Smallville week continues here on GeekPlate with another Top 10 post for one of the most geek-friendly television shows in history. Join GeekPlate in celebrating the ten years of entertaining, visually stunning episodes this once in a lifetime show gave viewers of a town called Smallville. Today's post: 10 Memorable Superpower Moments.
10) S01E04 "X-Ray"
Clark Kent discovers he has X-ray vision.
Clark: Mom, if you could see anything, what would you do? Martha: Learn to close my eyes.
09) S08E22 "Doomsday"
Clark Kent battles Doomsday in the streets of Metropolis.
Red-Blue Blur: Sometimes we cannot outrun our destiny. Lois: But I thought you were invincible. Red-Blue Blur: So did I.
08) S03E10 "Whisper"
Clark Kent is temporarily blinded and develops super-hearing to compensate.
Martha: His life has changed. And so has yours, but neither one of you will admit it. You both think you're Supermen who can do everything alone, but you can't anymore! You need to start relying on people, and so does he!
07) S06E02 "Sneeze"
Clark Kent catches a cold new ability - super breath.
Lois: Where did your barn door go? It was here late last night when I came to drop off the documents, and now it's gone. Clark: Look at that, it is gone. Lois: And it's been ripped right off its hinges. Oh my god, that barn door. I knew it looked familiar! Now how in the world does that happen?
06) S09E18 "Upgrade"
Clark Kent and Zod use arctic super breath to freeze Metallo.
05) S02E02 "Heat"
Clark Kents hits puberty as his raging hormones develops his heat vision ability.
Clark: Dad, you were right. Once I understood what triggered the heat, I was able to control it without thinking about ... sex.
04) S10E21 "Finale"
Clark Kent soars through Darkseid.
03) S02E21 "Accelerate"
Clark Kent super speeds with little Emily.
02) S06E22 "Phantom"
Chloe Sullivan saves Lois Lane from her mortal injury.
01) S04E01 "Crusade"
Kal-El takes first flight to fulfill his destiny.
Jonathan: Clark, your mother tells me you ... can fly? Clark: Kal-El can fly. Clark Kent is still Earthbound.
That was it for this Smallville Top 10 installment. If you missed it, yesterday featured a Top 10 list on Smallville's episodes. Tomorrow's post will be a Top 10 covering the Clark Saves on the show. Enjoy Smallville week!
Ten years for a TV show is a memorable achievement. Ten years for an adaptation of a comic book character is unheard of. But for the WB (and eventually the CW), Smallville proved to be that once in a lifetime type of show with its story of a boy from another planet growing up and learning to become the hero he was destined to be. With a dedicated group creating a quality production week in and week out, it quickly became the flagship show for the fledgling network. To celebrate the series finale of Smallville, GeekPlate has decided to have a week of posts dedicated to Smallville. Today's post: 10 Favorite Smallville Episodes.
10) S06E12 "Labyrinth"
Coming in at 10th is the Season 6 episode, "Labyrinth". An episode cannot have a better premise. After being attacked Clark wakes up in a reality where he has been in a mental hospital for over five years, and is told his entire life has apparently been an elaborate fantasy he created in his delusions. Throw in a lovesick Lana, Martha Luthor, crazy Chloe and a wheelchair bound Lex and you have a wonderful break from the regular Smallville status quo.
Honorable Mention: S02E16 "Fever" - In the second season came this memorable episode that just missed being in the Top 10. Clark and Martha fall ill to a deadly kryptonite virus, Martha is found to be pregnant, Chloe reads her love letter to Clark and Dr. Helen Bryce gets her hands on a vial of Clark's blood.
09) S04E12 "Pariah"
For Season 4 Smallville saw the return of Alicia Baker to wrap up her storyline as Clark's love interest in "Pariah". Lana and Jason get attacked and all signs point to it being Alicia. Clark initially defended her but when his suspicion of her rose, a hurt Alicia decides it was time for Clark to stop lying to his best friend and she forces him to unknowingly reveal his abilities to Chloe. But before she can see the repercussions of her mischief, Alicia is attacked and killed by the true bad guy. This unleashes an emotional and rageful Clark who has to be talked down by Lois before he exacts fatal revenge.
