Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor: Miscast or Inspired Choice?

The announcement from Warner Bros. today that Jesse Eisenberg had been cast as Lex Luthor in the untitled Superman-Batman sequel scheduled for 2016 was met with howls from the blogosphere.

But in this case, the Internet might actually have a point. Eisenberg, who received an Oscar nomination for playing Mark Zuckerberg in 2010′s “The Social Network,” doesn’t exactly scream evil comicbook villain. And he’s a departure from other names that had been floated for the role, such as “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston.

Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh and Justin Kroll debate the pros and cons of casting Eisenberg in the much-anticipated tentpole opposite Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman.

Ramin Setoodeh: Do the citizens of Metropolis even use Facebook? The decision to cast Eisenberg as Luthor is unexpected, to say the least, and combine that with Affleck as Batman, and I’m a little worried about the future of WB’s “Man of Steel” franchise. (By the way, unlike the critics, I loved the first outing starring Cavill, which came out last summer.) I guess what concerns me most is what you’ll get when you combine the normally good-natured Eisenberg with Zach Synder’s uneven directing.

Synder has been known to put his special effects above his actors (see 2009′s “Watchmen” or 2011′s “Sucker Punch”), which is why the younger stars in his films usually get washed out. Bryan Cranston was previously rumored to be up for Luther, and I think that would have been a much better choice. I could even see his “Breaking Bad” co-star Aaron Paul in the part. But Zuckerberg — I mean Eisenberg — wouldn’t be my top pick.

Justin Kroll: Well, at least we agree on one thing, because I also enjoyed “Man of Steel.” For the first time, Snyder allowed his actors to be at the forefront. A perfect example of that is the scenes with Kevin Costner as Clark Kent’s father, where the human story is the important part, and not the action. I think it shows Snyder’s maturing as a director.

Now that I’ve said that, I think this is a great outside-the box-casting decision by Warner Bros. Eisenberg isn’t a terrifying, menacing figure like Heath Ledger’s Joker or Michael Shannon’s General Zod, but remember, neither was Gene Hackman when he played Luthor in the first “Superman.” Luthor isn’t supposed to be that. He is the person behind the curtain, the man pulling the strings. When you first meet him, you don’t expect him to be the evil being that he is.

RS: But I wouldn’t consider Costner playing Clark’s father a stretch. You could see how that performance would take shape. There’s a difference between taking a risk in casting and casting a movie that feels disjointed, and for the new Superman-Batman, I fear the worst.

Let’s also remember that Luthor, a crazy scientist, has always been played on the big screen (starting with Lyle Talbot in 1950′s “Atom Man vs. Superman,” Hackman in Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman” and even Kevin Spacey in the underwhelming 2006 “Superman Returns”) by an actor older than Clark Kent. Eisenberg is 30 — the same age as Cavill — but he looks about 25, and he might not be physically imposing enough. And is he going to shave his head? He’ll look like he stepped right off the “Smallville” set.

JK: Look at you, dropping the Lyle Talbot’s name into the mix — I’m impressed. First, I want to make a point about the age difference, because it is a good point. In the DC universe, the Luthor-Superman storyline has gone through various interpretations and in a couple Luthor and Superman arcs, the two are the same age; in fact, in one arc, they even grew up together. Much like the Nolan “Batman” movies, WB has shown that it wants to shake things up, and I think this is a shakeup that needs to happen to separate previous “Batman” and “Superman” films from this one. While “Smallville” may have talent from the CW Network, its showrunners still knew their DC comics history.

RS: For the sake of comicbook groupies everywhere, I hope you’re right about Eisenberg. I am rooting for the movie to work, because Superman and Batman on the big screen could, and should, be an epic Hollywood blockbuster. I really hope Synder puts his characters before his CGI budget, especially since he won’t have Christopher Nolan this time helping on the script like he did on “Man of Steel.”

Nerd chat - How to fix the Marvel universe

[JPX]  I don't believe that the Marvel "universe" needs to be fixed but this is a funny nerd rant and worth checking out.

