Hi Geeks, Hayley here.

Back in May, John Pavlich and I recorded a commentary for his Sofadogs website (now with a brand new look you can check out here) for 90s teen thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer. Despite a few syncing problems due to region coding, we had a great discussion and would love you guys to check it out. Pop in your DVD or Blu-Ray and listen as we discuss the subtleties of makeup, annoying and belligerent older siblings, countless offenses of bad writing and more!

Listen here.

Subject: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Observers: John Pavlich, Hayley White

Record Date: May 03, 2011, 08:13 AM

Plot Summary: During their last 4th of July shindig together, four friends accidentally hit someone with their car. Fearing the end of their bright futures, they all make a pact to dump the body and keep this terrible night to themselves. Exactly a year later, a mysterious stranger is sending them threatening letters and stalking them, bent on some twisted form of justice.

Note: While I’m based in the US, Hayley resides in Australia, meaning that despite our best efforts, we occasionally run into some sync problems in the recording. Hayley’s DVD is a different region and format, which results in a slightly faster playback. While there are a few instances where Hayley gets ahead of me in the film, they are few and far between and we mostly manage to save face. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the film on your DVD.

But there’s still a treasure trove of villains and ideas that have appeared on the Classic series who could use an appearance on the current iteration of Doctor Who. It’s a hot topic for discussion, but here’s a few Villains who I feel have untapped potential that our favourite sci-fi show can (and should) exploit.

5) The Black Guardian: The nefarious antithesis to The White Guardian, The Black Guardian is still bitter that The Doctor foiled his plan to reboot the universe by assembling and using The Key to Time. Eventually he devolved into turning potential companions against The Doctor, dressing like a drag queen, and murdering birds so he could use them as hats.

The Black Guardian is one of those villains The Doctor could never defeat without outthinking him. As a Transcendental Being and the manifestation of all darkness and chaos in the universe, his power is seemingly limitless, spanning all of time and space. If used properly, The Black Guardian could literally rain hell upon The Doctor, and how our noble hero would get out of that is anyone’s guess. Because of his behind-the-scenes manipulation of people and events, this Guardian would make an excellent foil to Matt Smith’s Doctor, giving him a dose of his own medicine with a flair for manipulation and scheming.

4) Zygons: Zygons are shape-changing beings The Doctor once encountered in a UNIT adventure back in the 70s (or was it the 80s?). Looking like they’re made of giant, squishy coral, they’re most famous for using the Loch Ness Monster (which they called a Skaracen) against The Doctor. Additionally, Zygons could use their abilities to manipulate events or invade on a massive scale, abducting and impersonating important people (like my dog) and using them to cozy Earth into a vulnerable situation, ripe for invasion.

Suddenly, the world could turn into a giant pointing fingers game like that time the Founders infiltrated Starfleet or there were only 12 Cylon models. What is the Zygon plan? How will they accomplish it? Who is a Zygon and who isn’t? The answer, really, is that the Zygon is that sandwich you just ate for lunch. And now it is inside of you. And now you are screwed.

3) Omega: One of the founding members of Time Lord society, Omega was Rassilon’s bro in the days leading up to the Gallifreyans transcending into Time Lords. Rassilon (who didn’t have the stones to just break off the bromance with typical words) tricked Omega into sacrificing himself for the Time Lord cause by trapping him in a black hole so they could harness its power to fuel the Eye of Harmony. Suddenly stranded in the backwards upside down quarry of that black hole, Omega used his will to bend reality to suit his needs, going so far as to will his form into being despite the fact that he had been obliterated.

Watching The Doctor go up against Time Lords is always terribly exciting, more so even if the Time Lord in question happened to be an extremely powerful, strong-willed founder of the entire society, then that makes it even more exciting and dramatic. The Doctor having to outthink and out-will one of the greatest and strongest Time Lords who ever lived is a totally awesome and compelling thing. Also, if you ask me Omega really needs a better story cuz his last appearance? Totally pathetic.

2) The Ice Warriors: Created and only ever written on television by Brian Hayles, The Ice Warriors are the somewhat-legendary Lizard Warriors from Mars. Seven to eight feet in height, they are in desperate need of an update in just about every sense of the word. Their original design is totally sixties and totally ridiculous (they look like turtles), and their weakness (heat) is the only way they’re EVER defeated. Ever. Every time they show up, you always beat them by just making the room really hot, so one good Care Bear quality hug would take them right out.

The Ice Warriors are [in theory] my favourite villains. I imagine them with long, dripping tongues, wearing armor, carrying halberds, and attempting to conquer the solar system. Seven foot dragons on legs marching in rank and file and snarling and stuff. That’s awesome. Let’s make that happen. If only the Silurians weren’t basically the ideal Ice Warrior design…

1) The Meddling Monk: For my money, The Meddling Monk is the coups de grace of all the Classic series villains. The first other Time Lord ever introduced in the series, The Monk’s initial plan was to screw with time to better shape it to his vision. Despite acting as a true Lord of Time in every sense of the word, The Doctor foiled his plan and The Monk swore revenge.

In his televised appearances, The Monk was portrayed by Peter Butterworth, and while I really do like Butterworth as an actor, his portrayal of the character was less than serious and a little too jokey for my tastes. While The Master was originally conceived as Moriarty to The Doctor’s Sherlock Holmes, The Master rarely felt like a true antithesis character. His goals were usually unclear or cardboard (either he wants to take over the universe or kill The Doctor; very boring) and he degenerated to being just a simple, typical archnemesis when really his whole thing shoulda been more antithesisy.

Playing The Monk totally straight, as a guy who just manipulates time simply in the hope of “making it better” or tweaking it so it matches “the greater good” is a fantastic position in which the Doctor Who team could put The Doctor. Nevermind that it’s a great position in which to put The Doctor, you also give the character of The Monk a clear, defined goal and a very specific character (he has a god complex).

Most recently, he appeared in the final season of Paul McGann’s Big Finish 8^th Doctor Adventures to tremendous effect, functioning as a wonderful foil for The Doctor and bringing in tons of drama and excitement to the proceedings. If you’re interested in hearing some fantastic use of The Monk, check them out (specifically the stuff starting with Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller, because that whole season is the culmination of the previous three years).

Honorable Mention: Morgaine and her Space Knights: Appearing in “Battlefield”, Morgaine is an transdimensional witch who (along with her son Mordred) led a team of space knights in a quest to bring down Arthur and his kingship. That’s right. She’s Morgan LeFay from Arthurian Legend, but from an alternate universe and a world in which she defeated Arthur and his knights once and for all. And The Doctor was there. And he was Merlin.

And that’s awesome. Doctor Who explored Arthurian legend and did a badass story with it. But not only that! The events of “Battlefield” were the results of the aftermath to The Doctor’s REAL first fight with Morgaine (which The Doctor hadn’t yet experienced) in which The Doctor semi-defeated her but lost Arthur in the process. And while there was a small little mini-story that claimed to be the sequel in question (or whatever), I could hardly call that canon (despite the 8^th Doctor’s presence). No, bring them back. Make it a big, giant, exciting Medievalish war. And that mythic legend stuff of The-Doctor-as-Merlin bleeds right into Moffat’s fascination with The Doctor as an icon. Which is awesome. The Doctor as Merlin? Let’s bring that back!

Those are just some of the ideas I have. (I woulda mentioned The Valeyard, but that’s a whole different topic to discuss). What are some villains who haven’t returned who you think would make an awesome return in Nu-Who?

Well, it happened. We have a Green Lantern movie. I honestly never thought this day would come. Of course, after actually seeing the film, most people (especially critics) kind of wish it never had. Whether you’re an avid defender of the movie or one of its harshest critics, everyone seems to agree that Green Lantern had a lot of problems. Some people criticize the script. Some people criticize the acting or CGI. Ultimately, though, I think that all of the problems with Green Lantern come down to one thing:

It should have been Kyle Rayner.