08) S04E19 "Blank"
Shortly after "Pariah" came along this episode that showed how much the friendship between Chloe and Clark had grown since she learned of his secret abilities when he experienced total amnesia and she had to look after him and keep him from inadvertently revealing the truth to the curious duo of Lana and Lex. The episode even ends on a fantastically honest conversation between Clark and Chloe where she comments that the only different thing Clark did as an amnesiac was to trust her.
Honorable Mention: S03E06 "Relic" - Most of the early seasons of Smallville dealt with the idea of Jor-El being an evil, manipulating character but in this Season 3 episode Clark got to relive Jor-El's memories from the time he visited Smallville forty years before. The past of Smallville was full of Luthors, Kents and actors Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk playing their character's ancestors.
07) S10E04 "Homecoming"
The only episode from the final season to make it onto the list, "Homecoming" marks the 200th episode of the series and touches fondly on the series' past and its future thanks to a trip through time with Brainiac 5. There were flashbacks to "Pilot" and the 100th episode of the show, "Reckoning" and a cameo from Greg Arkin, the villain from the Season 1 episode "Metamorphosis". But the most memorable part is Clark's visit to the future where he meets his future self, and saves future Lois in a time when Superman exists.
06) S01E01 "Pilot"
A list of favorite Smallville episodes is not complete without the episode that started it all. "Pilot" introduced the town of Smallville and the characters surrounding the story's protagonist, Clark Kent. His adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent; his best friends Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan; his crush Lana Lang and her much older boyfriend Whitney Fordman; and Lex Luthor, the misunderstood son of the hated Lionel Luthor.
Honorable Mention: S04E01 "Crusade" - The start of Season 4 signaled the next chapter of the series as Pete Ross was gone, Chloe Sullivan was presumed dead and Lois Lane had arrived in Smallville to find out what happened to her cousin. And this was the first true glimpse of Kal-El, the Kryptonian side of Clark he had long rejected that now was running things thanks to Jor-El. And oh by the way, Margot Kidder makes a cameo as Bridgette Crosby, a colleague of Dr. Swann's.
05) S03E08 "Shattered"
This memorable Season 3 episode marks the point of no return for Clark's genuine friendship for Lex, when he sacrifices Lex's wellbeing by letting him get taken to a sanitarium in order to protect his secret. Lex had been seeking revenge against Morgan Edge and Lionel for his grandparents death and in return has a plot put against him to make him lose his mind. Lex's fragile psyche unravels under Clark's watch thanks being drugged and his paranoia causes Lana to get in a terrible accident with a frightened horse and forces Clark to save him from Edge's oncoming car. But it was Clark's decision to leave Lex behind that stuck the most from the episode.
04) S08E15 "Requiem"
After a writers strike and actress Kristin Kreuk's filming schedule cut down on Lana Lang's presence on Smallville during the latter half of Season 7, it was great to see the character get a second opportunity to say goodbye during Season 8. And what a final episode for Lana it was. There was an explosion at Luthorcorp during a board meeting where Oliver was announcing his takeover, Lex Luthor is blown up because of Oliver's doing and Lana Lang saves Clark and Metropolis by sacrificing any future she could have with Clark to absorb the entirety of a Kryptonite bomb that was on the rooftop of the Daily Planet. Their goodbye scene in the loft was powerful and sad, the love between them still strong but forever not meant to be.
Honorable Mention: S05E09 "Lexmas" - This Season 5 episode was perhaps the last chance Lex had to turn towards the side of good and become the better man he had the potential to be when he was shot and was shown by the ghost of his mother of a life he could live with Lana Lang and a strong group of friends and family if he got out from under the thumb of his father, Lionel Luthor.
