LEGEND OF ZELDA: The Musical

April 18, 2012, 9:00 am

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Screw you GLEE, Link can beat you with nothing more than his ocarina and a pair of his short pants.

Perhaps that was a bit harsh but seriously, I really hate GLEE.

God I hate GLEE.

Source: Geeks are Sexy

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VINCE VAUGHN Will Star In THE ROCKFORD FILES Remake

April 18, 2012, 9:30 am

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The Rockford Files went of the air in 1980, but Universal is bringing it back, this time to the big screen with Vince Vaughn set to play the lead role.

According to Deadline, David Levien and Brian Koppelman will be writing the film adaptation of the series that started in 1974 on NBC. James Garner stared in the original as the private eye pardoned after spending some time in San Quentin. Vaughn will also be producing along with Victoria Vaughn for their banner Wild West Picture Show Productions.





The original Rockford was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell and saw the star living out of mobile home and talking his way out of trouble. The character wasn't dressed immaculately and wasn't as action set as the other similarly styled shows that were also airing around the same time.

NBC has been trying to restart the TV series but stopped going down that road after it was decided a film version would be done. It's still possible that a TV version will be coming soon if the film does well at the box office.

Vaughn has a few other project lined up including The Internship with Owen Wilson and Neighborhood Watch with Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill. He will also be doing Lay The Favorite with Stephen Frears directing that project.

You can watch the credits from the original series right here if you so desire.

Smallville: Random, Awesome and WTF?! - S4E21: Forever

April 18, 2012, 10:00 am

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A Smallville High student loved the everyday dangers and death threats of school so much he decided to create a real life diorama to preserve it.

And he chose Lana among others as part of his project.


Apparently he didn’t think about what Lana and forever would mean…

The Random:
1. When you’d rather spend the rest of your life in a facsimile of the school that’s seen more deaths on a regular basis than a nation at war, damn, is your life scewed.

2. Clark gets hot chicks to ask him to sign their yearbooks and it makes you realize yet again how much action he could have been getting had he not been obsessed with Lana.

3. Maybe Brendan would have had more success getting into college if he hadn’t spent so much time blackmailing his father into building this crazy place for him.

“How can I focus on something silly like college when I can build a brand new high school and break countless laws?”

The Awesome:
1. This episode scores points for the all around creepiness, both for the bizarre school simulacrum and Brendan’s ability to freeze people into living wax figurines—that shatter upon impact.

2. The mother and son Teague team kidnap the Luthors, unaware that Lionel gave Lana, of all people, the Kryptonian element, and Hostel like hijinx ensue.

3. Lionel kills Jason just as he’s about to reveal to Lex that Clark is connected to the Kryptonian artifacts. Lionel, Lionel, Lionel. Just whose side are you on…

Oh, Dr. Quinn, you whacky little minx.

The WTF?!:
1. Graduation is only a few days away and several students are obviously missing and yet things continue without missing a beat. I guess the school officials figure, “Eh, what’s a few more missing kids. It happens all the time.”

2. Seriously, how in the hell is there no psychologist on staff for this school, or team of them at least. That half these kids are a rejection away from becoming violent sociopaths should have been enough to warrant some sort of attention, you’d think.

3. It doesn’t really appear that Clark tried to even bother contacting the authorities about all the missing students no one else seems to care about, choosing instead to launch a rescue mission with Lois because, really, what were the cops going to do anyway?

Smallville High casualty #782.

DRIVE Director NICOLAS WINDING REFN To Produce MANIAC COP

April 18, 2012, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Anime For Virgins

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Once upon a time, there was a movie called Maniac Cop, not many people knew about it, except for a cult following that's pretty big in Asia. When Director Nicolas Winding Refn signs on to produce the new film, the bigger budget will hopefully move the name forward.

In an interview with Daily Grindhouse, William Lustig and Larry Cohen talked a little about the fourth movie in the series and said that Winding Refn has a few ideas for the upcoming project about the psycho with a badge.


The new film is going to be a prequel type story Refn will produce along with Lustig to create a movie that will "maintain the noir-ish comic book feel of the first three films, but with a bigger budget than the others."

There still isn't a director for the film, and even though the project is completely greenlighted yet, it is mostly a done deal. According to DG there are three options for the franchise and the fourth movie.

Option 1: These films have inspired a huge cult-following that is even bigger in Asia than it is here. With such a huge foot-print it’s not going to be difficult to find an exciting director to pick this up… which of course leads us to option 2.

Option 2: Nicolas Winding Refn! After using a little clip from Lustig’s VIGILANTE in DRIVE, it would be cool as hell to see this guy jump behind the wheel and direct this bad boy himself.

Option 3: Nobody knows this series better than Larry Cohen and William Lustig. Lustig hasn’t directed since 1996, Cohen hasn’t been behind the camera since 2006, it would be great to see one of those guys get back into the game. Personally, I think Cohen is more comfortable with a pen these days, but I would be surprised if Lustig hasn’t kicked around the idea of doing this himself.

Anime For Virgins

April 18, 2012, 11:00 am

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Imagine that you, an anime fan, have a friend who you’ve been expounding passionately to about your hobby for the past few weeks/months/years.

They finally cave and ask you borrow a title or two from your DVD collection.

