AND THIS IS WHAT Nightmares Are Made Of
↧
↧
I WANT A CHIMERA!...And Maybe A Cup of Coffee
In the morning before my first cup of coffee all I see is dog poop on my floor.
Of course, I still see it after I have my cup of coffee but at least then I have the strength to pick it up and yell at the dog.
I wonder what kind of excrement a chimera leaves?
Source: Super Punch
↧
The Comic Feed 4/23/12
Sit back and relax on this first day of the week and enjoy your Comic Feed for April 23, 2012.
Valiant Gets a Makeover
Valiant Entertainment unveiled their new logo today, which was designed by graphic designer Rian Hughes, and is definitely geek sleek.
This new look celebrates the return of Valiant’s monthly publishing. According to their press release, Valiant will be returning to monthly comics this summer featuring popular characters from the past, X-O Manowar in May, Harbinger in June, Bloodshot in July, and Archer & Armstrong in August.
Hughes, who has done work for the likes of Marvel, DC, MTV, and BBC, to name a few, said “It is always a challenging and interesting project to design the visual identity of a publisher from the ground up in every detail — logo, trade dress, title logos — and to cohesively pull all these elements together so one strong visual identity emerges. Rebooting the Valiant line’s design has been one such great project. The Valiant characters have a strong fanbase and heritage, and so the new logos are fresh and modern as befits a forward-looking publisher while still paying tribute to the originals, just as has been done with the characters themselves.”
FanPan Brings the Fun to Online Surveys
As a young college student, short of selling plasma and living on ramen, the easy way to make money was by doing consumer panels and surveys. They were usually boring, offered at least a free lunch, and were the only place I ever heard the word "lackadaisical vagina."
FanPan, a consumer research firm, is offering fun surveys for geeks alike, and participants can earn free comic swag. By filling out surveys, which will be reported to leaders in the comic industry, “1. You might win great prizes from comics publishers and entertainment companies; 2. You'll learn about comics trends and events via exclusive access to some of the research findings; 3. You'll be helping to develop products and services that meet your needs.” As far as consumer panels go, this may be worth the time.
Robert Kirkman Advises New Writers
Image Comics' Robert Kirkman was at the Los Angeles Festival of Books today, sharing advice with up and coming comic writers on the art of the pitch. Calling upon his own company’s submission guidelines as an example, Kirkman focused on using brevity and the best parts of the story when sending in submissions.
Original content was also a focus, as Kirkman advised, “Try to make your book as original as possible, but not too weird. I mean, that’s very important. Don’t do something that’s already on the racks. Nobody wants to read another story about a barbarian that’s like Conan or a superhero that’s like Spider-Man. You have to have some kind of hook.”
Digital Comics Hit Libraries
Recently, libraries have lost the ability to rent e-books from many large publishers; however, things may be looking up in the way your local library will lend graphic novels and comics. iVerse, a digital comic distributor, will be launching the Comics Plus: Library Edition, using the libraries web portal to offer cloud based distribution of digital comics and graphic novels. Current publishers in the iVerse catalog include Marvel, IDW, Archie, Top Cow, Zenescope, and Boom!, among others. Look for this service to launch at San Diego Comic Con and hopefully be in a library near you very soon.
BuzzFeed Gets a Peek at the New 52
BuzzFeed got a behind the scenes look in the DC offices, and
took a peep at the new artwork for DC’s second wave of titles for the New 52. Earth
2 by James Robinson and Nicola Scott depict a gorgeous new Wonder Woman, and
Jim Lee’s Warblade is sure to be a new fan fave.
I’m beginning to think BuzzFeed was a little spoiled on their trip through the DC offices. Along with a look into the new wave of the New 52, they got their hands on the three ring binder every Watchmen fan wishes they had. The art book containing character designs and panels for the new Before Watchmen was opened up and they got a great look at what's coming up.
DiDio and Lee Talk Before Watchmen
DC’s co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee talked about the much anticipated and highly controversial Before Watchmen at the Los Angeles Festival of Books panel DC Entertainment Presents: Watchmen – It’s Not the End, It’s the Beginning.
Talking about the new series being very character driven, other topics at the panel ranged from the treatment of Alan Moore, why Before Watchmen isn't such a bad thing, and Chris Roberson's very vocal exit from DC.
Boston Comic Con's DC Panel
Boston Comic Con found the New 52 gang, Jamal Igle (The Ray), Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman), Ivan Reis and Joe Prado (Aquaman) and Francis Manapul (The Flash), as well as moderator Stefan Blitz (Forces of Geek Editor-in-Chief), talking about the New 52 #0s set to release in September, and honoring the one year anniversary of the New 52's release. Issue #0s will bring fans the stories that took place before issue #1 of the new series. Additionally, fans thanked Aquaman's new team for making the seahorse ridin' almost hero cool again.
The panel also spoke of ways creators are working with digital media, and whether or not they take that into consideration when creating their work. Igle now avoids double page spreads, Prado thinks of the iPad when he's working, and Cliff Chiang said he strives for a more "organic look" when he considers how his work will be seen on a monitor. Additionally, Chiang mentioned that Wonder Woman is “getting a different reader,” and all the creators said the response to the New 52 has been very positive.
↧
GUY PEARCE Is A Scientist In IRON MAN 3
In the third installment of Iron Man, Guy Pearce has signed on to play the geneticist known as Aldrich Killian.
According to Variety, the actor is joining the Marvel Studios threequel to play the scientist that releases the Extremis biotechnology into the world. Extremis is a virus created to rewrite the human code and make the infected stronger. It's like a the super soldier serum that's seen in Captain America. Robert Downey Jr. will return to play Tony Stark/Iron Man but Shane Black will be directing unlike the first two which had Jon Favreau at the helm.
