The Slug

"Veronica Mars" Does it Again

(AP Photo/HO/General Motors)

The Slug is in Chicago on our way to Florida, but we just had to take a sec during our layover to chat about our favoritest sleuth show since "Murder, She Wrote." Another huge "Veronica Mars" mystery came to a close last night. Did you guess the killer correctly? Turns out creepy-TA-with-bad-hair Tim not only murdered Dean O'Dell but also set up his beloved Professor Landry, who inadvertently killed the dean's wife! We can't say we saw all that coming (although many of you pegged him as the rapist).

Remember our original theory? We pinned the phony suicide on Karen, the pot-smoking den mother — and she hasn't even reprised her role. Boy, we were wrong. (But not as wrong as Logan. Parker?! What is he thinking?!) For the remander of this season, "Veronica Mars" will be moving away from multi-episode arcs and toward self-contained episodes. However, The Slug thinks there's one big mystery left: Will this excellent show be renewed for another season?

What's Inside the Black Box?

(AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

Sorry The Slug hasn't posted about a thing today! We've been far too busy working on some fabulous asap stories. (Don't worry your pretty little head off. We'll link to 'em as soon as we're done.) We were, however, able to make like "Veronica Mars" and spare a minute to open a mysterious package we received this afternoon. After we removed it from the FedEx packaging, that's what it looked like up there. Black. Velvety. Fancy. Curious. Click here if you want to see what's inside.

No Cure for This Oscar Hangover

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Slug knows that you know that last night was the 79th Annual Academy Awards. Sorry we didn't liveblog it for you. Actually, no, we're not sorry. Liveblogging is as painful as watching Joan Rivers mispronouncing the nominees' names on the red carpet. Instead, here are five things we're still talking about the morning after. What did you love and hate about this year's mammoth ceremony? Tell us at [email protected].

The Ellen DeGeneres show. Ellen, you know we love you, but we weren't gaga for your hosting job. As soon as you popped up on screen, you were gone. We wanted more of you. Your monologue? Ehhh. But that vacuuming bit? High-larious! Who invited Chris Connelly, anyway? That should've been you traipsing through backstage, not him.

iPhone commercial. At first we wondered, "Why are they doing yet another montage? And why is it just everyone saying hello?" That's a bizarre thing to pay tribute to at the Oscars and then — blam! — it's the first-ever iPhone commercial! You got us again, Apple. You got us again.

Clint Eastwood as translator. The actor-director-Dirty Harry couldn't read a TelePrompTered introduction for honorary Oscar winner Ennio Morricone ("I should have worn my glasses," he told the crowd), but he could apparently translate the Italian composer's acceptance speech. Made our night!

Leave Al Gore alone, Leo. What was the deal with Leonardo Dicaprio goading Al Gore to announce his run for presidency? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know it was in the script, merely a setup for the drowned-out-by-the-music punchline. It just left The Slug a little queasy. Guess we just don't like politics in our Oscars.   

Dance, dance revolution. That 12-member modern-dance troupe Pilobolus was a shapeshifting sorbet between Oscars' main courses. The way they formed that Oscar statuette and "The Devil Wears Prada" logo was so inventive and unexpected. Quite possibly our favoritest part of the show!

Surfing New York Comic Con

(AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)

Oscars schmascars. New York Comic Con is in full swing here in the Big Apple. The Slug stopped by the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to check out all the geekiness. Stan Lee was auditioning people for the second season of his "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" Sci-Fi channel reality show. Stephen Colbert was signing copies of his "Tek Jansen" comic book. And the Fantastic Four were showing off their video game based on their upcoming sequel, which will introduce the Silver Surfer on the big screen.

The Slug was privy to a special look at the Wii and Xbox 360 versions of the game, which featured  superpowered and superfun-looking combative co-op play of all four heroes. Our biggest prob? Although "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" is just in alpha — that's what comes before beta — the developers said it wasn't likely that players would actually be able to assume the role of the Silver Surfer. Boo. Hopefully, that's something Dr. Richards can add before the game is finished.