Daily Spider-Bomb! Spidey vs. Jameson Week 2!

Is that Mary Jane's dad?  

Dang!  MJ wants to bang Peter on the street.

Panel one:  "MJ and Peter are fucking."

Why, today's strip ended just like yesterday's!  Maybe they can show some neighbors one at a time and ride out the whole week.

I think in the Marvel Universe the whole "he's a robot/he's a mutant" shtick can apply to literary everyone.

Panel two:  everybody does something weird with their hands!

I'm going out on a limb here folks, but I think maybe J. Jonah Jameson wants to make out with Spider-Man.

Daily (cough cough) Spider-Bomb! New Story Begins!

I bet none of the other news photographers hang out with Peter Parker during lunch.

Another nagging narration panel...

"Actually Jonah, it would be better if your headline read 'Then He Came Back.'"

Because your Spider-Sense is a silly, usless power and goes off when weird men cock their eyebrows.

"Twenty times, Jesus Christ.  Do I hate the theater or do I hate my wife?  Oh God it's both.'

You know, his piles of spider-money.

"Hooray!  Maybe I'm not famous, but I can screw with my famous wife's career for attention!"

OMFG, YES!

As I have shown previously - I love candy.  Specifically, Cadbury Creme Eggs as is evidenced by my winning choice for the Candy Haiku Hump Day contest that is linked above:

Cadbury cream eggs
Gross but good. Good but gross, right?
Those are some weird shit.
 (by Julie)

Imagine my JOY at discovering this recipe today...

Cadbury Creme Egg f*cking DONUTS! 

Recipe can be found at Kitchen Daily. They will be mine.

"Twin Peaks" Cut Scenes Finally Coming?

Amongst the most legendary of alternate film edits is David Lynch's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me".

The theatrical cut of the 1992 prequel to the classic mystery TV series clocks in at 135 minutes. However, Lynch's original version was said to clock in at closer to four hours, many of the additional scenes featuring characters from the TV series who ultimately did not appear in the finished film.

Both the lack of the involvement of show producer Mark Frost, and the lack of these mostly lighter cut scenes resulted in a film that was very David Lynch in style - dark, experimental and borderline impenetrable. Reviews were scathing, even hardcore fans were divided, but many remain intrigued as to what was excised.

Now, speaking about the upcoming 'Definitive' Blu-ray box set, actor Ray Wise was asked by AICN if the deleted scenes from "Fire Walk with Me" will make it into the release. He says:

"Yeah, it's going to happen. I don't know what happened to be able to do it, I suppose it has something to do with the French producers. But, it's happening. I guess the first cut of David's film, Fire Walk with Me, was probably around three-and-a-half hours long, maybe approaching four, we'll probably see a lot of that material on the new set."

Earlier this week Lynch himself (via Welcome to Twin Peaks) shot down talk of new material being shot for the box-set, but did say the box-set will include "some special things on that Blu-ray that haven’t been seen before."

Lizzie Borden Took An Axe

In 1975 Elizabeth Montgomery surprised everyone by owning the role of Lizzie Borden in a fantastic TV movie called The Legend of Lizzie Borden. I loved that movie, she did such a fantastic job in the role. Naturally I was intrigued when I heard they were making a new Lizzie Borden film. So, last night Tony and I sat down to watch Christina Ricci in Lizzie Borden Took An Axe.

First of all, can I say that my expectations were not great considering, A) it's a Lifetime movie, B) Christina Ricci isn't Elizabeth Montgomery and C) seriously, it's a Lifetime movie! The film lost Tony in the first five minutes simply because of the modern hard rock sound track, it just didn't fit. I wasn't feeling it either, it was like watching a '90's music video. Christina Ricci seemed all too out of place from the rest of the cast. It was as if this modern spoiled young girl time warped into the past, as opposed to Clea DuVall who does a wonderful job portraying the stoic Emma Borden.

