What's Next On My DC List? Arrow

UPDATE: In this post I praise the beginning of one of the first CW comic based TV shows. I didn't even finish watching it, after two seasons I constantly fell asleep, and some still liked it, but I don't even care about how it ended. I will not take down my review because it started out like no other show I had ever seen and I would still love to start watching it again, but no past the first two seasons. But since it ended, I do not wish to go back in time and rewrite my feelings, but I do not recommend you start watching it.

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Now here is a TV show you need to see! Think of Smallville done right:

ARROW

This is the story of Oliver Queen, a Robin Hood like archer by DC comics. He is a bit like Bruce Wayne/Batman: his true identity is that of a billionaire playboy. However, in the night he protects his city, masked as the archer known as Green Arrow. In this adaptation, Oliver was a victim of a ship wreck and ended up on a deserted island - or did he? After five years he returns home with a little notebook filled with the names of the people who wronged his city and deserve justice. He becomes the green hooded vigilante of Star City.

Now, when I said that this is Smallville done right, I only meant that they didn't start shooting without having all the permissions from DC comics. Think of Clark: even though he was Superman, he never actually wore his tights and cape. Not to mention the fact that Lois gets to know him WITHOUT his glasses, something they didn't pay any attention to, and at least in the comics he wore his hair a bit differently when he was saving the world, in comparison to when he was working. This essential element was something nobody cared about when writing the series. However, what Smallville did do very well was in fact their portrayal of Green Arrow. Here played by Justin Hartley. Now, I do not know what happened behind the casting procedure. You see, Justin Hartley had a pilot to play Aquaman, and it never got picked up, yet a year after Smallville had ended the mysterious green hooded hero has returned to our screens. I am pretty sure that Hawkeye had nothing to do with it... (sarcasm, get it?)

Either way, a new actor has been cast to play our hero. Personally I am a big fan of the iconic goatee that was given to Oliver in 1969. Also I think that Stephen Amell has a more grown up look, which is more suitable for this cast. Not to mention that he plays both roles perfectly! When he is Oliver, the billionaire asshole, you'd never guess what he does in his free time. Even though it is a bit silly that this hooded vigilante arrived the same freaking time when Oliver returns after having disappeared for five years! Either way, the show has about three flashbacks/episode and we slowly discover how Oliver came from a spoilt rich kid to become this self concious and righteous person who risks his life for his city. The show has only aired three episodes so far and it already got a full season on CW due to the amazing number of viewers each night.

Biggest problem I have is that Smallville (click here to read my review!) was a great series, but after season five the problems and logic gaps overpowered my interest in the show! All the story arcs became predictable. The characters were also annoying. The biggest kick the show had was adding Green Arrow, who also became this background character to Clark's oh-so-terribly-boring problems. Any attempt in briging in more DC characters failed miserably - not to mention their version of Black Canary, which was the ugliest thing I have ever seen! He is supposed to love her? Please! Green Arrow and Black Canary's relationship is one of my favorite storylines. It is so touching that their marriage was even featured in special DC numbers named The Black Canary Wedding Planner, JLA Wedding Special, and The Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special. Although I know that they won't blew their story line too soon, I hope that that Black Canary will indeed be an addition, supposing that the show will get that far.
My biggest problem is the title and DC's obsession with creating stupid TV series instead of movies. I am going to discuss these series very soon, however problem being that even though these should resemble more the comics... they don't really because just the same way that they make live-action movies for a wider audience (not just comic geeks!), they have to do it with this as well: except they have to do it every week! They need to keep happy both sides of the viewers and that will end up in losing more of the comic side.

However, coming back: seeing that Green Lantern was (sort of) a flop (click here to read my review!), they decided to cancel the 'Green' part from his name, so people won't make any connections among the two...First of all, f*ck you DC and Warner! Second, are you really that dumb? Hal Jordan is one of Oliver's best friends so I really hoped to see him featured in the series - I am guessing that is not an option, even though they could take it as a possibility to redeem their mistakes in the movie by incorporating him in the series as a guest and make him popular again. Oh but wait, that involves thinking and some sort of  mental process that DC is famously known for NOT HAVING!!!!!

Personally I haven't read many Green Arrow comics, so far they haven't given me anything that could disappoint me. Also, perhaps they have finally learned from their mistakes in the Aquaman and the Wonder Woman pilots and instead of making people out of them who have absolutely nothing to do with the comic, they will try to stay true the most they can.
Either way, believe me if I tell you that this series is worth checking out. I especially recommend it if you liked series like Alias, Lost, John Doe and of course Smallville.

Let me know what you think of the show! Coming up soon, I'm going to go into more detail about DC live series!

My Top 10 Favorite Halloween Movies

I hate horror movies. None of these are horror movies, but if you are looking for a night of fright without the psycho-killing parts, or you want to enjoy movies with the whole family, this list is for you!

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10) The Rear Window (1954)

Most of Alfred Hitchcock's movies are obviously considered to be great for Halloween, as they are pretty horroristic. But I do not like horror movies. I actually hate them. This movie is on the verge but it actually stays between the lines that I consider OK. L.B. 'Jeff' Jeffries, played by James Stewart, has broken his leg and is forced to stay at home. Being incredibly bored, he stares at his neighbors from his window and he is pretty certain that he has caught a husband killing his wife. But what if his neighbor notices that he has been watching him all along?
This is a great movie if you wish for your girlfriend to cuddle up to you on Halloween night! Also, Grace Kelly is beautiful in it, a real sight for sore eyes!

