Family Portrait

On a recent trip to my parent's house I went through my old junk from when I was a kid and found the "Marvel Super Heroes Fantasy Jigsaw Puzzle: A Marvel Comics Family Portrait Featuring Over 130 Favorite Characters" (see the full box front and back). I was into super heroes in a big way when I was a kid. It was limited mostly to toys and Saturday-morning cartoons and never translated into comic book collecting. Still, one doesn't have to be Comic Book Guy to recognize many of the characters in this group shot since many have made their way to big screen. Below are several side-by-side comparisons of the Marvel comic book heroes and villains in the puzzle form and cinematic form, along with my grade for each adaptation.

X-Men Trilogy

Professor X
Even though I was never a Star Trek fan, it's hard to think of a better actor than Patrick Stewart to play this part. Plus, he was already bald. Grade: A

Magneto
Thanks to the X-Men and Lord of the Rings trilogies, Ian McKellen went from a British stage actor not all that well known by the mainstream public to nerd icon. Still, he seems a bit older than the guy in the puzzle, who if you'll look closely, appears to be checking out Storm's mid-rift, something else that would be a stretch for Sir Ian. Grade: B-

Wolverine
In the first X-Men movie, Hugh Jackman's character is complaining about the matching leather uniforms by saying "You actually go outside in these things?" Cyclops responds with "Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?" If he wanted a higher grade here, he should have said "Yes." Grade: B

Cyclops
James Marsden, Hollywood's go-to "Other Guy" when it comes to love triangles, apparently has better pretty-boy locks than the guy in the puzzle. Still, the visor thing (adjusted for technological advances) is pretty cool. Grade: A-

Storm
A lot of people find Halle Berry sexy. I've never been much of a fan (even before Cat Woman). Berry, apparently left her sexiness out of the movie, while the puzzle Storm is flaunting hers. And if I recall, Storm is African whereas Halle Berry just sort mumbled her way in and out of some accent in the X-Men movies. Being black and having white hair isn't enough. Grade: C+

Iceman
When I was a kid, Iceman shared a cartoon with Spider-Man. But apparently he's now an X-Man, and a rather bland one at that. Frozone from The Incredibles seems to have gotton closer on the super powers. Grade: B

Nightcrawler
The makeup people nailed this one. Alan Cumming's got it all: blue skin, a pointy tail, yellow eyes and only two fingers on each hand. Grade: A

Colossus
Colossus was one of the main characters from the cartoon. Too bad he's hardly in the movies. Still, the adaptation seems pretty good. Grade: A-

Beast
He's a furry blue man. It would be pretty hard to mess it up. Yet even though Kelsey Grammer is covered in makeup, he still manages to have Frasier hair. Grade: B+

Angel (aka Archangel)

The wings are excellent. The rest, not so much. Grade: B

Kitty Pryde (aka Shadowcat)
This character appears in all three X-Men movies, each time played by a different actress. The most famous, and one with the biggest part is Juno's Ellen Page in X-Men III. Again, what we're missing here is the yellow spandex. Grade: B

Fantastic 4, Rise of the Silver Surfer

Mr. Fantastic
The attention to detail is earning the grade here. If it weren't for Ioan Gruffudd's gray temples, we're looking at a B at best. Grade: A-

Invisible Girl
Jessica Alba is built like a female cartoon super hero. And while I don't have a problem with the dyed-blonde hair, the fake blue eyes are a bit creepy at times. Grade: B+

Human Torch

Like Beast above, it would be pretty hard to screw this one up. He's a guy on fire. Grade: A-

Thing
The hardest of the Fantastic Four to recreate must have been Thing. You can't argue with the end result. Grade: A

Dr. Doom
Like Cyclops above, this one is all about the metal stuck to the face. It's close enough. Grade: A-

Silver Surfer

The guy in the puzzle is more like the Silver Body Boarder, so in that respect the movie version is better. Grade: A

Galactus
On the left we have a guy who manages to fit into a group photo. On the right we have a swirling galactic vortex about to consume Earth. At least the helmet shape comes through when he explodes in the movie's climactic scene. Grade: D

Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man

The color and detail in the movie version look pretty sharp. Too bad Tobey Maguire's underneath the mask. Spider-Man Grade: A-, Peter Parker Grade: F

Green Goblin
The guy in the puzzle appears to be an actual green goblin. Willem Dafoe is wearing a big metal helmet/mask thing that maybe looks like a goblin. Grade: D+

Dr. Octopus

Alfred Molina is sporting modern sun glasses instead of goggles and plain clothes instead of green spandex, but the octopus tentacles are pretty cool. Grade: B+

Iron Man, Iron Man 2

Iron Man
The face shape and color hues are off a bit, but like Spider-Man, the movie version looks pretty sharp. Grade: A-

Black Widow
Though still a year away, photos from Iron Man 2 have already been released. The part of Black Widow will be played by Scarlett Johansson. This is similar to the Jessica Alba situation in that we run in to natural hair-color issues. Maybe the two actresses would have done better to switch parts. Aside from the hair, which is easy to dye, it's hard to complain too much with the casting. Grade: B+

