SUPERMAN

The 10 year journey of Smallville has been done and dusted…

I felt the finale went rather well. Characters were tied up (although I would have liked to have seen a bit more closure on them), settings were made and it was all epic throughout. I have always admired how this show attempts at pushing the boundaries of budget and tech limitations to bring forth what I think are some great stories. Having watched a lot of the DVD extras and ‘behind the scenes’, as well as reading blogs and interviews from the team of this show - I got a really good impression of the hard work, dedication and ambition that went into this production. I sure hope the Smallville team have no trouble finding work after the wrap up.

I have read mixed reactions online in regards to Tom Welling finally suiting up or vaguely suiting up as the Man of Steel.

Sure, we got to see Superman and at only a fair distance… But I think of it from an “Is it a Bird, Is it a plane” onlooker perspective (as most would see Superman). That in my opinion is how Superman would be and should seen. Superman isn’t a poser like Booster Gold (who was previously portrayed a couple of episodes prior to the finale) and isn’t going to stick around for photographs or be studied. It is just as well, considering Superman has the most unflattering hero costume around next to He-Man.

Fans already know what the Superman costume looks like, so there would have been no surprise factor, and the many fan-made photoshops of Tom Welling in the red and blue which have cropped up over the years already gave an insight to what he would have looked like.

I clued in that the producers of Smallville were going to hold back on how much of Superman they were going to expose. After all the unveiled costume at the start of season 10 only showed the shield and cape half covered in a crystal closet inside the Fortress of Solitude. I say that was a good move.

I think what mattered most was that the finale setup who Clark Kent now is, who Lex Luthor is and the busy crime-filled Metropolis setting most of the action takes place in.

I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a TV as much as Smallville. I’d say, The A Team comes in at a close second which ran of half as long.

Smallville is a show I grew up with and will happily reflect on. It is rare to have a TV series last for a decade and boast a consistency of the same actor and support cast. I hope that something just as good can crop up again. There is so much potential for a spin-off with either Conner Kent or the Green Arrow that could fill the void left behind.

Now that the journey has ended, the wife and I will still look back on this show (since we already own the first 9 DVD boxsets) and look back on favourite episodes. It’s been a fun TV show experience to say the least.

Goodbye Smallville, but not Goodbye forever.

AUDITION

Here is one of the audition takes I did last year to appear on the Smallville episode 'Beacon'. Thanks to Jeph for helping me get this submitted stateside.

I recorded this (and other takes) at around 6 in the morning, just hours after my baby daughter was born and I was'nt allowed to stay at the hospital. I figured at the time I would'nt get another chance to do this, so I grabbed the camera and had an outlet.

This was great fun and I am glad I did it.

Congrats to those whose videos were featured.

BEACON

Just before Christmas, The CW Network website opened up to Smallville fans to film and submit webcam testomonials in support of Superheroes and... The Red/Blue Blur.. This was for an upcoming episode called Beacon.

I took part in this and after 15 or so takes I had my final sent in (Thanks to Jephael for the help on that one).

I won't be getting my hopes up, but if I end up on the said Smallville episode even for a fraction of a second, it would make my year. I am already excited for the other people who entered and that Smallville is bigging up for a big finale.

I am really glad I gave it a go, and if my entry isn't used I will post it in full elsewhere online.

The Smallville episode Beacon will air this coming Friday February 11th.

DESTROYER

SPOILER WARNING: This is a little feedback from a Smallville episode which aired last night in the US on the CW Network. Anyone following this show on Channel 4/E4 on UK shores may want to be warned as the airing of episodes is obviously behind with the states. However it is always customary to put a spoiler warning on for principle sake, so yeah, you’ve been warned =). This isn’t a review as such, just me sharing my thoughts on something I enjoy and support

So this morning, I’m still voiceless (see the entry MUTE) and working on some stuff for an upcoming film I am shooting a 3 minute pilot for (more on this soon). I had just remembered that the anticipated Smallville episode BRIDE aired last night in the states, so I acquired it to take a break out and enjoy.

I enjoyed the episode from start, middle and end.