Lizzie and her father have this weird Lolita-like relationship, it almost appears as if Lizzie is trying to seduce him, totally creepy. Modern Lizzie seems to be in control of her actions, she's like an angst ridden teen disrespectful, defying her parents rules, shoplifting. A complete turn around from the Elizabeth Montgomery portrayal in which Lizzie appeared more to be a woman pushed to the brink of madness under her fathers strong handed rule. Where Elizabeth evoked sympathy, Christina just appears to be a bratty kid who gets away with a crime.

Beyond the character portrayal, her look was all wrong as well. Ricci's big eyes, moon face and petite size were a far cry from the real Miss Borden who was very statuesque. On the upside, if you removed Ricci and the out of place soundtrack the film was pretty solid, for a Lifetime film anyway. Oh look! Flowers in the Attic is on next!

This Time Adam Scott Recreated the 'Bosom Buddies' Intro

From iwatchstuff, As Adam Scott has already made clear across three specials, when he says he's making "The Greatest Event in Television History," he means it--even if he also means he's making "a shockingly-faithful shot-for-shot recreation of a largely-forgotten '80s TV intro." Last night brought his fourth installment of televised greatness, and it may well be his greatest Greatest Event since the Simon and Simon Intro.  With Paul Rudd, Gillian Jacobs, Aidy Bryant, Billy Joel, and others, he's remade the Bosom Buddies opening, an intro matched in overly-elaborate setups only by the show's cross-dressing conceit itself.

[JPX]  Go to 9:18 to see the intro!

Box Office

From ew, The Kevin Hart comedy Ride Along continued to speed through a typically quiet box-office frame, while the monster thriller I, Frankenstein couldn’t be roused from the dead.

Universal’s buddy cop comedy Ride Along, co-starring Ice Cube, cruised to the top of the box office again, taking in $21.2 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film last week set a January debut record, with $48.6 million over the three-day holiday weekend.

For the second weekend in a row, Universal claimed No. 1 and No. 2 at the box office, with the Afghanistan war film Lone Survivor earning $12.6 million in its fifth week. With a cumulative total of $93.6 million, the relatively inexpensive Lone Survivor, starring Mark Wahlberg, will soon cross the $100 million mark.

But I, Frankenstein had a sizable budget, estimated at $65 million, yet opened with just $8.3 million. Starring a beefed-up Aaron Eckhart as Mary Shelley’s famous monster in a modern-day setting, the 3-D film wasn’t screened for critics and came into the weekend with little buzz. Lakeshore Entertainment financed the film, which was distributed by Lionsgate.

With $13 million in overseas box office, I, Frankenstein could scare up better business internationally.

Two family films trailed Ride Along and Lone Survivor. The animated squirrel comedy The Nut Job made $12.3 million in its second week for Open Road Films. Disney’s juggernaut “Frozen” added $9 million for a 10-week domestic total of $347.8 million.

Several Oscar candidates sought to capitalize on their recent best-picture nominations. Expanding by a few hundred theaters were Dallas Buyers Club ($2 million, $20.4 million total), 12 Years a Slave ($2 million, $45.5 million total), Gravity ($2 million, $261.2 million total), Philomena ($1 million, $25.8 million total) and Nebraska($1.4 million, $11.6 million total). Also adding theaters was August: Osage County, which earned $5 million, bringing its cumulative haul to $26.5 million.

Some of the biggest Oscar bounces were abroad, where several nominees still have countries to open in. Paramount’s Oscar-nominated The Wolf of Wall Street led international business, with a robust $31 million. Fox Searchlight’s 12 Years a Slave has also proved unusually strong overseas for such an American story. It took in $8.3 million internationally over the weekend.

Hollywood will largely cede next weekend to the Super Bowl, except for new releases Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, and That Awkward Moment, with Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.

1. Ride Along, $21.2 million ($750,000 international).

2. Lone Survivor, $12.6 million ($275,000 international).

3. The Nut Job, $12.3 million.

4. Frozen, $9 million ($20.2 million international).

5. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, $8.8 million ($14.3 million international).