But discounting that time they were catching Sailor Moon or Samurai Pizza Cats in the mornings before school, they’ve never really sat down to watch an anime before. They ask you for your recommendation – what do you give them?

This has happened to me several times now, and if you’ve been into anime yourself for a while, chances are it’s probably happened to you as well.

Imagine my horror when I heard that an acquaintance of mine had given Azumanga Daioh and Angel Beats to one of her friends for their first anime viewing. Said friend had settled down in the evening after work, popped in some DVDs, and promptly been scared away from anime for the next foreseeable while.

While both of these titles are perfectly fine – in fact, I’d happily pop them on my top 20 list – they’re definitely not what I would give someone as an introduction to the medium.

In part, this is because they’re a little genre-specific; I wouldn’t recommend either of these to someone who’d been watching anime for decades if they didn’t enjoy slice-of-life comedy or moe-style characters, for instance. More importantly though, it’s pretty difficult to get into anime as a whole when the first examples you’re given are full of unfamiliar visual cues, alien tropes of storytelling, and references to a foreign pop culture.

For this article, I’d like to talk a bit about the two titles you should be handing out to your friends.

And while they’re probably old hat for the fans, they’re perfect for anyone just starting out. Moreover, they have something in them for everyone regardless of their primary genres, they’re aging well, and they’re some of the most stylish anime I’ve seen to date.

I’m talking, of course, about Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop, both directed by the legendary Watanabe Shinichirō.



The first is about young woman named Fuu who inadvertently ends up meeting a wandering vagabond called Mugen and a masterless samurai, Jin. She convinces both men to accompany her on a search for a “samurai who smells of sunflowers”, and the anime follows their journeys across Edo period Japan. You’d think that a period title incorporating hip-hop music and culture into the story at nearly every turn would be off-putting, to say the least, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The second anime is a space western in which cowboys roam the galaxy – bounty hunters who live day-to-day by catching fugitives and handing them over to the police for often large sums of cash. The tale focuses on one such crew, made up of the easygoing Spike, a former cop named Jet, an aggressively sexual woman called Faye, a teenage hacker calling herself Edward, and their pet Welsh Corgi. Like Samurai Champloo, the music and counterculture, this time primarily jazz, is an integral part of the show’s artistry.

I won’t give anything else about these two titles away. If you haven’t seen them already, you should. Don’t look them up on Wikipedia first – the most important thing about both of these anime is the journey of the characters themselves, which takes precedent over plot. Here are five good reasons as to why they make for an excellent first anime:

1. They’re both 26 episodes long.
26 is a good number for an anime, and a standard of the medium. A shorter series (usually about 13 episodes) can be very fast-paced, and anything longer (shounen anime in particular are often in excess of 50) tend to drag. For someone new to anime, it’s important that a series is long enough to tell a decent and well fleshed-out story, but not so long that the viewer gets impatient or fidgety. My yardstick for this is that if I start to want to check my emails halfway through an episode, there’s something wrong with the pacing – which typically traces back to the number of episodes.

2. They're both episodic.
The good thing about a well-done episodic series is that you can make the anime match your preferred pace, not the other way around. If you personally like to marathon a show, Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo can accommodate. If you prefer to take things slow and watch an episode or two per week or even month, that’s also very do-able. While there is an overarching plot for both of these anime titles, that story builds up gradually over time, and most episodes can be thought of as small self-contained stories in their own right.

3. The overarching stories are easy to follow.
By no means is either Samurai Champloo or Cowboy Bebop unintelligent. On the contrary, I still find them thought-provoking after a dozen re-watches. But you won’t find any overly complex plot lines to follow, nor any witty rapid-pace dialogue. Best of all, there are no characters who are secretly bad guys but then suddenly switch sides before you discover that they’re actually another character’s long-lost sister’s wife’s cousin. There’s an excellent story to be told here, but it’s told succinctly and without undue fuss.

4. The artwork and animation is pretty top notch.
It’s not necessarily the most important thing about any given anime, but if I’m about to introduce someone I care about to the medium then I want them to be impressed – particularly if they’re expecting the more conventional large-eyed characters with gravity-defying hair. While the characters Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo don’t look like real people, you won’t find any chibi designs or people with bug eyes running around here. The animation is relatively smooth as well, and easy on the eyes. Cowboy Bebop in particular has aged very nicely.




5. The voice acting is excellent in both languages.
While I do like to encourage people to view anime in its original language if they’re okay with subtitles (romance/drama shows especially can be notoriously bad when they’re dubbed), Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop are not only serviceable in English but are downright awesome. The voice actors obviously have a good grasp of their respective characters, there’s no blindingly obvious lip flapping, and not having to read subtitles means having that much more attention to spare to give the visuals and overall narrative.

Personally speaking, I think Samurai Champloo has a slight edge over Cowboy Bebop in terms of anime for newcomers, in that it has a bit more of a contemporary feel and perhaps isn’t quite as dramatic as the latter. That said, Cowboy Bebop just keeps getting better every time I watch it, so that’s more likely to be considered the more ‘classic’ of the pair. In any case, both shows mix comedy, drama and action incredibly well, and provide some fabulous groundwork for anyone just getting into anime. My key advice to anyone watching either of these for the first time is simply this: don’t over-think things. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and enjoy the ride.




