by Edgar Wright

2010, USA

Partners did things all wrong. The pilot was as stale as the 3 week box of goldfish in my cupboard… only difference being that the goldfish, no matter how old, still leave a good taste in your mouth. 

Obviously, Modern Family and The New Normal made it apparent to CBS they needed to be more gay friendly, so what better way to jump in than a comedy about “4 people and 3 couples?” A comedy about “4 people and 3 couples” who actually have CHEMISTRY! 

Aside from the complete lack of chemistry between every couple on the show, the characters are uncontrollably annoying. I’m not just saying that because the grotesque over use of yiddish slang. 

David Krumholtz can’t escape the nerd persona he created for himself with 10 Things I Hate About You and Numb3rs. He’s not suave or overly handsome, and definitely doesn’t have the strength or skills the be the show’s straight male lead. 

Brandon Routh was less than charming. He lacked the quirky but lovable self involved quality, and B-lined straight for obnoxiously selfish. Also, telling everyone his nurse boyfriend is a doctor isn’t cute, it’s completely belittling him and he should dump your ass. That being said, the boyfriend isn’t even memorable enough to mention. 

Worse still, Sophia Bush couldn’t stand out in this mess. Not the overly contrived script could have helped her shine, but it seems as though the writers were blinded by the terribleness of it all to realize she was the only good thing they had in the cast. She fell to the wayside, by no fault of her own. 

Yes, I hate pilots, but I didn’t even feel potential in this one. Whether or not I will choose to suffer through episode 2 is still up for debate. 

Provided they tone down the stereotypical jokes, Partners has a lot of potential.

TIMESLOT: Mondays at 8:30 on CBS
WHO’S IN IT: David Krumholtz, Michael Urie, Sophia Bush, Brandon Routh
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Joe (Krumholtz) is straight. Louis (Urie) is gay. That’s basically it but I’ll keep going. Despite being polar opposites they’ve somehow managed to be friends since childhood and successful business partners but when Joe decides to propose to his girlfriend (Bush), Louis struggles to accept not being the number one person in his best friend’s life anymore. Routh is also there as Louis’s nurse boyfriend who wears scrubs—a lot.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The number one word that comes to mind when describing this show is potential. Yes it’s dated, yes the jokes need work, yes the concept of a straight and gay man forming a meaningful relationship shouldn’t be nearly as interesting as it’s supposed to be but the cast somehow manages to make it work.
The chemistry is undeniable and when you have the gloriously talented Sophia Bush on your cast, you know you’re off to a good start. Louis and Joe’s latina secretary (Tracy Vilar) is a blatant racial stereotype but even she somehow manages to make that funny. The trouble spot is Michael Urie who brings his Broadway persona to every scene, overacting each line with over-the-top gestures and mannerisms. He could be likable as long as he tones it down and displays the loving friend side to his character, we’re told exists.
It’s actually quite refreshing that a show about a gay/straight friendship doesn’t hinge on “how funny is it that you’re gay and I’m straight?” but the gay jokes are a bit too obvious and constant. Hopefully this is just to establish the tone of the series (like Mike & Molly did with fat jokes) and will dissipate as it goes along.
RATING: 7/10
WATCH, DVR, SKIP: Watch. Partners is a member of CBS’s signature Monday night comedy line-up and the amazingness that is Sophia Bush automatically makes it worth a second viewing.

The opening of the show was really cute introducing us to the bromance between the two “partners” (business partners) Joe and Louis, played by David Krumholtz and Michael Urie respectively.  The two are childhood friends who now own a business together which, without it ever really saying I think we can assume is a design company of sorts?  I don’t know for sure but anyways.. Louis is gay while Joe is straight and both have significant others played by Brandon Routh and Sophia Bush.  The whole situation is that the two of them are besties and pretty much inseparable and how that interferes with their business and personal lives.  Sophia says is in one of the last lines of the episode “I think that we need to remember that there are 4 people at this table, but 3 couples.”