6. I, Frankenstein, $8.3 million ($13 million international).

7. American Hustle, $7.1 million ($5 million international).

8. August: Osage County, $5 million ($1.8 million international).

9. The Wolf of Wall Street, $5 million ($31 million international).

10. Devil’s Due, $2.8 million ($2.2 million international).

JPX and JSP's father was Martin Luther King's waiter!

Memories of Dr. Martin Luther king at the CSS Luncheon 1963

     I remember being very excited in anticipation of seeing Dr. King close up since I had previously seen him speak in Hartford Conn and I was very impressed. I, and several of my roommates from Psi U., were part of the waiter staff at the CSS luncheon for Dr. King. The waiters were, of course, busy with the preparations and serving of the meal and by chance, I was actually the waiter who served Dr. King his meal. I have recounted that event to my children and grandchildren and it has remained in my memories as a significant and privileged life experience. We all knew at the time that Dr. King was important because he was in the news but none of us, of course, could possibly have appreciated the fame, historical significance, and the profound positive influence on humanity that lay ahead.

     As waiters, we were not in a position to ask Dr. King questions but we were able to observe and listen as shown in the picture you released (waiters are in the back of the room in white). I remember being impressed with Dr. King’s brightness and his calm and forceful delivery. Although there were many questions put to Dr. King during the luncheon, one question from a CSS student and Dr. King’s reply has always stayed with me. I do not remember the exact words but I do remember the exact content. A student asked Dr. King, in a somewhat challenging tone, whether he was concerned that his vocal advocacy for equal rights for Negroes (the term African American was not part of our vocabulary in 1963) would lead to a backlash. Dr. King answered without hesitation and in a very deliberate and strong tone that he was not concerned with a possible backlash because he was speaking for what was morally and ethically right. There was no response from the CSS student.

     My impression of that luncheon is that everyone was impacted by Dr. King’s brilliance and reasoned approach to solving a fundamental problem that we were all facing. This was in contrast and a relief to the fiery presentation by Malcom X who had also spoken at the Wesleyan campus.

     I hope these memories add to the information about Dr. King’s association with Wesleyan. Again, I am appreciative of any effort you can make to locate other pictures of the CSS luncheon.

Respectfully, John W., 65’

[JPX]  Our father is wearing white and he is sitting down in the middle of the far wall

Man in dog shirt poses with dog in man shirt

I’m not sure if it’s the photo or the headline I like better...

Happy Birthday Crystal!

As the title reads - Happy Birthday to Crystal! Every single day I feel honored to spend my life with such a wonderful human being. I could go on and on about how she's adorable, humorous, intelligent, kind, noble etc., but that would just be annoying. I'm just thankful that she "gets" KISS (whom, if you haven't heard, is getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a couple of months).

Quentin Tarantino hits pause on 'The Hateful Eight' following script leak

From ew, Were you stoked to see Bruce Dern scowl his way through Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming western The Hateful Eight? Bad news, hombre: A source close to Tarantino confirms that after learning that the film’s screenplay has leaked, Tarantino has decided to shelve the project.  

The Oscar-winning writer/director tells Deadline that he found out about the leak when his agent, Mike Simpson, started to get calls from other agents who wanted to pitch their own clients for Hateful Eight roles. And though it’s unclear exactly how the script got out, Tarantino has a few ideas: According to that same Deadline interview, Tarantino gave The Hateful Eight‘s script to “six people,” including “three motherf—ing” actors — specifically Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and Tim Roth, all of whom have appeared in previous Tarantino projects. He believes that either Madsen or Dern then passed the script to his agent, “and that agent has now passed it on to everyone in Hollywood.”

“I don’t know how these f—ing agents work, but I’m not making this next,” Tarantino continued. “I’m going to publish it [as a book], and that’s it for now. I give it out to six people, and if I can’t trust them to that degree, then I have no desire to make it. I’ll publish it. I’m done. I’ll move on to the next thing. I’ve got 10 more where that came from.”

