Since last we spake of all things Smallville, the season premiere of Season 9 has come and gone: “Baby” Zod introduced, Tess the not-quite-hot Lex replacement reintroduced, Chloe weepy, Lois flummoxed, Green Oliver shirtless. And, of course, Kal-Neo with the black trenchcoat. To my surprise, early on in the plot there was a brief argument with Jor-El (The Useless) about flight, which the writers are setting up to be something of a reverse-impotence problem: whenever Clark thinks of Lois he can’t get it up, or rather, he’s never gotten it up. There’s even a throwaway scene where Clark leaps from the Statue of Liberty and plummets (the outcome is never shown so we can assume he went straight into the ground).

Most of the show was TIVO chow, that is, filler and needless exposition, but that’s true of most shows. The Kryptnonian Ninja-Girl who looked like a rip-off of a Mortal Kombat character made little sense. In the “sky train” she and Lois trade blows but later on KNG is seen using heat-vision. Well, does she have The Powers or not?

KNG introduces an extra minute or so of hot barn combat that comes free-of-charge with every Season Premiere. It was pleasing to see Clark FINALLY kicking some ass/holding his own after ninja-girl uses blue K to temporarily strip his powers. Before exiting stage left KNG warns Clark that he betrays everyone ‘one year from now’. Even Marty McFly had the good sense to write a goddamned letter explaining WTF is going on; just seems like common sense for any time traveler would be to have a ready explanation DVD or other media for when she meets herself, knowing she might be killed or knocked out on arrival.

Ah yes, I almost forgot, the most magical MacGuffin of all, the Power Ring which can alter entire plotlines in a single bound, and which in future eps will no doubt be used to bring Jimmy Olsen back and possibly even Lex.

The scenes with “Baby Zod” were all right, Callum is trying his best. The best thing about Zod and Friends are those Kryptonian army dog tags they wear, which I hope the WB has the good sense to make and sell to many nerds such as me.

“Special Guest” Brian Austin Green I’ve saved for last because his character runs right into the second episode, where he, as John Corbin, mysteriously becomes Metallo. It’s a mostly useless, predictable transformation, using the absurd and totally fake-looking CG hit-by-a-speeding bus effect. Corbin awakens not knowing how or who or why he suddenly has a kryptonite heart (in case he seems too sympathetic, writer laziness also has the kryptonite affecting his brain to make him ‘eviler’).

Actually, 9-0-2-1-Metall-0 makes a surprisingly strong case against Clark and his meddling. Turns out Clark saved a busload of prisoners from crashing…one escaped and raped and killing Corbin’s sister. To Corbin (and me) Clark is ultimately responsible for this negative outcome. It may not be right, it may not be fair, but godlike powers = godlike blame. Now we all know Superman doesn’t kill, but given the choice between saving a runaway bus loaded with rapists and killers blessedly heading for a tall rocky cliff of taxpayer savings or rescuing a kitten from a tree 100 miles away in the other direction…

Smallville Season 9 is off to a better-than-average start, but before anyone gets a big head over at the CW, let it be known when I mention the very name Smallville, almost universally the response is, “Wow, is that still on?“

The witty primer to this Season 9 ep review can be found here.

“Para o alto e avante!!!”

Muito bom    ( ) dia   ( ) tarde   ( ) noite , estimados blogspectadores idiotas que sempre vêm nos xingar prestigiar em nosso humilde e  horrível maravilhoso blog!

Hoje daremos continuidade à sessão Estórias Fantárdigas lhes trazendo nada mais nada menos do que os segredos nunca revelados (claro, porra, se não naum seriam segredos!!!) do Homem de Aço, também conhecido como Superman! (afinal a tradução “superhomem” é uma porcaria!)

Antes de começarmos nosso interativo e monólogo post, alguém aqui por acaso nunca ouviu falar no rapaizinho de Krypton?! Em caso afirmativo, tenho certeza que vc não é desse planeta! (e nem de Krypton) Afinal, quantas foram as horas que passamos assitindo suas aventuras na TV, o dinheiro que nossos pais gastaram com fantasias, bonecos, posteres, enfim, todos nós conhecemos muito bem a história do jornalista, então super-herói indestrutível, não!? Se você respondeu que sim, acho que é hora de rever seus conceitos pq lhes apresento a partir de agora a Verdadeira História do Superman!!!!!

“pan paran pan…pan paran….
pan paran pan…pan paran pan pan…
pan paran pan…pan paran…
pan paran pan…paran pan paran….”
Versão brasileira, Herbert Richards.

Tudo começou em meados de XYHSU (ano kryptoniano) quando Clark Kent, até então Kal-El, foi expulso da barriga de sua mamãe (Lara). Digo expulso pois o menino foi literalmente arremessado como um foguete assim que o médico mandou a senhora fazer força para facilitar o nascimento (em krypton ainda não havia cesariana naquela época). Como forma de cometa assim se fez a chegada de Clark (passaremos a chamá-lo assim daqui pra frente) ao nosso querido planetinha. (o curioso é que Krypton não está em nosso sistema solar…haja pontaria hein muié!!!!)

Desde pequeno, Clark já demonstrava inúmeras habilidades que lhe destacava dentre as demais crianças, o que deixou Jonathan e Martha Kent, seus pais adotivos,  preocupados e muito impressionados com o surgimento dos primeiros super-poderes!

Como agora havia mais uma boca para alimentar e os gastos da fazenda aumentavam a cada dia, resolveram pois inscrever o menino em um concurso para demonstrar sua supervelocidade. Abaixo, Clark aos 6 anos resolvendo o Cubo de Rubik em 37 segundos! (Notem que ele ainda nem tinha idéia que seria o famoso Superman, mas desde já adorava se vestir como super-herói):

A medida que o tempo passava, Clark crescia e a cada ano, descobria novos poderes! Aos 7 anos de idade, eis que surge a famosa superforça:

Quando adolescente, Clark, que ainda não tinha sequer beijado na boca dada sua grande timidez e medo de machucar suas pretendentes, gostava de mostrar suas habilidades para impressionar as meninas do colégio e usar sua visão de raio-x para espiá-las tomando banho:

Ao final da adolescência, Clark, que já se tornara um rapaizinho, precisou levantar fundos para custear a tão sonhada faculdade de jornalismo! Para isso, mais uma vez se aproveitou de seus dons para aprender a tocar piano: entrou numa livraria, achou o livro “Piano for Dummies – Learn in 24 hours” e em 10 segundos já dominava todos os acordes possíveis do instrumento  (sua presença sequer foi notada). Na mesma noite, se inscreveu para estreiar em um concerto:

Mas nem tudo eram flores na vida do futuro Superman…que por muitas vezes já acordou flutuando sobre a cama, a ponto de ter que remendá-la quase todos os dias, mas até então ainda não tinha aprendido a voar! Posso garantir-lhes que não foram poucas as tentativas…em algumas até conseguia se manter no ar um pouco mais tempo que o normal, já em outras, era um completo desastre!

Após entrar na faculdade, Clark já tinha consciência de quão importante ele seria para o mundo e já usava seus superpoderes para o bem. Tanto que pediu à sua mãe, Martha, que lhe fizesse uma roupa para que pudesse combater o crime sem ser reconhecido…e pôr em risco toda a família. Em alguns casos, porém, não havia tempo para procurar uma cabine telefônica e Clark largava tudo para atender uma chamada de emergência!

Não bastasse todos os superpoderes de Clark, o que o tornava diferente de todas as demais criaturas desse mundo, o pobre Homem de Aço ainda se sentia infeliz, por não conseguir arrumar uma namorada. Primeiro foi a Lana Lang, que lhe amou intensamente e nunca foi retribuída como gostaria, alegando que havia um segredo que Clark não a revelara por nada nesse mundo. Chegou um dia que Lana se cansou e decidiu que sua vida precisava de novas aventuras, largando Clark e viajando para Xangai para lutar em um torneio mundial conhecido como Street Fighter. Com Chloe Sullivan, as coisas não andaram mesmo! A paixão não-resolvida de Clark com Lana eliminou quaisquer chances desse relacionamento dar certo.  Lois Lane foi quase a mulher perfeita para Clark. Esta sim sabia jogar duro e deixava o Homem de Aço com o coração mole! Clark mais uma vez não soube aproveitar e acabou a perdendo para um sujeito epilético com mania de voltar no tempo pra tentar resolver seus problemas.