9) The Haunted Mansion (2003)

This movie is based on a Disneyland ride by the same name. It begins with a death of a lady in the late 18th century - who was re-incarnated in our century and is now a married woman with two kids. Her family, during a family vacation, ends up in the Haunted Mansion, where the ghost of her previous self's lover is still in love with her and waiting to rest in piece with. The family goes through all kinds of misfortunes until they are literally running for their lives.
This is a great family movie, and again you can use it to get some serious cuddling done! In case you have arachnophobia do not watch it alone as one of the little children is afraid of spiders, so of course there are a couple of scenes where he needs to overcome his fear. The only problem with the movie is that Eddie Murphy isn't really a good father figure, but he comes around to the end.

8) Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

I have only recently come to know about this musical and it already has a place in my heart! The story of an extraterrestrial carnivorous plant that comes to Earth to conquer it. It starts to use a man named Seymour for his plans, however when this tries to eat his fiancée Audrey, Seymour gets mad and kills the plant.
Of course, the original musical does not end this way. In the musical the plant has a big number about how it is indestructible and the whole theatre gets covered in plants as these aliens take over. But the American focus groups did not like that one bit! The British musical's morbid ending was too much for their audience. So the movie ends on a happy note, with a little scene of one plant having survived: giving us the impression that the story is not yet over. I love the songs, the characters, it has great comedic timing and it is an awesome scary movie - perfect for Halloween!

7) Casper (1995)

Everybody knows the tale of the little boy who was turned into a ghost and is trapped in his house. This movie has been an eternal classic. It is only natural that it should make it onto this list as well. Of course it has some 'family movie' properties that I hate: e.g. the way the bad guys are punished. Also the three ghosts? God they are annoying! But being an eternal Christina Ricci fan, this is of course part of the tradition!

6) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

This is another classic. Charlie Brown's friend Linus is waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up on Halloween night while the whole gang celebrates all hollow's eve.
This one is my brother's favorite. He has always been a Peanut fan, he even played Charlie Brown, when we lived in the US, in a school production. Although I've always found this one a bit slow, there is a The Simpons parody in the Tree-house of Horror XIX Halloween special, where Milhouse is waiting for the Great Pumpkin and he actually does turn up and happens to be a big douche-bag who can only be defeated by the giant Turkey of Thanksgiving. However, the latest also takes his revenge on the people who usually eat him on Thanksgiving... Anyway, the parody made the original that much more memorable, so do check it out! It is great if you have children!

5) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

"Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept." imdb recap.
This is what you call a classic. It is by far the best movie Tim Burton has ever written. You wanna know why it is also great? BECAUSE NEITHER JOHNNY DEPP OF HELENA BONHAM CARTER ARE IN IT!!! That said, it perfectly takes every single element that scares the living soul out of you and puts it in an acceptable environment. Of course, they are still spooky as hell, but a bit more likable. This movie literally scarred us and my siblings for life... we didn't have the courage to re-watch it for about 15 years. When we did, we remembered what it was that really ruined our childhood: the Professor in the wheel chair and Oogie Boogie. Brr... They symbolize perfectly what it is that I wish to never encounter in my whole life!
That said, I DO NOT recommend it to children below the age of 12, if somebody tells you otherwise, they are assholes! The music is great, the animation I think is wonderful and for a big Halloween AND Christmas fan like me, this is an absolute winner!

4) Shaun of the Dead (2004)

If you are not familiar with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movies, trust me, you missed out on A LOT! They are one of the best comedic duos of the 21st century and they only work with great directors and wonderful scripts. One of my favorites being Hot Fuzz, and the other one Shaun Of The Dead.
Shaun's life is in a rut. They tell him that he plays too many video games for a grown man and his friends will not have more of it! The only one who hasn't left him is his best friend Ed. But he is done waiting for life to stop around him! He decides to get back his ex-girlfriend and mend his relationship with his mom. Only problem being that he is surrounded by zombies who want to eat him. Perhaps all of those skills acquired while playing with video games could come in handy... Will he and his friends make it out safely?
I don't want to ruin the ending for you, trust me, you'll want to see it!

3) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Brad and Janet are engaged and they decide to go see their old friend, the Professor, because it is in his lab that they met and they wish to share the good news with him. However, there is a storm and they are stranded in the forest, when they see the light of a big house where a party seems to be going on. The owner of the home is Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien who came to rule our planet (of course). At the mansion, the Professor reaches them, as he is originally looking for his nephew, last seen here. After a series of deaths and highly comical events, the aliens decide to go back home, leaving the humans here.
This is a musical too. Tim Curry is probably my favorite actor because even though he has a couple of silly roles, he clearly doesn't say no to anything and I like that. I hate picky actors - look at Brad Pitt, has he been in anything in the last 10 years that didn't scream "I want to win an Oscar for best actor!". Not really, but Tim Curry can sing, act, and he does the voice-over in many of my favorite comic based cartoons. Coming back, this movie is great fun: it has the same amount of thriller as it has comedy. Not to mention great songs!

