"Doctor Who" has returned and this season for the first time The Doctor is in America. The eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith, has been a genius successor to the Doctor Who title,especially following the popular run of David Tennant who played the Tenth Doctor. Right out of the gate,  he cemented his place in the mythos of the character with his brilliant turn in  "The Eleventh Hour". The companions have always been an important part of the series and Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) has broken the mold with her characterization as a companion to the 900 year old alien Time Lord, who with her quick-witted quips, manages to keep his ego in check. As his companions go she is a beautiful,brassy and quite outspoken redheaded firebrand who is in no way conceivable a damsel in distress. If you haven't seen this series at all I highly recommend you check out the 2005 relaunch of the series on DVD, or new and rerun episodes on BBC America.

   

 On a sad note, "Doctor Who" star Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith, perhaps the most famous and beloved of the Doctor Who companions, has died from cancer. She was 63.  In 2005 after the relaunch of the series, she returned to the character she originated in 1973. After starring in several episodes with David Tennant, the tenth Doctor, this led to the spin-off series "The Sarah Jane Adventures". The first episode of the new season of Doctor Who "The Impossible Astronaut" was dedicated to the late actress. 

     During last Friday's episode of "Smallville", we were teased with a trailer of the series finale revealing that Michael Rosenbaum would be returning as Lex Luthor. Though previously rumored, until Friday there was no indication that his appearance was anything but a rumor.

     Anime versions of two Marvel Comics characters will premiere on the G4 channel in July. Both series will have title characters voiced by former stars of the television series "Heroes". Adrian Pasdar will voice Tony Stark in "Iron Man", an anime series in which Stark travels to Japan and battles the evil Zodiac organization and Milo Ventimiglia will voice Wolverine who wages war against Japan's criminal underworld. I can only hope that this will lead to more anime versions of popular characters like, dare I say it, The X-Men.

     The recently revealed voice cast of the animated  movie "Batman:Year One" includes Benjamin McKenzie as Bruce Wayne/Bruce Wayne, Bryan Cranston as Lieutenant James Gordon, Katee Sackoff as Detective Sarah Essen, and Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. The animated movie which is  based on the comic book mini-series of the same name which was written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzuchelli promises to be an extremely faithful adaptation of the collected series which is currently available in trade paperback. The series is high on my list of favorite graphic novels or collected series and I highly recommend that you read it, if you haven't already.

    The casting of "The Dark Knight Rises" continues to throw serious curveballs that has led to all kinds of speculation. The returning cast is Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox, and Nestor Carbonell as The Mayor. Thus far, additional cast includes Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, and Josh Pence as Young Ra's Al Ghul. Rumors have abound that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was to  play Albert Falcone which indicated a possible storyline based on "Batman; The Long Halloween" graphic novel. Not unlikely, especially since "Batman Begins" had elements of "Batman: Year One", his character John Blake is described as a beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commisioner Gordon; a possible misdirect? Remember. we are dealing with Christopher Nolan and he's a master of secrets and surprise. There have been other rumors relating to Aaron Ekhardt somehow returning as Two Face and while anything is possible, it seems highly unlikely. In any event, "The Dark Knight Rises" will reveal how a true franchise provides quantity and doesn't sacrifice quality. Unfortunately, the movie being decribed as the conclusion to the Dark Knight movie story, won't be released until July 20, 2012. 

     I recently saw a trailer on Access Hollywood for the movie "Rise of the Planet of The Apes". starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, and Frieda Pinto. I also noticed that Tom Felton, Brian Cox, and John Lithgow are among the cast.The trailer made the movie look promising. The movie is directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist). There was no mention or even any indication that this movie is related in any way to Tim Burton's 2001 movie version of "The Planet of the Apes". That would be a relief since that movie was quite a disappointment, especially that so-called shock ending that most sci-fi buffs saw coming a mile away. I won't even get into the scathing comments made about it by director Kevin Smith (Clerks,Dogma).

