It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Supergirl!

Casting has begun for CBS’ Supergirl series.  TVLine reports that CBS has begun searching for actors to play Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Hank Henshaw, and Winslow Schott.  In the comics, Jimmy has traditionally been a young photographer for the Daily Planet, and Superman’s pal (he used to have a special signal watch he could buzz when he needed help…aaaaand as I write that sentence, I’m left wondering why Superman gave Jimmy that signal watch. Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re friends, but Superman never gave a watch to Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Ron Troupe, Cat Grant, Jose Delgado, Perry White, or Pete Ross. Not to mention, it seems odd that Superman would privilege one particular human over the rest of humanity when he’s committed to helping everyone. He doesn’t play favorites). Cat Grant has at times been a gossip columnist and editor of the Entertainment & Arts section of the Daily Planet. Winslow Schott aka the Toyman is a genius toy maker, turned criminal who bedevils Superman with his deadly children’s toys. Hank Henshaw is more widely known as the villainous Cyborg Superman who debuted as one of four “replacements” for Superman following the latter’s temporary death (though the reboot of the DC Universe in 2011 changed this).  Given the details from TVLine, it appears that all four will differ from their comic book versions (to varying degrees):

CAT GRANT | The project is eyeing females in their 40s, open ethnicity, to play the founder of CatCo, a media conglomerate that Cat built from the ground up. Kara (Supergirl’s mild-mannered alter ego) will work as a personal assistant to Cat, who is described as “J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour.”

JAMES OLSEN | In his late 20s/early 30s, open ethnicity, James is a smart, worldly and (duh) attractive photographer for CatCo. Though an alpha male, his salt-of-the-earth nature elicits a huge ol’ crush from Kara.

WINSLOW ‘WYNN’ SCHOTT | This twentysomething tech whiz/Comic-Con stalwart toils for CatCo as a programmer, unaware of his own (toying?) potential. Unware of her secret, he carries a torch for Kara, whom he lives next door to.

HANK HENSHAW | As an upstart CIA agent, Hank grew obsessed with intergalactic intel. Now in his 40s and lording over the DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations), he is on high alert when Supergirl reveals herself, worried that her otherworldly abilities pose a threat to humankind.

Here’s a bit more info on the Supergirl series:

For Kara Zor-El aka Kara Danvers, the show is eyeing Caucasian females, age 22 to 26, to play 24. As the series’ mythology goes, Kara at age 12 was sent from her dying home planet of Krypton to Earth, where she was taken in by the Danvers, a foster family who taught her to be careful with her extraordinary powers. After repressing said skills for more than a decade, Kara is forced to bust out her super moves in public during an unexpected disaster. Energized by her heroism for the first time in her life, she begins embracing her abilities in the name of helping the people of her city, earning herself a super moniker along the way.

The other lead role currently being cast is that of 26-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Kara’s gorgeous, brilliant, science-minded foster sister. Growing up, Alex was partly jealous of her sibling yet also fascinated by her abilities, prompting Alex to learn as much as she could about alien anthropology, sociology and culture. Today, Alex works for a secret government organization and, alongside her heroic sis, will face many challenges, both mundane and super.

There are obviously a few changes from the portrayal of Supergirl in the comics (no matter what version or which continuity we’re talking about).  There doesn’t appear to be any mention of Superman as her cousin, which prompts me to wonder how they can capitalize on a Super-character that has no ties to Superman.  But then it makes me wonder if the creators are trying to minimize Superman’s role so that Supergirl can stand out from him. Perhaps they’re looking to develop her so that people view her as a hero in her own right rather than ‘Superman’s cousin from Krypton’. Also different is that Kara has never had a sibling, so Alex Danvers is a new character created for the show. There’s not enough information on this show for me to decide anything about it. Supergirl is one of my favorite characters.  I still get teary eyed when reading the death of the original SG in Crisis on Infinite Earth #7.  Peter David’s 1990s run on Supergirl is one of the best series of all time IMO. I wanted to like the Supergirl movie, but couldn’t bring myself to do so. So I have an appreciation for Supergirl. Here’s hoping the writers and directors can do her justice.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Supergirl!
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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's…Supergirl!