For those of you looking out for some other beginner-friendly anime, I recommend the following: Eden of the East, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Read or Die, Death Note, and Wolf’s Rain.

DANNY MCBRIDE Is One Of The BULLIES

April 18, 2012, 11:30 am

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I've always thought that Danny McBride was a nice guy, but apparently he's a Bully. Or at least he will be in Bullies. 

Trackingboard reports that McBride will have a supporting role in the upcoming project which he will be producing through his Rough House Banner. The movie is about two bully brothers that find out the meaning of karma when they are soon terrorized by McBride's Colombian drug lord character Demario Gutierrez.

McBride could be acting alongside Jason Sudeikis and Alexander Skarsgard if they take the offers for the lead roles of the brothers. While Sudeikis is known for his comedy roles, Skarsgard would be making a pretty dramatic change from his most well known part on True Blood.

The Comic Drawer - LUTHOR

April 18, 2012, 12:00 pm

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That poor Lex Luthor.

Hm, what’s that?  Such a statement sounds strange about a man who has done so much evil against the shining beacon of good that is Superman?


Well, suppose we saw things from Lex Luthor’s point of view.

Pretend that when you saw the red and blue blur go by you didn’t see a man with powers flying around saving the day, you saw a dangerous alien who could crush us all with little effort, posing as a “good guy.”

Any time that so-called man with a big red, “S,” on his chest would appear you knew at any moment he could turn on us and wreak untold havoc.

You saw a monster that looked human but wasn’t anything near it, and instead of helping humanity it was essentially holding us back by making us dependent.

Imagine you saw all this, and it seemed like you were the only person in the world, wouldn’t that be terrible?

That’s what we read about in DC’s original graphic, Luthor, and that’s why I say, “That poor Lex Luthor.”


Originally this was a mini-series known as, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, and it was collected into a trade paperback.

However, after the mini-series the creative team behind it--Brian Azzarello as writer and Lee Bermejo on art—went on to make the stellar original graphic novel, Joker, which took place in its own little universe from the Joker’s point of view, not unlike the Lex Luthor series.

Hence, it only made sense for DC to re-release this series in a new hardcover as, Luthor, but sweeten the deal with some new story pages to flesh out the tale and make a few things more apparent that were only hinted at in the original comics and trade.

I actually own the Lex Luthor: Man of Steel trade paperback but didn’t hesitate to buy this when I first saw it.

One could say that is because Azzarello is such a great writer (he is arguably most known for his masterpiece, 100 Bullets) or because Lee Bermejo creates such beautiful art. A person could also argue that the extra story pages make this a good buy. I would say it is all of those factors along with the fact that, Luthor, is just a dynamite story.

Luthor follows the title’s protagonist over a period of time as he deals with a variety of issues.

From his building of a new mega-tower dedicated to the greatness of Metropolis, to having dinner with Bruce Wayne after a flight to Gotham City, to working on developing his own super-human, Luthor has a lot he is working on. The thing is, it all relates to that, “Man of Steel,” in some way. It’s clear Luthor is building his tower to humanity as a sort of insult to Superman—and there are darker motives at play we witness later also.

The meal with Mr. Wayne also involves the famous flying hero, with discussion of what can be done in the case of a Superman-gone-bad.

Plus, Luthor’s internal narration hints subtly he may know that Bruce Wayne dresses up as Batman at night, but that very drive is something Luthor admires in a man—because Wayne is at least still that—a man—compared to the monstrosity in Metropolis, and therefore can be understood and worked with.

As Luthor’s superhuman debuts to adoration, his tower nears completion, and other seemingly unrelated events take place, the tension anyone reading this feels will surely build until a big payoff, and boy is it dramatic and shocking!

My complaints about the book would only have to be that if the tale is supposed to make us think of Luthor as a misunderstood—dare I say it—good guy, then the way he deals with a striking union seems abnormally villainous.

Also, for those expecting a more action-packed comic be forewarned that while there are some moments of super-doing, fighting, and such, this is indeed a tale told from a Luthor’s point of view, and he doesn’t get out there in any sort of super-suit and wreak havoc so be prepared for a more talky and cerebral story. I myself love that about this hardcover. 

I love that we delve into Luthor’s mind, but some readers maybe just want to see Superman smash something and even with a short Batman scene and some ending events this story isn’t so much fast-moving as it is a suspenseful slow-burn.

For those who’ve always thought of Lex Luthor as a terrible villain I would recommend this humanizing tale of him.

It’s beautifully illustrated, has an intense and suspenseful plot, and just might make you think again about the fellow.

It’s very telling when look at the confrontation excerpted about, as it illustrates just how creepy Superman can be from an alternate point of view, and points out that Lex Luthor isn’t necessarily the soulless monster he often is portrayed as.

At the end of day he’s just a man like you and me…and maybe, just maybe, he has a point about that Superman.
 

RALPH MACCHIO Joins The Cast Of HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO

April 18, 2012, 12:30 pm

≫ Next: FOG! Chats With Set Photographer DAVID JAMES About His Book, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, A SHOOTING DIARY

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Ralph Macchio, yes, THE Karate Kid, will have a part in the upcoming behind the scenes movie Hitchcock And The Making Of Psycho.