It’s funny, it is.  I mean the humor is really well written however the delivery could use some work.  Still, it gets the point across and does cause some “LOL” moments.  It was kind of like dialogue, dialogue, pause, joke, pause, dialogue, joke, next scene.  Also parts that were supposed to seem simultaneous just seemed kind of spazzy like, “woah wait what!?”  But I mean, I kept in mind that it was a new shows pilot episode and they’re not always perfect.  I will say that the star/favorite of the show is going to be Michael Urie’s character Louis.  Seriously, he is cast so perfectly.  I’m looking forward to see where the show goes.

Bottom line, the show is cute.  Really cute and it’s actually laugh out loud funny.  Honestly, it’s not a show I’d be like “OMG yes it’s Monday, time for Partners,” but my DVR is set and I’ll watch it every week for sure.

Bush’s new series premiered on Monday and her character reminds me a little of Brooke, but at the same time I don’t feel like her character is Brooke. I think I’ve just seen her as Brooke for so long that it’s going to take a few episodes to get use to her new role.

Bush plays Ali, she is dating Joe who is played by David Krumholtz (Numb3rs). Joe’s best friend and business partner, Louis, is played by Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) and Louis’s boyfriend, Wyatt, is played by Brandon Routh (Superman Returns).

Joe and Louis grew up with each other and are practically a couple themselves. At the end of the episode Ali said to Wyatt: there are four people at this table, but there are three couples. I think that says a lot about the show dynamic.

I foresee Wyatt and Ali leaning on each other when they are having difficulty dealing with the Joe and Louis relationship.

Louis seems like he’s going to be the antagonist of the group. Anything that happens he seems to make it all about him. When Joe’s relationship falls apart it’s all about oh my god Louis just ruined his best friends life.

Louis tells Ali that Joe isn’t ready for marriage, thinking that Joe had broken up with her the night before. Louis then finds out that Joe proposed to her. Ali then goes and breaks it off with Joe. Louis in the end begs Ali to take Joe back. Louis even got down on his knee and asked her to marry Joe.

I think that we will see Louis do a lot of idiotic things like this in the future and I look forward to it.

I’m very happy that Bush is back on TV. I miss Brooke Davis, but she can’t play the same character forever. I look forward to getting to know Ali.

What did you think of the episode? Leave me a comment.

Left – Right: Bush, Krumholtz, Routh, Urie
Photo Credit: CBS.com

Below is the cast, ranked in order of awesomeness:

Marc St. James from Ugly Betty (Michael Urie):

Arguably the greatest of the characters in UB, with the exception of Wilhelmina Slater and Amanda, obvi.
Photo Credit: Celebrity Wonder

And as if that wasn’t enough on its’ own … Bernard from The Santa Clause / Michael (Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best friend) in 10 Things I Hate About You (David Krumholtz):

“I’m thinking of getting a Tercel. Yeah, that’s a Toyota.”
Photo Credit: The Santa Clause (DeviantArt) and 10 Things I Hate About You (Tumblr)

Superman (Brandon Routh) as Urie’s bf:

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

… and Chad Michael Murray’s adorable ex wife (Sophia Bush) as Krumholtz’s fiance:

Photo Credit: Popstar.com

Let me just tell you — This show has potential to be one of my favorites of the new series — and that’s including the Eric Kripke (Supernatural) / J.J. Abrams’ (LOST) collaboration Revolution and The New Normal, starring everyone’s favorite ex-bf of an Olsen Twin (Justin Bartha) : Not only for its’ stellar cast, but because it’s actually really well written. It premiered last night after the formulaic How I Met Your Mother, and although I fear that Partners will eventually go the same route of HIMY(i)M (pronounced Him-Yim), so far, it’s great. The jokes are clever and there seems to be a real comradery between these four actors. I can really believe that Mark from UB and Bernard the Elf from The Santa Clause are lifelong friends:

Photo Credit: CBS.com

My only qualm is with the laugh track. As DeAndre Cole from SNL would say, “Ohhhhhhhweeeeeee! What’s up with that? WHAT up with that?”

Photo Credit: Geek Tank

Laugh tracks are for horrific shows where the jokes are rarely funny (I’m looking at you, Two Broke Girls and Two and a Half Men). Perhaps the noticeably absent laugh track from the genius that is Arrested Development has ruined canned laughter for me, but I don’t want the producers telling me when to laugh. I will laugh when I’m good and ready! Luckily for Partners, this wasn’t a problem.

