Click Here to Order from Amazon.comSmallville, Season 3 (2003 – 2004) 5 out of 5
This season is most definitely the darkest of the series. I related to Clark quite a lot during his time on the road: the struggle, the pain, the loss—definitely made me relive some memories I wasn’t too keen on reliving ever again.
This season also showed how evil Lionel Luthor really was and how he stopped at nothing—utterly nothing—to create his empire and, eventually, receive power that most definitely, in this case, fell into the wrong hands.
Clark got a new superpower, this time his super hearing, which was done way cool and not just some fire-drill-like noise ringing in his ears.
I loved this season despite how bleak it was and was thrilled to death when Christopher Reeve reprised his role as Dr. Virgil Swann. The mythology episodes in this season made me grin ear-to-ear, making my inner fanboy squeal like a girl.
This season was great and had a cliffhanger that made me want to kick in my TV. What a long summer that one was.
Click Here to Order from Amazon.comThe Shadow (1994) Written by David Koepp Directed by Russell Mulcahy Runtime 108 min. 3.5 out of 5
An avenging force for good and a terror of the criminal underworld, the Shadow operates in New York after dark, but when Shiwan Khan—last descendent of Genghis Khan—comes to the city and plans on world domination, the Shadow must defend the Big Apple from him. When the Shadow refuses to join forces with Khan, the two battle it out with the fate of the city hanging in the balance.
This flick was my first exposure to the pulp superhero when I was younger. With loads of shadows, gothic ambience, an exciting soundtrack and a hero with the biggest cape I’d ever seen, the Shadow quickly became one of my favorites growing up. I mean, he was kind of like Batman, but had a superpower—he could get into your mind, control you, make you see things that weren’t there and thus become a “shadow.”
Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston totally worked. He had the cool rough voice, the playboy debonair down to a T, and had an air of mystery about him that suited the character well. Good stuff.
Action-wise, no complaints. Nothing over-the-top or extremely spectacular, but enough to get the job done. I will say those shots of the Shadow materializing and dematerializing out of view as he fights is especially cool and spooky. I mean, how do you fight what you can’t see?
The plotline was well thought out, especially because you’re dealing with a hero and villain with mental powers, which isn’t always easy to show people. It all takes place in the head, after all, so depicting the manifestation of these mental powers was well done.
This movie really had that old radio drama feel to it, which I’m sure was something the filmmakers were going for as The Shadow used to be a radio drama back in the day.
Some recognizable names in this flick, too: Sir Ian McKellen, Peter Boyle, Tim Curry.
The Shadow is an excellent foray into the “realistic fantastic” and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for pulpy heroic goodness.