For those of you who don’t know who he is, Kyle Rayner was the Green Lantern after Hal Jordan went Parallax-crazy, single-handedly killed every member of the Green Lantern Corps, and used their rings to destroy Oa, killing all but one of the Guardians of the universe in the process. This lone surviving Guardian, Ganthet, barely escaped Par-Hal-lax with the last remaining Green Lantern ring and crash landed on Earth in an alley behind a bar. It was there that he found Kyle, who isn’t the best choice for a Green Lantern (he doesn’t exactly have “ability to overcome great fear” on his resume), but it’s between him or some homeless dude and Ganthet is pretty desperate. So Kyle becomes the Green Lantern.

What’s interesting is that with no Green Lantern Corps to speak of (everyone’s dead and there isn’t enough power left to recruit any more members), Kyle has to train himself to wield the ring, only learning about the way things were through Ganthet or other heroes telling him. He eventually fulfills a prophecy that says that he’s meant to rebuild Oa and restart the entire Green Lantern Corps, but that’s after years of stories with Kyle learning to overcome fear and become the hero he was always destined to be. In the grand scheme of the Green Lantern mythos, Kyle Rayner is Luke Skywalker.

Think about it: A New Hope works so well because we enter into the world of Star Wars after the Jedi have been destroyed and we’re only told about the old world order through Obi-Wan reminiscing with Luke as the surrogate for the audience. He doesn’t know what’s going on until someone tells him, and neither do we. The Jedi are mysterious, which makes them cool.

With a Kyle Green Lantern movie, we’re not hit with a ton of very necessary (but really unfortunate) exposition about what a Green Lantern is, why they exist, where they come from, etc. What we get is mostly in passing because it’s just not important to his story. We come in at the end and are told about how awesome the Green Lanterns were, and quickly realize that Kyle has a lot to live up to. But he’s not alone. Kyle has his Yoda in Ganthet, his Obi-Wan in John Stewart (an out of commission Green Lantern who barely survived the fight against Par-Hal-lax, but was paralyzed from the waist down in the process), and even a Han Solo of sorts in a cocky, ex-Lantern named Guy Gardner. All of these supporting characters help Kyle master his newfound power and come to terms with being the last the Green Lantern , a job he was never meant to have. Ganthet only gives him the ring after saying something along the lines of “I guess you’ll have to be good enough…”. Kyle’s no hero, at least, not at first. He was just a freelance artist who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and suddenly he’s one of the most powerful beings in the universe. How do you process your whole life being rewritten in an instant, and what do you do next? It makes for an interesting story, and a strong character arc.

Instead, we get a Hal Jordan movie where the Green Lantern Corps are at the height of their power and influence throughout the galaxy. Everything is great other than the “phantom” threat of Parallax and another character who seems to be a good guy right now but we’re all waiting for the moment when he eventually turns dark side and gets his “revenge”. There’s even hints at a war that could be coming in the not so distant future and long boring speeches about intergalactic history and politics. Sound familiar?

In 1999, it was called The Phantom Menace.

Today, it’s called Green Lantern.

Maybe space operas just shouldn’t start at the beginning of their story. It never seems to be interesting, and Hal Jordan’s story is no exception. There’s never any question if Hal will be able to overcome fear; the ring chose him because it knows he can, which means there are no stakes, a very weak character arc, and nowhere for the story to really go. In comics, that’s the kind of character you want in a long running title where the goal is to tell one adventure after another until the end of time. I believe it was Stan Lee that once said that comic books should read like a perpetual second act. But movies are different. Films have an ending. They’re not serialized beyond the occasional trilogy. Kyle Rayner was not a character that could last forever as the lead of a comic book (they did bring Hal back, after all), but for film? He comes packaged with a complete cinematic story.

That being said, I can understand why DC and Warner Bros went the Hal Jordan route with the movie series. Geoff John’s run on the title has been a huge hit for DC Comics and they obviously thought that would translate to movie sales and I can’t fault them for that logic. It is curious, though, that Warner Bros would choose Hal’s story over Kyle’s in this new post-The Dark Knight cinemascape where Warner execs were quoted to say that they wanted every superhero movie from now on to be a little dark and gritty. In Green Lantern, they do it esthetically through Oa’s seemingly perpetual dusk and the gritty realism of the production design, but it doesn’t work because ultimately this is supposed to the Golden Age of the Green Lantern Corps. During Kyle’s time as Green Lantern, the mythology is in a much darker place: The Green Lanterns are basically extinct and the flame is almost dead; Kyle is the sole torch-bearer.

It seems that’s the sort of story Warner execs should have gravitated to. In the comics, Kyle’s girlfriend is brutally murdered by his first villain shortly after he finally accepts his role as Green Lantern. After finding her body, Kyle hunts down and nearly kills her murderer. Not only is that darker storytelling than anything that’s in this recent Green Lantern movie, but it shows just how human and flawed Kyle is. He’s not in control of his emotions at all and has no business being Green Lantern, which makes a much more interesting hero because it gives his character a place to go and something to prove.

While there are certainly worse superhero movies out there (Catwoman, Punisher War Zone, and Electra just to name a few), I think we can all agree that Green Lantern is not a perfect movie by any means. It’s just unfortunate that Warner Bros. chose to center their franchise on a flat, two-dimensional character with nowhere to go, when they had a goldmine of a character with tons of cinematic potential sitting right in front of them.

- Scott Carelli

I’ve been a Marvel fan for the past six and a half years, going all the way back to Bendis’s New Avengers #1. At the time, I never in a million years thought I could pick up a Marvel book, but hey. I got hooked and I’ve been reading your comics in mass opiate quantities ever since.

But I’m going to have to quit you.

I know times are tight and tensions are running high. I know the comics market is shrinking. Individual issue sales are down and decreasing across the board. Having giant movie blockbusters every summer doesn’t seem to be affecting monthly issue sales too much (especially in terms of people coming into the stores). Both you and DC are having a hard time, but that’s okay for you because you guys are the bigger, stronger company at the moment. Your books are dripping with talent and creativity and it’s showing in the numbers.

But I don’t know why you insist on continuing this petty rivalry even in the face of adversity.

I’m all for rivalries. Competition makes the world go round. But when your brand of competition comes out on Twitter and in interviews as jabs and digs, you guys come off sounding petty and immature. Take the September Previews catalog, for instance. You thought it best to take a swipe at DC by advertising your solicitations with tags like  “Uncanny X-Men: Still #543!” or “New Avengers: Still #16!” in some attempt to make yourselves look good in the wake of DC’s complete #1 relaunchment in September. Nevermind the fact that Uncanny X-Men is canceled and rebooting after issue #544 (October’s issue) or that New Avengers just relaunched 16 issues ago (I remember, I was there). Anything to show that you guys are the bigger guy.

And as if that’s not bad enough, you have someone like C.B. Cebulski, a talent scout and widely known, high profile, upper echelon, Senior Vice President at your company, coming out and SLAMMING DC over Twitter for its most recent Green Lantern film by saying:

“Man, DC just loves the number 52, huh? They even used it in their weekend GL movie grosses. Good thing we like bigger numbers at @Marvel!”

I can’t help but get a little offended at the sheer unprofessionalism of his comment. Granted, Cebulski later said it was a “nice little jab” and he was just “poking fun at the competition,” but that doesn’t really sound so much it’s “all in good fun” as much as it is pointing and laughing at someone and using that to brag about one’s own awesomeness. It’s petty, it’s cheap, and it’s kicking the competition when it’s down. Was Green Lantern perfect? Hell no. I’m the first to admit that. But does that mean one of your top guys has to backhand the competition on a bad day?

And fine, maybe that’s just Cebulski talking off the cuff (if Twitter could be considered off the record, which it isn’t), but I don’t really see him apologizing or thinking he did anything wrong. Nor do I see anyone at Marvel saying “the views of Mr. Cebulski are just Mr. Cebulski’s, not necessarily those of Marvel.” No. You must have heard it. Your company’s Twitter account follows him. He got plenty of @replies. He even spent some time firing back a few self-righteous responses. Surely it must be on your radar. Saying nothing tells me that either you’re ignorant of your employee’s actions in the public sector (which in the modern internet age is hard to believe, especially given his high profile) OR that you endorse this rhetoric and behavior (which is unprofessional and immature, to say the least). Given what I know about you as a company, I’m almost certain it’s the latter.