Based loosely on Warren Ellis' comic book series Iron Man: Extremis, the story focuses on Stark trying to get the man that has Extremis now and stop the terrorists from using the new weapon.
Filming will start in May in North Carolina and Disney has the film scheduled for a May 3rd release in 2013. Along with Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson will also be returning. Ben Kingsley will also be joining the cast as the new villain.
Pearce can now be seen in the space prison breakout movie Lockout. Soon you'll be able to see him in Prometheus and he also co-stars in Lawless along with Shia LaBeouf.
↧
THE PULL LIST - BATMAN #8, THE SIXTH GUN #21, THE PUNISHER #10 & MORE!
Whether the comics are inspiring or disappointing, I read them all.
Welcome to The Pull List.
And, as always...Spoilers ahead!
Writer: Scott Snyder & James T. Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo, Rafael Albuquerque & Jonathan Glapion
Colors: FCO Plascencia & Nathan Fairbairn
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Scott Snyder’s Batman is so mind blowing that I read it last because I won’t care to read the other books of the week if I read it before.
The Court of Owls take flight and are headed for Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne barely has anytime to recover from his beating in the Owl’s labyrinth of terror.
The collaborative efforts of everyone on this issue did an amazing job of sucking me in to the story and making me feel that I was hiding in the darkness while looking for a way to fend off the Talon.
The Court of Owls are the best new villains to be introduced into the world of DC Comics since the reboot. Others that have made their debut have been more or less cookie cutter variety but there are just layers upon layers of depth that you can sink your teeth into with the Owls.
Grade: A
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: John Romita & Scott Hanna
Colors: Laura Martin
Price: $3.99
This book was just as hard to find as the last one…and I understand why.
The opening shots have been fired as the battle begins on Utopia.
What was great about this issue is that every fight between opposing team members felt as if there were real stakes involved. Nothing felt forced or contrived and Hope has a realization that could turn the tide of the war.
The inner-thought dialog is what drives the plot so you feel you are truly witnessing the beginning of a war between Earth’s protectors.
I had the theme from Platoon playing in my head while reading these deep thoughts of the observer.
Wolverine chooses his side but you wonder if he is really all in or has another purpose in mind.
I felt the art in the last issue kind of portrayed the characters as random guys dressed up as their favorite superhero. That was not the case this time as subtle changes were made for a more serious depiction.
Laura Martin’s bold coloring is the icing on the cake that just makes the pencil work come to life.
Grade: A
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Brian Hurtt
Colors: Bill Crabtree
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $3.99
I hate Westerns and my father is to blame.
He was the man of the house so he decided what we watched on TV and nine times out of ten he watched Bonanza or any other Western movie that happened to be on.
While I tend to turn away from anything resembling the Wild West, Oni Press has me wrapped around its collective finger with The Sixth Gun. Silent issues are not my cup of tea but Brian Hutt pulls it off beautifully through the deaf state of Becky Montcrief.
Action and pivotal moments were carefully crafted as Becky refuses to be dwarfed by the enormity of the moment.
Check out this amazing book.
Grade: A-
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Carlos D'Anda, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Gary Frank
Colors: Gabe Eltabe, Alex Sinclair & Brad Anderson
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Just when you think that you have all the answers, Geoff Johns changes the questions.
He did a phenomenal job of making the Justice League seem like pretentious pricks while Green Arrow was trying to gain membership to the League.
No matter how many evil dudes he beat up, Aquaman and company still said no.
An awesome two page flashback reveals why the idea of new members is not even entertained and you just thought "WOW, he got me."
Besides the big reveal, the artwork was kind of the run of the mill with seemingly too many cooks in the kitchen. This was the most engaging issue in awhile and I encourage everyone to check it out.
Oh, Hal is still annoying, but don’t let that get you down.
Grade: B
Writer: Greg Rucka
Art: Marco Checchetto
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
Part two of The Omega Effect features The Punisher’s ambition to obtain the omega drive.
Daredevil and Spider-Man take up the majority of the dialog, and deliver a baby.
A moment involving the passing of a skull-painted, bullet proof vest to Rachel Alves speaks volumes.
While the ending was kind of predictable, the stakes have been raised as all of Megacrime wants what is in Matt Murdock’s possession. Checchetto and Hollingsworth’s art maintained the dark and washed out look we’ve come to expect from this series.
Grade: B
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Walter Simonson
Colors: Jason Keith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Captain America has more than just the X-Men on his mind.
He is still in charge of global peace keeping and things feel too overwhelming until Thor sets him straight in a stunning page layout by Walter Simonson.
It’s not a point one issue, but it's still a good book for the casual AvX reader to get into.
It’s even better if you are siding with the X-Men because the story examines Steve Rogers at his core and kinda makes you re-think what side you are on.
Grade: B
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Charlie Adlard
Cover: Charlie Adlard
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
The story is simple and yet, deep.
The hilltop community is reeling over Rick killing Ethan.
Fences mend quickly as Jesus tells the group about a group outside the community that takes half of all their food and supplies in exchange for protection.
Rick makes his own deal with Jesus that benefits both parties.
Kirkman hit a powerful chord with this arc because Rick, more than most knows what is feels like to be powerless over your circumstances and now he has just one more hurdle to climb in order for his plan to take full effect.
Grade: B-
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Art: Eddy Barrows & Paulo Siqueira
Colors: Rod Reis
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Tie-ins to major events can be either hit or miss.
This one hits the mark as the plot revolves around Dick Grayson’s ancestor in the Court of Owls.