Assim se faz o drama do pobre Clark! Com tanto poder e nenhuma mulher (se ao menos ele tivesse uma ferrari ajudaria neh?! kkkkkkkkkkk)! Mas nosso blog está aqui para ajudá-lo (ei! não é esse tipo de ajuda que está pensando!!!)! Para isso, selecionamos algumas pretendentes e gostaríamos da sua ajuda para escolher a nova namoradinha do Clark! Para tanto cite nos comentários aquela que vc mais se simpatizou e acha que será uma boa opção para nosso amigo de pinto de aço!

Ah! Eu quase ia me esquecendo! Pra facilitar a escolha da alma gêmea, posto aqui uma foto atualizada do Superboy! Sim! É ele mesmo! Ou você achou que seria possível alguém nascer em outro planeta, ter superpoderes e ainda ser bonitão!? hauhauahauha a TV deixa as pessoas tão inocentes!!!!

Superbeijundas! 

SMALLVILLE is back!

I, like so many other nerds will be there Friday night (or TIVO will) for the premiere of Season 9 . The first ep of a new season is usually the most exciting because of the deceptively well-edited recap of the last season (ugh), spending a tad more on the effects and well, there’s just a lot of promise and potential…at least for the first half of episode one.

I don’t know what to make of the Season 9 promo. Clark in an all-black Matrix Reloaded Neo getup…minus flight. So many people would sacrifice 20 or even 30 years off their lifespan to be able to fly, yet for some reason Clark has no interest in it. Even if he hated to fly, shouldn’t he realize flight would enable him to save more people faster?

I know their hands are chained by all kinds of legal and story continuity/canon reasons, but Smallville’s producers/writers have shown time and again, they’re not overly interested in the logic or story shards they CAN work with, not even comic book logic. Season 8 sucked, there’s no way around it…the only interesting moment I can remember is Lois possessed by Faora, Wife of Zod. Season 7 was even more atrocious than 8, and would’ve been redeemable only by having Lana thrown into the sun, any sun, red or yellow. Lex Luthor’s character arc was ultimately a bust. Doomsday should’ve been a one or two episode character, not a dragged out, go-nowhere, season-long fugazi.

Brian Austin Green as Metallo? Well, Green’s been working with robots the past few years, but Metallo is Metallo…ultimately just another one of 50 or so characters that have thrown Clark across schools, labs, forests, caves, icicles or fields. Every time Clark meets new villains, he seems completely clueless how to fight them; like he has no prior experience. Which after 8 years has gotten very, very old.

And then there’s Zod.

I Was A Teenaged Zod. Oh look, finally, a roomful of kneelers to actually listen to Zod command them!

I’m going to take a guess about the origin of this new younger Zod, who is supposed to be not yet as evil and powerful. Instead of being born evil, this Zod will be a cynical military officer who was somehow betrayed by Krypton’s government in a none-too-subtle liberal allegory of the Iraq War (or Afghanistan). Hey, my guess is as good as any.

Actor Callum Blue* seems interesting enough and even has a “Zod-like” voice, but who knows? Sam Witwer was a superior actor last season and his character went nowhere.

Word is that a Season 10 of Smallville is official. Instead of committing to it, now would be a damned good time to end Smallville and begin “Metropolis”, a fan-inspired idea for a show about “grown-up” Superman. Put Welling in the suit already! No blame to Routh, but Superman Returns was a bad, illogical movie. Let Metropolis rock for a few years on the tube, then do a Superman reboot for the big screen.

For all your Smallville needs (minus my bullshit) be sure to visit KryptonSite.

* The name “Callum” means “dove”. Irony!

Read the follow-up review to this post here!

     It’s time for the dead to rise all across the DC Universe in the pages of the big event of the year, Blackest Night.  The day that Superman died was declared a day of mourning, but since he came back, it’s become a day to commemorate the lives of all the superheroes who have died.  Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner, the Green Lanterns of Earth, fly above Coast City while they think about their own personal losses.  Various superheroes think about the people they have lost, including Superman, Firestorm, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Booster Gold, Atom Smasher,  Damage, and Tempest.  Even the Flash’s Rogues commemorate the deaths of the former members.  When Alfred Pennyworth goes to visit Batman’s grave, he finds that it’s been dug up.  Back at the Justice League headquarters, Hal tells Barry Allen about all the people who have died since Barry was gone.  Ray Palmer calls Hawkman to ask him to go with him to visit Jean Loring’s grave, but Hawkman refuses, since Jean was a murderer.  Back on Oa, as the Guardians of the Universe realize that they have failed to stop the prophecy of the Blackest Night come to fruition, Scar reveals herself and attacks.  Black rings attack Oa and start reviving all the dead Green Lantern Corps members.  As Hal and Barry investigate Bruce’s grave, black rings travel to Earth as well.  Martian Manhunter shows up as a Black Lantern at Bruce’s grave, and Hawkman and Hawkgirl are attacked by Elongated Man and Sue Dibny, also Black Lanterns.  Ralph and Sue kill both Hawkman and Hawkgirl as Hawkgirl confesses her love for Hawkman, and Black Hand shows up to induct the two into his corps.

     This whole issue is just so freaky.  The idea of the Black Lanterns, seeing all these people come back.  It’s not just some zombie story.  It’s all about these great and wonderful people coming back as twisted versions of themselves, striving to wipe out emotion in everything around them.  It’s awesome that they can see the various emotions that people are feeling, as you can see in the Hawkman/Hawkgirl scene.  The various scenes of personal loss that Geoff Johns went through at the beginning really set the stage for the shocks of what came next quite well.  He highlighted all the important people who would be coming back, like Aquaman, the original Firestorm, possibly Jonathan Kent, the Ted Kord Blue Beetle, the Al Pratt Atom, Jean Loring, and more.  These characters were all very specifically chosen so as to cause all the characters of the DCU maximum emotional distress, which is why it’s such a perfect story.  Add to that the fact that it’s built on the new Green Lantern mythos that Johns and Peter Tomasi so painstakingly rebuilt after Hal’s rebirth, and you’ve got a winner of a storyline.  Johns does great character work with each of the people in this issue, most of whom he’s written before, and you can see his skill ooze out of every page.  And Ivan Reis’ pencils are the most beautiful that DC has to offer while still being sufficiently creepy as to portray the Black Lanterns properly.  Without a doubt, this is Johns’ opus that all of his fans, myself included, have been waiting for.  And the first issue has not disappointed.

Plot: 9.6      Art: 9.7      Dialogue: 9.6      Overall: 9.7

Growing up on this movie, it is refreshing to see this one on bluray. It was almost like seeing it for the first time again. The one sad thing about the disc is that it only contains the director’s cut. There isn’t a whole lot of difference between the two, but I still prefer the original cut of the movie.

To me, this is the best Superman movie out there and holds true to a lot of the original ideas in the comic stories. Richard Donnor (Lethal Weapon) does a great job directing this ground breaking film. This is the film that first made you say “Wow, a man can fly.” Also, my hats off to the director for actually setting up the story and history of Superman. Many would want to jump right into the action. The history is what made Superman what he is and having that understanding makes this movie.

As far as acting, to me Christopher Reeve is, and will always be Superman. He does a good job as Superman, and an even better job playing the bumbling reporter Clark Kent. He also carries a bit of truthful humor to both roles, especially the interview scene with Lois Lane.

The other actors, well this film is full of Hollywood greats and legends. Marlon Brando (Best Actor for The Godfather), who received an astronomical amount for his 10 minutes of work. Gene Hackman (Best Actor for The French Connection) makes the perfect Lex Luthor with his sidekick Ned Beatty (Network). Other great include Glenn Ford (Midway) as Jonathan Kent, Jackie Cooper (The Little Rascals) as Perry White,  Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder and Terence Stamp. A wonderful cast that has great performances overall!