The worst part of all this? This is par for the course. This ritualistic DC bashing is the sort of thing we see from your people all the time at Con panels and on Twitter. When it’s mean-spirited and personal, that’s not you being the cute rival, it’s roasting the competition simply to be a giant dick about it. This isn’t a roast. It’s a place where I expect some modicum of decency in the public sector. Behind closed doors, misbehave, berate, and bash as much as you want, fine. I can’t stop you. But there’s no need to alienate potential fans who like both major comics companies in favor of making the die-hard Marvel Zombies go “Heh heh, yeah. Fuck those guys.”

And if that’s your goal, to make the Die-Hard Marvel Zombie happy, then fine. I guess that’s your prerogative. But I have to ask, do you actually care about the Die-Hard Marvel Zombie?

I ask because at the time of this writing I’m just hours away from finding out what happens at the end of Ultimate Spider-man #160, the purported (but not really because you’re re-launching in September with a new #1, but I’m not here to bitch about that) final (again!) issue of Ultimate Spider-man, despite the fact that the issue won’t be coming out for another couple of days. I know this because Bendis was talking it up on Twitter this afternoon, bragging about how he got off the phone with the AP and USA Today and who knows who else so your company could tout and spoil the ending for Ultimate Spider-man so you can get as many people as you possibly can into the stores come Wednesday.

Fine. That’s business, I suppose. I mean, it worked for Captain America a few years back. And in Bendis’s own words, this is about getting the fans you don’t have, not about keeping the ones you do.

And I get that. You want the sexy chick across the bar, not the one who’s in your lap. But isn’t that basically saying existing Marvel fans don’t matter as much as potential Marvel fans? Isn’t that just kicking your existing base because you know you’ll get away with it?

You’re damn right it is. Because you know as well as I do that your fans aren’t going anywhere. You have enough fans that will stick around regardless of your behavior, fans you guilt into buying more comics so you can keep the existing ones alive, fans who will stick around despite you increasing prices on your books to $3.99 “because you can.” I know, because I’m one of them. Or, I used to be.

So when I hear about you guys doing this, I get outraged. I get livid. I’ve been buying and reading Ultimate Spider-man nonstop for the past eighty issues (that’s double-dipping single issues and trades) despite going through three years of high school and four years of college. And now, on the eve of this long, long story getting to one of its fantastic turning points, you’re going to kick me (a loyal customer) in favor of the hundred or so (max) people who are going to pick up the FINAL issue of your not-in-real-continuity Spider-man and then never pick up a comic again?

And you’re going to get away with this, Marvel. I know because C.B. Cebulski is not going to apologize (nor are you going to pretend to attempt to make him). I know because the people his comments are going to enrage won’t stop reading comics. I know because people are still reading Fantastic Four (even if it’s not called that). I know because this “revealing the ending before it happens” bullshit has become “something we as comics fans just have to live with” because “this is our reality.”

But not for me. I refuse to continue to put up with your bullshit. I refuse to ignore or put up with your immaturity. I refuse to have you spoil the stories I’m reading. I refuse to stand silently by while you kick your base to make a quick buck.

And it’s because of this, Marvel, that I have to quit you. I’ve been a loyal reader for six and a half years. I’ve bled THOUSANDS of dollars into your books since then. I’ve gotten tons of my friends into comics (not just yours, but yours too). I love your properties, I love your stories, I love your comics. I’ve loved, cried, and laughed at your books since becoming a Marvel fan.

But no more. I can’t handle your attitude and I can’t handle the way you treat a fan like me. How dare I decide to support DC’s failed movie so we can get more non-Batman-or-Superman DC movies? How dare I support non-spoiled stories (Super 8 only made $40 million its first weekend. What must C.B. Cebulski think of that)? How dare I demand maturity from a company owned by Disney, who would NEVER allow such discourse from executives or VPs in “more respected media” like film or television?

I think of it differently. More like how dare I continually support your company in the face of all this? I can’t. Maybe if you guys acted with a bit more professionalism, you could help make this medium look a bit more grown up. I’m done fighting against being viewed as immature while your company perpetuates just that mentality.

But that’s okay, guys. I’m sure your massive-and-ever-expanding-and-growing comic fanbase will keep you guys afloat. There’s plenty of fans to keep kicking around while you try to bring in more so you can do just that.

I’m sure I won’t be missed at all.

Sincerely,

Matt Smith

So yeah…this is actually happening. Stan Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger are working on an animated Governator television series as well as a comic book! After watching this trailer/test footage looking video I can’t help but express complete astonishment. It’s really one of those things you have to experience for yourself.

Play Along: How many summer blockbuster movie references are there? I counted Iron Man, Transformers, Terminator, The Dark Knight, and The Matrix

-Reid Ackerman

I originally posted this around this time last year, but since I’m going to be bringing this article series back (and actually write more of them), I thought I’d repost it for anyone who didn’t get a chance to read it the first time around. I’ve also updated some things a bit where they were outdated. Enjoy!

If I Ran Hollywood… is a series of articles in which I take on the role of Producer and not only cast an adaptation of my favorite comic/geek-related properties, but also choose a director, and write out a rough outline of what I think the story should be. Of course I know that even in a perfect world the odds of the stars aligning for any of my “dream projects” to come to fruition are slim to none, making this less “If I Ran Hollywood…” and more “If I Ruled Hollywood With An Iron Fist Of Doom…”, but I digress.

Reboots seem to be all the rage in Hollywood at the moment, so for my first outing I’m going to take a swing at one of my favorite Marvel Comics characters, Daredevil. The 2003 film (from writer/director Mark Steven Johnson) was, in my opinion, one of the biggest disappointments to come out of this new age of comic book movies. Some will without a doubt argue that the Director’s Cut was vastly improved, but I would argue that while I agree it was better, it still wasn’t necessarily good, and it still wasn’t what I want from a Daredevil film.

Daredevil is a character that, if done right, could easily be one of the more accessible superheroes for mainstream audiences. I think that if The Dark Knight did anything, it proved that audiences are extremely interested in street level heroes. Daredevil is definitely at his best when he’s taking down Hell’s Kitchen’s organized criminal element, rather than groups like The Hand who work just fine in the funnybooks, but I just don’t think they’re as easy to swallow on film. Plus, while he technically has superpowers, they don’t have to be a focus at all and can be kept purposefully vague. The fact that Matt Murdock is a blind superhero who has the power to kinda sorta see, isn’t what makes the character interesting. Instead, the focus should be on his inner battle with trying to keep his faith in the the court system, but ultimately wanting justice whether it comes from the sound of a judge’s gavel or at the hands of his vigilante alter-ego. At the end of the day, Daredevil should be a crime story. Period.

THE DIRECTOR

My first instinct for the director’s chair would be Martin Scorcese. Between the mob stuff and the boxing stuff (Battlin’ Jack Murdock flashbacks), he seems like a perfect choice, and it goes without saying he has the talent. But since I didn’t cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Matt Murdock (even though that wouldn’t be the end of the world by any stretch), lets just assume Scorcese wouldn’t be available. He’s almost so perfect it takes out a bit of the fun. So with that in mind, my pick for the filmmaker to bring Daredevil to the big screen would be…

David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club, and Seven)

It wasn’t long ago that the director of Fight Club was on the short list for Spider-Man’s theatrical debut (a job that eventually went to Sam Raimi), and while I don’t think that would have necessarily been a good fit, I think Fincher’s gothic-noir style would be great to bring dirty, gritty life to Daredevil. Plus, what’s a hero without a hometown to protect? I can already picture Fincher’s Hell’s Kitchen in all its glory, and I can get why Matt Murdock would feel the need to throw on red tights, grab a billy club, and do whatever it took to protect it from it’s more unsavory elements.

Daredevil isn’t all rooftops and back alleys, however, so he’d have to be able to make the courtroom drama just as exciting as The Man Without Fear’s nightlife exploits. Matt Murdock is a lawyer at the end of the day, and all the best Daredevil stories found a perfect balance between court cases and pounding faces (Yeah, I rhymed. What of it?). But after his work on The Social Network, Fincher proved that he can make a court case just as compelling as his action, and that’s exactly the kind of tight rope act the director of Daredevil needs to be able to pull of.