2) Hocus Pocus (1993)

A family moves to Salem, where witches used to live and they have cursed their own house, leaving behind one cat that makes sure they never come back to life. However, hundreds of years later, Max (our lead) brings the witches back to life by accident on Halloween night. He, his sister Dani and girlfriend Allison, only have till morning to kill them. Will they succeed?
This movie is another classic, as I have recently learned from tweets by other famous people. This movie has it all: tension, drama, comedy, compassion and not to mention great music with a great cast! This movie is almost 20 years old and yet it still holds higher standards then many-many movies made in the last couple of years. Trust me, this is one family favorite movie you want on your shelf!

1) Addams Family Values (1993)

We all know who the Addams Family is. What many people don't seem to know is that the sequel is like a 100 times better than the first one! The first uses the usual family-friendly jokes that can easily be guessed in advance making many jokes fall flat and dumb... but thankfully many people like it and that was cause for a sequel: one of the best sequels ever made! The cast was already great and we have a fantastic addition, one of my personal favorites: Joan Cusack.
The Addams parents, Morticia and Gomez have a new baby, which causes tension among their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. They decide to hire a nanny to help out. This is Debbie, who makes Fester fall in love with her so she can steal his fortune. She also convinces the parents to send the kids away so they can't mess up her plans. The kids are sent to Camp Chippewa which is my favorite story-line! Anyway, we find out that Debbie is serial killer who marries for money and kills her husbands, and she almost kills the whole family as Fester doesn't seem to want to die in any way! The family is saved in the very last second by their baby.
This movie is fantastic! It has wonderful jokes that we recite as often as we can; there is a love story involving Wednesday; and all of the actors and actresses give a marvelous performance! The Camp Chippewa is by far the funniest thing ever written down on paper! It is 90 minutes of pure and genuine entertainment! And finally I need to mention the great celebrity casting: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci, Carol Kane, Jimmy Workman, David Krumholtz, Dana Ivey, Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski with cameo by Nathan Lane.
Now, people love the first, and that is OK, but if you decide to watch that, make sure you check out the sequel!

That's gotta do it, hope you like my list and you'll check out some of the things I mentioned. Have a very 2012:

My Top 15 Favorite Halloween Songs

One of my favorite holiday is coming up, so lets discuss some music and movies that come along with this holiday. Here are my lists of music that you should definitely put on your party mix.

15) The whole soundtrack of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. When October comes around I just start listening to it and it always cheers me up. It makes me dance and sing and I want to dress up and just have fuuuuuun! I think that is the point of a party mix, isn't it?

14) Of course, Michael Jackson's Thriller, simply because it is everywhere. I do have a happy Halloween feeling when I hear this song. I don't care that much for the actual zombie video, surprisingly, but the song itself is a huge favorite! Perhaps a bit overused, but surely it gets the people dancing.

13) New addition is Panic! At The Disco's Emperor's New Clothes, which just based on the video. In it the singer turns into the devil with skeletons singing in the chorus. It is a creepy but at the same time super entertaining. If it isn't on your playlist, trust me, be sure to add it!

"If it feels good, tastes good

It must be mine."

12) Oingo Boingo's Dead Man's Party. A classic, truly. I am sure that everybody thinks of Halloween when they hear the name of Danny Elfman. I have no reason to go into detail, you get it.

11) I gotta add the possibly funniest of them all, from Bob's Burgers a song by Boyz 4 Now, entitled "I love you so much (It's scary)". First of all, the title; second, the whole concept and how much the family is enjoying the absurdity, and third... we all know what they are parodying and they do it wonderfully!

10) This song was featured in the movie Hocus Pocus. It is my sister's favorite and it is a great song, it has a more Halloween like feeling to it if you know the movie very well. Either way, it is sang by Sarah Jessica Parker, and what do you know? She sings very well! The song is Come Little Children. (click here to listen!)

9) The theme song to The Exorcist. (click here to listen!) This is a great and incredibly creepy song. And this movie is awful, however if you wish to heighten the tension in the background or to just scare the shit out of your friends: this song is for you.

8) Feed my Frankenstein. I think that the title speaks for itself. Alice Cooper has a very Halloween aura to him, but he has two songs that I think completely stand out as far as party songs go. This is the first and the second will come up later on. (click here to listen!)

7) Of course all music from The Nightmare Before Christmas is somewhat Halloween-y, however, Marylin Manson's version of "This Is Halloween" kicks it up a notch. This is the typical song that makes me shiver every time I hear it. (click here to listen to the song!)

6) This song is one of my absolute favorites. The only reason it didn't make it into the the best five, is that the first time I heard it was in the middle of the summer, and although it is the soundtrack for a scary-crime movie, it still doesn't remind me of Halloween on its own. This is Bump in the Night by AllStars, featured in the soundtrack of Scooby Doo. Do listen to it as it will be one of your favorites too! (clicke HERE to listen to the song!)

5) Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London
This song has absolutely nothing scary or Halloween like. Nothing whatsoever. But I always listen to it when I decorate my home with my lanterns and pumpkins and ghosts. So it is really a traditional song. I think it is a great one so check it out!

4) Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask)

Now, the clip is more Halloween-y, as it features Jason. (ATTENTION! If you don't like snakes do not watch the real music video! The one I embedded has no snakes on purpose!). I find that this is just a great song. I like every note, the lyrics, Cooper's voice is incredible! I listened to this song so many times that I Know every sequence in it! It is one of my absolute favorite songs and it is just a great piece of music!

