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Darkman Universal Pictures, 1990 Created and Directed by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead trilogy, Drag Me to Hell) Running Time: 96 minutes Rated R for graphic violence, profanity and mature situations. Cast Liam Neeson (Gawain in Excalibur, Kegan in Krull) as Dr. Peyton Westlake/Darkman Frances McDormand (Marge in Fargo, Handler in Aeon Flux) as Julie Hastings Colin Friels as Louis Strack, Jr. Larry Drake (Stulwicz in L.A. Law) as Robert G. Durant Bruce Campbell (because a Sam Raimi movie wouldn't be one without him) "What is it about the dark? What secret does it hold?" Synopsis Dr. Peyton Westlake is a scientist working on artificial skin technology to aid burn victims. Unfortunately, his creation is marred by the skin's molecular instability, which causes it to disintegrate within 99 minutes of direct light. His girlfriend, attorney Julie Hastings, stumbles upon a bribery scandal between construction tycoon Louis Strack, Jr. and mob boss Robert G. Durant. Searching for the bribery evidence, Durant and his men storm into Westlake's laboratory, killing Westlake's assistant and blowing up the lab. The explosion does not kill Westlake, but renders him physically disfigured. After being recovered by a local hospital, he is subjected to a treatment where his neural system is altered. Feeling no physical pain at all, the rage in his body results in an irregular flow of adrenalin and increases his physical abilities; yet adversely affects his mental state. After escaping from the hospital, Westlake salvages his laboratory equipment and moves into an abandoned factory to continue his experiments on artificial skin. Seeking revenge on those who scarred him for life, he becomes a master of disguise, using his artificial skin technology to masquerade as his enemies and destroy them. "Take the f*cking elephant!" Lowdown When Sam Raimi was unable to secure the rights to make film adaptations of The Shadow and Batman, he decided to make a superhero film of his own. Drawing inspiration from The Phantom of the Opera and The Elephant Man, as well as the classic Universal Pictures horror films of the '30s and '40s, Raimi came up with what would become nothing short of a masterpiece. Darkman combines superhero elements with Film Noir and Hitchcock-style suspense, combined with an excellent cast and outstanding makeup effects. Liam Neeson delivers a breakthrough performance as the tragic hero who has to deal with the horrors of his past to avenge himself and make his enemies feel his wrath. It's fundamentally twisted and uniquely provocative. Adding to the grim atmosphere is a haunting orchestral score by Danny Elfman (Dick Tracy, Beetlejuice). Not as epic as Batman, but still effective at keeping the viewers hooked. Overall, Darkman is one of the best superhero films ever made. Hell, to a certain extent, it's even better than Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Just make sure to ignore the direct-to-video sequels, though. Rating: A "I'm everyone - and no one. Everywhere - nowhere. Call me...Darkman." References The Internet Movie Database

Cheap Trick Does Transformers

I think the movie is rated IIA where you're at. What are the usual restrictions for such a rating?

Really? Is it worse than X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which is actually worse than Superman Returns)? What was wrong with it? Be sure to use the spoiler tag for your explanation.

Going back to the game itself: Doesn't anyone find it weird for the game to have Wolfgang Van Halen play bass on all eras of Van Halen's history? He wasn't born when DLR first left the band. Hell, he isn't even old enough to drink.

As far as superhero cartoons go, here's how I rank them: Spider-Man 1. 1967 series 2. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends 3. 1981 series (prior to Amazing Friends) 4. 1990s series 5. Spectacular Spider-Man 6. Spider-Man Unlimited 7. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series - Doogie Howser and Spidey don't mix. Lisa Loeb is still cute, though. Batman 1. Batman: The Animated Series 2. Batman Beyond 3. The Batman 4. Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder - Gotta love the trippy surf rock theme. 5. The New Adventures of Batman - Adam West, Burt Ward and Bat-Mite. What's not to like about this? 6. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Superman 1. 1940's Fleischer Studios series - Even Bruce Timm's version pales in comparison. 2. Superman: The Animated Series 3. 1988 series by Ruby-Spears X-Men 1. Pryde of the X-Men 2. X-Men: Evolution 3. 1992 series 4. Wolverine and the X-Men Iron Man 1. 1960s series - The theme song is as immortal as Spidey's. 2. 1990s series 3. Iron Boy: Armored Adventures The Incredible Hulk 1. 1982 series 2. 1960s series 3. 1996 series - Sorry, but it just tries too hard. The Fantastic Four NONE. Was never a fan of this group.

