For your Friday...

A Doctor Who movie? Yes, please!!! Billie Piper was a guest on the Scot Mills show on Radio 1 yesterday and when talk of a Who movie came up she said that "they are doing it." You can hear a clip of the interview over at Blogtor Who. I REALLY REALLY want this to be true. And I really hope it wouldn't be in 3D. This just made my Friday.
If you're a geek and you aren't a regular reader of The Nerdy Bird (JillPantozzi) what's wrong with you? Get to it! You can come back later. This girl is going to take over the Internet one day. Seriously (you mark my word). Regardless of whether or not you're a fan I recommend you check out her blog "Has Boobs, Reads Comics" (that got your attention, didn't it) and read about what she's doing to help a great cause. If you can, "be a hero" and make a donation. Any amount can only help.FYI: Purple Rain is playing on the TV in the background. Just wanted to share that.

Making Mixtapes...with Cody the Vampire Intern

When being creative I find I tend to rely on music to get the juices flowing. When writing or directing I find myself making tons of mixtapes for characters or arcs to help me with the process. That being said, I’ve decided to start a new feature called “Making Mixtapes…” Friends of the blog will come by and share a themed playlist that hopefully you’ll all enjoy. For me, discovering new music is always an exciting thing and the hope is you’ll discover some great new artists here.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been gripped by the whole Conan/Leno saga. Last Friday “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” aired its final episode. So with Conan and NBC parting ways, the theme we’re going with for our first entry of “Making Mixtapes…” is breakup songs. Once we had the theme I thought, who better to contribute than Conan O’Brien’s own Cody the Vampire Intern (Eric Callero).
The multi-talented Callero (http://www.ericcallero.com/Home.html) is an actor, producer and musician and has been cool enough to contribute his playlist:

Lonesome Town by Ricky Nelson
Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper.
Lovelier Girl by Beach House.
Yesterday by The Beatles.
Skinny Love by Bon Iver.
Blue Days, Black Nights by Buddy Holly.
Boys Don't Cry by The Cure.
What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie
Ashley by The Dodos
Boys of Summer by Don Henley
Out of My Mind by Duran Duran
Walking After You by The Foo Fighters
Don't Hate Me by The Get Up Kids
She Was A Good Thing by Gloritone
Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson
Crazy by Patsy Cline
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by The Postal Service
The Fool by Sanford Clark
Yes, It's True by The Slackers
Across the Sea by Weezer
Big thanks to Eric for contributing! Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Cody, Triumph and all the characters that Conan brought us throughout the years. Check back for more mixtapes soon!

Lego Sweetness

I was bored and found these awesome Lego pics over at Maxim.com Yes, sometimes I do go to Maxim. They have some great articles. I swear. Don't judge me. Just click the link and check out "21 Awesome Life-Sized Legos"

Coolest. Kicks. Ever.

Saw these in a magazine the other day (Entertainment Weekly I believe) and got all kinds of fanboy excited. Adidas teamed up with Star Wars to produce a line of shoes, shirts and jackets!!! In my book, just about anything Star Wars related is a good good thing. If you go over to starwars.com there are a few pics of the line of shoes and apparel that will be coming out this year. Unfortunately I am cursed with flat feet making it hard to find comfortable athletic shoes. I can replace the insoles but they never feel quite right and I don't really want to spend the $$$ to have some specially made. That being said, I'm going to be tracking these bad boys down and hoping for the best. Do you think George Lucas rocks 'em?

More thoughts on Torchwood

Just some more thoughts on Torchwood that I posted at http://hour42.com/ : If this were any other network I may have faith that this could be a good thing but Fox doesn't seem to like sci-fi if it isn't pulling "The X-Files" or "Fringe" size numbers. I think the only way this could be credible is if we did get Jack and Gwen on the show. That or get Marsters on it. We know that there were people that were able to get access to technology "after Torchwood fell," so maybe we could see the team (at least the first season) traveling the globe reacquring alien tech. That would take them out of Cardiff. I imagine they'd shoot it in Canada like everything else, because you know it can stand in for anywhere on the planet (yes, I'm being facetious). I fear that we'll get a severely watered-down version of the show we've come to know and love. I couldn't ever imagine a network version of Torchwood matching the scope of something like "Children of Earth." And you know we'd never see Captain Jack paired off with a man.

