Spiderman

Last season, Emma Stone hosted 'SNL' for the first time, a show that would introduce us to "Sex" Ed Vincent and "Les Jeunes de Paris." For Stone's return visit, "Les Jeunes de Paris" was back for a third time (sadly, "Sex" Ed still isn't back) – in fact, for whatever reason, of the first eight sketches of the night (including the two Update segments), only the Digital Short wasn't a recurring sketch. Even the Spider-Man monologue was a recurring sketch! Regardless, it doesn't matter -- Stone has now proven twice that she's a terrific host. But, after four subpar shows in a row to start the season, could Stone keep the momentum going that started with Charlie Day's show last week? On to the Scorecard!

This morning on 'Good Morning America' (weekdays, 7AM on ABC), Bono and the Edge were presented with a New York Times review of 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' that said "it may rank amongst the worst musicals ever made." Considering Bono and the Edge wrote the music for the show, that had to sting a little. But surprisingly, Bono said he and his U2 bandmate don't necessarily disagree.

Julie Taymor, who directed the Broadway adaptation of 'The Lion King,' left the project and it has been rewritten and re-launched in previews. "Julie would not accept this, but she got very close to it," said Bono. "So close perhaps that she couldn't see it. And we were going at it and coming back, and we could see very clearly what we thought were the problems."

Bono said the characters and plot are better drawn in the new version, and they've fixed a lot of "obvious stuff." The most obvious hopefully would be the rigs that lift the actors and other safety hazards that have plagued the show and made it an easy punch line.

R&B star Usher has an excellent sense of style. But when he appeared on the latest episode of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' (weekdays, syndicated), the singer got some new fashion tips from an unlikely source.

DeGeneres first inquired about Usher's tattoos, suggesting a new addition to the singer's body-ink: "Maybe you want my face on you somewhere?" "...Ooh," said Usher. "As a tattoo!" DeGeneres clarified.

Watch the video after the jump.

The folks at our sister site Cinematical are working hard to give you news and reviews of the best -- and worst -- the silver screen has to offer. Here are some of their musings on the latest blockbusters, indies, and everything in between:

• I love this: Cinematical Seven names the Best Mayhem of 2009. Happy Holidays!
• I'm so confused. I've seen trailers and extended previews for Avatar, and they all look kind of horrendous. Yet everyone who's seen it seems to think it's amazing-- to the tune of $27 million on Friday alone. Is this honestly that good?
• Call me crazy, but I'm not in love with the Spider Man franchise. The Batman franchise, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. Cinematical lists the best Comic Book Flicks of the Decade.
• The highest-grossing female star of the decade is younger than you, so what the hell have you been doing for the past ten years?
• If everyone was jailed for not returning movies on time, then my baby would grow up without a mother. Here's hoping that this Iowa woman doesn't have kids.

Marvel Comic's website is now offering a look at Spider-Man not seen by many on this side of the Pacific, with a Japanese television show from the 1970s.

Taking an American superhero and blending him with the traditional motifs of Japanese children's TV produces a bizarre mix -- like tossing a hot dog and sushi in a blender set to frappe.

Rather than take on the Green Goblin or Electro, The Land of the Rising Sun's version of Peter Parker defends precocious Japanese kids from guys in rubber suits, ala Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Director Sam Raimi, the man who created such gut-wrenching horrors as The Evil Dead trilogy and Spider Man 3, takes his talent for disemboweling innocent people and chopping off limbs with a dull ax to television ... for a reality show?!?

13 - Fear is Real premieres tonight January 7 on The CW at 8 p.m. eastern. It puts 13 innocent (not really) people in the middle of a fake horror movie, and the last one standing on their bloody stumps takes home the grand prize.

The reality show aims to do for horror movies what Next Action Star did for action movies - rip them off and turn them into another schlock reality show that requires little to no creative ideas or thought.

This must be my week for nostalgia. First, I learned all about what the cast of Saved by the Bell has been up to for the last 20 years. Now, the news that The Electric Company is coming back to TV has pushed my nostalgia button once again.

As a kid, I was such a fan of The Electric Company that when my husband and three year old started singing the Spider-Man theme song, I thought they were wrong. I didn't understand where the lyrics, "Where are you coming from, Spider-Man? Nobody knows who you are," were in their version of the theme. I was set straight! I guess I can accept that Spider-Man theme situation, but to me, Morgan Freeman will always be Easy Reader.

I'm not a fan of most "big" movies. You know, those movies with a ton of special effects, babes and explosions but very little plot? However, that doesn't mean decent "big" movies don't exist, and I think the Spider-Man films are a good example. Also, nobody brings a comic book to life better than Sam Raimi (perhaps some of my comic book-loving readers will disagree, though).

Anyway, I mention Spidey on this TV blog because FX has garnered the rights to broadcast Spider-Man 3 in 2009. How much FX ends up paying for the movie depends on how much money the movie itself brings in. As of this writing, the movie has brought in $161,401,784. The deal between Sony and FX could also allow Sony to sell the film to other broadcast networks.

