LA Trends Examiner

Lex Luthor would like some of that bailout cash, please.

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:41:19 -0700

Fuel for jetboots isn't cheap, you know. Times are hard, even for super-villains. Jon Hamm -- of TV's "Mad Men," but you're probably more likely to recognize him from his guest spots on "SNL" or "30 Rock" -- plays Sup...

Ultimate Watchmen Roundup

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:53:28 -0700

Today's the day. Five minutes to midnight, and all the agents and superhuman crew round up everyone who knows more than they do.That's right, "Watchmen" hits theaters today. And here's one final, toxic overdose of hype and glory for you bef...

Watchmen: the pre-backlash begins

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:12:34 -0700

LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan did not care for "Watchmen," calling it "next to impossible to recreate [the book] on-screen."Alan Moore was right. There isn't a movie in his landmark graphic novel "Watchmen" -- at le...

Watchmen Wednesday: the best comics you're not reading

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:42:18 -0700

Variant cover by Jim LeeIn honor of "Watchmen" finally hitting theaters this week, we here at the Trends, Lifestyles, and Comic Geek Desk have decided to help you discover the next "Watchmen" out there on the comics racks, or...

Watchfans: which Watchman are you?

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:41:51 -0700

Which Watchman are you? Three more days to go, kids. Polish your armor and wash your best spandex, because "Watchmen" is almost here. Today, we're going to look at the geek faithful: the nearly religious followers of comic-book movies who ...

Watching the Watchmen, T-minus four days and counting.

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:41:21 -0700

After months of cataclysmic, escalating hype, it's almost here: "Watchmen", the Zach Snyder-directed adaptation of what was supposed to be the unfilmable graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The Hollywood premiere is tonight (Mar. ...

The end of "Life on Mars"

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:38:12 -0700

So long, Sam. (Photo: ABC)Well, this both sucks and blows. ABC has canceled one of the only new shows I'm watching, "Life on Mars." The series, based on the British TV show of the same name, told the story of Sam Tyler, a cop who was h...

"Produce the note": desperate homeowners seek magic words

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:07:46 -0700

A lot of buzz this morning about a strategy some homeowners are using to delay foreclosure: demanding the bank "produce the note" -- that is, supply the original mortgage paperwork.The AP leads with a woman who's managed to stop her foreclo...

Green for going green: money you can get from the stimulus for eco-friendly stuff

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:29:30 -0700

Treehugger.com has a handy slide-show that shows what eco-friendly things the government stimulus package will help you buy. Included are solar panels, mass-transit tickets, and even hybrid cars.

For more info: Treehugger.com

Does anyone watch Oscar winners anymore?

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:54:23 -0700

There's a modern myth that nobody watches the Oscars because nobody watches the movies the Oscars celebrate anymore. It's just one more example of Hollywood being out of touch with mainstream America, according to the critics.Maybe. Maybe not. I thin...

Join the A-List tonight

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:35:44 -0700

If you don't have this yet, you're behind the curve.I shouldn't even be telling you this, really. Frankly, even I'm not hip enough to know about it, but I have a friend who's taken pity and let me in on the scoop. Otherwise, I'd be out in the co...

"The Simpsons" new opening credits

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:04:53 -0700

In honor of its first-ever high-def episode coming this Sunday, Feb. 15, America's favorite family now has a new intro to replace the old one, which the show has been using for almost 20 years. Take a look for yourself, and decide if you like it, or...

Free passes to "Watchmen" screening

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:45:05 -0700

The superheroes at Golden Apple comics here in L.A. have come flying to the rescue of the geeks who can't wait until the midnight opening showings of Zach Snyder's "Watchmen."The adaptation of Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel -- about a w...

Fanboys, start your drooling: "Dollhouse" and a nearly naked Eliza Dushku

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:16:53 -0700

Maxim magazine is going all out today for geek-god Joss Whedon's new show, "Dollhouse," which premieres tomorrow, Feb. 13 at 9:00 p.m. First, they have an interview with Whedon where he talks about the turbulent production and... blah blah ...

"Keen Eddie" is "The Human Target"

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:34:15 -0700

If that headline is pure gibberish to you, then move along. But for the rest of you, you'll be pleased to know that Mark Valley -- AKA, that guy from "Boston Legal" and "Fringe," a man whose chin is more super-heroic than most oth...

Just what are the banks doing with the bailout money?

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:36:44 -0700

Today on Capitol Hill, our featured entertainment is a panel of bank CEOs who will insist to Congress that despite what they may have said before, they really are grateful for all that taxpayer money, and they're doing only good things with it.There ...

Google tries to kill Bambi

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:34:26 -0700

A Google drone was in the middle of capturing images for the Google street view application, when he... um, hit a deer.And then uploaded the photos to Google anyway. This was perhaps not the smartest move in the world.Google has since taken the photo...

A lot is riding on "Watchmen" for future comic-book releases

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:17:07 -0700

Image from MTV MoviesWhile we're not going back to the days of cheesy, B-movie dreck like the straight-to-video "Captain America," or the unwatchable "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," there's a definite slowdown in the prod...

The coolest comic-book movies you'll never see

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:15:03 -0700

After 20 years of fits and starts, with directors ranging from Terry Gilliam to Paul Greengrass, the seminal graphic novel Watchmen is finally coming to the big screen on March 6. A lot of people said it could never be done, but Zach Snyder, fresh of...

The day the music died

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:59:55 -0700

The monument at the crash site. Fifty years ago today, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash. It's best known as "the day the music died" from the phrase in Don McLean's song about the tragedy, "American ...