Casting has begun for CBS’ Supergirl series.  TVLine reports that CBS has begun searching for actors to play Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Hank Henshaw, and Winslow Schott.  In the comics, Jimmy has traditionally been a young photographer for the Daily Planet, and Superman’s pal (he used to have a special signal watch he could buzz when he needed help…aaaaand as I write that sentence, I’m left wondering why Superman gave Jimmy that signal watch. Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re friends, but Superman never gave a watch to Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Ron Troupe, Cat Grant, Jose Delgado, Perry White, or Pete Ross. Not to mention, it seems odd that Superman would privilege one particular human over the rest of humanity when he’s committed to helping everyone. He doesn’t play favorites). Cat Grant has at times been a gossip columnist and editor of the Entertainment & Arts section of the Daily Planet. Winslow Schott aka the Toyman is a genius toy maker, turned criminal who bedevils Superman with his deadly children’s toys. Hank Henshaw is more widely known as the villainous Cyborg Superman who debuted as one of four “replacements” for Superman following the latter’s temporary death (though the reboot of the DC Universe in 2011 changed this).  Given the details from TVLine, it appears that all four will differ from their comic book versions (to varying degrees):

CAT GRANT | The project is eyeing females in their 40s, open ethnicity, to play the founder of CatCo, a media conglomerate that Cat built from the ground up. Kara (Supergirl’s mild-mannered alter ego) will work as a personal assistant to Cat, who is described as “J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour.”

JAMES OLSEN | In his late 20s/early 30s, open ethnicity, James is a smart, worldly and (duh) attractive photographer for CatCo. Though an alpha male, his salt-of-the-earth nature elicits a huge ol’ crush from Kara.

WINSLOW ‘WYNN’ SCHOTT | This twentysomething tech whiz/Comic-Con stalwart toils for CatCo as a programmer, unaware of his own (toying?) potential. Unware of her secret, he carries a torch for Kara, whom he lives next door to.

HANK HENSHAW | As an upstart CIA agent, Hank grew obsessed with intergalactic intel. Now in his 40s and lording over the DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations), he is on high alert when Supergirl reveals herself, worried that her otherworldly abilities pose a threat to humankind.

Here’s a bit more info on the Supergirl series:

For Kara Zor-El aka Kara Danvers, the show is eyeing Caucasian females, age 22 to 26, to play 24. As the series’ mythology goes, Kara at age 12 was sent from her dying home planet of Krypton to Earth, where she was taken in by the Danvers, a foster family who taught her to be careful with her extraordinary powers. After repressing said skills for more than a decade, Kara is forced to bust out her super moves in public during an unexpected disaster. Energized by her heroism for the first time in her life, she begins embracing her abilities in the name of helping the people of her city, earning herself a super moniker along the way.

The other lead role currently being cast is that of 26-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Kara’s gorgeous, brilliant, science-minded foster sister. Growing up, Alex was partly jealous of her sibling yet also fascinated by her abilities, prompting Alex to learn as much as she could about alien anthropology, sociology and culture. Today, Alex works for a secret government organization and, alongside her heroic sis, will face many challenges, both mundane and super.

There are obviously a few changes from the portrayal of Supergirl in the comics (no matter what version or which continuity we’re talking about).  There doesn’t appear to be any mention of Superman as her cousin, which prompts me to wonder how they can capitalize on a Super-character that has no ties to Superman.  But then it makes me wonder if the creators are trying to minimize Superman’s role so that Supergirl can stand out from him. Perhaps they’re looking to develop her so that people view her as a hero in her own right rather than ‘Superman’s cousin from Krypton’. Also different is that Kara has never had a sibling, so Alex Danvers is a new character created for the show. There’s not enough information on this show for me to decide anything about it. Supergirl is one of my favorite characters.  I still get teary eyed when reading the death of the original SG in Crisis on Infinite Earth #7.  Peter David’s 1990s run on Supergirl is one of the best series of all time IMO. I wanted to like the Supergirl movie, but couldn’t bring myself to do so. So I have an appreciation for Supergirl. Here’s hoping the writers and directors can do her justice.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's…Supergirl!

Woman of the Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Growing up, I remember learning of the accomplishments of many people in US and world history. Invariably, those people were men. Very rarely were women discussed. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that the accomplishments of women have long been minimized or ignored.  This is another way that sexism has played out in society. Denying the accomplishments of women is an insult. It treats them as if they’re unimportant…as if they haven’t contributed significantly to events throughout human history. In this ongoing series, I’ll be highlighting notable women, historically important women, and those women who ought to be more well-known.  My intent is to show that women have contributed to the course of human history and ought to be recognized, rather than ignored or overlooked. Six time Olympic champion and philanthropist Jacqueline “Jackie” Joyner-Kersee is today’s Woman of the Day.