Quickies

Marc Webb has been named director of the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Webb is coming off of the critically acclaimed film “(500) Days of Summer.” The reboot will have Peter going back to high school (and hopefully not retelling his origin). My question is, do we really need it? It couldn’t have anything to do with $$$, right? I loved (500) and I LOVE Spider-Man so I will undoubtedly be standing in line day one but I wish that Sony had given Raimi the chance to do the film he wanted. The man made them billions and gave us some amazing films. Currently the film is slated to go before cameras later this year for a release in 2012.
Fox and BBC Worldwide Productions are planning on bringing Torchwood to the U.S. Creator Russell T. Davies is going to write the pilot and word is John Barrowman (Captain Jack) may be in if the show gets the green light for a pilot. How do they make this work? The show already has three seasons behind it and bringing the show to the U.S. will definitely be a challenge, as they would need to not only appease old fans but grab new ones as well. The great thing about the BBC version is that they do things on the show that a network would definitely shy away from. Another thing that worries me is that Fox is not known for keeping sci-fi shows around very long (Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dollhouse).
http://www.avpgalaxy.net/ posted pics from the set of the new movie “Predators.” I had no faith in ever seeing a Predator film after the horrible AvP films. The flicks were horrendous (talk about a missed opportunity!) which made me think that the two franchises were dead. The pictures have definitely whetted my appetite for the Nimrod Antal film.
AMC, home of the brilliant Mad Men have officially given the green light for a pilot of Image Comics’ series The Walking Dead. The black and white monthly by Robert Kirkman will be given the small screen treatment by Frank Darabont. Over on MTV.com Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior vice president of original programming, production and digital content said, "I think it will be 100-percent true to the tone of the series, but at the same time it will be an entertaining, secondary way of experiencing "The Walking Dead" in a completely different light, so I'm excited."
On Feb. 2nd Marvel fans (yay!) get the Marvel animated film Planet Hulk. The film finds The Hulk exiled from Earth by the Illuminati. He is sent away on a ship that lands on the planet Sakaar where he is forced into becoming a gladiator. The Hulk befriends his fellow fighters and they attempt to overthrow the planets ruler, Red King. Marvel’s last two attempts have been less than spectacular but I have really high hopes for this one.
Feb. 23rd sees the release of DC’s newest animated film, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. The release comes on the heels of last years awesome Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and Wonder Woman. DC has cornered the market on animated films and Crisis looks to be another win for the company.

Geoff Johns+JSA+Smallville= ?

I have to admit that I’m very excited for the upcoming Smallville two-parter with the JSA. I’m not a fan of the show but I’m definitely going to be sitting in front of the TV on February 5th. I gave the show a fair shot by watching a few seasons and just couldn’t get into it. Where it failed for me was that they had a chance to make an amazing show by taking Clark and showing us how the hero came to be. How his relationships with his family and Lana and Lex shaped him into the icon that millions know and love. I want to like Smallville but I think the show is a disaster (and I admit to enjoying Daredevil and Ghost Rider). But the chance to see Hawkman, Stargirl and Dr. Fate, plus the fact that Geoff Johns wrote it, has me counting down the days. They apparently threw some money at this so if the episodes are as awesome as the costumes look then I may have to give Smallville another chance.

Doctor Who on Blu!!!

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials (The Next Doctor / Planet of the Dead / The Waters of Mars / The End of Time Parts 1 and 2) are coming to Blu-ray and DVD on Feb. 2! Yes, I pre-ordered it at Amazon.com and so should you. Planet of the Dead is already available on both formats and The Next Doctor is on DVD (it was the only special not shot in hi-def). Can't wait to see these on Blu-ray, it'll be much better than watching them on the old laptop.

WTF? Really?

I was at work, cruising the internet and came across these (supposedly) tasty treats. Collagen injected marshmallows. Yup. Seriously. What will they think of next? These ridiculous things come in a pink grapefruit flavor. A full package contains 3000mg of collagen peptides. Collagen is responsible for skin strength and elasticity and as you age it degrades which leads to wrinkles. I guess if you don't want to use creams or get injections these would be an option. These are mainly marketed toward women so I'm not their target consumer but when I told some female friends about this they had the same reaction. I for one don't really fear getting wrinkles but if they did this with bacon I might be up for trying it.

