New Acquisition: DC Multiverse The Penguin Action Figure by Mattel

(see full image)

T-U-R-T-L-E Power!

I finally snagged the final two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics 1990 Movie figures I needed, allowing me to take the group shot that's been two months in the making. Cowabunga and such! Kudos to Playmates Toys for an amazing job on these guys.

Some Quick Thoughts on 'Gotham'

Fox's Batman show without Batman debuted this past Monday and, surprisingly, Gotham isn't the worst thing to ever happen to The Dark Knight. In fact, it's really not that all that bad.

The pilot centered around the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne as Detectives James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) delve into Gotham's underbelly to uncover who's behind the plot. Thus far, we've seen a suitably dichotomous relationship between the virtuous Gordon and the jaded Bullock, a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) grappling with fear and the introduction of such iconic Batman nemeses as The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler and Poison Ivy, who's inexplicably named "Ivy Pepper" and not Pamela Isley here. We've also met a mob boss named Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), who's an original character created for the series, so we shouldn't get too attached to her.

Gotham is going to have a serious problem keeping things interesting, since it's essentially just a run-of-the-mill cop show set in the DC Universe, but it doesn't deserve any geek rage just yet. Hell, Gotham's better than pretty much every DC comic book that hit shelves this week — hollow praise, I know.

'Deadpool' Hits Theaters in 2016

Everyone's favorite Merc with a Mouth is coming to theaters on Feb. 12, 2016, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed. The Deadpool film will reportedly star Ryan Reynolds, who played a controversially misguided version of the character in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, complete with laser vision, knives protruding out of his forearms and a sewn-shut mouth. Presumably, this film will have zero ties to that abysmal X-Men prequel, although I don't think anyone would be offended if Deadpool cracked some jokes at its expense in his first solo flick.

The film will be directed by relative newcomer Tim Miller, and will likely be using the script penned by Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wenick, whose vision for the character was recently showcased in some leaked test footage that surfaced online.

Chimichangas, anyone?

Dan Aykroyd Has a Universe in Mind for ‘Ghostbusters’

Will the forthcoming third (and potentially all-female) installment of the lauded Ghostbusters franchise be the beginning of an entire interconnected canon for our favorite paranormal investigators? According to franchise star and co-creator Dan Aykroyd, a third movie is just the tip of the slime-covered iceberg.

“It’s beyond just another sequel, a prequel, another TV show. I'm thinking what does the whole brand mean to Sony?” Aykroyd told The Hollywood Reporter. “What does Pixar and Star Wars mean to Disney? What does Marvel mean to Fox?”

Of course, Aykroyd was either referencing Fox’s stranglehold on the X-Men franchise or he was confusing studios, but the message is clear: Ghostbusters is more than just movies. As we’ve seen with the interlocked Marvel Cinematic Universe branching out into ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., there’s definite room to tell stories not only across films, but across platforms as well.

“The whole vehicle of Ghostbusters has to be rebuilt,” Aykroyd said. “That’s the ambitious thinking that’s going on now. Taking on the model of Marvel where we take all of the elements that are in this movie and we put them out there as different ideas.”

For the full story, click here.

Iron Man, Wolverine, Mace Windu and James Bond Rumored for 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Patton Oswalt's Star Wars Filibuster is so close to being a real thing. Contactmusic.com reports that Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson and Daniel Craig will be appearing in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII. The kicker? They'll be under masks, apparently to avoid any contractual issues with other studios.

Another actor reportedly filming a secret cameo in the forthcoming Star Wars flick is Nick Frost, although Ed from Shaun of the Dead doesn't really fit next to the likes of 007 and Tony Stark in a headline. Still, it's cool to see so many of Hollywood's Star Wars fans getting a chance to roam around in George Lucas' galaxy far, far away.

As for Jackson's involvement, I'm hoping he reprises his role from the prequels, if only to justify my purchase of CyborgMaceWindu.com all those years ago. Who's laughing now, Internet?

Proof I Was Once an Athlete

(see full image)

Back from the Abyss

After being bombarded by my fair share of negativity recently, I elected to take a brief couple of days away from the digital world and spare all of you — myself included — from an acidic online rant that would only come back to hurt me in the end. But I’ve cooled off and I’m back on the Internet, for better or for worse.

Last weekend, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters with a theatrical release, and I went … twice. Not only did I enjoy the opportunity to watch one of my all-time favorite movies on the big screen, but I also gained a new appreciation for one of the best/worst extras in cinema history.

Get hyped for your Friday with a dude that’s trying desperately to upstage Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd in one of Ghostbusters’ most important scenes. Weekend, all right!