Continue reading “Woman of the Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee”

Woman of the Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

…and former Lockheed Martin engineer Boyd Bushman failed to provide sufficient evidence for his claims that he encountered aliens while working at Area 51. Though he passed away on August 7 at the age of 78, Bushman created a video before his death describing his encounters with aliens (they have nifty names like ‘wranglers’ and ‘rustlers’; I guess they’re cowboy aliens):

A video featuring Texas man Boyd Bushman, a former Lockheed Martin and Texas Instruments engineer who died Aug. 7 at age 78, describing his encounters with “aliens” while working at Area 51 has been making the rounds on social media and news sites.

In the video, shot by an aerospace engineer named Mark Q. Patterson and posted Oct. 21, Bushman shows several out-of-focus and blurry photos taken with a disposable camera of what he claims are aliens.

“There are two groups of aliens,” said Bushman, who has more than 25 patents registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, most of which are held by Lockheed Martin. “They divide them into two groups. One group are wranglers, and the others are rustlers – the ones who are stealers of cattle. The two groups act differently. The ones that are wranglers are much more friendly, and have a better relationship with us.”

Bushman claimed the “aliens” — which definitely share no resemblance to the common conception of extraterrestrials shown in, say, this alien prop on Amazon or any B-movies from the 1950s — are about five feet tall and use telepathy to communicate with others while flying saucer-shaped aircraft.

Out of focus and blurry photos…where have I seen that before?  Oh yeah, flying saucers & UFOs.  Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster. Photos are insufficient evidence to substantiate claims that any of these things exist.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

“Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!”

Hi there. Huge Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fan here (and no SMG, you are not too old to play Buffy. Even at 90 you will not be too old). Here’s one of the awesome songs from the Season 6 episode ‘Once more with feeling’:

“Or maybe midgets.”

“Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!”

"Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!"

Hi there. Huge Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fan here (and no SMG, you are not too old to play Buffy. Even at 90 you will not be too old). Here’s one of the awesome songs from the Season 6 episode ‘Once more with feeling’:

“Or maybe midgets.”

"Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!"

Disney villains remix OneRepublic’s ‘Counting Stars’

Just in time for Halloween, a collection of the most magnificently malevolent Disney villains of all-time have banded together to express their frustration over their inability to match the evil of Scar.

The likes of Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, Hades, Scar and Jafar show up for an unusual new promo posted on Oh My Disney, timed perfectly for Halloween. This isn’t “Counting Stars,” it’s “Counting Scars.” And the bad guys get to stay in character throughout, with lines rewritten for the occasion. Take this lyric from Scar: “Lately I been, I been gettin’ sleep (hey!)/ Dreaming about how evil I could be.”

Watch the video:

Disney villains remix OneRepublic’s ‘Counting Stars’

Disney villains remix OneRepublic's 'Counting Stars'

Just in time for Halloween, a collection of the most magnificently malevolent Disney villains of all-time have banded together to express their frustration over their inability to match the evil of Scar.

The likes of Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, Hades, Scar and Jafar show up for an unusual new promo posted on Oh My Disney, timed perfectly for Halloween. This isn’t “Counting Stars,” it’s “Counting Scars.” And the bad guys get to stay in character throughout, with lines rewritten for the occasion. Take this lyric from Scar: “Lately I been, I been gettin’ sleep (hey!)/ Dreaming about how evil I could be.”

Watch the video:

Disney villains remix OneRepublic's 'Counting Stars'

Pop Culture News

Who wants a Legend of Korra game?

The Legend of Korra’s specific brand of action has made its way to the realm of video games. As revealed in a behind-the-scenes video posted on the show’s Facebook page, the “epic adventure” will allow players to utilize all four elements in strategic combinations as they play their way through this beat-’em-up-style game from PlatinumGames and Activision

The game, fittingly titled The Legend of Korra, is set between books two and three of the series and deals with the fallout of the Avatar’s decision to merge the spirit world with the real world. The video, which contains interviews with Activision producer Robert Conkey and producer Atsushi Kurooka, shows off the game’s visuals, including intense combo demonstrations. Mako, Bolin and Naga are all name-dropped in the video and appear in the game as well.