THE CAST

Matt Murdock aka Daredevil – Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica and Law&Order: UK)

Every once in a while an actor or actress comes along that is absolutely born to play a particular role. For Daredevil, I believe that actor is Jamie Bamber. Anyone who has seen him as Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica knows he can already run the gamut from action hero to legal defender through the course of the series. He’s a capable actor who I believe could bring a level of believability and respectability back to the character of Matt Murdock. Its important the audience sympathizes with Matt, and Affleck just couldn’t do it for me (now rather that was Affleck or the script is another story entirely… but regardless, it didn’t work). Daredevil doesn’t kill, that the Punisher’s MO. That was a huge mistake the first film made because I can’t genuinely like a character that is a murderer. At the end of the day, Matt needs to believe in the justice system, not take it into his own hands. That just makes me Judge Dredd, not Daredevil. Many fans have made exclamations of Michael C. Hall (Dexter) or Misha Collins (Supernatural) for the role, and while I genuinely like both actors, I just don’t see either of them as a great Daredevil. For my money, Bamber is pitch perfect.

Franklin “Foggy” Nelson – Patton Oswalt (Big Fan and The King of Queens)

The strongest part of 2003’s Daredevil was easily Jon Favreau as Foggy, so it is unfortunate that in order for a clean break from the ham and cheese of the original film, we really need to recast everyone. Of course, I’m pretty sure Favreau is far too busy counting his Iron Man money to be upset about missing out on playing Foggy Nelson again, so no worries. This brings us to Patton Oswalt, who really has the perfect personality to pull off the character. Foggy is Matt’s anchor to humanity and best friend. He has to be there to point out when/if Matt is taking his exploits as Daredevil too far, regardless of whether he wants to hear it or not. Beyond that, he should also be a subtle means of comic relief in an otherwise dark film. I think Oswalt has proven himself recently with his roles in Big Fan and even Dollhouse that he has the chops to pull off the role perfectly. And best of all? He’s one of us! Total comic book nerd who I truly believe, if a producer offered him the role, he’d never think twice. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be Patton Oswalt’s best friend? (rhetorical. seriously, don’t answer just so you can be “that guy”)

Karen Page – January Jones (Mad Men)

I know that Elektra seems to be the fan favorite for Matt’s love interest, but I gotta be honest, I never really got it. While I can understand the appeal of the a romance between two equals, there’s just something much more interesting about Matt trying to maintain a romantic relationship with someone who isn’t related to all that superhero business. For me, Karen Page was the love of Matt’s life and losing her was always much more tragic. Sure, it was sad when Elekra died, but they both knew it was a possibility because of the life they’ve chosen to lead. I think January Jones will be great to take the role of Karen Page from what most actresses would keep firmly in two-dimensions to a full, well-rounded character. She did the same for Betty Draper on Mad Men, a character who could easily have become a parody of a 60s housewife. Not to mention the simple fact that January’s Betty looks like Tim Sale’s Karen Page from Daredevil: Yellow come to life. As for the darker aspects of the character? I don’t care what continuity says, my Karen Page was never addicted to heroin nor a porn star, and I’m not remotely interested in her ever doing either.

Ben Urich – Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars)

I know that this isn’t a conventional choice as he doesn’t particularly resemble the character, but there’s just something about Enrico Colantoni (and especially his portrayal of Keith Mars) that just screams “Ben Urich” to me. When most people do fancasts (which I know is what this whole article essentially is) they seem to focus on outward appearance. This is how you see a TON of wrestlers cast as comic characters, or in the case of Ben Urich: David Caruso. I mean, not for nothing, but the character deserves better than that people… what did he ever do to you? For me, Ben Urich is the best investigative journalist in New York, but he’s not successful because he’s cursed with a moral code. Even though he has every reason in the world to print a story that could make him famous, he won’t do it if it could destroy the life of a good person. This is ultimately the dilemma he’s faced with when he figures out that the blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen is also Daredevil. Urich is doomed to be down on his luck, and Colantoni is the first face that comes to mind.

Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin – Ray Winstone (The Departed and Indiana Jones 4)

Remember when I said people get too wrapped up in physical appearances when casting comic characters? Well, the Kingpin is no exception. The problem, of course, is that Wilson Fisk is a very recognizable character and there really isn’t anyone that fits the bill physically. No one is that big (and before you say it: No, Butterbean cannot play The Kingpin). I think that’s ultimately why the producers went with Michael Clark Duncan, he’s the losest thing they could get to the physical stature and presence needed to pull off the role as its presented in the funnybooks. But here’s the thing: It’s COMIC BOOKS. Its not supposed to be realistic, that why we read them. The Kingpin doesn’t exist, and the best thing you can do is cast someone who can play both respected business man and ruthless mob boss. If he can play the character larger than life, then he will BE larger than life. This brought me to Ray Winstone who has proven that he can play a gangster with ease, and I think his graduation to Kingpin would be a non-issue.

Leland Owlsley aka The Owl – Jack Nicholson (Lots of stuff. He’s Jack Nicholson!)

Leland Owlsley has been (mostly) portrayed as a bit of a joke. From inception, he was essentially a knock-off of another bird fixated villain from Gotham City. So in order to quell that comparison for the film, I thought it would be more interesting if The Owl had the “Kingpin of crime” title at the beginning of the film, eventually losing his role to his right hand man, Wilson Fisk. For the role of a cocky, been there done that Godfather-type, I personally feel that Jack Nicholson fits the role nicely. Plus, I really dig the idea of him being referred to as an “old bird”. He’d just need to play it straight and not try to ham it up like he did as the Joker (Which as long as nobody actually tells Jack that Daredevil is a comic book, he shouldn’t be wiser…).

Mary Walker aka Typhoid Mary – Angela Bettis (May and 2002’s Carrie)

Another character that I think would benefit from a bit of change would be Typhoid Mary. Her character could be super cheesy if done improperly, so the first change would be that Mary Walker is The Owl’s daughter. I know I know, cry sacrilege all you want, but at least hear me out. I see Mary as the daughter of a crime boss who is mousy and constantly talked down to and mistreated. Her “Typhoid” personality comes as a way of coping with a total lack of confidence, while her “Bloody” personality first arrives when she is nearly raped by one of her father’s henchmen. She’s broken for sure, and when I think broken, I think Angela Bettis. Her roles in May and Carrie are exactly what I’ve envision for Mary. She’s a talented actress who not only deserves the exposure, but would be able to believably play all three of Mary’s personalities.

Battlin’ Jack Murdock – Ray Liotta (Goodfellas and Narc)

Jack Murdock would only be in flashbacks of course, but its an important role nevertheless. I like Ray Liotta, and I think he’d be pretty believable as an aging boxer and father. Plus, he looks like he could be one half of Bamber… kind of.

THE PITCH

Movie 1

As the film opens, Daredevil has been around for a few months, just long enough to have become a nuisance to Leland Owlsley, the man running the biggest crime organization in Hell’s Kitchen. Wilson Fisk is his right hand man, mostly due to the fact that he is in a relationship with Owl’s daughter Mary, but Fisk is secretly leading a rival crime family. His plan is to eventually overpower and betray Owlsley and combine the two mobs of Hell’s Kitchen and setting himself up as the Kingpin of the whole shebang (SPOILER! He succeeds…).

Matt Murdock and Foggy have just opened their Nelson and Murdock legal firm after leaving the giant firm they had worked at since graduating law school. Needless to say they’re struggling, taking any case they can. They’re also very unorganized, their office still looking like they just moved in. Karen Page comes by looking for secretarial work, and they explain to her that as much as they want and desperately need a secretary, they just can’t afford it. Karen offers to work for free until they can pay her, she believes that she can improve their business just by keeping them organized and answering their phone. She begins working for them, and of course, her and Matt spark up a relationship much to Foggy’s chagrin who had called “dibs”.