3) Bette Midler - I Put A Spell On You
This song is quite old but it is featured in one of my favorite Halloween movies Hocus Pocus. This version is sang by Bette Midler and there was NO VERSION OF HER SINGING IT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE, up until now! I finally found a CD version, so this is a very happy Halloween for me! I literally had to save the sound from the movie as that is the only way I could listen to it a couple of years back. She is by far one of the best actresses the world has ever seen and she's got a great-great voice. You can see the scene from the movie, do listen to it as it is a great song!

2) Bobby Picket - Monster Mash
Oh my God, this song is featured in EVERY single halloween movie or cartoon or TV series that had a Halloween specials. It is literally everywhere! You know it, you have heard it as it goes on in the background in parties featured in TV. Oh, you haven't heard it yet? Then you are probably Hungarian. Listen to it! It is the least creepy thing you have ever heard. The only thing it has that is Halloween-y is its lyrics. Which are wonderful! Beware, once you listened to it you will listen to it over and over again. This song is magnificent! Trust me :D Also, there is a new version by Key of Awesome, check it out here!

1) Aqua - Halloween
This song is my absolute favorite. The lyrics are wonderful. The sound effects and the song is great. I always loved Aqua, they have a couple of other holiday songs that are also my favorites. I am sorry to use the same word all over :D but that is how I feel! This song is everything that Halloween is for me. I could listen to it for hours! (One time I actually did!)

So this is my list. What is yours? Have a gooooood party!

What's Next On My DC List? (Cartoon Movies) Superman & Batman

(To read my opinion on DC's wrong doings regarding the new idea of a Justice League live action movie, scroll down!)

The ones I'm going to talk about now, are my absolute three favorite movies ever released by DC. Even if you disagree with me, please be kind in the comments. First up:

The Batman Superman Movie

Bruce Wayne travels to Metropolis, but it is just his luck that the Joker has decided to come here as well and team up with Lex Luthor. This of course means that Superman wants in on the action as well. During an accidental meeting, Superman peeks under Batman's mask, but later on gets home and finds that Batman followed him and he knows his secret identity too. Of course, Bruce appeals to Lois Lane immediately and that drives Clark mad, but in the end the two realize they can work together perfectly in order to bring down their nemesises.

This movie is first of all hilarious as Clark is a good to nothing loser, while Bruce is the cute and charming playboy. On the other hand Superman is like the happiest person alive, while Batman is finally his silent and depressed self when he puts the cape on. One of my favorite things is that not only Lois stars in it, but Harley as well. She is one of the funniest characters ever, not to mention her eternal love to Joker, which makes a romantic like me pretty happy. She has this hilarious scene where she gets in a struggle with Luthor's henchgirl.
Anyway, I love this movie because Superman and Batman complement each other perfectly, for the very reason I mentioned above - opposites do attract each other. This movie is a great beginning for the friendship of these two great characters. There is plenty of place for laughter even with such evil enemies and dramatic background that the two have. This is a great movie - it has the drawing style of the old cartoon that will make any fan excited.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Despite the heroes all efforts, Lex Luthor gets elected President of the United States. Of course this drives Superman mad, as he knows that Luthor has something up his sleeve, but nobody believes him except for Batman. Luthor uses a pretentious fabricated video to tell the public that Superman tried to kill him. The Justice League as well as any evil guy who wants the bounty on their head decides to declare war upon them. As a meteor is about to hit Earth, Luthor's real plans come to light as he is willing to blow up the whole planet in order to prove he is the best at everything. Almost dying for it, but Superman and Batman manage to stop him and the meteor just in time.

What is eternally fantastic about this movie is how genuine and natural Bruce and Clark's friendship comes off as. They are like two sides of one coin, or two sides of one brain. You never question them: of course Luthor is evil. But you also get to meet all kinds of Justice League members who previously never starred in cartoons but you probably still wished to see them in action. One example for me would be Captain Atom, whom I am eternally in love with and yet he barely appears in anything! The drawings are also something magnificient - not the mention the colors. My favorite scene in the whole movie is when Superman gets his ass kicked and Batman takes him home through the sewers until they reach an exit of his cave where Alfred takes care of him. Here, Superman remembers a couple of their old missions and you finally feel: yeah, you want a friendship like theirs! This movie is absolutely great! I cannot think of anything that was wrong with it. Make sure you get this one!

Superman./Batman.: Apocalypse

Superman grew up thinking he was the last of his kind, but many years later Kara arrives, his cousin who was trapped in the Phantom Zone - her father put her there so she would survive the fall of Krypton. Kara seems to be a wild card, so Batman convinces the over enthusiastic Superman to let go of her a bit again and leave her to the care of Wonder Woman and the amazons. This all seems to work fine, when one of the amazons has a vision about one of their friends dying and Kara being involved. Indeed she is take by Darkseid to the planet apocalypse where she fights in his arena for entertainment. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman too decide to rescue her and on Earth she has a new chance - this time they decide to leave her with the Kent family. But Darkseid returns, angry as ever before for losing Kara and our heroes fight him to the death. Unfortunately this ends up in them destroying the Kent farm completely.