03) S05E12 "Reckoning"
The 100th episode of Smallville came during the fifth season and was a life-altering episode for many of the characters of the show. It was practically a roller coaster episode with the ups of Clark finally revealing his secret to Lana and proposing to her to Jonathan winning the Senatorial election only to be followed by the down of Lex chasing Lana into a fatal accident. Stricken by grief Clark meddles with time and suffers the consequence as Lana's life is saved but their relationship is over, Lex is consoling her and his father, Jonathan, dies instead. A very emotional twist to emphasize the magnificence of the episode.
02) S07E16 "Descent"
Arguably the best episode of Season 7's latter half that was produced after the end of the writers strike, "Descent" deals with Lex's final steps into the dark side thanks to his quest to save the world from the Traveler. He kills Lionel, fires Chloe from the Daily Planet and destroys his conscience once and for all. And Clark is left a message from Lionel where he learns what the older man had been trying to tell him while he was still alive, that there is an object out there that can control the Traveler and he needs to find it before Lex does.
Honorable Mention: S06E11 "Justice" - The last Smallville episode on the honorable mention list is from Season 6, when the first inklings of the Justice League come to happen with the teamup in "Justice".
01) S02E17 "Rosetta"
The most memorable episode on this list happened during Season 2 and is at the top for several reasons. Firstly, Christopher Reeve guest-starred as Dr. Virgil Swann, a recluse physicist who has knowledge of Clark's Kryptonian heritage that he shares with Clark along with a few messages that came on the day of the meteor shower. Also, Clark learns to read the Kryptonian language thanks to the key and he finds another message left for him in his spaceship that leaves him disturbed, that he was sent to Earth to conquer it.
That was it for this Smallville Top 10 installment. Tomorrow's post will be a Top 10 covering the Superpower Moments of the show. Enjoy Smallville week!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 2010 - Warner Home Video Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on April 15, 2011
# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray x 2, DVD *Best Buy Exclusive version comes with extra Blu-Ray disc*) Runtime: 146 minutes
As the penultimate film in the Harry Potter franchise and focusing on the first half of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 takes Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) away from the comforts of Hogwarts and thrusts the three magical friends into a world dealing with the ramifications of a wizarding war.
The aftermath of the Death Eaters' intrusion of Hogwarts in the previous film has left Harry and his friends without the guidance of Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and has put the task of finding the Horcruxes of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Along their journey they cross paths with old friends, new enemies and discover the existence of a set of items that may tip the balance of the war in their favor, the Deathly Hallows.
Deathly Hallows starts with a first look at Hermione's home and a last visit to Harry's place with the Dursleys. This leads to one of the highlight moments of the film, the battle of the Seven Potters, where in order to remove Harry from 4 Privet Drive several members of the Order of the Phoenix drink Polyjuice Potion to take on Harry's appearance before taking part on an aerial escape from the waiting Death Eaters.
Once they are forced to leave Bill and Fleur's wedding at the Burrow and begin their journey, 12 Grimmauld Place makes a return to the screen as does the Ministry of Magic, where the next spectacular magical moment happens with Harry, Ron and Hermione using Polyjuice to impersonate ministry officials and infiltrate the Ministry and find one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
And the showdown that takes place at Malfoy Manor near the end of the film is memorable for the spectacular environment, the viciousness of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Hermione's pain and Dobby's (Toby Jones) heroic actions.
One thing that has improved as the Harry Potter film saga has gone on has been the extras included along with movies. With the existence of ultimate editions an eventuality for every Potter film I know there are probably plenty of featurettes being held off for the Deathly Hallows Part 1 version but that being said there is still plenty for fans to watch in this package (even more with the Best Buy release of the film with over 65 minutes of exclusive special features). Besides the Blu-Ray features like Maximum Movie Mode, the extras disc includes a few deleted scenes, and several featurettes: how the Seven Potters scene was created; the running competition between Dan, Emma and Rupert; and a conversation with Rupert, Tom Felton, Oliver and James Phelps while they play a round of golf between filming.
