News You Already Know

* Director Zack Snyder (300) has approached three more actors for his movie adaptation of "The Watchmen". Ain't it Cool News is reporting that Keanu Reeves has been offered the role of Dr.Manhatten. Patrick Wilson has been given the chance to suit up as Nite Owl. Finally it's been reported that Jude Law was offered the role of Ozymandias. I think Keanu is a long shot at actually signing on for the film but stranger things have happened. Still no confirmation on Gerald Butler as The Comedian.

* Marvel Comics has announced that their newly resurrected Blade ongoing series will be canceled with issue 12.

* Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk til Dawn) has signed on to direct a remake of the cult classic Barbarella. Now we sit and wait for see who gets the role, Rosario Dawson or Rose McGowan.

* A teaser trailer for The Dark Knight is tentatively scheduled for a December.

* Activision announced 7 new songs that will be featured in the 80's version of Guitar Hero.

18 and Life (as made famous by Skid Row)

Bathroom Wall (as made famous by Faster Pussycat)

Lonely is the Night (as made famous by Billy Squier)

Nothing But a Good Time (as made famous by Poison)

Play With Me (as made famous by Extreme)

Shaken (as made famous by Eddie Money)

Synchronicity II (as made famous by Police)

*

Site News

We've added a new feature to Cee Diddy Holla. If you look over to the handsome picture of myself you'll now notice our brand new Diddy News Reel. Powered by Google, the news reel gives you the most up to date news to hit the internet on select topics. All you have to do is click on a topic and check out the newest headlines.

~Diddy

Down for the Count with DC Harris

Here it is, the debut of our new weekly column "Down for the Count with DC Harris." Every week our DC Expert will analyze the events in DC's new weekly series "Countdown". Out of respect for Mr.Harris, my comments will be posted in the response area.

Down for the Count with DC Harris

Here, in absolutely no timely fashion, is installment number one of my close look at DC's Countdown. My apologies to Cee Diddy for not having one ready immediately following the release of issue 51, sadly, finals come before even comic books for me. That aside, "so begins the end."

How do you follow up something as fantastic as 52? Many of us were wondering how we would go on without something consistently good every single week. Well, how about some Paul Dini? Fine by me.

For those poor souls who did not read 52, you probably need the massive spoiler that THE MULTIVERSE IS BACK. Sorry. But I'm really not going to wait for you to read all 52 issues. Not my fault you made the poor life choice of missing out on a book written by Geoff Johns (Infinite Crisis), Mark Waid (Kingdom Come), Grant Morrison (All Star Superman), and Greg Rucka (OMAC Project). I mean, seriously folks.

51
Joker's Daughter is, without a doubt, among the most confusing characters in DC continuity. No clear motivation, has flip-flopped from villain to hero more than Kane has from face to heel, and the misleading name of "Joker's Daughter," when she is not that at all. Enter: Jason Todd, an equally confusing character. At one time, DC eliminated the multiverse to make things less confusing. Now, it's come back, seemingly to AGAIN try to make things less confusing.

Aside from this main story, we get a glimpse at Mary Marvel, who apparently has been abandoned by the rest of the Marvel family. Perhaps for one of those, "this is for your own good" things, Billy has either taken away her powers, or changed her magic word (much as he did with Black Adam). An intriguing turn of events, indeed. And then, everyone's favorite group of villains, Flash's Rogues. I, personally, thought this little exchange that seemed pretty personal was really funny, but also extremely realistic of how these guys should be acting.

More importantly, however, a Monitor murders the Joker's Daughter very Sarah Conner-like ala Terminator 2, claiming that her death is for the good of the multiverse. To me, hearing that a death was promised in this issue concerned me, because I hate seeing great characters killed off for no reason. Here, we had a recognizable (but not necessarily useful) character killed off for a VERY good reason that actually seems like it sets the tone for this series. The explanation that Joker's Daughter is from another universe makes her seem to fit a lot better into the continuity, and Jason Todd almost dying shows what editorial has in store for him. HOPEFULLY his resurrection will get some more analysis, as Geoff Johns said that he had originally wanted the explanation to not be "punching a wall," but this exact scenario, of him being from another universe.