Other than Star Wars, this is the movie I remember most fondly as a kid. It is one of my favorites, and will always have a special place on my movie list. Anyone who hasn’t seen this film should do so. It is Hollywood film making and storytelling at it’s best.

Design: Gino Verna

Produced and Distributed: Inkworks, Morrisville, NC

The packaging I designed for the Smallville season 6 trading cards, wrapper printed on foil.

Design: Gino Verna
Produced and Distributed by: Inkworks, Morrisville, NC
I designed each trading card set for Smallville seasons 1 through 6 for Inkworks, below are just a few samples of the cards from those sets and a few reviews.

Base Cards

Pieceworks Cards

Design: Gino Verna

Produced and Distributed: Inkworks, Morrisville, NC

Cards shown: base cards,

box loaders, case loader, chase cards, puzzle cards

fronts and backs

fronts and backs

fronts and backs shown

Review from http://www.tradingcardreviews.com/reviews/non_sports/SmallvilleSeasonSix.htm

“Smallville: Season Six by Inkworks is now available both online or at your favorite Hobby Shop. The sixth season is just as exciting as the first and Inkworks brings it all to life in their beautifully designed cards. With autographs, costume cards and all the sweet images from Smallville: Season Six this is a great set.

There were two completed sets from this box in addition to the bonus insert cards. The PIECEWORKS card is the top worn by Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang from the episode called “Zod“. The Autograph from this box is the talented Aaron Ashmore who plays Jimmy Olsen.There were two cards from the JUSTICE puzzle insert set (#5 & #6). There were also two cards from THE POWERS THAT BE set (#3 & #4) and out of the ARCHER’S QUEST set (which features Smallville’s newest hero, “The Green Arrow”) there was card #1 of the 3 card set.

This set is a fun and interesting one to open a box of. The guaranteed auto and costume card are great and the other inserts that appear throughout the box look wonderful. It’s always nice when there are so many inserts that you get to pull. It makes the packs fun and exciting to open even if you’ve already opened the packs with the autograph and costume card.”

Design: Gino Verna

Produced and Distributed: Inkworks, Morrisville, NC

Cards shown: base cards,

box loaders, case loader, chase cards, puzzle cards

fronts and backs shown

fronts and backs shown

fronts and backs shown

Semana passada assisti Força Policial, chamado aqui pelas distribuidoras como “A Tropa de Elite americana”. Pride and Glory, como é chamado em inglês, é pra ser um filme sobre a polícia de Nova York, mais especificamente sobre alguns policiais do 31º Distrito que se vêm envolvidos em uma crise de corrupção que está prestes a vir à tona. Se a história realmente seguisse a linha de Tropa de Elite e girasse em torno dessa trama principal, com o elenco que eles reuniram (que conta com nomes como Edward Norton e Colin Farrel) e com algumas cenas realmente muito boas que eles produziram, esse filme tinha de tudo pra ser um enorme sucesso. Mas acontece que Hollywood ainda insiste em usar o tão manjado Mito do Herói, que sempre funcionou e sempre vai funcionar. Mas chega uma hora que cansa, né?

Aos que me perguntam: mas o que raios é esse mito do herói que você tanto fala? Bom, vou tentar resumir bem resumidinho pra ver se faz algum sentido.

Um grande mitólogo chamado Joseph Campbell, junto (num mesmo momento, mas não juntos) com um psicólogo e psiquiatra chamado Carl G. Jung, desenvolveram uma teoria psicológica baseada no desenvolvimento dos mitos. Segundo eles, os mitos refletem padrões psicológicos típicos a todos os humanos, os Arquétipos. Esses arquétipos são padrões típicos de comportamento que falam das situações típicas da vida humana, como nascimento, morte, desfios, crise, maternidade, fome, desejo, depressão, alegria, entre vários outros. Na verdade, pra cada situação típica que você conseguir pensar, você consegue relacionar isso a um arquétipo. E pra cada arquétipo, existe um mito ou padrão mítico que fala sobre essa experiência. Esse padrão mítico é conhecido como mitologema.

Então podemos falar do mito de Hércules, de Aquiles, de Édipo, de Sansão, de Sigfried e de quem mais for. Todos esses mitos diferentes que contam histórias diferentes sobre pessoas ou personagens diferentes, todos eles seguem um mesmo mitologema ou tema mítico, o do herói. Esse mitologema tem uma estrutura muito semelhante, ele fala de uma jornada que necessariamente tem alguns passos a serem seguidos.

A começar, o herói tem algumas características. Uma delas é a do “duplo nascimento” ou da “dupla filiação”. Isso quer dizer que o herói necessariamente tem dois pais ou duas mães ou dois nascimentos. E isso pode se dar de várias formas. Hércules, por exemplo, é filho de Zeus com Alcmene, mas ele também tem um pai mortal, Anfitrião. O Super-Homen também tem isso, ele é filho do pai criptoniano Jor-El e do pai terreno Jonathan Kent. O mesmo acontece com Jesus de Nazaré, que é filho de Deus e de José. Além de ter dois pais (ou duas mães), o duplo nascimento pode acontecer por um segundo nascimento, devido a algum evento importante, como uma iniciação numa ordem secreta, ou sobreviver a um grave acidente, como aconteceu com o Batman, que viu seus pais serem assassinados na sua frente; esse evento traumático serviu como um segundo nascimento para Bruce Wayne. O duplo nascimento é o que diferencia o herói dos outros mortais, pois ele garante ao herói um status de quase-divindade. E é por isso que as histórias dos heróis são tão emocionantes pra nós, já que eles podem um pouco mais do que nós meros mortais e nos servem de exemplo.

Além de ter um nascimento diferente, o herói passa por uma jornada complicada. Ele inicialmente descobre que é diferente e por isso precisa trilhar um caminho diferente. É então que ele começa sua jornada enfrentando perigos que muitos não ousariam enfrentar. Estamos falando de monstros e vilões e bruxas e seres de outros planetas e cientistas malucos e demônios e coisas que nós meros mortais não enfrentamso. Acontecem muitas coisas em sua jornada e ao final acontece algo chamado de redenção do herói, que é quando ele percebe que ele chegou no seu ápice, já se mostrou maior que tudo e todos, mas que agora ele precisa voltar para a sociedade e devolver tudo aquilo que ou ele tirou dela ou ela deu a ele. É um momento onde o herói se descobre humilde e humano, como todos os outros e é então que ele se torna sábio. Muitas vezes, esse momento acontece na morte do herói, que é quando ele reconhece sua finitude, que ele chegou ao fim e que ele não é mais tão “super” quanto acreditava.

Se você parar pra pensar, essa é a estrutura básica de mais da metade das histórias que conhecemos, seja elas das HQs dos super-heróis, ou dos desenhos animados ou dos filmes de Hollywood. Até aí, tudo bem. Mas acontece que Hollywood já conseguiu mostrar que consegue fazer histórias muito boas sem precisar recorrer a esse mitologema, a essa estrutura típica. Aliás, o cinema mundial conseguiu mostrar isso. O próprio Tropa de Elite é um filme que mostra um herói decadente, que no final ele não se redime, no final ele se encontra dentro de sua própria força!

Existem vários outros modelos que só dependem da nossa imaginação. É claro que o mito do herói fala bastante para nós, pois ele fala da nossa condição humana, da construção da nossa identidade social. Mas, sinceramente, hoje em dia sabemos que nossa vida não se resume só à nossa identidade social. Nós temos nossas crises, nossos problemas, nossos conflitos internos, nossos sonhos e muito mais coisas que fogem do simples padrão do mito do herói. E acho que é isso que Hollywood não entendeu até agora.