Ben Urich is a reporter for the Daily Bugle. He has an assistant who he usually sticks with whatever stories he doesn’t want. His assistant, a wannabe reporter, keeps telling him that this Daredevil could be the story of his career, but Urich doesn’t buy it. Instead Urich writes a story about Leland Owlsley which he isn’t too happy about. Owl orders his men to teach Urich a lesson. They corner him in an alley and beat him up. Daredevil shows up and saves him. Suddenly, Urich doesn’t think a story about Hell’s Kitchen’s guardian would be too bad an idea. So he begins to investigate Daredevil, and try to figure out his identity.

Mary Walker, Leland Owlsely’s daughter, has had enough abuse (mental and physical) at her father’s hand, and Typhoid Mary is born. Typhoid Mary becomes a vigilante in her own right, going out at night and breaking up some of her father’s shady dealings. At first, Daredevil sees her as an ally, even teaming up with her a couple times. This changes however when one of Owl’s thugs attempts to rape Mary, and Bloody Mary is born. Bloody Mary brutally kills the thug, and goes out on patrol with Daredevil as Typhoid Mary. The two put a stop to a big drug exchange, but Mary doesn’t stop there. She begins slaughtering the men one by one. Daredevil stops her, but she gets away.

Through a bit of good detective work and crazyrandomhappenstance, Ben Urich discovers that the struggling blind lawyer, Matt Murdock, and Daredevil are one in the same. He struggles with the information because he know what would happen to Matt’s life if he wrote the story. He decides to meet with Matt and come clean. Matt thinks he wants money, but in reality, Urich just wants to thank him for everything he’s done for the city and for saving his life. Matt simply smiles and says “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”. They understand each other. Urich shreds the file he had on Daredevil, but his assistant takes the shredded paper.

With Bloody Mary on the loose, Fisk decides that the time is now to enact his takeover. He shows up with his gang to the Owl’s office for a showdown, but is surprised to find that Mary has beaten him there. The Owl is dead. Long live The Kingpin.

Daredevil finds Mary on a roof, covered in her father’s blood. She wants him to get her help. Just so happens that he knows a great lawyer that would be able to get her an insanity plea no problem if she turned herself in.

Urich’s assistant storms into the editor’s office of the Daily Bugle’s competitor and throws down a painstakingly taped together file that reads: Daredevil.

After the very public trial of Mary Walker, who is now in a mental hospital, business is booming at Nelson and Murdock. Karen gets her first paycheck (with back pay of course), and everything is awesome.

The film ends on a close up of a newspaper headline at a news stand: DAREDEVIL IS BLIND LAWYER FROM HELL’S KITCHEN

(NOTE: I did not bother casting anything from the next two films because they’re a lot more vague than my take on the first movie.)

Movie 2

This film will show the rise of Wilson Fisk as the “Kingpin of Crime”. As Daredevil, Matt will be trying his best to foil Fisk’s plans, but fails at every turn. His outting as Daredevil by the press is taking a tole on his personal life, both his new romance with Karen and his longtime friendship with Foggy. But through it all, the situation should make both relationships stronger. Kingpin hires the Enforcers to take out Daredevil, and fail several times. Eventually Kingpin comes up with a “better idea” and asks Matt to meet him. There he finds the bodies of the Enforcers and the police show up and find him. He’s been set-up. Daredevil escapes, but the police show up at his apartment and arrest him later. Before the trial, Ben Urich is trying to find out information on the murders and questions the morgue tech. The morgue guy mentions that all three men were killed exactly the same way: precise hit to a particular artery near the heart. Morgue tech – “The guy would have to be a perfect shot. Pop! Pop! Pop! Bullseye..”. Matt Murdock is found guilty and goes to prison.

Movie 3

Matt is in prison, but with the help of Urich and Foggy, tries to build a case to prove his innocence. Kingpin gets wind of Matt’s plans, and knowing that he will eventually succeed, rehires Bullseye after he used him off camera in the last film. Bullseye must commit a crime, get caught, convicted, and then kill Matt Murdock from within prison. Of course he fails to kill Matt, after a standoff between the two during a prison riot that Bullseye started as a distraction. Foggy and Urich prove Matt’s innocence and he is released. Everything is back to normal and Matt vows to put his Daredevil alter ego away for good so he can focus on his career and his relationship with Karen. But since nothing can be happy for Matt, Bullseye escapes and takes Karen hostage, demanding that Matt show up in costume to face him. They fight, Daredevil wins, but with his last bit of strength, Bullseye throws Daredevil’s billy club and hits Karen. She dies in his arms. While Matt grieves, Bullseye takes this opportunity to escape. Matt decides to go after the man responsible for all of this: Wilson Fisk. Foggy tries to stop him, it isn’t what Karen would have wanted, but Matt refuses to listen to reason. He fights his way into Fisk’s office. Fisk – “Are you here to kill me?” Daredevil – “No. I’m here to tell you that I’m not going away. Not now. Not ever.”. We then see Matt, Foggy, and Urich at Karen’s funeral. They ask Matt about what he’s going to do now, is he going to stop being Daredevil? Matt – “Before, I wouldn’t do what was needed to get justice. I didn’t want to put my loved ones in harm’s way. But now, I’ll never stop. I’m a Man Without Fear…”

So ends my Daredevil trilogy.

So ends my very first If I Ran Hollywood article! I really hope you guys liked this and will want to read more of them. I put a lot of research into these so I doubt I can get them done more than once a month, but as soon as I finish them, I’ll post it!

Scott Carelli is a podcaster and aspiring writer. Look for more of his articles coming soon to Geekshow Entertainment. Until then, you can follow him on Twitter.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

Back again with another commentary with John Pavlich on his Sofadogs site. This time with the sequel that many say surpasses the original (and I would wholeheartedly agree from a fun-factor), Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. So cut off your hand,  strap on your chainsaw, and go to town on some deadites with us HERE!

Scott Carelli returns as the Sofa Dogs podcast continues its month-long tribute to classic Horror movies, in preparation for Halloween. In this episode, we follow up our previous commentary for The Evil Dead, with the “splatstick” sequel, Evil Dead 2. Bruce Campbell reprises his role as Ash, perpetually tormented by demonic spirits at a remote cabin in the woods.

Please join Scott and I as we discuss Sam Raimi’s love for a certain Oldsmobile, stop-motion animation, comically large jewelry and a famous soft drink that may be the key to this film’s success. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

I’m a little late with getting the word out on this one, but I figure better late then never right? Right? Well, once again I’ve joined John Pavlich for a commentary on his Sofadogs site, this time sitting down with Sam Raimi’s “ultimate experience in grueling terror”, The Evil Dead. We’ll also be covering the sequel later this month as well, but for now, pop in the DVD (or Blu-Ray) and listen along HERE!

As the podcast continues this month-long tribute to Halloween and the Horror genre, Scott Carelli joins in on a commentary for Sam Raimi’s feature directorial debut, The Evil Dead. In it, a group of college friends drive out to a remote cabin in the woods. Hoping to relax and enjoy some good times, they soon uncover an ancient book and an ominous tape recording that unwittingly unleashes some dark and deadly spirits. Demonic possessions and mutilating of flesh is the order of the day for most of the running time. Boasting inventive effects and camera techniques, it’s the American classic that would ignite the careers of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, forever changing the landscape of low budget, independent Horror cinema.

Please join Scott and I as we talk about building tension, sound editing, the charm of Campbell, the Criterion Company and the debates of taste and restraint in storytelling. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

By Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura

From writer Joe Kelly(Amazing Spider-Man, Four Eyes) and artist J.M. Ken Niimura comes the graphic novel I Kill Giants.

Barbara Thorson, bullied and friendless, will not back down. She is smart, angry, won’t follow the rules, won’t let anyone close, and sees things no one else does. In short, she is a very disturbed girl, and the power of I Kill Giants is its ability to convey the reality of a frightened little girl’s pain along with the wonder of her apparent fantasies. Kelly’s portrayal of the material is nothing short of literary, echoing the similarly combined elements in Roald Dahl’s Mathilda (1988), just as the giants that Barbara describes to her tentative new friend Sophia recall Quentin Blake’s illustrations in The BFG (1982). Nimura’s line work also retains the jittery quality of the British illustrator’s style, creating a world of sharp tension. As Barbara begins to let people in, her insistence that the giants are coming threatens these intensely longed-for relationships. Whether or not they exist, the metaphor of giants to symbolize the vast terrors of a person’s inner life has never been better realized. Along with Storm in the Barn (the 2009 Booklist Top of the List winner for Youth Fiction), this is graphic storytelling at its zenith: employing fantasy to offer profound insight and take readers on a deeply emotional journey.

