Remembering George Carlin ... Rest In Peace

(this is the same blog post I posted on MySpace earlier today)

When I logged into my computer this morning, the top headline on Yahoo! hit me like a fist:

Comedian George Carlin dead at 71

It's just one of those things you think will never happen, like a favorite relative that you know is getting older, that maybe they'll kick-off someday, or maybe, just maybe they're so stubborn and crotchety that they'll hang around forever just to piss the powers-that-be off. That was Carlin: defying convention, following in the footsteps of Lenny Bruce in the '60s and bring acerbic yet goofy comedy to a whole new generation from the late '70s to today. How else can you describe the irreverence of a man who could title a book, "When is Jesus Bringing the Pork Chops?" In fact, he once said, during his 1982 HBO Special "Carlin at Carnegie", "That's my job, thinking up goofy shit."

Now I'm the first to admit that in recent years Carlin's work was a bit too bitter and cantankerous for me. It seemed as though he'd spent half his life screaming to anyone who would listen that it was, in fact, okay to be comfortable with ourselves, our bodies, and our sexuality and to talk about them in a frank manner, as opposed to allowing our government and our supposed authority figures dictate to us what was "decent' and "indecent" to say in public forums, and his routines began to feel like he was venting frustration rather than trying to entertain. But the man's conviction (not to mention the fact that he was RIGHT) was undeniable, and we always remember him not only because he made us laugh, but like all the truly great comedians of our time, he made us THINK. Think about our social phobias, our use of language, of euphemisms, of the things we take as a given when we really shouldn't--Carlin asked us to question all these things through his goofiness, his irreverence, his refusal to accept the decrees of so-called authority. His was an unforgettable voice--at least, it was to me. Rest in peace, you cranky old bastard. You will be missed.

Here are a few of my favorite Carlin bits. I was in middle school when I first saw some of these, and they're still hilarious to me today. Enjoy!


Carlin at Carnegie, 1982



Carlin on Campus, 1984



George Carlin: Playin' with Your Head, 1986


George Carlin: Doin' it Again (1990)

TV Blog: Smallville: "Arctic"

I'm sorry, Clark. But this glowing orb is my ticket off this sinking ship of a show. Now you've got to carry this gig all by yourself.







SPOILER ALERT!!! STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED LAST NIGHT'S (5/15/08) EPISODE!!!

That's it? That's Lex Luthor's great swan song, his final triumph? That's Michael Rosenbaum's grand exit from this series that he's been a part of for SEVEN years? By literally bringing the house of cards down on top of not only Clark (Tom Welling), but himself as well, leaving them both buried in the ice of the Arctic?

Oh, and let's briefly cover the other "hanging" plot threads for next season:

1) Chloe's (Allison Mack) going to prison for hacking government computers;

2) Kara's (Laura Vandervoort) trapped in the Phantom Zone (something of a season finale family tradition in the House of El--hey, it worked for getting Clark out of the picture at the end of Season 5!);

3) Lana (Kristin Kreuk) broke up with Clark via DVD (OUCH!! Guess it's better than email or text message break-up, though);

4) Jimmy's (Aaron Ashmore) ... well, Jimmy's still lame;

and 5) Lionel Luthor (John Glover) ... is still dead.

Well. That was disappointing.

That had to be the most UNDERWHELMING season finale I've seen for ANY show in quite some time. I have even LESS enthusiasm for next season than I did before last night's show aired, and I didn't think that was possible. Of course I'll tune in, because I'll want to see what preposterous explanation they're going to pose for Lex's absence, something like Clark saying, "I couldn't find Lex in all the snow and ice ... he must be dead!" Yes, Smallville fans, after seven years of quality hissable performances from Michael Rosenbaum, his character will in all likelihood get the same treatment Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles) got at the start of Season 5, presumed dead and buried even though we never see a body. At least Ackles got a consolation prize from the CW, a starring role in Supernatural.

Action Figure News: NECA's upcoming "Conan the Barbarian" series!

Okay, so maybe these are a tad late, considering the movie first came to theaters in 1982. But anyone with a taste for nostalgia (yes, that would be ME) and who would agree that Conan the Barbarian is still one of Schwarzenegger's best films (and the better of the two Conan films, though I know some who would debate that) I think would agree that these are VERY well done renditions of Ah-nald in all his Cimmerian blood-soaked glory. What's most impressive to me is the facial sculpts on both figures--not only do they REALLY look like Schwarzenegger, but they accurately reproduce his facial expressions in those scenes in the film (his days as a pit-fighter slave near the beginning and the attack on Thulsa Doom's temple, respectively)! NECA's really outdone themselves with this assortment ... guess I'm going to have to find room somewhere in my place for these, too ...

UPDATED: Smallville Series Finale tonight (or at least it SHOULD be ...)

Sorry, found this image of Mack while doing a Google search for her and just HAD to include it ... WOW when did she do this? GO CHLOE!


UPDATE (11:09AM) - Well, looks like the folks at the CW haven't lost their minds completely: they've signed a deal with reps for Allison Mack to bring her back as a series regular next year, after all. Here's the word from TV Guide's insider, Mike Ausiello:

Smallville fans, consider this bullet officially dodged: Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that after weeks of tense negotiations, Allison Mack has sealed a deal to return next season as a series regular!