Being as big of a Harry Potter as I am, the movies gain a fondness level from me that other, less biased viewers might not do as well. That said, the last few films have had a steady transition from fun kids films to more of an action-adventure orientation that non-Potter faithful can appreciate. As has been seen in the progression of the series, the quality continues to improve from the actors to the special effects and the overall story. While Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a much darker film than its immediate, lighthearted predecessor, I found myself laughing more with this film and it has quickly become one of my favorites of the series. While the deliberate pacing might throw those not familiar with the Deathly Hallows story, everyone should give this film a look, especially with the fantastic visuals of Blu-Ray.
Look to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $22.99.
The wait is nearly over for Star Wars fans seeking to own an HD collection of their favorite movies, with breaking news on the Star Wars Blu-Ray release later this year. Lucasfilm Ltd. sent out a press release today revealing the complete details of the nine-disc collection that will be released on September 12 internationally and September 16 in North America. Star Wars: The Complete Saga contains more than forty hours of special features, deleted scenes and never-before-seen archival materials. Each individual trilogy will also be available in their own separate Blu-Ray collection.
From the Lucasfilm Ltd. press release:
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 4, 2011) — Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family — when Star Wars: The Complete Saga comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments — in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.
The comprehensive collection also features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, Star Wars: The Complete Saga also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.
Episodes I-III and IV-VI will also be available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.
Fans will get an exclusive first look at some of the collection’s extensive special features at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International — which marks Lucasfilm’s 35th anniversary as a Comic-Con presence. In 1976, the fledgling film company was looking for innovative, grass-roots ways to promote its underdog release, a film no one expected to succeed — a space opera known (at the time) only as Star Wars. One of the first film companies to reach out directly to core audiences by way of fan conventions, Lucasfilm will return to the venue to showcase the full evolution of the epic story with a special first look at Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray.
Special Features: Star Wars: The Complete Saga is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:
• DISC ONE — STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC TWO — STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC THREE — STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC FOUR — STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC FIVE — STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC SIX — STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew
• DISC SEVEN — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more
• DISC EIGHT — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more
• DISC NINE — THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES
o NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) — Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures … these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
o NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) — George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.
o NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) — The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!
o The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) — Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
o The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
o Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams.
o Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) — See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.
o Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) — Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.
ABOUT STAR WARS
The May 25, 1977 theatrical debut of Star Wars — on a scant 32 screens across America — was destined to change the face of cinema forever. An instant classic and an unparalleled box office success, the rousing “space opera” was equal parts fairy tale, western, 1930s serial and special effects extravaganza, with roots in mythologies from cultures around the world. From the mind of visionary writer/director George Lucas, the epic space fantasy introduced the mystical Force into the cultural vocabulary, as well as iconic characters such as evil Darth Vader, idealistic Luke Skywalker, feisty Princess Leia, lovable scoundrel Han Solo and wise Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since its 1977 debut, Star Wars has continued to grow, its lush narrative expanding from modest beginnings into an epic, six-film Saga chronicling the fall and redemption of The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker.
The amazing visuals that can be achieved with HD and Blu-Ray especially with studios that have the time, money and skill to take advantage of the technology ... September can't get here soon enough.
On Wednesday the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released and like was done with Part 1, here on GeekPlate the trailer will be broken down and speculated about in this post. The hope is to point out most of what is revealed in the trailer and what part of the story the scene is from. Spoilers will follow from this point forward with the embedded trailer and the breakdown below it.
Throughout the trailer is a Voldemort voice-over that is probably what he says to bring Harry out to the forest to him.
0:06 - Snape is walking down an alley in Godric's Hollow. Most likely memory related, either a flashback or perhaps a new location for the scene between he and Harry.
0:10 - The Ravenclaw Diadem. One of the many horcruxes that have yet to be found or identified. Realization of Voldemort's nod to the founders will hopefully happen by the time the focus of the story returns to Hogwarts.
0:11 - Two girls on a hill, watching a flower grow in the redhead girl's palm. The girls are Lily and Petunia Evans as children and the moment is most likely from Snape's memories.
0:12 - An older hand holding the destroyed diary at Dumbledore's desk. Reasonable elimination of possibilities leads to the hand probably belonging to Professor McGonagall.