O filme Pride and Glory conta, de novo, o mito do herói. Pra não soltar spoliers, basicamente o nosso herói (que tem duplo nascimento, pois seu pai, além de ser seu pai biológico, é policial, ou seja, ele nasceu para a vida e para a polícia) precisa enfrentar uma jornada onde ele se depara com a realidade de sua vida. E a jornada não é fácil, pois ele precisa fazer escolhas difícies, mas no final ele se redime e vai buscar justiça e não vingança. Justiça é a vingança para a sociedade e vingança é a justiça pessoal. Ou seja, nosso herói prefere se redimir para a sociedade do que buscar a glória pessoal. Novamente, Hollywood se utiliza da resolução do conflito do mito do herói e não consegue se renovar!

Eu poderia pensar em vários finais alternativos para a história, entre eles, do nosso herói bonzinho desde o começo perceber que a polícia é corrupta e que não existe redenção e se entregar à corrupção. Ou ainda, dele perceber isso e resolver se aposentar antes da hora. Ou ainda, de ele ser condenado por algo que ele não cometeu, pois ele, ao tentar ser bonzinho, os outros policiais acabam entregando o herói da história que não faz nada pra não incriminar seus amigos e parentes, ele vai pra cadeia e é morto pelos outros bandidos que pensam que foi ele quem matou ou foi responsável pela morte do vilão-mor. Então todos se esquecem desse herói perdido e a vida continua, pois a sociedade toda está corrupta e não adianta a ação de um herói solitário para redimi-la.

Essa mesma trama principal poderia ter seguido vários outros caminhos. E qualquer caminho que ela seguisse, com certeza teria sido muito melhor do que o rumo que ela seguiu. Esse filme foi muito ruim e muito fraco e não traz nada de novo para nenhum espectador ou para qualquer pessoa que pelo menos tem o costume de ler ou ver filmes de vez em quanto. Ou até mesmo pra quem se lembra dos contos-de-fadas que ouviam quando crianças! Assitam só se vocês quiserem ver algumas poucas cenas de ação e violência gratuita e uma cena de abertura de alguns minutos em take único sem cortes (esse foi o ponto alto da produção do filme). De resto, esqueçam Força Policial e assistam de novo Tropa de Elite. Capitão Nascimento deixa toda a polícia de Nova York no chinelo!

E espero que esse filme sirva pelo menos para percebermos que o mito do herói já não funciona mais como funcionou antigamente e que hoje precisamos procurar um novo mito para nossas vidas… mas que mito seria esse? Bem, isso é um assunto para um outro artigo…

In this new translation by Irish playwright Frank McGuinness, Ralph Fiennes gave a very strong performance as Oedipus, and was well matched by the rest of the cast. Claire Higgins was convincing as Jocasta, and so was Jasper Britton as Creon. The other supporting roles were all well played, with David Burke as the priest, Alan Howard as Teiresias, Malcolm Storry as the stranger from Corinth, Alfred Burke as the shepherd, and Gwilym Lee as the messenger at the end. The production was by Jonathan Kent, with excellent lighting by Neil Austin, and designs by Paul Brown showing a vast door to an invisible palace. This was effective, adding to the sense of power in this play, though some would object to the costumes of dark suits and white shirts. The chorus sang to music by Jonathan Dove, which I thought suited this modern production very well, sounding in parts very like Britten’s Peter Grimes. Overall this was a fine performance of a very powerful play.

The Whingers love their mothers of course, just not in that way.

But how could they resist the opportunity to take in Ralph Fiennes as that titular and original mother-f**** Oedipus at the National Theatre?

Oedipal themes then; whatever made director Jonathan Kent* think of Fiennes for this? Was he having a larf? Not of course that we’re implying anything Oedipal in Fiennes relationship with Francesca Annis but they were famously coupled after starring together when she played Gertrude to Fiennes’ Hamlet.

Mind you it’s not a bad idea. Phil may also soon be squiring older women (yes, imagine how old they would have to be) round town himself having only today received notification that his application to join the charming employment agency had been successful (Phil didn’t actually apply of course, but realises this was obviously Andrew’s sick idea of a joke -which he strenuously denies).It’s all very reminiscent of Colin Farrell and Dame Eileen Atkins.

Anyway, incest aside, it felt like the old days at the National last night with a proper starry cast. On top of Fiennes (so to speak) was Clare Higgins as Jocasta (plot spoiler coming) his mother/wife, Alan Howard and Jasper Britton.

Poor old Oedipus. Before his birth it was prophesied he would kill his father and marry his mother so he didn’t stand much of a chance really. Imagine him as one of the less troubled guests on The Jeremy Kyle Show.

But it got worse. As an infant Oedipus has his feet tied together, pierced with a stake and taken away to be killed. (Oedipus means lame or swollen foot – now there’s something the Whingers didn’t know).

Kent has decided to stage it in modern dress, which seems incongruous at times when they start banging on about, Apollo, Zeus, the Oracle and the Sphinx. The Whingers couldn’t find any particular contemporary relevance apart from lots of talk about “saving the city” (Thebes in this case, not the London’s banking centre) so perhaps Kent (who has presumably been planning this long before financial meltdown) had been consulting an Oracle, or is a bit of one himself.

Alan Howard all but steals the show in his all-too-brief scene as Teiresias despite, like Andrew, dribbling profusely and looking like he shared the same stylist – wearing socks with sandals and a suit that looked as if it had been fashioned out of Tracey Emin’s bedsheets.

Oedipus unfolds a bit like a detective story as he tries to unravel “whodunnit to Laius” but as the history began to unravel both Whingers were struck by the impression that Oedipus and Jocasta are just a little bit slow on the uptake. As Hercule Poirot would have said, let’s look at the evidence: Jocasta knew she had her son’s feet bound and staked, Oedipus walks with a limp (and presumably Jocasta has seen his feet in bed, possibly very close up if she’s anything like British royalty). Add to that the fact that Oedipus is constantly referring to the prophesy that he would kill his father, that Laius (his father) cast out his son after a prophesy that he would be killed by his son. And that Oedipus recalls a time when he was told that he was adopted.

Phil wasn’t completely convinced by Fiennes, even feeling there was a touch of Rigsby about him at times (there’s a Leonard Rossiter theme emerging in Fiennes’ work) and his piercing howl (when the penny finally dropped) made Phil feel he was watching someone who was trying just a little too hard.

Andrew had fewer reservations (he preferred Mr Fiennes’ Leonard Rossiter moments to his Boris Karloff moments anyway) and enjoyed it immensely although he was unable to stop thinking about his cat, Eydie (left, named after Eydie Gormé, of course). Eydie is often hilariously referred to at home as “EydiePuss”. So, any time anyone said “Oedipus” an image of his lovely cat would flash across his mind which would then naturally begin to drift.

There’s an excellent set by Paul Brown which revolves even more slowly than the one in Fram. The chorus reminded the Whingers of a Welsh male voice choir which is not normally their cup of tea but they thought the idea of “Oedipus – The Eisteddfod!” was imaginative, if nothing else.

Frank McGuinness‘ “raw” new version is spiky and dramatic and contains the odd mot juste - “nine sheets to the wind” and there is some highly agreeable gore. Only the appearance of Oedipus’s inadequately traumatised children failed to work any magic at all.

So overall the production sneaked onto the Bagnold Barometer rather than the Fram Scale meaning that it was yet another success in the Whingers’ extraordinary run of theatrical good fortune. Has the West End finally turned a corner or perhaps arrived at a place where three roads meet (Do you see what we did there? Classical reference).

Oedipus runs until Sunday January 4th. Now if the National Theatre’s programme planners had their wits about them they’d extend until Sunday March 22nd marketing it as a special Mother’s Day treat.

Footnote

*Jonathan Kent also happens to be the same name as Clark (Superman) Kent’s adoptive father. Remember baby Kal-El (later Clark Kent) jettisoned to another planet by his parents to save him? Like Oedipus, a mythical character, cast out by his parents, then adopted, and an odd thing going on with his eyes? The parallels are spooky. Even better the two Jonathan Kents share a passing resemblance (right).