According to Deadline, the actor has the role of Psycho screenwriter Joe Stefano. Based on the book by Stephen Rebello, Sacha Gervasi will be directing the project which just recently started production.

As for the other actors in the movie Anthony Hopkins is set to play Hitchcock, Helen Mirren has the role of Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson will be Janet Leigh, and Jessica Biehl will take on Vera Miles.

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FOG! Chats With Set Photographer DAVID JAMES About His Book, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, A SHOOTING DIARY

April 18, 2012, 1:00 pm

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Recipient of 2011 SOC Lifetime Achievement Award in Stills Photography, photographer David  James has had a long career in the film industry, working on dozens of notable projects including Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Water for Elephants, Love and Other Drugs, Knight and Day, The Pacific, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Stardust, Superman Returns, Mission: Impossible III, Memoirs of a Geisha, Batman Begins Constantine, The Last Samurai, Minority Report, Band of Brothers, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Saving Private Ryan, Bulworth The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Chaplin, A Fish Called Wanda, Highlander, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

A founding member and past president of Society of Motion Picture Stills Photographers, James has also authored thirteen photography books.  His newest, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, A Shooting Diary, chronicles his sixth collaboration with Tom Cruise (his seventh, Rock of Ages will be out later this summer and his eighth, Oblivion, will be in theaters in 2013).

David took some time out of his extremely busy schedule to chat about his work on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and his role in the industry.

You're in your sixth decade as a professional set photographer. How did you get started?

I started shooting pictures when I was about 9 years old.   When I was ten, MGM came to shoot outside the small village school I attended in England. I was hooked.

I left school after my fifteenth birthday (which was normal then), and it took me a year to get into the studios.  I wrote many letters to MGM and other studios and rejected by all.  I was told that I had to be in the Union before they could employ me, the Union, of course, said just the opposite, they couldn't give me membership till I had a job.

I wrote back to MGM with this revelation just to be told that the Union was wrong, they still could not give me a job. My uncle ran a small village pub and I was in there on a Friday evening, a beer in front of me and the (I thought) final rejection letter killing my dream of being a photographer in movies.

A regular to the pub was sitting beside me, he asked me why I looked so depressed. I told him the whole sad story.  "Well," he said, " I don't know what I could do to help you, but let me see if I can think of anything over the weekend",

He gave me his number and I was to call him the following week. Monday came around, I was working in as technical drawing office wearing my elbows out on a desk.

I pulled out the number and made the call, a young lady answered, "Hello, this is the MGM still photo department, can I help you?"

I started on my career the following week. Just 16 years old and I was on my way.

Are your set photographs staged or do you take them during filming?

A lot of them are, but there are many that I will stage up, sometimes because of the nature of the scene it's better for all to pull out the movie camera and let me shoot on my own.

There are other times when, because you have to try and tell the story of the scene in one shot that you can alter the set up and create the story telling image.

Your book, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, A Shooting Diary, features some truly stunning photographs, many of them candid. How do you get your subjects to both relax and while at the same time blending into the background?

I try to get a good relationship with the actors and get their co-operation. I have worked on many projects with Tom Cruise, so we are comfortable with each other.

If we are shooting inside I always wear black, you want to get the best images without being a distraction. I once witnessed a grip wearing a bright red shirt and that was all the actor could see.

He had to go change. If you have ever been in front of a camera and have had to act a role, the last thing you need is a bunch of people leaping about in bright colors.

I have to ask you about the photographs of Tom Cruise sitting on top of the Burj Khalifa. How did that even come together?

When Tom asked me to do the movie with him, I said that we had to come up with something different, some photo that would be really hard to beat.  I had no idea what the would be until we arrived in Dubai and one look at the Burj and the plans were set.

Tom was jumping at the chance to get up there as was I.

I made three recess in a helicopter to find the angles and look at light at different times of the day.  We had stunt men go up so that I could see how close I could get for the best shot.

You've worked on multiple occasions with both Spielberg and Cruise. What are the differences in the working relationship between a photographer and a director and a photographer and a star?

With both Tom and Steven, it's the same, they are both dedicated to the project.

I keep asking Tom, when will he direct a movie.  He has the talent and the dedication to whatever he is doing. My job on a movie is to put backsides on seats in the theatre, I do that by working hand in glove with the director and cast to get the best images.  My philosophy is, 'if it wont sell a seat, don't shoot it'.

Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?

Usually the story and the people I am working with.

There are times when you go outside that area.   For instance, when I shot Saving Private Ryan and A Band of Brothers, I studied everything I could about Robert Capa, the greatest war photographer ever.
Another aspect that's really important to me on the set;  the set itself, the costumes and the lighting, the general ambiance.

Like a method actor, the more you get into the subject the better you're recording of the event.

Do you have a favorite project and/or subject to photograph?

War, History, Musicals and beautiful women.

What are you currently geeking out over? 

I have just completed work on a Steven Spielberg movie about Lincoln and am now heading out to shoot with Tom Cruise again.