Daredevil

Daredevil
Even though the nubby little horns on Ben Affleck's hood/mask aren't as bad as George Clooney's infamous Batman nipples, the all red leather look is a bit silly. Plus, it's Ben Affleck underneath. Daredevil Grade: B-, Matt Murdock Grade: D+

Kingpin
The obvious difference between puzzle Kingpin and movie Kingpin is just too glaring. They can call it getting with the times, but I can't believe the movie makers expect us to accept that their Kingpin doesn't have an ascot. Where did you think I was going with this? The cigar? Oh, race. Yeah, I don't care about that. Michael Clark Duncan works in this role. Plus he gets the already-bald points. Grade: B+

Blade Trilogy

Blade
The differences between the puzzle and movie versions of Blade are purely a matter of fashion. So although I would like to have seen Wesley Snipes with a Jheri curl, I don't blame the movie makers for going modern with the hair. Grade: B+

The Hulk, The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk
As I've stated many times in this web log, I liked the Hulk cartoon. I liked the Hulk TV show. I didn't like that the movie was a combination of the two. I guess you could say the first hulk is more like the cartoon and the second is more like the TV show. But which is more like the puzzle? It would appear the answer is the first one, because despite advances is computer-generated imagery, he is a closer adaptation because he has purple pants and is actually green. Hulk (2003) Grade: B+, The Incredible Hulk (2008) Grade: B-

Howard the Duck

Howard the Duck
Whereas puzzle Howard the Duck looks a lot like Donald Duck with a cigar, movie Howard the Duck was actually a $2 million robotic suit. Grade: B-

Captain America

Captain America
The 1990 movie Captain America is by all accounts a terrible movie (Watch the trailer here). Its IMDb User Rating is an anemic 2.8 out of 10 (even Howard the Duck managed a 4.0). But the costume is spot on, aside from the fact that it appears to be constructed from colorful garbage bags. Grade: B+

Red Skull
Puzzle Red Skull lives up to his name. Movie Red Skull looks as though he would be better named Red Skinless Face Guy or Smuckers Man. Grade: B-

Coming soon to a theater near you...

Nick Fury

Nick Fury
I could have listed this character up with Iron Man and Black widow, but Samuel L. Jackson's cameo after the Iron Man closing credits was just a ploy to plug his own movie coming out next year. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot in common between puzzle Nick Fury and movie Nick Fury besides the eye patch. In fact, movie Nick Fury looks suspiciously like Shaft. Grade: B-

Thor

Thor	Loki
The movie adaptation of Thor is due out in 2011. Besides the Norse god super hero, it will have Loki as the villain, so watch for that. Also due in 2011 is The First Avenger: Captain America. Hopefully it will be better than the 1990 version. Note, as I stated, I didn't collect comic books, so grades were based almost entirely on the visual representation presented above, with a little help from my limited memory of the cartoons. Feel free to comment at the risk of being called a nerd.

Would you like a little cereal?

Season 2 of Flight of the Conchords comes out on DVD today, not that I expect you to rush out and buy it. I just wanted an excuse to show a clip.

Myrna Loy

Today marks the 104th anniversary of the birth of the late Myrna Loy. The actress, who died in 1993, was best known for her portrayal of Nora Charles in the six Thin Man movies (1934-47). She was hugely popular in the 1930's and 40's, having also appeared in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948 opposite Cary Grant), and Cheaper by the Dozen (1950). She began her career in the silent film era where she often played the role of the exotic femme fatale. After the advent of sound her roles switched to that of the witty, urbane, professional woman or loyal housewife. Legend has it that Loy was the favorite star of famed outlaw John Dillinger and that he came out of hiding in 1934 just to see her in Manhattan Melodrama. He was gunned down by FBI agents upon leaving the theater. If you've never heard of Myrna Loy or have never seen the Thin Man movies, it's about time you sat down for a marathon.