I highly recommend this show. Partners airs on Monday nights at 8:30 on CBS.

LP’s Final Rating: A-

Season 1, Pilot Episode

5. I tuned into “Partners” mostly to support native Iowan Brandon Routh, the Norwalk lad who once played Superman.

4. Routh is fine, though he still sounds like Christopher Reeve’s version of Clark Kent, but this show is awful.

3. “Partners” is about a pair of business partners, one gay (Michael Urie) and one straight (David Krumholtz), who have been best friends since childhood, but the wacky gay guy’s antics cause trouble for the straight guy’s relationship with his fiance (Sophia Bush).

2. Routh plays the gay guy’s boyfriend, a kindly male nurse who works the cardiac ward and delivers jokes like pointing to a heart-shaped pin on his shirt and saying, “Look, I’ve got my heart on.”

1. The joke is that “heart on” sounds very close to “hard on,” which would be funny if it were “Beavis and Butt-head,” but is just juvenile “look what we almost said” snickering that belies a show without much creativity or reason to watch a second time.

Partners
Monday | 8:30 pm | CBS

Partners is would have been an edgy, clever show about a decade ago. The format and styling of the show are truly of the 90s, and the portrayal of gay stereotypes is from around then too. The schticky humor, the laugh track, is not something that appeals to my particular tastes, but I wanted to give it a go anyway for the very appealing cast and my confidence in showrunners Max Mutchnick and David Kohan (Will & Grace is one of a limited number of shows I will always watch a rerun of if I flip past it). It was really too bad, then, that this was one of the most unfunny pilots that I’ve seen this year.

Michael Urie and David Krumholtz were definitely the strongest elements of the pilot. They have an easy rapport as BFFs and just seem like a natural fit for the aesthetic the show is going for. I wish I could say the same for Sophia Bush and Brandon Routh as their significant others. I will always follow what Bush does, as my favorite character on the first show I ever really got addicted to. Brooke Davis (whose full name we must ALWAYS use) went through more drama than most of the other characters combined, probably because Sophia Bush could always sell it. However, I don’t think her talents really lie in straight sitcom; she was always more appealing when she was crying about something. Brandon Routh, bless his heart, seemed utterly out of place as well. His turn as Superman was poorly timed, and done, and his career never really took off and matched that movie star handsome look he’s got. He was pretty decent on Chuck though and his small part in Scott Pilgrim, so I imagined he had some comedic timing. Nope. His line delivery on Partners was the only thing that made me laugh last night, and not in the on-purpose way.

However, I still like all these actors, and I find the central premise of the show mildly appealing. It’s always great to see a more representation of LGBT characters and relationships on television, although it’s a shame there’s absolutely no nuance there. Joe and Louis are conform to the standard archetypes of sexuality that network television producers are comfortable with showing, as Seitz noted over at Vulture. The A.V. Club’s review also mentioned that this pilot has been shopped around since almost the 1990s, so maybe now that’s it finally off the ground they’ll be able to adjust to be more relevant to today? That and the potential for gifs of shirtless Brandon Routh will bring me back next week.

Long Term Prediction:
I will continue to watch this for the requisite five episodes, maybe more if Bones isn’t on, and I’m too lazy to change the channel between How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls.

From David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the creators of Will & Grace, this new sitcom got off to a good start.  Benefiting from a strong lead-in with How I Met Your Mother (more to come on the show’s eighth and possible final season later), Partners’ pilot introduced viewers to a group of four: Joe (David Krumholtz) and Louis (Michael Urie), a straight and gay man, respectively, who have been best friends since they were young and now work together, and each of their significant others.

When we meet Joe he is faced with what he refers to as a “play me or trade me ultimatum” from his girlfriend, Ali (Sophia Bush).  Unsure of what to do, he goes in ready to break up with her and ends up proposing instead.  Though things seem to be headed in the right direction, Louis, unaware of his friend’s last minute switch, tells Ali that Joe had intended to break up.  As one would guess, trouble ensues.