Brainiac: Finale

Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Gary Frank
Inkers: Jon Sial & Bit
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Assoc. Editor: Nachie Castro
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover: Gary Frank (variant by Andy Kubert)

As the issue opens, Brainiac has kidnapped Metropolis (putting it into a bottle as he did Kandor and countless other cities from alien worlds), and is preparing to destroy the Earth. Though somewhat down, Superman proves that he is far from out, as he breaks free of Brainiac’s ship and fights not only for his own life, and the lives of every citizen in Metropolis, but for the entire Earth as well (and this time, lacking the backup he’d assembled during the 1992 “Panic in the Sky”). The battle extends beyond the ship, and Superman is able to–with backup from Supergirl–rescue not only Metropolis, but Kandor as well (c’mon, that was spoiled months ago!). And with Brainiac’s final attack, many–but not all–lives endangered are saved.

I’ve come to really, really appreciate Frank’s art on this book. For this “new,” “Post-Infinite-Crisis” Superman, he seems PERFECT. We get a very realistic-looking Superman (and supporting cast), we get excellent detail, and yet, there’s a certain subtlety to it that just makes for a great visual result; I’m ready to add Frank to the top of my list of favorite Superman artists, holding rank with Dan Jurgens and Jim Lee.

Story-wise, this is solid Johns all the way. On the whole, no real complaint with the writing in and of itself–stuff seems consistent with prior issues, and this just continues the story begun over the past several chapters. The issue’s end…well, I’m not sure how I feel on it quite yet, but will hold judgement until I see how it plays out (hopefully by Johns, through the upcoming “New Krypton” arc and beyond).

For something like what ocurred in this issue to come as a surprise to me adds immensely to the power of the story–I honestly did not see it coming. I figured I had things nailed, given that we’re just a week or two away from the start of “New Krypton,” and that this would be like “The Death of Superman.” You know how it ends going in, but read to find out the HOW to it all. Instead, I got something much deeper.

This is a kick-butt (no pun intended) action-filled issue that will have certain, immediate, deep ramifications across the Superman family of titles and characters. If you’re a Superman fan, and/or thinking of checking out the “New Krypton” story, this issue would be well worth picking up.

Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8.5/10

DC Comics has killed off Clark Kent’s Earth father with a heart attack. In Action Comics No. 870, out Wednesday, Superman can’t hear his mom’s cries for help in time to save Jonathan Kent.

The TV Jonathan — played by John Schneider — died long ago on CW’s “Smallville.”

In the original Superman tales of the 1940s, Clark Kent’s parents died while he was still a teen. And in the 1978 “Superman” movie that starred Christopher Reeve, Jonathan Kent, played by Glenn Ford, also died of a heart attack.

Source: AP

“Here is what you need to know” is really appropriate here-Smallville has been on the air too long. The ratings are basically awful as the show sits near the bottom of all network shows and the formula has just been done to death. The season opener tries to “reboot” the series as numerous characters have fled, I mean left, the show. Gone are Lux Luther played by Michael Rosenbaum, Lionel Luthor played by John Glover, Kara (aka Supergirl) played by Laura Vandervoort and long time Smallville staple Lana Lang played by Kristen Kreuk. Read more here.

Two weeks ago we saw how Superman perished at the hands of the incredible Doomsday. The Man of Steel fell for the first time and in the nine issue story arc “Funeral for a Friend”, we learn how the world deals with the loss of its greatest hero and what happens next. The first two issues (Justice League America #70, The Adventures of Superman #498) deal with the reactions of the people close to the hero, first the Justice League and other superheroes, and then Lois Lane, the Kents and the rest of the world. In Action Comics #685 the question of what will be done with the body emerges and director Westfield of Project Cadmus tries to take the remains of both fighters with him to his lab. Superman’s friends however will not stand for that and they recover the body and together with Lex Luthor II an enormous funeral is prepared. The funeral procession to Centennial Park, where Luthor has created a ginormous crypt to house the remains of the beloved hero, seems to be attended by the whole populace of Metropolis and sadly the heroes have to make sure that no riots break out. Both the Kents and Lois miss out on the opportunity to be near their loved one, because of the mass of mourners attending the funeral. It is especially hard for them because nobody knows that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same and so officially Clark is only “missing” after the events of Doomsday’s attack.

A week has passed and in Superman v2 #76, the members of the JLA read Superman’s fan mail and decide to do some good in honor of his death and the Kents travel to Metropolis to comfort Lois. I must admit that this short story element feels a bit overdramatic, but the cheesy moment passes fairly quickly when the reader learns that Project Cadmus has broken into Superman’s tomb and has stolen the body. Supergirl investigates the break in and discovers that the grave robbers have entered the crypt through the tunnels leading to the Underworld (The Adventures of Superman #499). In the same issue we see that Gangbuster decides to come out of retirement in order to help in the protection of Metropolis. Meanwhile the scientists at Project Cadmus try to identify Superman’s D.N.A. in order to clone his body (Action Comics #686). The Kents have returned to Smallville and we see how Jonathan Kent deals with the loss of his son, through a few flashbacks to Clark’s youth (Superman: The Man of Steel #21). He blames himself for the death of his son, as it was he who originally came up with the idea of the secret identity and the costume to turn Clark into Superman. In the meantime the Underworld in Metropolis has been flooded due to an explosion that was caused by the grave robbers and Lois and a few of the Underworlders break into Cadmus and try to retrieve the body. At the end of this issue, Jonathan Kent collapses in the field where he had found Clark’s ship, so many years ago. In the final issue of “Funeral for a Friend” (Superman v2 #77), Mr. Kent is rushed to the hospital and at the same time Lois makes plans with Luthor II and Supergirl to get Superman’s body back. When they have returned the remains of the superhero to his final resting place, Luthor shares his grudge with the silent coffin and we see that he is still the same tyrant he was, before he cloned himself (For those of you who don’t know, Lex Luthor had radiation poisoning and before he died he made his scientists put his mind into a younger cloned body of himself). At the end of this tragic story arc, Jonathan Kent flatlines as the doctors try to save him.

There are also three one-shot issues that came out following the “Funeral for a Friend” arc. The Legacy of Superman includes a few short stories about other heroes and their attempt to fill in for Superman. Supergirl and Team Luthor shows Lex team up with his Supergirl imitation to form his own superhero team and finally the Newstime issue, a real news magazine, filled with stories about the death of Superman and the repercussions.

I must say that some of the issues where a bit too cheesy for my taste, the emotions didn’t feel right except for those of Lois and the Kents in Superman v2 #76. All the others seemed a bit over the top, making it feel more like a soap opera than a comic book. Still, I think that “Funeral for a Friend” shows that comic book stories are not only about superheroes pummeling the bad guys, but that they too can have deep story arcs and emotional elements. It is interesting to see that the death of a hero like Superman is felt throughout the world. I liked the Death of Superman storyline so far and I’m interested to see if the next arc will be equally interesting. It is called “Reign of the Supermen”, will deal with the emergence of several Supermen, and will be reviewed here as soon as I get around to it.

With the fall TV season approaching, I’ve been checking in on a few shows that I watch regularly for some status updates.  And there’s a heck of a lot happening around one of my personal favourites, Smallville.

Cast changes are nothing new to the show.  Pete Ross and both Kent parents have departed from the show, as have bit players like Lana’s high school boyfriend Whitney Fordman and the original town sheriff (whose name escapes me).  But as the show enters its eighth (and likely final) season, there are massive changes on the horizon.  Kara (aka Supergirl), Lex Luthor and Lana Lang will not be returning as regulars for the final season.  Add in the fact that Lionel Luthor left the show during Season 7 and you have a seriously depleted cast.  We are essentially left with Clark, Chloe, Lois and Jimmy Olsen as the only truly remaining core characters.

I won’t miss Supergirl; I don’t feel she added much depth to the show, and the actress didn’t seem to be able to do much with the character.  And Lana’s character ran her course, she was due to leave.  But losing Lex… you can’t have Yin without Yang.  His departure will ultimately affect the show even more than the departure of developers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.  Which brings up another point, they had always insisted on “no tights, no flights” for Clark Kent.  This may change now that they are off the show, which could be good or bad.

