Ninja Blogging!

I have to say that even though I almost gave up on Smallville, this past season has been really interesting. After Gough and Miller left their producer job at the show to make movies, the show has improved. No freak of the week stories. Completely serialized. And they are going to the DC comic’s idea well A LOT and that is a good thing. Legion of Superheroes, Doomsday, etc. And as they proved in the Season 8 finale, they aren’t afraid to kill off canonical characters. Something I never thought they would do. Also no more Michael Rosenbaum has really forced them to expand the setting instead of always focusing on Lex. Its made a big difference in the show. A positive one in my opinion.

Really, I have to say that I personally enjoyed Season 8 of Smallville MORE than I enjoyed this past season of Heroes. And the season finale of Smallville was better in about every way than the season finale of Heroes. There was even a short throwdown with Clark and Doomsday, that involved tossing cars and getting punched through a building. Heroes writers should take notes. This is what I want in a superhero drama. If someone hasn’t been thrown through a building or had a car picked up and hurled at them by the end of the season, then you are doing it WRONG!

Also the moral dilemma faced by Clark and the consequences of his decision were much powerful than the stupid let’s turn Sylar into Nathan resolution. And the cliffhanger ending was awesome. I want to watch the season 9 premiere right now! Heroes? Meh.

Smallville has at least one more season and possibly two, though the CW has moved the show to Friday nights next season which really annoys me. Kiss of death for a drama. Nobody watches TV on Friday nights. They want to make room on Thursdays for their new Twilight cash-in show “The Vampire Diaries”. Ugh.

What is it with teen girls and that movie? I saw Twilight. Satoko liked it, but I wasn’t impressed. Underworld Evolution is still the best vampire movie of all time as far as I’m concerned. And it will remain that way until someone tops that helicopter scene at the end. I hate all that angsty goth seduction bullshit that seems to pervade vampire movies and stories.

“Oh, Mr. Vampire. Are you going to do me or suck my blood? Oh, I’m so turned on.” Gag me. Freaking stupid.

Vampire movies should about immortal badasses (and Kate Beckinsale in leather), opening up a can of supernatural whoopass all over the opposition. If you had all the powers of a vampire (immortality, regeneration, strength, speed, etc.), would you seriously waste it on picking up goth chicks or giving interviews to Anne Rice?

Hell NO! I’d be kicking ass and taking names. I’d chew bubblegum too. But I’m all out of bubblegum.

Here is the sweet HD superbowl trailer spot. I’ve been looking forward to a real live action GI Joe film since I was a little kid. Aside from Transformers, GI Joe was one of my favorite toys and comic books as a kid. Lets hope this movie rocks as much as the trailer.

So, in keeping with the Ninja theme, I ran across this cool video. Its test footage of stuntmen and martial arts training for the upcoming Wachowski Brothers ninja flick. The appropriately titled, “Ninja Assassin“. Looks pretty sweet. Hopefully the film won’t suck.

Its also co-written by one J. Michael Straczynski in case you are a Babylon 5 or Rising Stars fan.

So the Blazers play the Clippers tonight in LA. This is a must win for us as we enter the second half the of the season and are battling among 9 Western Conference teams for 8 playoff spots. We lost to the Clippers in a heartbreaking double OT game earlier in the season. Hearbreaking especially because no one should ever lose to the Clippers.

Steve Blake is still out but hopefully the dynamic duo of Sergio and Bayless will step up. I’d like to see some good numbers from Greg Oden and B-Roy as well.

Update: Well, the Blazers struggled with the Clippers a bit until near the end of the 3rd quarter when Brandon Roy posterized Cheikh Samb with a monster dunk! The Blazers blew out the Clippers by 20 plus after that.