OPTIMUS PRIME

OPTIMUS PRIME
(Bay movie version that is)
graces the cover of this month's Empire magazine.

Regardless of your opinion of the design, Peter Cullen is doing the voice, so I'm still going to get chills when he's on screen!

And IMDB has Frank Welker down for the voice of Megatron! Man, I hope that's true!!



* Peter Cullen and Frank Welker were the original voices of Prime and Megatron in the 80s cartoon. Sweeeet.

STAR WARS ROSE PARADE

In case you missed it, here's the STAR WARS segment from this year's Rose Parade. Celebrate tha luv, nub yub!

3 QUICK MOVIE REVIEWS

3 QUICK MOVIE REVIEWS:

CASINO ROYALE
Best Bond movie in my lifetime. I'm not a huge fan of the movie franchise (although I'm a huge fan of the idea), I gladly embraced this "reboot" of sorts. Daniel Craig is an awesome Bond in my opinion and I look forward to seeing more with him. And Eva Green was quite enjoyable as a Bond Girl; finally a Bond Girl who I like and isn't just T&A cliche. However, this movie is not without its faults. The first 1/3 was awesome - jammed packed kickass action. The 2nd 1/3 slowed down a bit, but fans of poker may be on the edge of their seats ("2 Kings!! NO WAY!!!!"). Then there's a horrible 15min segway that you could have replaced with the last 15min of any Love Boat episode & footage of grass growing and no one would have noticed. Then the last 1/3 picks up a bit, but at that point I was already mentally at the top of the theater stairs ready to go home. Overall, great fun and the best Bond movie I've seen in decades! Back to basics and closer to the books. Works for me! I'm curious to hear from die hard Bond fans.....
*note: I didn't see the last Bond flick and walked out on that dreadful one with Denise Richards as the Soviet Nuclear Scientist. Uggh.

SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT (DVD)
Donner's original version, reassembled with never-before-seen footage mixed with what he had at his hands (ie Theaterical version by crappy director). This is an entirely different movie from the theatrical and Donner loses about 99.9% of all that campy garbage. If you haven't seen Superman II in awhile and remember it being good, then this is the version you have in your head. If you have seen Superman II recently, you know how fucking horrible it its. Well, watch this one and you will be happy pappy! Superman The Movie flows right into this without missing a beat! Buy it today!

PAN'S LABRYINTH
By director Guillermo del Toro. One of the best I saw this year! A wonderfully dark fairy tale set in 1944 Spain during the end of their Civil War. While I was hoping for more Fairy Tale, it was nicely balanced and blended into the reality side of the story. I wish more movies were made like this! Go see it!!

2006 MOVIE WRAP

I had hoped to post this when it was still 2006, but oh well....
Here is my personal TOP 5 MOVIES OF 2006:
* V FOR VENDETTA
* LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
* THE DEPARTED
* PAN'S LABYRINTH
* SUPERMAN II: RICHARD DONNER CUT (on DVD)

and my TOP 4 LET DOWNS:
* UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (begins with promise, but then crashes & burns)
* PIXAR'S CARS (cliche)
* PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (sucked!!!)

WORST MOVIE:
* THE DA VINCI CODE (embarrassingly terrible)

WHAT WERE YOURS?!
Click here for full list of movies released in 2006.
And check in the Comments Section for more JimSmash movie lists!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! !

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

Holy crap, I can't believe its 2007!!
Ever since 2000 rolled around, its been surreal....
the 21st Century, its like living in Sci-Fi, heh.
(and I'm still disappointed I reached adulthood & there's no flying cars.
We were promised flying cars, damnit!)2007 has started off great with the
AUBURN TIGERS defeating Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl!
Yeah, baby!!! WAAAARRRRR EAGLE!!!! HEY!!!

Here's to a great year for everyone!

CONGRATS, MAKER ! !

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS!! On their LIBERTY BOWL victory against Houston!
This post is dedicated to Maker.

INDIANA JONES 4 A-GO

Man, JimSmash has been kind of a bummer these past few posts..... and I wish this one was a good one, but alas. Well, maybe it is, depending on the JimSmasher reading this....