And let's go for a big tease of an ending, eh? What does the multiverse need to survive? Why, the biggest (pun intended) super-hero who has been missing for the last few years, of course, the Atom. I. Love. It.

Dini threw a lot in our faces in the first issue, priming a lot now. Naturally, the first issue has to set the stage. We know Darkseid plays a huge role from his opening, Jason Todd may very well get the royal treatment, Mary Marvel is clearly going on a magical journey, some villains will have some antics, and Ray Palmer is going to kick some ass. By the end of issue 51, I believe my exact feelings are, "I am a happy panda."

50
Anything with the Joker on the cover looks good to me. Now, Jimmy Olsen is not a character that many people demand to see a lot of. But, a true testament to the versatility of Jimmy is that he had a solo series longer than probably any of the other main characters in this book. And in the hands people people like Dini, Palmiotti, and Gray, I thought he really was well-established in this issue for what he always is: that nosey reporter who always gets into trouble. And using Superman's telescopic x-ray vision from space to get a story? I thought that was pretty amusing.

Jason Todd and Jimmy Olsen, some real nice work there. The line, "there's a guy in Arkham Asylum who wrote the book on crazy," was just the kind of sass a dead Robin should have. We got some more Mary Marvel foreshadowing (stay out of Gotham, eh? SOO looks like Mary's going to Gotham), and our first official cross-over from the book. If you aren't reading Justice League (DO ITTTT), you didn't pick up on it, but that scene is lifted directly out of it. So, no surprises there, but this Legion tie-in is very interesting to me.

Rogues clashing has a lot to do with what Marc Guggenheim is doing over in Flash, thankfully rescuing that title from the clutches of some tv bozos. "You both flip-flop more than a Massachusetts senator" had me laughing out loud on the train. And the Joker/Jimmy scene, very Silence of the Lambs, well...it shows just how awesome Dini has Joker's craziness down after years of work with him. But does Joker have some clue as to what's going on here? Whoo boy.

Good. Times. Two very solid issues of introducing characters and just how this thing is going to go. I don't know if they topped the first 2 issues of 52, but they brought a smile to my face, and I know I'm going to be hooked.

~DC Harris

Cee Diddy Meets....

You Tube Theater

This week's "You Tube Theater" is dedicated to one of greatest shows to not be released on DVD. All I have to say is....MTV's The State.

Crazy Ass Rumors

* A teaser trailer for "The Dark Knight" will be featured before the new Harry Potter film this summer. Details have leaked the trailer features playing cards falling from the sky and some dialog from The Joker. The trailer does not actually feature any footage from the movie.

* Thomas Jane has dropped out of being in Punisher 2. Just as this new broke rumors have started to speculate on the new director of the Frank-less Punisher flick. Two names are making the rumor circuit are John Dahl (Great Raid, Rounders) and Lexi Alexander (Hooligans).

* Barry Allen will be back as The Flash before the end of the year.

* During World War Hulk expect to see Bruce Banner to be separated from the Hulk...again.

* Teen Titans is getting a new writer and new team line-up. Missing from the new team will be Raven, Cyborg, and Beat Boy. While nothing has surfaced yet about Raven and Beast Boy, expect to see Cyborg end up on The Outsiders.

Site News

First let me say that the site should be experiencing more updates on a more regular basis soon. Also the site will be seeing a few new features coming soon. A new article from Cory will debut soon giving our readers reviews of new cds that are hitting the stores and illegal download sites. We're also going to be debuting an article from Sean "DC" Harris that will breakdown DC's weekly wonder that is "Countdown". Also it should be mentioned that now anyone can post a comment. You don't have to register, but for those who did I appreciate it. Just remember if you do post and you're not registered, that you should put your name on there so we know who is talking trash (Evan I'm looking at you.)

~Diddy

20 Thoughts From Shane-O-Mac

1. Punisher isn't Captain America.

2. Booster Gold getting his new series will be filled with endorsements.

3. LOST finally has a scheduled ending. So did the Big Dig.

4. Tony Stark turned into a hot naked woman...let's see where this goes.

5. Billion dollar Maguire still lives up to his name.

6. I'm about to shatter some glass.

7. Latin music does not make sense and scares me...sorry Teresa.

8. 52...good ending.