Though Louis is quite self-centered, going so far as to tell people his boyfriend, Wyatt (Brandon Routh), is a doctor as opposed to a nurse, he manages to patch things up for both himself (as he risks losing his best friend) and Joe (who risks losing his fiance).  And, by the end, all is well in sitcom world.

The show is somewhat reminiscent of Will & Grace – after all, it features four main characters, two of whom have a long standing friendship (Joe and Louis/Will and Grace), as well as a flamboyant, self-centered gay man (Louis/Jack – although Louis appears to be a toned-down version of Jack).  Nevertheless, Partners is not Will & Grace, and is likely to take on a life of its own and diverge further from these similarities assuming the network gives it a chance to do so.  And, hopefully, CBS does.  After seeing the comedy that Kohan and Mutchnick can produce during the eight year run of Will & Grace, we’re ready for some more light-hearted humor that will keep viewers on their toes.  And, best of all, James Burrows, the king of sitcoms, directed the pilot episode of Partners (and, if we’re lucky, will do more to come).

Did you tune in to Partners?  What did you think?

I’ve been a fan of One Tree Hill since middle school, so that automatically made me a fan of Sophia Bush. I’ve watched her play Brooke Davis for almost ten years and she quickly became one of my favorite characters on the show. When the show ended their final season in April, Sophia signed on to play Ali on CBS’s Partners. Even though One Tree Hill has ended, I’m glad I still get to watch some of my favorite people from the show venture off to other things. I’m not the biggest fan of comedy based television shows but I got a good feeling about this one, especially since Sophia is in it. Be sure to catch her performance on Partners tomorrow at 8:30pm on CBS. In the mean time, check out the show’s promo below.

We all know how Popcornography loves superheroes and aliens. So imagine the joy it gives me to write a preview for Man of Steel which combines both of Popcornography’s great loves. Man of Steel is the newest reboot of the Superman franchise directed by Zack Snyder which will be released around June 2013. You may recognize Zack as he is responsible for the over-stylised 300 and Sin City. Making movies that drip with artistry is kind of his thing, even if it does not always succeed. Think Sucker Punch. Apologies to Emily Browning who is totally my sister…

Anyway, reboots seem to be all the rage right now. First old Brucey got a reboot, then Spidey and obviously Kal-El (aka Superman) would follow suit. However, we must not forget that this is the second attempt at rebooting the Superman franchise. Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey was released in 2006 but was lame. I remember that cinema experience being marred by particularly heinous CGI effects. Besides having a few unforgettable scenes and Kevin Spacey (of course) Superman Returns was a great let down.

Man of Steel will deliver and here is why presented in the ever-popular Popcornography list format. Ahem.

Number one: Zack Snyder is so hot right now. His film style may be the saving grace for Mr Kent. Even the new and improved Superman emblem is ‘Snyder-fied’ and we like it.

That ‘S’ sure is Snyder-fied

Number two: Big names are everywhere! Russel Crowe plays Clark’s alien papa Jor-El. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play Clark’s boring human parents. Amy Adams takes the role of Lois Lane which should be interesting.

Number three: When you are talking super-heroes, one needs a Christopher Nolan. Luckily Man of Steel has one. Christopher Nolan is producing and Popcornography is sure this will lead to great things.

And lastly,

Number four: Clark Kent is played by Henry Cavill who you may recognise from Stardust and The Tudors. Henry Cavill is so hot I want to spin in circles and scream. That is all.

Sexy Screenshot indeed!

Man of Steel will revisit the Superman origins in a more real and gritty fashion than ever before. Thanks Christopher Nolan. This coupled with Snyder’s directorial vision should result in a very interesting end-product. Just look at the trailer. People are fishing in the beginning to an eerie score. It does not get more real and moody.

The most popular of all super-hero characters may finally get the reboot it deserves. We can all only hope.

For more on Man of Steel, make sure to check out the trailer. Moody.

In the show Urie will play Louis, whose friendship with business partner Joe (David Krumholt) is tested when Louis gets a new boyfriend (Routh) and Joe gets engaged to Ali (Sophia Bush). The series from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick has been 4 years in development and was inspired by their lifelong friendship and business relationship.