Reps for Roth, Madsen, and Dern haven’t yet responded to EW’s requests for comment.

Daily Spider-Bomb! Horrorthon 2013 wraps up, Turkey Death March begins

Democracy is apparently those two guys there.

Aww!  It was the mask we were interested in!

Always follow the orders of the guy with the giant face and hands.

Asking Spidey for advice is as bad as...  I can't think of anything worse, actually.

"Hey, that thought balloon of your wife is pretty hot, and you did kinda just kill my girlfriend..."

And the story ends as it began, travelling to the goddamn airport.

Yes!  I could go for some J. Jonah Jameson nonsense.  But what's with "Home is the Hero...?"  I think the guy who types those nexts is having a stroke.

Storm traffic not looking good

'Black widow' may threaten Winter Olympics

(CNN) [excerpt] -- New details fueled debate Monday over security at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi: Wanted posters of a terrorism suspect on the loose, warships at the ready and a video threat from beyond the grave.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that his country has stepped up security and is prepared to handle any threats.

But some U.S. lawmakers -- and at least one Olympic athlete -- have said they're worried about the situation.

Hotels warned about terror suspect

Police in Sochi have handed out fliers at area hotels warning of a woman they believe could be a terrorist and who may currently be in the city.

One flier, obtained by CNN, asks workers to be on the lookout for Ruzanna "Salima" Ibragimova, described as the widow of a member of a militant group from the Caucasus region.

The woman, according to the flier, may be involved in organizing "a terrorist act within the 2014 Olympic region.

[JPX]  where have I seen this scary woman before?  Oh yeah,

Daily Spider-Bomb! Horrorthon catchup Week 4 (daily-ness not guaranteed)

"Because mi hermana, her clothes are like made of knives or something.  It's weird."

The boys take turns pointing out and overcoming obstacles!

And how do you lose an army, exactly?

"But look!  I'm so indecisive I actually have two guns now!"

El Condor goes down like a computer Kirk ordered to calculate pi.

"Now sit up and beg for applause like those dogs on The Brady Bunch."

Panel five:  Spidey awkwardly juts pelvis at his vanquished foe!

Panel six:  Cue that "Whah WHAHH" horn thing!

The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists

And this week, I'm going nuts over this song.  The visuals are nice, but I'm really just about the song and this was the first acceptable video I found.  Nevertheless, it's a nice little mini-horror tale.  Enjoy.

Breaking Bad ***no spoilers in post***

***** (2008-2013)

Mr.  AC and I just finished watching Breaking Bad and I would love to discuss it in the comments section with those who have seen it.  So, spoilers fine in comments section, just don't go there if you haven't seen the show. And anyone who hasn't see it should. One of the best TV shows ever.

Demon Baby!

Oh my god my tummy was in bad shape this weekend, so instead of blogging in the night like I'm supposed to I was getting a good night's sleep.  Sorry folks!  I've still got every archived Spider-Man and I'll get to 'em as soon as I can.  Check out this gross robot baby in the meanwhile.

Carrie goes to New York

Hey guys!  Sorry I ghosted on the blog again this week.  My New Year’s resolution was to quit caffeine and I’ve only lapsed two days since the year started (three if you count New Year’s Day itself, but I’m not).  There have been... side effects.  Mostly that I fall asleep at completely appropriate times when I should be up too late blogging.

Anyhoo, I will get us up to speed on Spider-Man as fast as I can.  Meanwhile, groove on the fake telekinesis movie.  Fun stuff.

In other news, the people publishing the Lego book I was trying to get into contacted me mere hours after I posted my pics on flickr and said they wanted my stuff in their book.  It still needs to be approved by Lego, but woo hoo!

Rumbly rumbly klankity klank!