Higgins' dialog provides a slow suspenseful build throughout the issue that climaxes with a brutal fight scene between Nightwing and the Talon.
Eddy Barrows' artwork is some of the best in the DC universe and Rod Reis' color treatment was vibrant and dark when it needed to be.
This was the best issue of the new Nightwing to date.
Grade: B+
Writer: Brian Lynch
Art: Ross Campbell
Colors: Jay Fotos
Publisher: IDW
Price: $3.99
Leonardo is chronicled in the final Turtle micro-series.
His story takes place in the current arc and he displays the honor and discipline you’d expect. However, being a leader has its drawbacks as you often keep things bottled inside to uphold that unflappable image to the people around you.
Leonardo’s leadership begins to crack like windshield as the Foot Clan looks to take him out.
Leo has one encounter in particular and….nope, I’m not saying anymore. Just trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Grade: B
↧
↧
Here's The Brand New GI JOE:RETALIATION Trailer
G.I. Joe: Retaliation is getting closer to hitting theaters, and today Paramount has a brand new trailer for the second entry to the live action franchise.
In this trailer from Machinima you'll see a bit more of the story, a lot more cool looking action and London being destroyed by a Cobra missile. Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis are the big additions to the cast which also includes Adrianne Palicki, Channing Tatum, Walton Goggins, Ray Park, Byung-hun Lee, Elodie Yung, RZA, Ray Stevenson, and D.J. Cotrona.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation opens June 29, watch the trailer by hitting the play button.
↧
JENNA FISCHER Talks About The Future Of THE OFFICE
Maybe The Office won't be coming to an end after all. Jenna Fischer talked a little bit about the future of the series and what will be happening next in Scranton's branch of Dunder Mifflin.
There have been rumors about where the show is going. Mindy Kaling and Rainn Wilson both have new TV pilots they're working on and most of the cast has not been signed for another season. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fischer said "I don't know; it's not up to me, because I'm just the actor, but the actors are all prepared and wanting to come back."
With everyone willing to come back including Ed Helms and John Krasinski, it sounds like the mass exodus that was being talked about by the media may not actually be happening.
Ultimately it all comes down to NBC renewing the show. And just as the actress said it all comes down to May 15th when the upfronts happen. "A lot of things are mis-reported and exaggerated and it's hard to read."
Although Rainn Wilson has a new project, He's going to come back to The Office as well, so yeah, we're just waiting." As far as Kaling is concerned, she would also stay on the show. she's not a heavy character on the show and only shoots on the show a few days a week.
↧
Watch The First Trailer For MANSOME
Mansome is a new documentary from Morgan Spurlock about the grooming and hygiene of men around the world.
From hipsters in Williamsburg to men's day spas, the comedic documentary talks to men of all types about the way they look. Will Arnett and Jason Bateman go to the spa together and tell stories of bathroom secrets and the rituals of men before they go out in public. Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Adam Carolla, and Judd Apatow are just a few of the celebrities in the movie.
Along with sociological experts, barbershop owners, and champion beardsmen, Spurlock puts facial hair in the spotlight that it so very much deserves. Watch the trailer right below.
↧
JESSICA CHASTAIN Will Join IRON MAN 3
A little bit more casting news today for Iron Man 3. The latest update has Jessica Chastain being added to the cast.
According to Deadline, Chastain will have a starring role in the third entry to the franchise. She will be playing a scientist responsible for creating the Extremis nanotechnology that is stolen and sold to terrorists. Her character can rival Tony Stark in wits and charm, most likely she will play Dr. Maya Hansen. She joins the also recently cast Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley.
Chastain's most recent roles have seen her in films like The Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter, and The Dept. She has had a few scheduling conflicts in the past with this part. When she was first given the role it looked like it would conflict with her part in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty but the film recently wrapped after being pushed forward.
↧
↧
SEAN PENN Will Have A Role In THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
Sean Penn will return to comedy in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with a small but important role.
Deadline reports that the actor will join Ben Stiller who is set to play the title role and direct the comedy as well. They story is centered on Stiller's character, a "timid magazine photo manager who goes off on an escapade to find a missing negative." Co-starring with Penn and Stiller are Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine, and Patton Oswalt.
Penn's mostly known for his dramatic roles, his most recent including The Gangster Squad and This Must Be The Place. There was a time when he was funny though. Remember those days?
↧
Watch ADRIEN BRODY In The Red Band Trailer For HIGH SCHOOL
Adrien Brody is a brilliant actor that has won an Oscar, now he's going a very different direction for High School.
Watch the red band trailer for the new stoner comedy with Brody starring as a psycho drug dealer that supplies some high schoolers with pot. The story is centered on a smart kid that smokes up for the first time and then the school has a mandatory drug test with the penalty for failing the test being expulsion.
There are mostly unknowns in the film, Matt Bush from Adventureland has a leading role and co-stars with Sean Marquette, Colin Hanks, Adhir Kalyan, Mykelti Williamson, and most notably Michael Chiklis. Watch the red band trailer right below.
↧
Paper or Plastic—Print Comics in a Digital Age
For as long as there has been pretty much anything on this planet, evolution has had a role to play.Whether it’s the development of gills for water-dwelling creatures, opposable thumbs for primates, or creatures that get super senses for protection, this world is ever-changing.
 |
| “Whoa. Hold on. Back up a sec. If I evolved from some kind of animal like you claim, then explain to me why I’m only as smart as this rock, Mr. Scientician.” |
But it’s not just organic life that changes over time.
I remember as a kid being excited to watch this Masters of the Universe cartoon we rented from the store, and then the disappointment when my mom realized it was in VHS format and we only had Betamax capabilities in the Baserap homestead.
