july 25, 2014

XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS - SEASON 5

i've never seen xena: warrior princess, but i looked at some episode descriptions and it sounds like the ultimate entertainment. here are 5 reasons to check out season 5 (spoilers):

5. the season starts with xena and her companion gabrielle in heaven because they are dead from season 4. they have to be resurrected before the show can continue.

4. xena becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter that all the gods want to kill.

3. there is a backdoor pilot for a rejected selma blair spinoff called "amazon high."

2. there is a 25-year time jump.

1. xena has to kill gods.

and that's just what it took them 5 seasons to get to.

SECRET ORIGINS #4
this is an old series dc used to do in the 80s where every issue retells the origin of some random dc characters. it was a great way for new readers to get to know the ever-growing dc universe, more valuable to one's home library than any encyclopedia. they recently brought it back and it's a great time for it, now that the new 52 has even the most devoted of fans wondering what exactly is up with all their old favorites and how many green lanterns are now gay.

in addition to current cw heartthrob green arrow and freshly dead damian wayne, this issue features the new origin of harley quinn. a thankless task, given her first origin was so memorably realized in the madly brilliant "mad love" one shot by bruce timm, paul dini, and glen murakami in 1994. i believe tweaks have been made to her backstory in the twenty years since, and probably this issue will give us the absolute latest version. all i can say is dc better be VERY careful. it's one thing to walk into gotham museum and throw paint on every exhibit while jammin' to prince. but this is harley quinn. easily their best female clown villain. they're fucking with real art here.

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT
this is the new woody allen movie starring emma stone. i don't know what it's about and i don't want to know, because i want to go in not knowing and let the movie surprise me like a welcome lover in the night. based on the past couple decades or so, this will be one of my favorite movies of the year. if you like woody allen, or emma stone, or, for whatever reason, colin firth, don't let it elude you.