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Hey geeks, Scott here.

Just wanted to make you aware of a commentary I did recently with John Pavlich for his Sofadogs site, this time for the John Landis classic, An American Werewolf in London. If things go well, it should be the first of many commentaries I’ll be a part of this month. So stay tuned. So grab your copy of the DVD (or Blu-ray, if that’s how you roll) and check out the commentary HERE!

For the entire month of October, the Sofa Dogs podcast will be paying tribute to some beloved Horror films! Scott Carelli joins the show to kick things off with the classic from John Landis, An American Werewolf in London. Two buddies are backpacking through the England countryside, when they’re attacked by a wild animal and one of the friends is brutally murdered. The lone survivor, David wakes up in a London hospital to visions of his dead friend urging him to kill himself, or he will become a werewolf!

Please join Scott and I as we discuss the werewolf genre, John Landis and the fascinating marriage between Horror and Comedy. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

By John Layman and Rob Guillory

From writer John Layman (Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness) and artist Rob Guillory (Popgun Anthology).

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he’s a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn’t mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He’s been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

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(Click the the image below for a preview of the ENTIRE FIRST ISSUE!!)

Hey geeks, Scott here.

Just wanted to let you know that I had the opportunity to record a commentary for my favorite film of last year, (500) Days of Summer, with John Pavlich on his Sofadogs site. You can download it on iTunes, or listen to it HERE!

Returning to movie commentaries on the podcast, Scott Carelli joins me for a look at the 2009 film, (500) Days of Summer. Directed by Marc Webb (of My Chemical Romance music videos fame), the story concerns a young man who falls in love with a girl who doesn’t seem to feel the same way. Tom has feelings for Summer, but she tries to keep things casual. As we see the ins and outs of their relationship, Summer begins drifting away while Tom discovers who he truly is and what it means to be in love.

Please join Scott and I as we talk about mixed messages, running into your ex, commitment issues and the differences between friends and lovers. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Hey geeks, Scott here.

The third and final part of my latest stint as co-host of Couch Surfing with John Pavlich is now available on his site Sofa Dogs. Go check out the episode HERE!

Sofa Dogs Podcast #183 – Couch Surfing Ep. 36c : Trifecta! (Part 3 of 3)

The conclusion to this massive, three-part episode is finally here! Scott Carelli chats about the Murmur Podcast and Watchmen on Blu-ray.

00:01:55 – John and Scott sing the praises of iFanboy, but express concern and disappointment for Murmur.com.

00:08:36 – In addition to a subjective drop in quality content, Murmur’s technical issues with the site itself are also discussed.

00:19:51 – Do Blu-ray discs really make your wallet cry? We say, “not so much”.

00:22:00 – John finally saw Watchmen. Specifically, the Director’s Cut on Blu-ray.

00:24:49 – John and Scott defend the casting of Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter.

00:30:58 – John drools over Watchmen’s technical achievements.

00:36:10 – A sex scene in a film that’s actually important to the story and characters! Also, Watchmen’s soundtrack is mentioned.

00:39:39 – John closes out the show by reading the first new iTunes review for the podcast in over a year. The best part? It’s a five-star write up.

The following artists can be heard in this episode:

Danny DeVito, Jed Whedon & The Willing, Garbage, Zero 7, Neil Patrick Harris & Matthew Morrison, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Heavens, Tyler Bates, Tears For Fears, Brian Eno, Tall Tree 6ft Man and I Monster.

A prequel to Edgar Wright’s live action film currently in theaters (GO SEE IT NOW!!), Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation shows a flashback to Scott’s High School years and his romance with future Sex Bob-omb drummer Kim Pine. It also features the character Lisa Miller,  my favorite character from the graphic novel series who was tragically left out of the film (though not without good reason). Enjoy the 4-minute short below:

By Bryan Lee O’Malley

Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, lives in a cold, unnamed Canadian town, plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-Omb and has a very cute 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian girlfriend, Knives Chau. His “precious little life” is amiably unstructured, and he drifts, happily unemployed, between band practice and time spent with Knives. His relationship with Knives is chaste—walks, chats and hugs—although Knives is getting bigger ideas. “We haven’t even held hands,” Scott explains. “It’s just nice, you know.” But then he starts having dreams about Ramona Flowers, a mysterious, equally cute and perfectly legal hipster chick on Rollerblades who delivers books for Amazon.ca. Ramona is anything but simple, and O’Malley’s tale of adorable slackers in love is transformed into a wildly magically manga–kung fu fantasy adventure. We meet the first of Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends, Matthew Patel, who challenges Scott and his band to a supernatural martial arts duel right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. O’Malley has crafted a delightfully hybrid comics love story. It’s an alt-lit, rock ‘n’ roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot that manages to capture both the genuine intimacies and serial dishonesties of young love.

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Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (Vol. 6)

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So I decided that this year I wanted to watch thru some of my TV on DVD collection, as I’ve gotten to the stage where I have several but have watched few. Something that’s been on that list for a while has been The OC. While I did watch the show all the way thru of its initial run, I’ve been wanting to return to it for some time, especially since there were a few episodes there in the last season that I missed.

Watching the show now in my mid-twenties as opposed to my late teens, it’s a very different experience. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s simply the fact that I watched all 27 episodes (huge season!) back-to-back so quickly but I couldn’t get over the whopping amount of storylines that were covered, just in the first season alone. My blurry teenage memory of it all recalls such storylines as the Seth/Summer/Anna triangle and the Oliver debacle as such epic sagas, when in reality they only lasted a handful of episodes.

Another thing that I remembered every little smile and gesture the characters made, especially the teenagers, as being so significant and meaningful to both them and to me as I watched. On second viewing, I found I glossed over a lot of these subtleties at least towards the start of the season anyway.

This leaves me to wonder is it just a teenage thing and my own perception of stuff where every little detail can have such a huge impact on events, or a case of the writing not being as thought out to start with since it was a new show and finding its stride? I guess maybe a mixture of both.

But despite these minor foibles, I greatly enjoyed re-exploring this TV gem. How could I not love all these delightfully complex characters, each of which are far from perfect but lovable in their own ways.

First we have Ryan Atwood, the wife-beater wearing tough guy from the wrong side of the tracks. Facing a long stint in juvie after he and his brother stole a car, it’s up to Ryan’s legal aid attorney to get him off. Enter the compassionate Sandy Cohen, who of course, does just that.

After some hiccoughs from Ryan’s mother kicking him out and then abandoning him, he goes to stay with Sandy and his family until a better solution can arise. But all is not cocktails and bagels in Newport Beach. Ryan is far from Chino, Dorothy, and he’s gotta learn to adapt fast.

Kirsten Cohen, Sandy’s beautiful and powerful wife, is hesitant of Ryan. While not without sympathy for his circumstances, she is fearful of the impact he could have on her family. Son, Seth Cohen, the geeky loner trapped in the socialite community he hates, is however, delighted to finally have someone to talk to who doesn’t judge him and upon whom he can unleash all his comical idiosyncrasies and neuroses.

Ryan tries his best to fit in with the new order of things but it’s hard. He befriends the girl next door only to piss off her boyfriend who is captain of the water polo team; gets into fist fights (dragging Seth in too); burns down a model home and lands himself back in juvie, all in the first few episodes.

Rushing to his defence again, Sandy does everything he can to help the troubled teen, but it is Kirsten who unexpectedly opens her heart and her home to give Ryan the second chance he so desperately needs to start again. This of course after witnessing just how terrible his current life course is and the depths that it would inevitably take him to.

