According to Amusement Today the ride "Superman: Ride of Steel" of Six Flags New England will under go a "Re-invention" of sorts.

According to Amusement Today the ride "Superman: Ride of Steel" of Six Flags New England will under go a "Re-invention" of sorts.

Since its debut in 2000, "Superman: Ride of Steel" has electrified guests around the world.

In 2009, this incredible machine will be redesigned with imaginative special effects and newly renovated trains.

The transformation will be complete by Memorial Day.

"Six Flags is regarded as the undisputed leader in thrill ride innovation and at Six Flags New England we're taking that reputation to the next level," said Larry Litton, Park President. "The coaster that separates itself from all others will deliver an unprecedented ride experience."

Going above and beyond traditional steel coasters, this state-of-the-art invention will undergo a revolutionary makeover. The adventure will send riders up 20 stories while flying through fog banks, fire bursts and heart-pumping audio for three minutes and twenty two seconds of extreme thrills.

The re-launch of "Superman: Ride of Steel" will mark the start of another exciting season as Six Flags New England cements its position as the area's premier "daycation" destination. The park offers fun for every member of the family with world class shows, three children's areas — Wiggles World, Thomas Town and Looney Tunes Movie Town and New England's largest water park, Hurricane Harbor — FREE with park admission.

Brett Ratner talks about his one time involvement on the J.J. Abrams scripted Superman movie with MTV Spash Page writer Jennifer Vinyard!

Brett Ratner talks about his one time involvement on the J.J. Abrams scripted Superman movie with MTV Splash Page Page writer Jennifer Vinyard!

Here's what Ratner had to say on the storyline and casting plans:

"The original movie I was going to be a part of took place on Krypton for about half of the movie. So it was much more otherworldly, and much darker, because there was a civil war on Krypton. You'd get more of the history."

In regard to Alex Ross inked book "The Death of Superman" Ratner said, "That wasn’t just darker, but cooler, in my mind. That was what we were going to model the visuals after. When you have to translate it to a cinematic world, it’s a whole different animal, and he’s one of the best Superman artists I’ve ever seen."

If it’s as dark as Warner Bros. wants for their reboot of Superman, Ratner still has a shot at making it: "Maybe we can go back to it one day," he said.

"I definitely agreed with Bryan Singer that you need an unknown actor. I was going to surround Superman with known actors, but it's important to get an unknown. I love Tom Cruise, but to have someone like him who you see as Tom Cruise would be a mistake."

Superman on TV - September 13-19

I love the smell of new TV in the fall.

Headlining this week's listings is the season eight premiere of television's longest-running live action Superman-related television show - the CW's "Smallville". You'd have to be living in a box - or at a minimum not dutifully checking the Superman Homepage every day - not to know that Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang), and Laura Vandervoort (Kara Zor-El) are all not returning as "Smallville" regular cast members this season.

So far Kreuk and Vandervoort are both scheduled to guest star during the season.
There's been no word yet on whether Rosenbaum intends to appear on the show this year.

When we last left not-so-young-anymore Clark Kent, Lex had professed his love for Clark and set the entire Fortress of Solitude tumbling in upon the both of them. Chloe had been arrested by the Feds. Lana had finally for now left Clark again. And Supergirl was trapped in the Phantom Zone.

On this Thursday's "Odyssey", when all seems lost and too much for the Man from Krypton to handle, who ya gonna call? The Justice League.

New series regular Justin Hartley - continuing to play Oliver Queen a.k.a. The Green Arrow - recruits Aquaman and Black Canary to come to Clark's and Chloe's aid. Catch "Smallville" Thursday at 8 PM on the CW. In Chicago and the surrounding areas that get their CW from WGN, the "Smallville" premiere airs immediately following the baseball game so be sure to set your Tivos to record at 10:30 PM Central Time and record about an hour or so extra to ensure you get the whole episode in case the game runs long. WGN will also show an encore showing of "Odyssey" Sunday at Noon Central Time on the CW on WGN.

There's a potentially exciting block of programming on Boomerang this Saturday. Airing from 4 PM to 8 PM, it's "The Superman/Batman Adventures" - at least that's what Boomerang is calling it. Don't confuse it with the more recent 1990s block of "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series". This is a bit more special and vintage than that. But it isn't Superman.

Boomerang will be showing four consecutive hours of the 1968 animated Batman series from Filmation which aired as part of the "The Batman/Superman Hour" on CBS. Given how Boomerang uses the Filmation 'toons to fill in time after its other regular fare like "JLU" (which air with limited commercial interruption on Boomerang, thus the extra time), I would not be surprised if a Superman, Superboy, or Justice League of America Filmation 'toon showed up during the festivities.