Season 8 will also feature some other interesting twists.  Smallville featured a one-off “Justice League” created from a collection of super heroes introduced at various points in the show’s history; Green Arrow, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg.  Apparently, this Justice League (likely consisting of Arrow, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter) will become more formal, especially now that Green Arrow is a regular on the series.  As a comic fan, I can honestly say this intrigues me.  I love the idea of a live-action Justice League show… but I don’t know if I like it at the expense of the Smallville series I have watched regularly over the past seven years.  It will be interesting to see how this affects the series.

Finally, there was another piece of news that I didn’t quite know how to react to; Doomsday is coming to Smallville.  The very same Doomsday that killed Superman back in the early 1990s (in the comics).  Ironically, Doomsday came about because the Lois & Clark series scuttled DC’s original plans to have the comic Superman and Lois get married.  However, plans were changed when ABC wanted the on-screen version to get married first.  So DC regrouped and ended up doing the Death of Superman storyline, which single-handedly reworked much of 1990s DC mythology (which I won’t go into here).  Anyhow, this Doomsday character will apparently have an alter-ego who is an “easy-going paramedic”.  This sounds a little like an evil version of the Incredible Hulk… which makes me cringe in anticipation of an on-screen Doomsday that might almost be as bad as the film version of Bane from Batman & Robin.

There are plenty of changes coming; Smallville might be barely recognizable compared to even the most recent season.  Will I like it?  I have no idea.  Will I be entertained?  I sincerely hope so.  But more importantly… will I watch?  Oh hell yeah.

I went to see Marguerite at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last night. If you haven’t heard about the show yet (pretty unlikely if you follow musical theatre!), it’s a collaboration between Michel Legrand, the team behind Les Mis and Miss Saigon (Alain Boubil, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Herbert Kretzmer) and Jonathan Kent (who also directed the show).

Since the show opened a while back, I had already read most the reviews in the newspapers. Obviously I made up my own mind about the show and as if often the case, there was plenty that I didn’t agree with… so I’ve decided to write this post as a direct comparison of my views compared to the critics.

In summary (Coloured Lights)
In short, I loved the show. It might not be perfect, but then whay show is? Perhaps my expectations had been lowered by the critics, but I think Marguerite is an excellent new musical, which merits real praise.

In summary (The critics)
Rather surprisingly, there was quite a high level of consensus between the critics – no dreadful reviews, but no superb ones either. In fact, of the 5 newspapers that gave ratings to the show, all of them considered the show to be worth three stars. In case you’re wondering, the papers in question are the Sunday Times, Guardian, Independent review, The Times review and Evening standard.

The music (Coloured Lights)
I thought the music was good, clever and likeable, with a range of styles that demonstrates wriging versatility that is rare in today’s West End. Personally, I think it’s the jazzier numbers that Legrand does best.

If there’s a weakeness with the music, it’s that the show lacks any true ‘anthems’ that will have the audience singing as they leave the theatre. Whilst I’m not looking for everything to be boiled down to a catchy tune, the show would almost certainly have got better reviewers with a few more stand-out songs. Whilst the repeated use of ‘Day by Day’ was effective, as a stand-alone number it doesn’t have the same power as a song like ‘One Day More’ from Les Miserables.

The music (The critics)

• “Legrand’s eclectic score ranges from a pointillist Sondheim-style starter to forties jazz, romantic ballads, including the haunting China Doll, and rousing ensembles.” (Guardian)
• “The music is listen-able, but only a couple of songs strike you as being truly catchy – you can’t help thinking of Verdi.” (Sunday Times)

Direction & design (Coloured Lights)
The show is visually beautiful, and takes full advantage of the amazing height and depth that makes this venue so special. Both the staging at the design felt somewhat opera-like, which shouldn’t come as a complete shock, given that both director and designer (Jonathan Kent and Paul Brown) have worked in opera.

The sheer scale of the setting occasionally made it hard to focus in on the more intimate one or two person scenes, perhaps not aided by my seat in the circle, but this is a minor gripe.

Direction & design (The critics)

• “Kent’s fast-moving production also boasts a clever set by Paul Brown framing the action in a seductively mirrored salon.” (Guardian)
• “Jonathan Kent’s fluent, strikingly designed production” (Independent)

The cast (Coloured Lights)
Ruthie Henshall might be the leading ‘name’ in this show, but it was Julian Ovenden who stood out. His voice is absolutely sensational – given his choral training as St Pauls, Eton and Oxford, not entirely surprising. He is also a mean jazz pianist – I honestly couldn’t tell if he was faking it or not, and it took a chance encounter with one of the show’s orchestra afterwards to discover that he is not faking it… apparently he is a brilliant pianist as well as singer.

Ovendun’s brilliance shouldn’t detract from Ruthie Henshall’s performance though – it might not have been the best voice for her voice, which was really strained, she still gave an excellent acting performance. Despite what the critics might have said, I felt sympathy for her, which says more about her quality as an actress than it does the writing itself. Whilst I’m not convinced that her part lends itself perfectly to her voice, I’m still keen to go back and see the show again when she’s on slightly better form. I can only imagine how good she’ll be then if this was an off-night.

Alexander Hanson was a last-minute addition to the cast of The Sound of Music, after teething troubles with the original leading man, but I’m sure he’ll be getting more calls after this performance. The rest of the cast also deserve real praise – it’s one of the strongest choruses I have seen in a musical for a long time – there really are no obvious weak links.

The cast (The critics)

• “Henshall and Ovenden are pretty impressive in both the acting and the singing departments. She can be haughty but also broken, forlorn, poignant. He manages to be intense without being sententious and rapturous without seeming wet.” (The Times)
• “Ruthie Henshall’s worldly but vulnerable Marguerite is in ravishing voice. She eschews standard-issue belting and is all the more moving for the delicacy and range of colour of her delivery.” (Independent)
• “Julian Ovenden is a charming and convincing Armand, doing an excellent mime job on the piano, too.” (Sunday Times)
• “And I have rarely heard singing of such ardent, youthful rapture as that which pours from the ridiculously talented and handsome Julian Ovenden, who, as Armand, also plays a mean jazz piano.” (Independent)

In conclusion (Coloured Lights)
The more I think about the show, the more I want to see it again. Whilst the critics might have focused on whether they felt moved by the character of Marguerite, I’d rather focus on all the good things about the production: some beautiful music, particularly the jazz numbers; a stunning set; a brilliant leading trio, especially Julian Ovenden.

Most of all, Marguerite is an intelligent musical that actually requires a little thought on the part of the audience. At a time when increasing numbers of shows in the West End are ‘jukebox’ musicals or adaptations from film or TV, audiences and critics should be embracing truly new work.

Unfortunately, I think the critics were too quick to find fault, and I worry that audiences will contuinue to flock to Never Forget or Dirty Dancing, when they’d be far better off making a trip to the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

In conclusion (The critics)

• “I found myself unmoved when Henshall’s Marguerite, by now as fragile and pale as any trad TB victim, leaves her pianist, her Paris and the planet.” (The Times)
• “can you have a musical with a heroine you don’t learn to love?” (Guardian)
• “this is a compelling, if flawed, new work” (Independent)
• “a decent, enjoyable but not exactly thrilling show.” (The Times)
• “Despite weaknesses, this is still a musical with real integrity, intent and substance.” (Sunday Times)

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If you’d like to see what the critics wrote, then follow these links:
Sunday Times review - 3 stars
Guardian review – 3 stars
Independent review – 3 stars
The Times review – 3 stars
Evening standard review - 3 stars

For another blogger’s view, check out An American Look at London Theatre

I help to run a theatre group at the company I work for, which arranges trips every 3-4 weeks to shows on in London. It helps that we get cheaper tickets because of the group discounts that producers generally offer.

We arrange our programme 6 months at a time, and since it’s the start of July, we’re just finalising the list of shows for the rest of the year. After a couple of discussions and some email back-and-forth, we have agreed our selection. We think it’s a pretty well balanced programme, so read of if you want some ideas for what to see.