Over the course of the season the characters go a long way, as I said before. Perhaps none of them go as thru quite as much as popular girl turned social outcast, Marissa Cooper. In season one alone she has to go thru her parents’ divorce; moves houses; loses her virginity; gets cheated on by her boyfriend; overdoses on painkillers; gets sent to therapy; faces rejection; is the object of infatuation of a mentally unstable teen; gets threatened with a gun; has to deal with her parents moving on and dating again; her ex-boyfriend has a series of romantic trysts with her mother; she runs away from home; her mother remarries; she gets rejected again and finally turns to alcoholism to numb her pain. And I’m sure I’ve forgotten other things that happened to her in there as well. But seriously, yikes! How much can one girl take? While enjoyable I found some of this stuff annoying to a degree for the lack of realism. Any one of those events would impact a teen majorly but to have them all happen like they did, well, alcohol ain’t gonna do much for you honey, except cause more problems. But of course that’s the idea.

Aside from Marissa and Ryan and all there dramas, what I really loved watching were the storylines involving Seth, Summer and Anna. Oh I love Anna! The down point of the season for me was definitely when her character left; even though I knew it was necessary.

The chemistry between all three of those actors was incredible, no matter how you paired them, even the two girls when they were having their brief truce. Ultimately though, you can’t beat the delight of the Seth/Summer relationship unfolding IMO. My favourite parts include the trip to Tijuana, Summer kissing Seth and realising “I like Seth Cohen”, the Wonder Woman moment, the coffee cart declaration and all the Captain Oats/Princess Sparkles bits.

Finally I want to make mention of the relationships between the adults. Like their teenage children, the adults of The OC are just as likely to land themselves in all sorts of trouble, but of course the scale is much bigger. Lovers’ quarrels, secret trysts, embezzlement, blackmail (emotional and otherwise), lawsuits, business ventures, affairs, weddings and divorces are but a few of their exploits.

Thru all of that though I think the adults are in better shape by the end of the season than the kids. I really like the dynamic between Sandy and Kirsten. Often playful and sometimes explosive and tense, in the end they love each other very much and are very passionate towards one another. Indeed, their relationship is a fairly solid anchor for the rest of the characters around them, particularly Julie and Jimmy.

There are so many other things I could mention about The OC because it is just so epic. I still can’t get over that it was able to run a whopping 27 episodes in its first season. This is phenomenal. I love the music and the humorous moments as well as the costuming. Again, Anna is my favourite for best dressed character.

If you never saw this show during its television run and you love drama then The OC has it in spades and I highly recommend it. Think Dawson’s Creek meets Gossip Girl and that’s kind of the feel that this show has.

So what are you waiting for? Put The OC season one down on your Chrismukkah wish list right now, pour your glass of wine, don your wife-beater and spread the cream cheese on your bagel!

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

The second part of my latest foray into co-hosting duties on Couch Surfing with John Pavlich is now available on his site Sofa Dogs. Go check out the episode HERE!

Sofa Dogs Podcast #182 – Couch Surfing Ep. 36b: Trifecta! (Part 2 of 3)

Scott Carelli returns for part 2 of this expansive, trilogy of insanity to talk Inception, Christopher Nolan and Blackout.

00:01:28 – John shares his long journey of getting to see Inception on an IMAX screen. This leads to mini-reviews of Christopher Nolan’s previous work.

00:14:36 – We debate the pacing and emotional impact of Inception.

00:17:31 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt gets some high praise for his work and John plays Casting Agent. Scott also theorizes why Leonardo DiCaprio was cast as the lead.

00:20:24 – Scott brings up a potential plot hole and continuity error, meaning SPOILERS here for Inception. The ending is also heavily discussed, of course. NOTE: Scott’s issue with the film here will be fixed in a future episode.

00:32:13 – We talk a bit about Scott Pilgrim, both the books and the upcoming film. So far, John is not a fan of the source material but is seriously looking forward to the movie.

00:35:59 – John briefly geeks out about his love of film scores and soundtracks, with a big shout-out to The Inferno Music Vault.

00:39:15 – Is Michael Bay a better film maker than Christopher Nolan? How is this even a question?

00:42:12 – The new film, Devil reminds John of a 2007 film, Blackout. He made Scott watch Blackout. Scott proceeds to cry tears of blood for the remainder of this episode.

The following artists can be heard in this episode:

Leonardo DiCaprio & Ellen Page, Zack Hemsey, Hans Zimmer, Dreadzone, Tangerine Dream, Echobelly, Astral Projection, Metric, Paul Hertzog, Danzig, INXS, Better Than Ezra and James L. Venable.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

Just wanted to let you know that I once again had the opportunity to co-host on the latest episode of Couch Surfing with John Pavlich on his site Sofa Dogs. You can check out the episode HERE!

Sofa Dogs Podcast #181 – Couch Surfing Ep. 36a: Trifecta! (Part 1 of 3)

Scott Carelli stops by to partake in a chat about Possession, Mystery Team and My Bloody Valentine 3D. This episode is so massive, it had to be broken up into three sections!

The Mystery Team, Childish Bambino (Donald Glover), Michael Jackson, Andreas Alfredsson & Christian Sandquist & The Stiff Twins, Stars, Dario Marianelli, Jamin Winans, The Ting Tings, Kasabian, Kate Nash, Angels & Airwaves, A Perfect Circle, John Carpenter & Alan Howarth and Donovan.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

I had the opportunity to guest host on the most recent episode of Couch Surfing for John Pavlich’s Sofa Dogs. You can check it out HERE!

Sofa Dogs Podcast #179 – Couch Surfing Ep. 35: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

Scott Carelli returns to talk comics, get political and answer listener mail.

00:01:57 – We discuss the idea of smoking in bars, and those who would prefer shipping smokers off to a leper colony, and then setting the colony on fire.

00:14:29 – Common sense does not prevail, causing John to lose a friend in the Geek Community. Scott relates to the situation with a story about the polarizing power of writer, J. Michael Straczynski.

00:19:34 – Can you recognize something as bad and still like it, or vice versa? When does that become too personal?

00:31:25 – John makes a joking reference to Gore Verbinski’s American remake of The Ring. This results in discussion about the works of Ehren Kruger and the development of Scream 4.

00:34:32 – We cover the good, the bad and the ugly that is three seasons of AMC’s, Breaking Bad. We also show some love for Rian Johnson.

00:45:28 – Catching up on listener mail, our good friend Marshal talks the Ginger Snaps trilogy, Slither and The Descent.

00:55:43 – Longtime fan Brian sends in his first letter, discussing The Dark Knight’s snub from the Oscars, as well as some less than glowing opinions on the works of Joss Whedon. We share our favorite seasons and episodes of Angel, and talk about Joss making The Avengers.

01:11:57 – Hayden asks about John’s potential participation in the returning audio series, Geek By Night. Consulting the magic 8-ball, (SPOILER ALERT!) “Don’t count on it”.

01:15:53 – Jason closes out the emails and the show by thanking us for previously mentioning Spaced on Hulu.

The following artists can be heard in this episode:

David Klein & Scott Schiaffo, The Dandy Warhols, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Solomon Burke & The Blind Boys Of Alabama, BoDeans, The House Of Love, Stockton, The Submarines, SoHo, TV On The Radio, Portishead, Star Ghost Dog, She Wants Revenge, Lush, Heavens, Say Hi To Your Mom, David Bowie and Faithless.

By Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

This deluxe edition hardcover collects the first 10 issues of the award winning series by writer Brian K. Vaughan (Runaways, Lost) and Pia Guerra (Doctor Who: The Forgotten).

Yorick Brown is an escape artist; has a fabulous girlfriend who’s traveling in Australia; and possesses a genetic make-up that’s allowed him to survive a plague that killed every male being on the planet except for him and his pet monkey. Yorick is the last man on earth, and in the resulting chaos, he must find a way to help save the human race. At least that’s what the (now all-female) government thinks. Yorick would prefer to find his girlfriend, but it’s hard to get a flight halfway around the world when almost all the pilots and mechanics are gone.  Furthermore, the entire social fabric has gone to hell, with gun-wielding wives of Republican representatives insisting on getting their husbands’ seats and tribes of latter-day Amazons claiming males were meant to die. Meanwhile, who are the mysterious Israeli soldiers who seem so gratified by the situation, and why is Yorick’s sister so intent on joining the Amazons? With clean lines and muted colors, Guerra and Marz n invoke a frighteningly believable future; their vision of the surprise and horror to come is so beautifully ordinary, it’s entirely convincing-and addictive.