XOXO- Green Lantern

From http://www.majorspoilers.com/ - Blake Lively lands Carol Ferris role
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) will play Carol Ferris opposite Ryan Reynolds in the upcoming Green Lantern movie. I don't know how I feel about this. I wasn't too big on the casting of Reynolds as GL, I was pushing for Nathan Fillion. We'll just have to wait and see.

Marvel bits

It looks as though Marvel is using Scarlett Johansson’s appearance as Black Widow in the upcoming “Iron Man 2” to launch the character in her own ongoing series. Marvel.com reports the book will be written by Marjorie Liu (Dirk and Steele series), with art by Daniel Acuna (X-Men: Legacy). Liu says, "She's incredibly confident, totally in control-ruthless, pragmatic, fiercely intelligent. And she can kill you with her pinky. What's not to like?" Hopefully they play up the spy aspect and give us something in the vein of “Alias.”
From Marvel.com- Iron Man will be getting a new look thanks to Matt Fraction and Ryan Meinerding. Fraction says, “If technology is increasingly getting smaller and lighter it seems like the Iron Man should do the same: ergonomic and aerodynamic. We were looking for something that felt as sleek and glossy as a sports car Tony Stark would covet.” Iron Man’s new armor debuts in April with Invincible Iron Man #25
Now that Spider-Man 4 has been delayed over script clashes, the Thor movie has moved up its release date to May 6, 2011. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor with Tom Hiddleston in the role of Loki, and Natalie Portman as Jane. Additionally, Anthony Hopkins is Odin, Renee Russo is Frigga, Ray Stevenson is Volstagg, Tadanobu Asano is Hogun, Stuart Townsend is Fandral, Jaimie Alexander is Sif, Idris Elba is Heimdall as well as Colm Feore, Kat Dennings and award-winning actor Stellan Skarsgard.

House of M(ouse)

I was thinking today that now that Disney has purchased Marvel for the bargain price of $4 billion will we be able to pick up stuffed Mickey’s dressed as Wolverine? Will I finally get that Jiminy Cricket/Ant-Man vs. Jafar/Absorbing Man one-shot I’ve been dying for? How about a Wall-E and H.E.R.B.I.E. buddy film from Pixar? Will they replace Abominable Snowman with the Hulk on the Matterhorn ride? Only time will tell.

"First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to whip his punk ass."

The day after their fight was canceled, Floyd Mayweather Jr. said Thursday night that he still wants to fight Manny Pacquiao. The fight, which was supposed to be THE most lucrative fight in boxing history, was called off Wednesday night when mediaton failed to resolve issues over drug testing protocol. Pacquiao didn't want any blood testing but agreed to take three blood tests: one during the week of the kickoff news conference, one random test to be conducted no later than 30 days before the fight; and a final test in his dressing room after the fight. Mayweather would have been subject to the same testing. Pacquiao's camp says, "Manny accepted what was on the table and Mayweather rejected it."

Mayweather claims, "In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever. I know the people will see through their smoke screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight."

The drug testing became an issue when Floyd Mayweather Sr., the father of the fighter, made public remarks accusing Pacquiao of using PEDs without proof. Pacquiao denies it and has never failed a drug test.The accusations led Pacquiao to file a defamation lawsuit in Nevada U.S. District Court. Had the fight done the monster numbers organizers expected, it would have likely generated in the neighborhood of $200 million with the fighters receiving roughly $40 million apiece.

Next weeks notable releases:

Sherlock Holmes: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season
Find a bomb, defuse it. Find a bomb, defuse it. The job is simple enough, but the room for error is zero. Fail to defuse it, and die. This is the daily work of the United States Army's Bravo Company. They patrol Baghdad during one of the Iraq war's most hellish times, trying each day not to get blown up.
Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life. One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 (Otto e mezzo) turns one man’s artistic crisis into a grand epic of the cinema.
Rob Zombie's Halloween II picks up at the exact moment that 2007's box-office smash, HALLOWEEN, stopped and follows the aftermath of Michael Myers's (Tyler Mane) murderous rampage through the eyes of heroine Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor Compton).