Click "Read More" below to view Barry's complete "Superman on TV" article.

“Comics Now!” Magazine Celebrates 70 Years of Superman

Ape has published issue #3 of "Comics Now!" magazine, which features a salute to Superman's 70th anniversary year.

The issue features Superman Now!, a lengthy article on the history of the character by Adam Murdough and an article by Joe Sergi titled Man and Superman, about the history of the Superman/Superboy copyright lawsuits. The issue also features an original Superman cover by Ryan Stegman.

You can purchase "Comics Now! #3" online from TFAW.com or at your local comic shop.

Empire Online's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time

Empire magazine has undertaken the ambitious task of polling fans, critics, directors and producers to find out what are the 500 greatest movies of all time.

To mark this momentous list, the November 2008 issue of Empire magazine will be available in 100 different covers! Each cover will feature one of 100 of the 500 films in the greatest movies list.

Needless to say, "Superman: The Movie" is amongst the 100 covers available to purchase.

See all 100 covers at EmpireOnline.com.

New interview with Kristen Kreuk [Lana Lang], Sam Witwer [Davis Bloom/Doomsday], Erica Durance [Lois Lane] Aaron Ashmore [Jimmy Olsen]

Metro Newspaper columnist Andrew Williams recently conducted an interview with Kristen Kreuk on her work on "Smallville" as well as her blossuming movie career in such films as "Partition" and "Street Fighter: The Legend on Chin-Li". Here's an excerpt:

Metro: You shot the film "Partition" in India. Did you have a spiritual experience?

Kreuk: No. I only had two weeks off doing Smallville to shoot this film so I worked the whole time. I had one day off to go to see the Golden Temple.

I went back the following Christmas to travel properly. I went from Delhi through Kerala up to Mumbai. I love the people and the culture. I’m allergic to a lot of the food, though.

Metro: It feels like you’ve been on Smallville since time began. Aren’t you sick of it?

Kreuk: I’m only in five episodes in the new season. I finish up my storyline and I’ve moved on. I’ve been doing Smallville since I was 18 so it’s been my whole adult life.

Metro: Why did you want to leave?
Kreuk: I love the people and it’s a wonderful show to work on but I realised there were things I couldn’t do due to the schedule on Smallville. Lana has changed so much since the first season so she was always fun to play. I just wanted to try something else. It’s not that I was bored with the show.

Metro: You’re in the new Street Fighter film – how are your martial arts skills?

Kreuk: Pretty decent. I did karate, dance and gymnastics when I was growing up so I was good at the wire work for the fight scenes. I spent five weeks training with stunt coordinators. I don’t know if I could kick your a** if we met on the street but I’m decent at looking like I’m good at fighting.

Check out the complete interview at the Metro Newspaper website.

Starry Constellation Magazine writer Lisa Steinberg recently conducted an interview with Smallville Season 8 newcomer Sam Witwer on his role as Davis Bloom/Doomsday. Here's an excerpt:

Steinberg: What can you tell us is new this season on "Smallville" and about your character Davis?
Witwer: They have some really interesting, fun stuff planned. Davis Bloom is this Metropolis paramedic who is this really, really nice guy. He's a little bit moody because he's this perpetual outsider who was raised in the foster care system and was bounced from home to home. He's a really good guy and he can be a little bit moody and not terribly talkative at times but a very, very cool person. Chloe sort of recognizes that this is someone of her interest and they strike up a fast friendship. The problem is that Davis is having these blackouts and as they happen more and more frequently he becomes curious about what is happening during these blackout periods. He tries to figure out and unravel this mystery and what he finds out is really not so great. What's fun about that whole storyline is pretty much the how, it's not nearly as straight forward as that, we're going to be having a lot of fun with that. When I say fun, hopefully fun for the audience, not as much fun for the character Davis Bloom. What would it be like for you found out you were the exact opposite of everything you ever tried to be in life. Basically the fun, if you could use that word, is to create this character and as we get to know him slowly take him apart and drag him through the mud a little bit. Certainly the fun of it as an actor is the challenge. The word fun will enter into it as we get into the darker aspects which are psychologically draining as an actor. It's cool that we get to play both extremes with this character.

Steinberg: Davis does eventually become Doomsday, did you have any reservation about taking on such a well known comic book character?
Witwer: Yeah, some, comic book fans, Sci-Fi fans, these are people who have a very specific taste and then there are always the vocal ones that don't like what you do no matter what. I feel like I am prepared for that and I've done enough work in that entire arena to be prepared for whatever may come as a result. I'm here to do as I am told, I am here to do as good a job as I can and interpret as well as I can. Hopefully people like it, I'd love it if people liked it.