As I have been told, this is from the comic that features Kara for the first time. This story is great because Superman has a sort of father/big brother side of him revealed and you are touched by how much he cares for Kara. Especially because you'd argue that he never really knew her, yet it is clear that you cannot deny family. He is in over his head trying to please her and care for her, when she is just a teenager who needs guidance. Superman even feels like betraying her when he hands her to Wonder Woman, even though that is clearly what she needs. This story is a perfect continuity to the friendship storyline we have been discussing so far. When Superman is overwhelmed by his feelings it is Batman who clears his mind. He points out to him that he is in way over his head and Wonder Woman helps him just as much. This trio has always been my favorite. This movie is wonderful - I especially recommend it to Kara fans!

LET'S DISCUSS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE LIVE ACTION MOVIE INITIATION:

I'd like to tell you that I want a Justice League movie, but it wouldn't be entirely true. I want a Batman and Superman movie and I want Wonder Woman to be in it. This trio has helped me through some tough emotional times. I also find that when we deal with the Justice League the emotional stuff among these three kinda gets lost in translation and I would like to focus on that. If indeed DC would USE what stories they have already built up - Superman Returns, Nolan's Batman, the Green Lantern and now CW's (Green) Arrow - making a JLA movie would be the easiest. BUT THEY ARE WAY TOO FUCKING STUPID FOR THAT! So instead they will spend hundreds of millions on a JLA movie when they could follow a trail that works: Superman+Batman and adding the other heroes one by one.
If you get a chance, do check out these cartoons, they are blast and packed with some of the best action sequences ever drawn.

What's Next On My DC List? (Cartoons) Batman

Batman (1992-1995)

Oh yes, the very first series. To be honest with you, I was literally one year old when my brother was already watching this, however, it might have been re-runs but I do one have very vivid memory of an episode that I happened to see three times. It was quite funny, because different channels aired the show at different times, but all I saw - and remember - is that one episode.

Batman is following a lead but gets stopped by Poison Ivy in a huge garden during the night. Now, the episode ended on a cliffhanger with Batman being caught in Ivy's trap and unable to escape. And I NEVER saw how the episode continued. Of course, I can guess that he got away, but as far as I am concerned, that might have been too much for our Batman. Did someone save him? Did he have an ace up his sleeve? What happened there?! And you are not going to believe this, but while random google searching I actually came across a still from that very episode! So now I have proof to back up my memories!
As far as rating goes, this cartoon is the absolute favorite. The drawings seem to pop right out of the comics, both Batman and Bruce are portrayed wonderfully and it is from here that everybody got to know their favorite villains. You all remember Commissioner Gordon's white beard and hair, just the same way that you hear Alfred's voice in your head while reading this. This cartoon is absolutely the maximum you can ask for and I find that it is still somewhat better than many others!

Batman Beyond

I was at the perfect age when this cartoon started and I can tell you that I snatched it away from my brother and declared it my own! I still have the video tape on which I recorded the Sunday morning episode where Batman fights Mr. Freeze!

Batman Beyond is set in the future, where a young boy, Terry McGinnis, comes across the old and rusty Bruce Wayne, only to discover his secret identity. The two make a packet, as Terry is in need of money to help out at home and Bruce isn't able to protect the streets of Gotham anymore: Terry puts on the cape while Bruce mentors him.
I find that this cartoon is especially fun for people who only knew Batmen who were either Waynes or Robins before putting the costume on. Here we have a kid who has nothing but an honest and pure heart and our dear old friend sees something in him that is worth exploring. This shows you that anyone can be Batman and that is a very cheerful though for us kids with our little daydreams and "hate toward all of mankind" tendencies. Even if you are not a big cartoon fan, there is a 70 minute film that stars the Joker as the antagonist, in order to get a taste of what this series was about you should at least check that out!

The Batman (2004-2008)

Now, I only recently started watching this series, seeing that I've found out that it is drawn in the same style as the castoon The Batman vs. Dracula (click here to read my review!). I like it very much, and I can tell you this much so far:

This is set in an alternate universe. Basically if you wanted for the movie Batman: Year One (click here to read my review!) to continue, this is what you'd get. We start at the third anniversary of Bruce becoming Batman and he is yet to encounter all of his great nemesis: Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze and of couse Catwoman. I am already hooked! At the end of season 2 the police kind of realizes that they need the Batman, so Commissioner Gordon installs the call signal. Also, in season 3 Batgirl joins and in season 4 Robin does. So far the cartoon - although creating its own versions of the characters - resembles the original very much. I still got one more season to watch, can't wait to see what it still has for me!
First of all, if Batman was invented in 2004: this is exactly what it would be like. The story stays completely true to the source material and yet it is a whole new show. I love that Bruce is so young. He is young and yet in most of the adaptations he is already an adult who has been doing this for God knows how long. I loved Catwoman's costume with her huge ears and the Joker's rasta - it exceptionally perfect! Not to mention that Alfred has a bit of a temper and I can very much appreciate that when your master can be such a selfish ass sometimes! Even if he doesn't have his parents anymore that doesn't mean that he has no family. This cartoon is great fun, although it is very hard to show the Joker in any other form than a psycopath, still this cartoon is pretty much for all ages. Try and get a hold of it if you can. (Not to mention, best theme song ever, despite the f***ing creepy voice in the end.)