Urie, who is openly gay, sized up Routh, who is best known for playing Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, in an interview with Superman in the 2006 film Superman Returns, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“He’s supercute and a big ol’ tree trunk of a man,” Urie said. “He plays the character’s aloofness perfectly. He was so brilliant as Clark Kent, so this is basically a sitcom version of that.”

On this show, he said: “There are places in the country where straight people still don’t understand how to be friends with a gay man and I think if they catch our show, it can be what Will & Grace was for those types of folks. Where Ugly Betty and Glee were able to tackle serious social issues about coming out, this who is much further along in the character’s lives. We’re meeting them in midlife, so it’ll be less of an issue show and more of a lead-by-example show, I hope.”

Urie spoke with The Advocate and explained why he’s not worried about his acting choices. “Everyone was telling me, ‘Don’t do any more gay men. But it’s not like they’re banging down my door wanting me to play the straight parts.” He goes on to say: “Why would I want to play the straight guy in this?” he asks of Partners. “The gay guy is way better, it’s just a way better part.” Likewise his gay roles onstage, as in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: “How was I supposed to turn that down? That would be insane.”

In his personal life, Urie has had to leave his partner of four years, Ryan Spahn, back in New York City as he’s relocated to Los Angeles for Partners. As Urie explains: “He’s an actor, a writer, and a student,” saying he can’t just leave it all and transplant with him.

Partners premieres Monday, September 24.

So a brand new image for 2013 reboot of Superman, appropriately titled ‘Man of Steel’ has hit the web. The suit looks awesome and the more of it I see the more I feel they want to up the ante on Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of this global hero. I was always a superman fan from way back as I can remember. I used to watch the episodes on VHS cassette tapes. Then i saw the movies and after Superman Returns I realized that they basically cloned Superman: The Movie from 1978, nothing new except that Lois is Superman’s baby mama.

It was too much back and forth from the Fortress of Solitude. If this is a sequel to Superman 2 and a prequel to Superman 3 then why did it manage to suck so much. I hope Henry Cavill delivers a great movie. He doesn’t look like Christopher Reeve or Brandon Routh so he has to pull that off his version first before the first official trailers come out. I hear a teaser trailer has already leaked to the internet. It was supposed to come out during the movie previews of the Dark Knight Rises several weeks ago and it delivered. Can’t wait for June 2013!

Right now the above poster is enough to hold me until more trailers come out. The suit looks great and the cast is tops. I want to see a great show when I see this movie. No mediocrity, plain substance and enjoyment with a great plot and with hopes that the actors pull off their roles. They are young and fresh and in the 21st century. Let’s see how this goes.

As of late I find myself going to the movies a lot, especially in 2012. I guess there are pull factors who suck me in and when I see the movie I enjoy myself, a lot! The plot, effects, characters and cast are most times great. I usually go to Palace Cineplex in the Sovereign Centre in Liguanea, Kingston. I used to hear my friends back in high school putting down Sovereign’s cinema saying no one laughs at jokes during the movie or makes an ass of him or herself during the movie by seeking attention. They say Carib 5 is way more lively and is bigger with more theatres, plus the place looks so scenic.

I disagree. Sovereign Centre is huge by Jamaican standards and overseas and can go head to head with Carib 5 any day of the week, know what I mean? Plus the people are way more decent and uptown, just how I like it, no slackness. I go to Carib 5 when I have no other choice. I hate outside the theatre in Cross Roads and that particular location where it is extremely dangerous and prone to crime and violence. It’s not pretty. Plus at Sovereign there are shops of every kind. The food courts are amazing and I tend to want to overspend. But I eventually don’t. After all, the following few hours will eventually lead to a new day and responsibilities make that fact very important.

This year for the very second time I fell asleep watching a movie. The first was back in the 90s when I went to see Jurassic Park. Avengers was a great movie from what I managed to see but I fell asleep during the first half of the film. I was dead tired but intermission woke me up and when the second half started I was way behind but I still enjoy what I saw. I am waiting for it to come out on Blu-ray and DVD so I can watch the whole thing and catch up to the storyline. It’s not going to be the same without surround sound in a theatre in large, high quality view but I will still watch.