Years later, I would go on to hear my friends talking about the awesome special features on their Matrix DVD—features I likely would have had time to watch while I was being kind and waiting for my VHS to rewind.
Most recently, I cracked down and got a Blu-ray because stores in my area basically figured, “Eh, DVDs are fine, but who wants these old things anyway,” before grabbing a rifle and yelling “Pull!” and launching them into the air then blasting them to extinction shards.
 |
“Ha! Take that, Star Wars Special Edition DVD Version #492!”
|
And, yeah, I sound like an old man, but there was a time without cell phones followed by a brief time when all cell phones could do was, you know, send and receive phone calls.
Now we have phones that talk to us and I’m pretty certain my coworker’s Siri sexually harassed me the other day.
I’m not sure.
But I felt dirty.
Evolution has also been felt with printed materials.
Technology like the Nook and Kindle are putting dents in the bottom lines of brick and mortar booksellers just as the printing press eventually pushed out the need to painstakingly handwrite copies of books and essays.
 |
Unless, of course, you were a total dick in 5th period algebra.
|
Newspapers have seen their sales and circulation numbers steadily decline as more people go for the web-based options and even social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have been able to get in on the breaking news action, for better or worse, and each year we see more and more newspapers simply take their toys and go home, dejected.
So far, it hasn’t happened with comics and despite the nearly annual predictions of their demise, comic books in the traditional sense are still alive.
But for how long?
 |
Don’t ask him. Look at that outfit. Clearly, he doesn’t make good decisions.
|
Many publishers have recently begun to ramp up the inclusion of their comics, both new and old, in a digital format for view on platforms like iPads, iPhones and other devices.
They have gone as far as making digital copies available the same day as their print versions are released and in some cases have opted to release digital first or digital only books.
There are definitely some merits to this. Recently, Newsarama ran a list of the highest selling comics from 2002-2012.
The number one issue?
Amazing Spider-Man #583, the one with a brief appearance by President Obama.
It sold just over 500,000 copies.
But compare that to X-Men #1 of 1991; that sold approximately eight MILLION copies.
Add up the ten highest selling comics of the past decade and you’ve got maybe a quarter of that amount at most.
 |
| Maybe Peter’s job at the Daily Bugle wasn’t in peril because of J. Jonah Jameson but because he insists on taking photos of the backs of peoples’ heads… |
Print comic books definitely have a following, but despite the occasional boosts from events or highly publicized issues, it’s a slowly declining format facing a question of when it will no longer be viable, not if.
And at $3.99 a pop for the average book, more people are spending their money elsewhere, especially in rough economic times.
Personally, while the digital books really do look cool and Marvel especially has been pushing the envelope with the format, the old school person in me wants no part of it.
If it ever does happen, if digital replaces print for good, I can only hope we’re given closure and that we’re not having cliffhangers in print being continued exclusively in digital.
Because there’s something special about going to the comic store each week and holding a copy of the new releases, the feel of the paper, the personal connection to the people, the whole thing.
My collection takes up a lot of space, but it’s something so much more real and tangible than a data file.
 |
All right, so it’s a bit…messy. But I’ve got “top men” helping out with the cataloging.
|
And those trips to the store with my daughter each week are our special thing, something I genuinely cherish and I can’t imagine replicating the same satisfaction we get driving to the store and talking to the other customers and sitting there reading the books together on a park bench by simply waiting until Wednesday afternoon…and clicking a mouse button or crowding around a small screen.
Yeah, I may be a bitter old man with some of this newfangled tech, but I wouldn’t trade those unwieldy long boxes or the special outings with my daughter for any of it.
Now…get the hell off my damn lawn.
 |
Seriously. Leave. I’ll cut you.
And I’m totally keeping this ball. |
↧
KEVIN FEIGE Talks AVENGERS, MARVEL, SKRULLS And QUICKSILVER & SCARLETT WITCH
The Avengers have already premiered in the UK, and with the big premiere all the creatives came out including Kevin Feige who talked a bit about producing the film and answered questions about Marvel Studios.
Heyuguys briefly talked with Feige who answered some very technical questions about franchises and Marvel Comics going into movies. He talks about the interesting rights and ownership of the twin mutants Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch, who could be used in both and X-Men movie at 20th Century Fox or an Avengers movie with Marvel Studios and Disney.
With questions ranging from the filming of Ant Man to the reason there are no Skrulls in The Avengers, it's really something that you should just watch yourself, here it is.
↧
↧
My Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2012
THE AVENGERS (May 4)
Finally!
The longest teaser campaign in movie history gets its highly anticipated payoff, uniting at long last the iconic Marvel superheroes Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk. Having headlined their own separate cinematic adventures, they are corralled by the eye-patch wearing Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. to fend off an intergalactic menace. Or something.
Beyond my general ignorance of the comic book universe, I’ve been staying deliberately spoiler-free on this one, so that’s pretty much all I know going in.
My sole expectation is that director Joss Whedon convinces me that an inter-dimensional god can co-exist in the same relatively grounded universe as a snarky billionaire arms manufacturer clad in a flying iron suit and a pair of muscular geeks borne of scary science.
DARK SHADOWS (May 11)
Director Tim Burton and star Johnny Depp reunite (this project marks their EIGHTH collaboration!) for a nouveau-Goth take on the low-budget cult vampire TV soap opera.
I was holding out hope that this one would be more in the macabre vein of “Sweeney Todd” and less like the ill-conceived Willy Wonka remake, but the forced comic tone of the silly teaser trailer fills me with dread.