Batman: The Brave And The Bold

This cartoon is the perfect example of how Batman can be FUNNY!!! I know that he comes from a very horrible background, but this cartoon teaches you that when you do what you love - with the people you love - life is pretty great. In this version he is voiced by the very talented Diedrich Bader who does an exceptionally great job. If you saw this cartoon, you would understand by he could not be voiced by Kevin Conroy, but trust me, you will not shed one tear because of it! This cartoon is exceptionally about Batman (no Bruce version of him shows up) and in each and every episode he fights along side one of his team members from the Justice League.

Strangely enough, the first two seasons only starred, well, category B characters, but then by the third season they kicked it up a notch and presented us with the favorites like Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan's Green Lantern and of course Superman. The lastest has one of the funniest episodes in all of the show's run. I always loved how Batman works together with the others as he is considered to be one of the best friends one could ask for. Not to mention that beside Gotham being his priority, he is above everything else a hero, and a hero doesn't refuse a cry for help. If one of his friends call, he'll be there.

I'd like to mention three other episodes that are by far the best things ever written on paper. In the first one Batman's enemy is Music Meister (voiced by Neal Patrick Harris) who, of course, sings. It is a wonderful musical episode - one that you wouldn't usually think of as Batman's style. Yet, they pull it off perfectly. The second one is quite funny, as Batman is framed and in order to clear his name he needs help from the other side. This ends up in him working with Joker. In this cartoon Joker is just a plain idiot who actually is always stopped before killing anybody. However, this idiocy makes him incredibly entertaining as he's got these one liners that crack you up while watching. There is a scene where Batman takes him to the cave, where he discovers souvenirs from their fights and while crying in laughter he says "Oh, you do care!". The third episode is one where Joker finally manages to kill Batman. Like three-hundred times in a row. Joker is granted magical powers by mistake and he uses it to become the king of the world. He sings a song, which is a great, so listen to it! But again Batman outsmarts him of course, and I don't want to spoil it for you, but you will not see it coming!

The cartoon was cancelled recently after three great seasons. I love the design, the stories: I got to meet a lot of heroes whom I didn't know previously and I enjoyed every second of that. MOST importantly, although I have mentioned this before, this show is great because you can laugh! Laughing is necessary and all the darkness and depression that brought Bruce to who he is doesn't have to be forgotten for the readers and viewers to have a big of a laugh. Shortly I am going to discuss Superman and Batman's friendship and that will be a great example of how funny and entertaining Batsy can be without switching off his true self.
I'll admit that there are a couple of incredibly boring episodes among others, but it is worth it for those couple of shining jems, trust me!

Building With CsorEsz: 'Isten Hozott' Tábla

Az egyszerű otthon elkészíthető díszek közé tartoznak a gyerek rajzok és kis dolgok, amiket készítünk. Én személy szerint szeretek díszeket csinálni, a nővérem pedig gyakran nyomtat ki rajzokat, amiket kiszínezünk. Ő maga adott egy ötletet, és semmi pluszra nincsen szükséged csak színes narancs papírra, vékony fehér karton papírra és színes ceruzák!

Először is a fehér papírra írjuk rá a szöveget, amit szeretnénk. Ugyebár én a kedvenc őszi ünnepemre készítettem, szóval az én szövegem "Happy Halloween". Ha profibbnak akarod, akkor pedig Word dokumentumban Wordart-ot használva írd ki a szöveget, amit szeretnél, majd a vékony kartonra nyomtasd rá.

Ragaszd rá a színes papírt a kartonra. A színes papírnak nagyon vékonynak kell lennie; ilyesmit ajándék csomagolásra használnak, szóval a papír boltban ott keressétek. Amennyiben Halloween-ra készül a tábla, akkor lila is lehet a papír! Kellemes színe van és biztosan feldobja majd a színeket a lakásban. A papíron egyértelmű hajtások lesznek, emiatt ne aggódjunk, ez a lényeg! Nem lehet ilyen minőségű papírt tökéletesen ráragasztani kartonra, és ez a célunk A képnek így olyan hangulata lesz, mintha kis erecskék futnának alatta és egyaránt mintha egy száraz fa levél lenne - ami remekül erősíti az őszi témát. Egy fekete filctollal színezzük át az írást, hogy ne derüljön ki, hogy rányomtattuk már a meglévő papírra.

Ami maradt az a díszítése a képnek. Nagyon sok dolgot lehet rá tenni, ebben az esetben mi egy tököt tettünk rá. Ha beírod a google-ba, hogy "______ drawing" akkor kihoz képeket, amiket kilehet nyomtatni és színezni. Sokkal jobban néznek ki ha magunk színezzük ki őket, mintha előre kiszínezettet nyomtatnánk ki. A kiválasztott díszt - macska, boszorkány, tök - csak két ponton rögzítsük rá a papírra, mert így kicsit meghajlik a papír és 3D hangulatot fog kllteni.

A kész táblát pedig ajtótól kezdve ablakig bárhova kitehetjük, garantáltan felfog figyelni rá mindenki, hiszen az otthon díszített kézműves munkáknak mindig van egy kis plusz szépsége. Ajánlom ezt karácsonyi időszakban és húsvétkor is. Egyrészt jó szórakozás és ha a gyerekekkel együtt csináljuk, akkor az ő műveik látják el a lakást.