Of course the main attraction of this episode was the appearance of Doomsday aside from the Jimmy/Chloe wedding, but there was a lot more packed into the 40+ minutes of this mid-season finale.

Lana is back and once again keeping a secret from Clark, A world-wide chase with new leads for Lex has begun with The Green Arrow hot on the trail, plus Clark and Lois grow even closer.

The best part of BRIDE was the reception scene as the wedding itself was already established in a Cloverfield type homage before the credits. This main scene build up is shown after the opening credits and is set 8 hours beforehand with wedding planner comedy from Lois. I felt sorry for the camera kid as he spent his scenes trying to make a good home video, and as if Lois slapping him around wasn’t bad enough he also gets a slap from Doomsday too. Still, this minor characters point of view sets the episode in motion really well. I think he may have been one of Jimmy’s relatives…

Doomsday’s reception crash as expected left a lot of mess and destruction. Clark and Jimmy both end up getting floored too as Doomday grabs Chloe and heads off for the now Brainiac corrupted Fortress of Solitude. Oddly enough Chloe strikes a questionable smile towards her captor in the Fortress, possibly meaning she is still manifested by Brainiac or another reason altogether. The smile is pretty creepy to say the least.



I think the writers are going for an Eddie Brock / Venom approach with this rendition of Doomsday. There obviously was a fair amount of Davis Bloom’s emotion that fuelled the attack on the wedding from his desire for Chloe’s hand, much in a similar way Brock’s emotion is driving force behind Venom in Spiderman canon.

Smallville’s interpretation of Doomsday himself looks like a cross between Michael Bay’s Megatron and the 80’s My Pet Monster toy but… with crystal bones as expected. Yes! Crystal Bones I say. Most of the camera shots of Doomsday are shown in the shade or distanced which help make him look a little less surreal.

Another delightful thing about the recent episode was the return of a soundtrack of sorts. Smallville’s soundtrack was one of the epic elements of the show but has been sadly absent for a while. The song Don’t Take Your Love Away by Vast plays during the final scenes and sets the mood for the ending really well.

One of the key parts of this episode being the last one of 2008 is the final shot at the end. This final shot is something totally different from the other recent events (although it acknowledges them) but is something likely to set conversation off. In the meantime, new Smallville episodes won’t be back until mid-January 2009 when Lighting Lad, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy from The Legion of Superheroes are all scheduled to appear at the kidnap/wedding crash aftermath.

All in all things are really picking up big with Smallville again after a few losses in cast and downsized settings. This show has survived knock after knock and continues to stay strong.

So what if the show is leaning more towards Metropolis? so long as Smallville continues to be Lois Lane’s pet name for Clark that is the what the title of the show will stay as.

BRIDE

I love this Cloverfield style trailer.

Mid-season bonanza on Smallville next week.

Doomsday The Wedding Crasher has arrived!

This is gonna be very cool!

SELECTION

A pick and mix selection of goodies from the world of myself.

I don’t know where to begin…

*cue the Murder She Wrote theme and I start typing*

I finally hammered the Essay of Doom on the head this week, only the essay wasn’t actually about Doom although I rambled on for 4,000 words about video games being made into movies. I mainly covered Super Mario Brothers and Resident Evil.

I recently acquired the complete series of Spaced which I think was a void filling investment. I will ramble about this rather excellent series in another blog entry, but I certainly will state that watching this makes me want to graduate fast from university and grab the world by the balls and make some of my own stuff.

This week also marked the 60 Day Suspension of William Regal from the WWE. Whatever he was exactly suspended for, my opinion on the guy doesn’t change. I am certainly disappointed to hear of the news but I look forward to his eventful return to TV.

===Other thoughts processing… ===

Zack turning heel on the Bones Season 3 finale was a shocker!

Smallville season 7 finale was by far the weakest cliff-hanger ending so far of the series. Despite that I have high hopes for season 8. Doomsday!!!!

Scotty 2 Hotty seminar on the 7th. Looking forward to that.

TF:Animated Prowl and Lockdown on their way from Hong Kong.

I need to do some clothes shopping soon. I am shrinking out of everything.

Exam to repeat next month. I hope I take it to the cleaners this time (not literally mind).

===HERO/KEN