For relaxation it's Fly Fishing and Golf; both take you to beautiful places.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,  A Shooting Diary is available now

THE DARK NIGHT OF DONALD DUCK: A Dogma Film

April 18, 2012, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Welcome To My Queue - WAR HORSE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, TARZAN SEASON ONE, LOGAN'S RUN THE COMPLETE SERIES & MORE!

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In this Icelandic parody trailer for a deeply disturbing live-action Disney story, Donald Duck is a drugged-out criminal trying to get enough money to pay back Goofy for some drugs that were stolen from him (all the while dealing with an abusive rich uncle, a whorish girlfriend and three annoying nephews).

And, although the film is created by Icelandic comedy troupe Mid-Island, it is more sinister than funny (probably because all the dialog is in Danish to make fun of the Dogme 95 style of crime film coming out of that country-think the films of Lars von Trier-and Danish always sounds menacing to me).

Somehow I don't think Disney imagined anything this dark.

Source: Coilhouse

Welcome To My Queue - WAR HORSE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, TARZAN SEASON ONE, LOGAN'S RUN THE COMPLETE SERIES & MORE!

April 18, 2012, 2:00 pm

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From summer blockbusters to Academy Award winners to classic television, there's plenty for everyone in the latest batch of Blu-ray and DVD reviews.

Even cartoons!


After the jump check out my latest recommendations and get either your shopping cart or queue ready to indulge in the magic!

War Horse (Four Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)
Touchstone•Disney / Released April 3rd, 2012

A fairly un-Spielbergian Spielberg film, War Horse definitely feels like a film of another era.  And like some of it's earlier animal-centric predecessors (The Black Stallion, Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, etc.), humans play second fiddle to the lead.  This story focuses on a horse, Joey, who is separated from his young trainer Albert, and despite being separated over the course of World War I, how their lives continue to be intertwined with one another.

Spielberg continues to impress, crafting a realistic friendship (and it's portrayal) between Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and Joey.  The supporting cast includes Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch and the entire ensemble delivers strong and memorable performances.

I believe that there are two kinds of people: horse people and not horse people.  Personally, as a not horse person, I didn't really connect with the horse (who is the protagonist) and didn't quite connect with his "character."  The combo pack is certainly comprehensive, including a Blu-ray, a DVD, a digital download and a number of extras including A Filmmaking Journey,  Editing & Scoring, The Sounds of War Horse, Through The Producer’s Lens, War Horse: The Look and An Extra’s Point of View.  

War Horse is hardly iconic Spielberg , but it is a solid and entertaining film, that's a perfect for the entire family.  Recommended.



Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Best Buy Exclusive Combo Pack)
Paramount Home Video / Released April 17th, 2012

Tremendously entertaining, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is one of the year's best popcorn movies, as long as you don't think about it too closely.  Once again, Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt finds himself on the run from his own agency.  This time, it's for blowing up the Kremlin, which obviously sets up nuclear Armageddon.  This time his disavowed team includes Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg.  Director Brad Bird pushes the story forward with so much force and action , that it becomes easier to ignore some of the film's sillier bits including fisticuffs on a multi-platform parking garage and the film's nemesis disguising himself as one of his underlings for no apparent reason.

Extras are slight (and only available on the Best Buy exclusive edition), with only several brief featurettes and deleted scenes, but stunning picture and audio quality.  Also included in the combo set is a DVD copy and digital download.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a big, fun blockbuster that delivers with some great performances and some truly amazing moments.  Highly recommended.

The Darkest Hour (Blu-ray)
Summit Entertainment / Released April 10th, 2012

If we got anything from the ending of the Cold War is that we can now go to Russia and make big, dumb movies there.  The Darkest Hour focuses on two entrepreneurs (Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella) who happen to be in Russia when an extra-terrestrial attack occurs, forcing them to band with other survivors to save humanity.

Oh, and the aliens are invisible (made out of energy, close enough).

The Darkest Hour is far from a good film, but it is charming and a well made genre exercise that's an entertaining distraction for a few hours.  Extras include a featurette, deleted scenes, and commentary.  In addition, Survivors, a short film is included which is actually better than the feature.  If you like explosions, science-fiction and mass destruction, then you probably will enjoy The Darkest Hour as much as I did.  Recommended.


Tarzan: Season One Part One
Tarzan: Season One Part Two
Warner Archive / Released April 11th, 2012

Nostalgia rears it's ugly head again, and thanks to the Warner Archive, I was able to revisit Ron Ely's Tarzan series, which I haven't seen in at least thirty years.  And although it's not really faithful to the original Edgar Rice Burroughs material, I was more than pleasantly surprised how entertaining it was.  The series takes a few episodes to find it's footing, but once it does, it's pretty terrific.

The series takes place in the modern (Sixties) world and Ely plays an American educated King of the Jungle with both charm and believable athleticism.  Stock footage of animals fighting might not fly today, but it certainly added to the verisimilitude of the show.  The first season is filled with some memorable character actors including former Tarzan Jock Mahoney, Nichelle Nichols, Julie Harris, Russ Tamblyn, William Marshall, Sally Kellerman, Ralph Meeker, Henry Silva and Woody Strode.  Each volume features four discs containing sixteen episodes and the picture quality is pretty solid throughout.

Tarzan might not find a receptive audience among today's viewers, but personally, I couldn't be happier revisiting the show.  Highly recommended.