Somehow, I see Farquaad appearing in a flashback scene prior to his confrontation with Shrek. He may also have some background relation with Rumplestiltskin.

And now, a question for the resident guitarists: Now that the Guitar Hero franchise is no longer associated with Gibson Guitars, what guitars would you like to see replicated into a guitar controller for a future GH title?

Really? Where was this displayed? I don't remember seeing this on Macross Zero. Anyway, my answers: Hades Project Zeorymer and Figure 17.

Not that I don't like Van Hagar, but aside from "Right Now" and "Dreams", that lineup is hardly legendary compared to the David Lee Roth era. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (its acronym banned here for obvious reasons) may be Van Hagar's best album, but it doesn't compare to the classic lineup's Fair Warning.

That's another classic that shouldn't be messed with. The 1967 series is still better, though.

Sacrilege! Nothing beats the 1967 TV series, especially with its immortal theme song.

Shrek the Halls was about 30 minutes long, but still better than the third film.

I forgot to mention this: Any sequel to a Mike Myers movie, except the Shrek series. Austin Powers jumped the shark before Goldmember was released. Wayne's World might work, might not work after the second film. And somebody shoot him if he decided to make a sequel to The Love Guru.

I'm sorry, but Metro sucked. There hasn't been a good Eddie Murphy movie outside Shrek since Coming to America.

Shrek and Shrek 2 proved to everyone that DreamWorks Animation can go toe-to-toe with Pixar Entertainment. Unfortunately, Shrek the Third was a critical failure, despite the fact that it still broke box-office records worldwide. Now, DreamWorks is giving the franchise another try with Shrek Forever After, set for release on May 21, 2010. Majority of the cast from the last film will reprise their roles. John Lithgow returns as Lord Farquaad from the first film. Joining the cast will be Walt Dohrn as Rumplestiltskin. So who in here will be looking forward to this film? Shrek Forever After on IMDb

Any sequel to an Eddie Murphy movie, except the Shrek series.

Trivia time: Name at least two anime titles that displayed wireless energy transfer.

Has anyone here picked up the Human Alliance Bumblebee toy?

Yes, but how do you tolerate the rejected animation scenes that were spliced into the Rhino version?

True, but Nokia's version is built into the phone, so there's no need to bring an extra accessory with you.

Nokia has developed a cell phone that recharges itself - get this! - wirelessly. The charging system collects radio waves and converts them into electrical current that slowly recharges the battery on standby mode. Prototype Nokia Recharges Without Wires

Over a month ago, RedOctane and Activision announced the release of Guitar Hero: Van Halen for this August. The game will feature 25 classic Van Halen, including three guitar solos ("Eruption", anyone?) by Eddie Van Halen. In addition, the game will include songs by Queen, Third Eye Blind, Weezer and Yellowcard. So far, reports say that the current lineup (Eddie & Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Wolfgang Van Halen) will be featured. It appears that Van Hagar (Sammy Hagar on vocals, 1985-1996, 2004) and the ill-fated Van Cherone (Gary Cherone on vocals, 1997-1999) will not exist in the game. Moreover, ex-bassist Michael Anthony (who was with the band until 2006) is nowhere to be found; there must really be bad blood between him and the band. Here's the list of songs confirmed for the game: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Jump Panama You Really Got Me (not the cover version from Guitar Hero II) "I Want It All" by Queen "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind "Dope Nose" by Weezer "The Takedown" by Yellowcard

Did anyone see Lyoto Machida beat the crap out of Rashad Evans last month? Best two rounds I've seen on UFC.