Favoritest Photo of the Week: Domino Effect

(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Time for our Favoriest Photo of the Week! If you're just now joining The Slug, every Friday we select an AP image from that week that stimulates our eyeballs more than any other. We love a good party, and there's probably none as colorful as carnival in Rio de Janeiro. We couldn't make it this year (or any other year), but this vibrant photo by AP photographer Jorge Saenz makes us feel like we did — or at least like we're giants playing a game of dominoes. We're not sure. The original subtítulo:

Dancers perform during 'Viradouro' samba school carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, early Monday, Feb. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Feeling Lukewarm for "Ghost Rider"

(AP Photo/HO/2K)

Well, we finally got around to playing that "Ghost Rider" game last night. However, The Slug didn't check out the movie last weekend. (But that's probably for the best.) As originally suspected, trotting around as Johnny Blaze in the PS2 game is basically the same as in "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" although there's some "God of War"-like moves thrown in for good measure. And the driving sequences are unfortunately terrible. Think: "Mario Kart" but with hellfire, brimstone and not as much fun. We have much higher expectations for another gothic comic book adaptation called "The Darkness," which we'll be checking out at New York Comic Con

What's Your Sign? And Yours? And Yours?

(AP Photo/HO/Paramount)

The Slug caught a preview screening of "Zodiac," that movie about a publicity whore serial killer who terrorized California in the late 1960s. It was good albeit unsettling because it's based on real events. Scaary. And although puppy-eyed Jake Gyllenhaal is billed as the star of" Zodiac," he seemingly shares the movie, which opens March 2, with everyone in Hollywood. To name a few:

Mark Ruffalo. Chloe Sevigny. Brian Cox. Anthony Edwards from "ER." Robert Downey Jr. Dermot Mulroney. Donal Logue from "Knights of Prosperity." Clea DuVall from "Heroes." Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit. (No, we're not kidding.) Even Pong — you know, the video game — makes a cameo. And if you're not familiar with the real-life Zodiac case, you'll probably suspect all of them as the killer in the film. Pong, we're lookin' at you.

We're Not Giving Up on "Lost"

(AP Photo/HO/ABC)

After last week's craptastic episode and last night's not-really-that-interesting reveal of what Jack's tattoo means, The Slug can say with certainty that next week's "Lost" is back to its old self. ABC sent The Slug a preview of the Hurleycentric episode. Whee. While it ain't an island shattering entry in "Lost" canon — darn you, previews, quit saying that every episode is! — there's plenty of humorous and human moments that will remind fans of the fantastic first season.

Just about everyone but Jack, Rose and Bernard make an appearance and have something to say during the episode, which reminds us a lil' bit of "Little Miss Sunshine." Rewatch the preview. You'll see what we mean. Speaking of the preview, since they mess with our minds and expectations, here's three things not to expect next week:

1.) Don't expect a raid on The Others. This next episode merely begins to lay that foundation. 2.) Don't expect Vincent to be an apparition. He's really still on the island. Guess Michael and Walt left him behind. 3.) Don't except to even see The Others. Sure, there was a quick flash of them in the preview, but they weren't in the episode The Slug witnessed.

Lamb Slaughtered on "Veronica Mars"

(AP Photo/HO/The CW)

Another February sweeps slaying happened last night on "Veronica Mars." When will the prime-time killing end?! Sarcastic dolt Sheriff Don Lamb was whacked in the head with a bat. That means Veronica's pops is the new sheriff in town. Well, not new. He was sheriff before Lamb. Sigh. The Slug is sad to see the curmudgeon go. While he was an unworthy adversary for the Mars clan — was he ever right about anything? — Lamb was at least fun to watch. The worst part? He was killed by guest star Richard Grieco.

Prepare for Glory (and Violence)

(AP Photo/Berlinale)

The Slug just caught a previewing screening of "300." Boy, this Frank Miller graphic novel adaption about King Leonidas and his 300 bodyguards is bloody, violent, nasty, gory and gorgeous! Do not let the hot menz in Spartan undies fool you. This movie contains lots of swordplay and spearplay, numerous decapitations (both in slow motion and regular motion) and evil animals including but not limited to elephants and rhinos. Over the top? Oh yeah.