100

Last year Entertainment News released its list of the 100 most list-worthy individuals, setting off a firestorm of water-cooler debate and fanhood posturing. Essentially, it was a list of the people who most deserve to be on a list. A year has passed and we now present the 100 Most List-worthy Individuals of 2009. As was the case last year, eligibility rules are simple:     1. The person must be either real or fictitious.     2. If real, the person must still be alive.     3. The person need not be a person at all. All other criteria is strictly confidential. Click here for the expanded list which includes photos, descriptions and prior rankings.   1. Chuck Norris   2. Xuxa   3. Xena: Warrior Princess   4. The Most Interesting Man in the World   5. Duane Chapman   6. Fabio   7. Hobbes   8. Sinbad   9. Rowlf  10. Winnie the Pooh  11. Vin Diesel  12. Antonin Scalia  13. Bat Boy  14. Stephen Hawking  15. Buster Bluth  16. Edson Arantes do Nascimento  17. Arthur Fonzarelli  18. Lex Luthor  19. Colonel Mustard  20. Ivan Lendl  21. Chief Clancy Wiggum  22. Ichiro  23. David St. Hubbins  24. Detective Lennie Briscoe  25. Alex Trebek  26. Pauly Shore  27. Dirk Benedict  28. ALF  29. Patrick Swayze  30. Garth Algar  31. Plácido Domingo  32. Brigitte Bardot  33. Jim Nantz  34. Danielle Steel  35. Mr. T  36. Lara Croft  37. Fat Lever  38. Eleanor  39. Ahmad Rashad  40. Vidal Sassoon  41. Melanie Chisholm  42. Grimace  43. Count Chocula  44. David Bowie  45. Jessica Rabbit  46. Neil Diamond  47. Meatloaf  48. Patrick Star  49. Ringo Star  50. Steve Buscemi  51. Q  52. Q-Bert  53. Franka Potente  54. Tom Servo  55. Edward Scissorhands  56. Delta Burke  57. Alfred E. Neuman  58. Warwick Davis  60. Bibleman  60. Rachel Ray  61. Willie Nelson  62. Betty Crocker  63. Derek Jacobi  64. Casey Kasem  65. Abe Vigoda  66. Lando Calrissian  67. Vanna White  68. Dr. Egon Spengler  69. Norm Abrams  70. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind  71. Weird Al Yankovic  72. John Astin  73. Gromit  74. Sally Jesse Rafael  75. Gloria Gaynor  76. Billy Zane  77. El Guapo  78. Dan Quayle  79. Pierluigi Collina  80. Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer  81. Laura Bush  82. The Phoenix Suns Gorilla  83. Sonic the Hedgehog  84. Billy Joel  85. The Noid  86. Heather Mitts  87. Dr. Strangelove  88. Usain Bolt  89. Michael J. Fox  90. Mercer Mayer  91. Jenny Berggren  92. Ernest Borgnine  93. Tyra Banks  94. Makoto Nagano  95. Alan Greenspan  96. Brian Doyle-Murray  97. Angela Merkel  98. Detective Harry Callahan  99. Michael Vick 100. Kim Jong Il

August and Nothing After

It's been three months since my last post and I have to admit I don't really miss it. I have therefore decided to hang up the blog and walk away for a while. But before I go, I'm going to turn over my bucket of ideas. I'm going to fizzle out with a bang as it were. So during the month of August I will be adding to my web log like mad. My previous best for a single month was November of 2006 where I wrote 8 web log entries. I'm going to far surpass that next month. Among the topics to be highlighted are the 100 Most List-worthy Individuals of 2009 (see the 2008 list here), some comic book movie talk and the Entertainment News Web Log Entertainer of the Year, so stay tuned.

Lego Arrested Development

I came across these photos the other day. The first is the stair car. This one's the Banana Stand. The flame is supposed to represent "Yeah, but where'd the lighter fluid come from?"

Poll Question

The Favorite Kelso poll is now closed. If the results tell us anything, it is that I have more friends who watch Scrubs than friends who are teen-age girls. The new poll question (on the right) concerns Bruce Willis. It asks which big-budget action movie is more unbelievably over the top, Armageddon or Live Free or Die Hard.

Entertainer of the Month: Alan Arkin

We here at Entertainment News would like to wish a happy 75th birthday to the great Alan Arkin. To celebrate we are naming him March's Entertainer of the Month. You probably know him best from... well, that depends on how old you are. He got in to the entertainment industry back in the 1950's as part of the musical group The Tarriers. With them he co-wrote a Jamaican calypso folk song called "The Banana Boat Song" which later became better known as Harry Belefonte's hit "Day-O." In the 1960's Arkin turned to acting. He starred in the 1967 thriller Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn. Later he played Captain Yossarian in the movie adaptation of Catch-22. In more recent years he has shown up mostly in comedies like Grosse Pointe Blank, Little Miss Sunshine (which won him an Oscar) and most recently Get Smart. One of my favorite roles of his is as the police chief in So I Married an Axe Murderer. His scenes opposite Anthony LaPaglia (below, 3:29) are my favorites in that movie.

Entertainer of the Month: Adam Baldwin

February's Entertainer of the Month is Adam Baldwin. Best known for playing a tough guy, Baldwin can seen on NBC's Chuck as super agent John Casey. Prior to that, he was gun-loving muscle head Jayne Cobb in the short-lived series Firefly and its subsequent movie followup Serenity. However, one of my favorite Adam Baldwin moments comes from the movie Independence Day when his character, Major Mitchell, is asked if the glass separating them from the killer alien is bullet proof. He responds by pulling out his gun and saying "No, Sir!" For your viewing (and listening) pleasure, below is a video (2:36) of Baldwin singing his version of "Hero of Canton," a song from an episode of Firefly. And in case you were wondering, he's not related to the Baldwin brothers.

Tears of a Rapper

If you hadn't noticed, Bret & Jemaine are back for Season 2. Get me a small man's wet suit, please.