Check out the complete interview at the Starry Constellation Magazine website.

TVGuide.com recently conducted an interview with Erica Durance about the upcoming season of Smallville. Here's an excerpt from part one of the interview:

TVGuideFirst things first: How many episodes do we have you for this season?
Erica DuranceAll I know is I'm doing more than my 13, but they wont tell me how many yet.

TVGNow that we're doing Lois and Clark at the "Daily Planet," do you feel as if, more than ever, all eyes are on you?
EDI would go crazy if I felt deeply that way. I would go insane! But what I do feel, because we're moving more towards that mythos, is that I have a lot more to do in each episode.

I'm more involved, Lois is finding herself more, and she definitely is becoming that journalist that everyone loves.

She's brushing shoulders with Clark a lot, so we have a lot of fun interplay.

She'll go to investigate something, thinking that she's the one solving the problem, and meanwhile he's speeding around saving her a lot. It's quite funny.

TVGObviously it's a very important turn that the show is taking. Have you and Tom Welling sat down to discuss how you're going to approach it?

EDThe way it works, and it happened when I first came to the show, is you come together with your cast members and the producers and go over the flavor of what's happening with your story. And every year, I'm on the periphery but I grow a little bit. When this year came around and it became clear where they wanted to take things, yeah, it was discussed. We take it very seriously, to make sure that we're doing it justice and making these characters lovable. The big flag I'm waving all the time is to make sure that Lois is intelligent and fun and lovable so that the audience will like the fact that Clark likes her, instead of going...

TVGAt the "Daily Planet," will we see Lois and Clark more as partners or as rivals?

EDYou get a little bit of both. That's what's been fun about the relationship, these moments where they're going head-to-head and then pull together when they have to, when the stakes are really high. Those moments where one of them goes, "You know what, you did do a good job." And the writers have been really good this year dropping little bombs of, "Oh my god, do they really love each other? Does she really love him?" There's a lot of that.

TVGOK... What about talk that Clark will offer Lois a place to stay at the Kent farm?

EDYes. Yes, he does offer her a place to stay, and she's avoiding the issue right now. There's a lot of things that happen in the scenes I'm doing where you definitely see that she is in love with Clark. She's doesn't want him to know, but she does realize her real feelings for him. She just doesn't know what to do with them. And they're going to build on that. But we're only on Episode 5, so I don't know what's in the great future.

Check out the complete interview at TVGuide.com and check in next week for part two of TVGuide's interview with Erica Durance.

IGN.com recently visited the set of Smallville and sat down with Aaron Ashmore to find out where Jimmy Olsen figures into the story this year. Here's an excerpt:

IGN: Two years ago, you were the new guy. Now, do you find yourself giving the newest cast members, like Sam Witwer ["Davis Bloome"] and Cassidy Freeman ["Tess Mercer"] info if they have questions?
Aaron Ashmore: Yeah, kind of, but Allison [Mack] said something to me the other day. She was talking about something [from an earlier season] and I said, "Oh, I wasn't here." She's just like, "…Oh yeah! You've only been around for a couple of years!" It's that thing where it all melds together and I don't feel like I can lead everyone around and be like, "So look, this is how this works!" It's not so much that, but it's cool to have new people come in and it's great energy. It's fun to have new people to play with, so it's cool.

IGN: Last we saw, you'd just proposed and then your possible fiancé was dragged away in front of you for some big legal issues. So that begs two questions – what's going on with a potential marriage and also what's going on with Chloe's legal woes?
AA: Well, it's amazing how legal situations, if you have an in, you can just get somebody to sneak you out of that. So, that plays out how it's going to – it's a plot point and I don't want to give anything away too much. But the marriage thing, yeah, we're going towards a marriage, which is very exciting and kind of fun, because I'm 28 years old and nowhere near ready to get married and not in that position at all. So it's kind of interesting to just be going through this stuff. Like, they're having an engagement party and all these kind of things that lead up to a marriage. So it's actually kind of an interesting spot to be at. But there are some kinks along the road, so we'll see. I'm still curious, are we gonna get to the marriage? There's bound to be some things that are gonna pop up and stuff, so I'm curious to see how it plays out myself.

IGN: Can you talk a bit about some of the episodes and storylines you're involved with as we begin Season 8?
AA: Well, a lot of it is revolving around the marriage and that idea of the lead up to that. There's a great episode called "Committed" and I don't want to give too much away, but basically Chloe and Jimmy get kidnapped by this psychopath and locked in a basement. He hooks them up to these electric chairs and he basically is so obsessed with truth and commitment and faith to the other person that you're going to settle down with for the rest of your life. He sets up this test where if you're lying, he's going to kill you. So the way to get out of this is to be truthful and not be lying. Don't have secrets; not cheating. So there's this amazing set up as to are they right for each other? Can they end up together? The secrets that they both have, is that going to destroy them? That to me is a great episode.