9. Bruce Campbell does not promote Campbell's soup.

10. FF2 right now just seems like a 2 hour chase scene.

11. Damn you Kuberts for putting out action figures that look like your delayed art.

12. Countdown is counting down to what your bank statement is going to look like at the end.

13. Does anyone even care about the Hulk?

14. Cory is the new Captain America.

15. Brown can do shit for you. Take that how you want.

16. Mary Marvel is gonna be a little slut.

17. Paul Dini's file photo is from about 20 years ago.

18. Ted Hayes is starting his own cookbook called "Ted Hayes' Highway".

19. All Star Batman #5 wasn't gonna come out this month but Jim Lee's mom yelled at him in every Asian language until he finished it.

20. An apple tini is manly.

You Tube Theater

This week I'm bringing posting three videos that I"m sure everyone has seen but if you have not, please check them out and enjoy.

Cee Diddy Meets....

Spider-Man 3

So Spider-Man came out last week and as predicted it crushed all records for opening weekends. I'm happy to say that I helped get those records crushed by going on Midnight with about 9 other people. The movie has been billed as the final installment of a Sam Rami Spider-Man Trilogy, and if true I feel it was a fitting end to the story arc. A lot of the critics have been a bit harsh on the movie, stating that they liked it, but that it wasn't the same quality of the two others. I figure I might as well throw in my two cents on the subject.

I thought Spider-Man 3 was a really fun, and entertaining movie. It's too early for me to say if it was better than the other two cause I would have to see the third one a few more times. Let's start off with the villains this time around. In the first two films Rami brought to life the classic Green Goblin and Doc. Ock. In Spider-Man 3 the Evil Dead director brought the classic Sandman to life and cult favorite Venom. Also coming after Spidey was Harry Osborn as the New Goblin. When preparing to write this I thought long and hard about what Harry's villain name was. He was never called Green Goblin or Hobgoblin, so I went with the name on his toy. I know a lot of people were expecting Harry to be known as the Hobgoblin but I like the idea of saving the name for another day.

In the other two films each villain is giving a lot of screen time so that the viewer can see that there is a real person behind the goofy gimmick. That was one thing that the film lacked. We got to see a little bit of Flint Marko and the reasons behind his life of crime, but more in sight would've been good. It wouldn't surprise me if a few scenes got left on the cutting room floor. Although we didn't get to see more scene of Flint Marko, we did get to see a good amount of Sandman. From the first scene titled "Birth of Sandman" to the subway battle, and the big finale, the special effects that brought the Sandman to life were amazing.

Venom has always been a fan favorite. Ever since his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #300 the fans have been clamoring to see Venom on the silver screen. Introducing Venom in Spider-Man 3 was NOT apart of Sam Rami's original plan. Mr.Rami has gone on record saying that Venom was not in the first couple drafts of the script. Venom was not added to the film until Avi Arad requested that Venom be added. Right off the bat that explains why we only see Venom in the third act of the movie. While I know some fans were upset with the little screen time Venom got, I for one was pleased with the amount of Venom. First off if there was more Venom then the movie would've been about an hour longer. I thought Topher Grace was a perfect Eddie Brock. The shots where Venom's mask was gone and you just saw Eddie's face were perfect. The only thing that was missing with Venom was a larger white spider design on his chest and Venom speaking in plurals. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a , "We are Venom". There's a lot more they could've done with the Venom character but what they did worked for me.