What The F*ck Is This Sh*t?: Beauty & The Beast

Dear Reader! I am introducing a new segment. This is partly an homage to one of my favorites, Joe Vargas, known as Angry Joe from thatguywiththeglasses.com. If you know him you have probably seen his review of Steel Batallion: Heavy Armor (click here to see!) which he starts off with a very honest sentence "What the fuck is this shit?" and I have to be honest, I feel that way myself very often! Now I have tried to review a couple of bad things to warn you about what is out there - but there are some pretty horrible things that need mentioning and I will discuss them in this segment. It will be more like a rant of how shitty things are and how Hollywood is trying to get your money for their awful project, rather than a review... However, you will see the point!

_ _ _ _ _ _

That said, let us discuss the trailer for CW new show: Beauty & The Beast.

Now... WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!
Let me tell you something, a new spin on the classic tale? It is more like "this is nothing like the classical tale". The basic story of the Beauty & The Beast is how both characters learn to appreciate and love what is on the inside. I don't know if you are seeing the problem but the, erm... "beast" looks like a model for Men's Health magazine! AND NONE OF THE CHARACTERS ARE LIKEABLE! No offence to her because perhaps it is the directors who can't work with her, but so far there is only one side I have seen from Kristin Kreuk and that shows me that SHE CANNOT ACT! She is completely incapable of showing any emotion beside fright and fear. SHE IS SUPPOSED TO PLAY A COP! Does she look like the person you'd want to trust when in trouble? No. Cops do not need saving - don't get me wrong, I understand that in order for her to ACTUALLY get into dangerous situations they needed for her to do a job that is involved with thugs and guns... but for fuck sake, HIRE AN ACTRESS WHO DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO JUST WENT THROUGH PUBERTY! And the beast... a super soldier serum? Are you like fucking kidding with me? What you had a Captain America marathon before presenting your pitch to CW? And you even got that wrong because this version turns into the Hulk! If Disney wasn't already flush with cash thanks to the Avengers, I am pretty sure they could sue you and they would win!
Not to mention that this is supposed to be a remake of the 1987 series with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton... really? Let me tell you two things about remakes: do you know why Melrose Place failed? Because it was too much like the old version, it reeked of 1992 and people have changed. Do you know why 90210 and Dallas are hits? Because they kept 35% of all the good elements and were able to transport it into our every days. They made it more modern in the good way. Do you know why this sucks? BECAUSE IT HAS FUCKING NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING! NOT THE BOOK, NOT THE CARTOON, NOT THE SERIES, NOTHING!!!!! Nothing makes this modern, nor does it have to be!

I'll tell you what this is, do you miss Moonlight? I am sure you do, it had a cult following of incredible numbers, and what did we like about that? The sexy heartbroken can-do-it-all vampire and the charismatic journalist who stops at nothing. And did you like Lana in Smallville and wished Clark would've saved her a couple more times? Well, here is your wish! You get your vampire like supernatural hero who saves Lana again! Don't believe me? Lana's cop partner is played by the SAME FUCKING ACTOR WHO PLAYED THE COP ON MOONLIGHT!!! THAT IS HOW LITTLE YOU ARE TRYING CW!!!
What more do I have to say? How did this pass any of the focus groups? Who in their fucking right mind said that any of the issues these two have can be relate-able? I'd like to quote Allison Pregler aka Obscuras Lupa here, who's review of the pilot you can see if you click HERE (and please do, she really sums it up perfectly!):

"I have never seen anything miss the point so monumentally in all my life. (...) By turning him into a hot guy who turns into a monster sometimes you have eliminated everything that made Beauty & The Beast romantic, tragic or interesting for that matter."

I have come so far to think that the 'beast' is supposed to be Kristin Kreuk... no offence, even though this guy isn't my type, just look at him. When you think of Beast, is this what you see?
And... oh boy... over the past 3 years the biggest trend is to put ONE British character in the cast. Why is that? I have no fucking idea... If there is one thing I learned from being an English major is that Americans hate the Brits. It is not a generalization, I am telling you honestly! From stand up comedians all the way to old historical facts that led to the separation and independence. This is even more disgusting because it has become a sort of unspoken law, like putting all minorities in the shows (look for the african-americans and the latinos! They are there. Easy to find too, they are the first ones to die!). But the only purpose the British cast members seem to serve is drive you FUCKING insane with their fake sounding accents next to the Americans. The pretty one who got the honor of starring in this piece of crap is Max Brown, who I loved both in The Tudors and MI-5. This makes me believe that they cast him because he is famous in England now... nice going! Real classy.

Please do not watch this. Simply do not. Don't download it, don't TEVO it or watch it just don't, please please don't. I want this show to get cancelled so fucking bad that it is driving me insane!

What's Next On My DC List? (Cartoon Movies) Batman

Batman: Year One

Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham, the home he hated for so long after the loss of his parents, only to find it in decay as criminals are on the rise. At the same time of his return, a new police officer from out of town, Gordon was promoted to Commissioner, and although he seems eager to end the decay of the town, he might still need a hand in doing so. Bruce starts to train himself to overcome his fears.