There's a little bit of development with going after stories. Davis Bloome helps Jimmy out on a ride along in an ambulance, trying to track down this killer that's totally demolishing Metropolis. It's kind of cool how they can incorporate things and everybody kind of bumps into each other and helps each other out.

Check out the complete interview at IGN.com.

BRENDAN FRASER ON J.J. ABRAMS' "SUPERMAN"

While speaking to actor Brendan Fraser about Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Voices From Krypton editor Edward Gross had the opportunity to speak to actor Brendan Fraser about both films.

Additionally, the conversation veered to the J.J. Abrams screenplay for "Superman," for which Fraser was offered the title role.

What follows are his reflections of that experience.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO INTERVIEW

Vote for Tom Welling in www.supermanhomepage.com's new poll !!!!

Slow news day today, and this week really! But funny there has been a few of these "Who should be Superman" polls hitting the net recently, and I found another one.

This one right under our noses at SupermanHomePage Right now unfortunatly Routh is winning so far with Tom in nº2. Let's turn this around and get Tom the nº1 spot !

Another "Who should be the next big screen SUPERMAN poll"

Not shocked to see Tom Welling lead this poll! Yet another "Who should be the next big screen SUPERMAN poll" where the SMALLVILLE star leads in votes. I think it's time that the good folks at the WB Took their heads out of their collective asses, and saw what the fans want to see, and made it happen!

They want a SUPERMAN movie that will make tons of cash?

Well guess what WB THIS IS THE WAY THIS WILL HAPPEN!!
End SMALLVILLE After season 8, and start production of a big screen movie with Tom Welling as Clark Kent/SUPERMAN.

He is this generations face for the role, and that's clear as day!

The fans are telling you.. NO They are screaming it at you with each poll he leads on. It's clear to everyone I don't know why it hasn't become clear to who ever casts these movies.

Now SUPERMAN RETURNS would have sucked regardless of the actor because Singer is a hack, and he can make a movie look pretty but he can't tell a good story to save his life, and that's always been his problem.
He did a nice enough job on Usual Suspects but he has lost his way with EVERYTHING since, and I knew he was barking up the wrong tree when he chose Brandon Routh over he fan favorite Tom Welling.
But what made it worse was the story he told! SUPERMAN leaving earth for 5 years to find his home planet that blew up thousands of years before? Leaving his loved one's, and going on that mission because some scientist said they think they found Krypton?

That's beyond stupid! Not only that he made a round trip in 5 years!!!

That goes against the origin from the comics, and movies because SUPERMAN made the trip in 5 years the first time as a baby at light speed to earth! That's how Thousands of years had passed since the planet had blown up! So he now makes a round trip in 5 years, and he gets back, and only 5 years have passed? COME ON DUDE!!! Who ever wrote the movie doesn't know basic Einsteins law's of psychics, and how space travel works at light speed, and hasn't really paid attention to detail when watching SUPERMAN the movie!

Bryan Singer can make a movie look pretty with all 300million the WB gave him but he can't direct real drama or action! That's why the movie was lacking both, and only had a strange gay overtone which Singer also injected into his X-MEN movies, and that's sad because Brandon really isn't at fault here.

He was just an actor doing a job but he was all wrong for the part, and the director was wrong for the job, and he screwed the entire thing up.

Brandon's career will be seen as the George Lazenby of the Superman movie franchise. I wish him the best in his career but he was just wrong as SUPERMAN, and now the WB has finally seen that once the movie came out, and people didn't care for him as SUPERMAN, and now I hope they open their eyes enough to NOT have Singer come back, and they get the right director, and the right script writers, and they get people who KNOW SUPERMAN, and I don't mean the Donner SUPERMAN! I mean the COMIC book SUPERMAN. They should then bring on this generations face to the character, and that's TOM WELLING. Case closed he is this generations SUPERMAN like it or not.

Anyway check out the page here, and go vote away!

Mark Millar's Proposed Superman Trilogy

Mark Millar (Wanted) talked to G4 about his proposed Superman movie project which has a mysterious American director attached. They pitched the idea to Warner Bros. Pictures and hope to get word over the next few weeks. If the studio decides to go with their version, they'd like to be shooting by next summer:

"I've had this plan for like 10 years for a big three-picture Superman thing, like a Lord of the Rings epic, starting over from scratch again with a seven-hour Superman story. One to be released each year." Millar said.

You can watch the video interview using the player below!