Eight is Enough: The Complete First Season
Warner Bros. / Released April 17th, 2012

Another trip down memory lane, although this time, I was more surprised that the first season of Eight is Enough is played more for drama than laughs.  Dick Van Patten and Diana Hyland play Tom and Joan Bradford, who are raising eight children: David, Tommy, Nicholas, Nancy, Susan, Mary, Elizabeth and Joanie.

The first season tackles some fairly basic family issues, but there's not an awful lot of hugging and warmth.  In the pilot, oldest son David (Mark Hamill, who was released from his contract and replaced by Grant Goodeve after a science fiction movie was released) moves out of the house in response to tension between him and his father, which is also evident in another episode as the character dates an older woman (Adrianne Barbeau).  Hyland, also is missing from several of the episodes (she passed away from cancer during the first year), changing the tone of the show dramatically (Tom is now a single father and there seemed to be an attempt to mix in some humor with the drama).  The only extra is a brief reunion with several cast members on NBC's Today Show.  Like it's theme song (which doesn't debut until the third season), "eight is enough to fill our lives with love."  Highly recommended.

Astonishing X-Men Dangerous
Shout! Factory / Released April 10th, 2012

This is the second motion comic based upon Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men series and like it's predecessor, Gifted, is a mixed bag.  Very limited animation and a full voice cast bring the comic book to life with somewhat mixed results.  This story involves the X-Men's training facility, The Danger Room, becoming sentient attacking the students at Xavier's School for  Gifted Youngsters.  Although the story is pretty solid and entertaining, the clunkiness of the animation is hindering.  It's a shame that Marvel Knights won't abandon this technique and revisit this with full animation.  Voice work is fairly solid, but the picture and sound are a bit lackluster.  Unfortunately, there aren't any extras. Astonishing X-Men Dangerous is a pretty entertaining X-Men story, I just think it does a better job being read than watched.

IMAX Born To Be Wild
Warner Bros. / Available on Blu-ray Combo pack, DVD and for download 4/17

It's pretty hard not to be charmed by watching baby jungle animals.

Set in two separate geographic locations, Borneo and Kenya, the film focuses on the daily interactions of rescuers of orphaned animals, in this case baby elephants and baby orangutans.  Narrated by Morgan Freeman, IMAX Born To Be Wild both entertains and educates, capturing some truly intimate moments as we see not only these animals being cared for and loved, but also the necessary preparation to return them to the jungle.  The picture quality is stunning and the film, although brief at 40 minutes, is a wonder to watch.  Extras include several short webisodes as well as a DVD and digital copy.  IMAX Born To Be Wild isn't an intense documentary, but it is touching and accessible for all ages.  Recommended.


The FBI: Season One, Part One
The FBI: Season One, Part Two
Warner Archive / Released July 8th and September 12th, 2011

I was curious how well this series would hold up without any nostalgia colored glasses tarnishing my viewing.  Having never seen an episode, I was pretty surprised how entertaining this procedural was.

Inspired, at least in part, by actual cases, this "Quinn Martin Production" stars Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as  Agent Lewis Erskine and Stephen Brooks as Special Agent Jim Rhodes.  Handsomely produced and tightly written, The FBI is a gem worth discovering.  Over the first season, Erskine and Rhodes face off against bank robbers, embezzlers, amnesiacs, religious zealots, hijackers, assassins, smugglers and terrorists.  Even better, like many shows of that era, The FBI features a stellar guest cast with appearances by Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Blake, Robert Duvall, Beau Bridges, Dabney Coleman, James B. Sikking, Norman Fell, James Farentino, Ted Knight, Claude Akins, Bruce Dern, Leslie Nielsen, Jack Klugman and Burt Reynolds.  A must have for fans of the series, or for any lover of classic television.  Recommended.


History Of The World In Two Hours
A & E Home Video / Released March 13, 2012

Got two hours?

Or even better, 88 minutes?

Then why not skip three episodes of syndicated Seinfeld repeats and educate yourself a bit.  Covering a mere 14 billion years, this CGI-heavy feature doesn't provide much more than a taut look at the history of our world, but with any real depth.  That being said, I'm a huge fan of trivia books and Dr. John's Bathroom Reader series and it's a pretty watchable and mildly informative way to spend an hour and a half.  Unfortunately, DVD would be the perfect format to expand on the feature, and the disc arrives with no extras.  History Of The World In Two Hours is worth viewing, but unlikely worth revisiting, so although I mildly recommend it, it's definitely a rental rather than a purchase.

Logan's Run: The Complete Series
Warner Bros. / Released April 10th, 2012

For years this fondly remembered series only showed up as a bootleg at a comic convention.  I remember catching part of an episode on TNT or TBS over a decade ago, but other than that, I never expected to see the entire series.

Thankfully, Warner has released the entire fourteen episode run of Logan's Run, spinning off from the film which starred Michael York living in the 23rd century where at the age of thirty, people are put down by "Sandmen".  The series stars Gregory Harrison as Logan who decides to escape his world and try and escape to freedom in a fabled utopia called Sanctuary.  Logan and his companions, Jessica (Heather Menzies-Urich) and android Rem (Donald Moffat) are being pursued by Logan's former friend, another Sandman, who attempts to terminate him.