[The crowd roars]

Although the specifics of the new contract -- which was signed just hours ago -- are being kept under wraps, I'm told it calls for Mack to appear in all episodes produced next season. As I reported earlier this week, the actress' reps were (wisely) using the imminent departure of Smallville vet Michael Rosenbaum as leverage in the negotiations. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the strategy paid off.

My concerns still stand, of course--you're still losing Lex and Lana as regulars, but Lana will appear for a few, and even if Lex appears in a 3-4 episode arc, that might not be too bad. This business about introducing Doomsday as a villain next season, though? The CW seems determined to have Smallville jump the shark, as if a great many people didn't think it had done so already.

10:30AM




This past season has certainly had its ups and downs, like any other, and this season's finale promises to place all the principals in cliffhanger-style danger, just as many others have, except this time we know certain things FOR CERTAIN going in:

1) Goodbye, Lex: Michael Rosenbaum has said his official goodbye in an open letter to fans--he will not be back as a regular next season (though he MAY do a limited number of episodes);

2) Goodbye, Lana: Kristin Kreuk is also leaving as a series regular, though it IS confirmed she WILL do a limited number of episodes next season (last report was seven).

In addition, there's this bit of news, not as certain:

3) Goodbye, Chloe (maybe): Allison Mack is not contractually signed for Season 8, and many in Hollywood are reporting that her representatives are demanding from the CW more than the network is willing to pay. TV Guide's Mike Ausiello reported earlier this week after previewing tonight's episode that given what occurs tonight, it would not be difficult AT ALL to explain Chloe's absence from the show next year.

So, potentially, we could have Smallville without Lex, Lana, OR Chloe, with the returning principals being Tom Welling (Clark), Erica Durance (Lois), and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen). The return of Laura Vandervoort (Kara) is even in question, as her name was not mentioned among the show's cast at the CW's "upfront" presentation in New York this past week (neither was Mack's, although Kreuk was given second billing). So, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy ... shall we rename the show "The NEW new Adventures of Lois and Clark"?

Once again, I must renew my call to end this show NOW, gracefully, with the majority of its original cast still onboard. It won't happen, no matter how much fan outcry there is, but I have to ask one more time. Without Lex, Lana, and Chloe (and with Pete Ross long departed, along with Jonathan and Martha Kent), this is no longer Smallville at all, and "Lois and Clark", well, that's been done before. The CW is keeping this show alive on a respirator, basically--the ratings have been falling all season, and with all the changes planned will PLUMMET next season--because they have precious little else to hang their hopes on. There are simply too many fans out there, particularly fans of Allison Mack, who won't tune in next year because it's too much. I'm not even sure I will be watching next year, given what we know now. And with what tonight promises, a FINAL confrontation between Lex and Clark with all the cards at last on the table, however it resolves itself I'll be happy to not watch a single episode again, rather than endure the show's slow demise in the absence of its most essential elements.

TV Blog: Smallville "Descent"

So now we begin what will be the swan song of both Lex Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville, the final five episodes of the season that will finish Luthor's journey toward being the super-villain we viewers have always known he'd become, while also bringing to a close Rosenbaum's active involvement in the series. Of course, it's possible he could return for a few spot episodes next year, as Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) is slated to do, he will certainly not be a regular. Tonight's episode, "Descent", begins with the death of a major character--the trailer leaves very little doubt who the victim is--and apparently deals with the aftermath and how this act moves Lex from the "morally bankrupt" category to the "diabolically evil" category.

For me, I know I'll miss John Glover's presence on the show, but this is something that needed to happen to the Lex character, so I'm looking forward to it in that respect. In the last few years I've had no trouble whatsoever loathing Lex, but now the "true" evil will emerge, and it will be all the easier.

For the last four episodes, anyway.

Movie Geekiness: "Incredible Hulk" theatrical poster

Universal Pictures today released to media outlets the final theatrical poster for their entry into this summer's superhero movie mayhem, "The Incredible Hulk".

Maybe it's just me, but looking at this image, with Bruce Banner (Edward Norton this time out) in the center of the image, walking with head downcast and sadness weighing upon him as palpably as the bag slung across his shoulders, I can almost hear the piano tones of the theme song from the "Incredible Hulk" TV show with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno. I know I'm one of the few right now, amongst the many out there who still remember the last "Hulk" movie and were disappointed by it, but I think they're on the right track with this one. Everything I've seen so far in terms of marketing and trailers tells me this is a Hulk character and story that will feel much more familiar to the general movie-going populace, in addition to being quite the superpowered beatdown once the two gamma-irradiated combatants, Hulk and Emil Blonsky/Abomination (Eric Roth), get down to business.

Not nearly as excited for this one as I am for "Iron Man", of course, but I'll go see this one, for sure, and I'm hopeful it will succeed more than its predecessor.

Iron Man - Run before you walk

Iron Man - Run before you walk

Just one more REALLY FRICKIN' COOL clip from Paramount and Marvel Studios' upcoming summer blockbuster "Iron Man", due in theaters May 2nd. Enjoy!