This ends up in him testing himself on the streets, only to get caught by the police after a street fight. He of course escapes, but realizes that he needs to hide his face in order to protect both the citizens of Gotham and himself. Gordon has a meeting with him, assuming that this vigilante must be a friend of Bruce's, as he has equipment that is not cheap. And although Bruce portrays himself as a rich playboy who couldn’t care less about the filth in his city, Gordon assumes that this is a mask he uses to hide his extracurricular activities.
This movie will answer all and any questions you might have regarding the transition from Bruce to Batman. It has several scenes that are not included in any movie (not even Batman Begins), and it also gives you a perspective into Gordon’s life. We all know that he trusts Batman blindly, later on, but what brought these two together is the unanswered question. The drawings are beautiful and the music score is dead on. Not to mention that Bruce is voiced by none other than my favorite actor, Ben McKenzie.

The Batman vs. Dracula

While grave robbing, some criminals end up in resurrecting the lord of vampires himself, Dracula, who’s grave found its final destination in a cemetery in Gotham. Although at first hesitant in understanding who is this mysterious creature who has just appeared in his city, Batman has to deal with him, as well as the Joker and Penguin who seemed to want in on Batman’s defeat.
The movie comes down to a duel to define who the real “bat” man is.

This cartoon is already wonderful as it has a drawing style that was previously unknown to me and I enjoyed it very much. It portrays Bruce a bit younger, than for example the 90’s cartoon. Also, it gives you a whole new Joker and Penguin that seemed to be completely different from each other - meaning that they aren't simply bad guys, but their character is a bit more polished. In the end of course the main attraction is Dracula himself. Of course nobody knows about his existence and Bruce is quite in a quarrel to find out who is leaving corpses behind him. This is definitely one of the hardest cases that our detective had to crack just yet.

Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman

There seems to be a new bat in town, but as Robin said "I haven't seen her around the cave". Bruce doesn't know anything about her and she doesn't seem to be a vigilante, she only seems to care about the Penguin and the weapons he is manifacturing. Bruce draws the possible Batwoman to three ladies, a detective who works for Commissioner Gordon; a young scientist who came up with a device she'd like to sell Wayne Enterprises and finally the daughter of a conman who works with Penguin. Unfortunately, all of the girls seem to have alibis... so how did they do it?

This is probably one of my favorite cartoon movies with Batman. Bruce is portrayed excellently here and indeed there is mystery as you drive yourself mad to guess who the real Batwoman is. Also this is one of those examples where Penguin is a highly intellectual being and I loved that. I like it when I am tempted to root for the enemy as well and he makes himself very likeable. I don't want to spoil anything, but there will be some pretty awesome Bane vs. Batman action that makes the movie worth your while even if you don't especially enjoy women lead characters. This movie is great also for Robin, as he is portrayed at the age of about 12 - the same age he originally joined Batman. Not to mention a hilarious scene with Bruce and Batgirl, who is believed to have returned now grown up, but actually she is still away. This movie might not be a classic, but it is definitely worth checking out!

Batman: Under The Red Hood

Bruce is in grief, as his second Robin has died because of the Joker. But his grief is interrupted by a red hodded criminal who seems to be going out his way to find the Joker and at the same time leaving a tray of bodies behind him. Nightwing shows up, trying to comfort Batman, but he pushes him aside. Batman finally comes across the Red Hood the moment he is pointing a gun to Joker's head. Turns out, Ra's Al Ghul had a hand in all of this. He planes for Batman to marry his daughter and take over his legacy, so he thought that bringing Robin back to life would be a grand gesture. But something went fatally wrong... here the viewer is morally involved in the dilemma that Batman is drawn in: shouldn't Joker pay for his crimes with his own life, instead of going back to the prison where he is just going to escape again?

Let me tell you that I love Batman for his humorous side, which we will discuss shortly when I talk about the various TV series. However, I do know that he has some pretty terrible issues - starting with the death of his parents. He is a really dark character, but the cartoons usually are for a younger audience... not this one. This goes very deep as in the end I think people do want for Joker to die... Robin asks Batman, shouldn't he die, after all he killed him! Isn't he - the sidekick, this step-brother - more important than a maniac who still is planning to kill people? Not to mention, he is crazy enough to laugh into their faces even in the second when Robin is pointing his gun at him. The problem is that Batman is not willing to kill anybody, because he is 'better than that'. But you must ask yourself, is it worth it when these criminals just keep escaping that damn prison? Try and answer the question yourself, I personally find that this movie is very important if you care about Batman's story.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

Now, I have seen this film, but I haven't read the comics it was based on, so I can't really talk about it. The story is simple, Batman has put the cape down, but it seems that Gotham needs him once again - but perhaps he is too old for that now. A young girl decides to join him as the new Robin, and he appeals to Bruce, so he takes her in. Even though the enemy of the episode is defeated, the movie ends with a scene where we see the Joker in a mental institution coming to his senses after hearing Batman's name on the news. "Batsy?"
This movie perfectly continues the road that was started with the Red Hood cartoon, previously mentioned. You see a deeper side of his; his friendship with Gordon and living together with some and all of the mistakes he has made in the past. Indeed Gotham needs a Batman, but is he the best man for that? This movie is for a mature audience. It is probably one of the best movies starring the bat, both the story and the graphics are amazing. But keep in mind that this story is probably not for everyone. Personally I didn't like it, but it was because I love 'love' stories and enemies I've already encountered.