The series is dated, but lots of fun with scripts by some of sci-fi's top screenwriters including William F. Nolan (who wrote the original Logan novel trilogy), Harlan Ellison, David Gerrold, and D.C. Fontana.  The guest cast is also pretty fun with lots of familiar faces including Mariette Hartley, Gerald McRaney, Melody Anderson, Nicholas Hammond, Spencer Milligan, Kim Cattral, Michael Biehn, Lisa Eilbacher, Angela Cartwright and Mary Woronov.  Picture and sound quality are solid, although there is some dirt and noise on the prints.  Production design is top notch with some pretty amazing matte paintings and decent special effects.  Logan's Run is another success for Warner, who really are doing a fantastic job issuing beloved catalog material.  Definitely worth a rental and if you grew up in the Seventies, it's a must have.

Tom & Jerry In The Doghouse
Warner Bros. / Released March 6th, 2012

Take one cat, one mouse and in the case of this release, one dog and all bets are off.

Not satisfied by the cat vs. mouse dynamic, this release includes 22 shorts featuring Spike the Dog (and sometimes Tyke, the pup). This 162 minute release should be filled with pure awesomeness; no lessons learned, no morals explored and no educational value – just pure unadulterated cartoon fun.  Unfortunately, the selection of cartoons is from decades of various interpretations of the characters which makes them wildly uneven.  I'm a purist and as much as I love the characters, I've never really warmed up to any of the work that followed the original William Hanna and Joseph Barbera shorts.  Even the interpretation by animation legend Chuck Jones is a disappointment.  Perfect for kids, but not for me.


The Looney Tunes Show Season 1 Volume 3
Warner Bros. / Released March 13th, 2012

Again, too few episodes for a single release, this reinterpretation of the classic Looney Tunes characters might not be a replacement for the original, but as far as modern interpretations go, it's pretty entertaining.  Contained within are four episodes, The Foghorn Leghorn Story,  Eligible Bachelors, Peel of Fortune and Double Date.  No extras are included.  Voice work is pretty impressive with such familiar names as Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Fred Armisen, June Foray, Kristen Wiig, Rene Auberjonois and John Cassir.  The Looney Tunes Show is lots of fun.  Recommended.

Shazzan The Complete Series
Warner Archive / Released April 13th, 2012
 

Inside a cave off the coast of Maine, Chuck and Nancy find a mysterious chest containing the halves of a strange ring. When joined, the ring forms the word 'Shazzan!' and with this magical command, they are transported back to the fabled land of the Arabian Nights."

"Here they meet their Genie, Shazzan. Shazzan presents them with Kaboobie, a magical flying camel. Shazzan will serve them whenever they call, but he cannot return them home until they deliver the ring to its rightful owner. And thus begins their incredible journey."

Created by comic legend Alex Toth, Shazzan might not be one of Hanna Barbera's most beloved animated series, but it is one of it's most unique.  Lasting for 18 episodes, most episodes revolved around the twins trying to escape one nefarious villain before they can call upon Shazzan to help them.  Character design is pretty awesome and the production value is on par with most Hanna Barbera shows from the same period.  Extras include a featurette, The Power of Shazzan!  Although the show has it's charms, it really is intended for a younger audience who likely will find it's repetitive plots more entertaining.  If you're a fan of Toth, however (or classic Hanna Barbera), this one is a no-brainer.

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY COMBINE Your Balloon Fetish with Your Superhero Fetish

April 18, 2012, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: THE BUTTER DANCE: A Performance Art Piece that Will Bring Clarity to All The Reasons Why You Hate Performance Art

≪ Previous: Welcome To My Queue - WAR HORSE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, TARZAN SEASON ONE, LOGAN'S RUN THE COMPLETE SERIES & MORE!

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I don't know about you but I would pay good money to see him fight a blow-up Doomsday to the death (or, until whosoever's balloon gets busted first).

Then again, maybe I don't want to see what kind of creamy center these guys are made out of.

Source: Geekologie

THE BUTTER DANCE: A Performance Art Piece that Will Bring Clarity to All The Reasons Why You Hate Performance Art

April 18, 2012, 3:00 pm

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The original running time for this artistic representation of man's destructive Love/Hate relationship with a delicious fat-based product was twenty minutes.

This is merely 6:11 minutes long but will feel like an eternity. Kind of like sitting through children's musical theater while suffering from hemorrhoids.

Yeah, it's that painful.

Enjoy.

Source: Gawker

The Comic Feed April 18, 2012

April 18, 2012, 6:18 pm

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It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means, everyone who’s anyone in the comic’s world is sitting at home, curled up with their favorite books today.

Here are some interesting tidbits from your new comic day in today’s Comic Feed.



David Hyde Leaving DC Comics 

Think you have what it takes to be the VP of Publicity at DC Comics in New York? Well, the job posting just went up, as current VP David Hyde is leaving. Hyde oversaw many changes and expansion during his eight years at DC.   Although no reason has been given for his departure, Hyde is reportedly leaving of his own accord.