Lucas has announced that filming for INDIANA JONES 4 will begin next year (2007). Apparently, he and Spielberg finalized a script (someone check outside for flying pigs) and Lucas stated, "It’s going to be fantastic. It’s going to be the best one yet!" Hmmmm, well take that for what it's worth, considering the source. I'll guess we'll find out Summer 2008 when its currently scheduled to be released.

Personally, I was sighing a sigh of relief when it was in development hell. I think a 4th Indy will bury and tarnish the saga. RAIDERS ruled, I think we all agree. TEMPLE OF DOOM and LAST CRUSADE, while fun at times and with their moments, were by far weaker. (post arguments and opinions of this in the Comments section, heh).

Lucas & Spielberg, JUST LET IT BE, guys! Stop digging up relics and ruining them. Yes, the lame pun was intended. BAHD DATES!

SADDAM HUSSEIN SWINGS

Saddam Hussein was executed a few hours ago. He was hanged under a sentence imposed by an Iraqi court. Hussein was found guilty over the killing of 148 members of the Shiite population of the town of Dujail after militants tried to assassinate him there in 1982, during Iraq’s war with Shiite Iran. Saddam's half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and Awad al-Bander, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, were also executed in connection with the Dujail killings.

RIP: GERALD FORD

1913 - 2006

THE GODFATHER OF SOUL

It's the end of an era....

Yesterday, Christmas Day 2006,
The Godfather of Soul,
JAMES BROWN passed away.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ! !

TO ALL THE SUPER JIMSMASH READERS:HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

(JimSmash will be INACTIVE until Jan 2007)

ARCHIE GETS REAL

Guess who's getting a makeover? Yep, after 60 years, ARCHIE & GANG are getting a new style in their comics; a more realistic approach for new and older audiences. I'm really not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I feel that changing the look changes what makes Archie, well, Archie. Like colorizing Citizen Kane.... or updating the Andy Griffith Show into Manhattan. On the other hand, perhaps this is a good thing to bring in new readers. There is a new resurgence of young readers coming into the Comic Industry, particularily young girls. So I can see why they'd try and hook em with an updated, more realistic style (although the whole "Betty & Veronica fetish" goes the wayside). But, atleast they didn't go with a manga art style! I would have gone ballistic at that. On the other-OTHER hand, I've never read an Archie comic before so I really don't care. Well, ok, that's not entirely true. I am a sucker for tradition and good ole fashion Americana, and Archie definitely fits in there.

So, what do you think?
Did anyone actually read all the way to this point??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This art change moves towards a more contemporary comic book style, more realistic, and less cartoony. The move, an Archie Comics representative told Newsarama, is a continuing experiment and exploration with the characters, showcasing not only their timlessness, but theur adaptability as well. The first of the “new look” Archie and company will appear in May’s Betty and Veronica Double Digest #151, in “Bad Boy Trouble”. In addition to the look, the stories themselves will change format, switching from short tales to fuller-length stories. As such the digests will contain four stories, spanning issues #151-#154 which will run 25 pages each, when fully told.

GUEST DOUCHEBAG OF THE DAY: GAMESTOP

We have a special guest writer today who would like to go off on his own personal Douchebag of the Day: GAMESTOP. So please give a round of applause for JASON!

---------------

Gamestop: The only retail video game store left.
In the last 5 years, they have bought all of their competition. They own EBgames, Funcoland, Planet X, and Babbages among others. So.. now that they have no competition,

They are ONLY selling their PS3's online as "bundles" for mid-Jan delivery. For the low low price of $985.00. What's in the bundle you ask?

1) Base system 60gig version $600
2) Wireless extra controller $50
3) NBA07 game $60
rated 4.9/10
"doesn't have the entertaining story mode that the PlayStation 2 version has, but it does have most of that version's flaws, and some new ones, too."
4) Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom game $60
rated 6/10
"unremarkable hack-and-slash game whose most noteworthy feature
seems to be that it's coming out at the launch of the PS3."
5) Full Auto 2 $60
5.7/10
"technically proficient, but almost every aspect of this car combat
game's gameplay is messed up in one way or another."
6) Resistance: Fall of Man $60
8.6/10 only bundled game that looks cool

Total so far is $890,
$180 in totally crap worthless games which will be in the "under $20" bin by Feb. So for your extra $105 of "bundle value" you get:

7) Resistance: Fall of Man Official Strategy Guide
(I personally hate strategy guides for "story" based games,
what the hell is fun about repeating the exact steps from a book
complete with maps? No plot suprises, no immersion, no sense of accomplishment
They should add a final page to these guides telling the person to
jump off a roof, with a map and diagram.)
8) 1 year product replacement plan (extended warranty)
(the PS2 only had a 90 day factory warranty, the PS3 comes with a 1 year factory warranty
I'd only buy one of the extended warranties if the product was used.)
9) 12 month subscription to Gamestop owned Game Informer Magazine.
(The number 1 gaming magazine...
Amazing how fast you can become #1 when you become the only one
visible in the store for sale, uhh since we own all retail game stores,
how about we put all the competitor's magazines in the "special" storage file)

Honorable Mention of things to bundle with the PS3 that didn't quite make it:
Buttplug "precationary measure to widen your anus for the PS4 launch"
Breadmaker "everyone needs one"
Stealth Blu-Ray Disc
"I bought a PS3 bundle and it came with this shirt" t-shirt
A Nintendo Wii "so you might have fun."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*thanks, Jason! And nice stab against Stealth. Punk. Hahaha!

JIMSMASH CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Here is a compilation of great Christmas songs to make your very own JIMSMASH CHRISTMAS ALBUM!! Now, you may prefer some of these songs by other artists or have other songs not listed (I know I'm missing several).... so please chime in in the Comments Section!

*In no particular order*
CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS (by RUN DMC)
CHRISTMAS VACATION (by Mavis Staples)
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (by Ray Charles)
MELE KALIKIMAKA (by Bing Crosby)
HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS (by Gene Autry)
JOY TO THE WORLD (by Angelo Badalamenti)
JINGLE BELL ROCK (by Bobby Helms)
MY FAVORITE THINGS (by Tony Bennett)
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY CHRISTMAS (by The Carpenters)
I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (by Frank Sinatra)
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! (by Dean Martin)
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (by Dean Martin)
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK ALOT LIKE CHRISTMAS (by Perry Como)
WHITE CHRISTMAS (by Bing Crosby)
HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS (by Burl Ives)
SILENT NIGHT (by Nat King Cole)
SANTA BABY (by Eartha Kitt)
BLUE CHRISTMAS (by Elvis Presley)
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (by Jimmy Durante)
CHRISTMAS EVE/SARAJEVO 12/24 (by Transiberian Orchestra)
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (by Fred Astaire)
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (by Alvin & the Chipmunks)
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (by Bob & Doug McKenzie)
YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR GRINCH (by Thrul Ravenscroft)
SILVER BELLS (by Twisted Sister)
OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (by Twisted Sister)

and any other XMas songs by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, The Carpenters....... So jump onto iTunes (or AllofMP3.com) NOW!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Adam Sandler's Hannakuh song is absent this year because crappy Radio DJs play it waaaay too much and act like its the first time they've ever heard it.

**Any XMas song by a poplular band post-1980 is forbidden (like Blink 182's "We're too cool to enjoy Christmas". Whatever.).... Twisted Sister is the exception to this rule because their new XMas album is actually really really good. Seriously. No, SERIOUSLY.
---------------------------------------
*thanks, Ali, for the idea!

MOVIE THEATER CANDY

I was at the Movie Theater a couple weeks back and noticed a sad fact of Today's Movie Going Experience - the candy selection blows.

The "Classics" were no where to be seen. Instead, there were bags of candy you can find in any candy aisle at the grocery store. Kit Kat bites? Gourmet Chocolate bars? What the fuck? I'm sorry, but I want the classic movie theater candy, damnit!!! I want a box of milk duds that will still be glued to my molars when I leave the place. I want Snow Caps and Goobers, 2 candies I have NEVER seen outside of a theater. Why would I pay 5-bucks for a bag of M&Ms I can get for 75-cents next door at the fucking Rite Aid? Hey, I'm all for variety, but I've noticed that those old classic, what I thought were STANDARD, candies are no longer being sold at Theaters. And Hollywood wonders why theater sales are down, heh. Get out of there Hershey's.... This here theater is NESTLE Territory!!