     Another movie to look forward to is "Thor" which opens May 6. This promises to be more than just another superhero movie, especially since the movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Hamlet) and hosts a stellar cast that includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, and Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin just for starters. I found out that Jeremy Renner is listed in the cast as Clint Barton/Hawkeye. I wonder if his role will be just a teaser for the upcoming "Avengers" movie or will it be more than a brief appearance.Whatever the case may be, I'm excited about both movies, even though "Avengers" won't be released until next summer. There will be movies aplenty this summer to keep most of us quite entertained.

     Worth mentioning is that after ten seasons Smallville will end with a 2 hour series finale on Friday, May 13. The few remaining episodes are entitled "Booster","Dominion",and "Prophecy" and the as yet untitled final episode. I will miss this show and the very fresh and inspired way it presented the Superman mythos.They managed to incorporate classic characters and elements in an original light and that made them seem new and exciting,and introduce us to some new characters that we have become endeared to. I look forward to seeing what they do for a finale. 

   This is my first official blog and for anyone who has received my emails and given me positive feedback. I thank you for inspiring me to take this step. For everyone reading this welcome to the first of many posts and I welcome your feedback on how to make this as interesting as possible.

    I was watching "The Graham Norton Show" on BBC America and among his guests were Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson. Bradley Cooper talked about his movie role in "Limitless". Liam Neeson arrived later and explained that he had rushed over from Shepperton Studios where he was filming "Wrath of the Titans", the sequel to "Clash of the Titans". I hear that he is also filming "Taken 2". Reportedly, he has movies roles stacked up like airplanes waiting for takeoff on the runway at JFK Airport which is the reason that his scenes in "The Hangover 2" was cut and is being recast; he was far too busy to do reshoots. This will be the third time they're casting the role, it was originally intended for Mel Gibson before his meltdown.

   Lily Collins, daughter of musician Phil Collins, has two very high profile movie roles. She will be playing the title character in "The Brothers Grimm: Snow White" and the role of Lucy in the vampire movie "Priest".  

    Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced that he is developing a "Govenator" movie based on the comic book character co-created by Stan Lee. Some people will do anything they can to get out of the house.

    Booster Gold and the new Blue Beetle will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Smallville". The episode appropriately entitled "Booster" is one of the few remaining new episodes before the series finale.

     Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights,Legion) will play the title character in the upcoming NBC series "Wonder Woman". The series which is produced by David E.Kelley (Ally McBeal,Boston Legal) is being promoted as a serious,non-campy take on the iconic comic book character. My immediate response to the casting of Adrianne Palicki who is blonde was "Oh great! Shades of Cathy Lee Crosby", especially since I'm a fan of Lynda Carter and I feel that she's a tough act to follow. I have updated my impression after seeing the actress in full costume which is a combination of the classic and updated versions of the comic book character's costume. I wish them all the best and I hope the series fares better than previous NBC reboots(i.e. The Bionic Woman and Knight Rider). 

 

      

    Never one to rest on his laurels, animation director and producer Bruce Timm (Batman:The Animated Series, Justice League) announced that following "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights" which has yet to be released, the next DC animated movie will be "Batman: Year One". The animated movie which is based on the comic book series is scheduled for release in late summer/early fall. Producer Timm has indicated that the animated version will literally be the comic book with dialogue directly from the comic and animation approximating the artwork of series artist David Mazzuchelli. When asked about the voice cast, specifically if actor Kevin Conroy will be voicing Batman, Bruce Timm explained that the voice cast is TBA or to be announced and that he was not at liberty to discuss it. Curious.

        The new Superman movie entitled "The Man of Steel" will not only be directed by Zack Snyder (300,Watchmen) but is being produced by  Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan, and Deborah Snyder. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer and based on a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. The cast includes Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, and recently added Michael Shannon as General Zod. I was psyched at just hearing that Zack Snyder is directing, but wow this is sounding outstanding.