Sign here

Lost fans are petitioning Disney to build a "Lost" attraction at their amusement parks. A Lost island could be awesome. Imagine getting chased by smoke monsters and polar bears. The petition lists several ideas:

- The Frozen Donkey Wheel behind the Orchid Station testing chamber.
- The Swan station and Hatch ride
- A submarine ride to Palu Ferry.
- Dharmaville Barracks.
- Smoke monster
- Ruins
- Jacob's Cabin
- The Egyptian Statue and Jacob's Lair

Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/lostdisn/petition.html

Marvel, anime style!!!

Now this is exciting! Marvel is teaming up with Japanese animation studio Madhouse (Perfect Blue, Trigun) to bring us four new series (Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men and Blade). The first two will be Iron Man and Wolverine and will be debuting in Japan in the Spring. Warren Ellis is the lead story/scenario writer on these projects. Let's hope these are as good as the trailers make them out to be because Marvel seems to have peaked with the X-Men animated series while DC has been consistently giving us great shows and movies like Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and The Brave and the Bold. Pop on over to Marvel.com to check out the trailers.

"I'm a doctor, not a surfer!"

These look sweet! Developed by JMJ Wetsuits, these one-piece suits come in Command Yellow, Engineering Red and Science Blue! The $469 price tag is steep but these suits are as cool as they come. Living about fifteen minutes from the beach and near Santa Cruz you’d think I’d be surfing everyday, but no. Tried it a few times but I had to admit that I pretty much sucked at it. Even with family that lived to surf I remain stuck on the sand. But these suits make me want try just one more time. If you do get one may I suggest you stay away from the red one (unless you want to be shark bait).

The Walking Dead

This past Christmas a friend gave me a copy of “The Walking Dead” Book 1 Being a firm believer in the coming zombie apocalypse I was excited to dig into this collection. The black and white Image comic by Robert Kirkman began its run in 2003. Since then, it’s become so successful that filmmaker Frank Darabont and AMC plan on bringing it to the small screen. The story revolves around officer Rick Grimes, his family and a small band of survivors in search of a place to call home in a world overrun with zombies. The strength of the book lies in the writing. Its focus is on the characters and how they interact with each other and their reaction to the situation they’ve been placed in. Kirkman takes the time to show the characters doing things like learning to shoot guns and collecting firewood and it never feels laborious for the reader. He develops each character so brilliantly that you find yourself caring for each and every one of them and fearing for their safety. Some of them crack under pressure, some grow and some do what must be done in order to survive. Do yourself a favor and read it. Do your local comic shop a favor and pick it up!

Out with the old, in with the new

I just finished watching “The End of Time (Part two)” and my initial reaction is, “damn you RTD and David Tennant for making me sob like a little girl!” RTD loves to make his finales BIG and this one had everything (including the kitchen sink). He is very successful at moments and we get a lot of them. I’m not going to spoil anything here but I will say that the cameos are wonderful.

Unlike many people, my introduction to the Who-niverse came late. I was shopping for video games one day and came across the first season boxed set in the used DVD section for only $9.99 I didn’t know anything about Who other than the fact that it was a show that’s been going on for decades. I figured heck, for $9.99 you can’t go wrong and picked it up. Since then I’ve gone back and caught a couple of the older stories (The Five Doctors, some Tom Baker). From what I’ve seen, Eccleston’s portrayal of The Doctor is my favorite. It’s that anger that Eccleston’s Doctor keeps contained just below the surface that draws me in. That and his smile, there’s just this pure joy behind it that not all actor’s can pull off. It was a disappointment when I got to the end of the season and saw he was being replaced.

That being said, I really enjoyed Tennant’s portrayal. It took me a while to warm to him, though. What initially bugged me was that he thought himself too clever. When I finally came around to him I appreciated his take. He brought an infectious energy to The Doctor, making the character his own and giving us some great episodes. Hopefully things work out and we get a Doctor Who movie at some point. In honor of his turn as The Doctor, my ten favorite Tennant era stories (in no particular order):

1. The Next Doctor
2. The Wedding of Sarah Jane
3. The End of Time Parts 1 and 2
4. Turn Left
5. The Stolen Earth
6. Journey’s End
7. Blink
8. The Waters of Mars
9. The Girl in the Fireplace
10. School Reunion

Thanks for a great run.