From In Stock Trades:

SRP: $29.99
IST price: $18.89
Discount: 37%

(Click the the image below for a PDF of the ENTIRE FIRST ISSUE!!)

By Joss Whedon and John Cassaday

This deluxe hardcover collects ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL. 3: TORN and ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL. 4: UNSTOPPABLE by the chart-topping super-team of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, plus extras. In TORN, things go from peculiar to just plain bizarre! Emma Frost’s erratic behavior has the X-Men spinning in a non-stop downward spiral. Will an unlikely union be the final straw? After secretly lying in wait for months, the new Hellfire Club makes its move! Plus: The X-Man destined to destroy the Breakworld stands revealed! Who is it, and what will be their fate? And in UNSTOPPABLE, the X-Men are off to protect the Earth from its destruction at the hands of the Breakworld. And when it’s all over, nothing will ever be the same! No, really, we mean it! Whedon and Cassaday prove they are more than Astonishing: They are unstoppable! Collecting ASTONISHING X-MEN #13-24 and GIANT-SIZE ASTONISHING X-MEN #1.

From In Stock Trades:

SRP: $34.99
IST price: $22.04
Discount: 37%

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

Yes, you read that right. No, this isn’t a really belated April Fool’s joke. Its actually happening. Geek By Night is back.

Really.

Why am I bringing it back now, so suddenly and after announcing it’s cancellation a few months ago? Well, that’s easy: I missed it. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought about GBN in some way. I just couldn’t get these characters out of my head and it was really beginning to weigh down other projects I had been trying to work on. All I wanted to write was Geek By Night. That’s when I knew I had to bring it back. The show had a life of it’s own and it didn’t want to die. Who am I to ignore that?

But that’s only part of it. The real reason? All of you. The fans that refused to accept Geek by Night’s demise. Not a week has gone by since last year that I haven’t gotten at least one email either mentioning GBN in some way, or just flat out begging for it to return. It was overwhelmingly heartwarming and I couldn’t stand letting everyone down anymore. I could have eventually gotten over my post-GBN depression and just moved on, but none of you would let me.

From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU.

But deciding to bring back the show is one thing, actually being able to do it is quite another. There were a lot of people involved with making Geek By Night the success it was, and if I wanted to repeat that, I needed them again. So I sent out a message just to ask if anyone was interested, assuming that most everyone would have moved on and been too busy to devote so much time to this little audio drama again. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. The response I received was overwhelmingly positive, with everyone ready to do whatever they could to bring Geek By Night back to full capacity. The troops were rallied and ready for war! (and by “war” I mean the production of a silly audio drama about geeks with super powers).

There was just one problem, and his name was Elliot Markowitz. I think that at this point I can pretty much assume that the character is cursed. Having lost Elliot #1 to show related drama, and Elliot #2 to real life drama, I hated the idea of having to cast the character again, but it was kind of a necessity seeing as Elliot is sort of the main character and all. But what if the curse just continued and Elliot had to keep being recast to the point that we’d reach the end of the series with our 7th Elliot? I don’t want that to happen. So in an effort to break the curse, maintain something resembling continuity going forward, and keep the show running smoothly I really only had one option: I’ll be playing Elliot. (Wow. I think I just heard a bunch of people collectively roll their eyes) It’s not ideal by any stretch, especially considering most of you have gotten so familiar with my voice over the years, but I know that I’ll be with the show to the end and at least this way we’ll never be forced to recast again.

So, no. It isn’t a dream. Geek By Night is really back. Season two will be 6 episodes, the first of which will premiere on Wednesday, August 18. We’ll follow the regular bi-weekly schedule we used to, with the Panel Discussions hosted by Brian Brown coming out on the off weeks.

And if season two is a success? Then maybe… Just maybe… We’ll do a season three.

Scott Carelli

Creator/Producer – Geek By Night

Hey Geeks, Scott here at Summit City Comic Con.

Randy and I are here at the Geekshow booth hanging out and chatting with con attendees. We’re going to leave this post for anyone who might want to say hi to us or maybe you’re checking out the site for the first time after seeing us at the con and you want to introduce yourself to the community.

Either way, this post is just for fun!

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

Just wanted to let you know that I recorded yet another commentary with John Pavlich of Sofa Dogs. We finish up or discussion of the Scream trilogy with 2000’s Scream 3. Lots of stuff to talk about in this one, so make sure you check it out!

From Sofa Dogs:

The nineties ended, and so did the Scream franchise (until just now). Off the success of the previous entries, Dimension Films demanded a complete trilogy. Wes Craven and his cast were brought back yet again, with at least one key participant in a severely reduced capacity. Equally as important, original author Kevin Williamson was missing this time out, having been replaced by Ehren Kruger. The results were a mixed bag of rampant cameos, Hollywood in-jokes and some occasional thrills.

Sidney Prescott has changed her name and disappeared, now working as a crisis counselor by phone. Meanwhile, Stab 3 is steamrolling into production on a big movie set. Surprise, surprise, the cast members in said picture start getting themselves killed. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley play Scooby-Doo on the studio back lot, discovering that the killer is leaving behind pictures of Sid’s Mother, forcing the young heroine out of hiding as she is continually haunted by her past.

Please join Scott Carelli and I as we discuss Directors-for-hire, arbitrary hallucinations and dream sequences, ridiculous, obvious red herrings and how Scream 3 plays more like one of the Stab movies than a legitimate entry into this once fresh and creative series. Hopefully, the upcoming fourth film will get things back on track. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the movie on your DVD.

Hey Geeks. Scott here.

Just wanted to let you know that John and I got together to record another fan commentary, a follow-up to our last one, this time focusing on Scream 2. This is a lot of fun, so make sure you check it out here and let me know what you thought.

From Sofadogs:

Scream hit the cinemas during Christmas of 1996, and made Teen Slashers popular and profitable again. Barely a year later, the sequel was released, cementing Kevin Williamson as a hot ticket in both television and films dealing with American youth. Scream 2 takes place a couple of years after the events of the first film. Sidney Prescott is alive and well at a fancy college, and even has a strapping, new boyfriend. Unfortunately for Sid and her friends, more killings are happening, and she must continue to pay for the mysterious sins of her dead Mother.

Deputy Dewey and Gale Weathers are on the case! As the body count rises, our heroes try to find the culprit (or culprits), as well as the connection between Sidney and all this bloodshed. Please join Scott Carelli and I as we talk about the Young & Hot Hollywood of ‘97, some thin plot developments, character motivations and the great scene thievery of Timothy Olyphant and Laurie Metcalf. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the film on your DVD.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

Just wanted to let you know that I recorded a fan commentary with John Pavlich of Sofadogs fame. This one is for a personal favorite, the 1996 modern classic, Scream. Check it out here and let me know what you think.

From Sofadogs:

Back in the mid-to-late 90s’, a young writer burst onto the scene with a big, self aware love letter to the slasher genre. Respected horror master Wes Craven signed on to direct and Scream was born, thus revitalizing and innovating the teen scare flick onward. In a quaint, sleepy town, a masked psycho is terrorizing the teens of Woodsboro.

Using horror films of old as a modus operandi, the killer rattles young victims by phone before brutally slaughtering them. Specifically, the mysterious “Ghostface” preys on innocent high schooler, Sidney Prescott, whose Mother was raped and murdered only a year prior. Is the past trauma connected to these new murders? Who’s the killer and why?

Please join Scott Carelli and I as we take a look back at one of the most iconic slasher films of our adolescence. In this commentary, we discuss Kevin Williamson’s writing style and characters, Wes Craven’s directorial choices and the state of the horror genre at the time. Remember to listen for the preemptive countdown before starting the film on your DVD.

Hey Geeks, Scott here.

The second half of my latest appearance on Couch Surfing is now available from John Pavlich’s Sofa Dogs site here: Check it out!

Sofa Dogs Podcast #168 – Couch Surfing Episode 33b – Critical Mass (Part 2 of 2)

The conclusion to this episode leaves brevity behind, as John and Scott talk at length about indie films, british television and superhero icons.