Life after Hermione

Good Monday morning, folks! I would like to congratulate you on your weekend, but you came in no better than second place. Why? Because I absolutely dominated this weekend, from the multiple projects finished to the relaxation of Sunday football, my alarm clock this morning may as well have just played Queen's "We are the Champions." Except "we" aren't, I am. So it probably should have played something by Kanye, because that's who you play for self-obsessed jams.

Another programming note, I will be having a discussion at UNO today with good friend Adam Tyma's class. We'll chat about alternative media and such, and I may get off a few good Vikings jokes before the Bears are trounced tonight by the Packers, dashing my opportunity to mock him. I'll link to the discussion afterward, as he's putting it online...unless I embarrass myself, then you'll never hear about this again.

Speaking of never being heard from again, the Harry Potter gang is quickly moving their first post-Potter projects into order, with fears that they may slide into obscurity never to be heard from again. Don't pity them, provided they don't have money managers that just got laid off from Lehman Brothers, they're going to be just fine with their hundred million dollars. First up with a project is someone who you'd have thought had several films outside of the Potter-dome already.
Emma Watson, best known as Hermione Granger, has gone from "aw-look-at-that-cute-widdle-girl" to object of inappropriate attention from nearly all quandrants of the Interwebs. Seriously, y'all will want to flick on that "strict search" Google feature before searching her name, lest you discover the true power of photoshop and hormones. Hermione...oops, Emma will star in My Week With Marilyn, presumably not as Marilyn, though I'm pretty sure photoshop could do that too. It's her first major role and is the winner between the competing Marilyn Monroe biopics that were floating out there. Michelle Williams will play Marilyn (good choice, actually) and Kenneth Branagh will play Sir Laurence Olivier. Emma will play...someone unspecified. Look, the girl is going to a major American college, has clearly wisely invested her money, and is intending on having the type of career where she won't be signing greasy-haired dude's buttcheeks at convention centers in 20 years. I admire that.

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Odin's uvula!

Why, not two days ago I was in the comic book shop, picking up the latest and greatest stories told in the Mighty Marvel Manner (seriously, if you like comics and are not reading Hickman's run on "The Fantastic Four," thou art a dipshit). The conversation turned, as it is wont to do, to the subject of comic-book movie adaptations. The quick rundown was Kick-Ass = Da ballz, Losers = Missed opportunity, Iron Man 2 = Exciting...but why all the mixed reviews? The question then became, "what comic book movie are you MOST excited about." That one was easy: Thor. I've been drooling over this flick since I found out that Kenneth Branagh was behind the lens. A friggin' Shakespearean actor/director who has NEVER done anything NEAR this magnitude being unleashed on a tale that would heavily draw from Norse mythology? YespleasemayIhavemore. Then came word that Anthony Hopkins would play Odin, which may be the best decision ever made next to presidential term limits in the light of the Bush administration. Oh and news that Natalie Portman was in it sure didn't hurt anything. I was going to post a picture of the loveliest of lovelies here, but it's Friday...so I'm going to go with something even more fun.

So, long story short, my response to those comic dudes is the same as my response to you here now: I am GEEKED for Thor. More geeked now, thanks to THIS:
Yahoo Movies scored this first glimpse at the Thor in costume...and it looks goooooood. Somehow, the silliness of it (provided they've figured out what to do about the dorktastic winged helmet) was muted appropriately. Sure, we can't see his warrior skirt or KISS boots, but what we do see looks great. This has only further encouraged my belief that this movie will rule all. What say you all?

Odin's Sweet tooth! Verily, there is an actor change!!

People are reporting on the following news like they could identify either of these actors out of lineup. Stuart Townsend, whose most high-profile project has been his real-life fornication with Charlize Theron, has left Thor, citing that ever-present bugbear "creative differences." Townsend is also slightly famous for playing Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. Oh, sorry, he left that project just before shooting, too. He was replaced by Viggo Mortensen, and the film went on to be a minor success. Thor is supposed to start shooting today, which means we are close to seeing some visuals from Kenneth Branagh's flick! To reiterate, we won't be seeing any of Townsend, because he was fired...er, had "creative differences." I'd like to point out the very minor nature of this role, by the way. In fact, this part has as much to do with the success of the film as floatation devices on planes have to do with your chance of surviving a plane crash. Just saying.