0:13 - A shot of Harry's arm reaching for a female arm in the forest. This is probably the resurrection stone scene with Lily in the forest. The only other possible female in the forest would be Narcissa and I do not see why Harry would reach for her.
0:16 - A look at Voldemort's face. It is only a short flash but from the perspective I could almost imagine it as a post-Harry's sacrifice scene.
0:23 - Harry kneeling at Dobby's grave outside Shell Cottage and glancing at the broken mirror shard. Has to be one of the opening scenes of the film.
0:27 - An angled closeup of Harry's face, probably during an introspective/emotional moment.
0:30 - Fenrir Greyback being thrown back by a spell. The background looks like Hogwarts, so the final battle is a safe bet.
0:32 - Voldemort at Malfoy Manor with bodies littering the floor and Draco with his head bowed. Clearly the aftermath of Voldemort's rage at Harry's escape and probably one of the first scenes of part 2.
0:36 - A cart ride through the depths of Gringotts. Interesting to see that it has evolved since the days of the first film but not really surprising. Looks like they are being chased by another cart. Then there is the guard dragon on the main level of Gringotts being ridden by Harry, Hermione and Ron followed by the guard dragon's fiery breath. These moments are from their search for Hufflepuff's cup and the escape from Gringotts.
0:42 - Snape standing outside the Potter's blown up home at Godric's Hollow. A continuation of the scene that began the trailer, makes me curious to where they are going with this.
0:44 - Outside the Great Hall where students appear to be gathering an animated armored knight falls into a defensive stance at the entrance. Possibly right before the final battle, with Hogwarts getting ready to fight as well.
0:47 - Voldemort standing with his Death Eaters. Bellatrix and Pius Thicknesse are directly behind Voldemort. I assume this is part of their march on Hogwarts.
0:51 - Harry grimacing somewhere in Hogwarts. That is usually the way Harry reacts in the films when Voldemort is near or angry.
0:53 - People scatter as Hogwarts is blasted and debris rains down. Definitely part of the final battle.
0:54 - Shacklebolt deflects a spell at the entrance of Hogwarts as Harry, Ron and Hermione approach. More of the final battle, depending on how Yates has decided to film the movie I have a feeling this is just before Harry and Voldemort's face off.
0:55 - Narcissa turning around in the forest. I imagine this could be her turning around to lie to Voldemort and declare Harry dead.
1:02 - The Weasleys surround a fallen Fred. This should take place after the retrieval of the diadem but before Harry takes on Voldemort and I doubt there will be a dry eye from anyone in the theater.
1:05 - Voldemort, Nagini and Bellatrix are at some type of hill/cliff as a spell expands before them. Now this is one part of the film that I have no idea where it is supposed to take place. All I have come up with is maybe this moment is just after Voldemort retrieved the Elder Wand and is giving it another test of its strength.
1:07 - Tonks and Lupin reach for each other. Probably part of their last moments on screen, I imagine there will be probably a passing reference to their demise whether it be a reference or passing shot of their fallen bodies but I do not imagine it will be onscreen.
1:10 - Harry pulls Voldemort off a bridge. I do not know what to think of this moment, it was the part of the trailer that had me stop with bewilderment. This feels like it will be something like the dragon challenge in Goblet of Fire where they went off in a tangent to make things more interesting. Cannot wait to see how they come back from that jump.
1:17 - Snape twirls his cape and disappears in the Great Hall. From the mysterious shapes made with his cloak it is easy to connect the dots to the moment where he is run out of Hogwarts and was said to fly off like a bat.
1:19 - Hermione and Ron run away from the fiendfyre rushing behind them. This is in the Room of Requirement when in search of the diadem, they cross path with Draco and his fellow Slytherins.
1:22 - The Hogwarts paved courtyard is in chaos with the final battle. If you look closely the statue is moving as part of the castle fighting back and there appears to be a giant among the wizards battling.
1:25 - What appears to be the Hogwarts covered bridge begins to blow up and fall apart, catching several people trying to cross it.