The Legend of Korra video game is out now for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It drops Wednesday for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Video game based on awesome animated tv series with a bad ass female lead character?  Sign me up. I can haz game now?

* * * *

RAY FISHER’S MIND “BOGGLED” AT ANNOUNCEMENT OF “CYBORG” SOLO FILM

You’re going to be Cyborg, buddy. You’ll be the second African-American DC Comics hero with their own film (after Shaq’s STEEL movie; the less said about that, the better). I hope you get a good script and a good director.

* * * *

First Look:  Terminator Genisys

FIRST OFF, I’d like to say I think it’s stupid that they’re spelling ‘genesis’ that way. Secondly…WHY Hollywood? Why?  I know you’re big on remakes and reboots and retellings and shit, but damn, Terminator and Terminator 2 are both really good movies that don’t need to be remade. There’s an entire Terminator universe to explore, and you guys want to go retell the first two movies?  Take a leaf out of the Star Trek tv franchise. Explore other aspects of the Terminator world. Tell stories of other people. Show other battles. You don’t need every installment to be “main characters fight to prevent the end of the world”. Anyways, here’s a peek at the characters:

I see that this effort to ” save a billion-dollar franchise” doesn’t involve anything other than white faces, but that’s a subject for another time.

The beginning of Terminator: Genisys, the first of three planned films that Paramount hopes will relaunch the beloved sci-fi franchise, is set in 2029, when the Future War is raging and a group of human rebels has the evil artificial-intelligence system Skynet on the ropes. John Connor (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Jason Clarke) is the leader of the resistance, and Kyle Reese (Divergent‘s Jai Courtney) is his loyal soldier, raised in the ruins of post apocalyptic California. As in the original film, Connor sends Reese back to 1984 to save Connor’s mother, Sarah (Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke), from a Terminator programmed to kill her so that she won’t ever give birth to John. But what Reese finds on the other side is nothing like he expected.

There’s a twist of course. Because they didn’t want to make the remake exactly like the original. They had to change Sarah Conner (and they just had to have Arnold):

Twist No. 1? Sarah Connor isn’t the innocent she was when Linda Hamilton first sported feathered hair and acid-washed jeans in the role. Nor is she Hamilton’s steely zero body-fat warrior in 1991’s T2. Rather, the mother of humanity’s messiah was orphaned by a Terminator at age 9. Since then, she’s been raised by (brace yourself) Schwarzenegger’s Terminator—an older T-800 she calls “Pops”—who is programmed to guard rather than to kill. As a result, Sarah is a highly trained antisocial recluse who’s great with a sniper rifle but not so skilled at the nuances of human emotion.

Doesn’t ‘Twist No. 1’ imply there are more twists?  Why you jerk me around like that EW? Dat not nice!

* * * *

‘League of Pan’, a Peter Pan series, is being developed by FOX

I wonder how long it will last ( there is a perception that FOX cancels shows too quickly).

FOX has agreed to a script commitment for the mystery drama League of Pan, a gritty mystery spin on the classic Peter Pan story.

Deadline reports that League of Pan will follow the Lost Boys fifteen years after they’ve left Neverland and moved to Los Angeles. They’ve grown up and grown apart, but they’re forced back together when someone begins targeting them for murder.

The script is being handled by Andrew Miller, who developed CW’s The Secret Circle. He’ll also be serving as executive producer, along with Imagine Television’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo. Miller will be writing a new script, rather than using the one from Brian McCauley when 20th TV attempted this idea two years ago.

* * * *

 The cronut croissant donut comes to Dunkin’ Donuts

“Are we copying a specific bakery in New York? The answer is no,” John Costello, president of global marketing and innovation for the company, told the Associated Press.

Costello says bakers all over the country have been experimenting with the croissant donut mixture for the past two decades and that Dunkin’ is constantly tracking these trends. Right. And Dunkin’ apparently already has a hybrid version in South Korea called the New York Pie Donut.

At any rate, the cronut-like pastry will be available for $2.49 in Dunkin’s roughly 8,000 locations for a limited time. Oh, and it’ll be topped with the same sugary goo that’s used for the shop’s glazed donut, but don’t expect any creme filling. At least, not yet.

Pop Culture News