We’re starting with a list of 8 shows, although we retain the right to add shows later in the year! So here’s the shows, and why we think they’re great… obviously this relies on there being sufficient ticket availability but I’m hopeful.

1. Joseph & The Technicolor Dreamcoat (Adelphi Theatre)
This is the 2nd show to have come from the BBC’s musical reality TV show with Andrew Lloyd Webber – ‘Any Dream Will Do’, and therefore stars the series winner, Lee Mead. 

The show opened back in July last year, but the clamour for tickets has been so great that we only ended up booking our trip for this year (the only performances that had enough availability for our group were those when Lee is on holiday, and that wasn’t a very popular choice!).

If you want to know more about the show, or the production itself, I’d encourage you to take a look at the production’s official website.

If you want to know what all the fuss is about, it might be worth checking out one of the show’s reviews – not everyone was positive (Michael Billington of the Guardian didn’t like it), but The Telegraph, The Times and Sunday Times were all impressed.

To be honest, it didn’t really matter what the critics said though – this was always going to be a hit with the public after the popularity of the BBC series that ‘discovered’ Lee. As someone that supported Lee all the way through the series, I’m looking forward to seeing him on stage.

2. Twelfth Night (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
For those of you that haven’t been to the Open Air Theatre before, it’s a beautiful venue in the middle of Regent’s Park. Given that there’s no roof, the experience can be somewhat dependent on the British summer – on a nice summer evening, it’s a really magical place to watch theatre.

The theatre has a new Artistic Director this year - Timothy Sheader was previously as Assistant Director at the RSC for 2 years, so he was a natural choice for a theatre with a strong Shakespeare heritage. Twelfth Night is just one of three Shakespeare plays in this year’s programme - the others are Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in case you’re interested.

Since the show is already open, you can already check out the reviews. Jeremy Kingston in the Times was the biggest fan, giving the show 4 stars, and closing with “it comes as an amazing pleasure to see such a well-thought-out and convincing production as this.” The critics at the Guardian and the Independent weren’t as fulsome in their praise, but the strength of the cast is enough for me to want to see the show.

Tickets for all this summer’s shows are available direct from the theatre’s website

3. They’re Playing Our Song (Menier Chocolate Factory)
I’ve already written a post about this upcoming production, so to save me repeating myself, you can find it here.

In short – I think this is going to be a fantastic production – it’s a great show, written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager, with a very witty book by Neil Simon. The casting is also spot on, with Connie Fisher (in her first performance since The Sound of Music) joined by Alistair McGowan who has recently been seen in Little Shop of Horrors and Cabaret. For more coverage on the show after it was announcement, check out What’s On Stage or Daily Telegraph.

In case you’re wondering why I’m so confident about this show, it’s simple – the Menier hasn’t yet got it wrong with its choice of musicals. Since 2005, they’ve introduced London to the brilliant Jason Robert Brown, revived Little Shop of Horrors and create a phenomenal revival of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George that transferred to Broadway and ended up with a stack of Tony nominations. I certainly wouldn’t bet against They’re Playing Our Song being another hit…

4. Now or Later (Royal Court Theatre)
To be honest, I hadn’t actually heard anything about this show until someone else at work mentioned it to me, but given that the play is on at the Royal Court, it’s less likely to receive mass media coverage than a new musical.

On closer inspection, it turns out that the cast includes a young British actor, Eddie Redmayne, who I went to college with. Since graduating 5 years’ ago, he seems to have been spending most of time making films (his Wikipedia profile lists 10 films, including ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’).

He is also clearly a very accomplished stage actor – he won a number of awards for his performance in Edward Albee’s The Goat. I didn’t catch that production unfortunately, but I did see him in Hecuba at the Donmar Warehouse a few years’ back, and it’s good to see that he is still doing theatre alongside his film work.

The subject-matter of the play will almost certainly grab some attention – it’s set on US election night, which seems like rather astute timing from Dominic Cooke, the theatre’s Artistic Director, who is also directing this production.

For more about the play, or to book tickets, check out the Royal Court’s website  

5. Rain Man (Apollo Theatre)
The latest addition to our programme, it was recently announced that Josh Hartnett would be making his West End debut in this stage adaptation of the classic film that originally starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.

Hartnett’s film-induced fame meant that the news garnered plenty of coverage, from outlets ranging from the Huffington Post to The Stage. Only time will tell as to whether he can live up to the hype…

6. Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre)
Jersey Boys opened in London back in March, having already been hugely successful on the other side of the pond.

The show tells the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, using their own songs. Whilst it may yet another jukebox musical (London has far too many of them for my liking), there are no complaints about the soundtrack – songs include ‘Sherry’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’ and ‘Walk Like a Man’. You can find out more about the show (and see some video clips) on the official website.

To find out what the critics thought of the show, check out my review round-up here. In case you’re wondering though, there’s plenty of positive in there, hence why it’s on my list!

7. Oedipus (National Theatre)
There hasn’t been that much coverage about Oedipus yet, mainly because it’s not yet on sale and doesn’t open until October.

However, it’s part of what Nicholas Hytner considers “the most ambitious year since I became the National’s director” and will almost certainly be a hot ticket. You can find the press release of the season’s announcement here, or responses in the Independent or The Stage.

Ralph Fiennes will be playing the title role, returning to the stage after his critically-acclaimed performance in Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. He will be joined in the cast by Clare Higgins, whose performance in Hecuba in 2005 won numerous plaudits. The show will be directed by Jonathan Kent, who has spent the last year as Director at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, most recently directing Marguerite.

Keep your eyes peeled to make sure you get a ticket as soon as it goes on sale.

8. Ivanov (Donmwar West End, Wyndham’s Theatre) 
Not content with running one of London’s best theatres, Michael Grandage has taken on a year’s lease at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End. The Donmar is producing 4 shows, each starring at least one big name, under the Donmar West End banner. You can read more about the season here

There’s a fantastic set of shows, starting with a new verion of Checkhov’s Ivanov, which will star Kenneth Branagh in the leading role. Full casting was announced in the last 2 weeks, with Branagh joined by two rising stars – Tom Hiddleston (Cassio in the Donmar’s recent production of Othello and Andrea Riseborough (after her recent screen portrayal of Margaret Thatcher).

Grandage will direct the show himself, and if you’re still wavering, it’s worth noting that the Donmar West End season will keep prices down, just as it does as it’s home venue. The most expensive seats in the house will be just £32.50, a bargain for a West End show at the moment, especially for one which such a big name in the leading role.

 So, there you have the choice of 8 shows for the rest of this year. Feel free to let me know what you think.

9. War Horse (National Theatre)
War Horse has already had a hugely successful, sell-out run at the National Theatre last year, but for some reason, I never got round to seeing the show last time around. Thankfully, Nicholas Hytner recently announced that Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris’ production will be returning to the Olivier Theatre in September.

The show got 5-star reviews from The Times and Sunday Times amongst others, so it’s very excited that anyone that missed it last time has another chance to see the show.

The life-size puppets received much praise last-time round – if you’re keen to see what they looked like, there’s a full picture gallery in guardian.co.uk.

One last bonus for War Horse - it’s going to be the first production that runs on Sundays at the National as part of their new plans to make the theatre a 7-day operation. As if you needed another excuse to make a trip to the South Bank!

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Reminder – planned trips
Joseph & The Technicolor Dreamcoat (Adelphi Theatre)
Twelth Night (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
They’re Playing Our Song (Menier Chocolate Factory)
Now or Later (Royal Court Theatre)
Rain Man (Apollo Theatre)
Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre)
Oedipus (National Theatre)
Ivanov (Donmwar West End, Wyndham’s Theatre) 
War Horse (National Theatre)

It’s not every day you get a chance to see the kazongas of the person who won the Theatregoers’ Award for the Most Popular Musical Actress in The Last 21 Years (or one of her kazongas, anyway).

But that was the surprising position the West End Whingers found themselves in at a preview of the new musical Marguerite ( – The Musical!).

