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Sep. 7th, 2005 11:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerWas it too much for me to expect the name Lex Luthor to be common knowledge?
I mean, I just assume that the vast, vast, VAST majority of people I'll meet in my normal-world travels wouldn't know most things about superhero comics. Which is one of the reasons why I never talk about comics with someone who doesn't read them; I'm rather sick of the "I have no idea what you're talking about" look I get. My college roommate of two years was actually surprised to realize that I hadn't even mentioned the Green Lantern around him. At WAC, with the exception of a select handful of people like Dave and even Clancy, people couldn't tell the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet (why do so many people get that one confused? Green Hornet was hardly a presence even when he was a TV show, for fuck's sake!)
But when someone doesn't know who Lex Luthor is, as was the case not too very long ago, I get kind of exasperated.
Superman as transcended being a "comic book character," and so much of him has achieved iconic status. "Clark Kent" is synonymous with the face we put on for others, hiding our real selves. "Kryptonite" with our personal weakness, with that which more than anything else can bring us to our knees in an instant. "Krypton" with the home to which he can never return. "Lex Luthor" with our greatest enemy, bald or not. Superman has transcended pop storytelling and achieved what all superheroes theoretically should and do to some extent: modern mythology.
Then again, I've known people who didn't know who "John, Paul, George, and Ringo" were. Things like this inch me ever so much closer to the Dark Side of becoming the Comic Book Guy. Fat, bitter, lonely, and sarcastic. ... well, at least I'm not fat. Anymore. Yet.
Well, we've got a new Superman movie out. I am hesitant, based on some of the odder creative decisions behind it (the costume needs brighter reds and a bigger S symbol to work, it really, really does), but the one thing that absolutely, totally works for me is the casting of Kevin Spacey. And now they've released the first promo image of him as Lex.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is Lex motherfucking Luthor.
I mean, I just assume that the vast, vast, VAST majority of people I'll meet in my normal-world travels wouldn't know most things about superhero comics. Which is one of the reasons why I never talk about comics with someone who doesn't read them; I'm rather sick of the "I have no idea what you're talking about" look I get. My college roommate of two years was actually surprised to realize that I hadn't even mentioned the Green Lantern around him. At WAC, with the exception of a select handful of people like Dave and even Clancy, people couldn't tell the difference between Green Lantern and Green Hornet (why do so many people get that one confused? Green Hornet was hardly a presence even when he was a TV show, for fuck's sake!)
But when someone doesn't know who Lex Luthor is, as was the case not too very long ago, I get kind of exasperated.
Superman as transcended being a "comic book character," and so much of him has achieved iconic status. "Clark Kent" is synonymous with the face we put on for others, hiding our real selves. "Kryptonite" with our personal weakness, with that which more than anything else can bring us to our knees in an instant. "Krypton" with the home to which he can never return. "Lex Luthor" with our greatest enemy, bald or not. Superman has transcended pop storytelling and achieved what all superheroes theoretically should and do to some extent: modern mythology.
Then again, I've known people who didn't know who "John, Paul, George, and Ringo" were. Things like this inch me ever so much closer to the Dark Side of becoming the Comic Book Guy. Fat, bitter, lonely, and sarcastic. ... well, at least I'm not fat. Anymore. Yet.
Well, we've got a new Superman movie out. I am hesitant, based on some of the odder creative decisions behind it (the costume needs brighter reds and a bigger S symbol to work, it really, really does), but the one thing that absolutely, totally works for me is the casting of Kevin Spacey. And now they've released the first promo image of him as Lex.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is Lex motherfucking Luthor.
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Date: 2005-09-07 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 05:29 pm (UTC)Kinda a rare name, unless you're from Cincinnati. Then it's a very awkward conversation starter.
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Date: 2005-09-07 05:32 pm (UTC)They're pretty good from the, like, three songs I've heard so far.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 06:16 pm (UTC)Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 06:41 pm (UTC)I too am ambivalent about the new Supes movie. I wept for Christopher Reeve, but I was totally happy when they announced that they were finally going to make another movie because I LOVE Superman. Through the highs and lows of casting/directing/writing rumors (Nicholas Cage(ugggh)/Tim Burton (huh?)Kevin Smith(Yay)) I stayed hopeful that somehow it would all work for the good. I bounced around for days at the final casting of the man himself, (Go Brandon we sure do grow 'em corn-fed and cute in Des Moines). I was all kinds of happy until I saw who was playing Lois. I mean what the ish, they couldn't find a decent brunette in all Hollywood? Like Kate Bosworth has any strong celebrity pull. I finally came to blame Mr. Spacey, who probably devoloped a fixation on her in Beyond the Sea and insisted she have the part of Lois if he was going to be Lex.
So his casting as Lex is bittersweet.
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Date: 2005-09-07 07:13 pm (UTC)*sigh* So who has replaced Hugh Laurie?
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Date: 2005-09-07 07:24 pm (UTC)Hugh is really sad that he couldn't do the movie. Frank Langella will be playing Perry, and is arguably more appropriate for the role. But neither one is exactly the loudmouth blowhard that Perry is. 'Course, that's why they're "actors", innit?
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Date: 2005-09-07 07:41 pm (UTC)*head explodes*
I have certain...objections...to that movie.
Hugh would've been genius, but I'll probably see the movie anyways.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-07 08:14 pm (UTC)Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 08:16 pm (UTC)Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 10:21 pm (UTC)Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 10:32 pm (UTC)And may I say that I really don't appreciate the tone of your response.
Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 10:47 pm (UTC)Geez. Touchy...
What tone could you have inferred from those two sentences? I was just asking you to consider it because I interpreted you're remark incorrectly.
Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 11:00 pm (UTC)Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-07 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-08 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-08 01:50 am (UTC)To quote Ned Beatty: "Oh, Mr. LuTHOR."
Btw, Hugh Jackman has now replaced Colin Firth in Good. You probably know that already, but still...
OMG BUT LUCIUS MALFOY IS STILL THERE!!! *SQUEEEEEEE*
Re: Warning work-boredom fueled long-ass comment....
Date: 2005-09-08 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-08 07:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-09 02:57 am (UTC)