Dark Knight Rises is the movie of the year. It could have been bigger if not for the mentally unstable gentleman who shot up a movie theatres where the movie was being played. It is the most successful 2D movie ever but falls behind The Avengers in success. Bruce Wayne didn’t die, he faked his death as Batman and Bruce Wayne to live in freedom and enjoy rebirth with Selina Kyle. Anne Hathaway’s best work hands down. The way she played Selina Kyle blew me away. I was expecting good but I walked away with excellent. No one directs like Christopher Nolan. I wonder what the next reboot will be like. People seem to love Batman a lot and maybe it’s what’s fuelling reboots, even Superman’s.

I want to see a film franchise once and less of the reboots. I say make the movie great once and let it remain untouched. That’s why I am glad they won’t reboot the Back To The Future trilogy. It’s perfect as it is. Superman played by Christopher Reeve was heavenly, but Brandon Routh had a bad plot so he won’t always be remembered for his part as the man of steel in high regard. Reeve will always be the true Superman. Dean Cain was a horrible Superman. He looked exactly the same with Clark Kent and Superman. Who wouldn’t figure it out? It was obvious! Maybe back in the pre-Smallville days back in the 90s it would have seemed like an okay show but in retrospect it bombed and I can see why it was cancelled.

Sovereign, to get back on point is ideal, especially for old friends, new friends, family and couples. It has everything and that’s why it’s great. If you want vulgarity and common folk who only want to seek attention. Mischief makers and clowns who fuel their egos in a ‘last class’ kind of way. They need to stay home and let decent patrons watch it peace. Laughter is great, don’t get me wrong but in the Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man they took it too far when some of the ‘Carib 5’ behaviour manifested itself at Sovereign. You find that the Carib 5ers are coming to Sovereign and bringing foul-mouthed behaviour there. That needs to be stopped before it gets out of hand. There should be someone monitoring the audience and dismiss troublemakers. Anyway, pleasant viewing. Sovereign mi seh, straight!

The concept of having a private investigator exclusively for paranormal activity could work very well. It could be a little different from the standard werewolf and vampire story, essentially adding better elements (the whole whudunnit scenario) and taking away the overused ones (vampire falls in love with human, werewolf falls in love with human, last werewolf finding they are not the last werewolf etc etc). Unfortunately, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night does not deliver on such a promising premise.

Based on the successful Italian comic book by Tiziano Sclavi, the movie sees Brandon Routh in the titular role as Dylan Dog, a former paranormal investigator who is thrown unwillingly back into the business after the murder of a high end artefacts smuggler. It appears the smuggler was murdered by a werewolf. I haven’t read the comics, and considering how successful they are in Europe I will go out on a limb and say the movie does not do the series justice. There are very few good things about this movie. The first is Sam Huntington who plays Dylan’s sidekick, Marcus. He is very funny in this role and doesn’t rely on anyone else to bounce his jokes off. He begins and finishes the humour. It would have been a decidedly better movie if it was called Marcus: Dead of Night. Alas, it was not to be. The other positive is that the created world shows glimpses of being quite cool. The zombies work in the morgue, the vampires are drug dealers at exclusive clubs and the werewolves are butchers. Quite logical in my opinion. However, the good stops here.

I don’t know what it is with Brandon Routh but he is not a very diverse actor. I didn’t watch Superman Returns but I heard enough to know he was universally panned. However, he was very strong in his vegan cameo in Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Yet, his take on Dylan Dog is very similar in regards to how he acts but it does not work for this type of leading character. There is never a scene where you are convinced that he is in control. The movie relies on the audience being told Dylan is in  control but never showing it. The other actors, apart from Huntington, aren’t very strong either. The plot is patchy and doesn’t maintain the glimpses of momentum it builds and the editing is very ordinary. Some action sequences look like they were stuck together with sticky tape.

You could sit through this movie but only because you wanted to finish watching what you started. It might be worth it to see Huntington’s performance but, then again, it might not be. Definitely not a movie I’d recommend.