The movie has a lot packed in to it. So much that I'm finding it hard to figure out what parts to talk about. I guess I just want to point out the positives that I liked and then some of the things I didn't like. Bryce Howard as Gwen Stacey was amazing. I want an entire movie about Gwen Stacey. She was just super hot and should have been in the movies since day one. The action in the movie was insane and Spider-Man acrobatics bested anything seen in the first two. It was also nice to hear Spider-Man being a bit more of a wise ass in this movie. That was one thing that the first two missed the mark on. Spider-Man is suppose to being cracking wise while fighting baddies like Green Goblin and Doc Ock. Bruce Campbell once again delivers as he defeats Peter Parker a second time. I just wish that they would reveal that he's playing the same guy who can't keep a job. Peter Parker becoming a jerk was great. I loved the music montage and laughed my ass off. I thought that scene complimented the "Geek Montage" really well from the second movie. The ending of the movie was great in my opinion. Sandman giving up his will to live and being blown away was great. Eddie Brock killing himself because he couldn't live without the power of Venom was perfect. Harry dying in the Goblin outfit, to save MJ was great. They all met their demise in a great way that surprisingly enough leaves doors open for returns for Venom and Sandman. The ending with Peter and MJ was great too. I loved the fact that it was a super happy ending. Yes, we saw Peter and MJ together in the final scene but what was that hug really saying. Was Peter just consoling MJ after the funeral? Was this a sign that Peter and MJ were going to become friends again? Was this a final hug between the two because Peter knows being Spider-Man has to come first? That final hug left a lot of questions open.

So the movie wasn't perfect and lacked a few things. I already mentioned that the villains need a little more screen time to develop. Also I wanted more Eddie Brock, J. Jonah Jameson, and Gwen Stacey. J.J. Jameson stole the movie in the second film, and I was hoping to see more of that in this one. Maybe we'll get a spin off that revolves around Jameson trying to save the Bugle from being closed down due to the internet stealing all his readers. I guess I really liked the movie cause that's all I can really complain about. I think if Venom was left out of the movie and Sandman got more time it would've been better. But if they had done a movie with the black suit and NOT shown Venom people would have rioted. Fan boys everywhere would have emerged from their Mom's cellars and attacked Sony studios with their web shooters.

So the summer movie season really started with a bang. I can almost guarantee I won't be seeing Transformer or Pirates 3, but will probably have guest reviewers post reviews for each film. The next big one I'm waiting for is Fantstic Four 2. If you haven't rushed out to see Spider-Man 3 yet (Corey I'm looking at you), then do yourself a favor and get to a theater. I'd love to know what everyone else thought of the movie so please post.

Diddy

For My Viewing Pleasure???

This week I checked out a little flick entitled "Smokin Aces". The main reason I wanted to see this movie was largely due to the very cool and fast trailer. At my job that damn trailer plays almost every hour on the hour and after seeing it like ten times a day, even I want to do go out and kill Buddy "Aces" Israel. I was gonna load up the PT Cruiser with the other horsemen, get some guns, blare some shitty rap/rock, and kill Jeremy Piven. So I was really excited to see this movie.

When the movie started I was nervous that it was moving a little slow. I figured it was just starting slow because of all the badass action that would be coming in the second and third act. Sooooo I waited and watched. I watched as Ben Affleck did yet another crappy accent. I watched as Jeremy Piven continued to play Ari Gold, but was now named Buddy Israel. I even watched scene after scene that I had already seen in the various trailers. Basically I watched the whole movie waiting for the shit to hit the fan and deliver on some crazy action and it never happened. Actually there was some action, but it was all in the trailer.

So the action wasn't that great, and I know what you're thinking, "But Diddy what about the story and the crazy twists?" The movie had two big twist. Number one, we find out that the crime boss was actually an FBI agent. This twist was very obvious from the first mention that the boss had so much plastic surgery. The second twist was that Buddy Israel was actually the son of the Mob boss, and that he wanted his heart for a transplant. While I didn't see the twist coming, I did feel that it wasn't very needed. The ending was stupid too. Ryan Reynolds gets all sad while the music from Saw plays and he kills both of them because Alanis Morrisset is divorcing his Van Wilder ass.

Perhaps if this movie didn't have a trailer, I would've liked it more. I should mention that my favorite parts of the movie would be any part with that little kid dressed as the Karate Kid. Now that kid has talents and acted circles around Ben Affleck. Affleck you were the bomb in Phantoms, but not so much in Smokin Aces.

~Diddy

Disclaimer: This review has some minor SPOILERS. Do not go back and read this article again if you don't want key plot points explained to you by a movie critic with poor grammer.