Phil is now beginning to doubt what he saw.

Not Ruthie Henshall’s tits, those were clearly visible and even Andrew’s peepers remained open enough to confirm that he got a more than generous eyeful from row C of the stalls (stage right, if you’re interested). And since you ask, yes, the Whingers can confirm they are as pleasant a pair of gongas as the Whingers have ever witnessed. Not that they are by any means experts in the field of fun bags, you understand.

No, what Phil is doubting, having witnessed five theatrical honkers in a row, is the reliability of his palette. Has it become so jaded that Marguerite wasn’t perhaps quite the humdinger he first thought?

Yes, strange as it may seem, both Whingers emerged from the Saturday matinee pleasantly surprised and – for the first time in many, many weeks – not tearing their blue rinses out. Marguerite may not be a corker, but we certainly weren’t throwing tomatoes.

Marguerite is the new Michel Legrand musical with book and lyrics by the Les Miz team of Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg (plus director Jonathan Kent) and lyricist Herbert Kretzmer.

Yes, that’s the same Kretzmer who wrote the iconic Peter Sellers/Sophia Loren hit “Goodness, Gracious Me” – an expression which dropped out of the Whingers’ mouths when they copped a sight of Henshell’s snuggle pups – but we’ll come back to those later.

Marguerite (Ruthie Henshall) is the French mistress of a high-ranking German officer in Nazi-occupied Paris. She is very popular because she can get petrol coupons and nylons and so forth. But at her fortieth birthday party she meets musician Armand (Julian Ovenden) who falls hopelessly in love with her. The musical charts their secret affair and the ensuing brouhaha.

It is sort of based on Alexandre Dumas’ La Dame aux camélias and one of the shocking elements of the affair is that Armand is half Marguerite’s age (for the record, we reckon Henshall is 41 and Ovenden 32).

As a show it boasts the double-whammy of the highly talented Henshall and the absurdly good looking (and talented) Ovenden.

Both sing superbly and full marks to Paul Groothuis’s sound design for keeping it all audible. Henshall’s voice seems to have reached a new maturity and she’s better than ever. Ovenden even plays the piano and very impressively too. Is there any talent that man hasn’t got? He can probably play the bongos too or even pick out a tune on the coconuts. Both act their parts extremely well, dragging these audience headlong into the story. Most engaging.

The show also has some very welcome spectacle. There’s a terribly impressive explosion in the first act party scene when a warhead (from a Howitzer or Zeppelin perhaps? Sadly not) drops nearby (it even gets it’s own credit in the horribly over-priced £6 programme, well done Effective Touch Ltd.) The window explodes sending shards of sugar glass shooting into the stalls.

The sets are stylish and sumptuous and move around impressively. The front stage drop has a blinking image (blink and you’ll miss it) of Henshall iconically photographed to resemble one of Garbo’s.

The end of the first act is a bit of a wobbler and probably needs some tweaking but really, it’s very impressive and as it’s all over in a little over 2 hours and tightly told.

High praise indeed.

So are the Whingers going to lose their reputations as the London theatrical blogosphere’s premier pair of knockers?

No, not quite. There’s a “but”, and it’s a very big “but” (as opposed to a nicely rounded pair of moo-moos).

The sleeves on Marguerite’s lover’s dress jacket were too long.

Oh, no, hang on, that wasn’t it (although it did bother Andrew greatly): This is a musical after all, so what was the music like? Well, whilst not exactly unpleasant it’s not great, in fact it’s pretty, well, not bland exactly, but pompous and humourless in the modern (i.e. since Cats) style of aspiring-to-art musicals. It’s all terribly grand and meaningful and lacks the haunting tunes you might expect from the man who gave the world “Windmills Of Your Mind”.

And whilst the lyrics didn’t give the Whingers the pip like, say, Gone With The Wind – The Musical! , they’re serviceable, but no more.

However, this musical will probably go down very well with people who like that sort of thing.

It also provided lots to think about:

• How many of Marguerite’s wigs do they get through in a week?
• Ditto Marguerite’s final act garment.
• Can Ovenden’s understudy play the piano that well?

And there is even a headscarf in it. How could we not like it?

Just finished the latest ep of Smallville.

As Lionel Luthor flew (straight down) to his death he neither shouted nor flailed but smiled enigmatically. At that moment I knew it wasn’t the character but character actor John Glover who was smiling, because except for probably a few flashbacks he’s done with the ongoing disaster my once-favorite show has become.

Once again, after waiting weeks, a new episode rewards we idiot faithful with less than a minute of action in a story that stretched 10 minutes of plot into 40 minutes of shit dialogue and uninspired acting.

Everyone responsible for this show has given up. No one gives a shit. Except for the Vancouver crew behind the camera (you know a show stinks when you’re thinking about how many crew members it took to create the sets) I sense everyone is as tired and fed-up of this show as its long-suffering fans.

So now Lionel Luthor is dead, murdered by Lex. No one knows how to react to this, including the people that wrote this crap. And no one cares.

Here’s a brief eulogy:

Lionel Luthor was a character created in probably 5 minutes. He was created as a symbol of the ruthless greed and lack of creativity of Smallville’s producers. Lionel’s creation was a risky move, since there were no comic books with his backstory to fall back on then ignore.

Depending on the Thursday at hand Lionel was many things to many people: plot device, cartoon villain, Darth Vader figure to his iconic son, sociopath, evil non-genius, corporate cutthroat, philanthropist, blind man, wife abuser, killer of his own parents, government agent puppetmaster, secret society secretary, serial murderer, kidnap victim, assassination target, organized crime dabbler, exploiter of Native American Canadians, borrower of Clark’s powers and shameless flirt with Martha Kent.

He was also a foil for Bo Duke, er, Jonathan Kent, when Jonathan was alive, but that was so long ago no one remembers.

While played with sincere competence by actor John Glover, Lionel was never a likable or interesting character. Even after he was morally “changed” by discovering Clark’s secret + getting a zap from the Jor-El ex machina, he remained more or less the same, only with a flared mullet to remind others of his ruthless leonine prowess.

Speaking of leonine, Lionel Luthor was passionately in love with the letter L. Not only did he marry a woman whose name began with an L (Lillian), there was son Lex, half-brother one-shot Lucas, Lulian the dead baby, Lana, Lason, Lhloe, Limmy Olsen, Lois and Clark. (Had Clark been named Lark, Lionel would’ve adopted him outright).

All in all, Lionel Luthor was a wonderful character who helped explain why Lex Luthor has been, is, or will be evil, except when he was used by lazy writers as filler and to put the brakes on an already plodding and tedious jalopy of a plot, or once-again threatening Ms. Sullivan.

Lionel will not just be missed but SUPER-missed until the next flashback, dream sequence or the T-1000 Brainiac replicates him to fool Lex into thinking Lex is crazy. The end……………..OR IS IT?

I also got to see the rerun of the months-old episode where Lex goes to Detroit-couver to rescue Super-Blondie. I, like the other 50 or so Smallville fans left in the world, audibly gasped (or didn’t) when Lex got shot exactly where the third eye is in meditation! I was worried Lex was going to die!–just like I was worried that girl that was Luke’s mother in Star Wars Episode 2 would die in the Willy Wonka Robot Factory before getting pregnant with Luke!

Though I still have the ep starring a pack of gum to look forward to, I still pray:

Sweet Kara, Mother of Clark, make this awful season end already.

 

Smallville

it just gets better and better

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Clark Kent (Tom Welling)

tom welling

tom welling

tom welling small pic (larger size was above)

tom welling

smallville-tom welling is clark kent

tom welling

tom welling

 Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk)

Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum)

Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack)

Martha Kent (Annette O’Toole)

Jonathan Kent (John Schneider)

Pete Ross (Sam Jones III)

Lionel Luthor (John Glover)

Lois Lane (Erica Durance)

Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore)

Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles)

Kara (Laura Vandervoort) 

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow  (Justin Hartley)

Oliver Queen/ Green Arrow  (Justin Hartley)

so what are your thoughts on Smallville?

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