Its time for another addition of EMPEROR JIM (haven't done one of these in a long time).... When I become EMPEROR JIM, it will be LAW to have these candies available for movie-goers in all theaters:

* MILK DUDS
* GOOBERS
* JUNIOR MINTS
* RAISINETS
* SNOW CAPS
* WHOPPERS
* MIKE & IKE
* HOT TAMALES
* JU JU BEES
* NERDS

any other favorites you'd like to add?

SNOW DEATH STAR

(I miss snow)

HOLIDAY CHARITIES

Christmas doth approaches! Tis the season to give, right? Well, as you're running around this weekend in that last mad-dash to buy presents for your loved ones, take a moment to think of the less fortunate and maybe spend some of that hard-earned cash on them.

TOYS FOR TOTS and TOYS FOR TEENS are classic Holiday charities. I mean, giving a toy to a needy kid? Cool. Be Santa for someone.

Also, there's WORLD VISION GIFTS which is run by the humanitarian agency World Vision. For small amounts of money, you can buy a goat ($75) for a man in a poor African country that will alow him to sustain his family. Or you can pay for a sewing machine and lessons ($270) for a woman living in a Third World country to help her start a business and feed and clothe her family. A fishing kit ($40) for a hungry family.... Imagine helping to change the direction of another life!

Now, if you're wary of charities (or don't know where to start), try CHARITY NAVIGATOR. You can choose a cause and make sure your money is being put to good use.

If anything, please take a moment to check out the above links.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

BEHOLD THE SILVER SUFER

Here's the first glimpse at the SILVER SURFER from Fantastic Four 2. My first thought was, "well, they didn't fuck it up." I was hoping he'd look a bit more alien, although the smoothed-over ears are a step towards that. Avi Arad, Marvel's CEO, said on screen, the Surfer "will look somewhere between gun metal and fluid metallics so you can see the body motion, the breathing, the muscle tone, the mood..." As long as he doesn't move like an actual surfer in water. Yes he's on a long "surf board", but he's never been shown to "surf" - he rides the Cosmos. I don't want to see him pulling off surf maneuvers and emulating "stoner surfer dude stereotypes" and saying shit like "Hang 10, Dude!" as he fights. Odds are he does.

RIP: HARDIN "JACK" BURNLEY

Bryan McKenzie wrote a nice piece about the death of comic artist Hardin "Jack" Burnley, who passed away Tuesday.

And Superman wept.

Hardin “Jack” Burnley, the artist who made visible the Man of Steel’s inner strength and provided the prototype portrait for a universe of comic book heroes, died Tuesday in Albemarle County. He was 95.

Burnley was the first person to draw Superman, Batman and Robin other than their creators.

His drawing of the three heroes for the cover of an issue of “World’s Fair Comics” in 1940 marked the first time the crime fighters appeared together in public. He was also the first to carefully outline the caped crusaders’ muscle structures, setting the style for hundreds of heroes who followed. Continued...

Rest in Peace, Jack! Thank you for your awesome contribution to the Comic World! It is still felt today!

TAKARA MEGATRON ! ! ! !

Ouch. I just cracked my skull open from fainting with glee after seeing Takara's next Masterpiece figure. Hmm, but didn't they already make Prime and Starscream? Yep. So that's right, the next is none other than Mighty MEGATRON.

He's a gun (the proper Walther P-38) and he looks like his cartoon version. Fuck yeah!!! Oh, and what's that he's holding? Why, its none other than KrimZeeek!! (Full-fledge Transformers Geeks should know and remember KrimZeeek from an episode of the old show.) Megatron's feet are a bit skinny, but rumors are the final version (prototype above) will have more bulk. Too bad his arm cannon can't be scaled down a bit...either way, Jimmy wantie!!!!!

So Jay!! Next time you're in Japan or China, grab me some Takara Starscreams and Megatrons!!! I use the plural because I have friends who want them, too. Hahahaha!
or anyone can buy it here (marked up in price).

And as with the other Takara Transformers, he's about 12" tall and fully transformable!! Below are Takara Prime & Starscream. So freakin' sweet, I'm gettin' chubby!
The Takara Transformers Line Thus Far:
MP-01: Optimus Prime
MP-02: Ultra Magnus
MP-03: Optimus Prime w/Trailer (pic above)
MP-04: Starscream (pic above)
MP-05: Megatron
Come on SOUNDWAVE for MP-06!!!! Please!!!