I admire Burton and most of his pictures enough to see “Dark Shadows” regardless, but consider my expectations officially lowered. (On the upside, Burton’s animated “Frankenweenie” is poised for release this autumn.)
THE DICTATOR (May 16)
This reunion of Sacha Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles is, thankfully, not a mockumentary like “Borat” or “Bruno” but instead a fictitious plot-driven—and, hopefully, equally un-PC—culture-clash comedy of a mid-east despot touring the U. S. A.
MEN IN BLACK 3 (May 25)
I love the first one.
It’s funny, clever and stylish.
The charmless sequel stinks beyond belief—worse than most other foul Parts Two (considering the vomitous cash-ins to such hits as “Ghostbusters”, “Airplane!”, “Weekend at Bernie’s”, “Highlander”, and “RoboCop”, I trust that’s really saying something). I’m encouraged that this third installment sees the return of director Barry Sonnenfeld, production designer Bo Welch and make-up master Rick Baker, along with Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones.
From the teaser trailer, it looks as though Josh Brolin (playing young Agent K) has completely nailed Jones’ deadpan delivery. Plus, I’ve always been a sucker for time-travel movies.
PROMETHEUS (June 8)
When I heard 20th Century Fox was going forward with a new “Alien” flick, I thought it was a foolhardy move, considering the loony “Alien: Resurrection” and the utter crap-fests that the quasi-canon “Alien vs. Predator” and its spawn “AvP: Requiem” turned out to be.
Anyone could be forgiven for snickering at the notion of a fifth (seventh?) “Alien” movie, but when I read Ridley Scott—the visionary filmmaker who launched the series in 1979—was slated to direct it, I checked my calendar to make sure it wasn’t the first of April. Then I changed my drawers. This was over a year ago. I’ve been following the production with guarded curiosity ever since, but have remained relatively spoiler-free.
For a while, I wasn’t sure if we’re supposed to approach this new film as a sequel, a prequel, a remake, a reboot or, as Sir Ridley has claimed, a stand-alone adventure that “exists in the same universe” as his original classic and is constructed of the same recognizable DNA. Our first peeks at the teaser trailers have revealed that “Prometheus” is indeed more of a direct predecessor to the original “Alien” than we were initially led to believe. I’m confident that with Ridley at the helm, this picture will be truly substantial, vast in scope and gorgeously realized. Even if it ultimately gets neutered by a PG-13. (As of this writing, there no word from the MPAA on the final rating.)
BRAVE (June 22)
One word: Pixar.
’Nuf said.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (July 3)
Rebooted, and filmed in 3-D. The trailers for this revisitation/embellishment of Spidey’s origin story look pretty solid, and I’m especially jazzed by the photorealism of the visual effects.
But, really, did we NEED a reboot so soon?
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (July 20)
There’s a veritable plethora of comic-book movies looming on the horizon, but of all the superhero adventures in the pipeline, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy-capper is the only one that really matters.
In fact, it comes with such high expectations it can’t help but be mind-bogglingly awesome or soul-crushingly wretched. First peek at the Prologue and the teaser trailers assure fans we’re in store for something stirring and epic.
THE BOURNE LEGACY (August 3)
A spin-off of the excellent Matt Damon spy thrillers, “Legacy” introduces Jeremy Renner as a contemporary of Jason Bourne. Director Tony Gilroy wrote the “Bourne Identity” trilogy, and the supporting cast includes returning players Joan Allen, Albert Finney and David Strathairn.
Feels like this potential franchise is in good hands.
TOTAL RECALL (August 3)
I’m a big fan of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger/Paul Verhoeven flick, but its make-up and visual effects, though cutting-edge for its day, have been begging for a remake since the day of its release.
Apparently, this interpretation is closer to Philip K. Dick’s original short story, and even if this remake never gets to Mars, that’s just fine by me.
↧
GINA CARANO To Star In FAST & FURIOUS 6
Gina Carano, the MMA athlete/actress star of Haywire is in talks to join the cast of Fast & Furious 6.
According to THR, Carano will play a member of the Diplomatic Security Service Agents led by Dwayne Johnson's character Luke Hobbs. The successful and popular franchise has already grossed over a billion with the five movies already out. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel will be returning as Brian O'Conner and Dominic Toretto, respectively. Other than casting, the plot is being kept under wraps.
Justin Lin will be returning to direct the sixth film. Chris Morgan, who wrote the last three films in the franchise, will write Fast Six. I doubt that's the title they will go with.
↧
My Heroes in a Half-Shell
When T.J. and I launched Why Love the '90s?, our general arrangement was that T.J. would be the wide-eyed '90s apologist, while I would act as the crank who hates on everything from that decade.
So far, I've more or less stayed in that lane, but there are some things that even I can't really hate.
And with all of the recent furor surrounding one of those things, I decided it's time to revisit my love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
And yes, I said Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles, not Alien Ninja Turtles or just Ninja Turtles. Michael Bay's upcoming reboot of the franchise has been discussed with much vigor--and in many fan quarters, venom--over the past couple of months.
Specifically, this has to do with his stated desire to change the origins of the heroes, a fundamental change that to me is on the level of not killing Uncle Ben in a Spider-Man movie.
There are certain things that have to happen regarding the Ninja Turtles, and while some of these details have and can change, one thing shouldn't and can't: four baby turtles have to get doused in mutagenic ooze and grow into human-sized intelligent mutants obsessed with pizza and trained in martial arts by a mutated rat who names them after his favorite Renaissance painters. It's a tale (almost) as old as time.
Meanwhile, Bay's version would see the Turtles reimagined as aliens, and you can see why the fanbase rebels against that.