Damn: The Professor and Reuben Kincaid both died today

‘The Conjuring’ Spinoff ‘Annabelle’ Moves Ahead With New Stars and a Start Date

From slashfilm, Though she wasn’t the main focus of The Conjuring  Annabelle the doll was one of its most memorable visions. Her cracked gray face and clown-like smile look like the stuff nightmares are made of, even before it’s revealed that she’s possessed by demons hell-bent on destroying her roommates.

She was so effectively creepy, in fact, that now she’s getting her own movie. New Line is moving ahead with the Conjuring spinoff Annabelle, casting Annabelle Wallis andWard Horton in the leads. Shooting will get underway later this month. Get plot details and more after the jump.

The Wrap reported the casting. The Conjuring cinematographer John Leonetti will direct from a script by Gary Dauberman (Swamp Devil). In the original Conjuring, Annabelle appeared in the opening scene before she was stored away as part of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s collection of haunted artifacts.

Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, although we’ve heard rumors that it will be set before the events of The Conjuring. The very curious may find some clues in stories about the true Annabelle.

While The Conjuring featured well-known faces like Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, and Lili Taylor, Annabelle will have a less starry cast. Wallis is a TV vet known her appearances on The Tudors and BBC’s Peaky Blinders. She also previously had small roles in X-Men: First Class, W.E., and Snow White and the Huntsman. Horton is on the soap opera One Life to Live and recently played an unnamed broker in The Wolf of Wall Street.

The Conjuring was a smash hit last summer, grossing $318 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. As such, it’s sparked its own franchise. Annabelle is one of Three spinoffs reported as being in development last year. Additionally, a direct sequel is still in the works. According to Variety, Annabelle will begin shooting January 27 in Los Angeles.

Why I've been blowing off Spider-Man

I had these red treads & gold wheels together when a fellow Lego freak emailed the grapevine about a new Ninjago Visual Dictionary and how it would have a page of fan-made creations.  So I busted out this.  Should be getting back to the spider game tomorrow night.  Kaboom!

Rumor: ‘Batman vs. Superman’ and ‘Justice League’ Will Shoot Back to Back

From slashfilm, A new rumor is circulating that could explain the number of superheroes potentially showing up in Batman vs. Superman. We know for sure Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman will be in the Zack Snyder sequel, set for release July 17, 2015. We’ve also heard wild rumors of other superheroes, such as Green Lantern, Flash and Aquaman, possibly popping up in the film. Whether those rumors are true or not, the addition of Wonder Woman alone has fans worried Snyder’s film will bite off more than it can chew.

Well the new rumor is Batman vs. Superman will end on a huge tease for a Justice League movie, which will shoot immediately after. Read about that, and a few other rumors, below.

The rumor comes from the guys at Latino Review. Whether or not it’s true, it certainly is a good explanation for why so many superheroes are being mentioned in tandem with Batman vs. Superman: they all just show up at the end. That movie starts shooting in the next few months and, if Justice League shoots right after that, it could potentially build up an annual, Marvel-esque momentum.

Latino Review’s article also mentions the reason Dwayne Johnson was meeting with DC was for a role in Justice League. And, while we’re on the topic of Batman vs. Superman rumors, Comic Book Movie says Lost star Josh Holloway is up for a role in the film. However, even if that’s true, it was likely before his new show Intelligence was a huge hit and scheduling might make his appearance impossible. Or, if he isn’t needed until Justice League (he bears a resemblance to Aquaman, wouldn’t you agree?) maybe it will pan out.

Again, these are rumors based on a few strands of absolute truth. Do you think a massive cliffhanger leading into Justice League in 2016 is the way to go in the DC Universe? Is Holloway a good Aquaman? And there is also still speculation that Batman vs. Superman actually is the Justice League film, which would change the context of all this theorizing.

Peter Mayhew Star Wars Pics!

 
Found this on Huffington Post today.  Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew shared a bunch of behind the scene pics from Star Wars.  Some I think we've seen before, but still!  You can see a bunch on the Huffington  site or his Twitter feed.