1:28 - Molly and Bellatrix face off. Looks like it will go down in the Great Hall and is started because Bellatrix fired a spell in Ginny's direction. I think everyone is waiting to hear Molly yell, "Not my daughter, you bitch!"
1: 31 - Harry and Voldemort wands do battle. The films have fallen in love with the aspect of Harry and Voldemort's wands continuously connecting even when they no longer have brother wands. The awesome visual is worth repetition and is most likely part of the final showdown.
1:38 - Hogwarts reaction shot. Ginny is screaming, Arthur catches her, Neville is looking grim as others look on behind. This is either the battle is over or Harry's apparent death. I am leaning towards the latter given the faces on the characters.
Last year, a few months before the existence of GeekPlate, I played along as a fan for the first time with the Totally Rad Show and Slashfilm guys in prognosticating the final standings of the summer film releases in terms of their United States domestic gross. I ended up with a solid 41 points. I enjoyed it so much I thought I would do it again this year and include it here on GeekPlate.
--The goal of the game is to pick what you think will be the top ten grossing films in the U.S. and three extra choices to make the top ten that you are not as sure of. For an overview of the rules check out the game's originating page at Time Travel Reviews. --Use this page to see the list of 2011 Summer movies (through August is applicable). --How the Scoring Works:
Getting number 1 or number 10 dead-on gets you 13 points (each).
The rest of the scoring goes like this: 10 points for numbers 2-9 dead-on 7 points if your pick was only one spot away from where it ended up 5 points if it was two spots away 3 points if your pick is anywhere in the Top 10 1 point for each dark horse that makes it into the Top 10 The scoring is tabulated so that you get the SINGLE HIGHEST point value for each pick- that is, if you get number ten right, you don't get 13+3, you only get 13.
This summer seems loaded with heavy hitters nearly ever week, and I am very interested in seeing which movies distance themselves from the pack. Enjoy the theatergoing, I know I will!
Scooby Doo: Abracadabra-Doo 2010 - Warner Home Video Released on DVD on February 16, 2010
# of Discs: 1 Runtime: 75 Minutes
Animation's favorite team of teenage sleuths is back in a feature length film that blurs the line between reality and illusion. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their dog Scooby go on a trip to visit Velma's younger sister, Madelyn, who is studying magic at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy. But where the Scooby Gang goes, mysteries cannot be far behind. There is trouble brewing at the Academy with attendance dwindling due to sightings of a giant beast around the castle. It is up to the gang to investigate and find the truth to the beast before the school is forced to close.
Most of the film takes place at the magic academy the gang visits, which happens to be in an ancient Irish castle. And the great mysterious beast that is terrorizing the school happens to be a mythical griffin. There is also a large cast of suspicious characters around the magic academy for the gang to check out: the head magician and his brother with differing personalities, the attractive magician's assistant, a gruff groundskeeper, a woman caretaker and a crafty tycoon eager to purchase the castle property. Another point of interest is the reason for the Scooby Gang's presence, Madelyn. She seems to be harboring a crush on Shaggy that is adorable to see and throws some intrigue with the fact that Velma is usually the girl paired off with Shaggy. Seems the Dinkleys find Shaggy irresistible.
As a direct-to-video release (the fourteenth animated film based on the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons) there is not much on the disc when it comes to extras. There is a short featurette where the host shows the steps to make your own scary hand puppet and not just one kind is made, several different puppet designs are created.
Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo is a fun ride for all, Scooby fans and just plain animation fans should check it out. And if that is not going to convince you, there are also some great contributors to the film: Andrea Romano did casting and voice direction; Alan Burnett was a co-producer, created the story and did the teleplay with Paul Dini and Misty Lee.
The voice actors Frank Welker, Mindy Cohn and Grey DeLisle return to their iconic roles and were joined for the first time on the animated side by Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy. Throw in eighties teen heartbreaker Danica McKellar as Madelyn and you have a wonderfully diverse cast of voices performing a Scooby-Doo story worth watching.
Look to buy Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo DVD over at Amazon for only $11.99.