Then again, time will tell how the changes work, or if they're even made. Even if Michael Bay cocks up Ninja Turtles--and for the new film, that will be the title, truncated for marketing purposes even though the full title should be recognizable to everyone--we'll still have the boys as we remember them.
However we choose to remember them.
However we choose to remember them.
It all began with the first issue of their eponymous comic book, back in 1984.
Co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird conceived the Turtles as a satirical take on the "grim 'n' gritty" era of comics (and specifically Frank Miller's Daredevil and Ronin), as well as the popularity of all things "mutant," given the success of X-Men and New Mutants at the time.
Co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird conceived the Turtles as a satirical take on the "grim 'n' gritty" era of comics (and specifically Frank Miller's Daredevil and Ronin), as well as the popularity of all things "mutant," given the success of X-Men and New Mutants at the time.
The first issue was an independent comics smash, and just a few years later, the Turtles were shot into the big time with an animated series and accompanying toy line. I remember seeing the first commercials for the show, which instantly intrigued and excited me.
The hype was worth it--the show was great, and having watched the first episodes again a few years back, I can say that they still hold up. It's a fun action cartoon no matter when you're watching it or how old you are. (And it blows my mind that sitcom hack Chuck Lorre wrote the classic, still awesome theme song.)
The hype was worth it--the show was great, and having watched the first episodes again a few years back, I can say that they still hold up. It's a fun action cartoon no matter when you're watching it or how old you are. (And it blows my mind that sitcom hack Chuck Lorre wrote the classic, still awesome theme song.)
The cartoon began in syndication in 1987, but was picked up by CBS in 1990, becoming a Saturday morning fixture until 1996--after a dreadful last couple of seasons which saw the show lose its trademark sense of humor and become dreadfully dark and dull.
During that time, there were multiple comic series (the original Mirage Comics title and a second title published by Archie that would split off from the animated continuity and develop its own surprisingly deep mythos), video games (a few of which are almost universally beloved), and even an album and concert tour.
And man oh man, the concert tour.
The Turtles actually took their act on the road in 1990, in a live stage show branded the "Coming Out of Their Shells Tour."
The crux of the show was that the Turtles became rock musicians, and alongside April O'Neil and Splinter, fought a Shredder (whose costume was so laughably terrible) who plotted to eliminate all music. There was an accompanying cassette, sold at fine Pizza Huts everywhere. I wore that out, singing along to songs like "Coming Out of Our Shells," "Sing About It," "Tubin'" and "Walk Straight," and annoying my dad by playing it in the car so much.
The crux of the show was that the Turtles became rock musicians, and alongside April O'Neil and Splinter, fought a Shredder (whose costume was so laughably terrible) who plotted to eliminate all music. There was an accompanying cassette, sold at fine Pizza Huts everywhere. I wore that out, singing along to songs like "Coming Out of Our Shells," "Sing About It," "Tubin'" and "Walk Straight," and annoying my dad by playing it in the car so much.
The most surreal moment of that entire period was the Turtles' appearance on Oprah to promote the show. If you can imagine Oprah interviewing four guys in foam turtle suits, asking questions to April about interspecies romance, then playing host to a visiting Shredder...you still can't imagine how weird it was to watch that as it aired.
Unless you saw them being interviewed by Barbara Walters.
Unless you saw them being interviewed by Barbara Walters.
However, if I had to choose one bit of TMNT to call a favorite, it would be the first movie. Not only do I consider it one of the finest comic book to film adaptations, I also consider it one of my absolute favorite movies.
For a time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the highest grossing film released by an independent studio (New Line). It definitely had huge hype leading up to its release, on the backs of the cartoon and toys. Amongst my friends and everyone else I knew, it was the most awaited movie of 1990.
And it was so good!
It still is. I have just about all of it memorized.
"Cricket! Nobody understands cricket! You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket!"
"Pizza dude's got thirty seconds."
"You're a claustrophobic!"
"You want a fist in the mouth? I've never even looked at another guy before!"
"You want a fist in the mouth? I've never even looked at another guy before!"
"Fight?"
"Fight."
"Kitchen?"
"Kitchen."
It's endlessly quotable, and I'm not doing myself any favors by spouting lines out of context, but I am doing it without the aid of IMDb. The first Turtles movie is just burned into my brain.
Despite excising the extraterrestrial and overtly fantastical elements that made their way into the cartoon (except, of course, mutated turtles and rats), the movie felt like a pretty close approximation of the characters and their world.
The essence of the property is still there. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo live in the sewers with their sensei/father figure Splinter, secretly protecting New York from crime, when their secret existence is compromised thanks to their rescue of reporter April O'Neil (skewing towards the animated version, rather than the lab assistant from the comics).
The essence of the property is still there. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo live in the sewers with their sensei/father figure Splinter, secretly protecting New York from crime, when their secret existence is compromised thanks to their rescue of reporter April O'Neil (skewing towards the animated version, rather than the lab assistant from the comics).
Despite landing on the story of the century, April becomes the Turtles' trusted friend, but nonetheless draws them into a battle with the Foot Clan, headed by the evil Shredder, who senses his own connection to the Turtles. When the Foot lays siege to the brothers' underground lair and kidnap Splinter, the Turtles, April, and sports-crazed vigilante Casey Jones hit the road in order to regroup and plan their assault on the Foot.
Though a few of the attempts at edginess (oh, Raphael's cursing!) come across as forced, the movie works most because the Turtles really seem like teenage brothers. They joke around, they bicker, they may tear into each other, but in the end, their love for each other seems much more real than you'd expect from overdubbed actors in rubber turtle suits.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles really is a well-done family actioner, which is more than I can say for the lesser sequels.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles really is a well-done family actioner, which is more than I can say for the lesser sequels.