Digital Dragon’s Lair 

Those without an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch will be green with envy at the news that zuuka Comics, who developed the Cut The Rope digital comic engine, is launching a comic app for Don Bluth’s Dragon’s Lair through the App Store. The series will begin with original issues 1 through 6, and offer the first issue free. The digital version of Dragon’s Lair is based on the classic 1983 arcade game of the same name.


Character Creator Tony de Zuniga Hospitalized 

Co-creator of Jonah Hex and long time comic artist Tony de Zuniga has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke and pneumonia. The seventy year old is currently in Las Piñas Doctors Hospital. De Zuniga is famous for character creation and illustration with Marvel and DC.


Spotlight: Gambit

Though it was announced at last weekend’s C2E2, I want to spotlight the Marvel X-Man who doesn’t get as much of the limelight as he deserves. This summer Gambit returns in a new ongoing series by writer James Asmus (X-Men: Manifest Destiny) and artist Clay Mann (X-Men Legacy). The series will find Gambit teaching at the Jean Grey School, but not leaving his thieving roots behind. Asmus told Comic Book Resources at C2E2, “Basically everything in the first year of the book will be a chain reaction from his choice in the first issue to just let himself go and be a thief again for a day. After all, Gambit's great at getting himself out of trouble -- but the way he does it often launches him into a different kind of trouble...”

Look for issue #1 to release in August.

First Look At ANTHONY HOPKINS As ALFRED HITCHCOCK

April 19, 2012, 6:00 am

≫ Next: New Production Photos From THE HOBBIT

≪ Previous: The Comic Feed April 18, 2012

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Here is the firs image of Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock. The actor portrays the famous director in the upcoming film Hitchcock And The Making Of Psycho directed by Sacha Gervasi.

The film tells a love story between Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville, during the making of his hit Psycho. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Rebello.  Along with Hopkins, Helen Mirren will be starring along with Scarlett Johansson, James D'Arcy, and Jessica Biel.

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New Production Photos From THE HOBBIT

April 19, 2012, 6:30 am

≫ Next: DICK CLARK HAS LEFT THE MORTAL BANDSTAND AT 82

≪ Previous: First Look At ANTHONY HOPKINS As ALFRED HITCHCOCK

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Here are a few brand new images from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The hobbit blog released these production photos today as the film is still in the works. The new pictures show off Gandalf and Bilbo along with a few dwarves that help him find the ring. With the high amount of production photo and video we are seeing, it's clear that the studio is expecting this to be the biggest film for quite a while. Check out all the photos after the break,  click on them to see the even bigger versions.

DICK CLARK HAS LEFT THE MORTAL BANDSTAND AT 82

April 19, 2012, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Watch The First Trailer For MAGIC MIKE

≪ Previous: New Production Photos From THE HOBBIT

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I know I should have put this up yesterday but I needed time to process the fact that Dick Clark is really gone (he passed away Wednesday from a massive heart-attack).

While I may have joyfully joked about his inability to age like a normal person, I must admit that the man had a fondness for life that occasionally I called upon as I laid in bed wondering if it was worth getting out of it (WWDCD-What Would Dick Clark Do?).

So to you, man who brought music into my home every Saturday, who was there with me every Rockin' New Year's Eve and who I was only a bit scared of.

I salute you.

Watch The First Trailer For MAGIC MIKE

April 19, 2012, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Get A First Look At Who's Playing ENDER'S GAME

≪ Previous: DICK CLARK HAS LEFT THE MORTAL BANDSTAND AT 82

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Channing Tatum was a stripper once upon a time, and he will be once more for Magic Mike, the movie based on his early career. The first trailer just came out and now you can watch it here.

This one is just for the ladies, and maybe some of the guys, well actually it's for everyone. Steven Soderbergh's latest directing gig stars Tatum and Alex Pettyfer as exotic dancers. The movie also stars Matthew McConaughey along with Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez.




You can also check out the poster and a new pic from the film after the jump.

Get A First Look At Who's Playing ENDER'S GAME

April 19, 2012, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Cartoon Network Unveils BEWARE THE BATMAN

≪ Previous: Watch The First Trailer For MAGIC MIKE

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Ender's Game won't be coming out for awhile, but the movie already has a production Tumblr showing the latest from the set.

Today we have a tease of Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin and his monitor. A little background for you, the monitor on his next was inplanted by the government and Colonel Graff allowing them to "see through his eyes."Also on the site there is a picture of Ender's room and his desk.
 
Directed by Gavid Hood, the film stars Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis. It is slated for release on November 1, 2013, but you can see those pictures right after the break.

Cartoon Network Unveils BEWARE THE BATMAN

April 19, 2012, 8:30 am

≫ Next: JONATHAN FRID (1924-2012)

≪ Previous: Get A First Look At Who's Playing ENDER'S GAME

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Cartoon Network release the first promo for their new animated series Beware the Batman, and you can watch it right here.

In the new CGI animated cartoon about the caped crusader, Bruce Wayne takes on villains both old and new that haven't been seen in animated form before now. With Kurtwood Smith acting as the voice of Commissioner Gordon the show is sure to entertain fan both old and new. The Dark Knight is now getting assistance from Katana and Alfred who is actually an ex-secret agent. Comicvine posted the video yesterday which promises to be a reboot to the animated franchise side of Batman. Watch the teaser and then wait just a little longer for the show to hit Cartoon Network soon.