Just out of curiosity, who saw Spider-Man 3 and what did you think of it? I liked it quite a bit, though I think it's probably the least of the series so far: a little too much story for one movie, but it did maintain that "old comic book" feel I love so much. I have a lot more to say about it, but I'll turn it over to you guys in the comments. Opine.

"Loan Wolf": Paul Wolfowitz is in a spot of trouble at the World Bank. Resident Expert John Hodgman, sporting yet another snazzy tie, stopped by for the first time. I don't like seeing Hodgman on television anymore, because each appearance teases me and reminds me that his new book isn't coming out any time soon. Obviously, I am often reminded.

Here are AOL Television's top picks of the week.

How I Met Your Mother (Mon., 8PM ET, CBS)
Come on down! The phenomenon known as May Sweeps is upon us, and that means explosive finales and guest stars galore. CBS will be commemorating Bob Barker's retirement from The Price Is Right later this month, so it's no surprise to see him also pop up on Mother. Barney, who believes Barker is his dad, travels to L.A. to get on the show and reveal himself. Showcase Showdown, indeed.

Veronica Mars (Tue., 9PM ET, The CW)
For those new to Mars, it's NOT too late to start watching. The show hasn't been cancelled yet and the final five episodes all feature standalone mysteries. For longtime fans, we'll take what we can get, right? Our favorite college detective takes on the case of an Arab couple whose restaurant is being vandalized with slurs. Daddy Sheriff, meanwhile, cracks down on underage IDs -- including ones distributed by his dear daughter.

I've had a weird little crush on Steve Carell ever since his correspondent days on The Daily Show, but no one -- apart from a few fellow TDS fans -- has really agreed with my awkward attraction until now.

A few nights ago, Justin Timberlake hosted Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, which is an annual brightly-colored celebration of slime and burping and all things immature. As Tobey MacGuire and Steve Carell stepped up to present the award for Favorite Animated Movie, there was a collective gasp heard from anyone older than 14 in Nickelodeon-watching households... "The 40 Year-Old Virgin could totally beat up Spiderman". Look at these pictures! Someone has obviously been working out. Carell looks like he could pound in MacGuire's nerdy little face and take his lunch money. Of course, this strange shift in the public consensus on "hotness" was so sudden that it knocked the Earth off its axis and we are currently spiraling into the sun.

Being a comic book fan sets you up for a lot of disappointment. For one thing, there seems to be a pretty direct ratio between the number of Atlantis Attacks crossover books you own and the age at which you lose your virginity (ahem19ahem). For another, our only portrayal in the media seems to be Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons and he is as insulting as he is completely and utterly dead-on.

The worst disappointment, though, is whenever some studio exec decides to "adapt" one of our mylar-enshrined treasures into some big or small screen entertainment. It seems that for every good decision made, there are ten disasters of the "nipples on the bat-suit" variety.

In recent years, movies have faired better than TV when it comes to adaptations, but there are a few gems to be had. The Five best comic book-to TV adaptations after the jump...

Remember the old Spider-Man cartoon? Not the one from the 90s, the one from the 60s that was all groovy and had those confusing shots of Spidey shooting his web straight into the sky, and you wondered what the hell he was hanging on and swinging from. Airplanes? A blimp? Giant birds? It didn't make any sense, but the theme song was cool:

In his satin tights
Fighting for your rights
And the old red, white, and bluuuuuuuuuuuue!

Oh, wait, that was Wonder Woman.

If you've got eight spare minutes and don't mind seeing cartoon nudity and hearing animated flatulence at work, then take a look at this video: someone has compiled what he or she thinks is Family Guy's ten funniest moments and clipped them together. It's kind of odd how some of the selections are maybe 15 seconds long, while others -- especially a clip featuring Quagmire -- seem to go on forever. But I think that's the nature of Family Guy: just when you think a gag should end, Seth MacFarlane purposely extends it to the point where it becomes funny again.

Anyway, I don't agree with all of this person's choices, but it's not a bad way to spend eight minutes. The video is after the jump.

Yes, the headline would usually include the "at (age)," but I can't find anything that says what his age was. Nothing on the IMDB, and nothing on his site either.

You would recognize Jay's voice as much as his face, as he voiced an incredible number of cartoons over the years, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Reboot, Spiderman, Teen Titans, Superman, The Mighty Ducks, Gargoyles, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as a massive number of videogames: World of Warcraft, X-Men Legends, Lionhearts, various Star Trek games, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and just about every other video game ever made that used a voice. But he had live action roles in TV and movies too, including Lois and Clark, Newhart, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Mr. Belvedere, Twin Peaks, Beauty and the Beast, Eerie, Indiana, Matlock, Murphy Brown, Picket Fences, and The Golden Girls. He was also a Royal Shakespeare Company actor and a singer.

He died earlier this week after surgery for removal of a non-cancerous growth on his lungs.