After the original animated series left airwaves in 1996, the property cooled for a while. Saban developed a live-action series in 1997 called Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation--which is rightly derided and in some cases forgotten. The Turtles spent the bulk of the '90s as a nostalgic afterthought, until 4Kids Entertainment revived the brand in 2003 with a new animated series, which is pretty good in its own right.
But that's another decade, for another generation of kids to look upon with fondness. This is about the '90s, and during that time, Turtle Power reigned supreme in the world and in my heart.
↧
MEL GIBSON Looking to Join MACHETE KILLS
Robert Rodriguez is now working on a sequel to Machete, and Mel Gibson might have a role in Machete Kills.
According to Deadline, Gibson is in discussions to have a supporting role co-starring Danny Trejo as the former Federale with a penchante for blades of all sorts. In the sequel, Machete is "drafted by the U.S. government to track an arms dealer through Mexico before he can launch a rocket."
Gibson's role isn't yet defined, but he will be in the movie. Rodriguez has been looking at Gibson from early on along with Michelle Williams. There's no word yet on if she will be in the film.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Rodriquez has also said that he will be directing on his own this time unlike the original when he split the job with Ethan Maniquis. While that may be his plan, he also has the big sequel for Sin City also on his plate. "Machete looks like it’s going to go pretty quickly so it’s possible that I will direct the whole thing.”
↧
↧
FOG! Chats With The President Vampire's Author CHRISTOPHER FARNSWORTH About RED, WHITE AND BLOOD
I first heard of Christopher Farnsworth the week his first novel, Blood Oath was released in May 2010 and was completely hooked. It immediately became my "go to" recommendation for that year.
Last year, I did the same thing with his sophomore effort, The President's Vampire and will continue to recommend the series, as his third book, Red White and Blood is being released this week.
I can't recommend his work enough. If you are a fan of genre entertainment, there's a lot to enjoy here. If you enjoy conspiracy theories, Fortian phenomena and vampires, you'll dig it all the more.
Chris was kind enough to take some time out to discuss the series, the new book and what's coming up.
Red, White and Blood is the third book in the Nathaniel Cade series. What's the pitch for a reader unfamiliar with them?
The short version: Nathaniel Cade is a vampire who works for the President of the United States. He was bound by a blood oath to protect and serve the United States. He's worked for every president for 145 years as the first and last line of defense against the Other Side -- the supernatural forces that are waiting for a chance to take humanity down into the dark. He works with a human handler -- a political operative named Zach Barrows -- who relays the orders of the president and does the things Cade can't, like walk around in direct sunlight.
Cade is not a good guy. He's a monster. But he's our monster. And when things get ugly, he's there to bite back.
In the third book, Cade and Zach have to go on the campaign trail to protect the President from an unkillable serial killer called the Boogeyman.
I actually became a fan when the first one, Blood Oath, was released a few years ago. What was the genesis of the character?
The books are actually based on a true incident in American history: in 1867, President Andrew Johnson -- the one after Lincoln -- pardoned a sailor who was tried and convicted for killing two of his crew mates and drinking their blood. The papers called the sailor "a human vampire." There's no record of why Johnson pardoned the man. At least, not in the official story. (A writer named Robert Damon Schneck actually did all the real research into this, and I highly recommend reading his book.)
But I kept wondering, what would a president do if he actually had a real vampire at his disposal? What if there were this whole shadow war going on that the public only saw in nightmare glimpses? From there, I mixed in horror movies, comic books, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, and Mike Mignola. I wanted to create an alternate history where the War on Terror was really a cover for the War on Horror.
Red,White and Blood introduces the Boogeyman who is trying to kill The President. How did your vision for the Boogeyman develop?
The Boogeyman is basically the patron saint of serial killers. It's a spiritual parasite that takes over a human host and makes it stronger and tougher and then sets it out hunting for other humans. The idea started with Jason and Michael Myers and Freddy and every hook-handed urban legend you might hear around a campfire. But then, as I did more research, I found there really are some disturbing parallels with that idea in the details of real serial killings. Several serial killers -- such as BTK, Ted Bundy, the Zodiac, Son of Sam, the Night Stalker -- have all blamed a mysterious outside force for their crimes; some kind of demonic influence. And they all speak of it in similar terms. This goes all the way back to a killer known as "The Axeman of New Orleans," who talked about being a "fell demon from the hottest hell," and "collecting souls for the afterlife."
I figured something like that would be a pretty good match for a vampire.
The series has been mentioned to have ten volumes. Assuming you're working on the fourth, how detailed is your mythology and is there an overall arc planned?
I'm shooting for ten books to tell the whole story of Cade. There's a lot of history to cover, and I think there are a lot of places to have fun with the idea of a vampire working behind the scenes of real-world events.
The fourth book, which is outlined now, goes back into some of Cade's own personal history with Tania, the female vampire who's his occasional companion. She represents his greatest failure -- he swore he'd save her, and he didn't -- but she couldn't be happier. She loves being a vampire. In the fourth book, we find out how that happened.
As for the overall arc, the idea is to eventually reveal the great big bad guy behind the curtain, and have Cade take on the ultimate conspiracy against the United States and the human race. It's something vastly older and more powerful than he is, and I'm genuinely curious to see how he's going to manage to survive.
The second book originally had the title Black Site and this one was Red States. Why did the titles change?
This is where the modern business of book marketing comes in. My publisher thought thought both of those titles sounded a little generic. If you're going to have a vampire working for the president, after all, that's something you should put right on the cover. Looking at it that way, I agreed. I think with the new titles, people know that vampire mayhem is baked right into the book.
Blood Oath introduced Cade's new partner, Zach Barrows. As much as the series is about Cade, I feel like Barrows is the real focus.
Zach is the stand-in for the reader; he's the one who gets to see all of Cade's world for the first time. Aside from just being the new guy on the job, however, he's also learning how to be a hero, or at least heroic. Cade is the protagonist, but he's also fairly set in his ways -- he's over a 150 years old, after all. Zach can grow and change in response to his experiences. Zach started as a fairly shallow, opportunistic political animal. I like to think that with each book, he's growing to understand the seriousness of his role.
What scares you and what makes Cade scary?
You can see as many horror movies as you want, but it takes parenthood for you to really understand the meaning of terror. Since I've become a father, everything scares me: bad drivers, poorly maintained traffic lights, oversized kids playing on the toddler's jungle gym... There are days when the whole world seems like a trap filled with sharp objects and eye-threatening corners.
What makes Cade scary doesn't have anything to do with his fangs, his strength or his speed. Those are all factors that make him a more efficient predator. But what makes him scary is his utter ruthlessness. The reason Cade has been able to survive for so long in his work -- despite going up against much stronger and deadlier opponents -- is the fact that there is nothing he won't do to win. And this has the unfortunate side effect of being just as dangerous for his allies as his enemies.
I've been trying to cast these characters in my head and couldn't figure out who would be a good Cade; your choice of Christian Bale was perfect, and you chose Justin Long as Barrows. What is the status of the film?The movie was optioned by Lucas Foster, who also produced Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Law-Abiding Citizen.
Currently, it's still in development. I've met with the screenwriter and he's working on a treatment. So it's moving ahead.
As for casting, I'd still love to get Christian Bale, but he may be done with dressing like a bat now.
The books are as much about politics as they are anything else. There's a dramatic change at the end of Red, White and Blood. How much of Cade's blood oath is tied into the individual rather than the office? In other words, can his oath be used against him?
There's always a chance that America will elect someone to the office of the presidency who isn't a good guy. And if that happens, Cade is bound to follow his orders. No matter who is behind the desk in the Oval Office, Cade has to protect and serve that individual. There are limits, of course. Cade has said no to presidents before when the orders conflict with the very basic duties of his job -- like keeping innocent American citizens safe. But outside of those limits, Cade has to do as he's told. And yeah, theoretically, if a very bad guy got into the top job, then Cade would be his servant. Those are just the rules of the game.
I know you're a big fan of Jack Kirby and Grant Morrison. Any plans for Cade to come to comics and presuming you would write them, would you adapt the novels or possibly fill in the blanks of earlier chapters of Cade's life?
I would love for Cade to be in comics. If I got the chance, I think it would be incredibly cool to do some of the secret chapters of American history that don't necessarily fit into the novels in comic-book form. It would be a great way to expand Cade's world and show some of his interactions with earlier presidents. And the cool thing about comics is that it would be possible to show moments that don't fit in the confines of novels or TV or movies. I'd love to see Cade kicking ass across a full-color splash page, fighting horrors that would cost a billion dollars if you had to do them in CGI.
Who or what are the biggest influences on your work?
Shibumi by Trevanian, which I feel is still the best spy novel written; Bram Stoker and all his heirs; Stephen King; Mike Mignola; Neil Gaiman; Charles Fort; Lee Child; Joss Whedon; and the Hammer Horror films.
What's next besides Cade 4?
I just finished writing a book that doesn't have any supernatural elements, a crime novel that I'm putting the finishing touches on. And I'm working on a couple of new projects, including a new character who's Cade's opposite in every way -- a man who's so smart he's only challenged when he's solving world-ending problems, the kind that usually result in a mushroom cloud and an ominous silence. He operates completely in the daylight, completely in public, and is grounded totally in science.
What are you currently geeking out over?
I just finished reading an amazing book called Liminal States by Zack Parsons. It's a story that spans over a century and incorporates sci-fi, horror, Westerns, detective noir and a bunch of other genres, and manages to make them all work together. The prose is brilliant, truly. Just to give the barest idea of what's inside: two men in the old West, sworn enemies, discover a way to cheat death -- and find themselves locked together even as they distort the world with their presence. It's a hell of a ride.
Red, White and Blood arrives on April 26th
Blood Oath and The President's Vampire are available now
Blood Oath and The President's Vampire are available now
↧
CHARLIE KAUFMAN Will Adapt CHAOS WALKING For The Big Screen
Chaos Walking will be the latest trilogy of novels to see a big screen adaptation. Lionsgate will have Charlie Kaufman turning the young adult story into what could become a brand new franchise.
Deadline reports that the studio is hoping the Partrick Ness novel will catch on like the Hunger Games and start a new franchise. The story takes place in "a dystopian future with humans colonizing a distant earth-like planet." One kid is the only key to salvation when an infection breaks out that makes all thoughts audible. With privacy gone, control falls apart and corruption reigns.
Kaufman, known for adapting Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and The Orchid Thief, has a style of his own and ofter uses his creative imagination to incorporate scenes that were never in the source material.
↧
WHEN YOU WANT TO FEEL FREE, Jetman Will Be There
This is Yves Rossy a dude who was once in the Swiss Air Force but now RIDES AROUND IN HIS VERY OWN JET ROCKET PACK.
Yes, I said a Jet Rocket Pack.
Apparently he can only fly around in the sky for about ten minutes but judging from the video, it's a pretty awesome ten minutes.
I've never been so jealous in my life.
Source: Coilhouse
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
