Reverend's Preview: Hero Worship

Caped crusaders of various eras and genders will once again invade the Anaheim Convention Center, as the second Anaheim Comic Con runs there April 29-May 1. Presented by Wizard World, a multimedia company devoted to pop culture, the first Orange County event in 2010 drew a legion of fans, artists and collectors.

"Anaheim Comic Con was the most anticipated and attended new event of the Spring, and we are thrilled to come back to the Anaheim Convention Center with one of the hottest new shows going,” said Gareb Shamus, Wizard World CEO. “We will have an incredible array of celebrity guests, and many award-winning comic creators lined up.”

Superheroes have hit an all time high in terms of popularity. Whether on the printed page via comic books or graphic novels, on television (a new Wonder Woman series, starring Friday Night Lights' Adrianne Palicki, is due next season) or on the silver screen (see a list of upcoming superhero movies below), there is currently no shortage of fictional crime fighters vying for our attention. Their increased visibility in recent years seems to be a response to very real cultural needs such as the pursuit of justice and a heightened desire for national security as well as world peace. This may hold especially true for GLBT citizens. When we still don't have full equality in terms of marriage and other social benefits, or when homosexuality remains a criminal offense in some countries, who among us doesn't long for a hard-bodied man or woman with super powers in a form-fitting outfit to save us?

While nowhere near as gargantuan as the annual San Diego Comic Con that takes place each July, Anaheim's Comic Con will nonetheless feature many of the same talents and vendors that populate it. There are also more than 400 celebrity guests scheduled to appear during the Anaheim con's three days. Among these are the original TV Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward; John Schneider of The Dukes of Hazzard, Desperate Housewives and Smallville fame; True Blood's Michael McMillian; Nicholas Brendon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and, for the ladies, the lovely Claudia Christian (Look) and Erika Eleniak (Baywatch).

One great benefit of the Anaheim Comic Con over San Diego's I discovered last year is that the celebrities are much more accessible for conversations and autographs. Whereas one can wait in line for hours in San Diego, I was able to walk right up to Star Trek's Nichelle Nichol and "Catwoman" Lee Meriwether last year and had very pleasant, unrushed chats with both. I also got to take pictures of a very sexy attendee wearing a Captain Marvel costume that left nothing to the imagination!

Fans can also meet their favorite comic creators and artists, including Judd Winick (Power Girl, Justice League), William Stout (The Dinosaurs), Mike Grell (Green Arrow, Green Lantern), Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin), Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern, Superman/Batman), Mark Texeira (Wolverine, Moon Night), Michael Golden (Batman, Hulk), Greg Horn (Spider-Man) and, last but by no means least, openly gay Phil Jimenez (Amazing Spider-Man, Astonishing X-Men).

Children and adult attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero, villain or pop culture personality for the chance to win special prizes in costume contests. Event-goers may also try their hand at interactive product exhibits and shop for collectible comics, movie and television memorabilia, toys and games at more than 100 dealer booths.

Anaheim Comic Con is the fourth stop on Wizard World's 2011 North American tour. Tickets are available in advance online at the con's official site at a savings over tickets purchased at the door.

SUPERHEROES EXPLODE ON THE BIG SCREEN

Over the next few months, the largest number of comics-based spectacles yet released in one movie season will arrive in theatres. Holding out for a hero? Prepare to be rescued!

Thor (opening May 6): The mythic Norse god makes his movie debut under the direction of Shakespearean pro Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing) and with a cast that boasts Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins. Hot newcomer Chris Hemsworth plays Thor.

Priest (opening May 13): Paul Bettany (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) stars as a vampire hunter in this horror flick based on a Korean comic.  Star Trek's Karl Urban and Burlesque hottie Cam Gigandet co-star.

X-Men First Class (June 3): A reboot of the popular comics and movie series about warring mutants. Set in the early 1960's, the new film features younger versions of Professor X (James McAvoy of Wanted) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender from Inglorious Basterds) up against the Soviet Union and a villainous Kevin Bacon.

Green Lantern (June 17): Everyone's favorite hunky movie star, Ryan Reynolds, plays a military test pilot turned intergalactic policeman after a fateful encounter with a dying visitor from outer space. Peter Sarsgaard (Kinsey, An Education) co-stars as the new hero's alien-infected nemesis.

Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22): Chris Evans has already personified one classic hero, Johnny Storm, in the two Fantastic Four movies. Here, he faces his greatest challenge as a physically-enhanced soldier during World War II who must save America from an attack by Hitler's henchman, the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving of The Matrix).

Cowboys & Aliens (July 29): The title says it all in this big-screen adaptation of a graphic novel series. Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig don't play superheroes, but they are the best hope for a wild west town besieged by nasty space invaders.

Conan the Barbarian (August 19): Hunky Jason Momoa is tasked with filling Arnold Schwarzenegger's loincloth in this new version of the classic sword and sorcery character.

And just wait until 2012, when new Spider-Man, Batman, Wolverine and Superman movies are all scheduled to premiere!

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

Reverend’s Preview: Anaheim Comic Con

There will be more characters than usual roaming around the Disneyland Resort area this week, as the Anaheim Convention Center hosts the inaugural Anaheim Comic Con April 16-18. No doubt, a sizable number of GLBT comic book and pop culture fans will be among them.

One might think the massive Comic Con International held each summer in San Diego would have the southern California market cornered when it comes to superheroes, graphic novels, role-playing games and fantasy movies, as well as related toys and other memorabilia. Not so, according to the Anaheim event’s producer, Wizard Entertainment; as publisher of the pop culture magazine Wizard, the company knows well how keen interest is in more Comic Cons both locally and nationally. Wizard Entertainment presents several other such gatherings across the country each year.

Anaheim’s first Comic Con will be smaller than the San Diego event, but I welcome this as someone who has covered Comic Con International for several years now. Limited convention center space, parking and hotel rooms have made San Diego’s con increasingly difficult to attend. A formal proposal has been submitted to move Comic Con International to Anaheim in the future for at least one year, since the Anaheim Convention Center is a larger facility.

At press time, at least 150 celebrities and pop culture icons were confirmed to appear during the Anaheim Comic Con’s three days. They include Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner; Marvel Comics’ superhero creator, Stan Lee; Oscar-nominated actors Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica and Independence Day) and Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight); The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner; and Ilya Salkind, producer of Superman: The Movie and its first two sequels.

Other celebrities of more specifically GLBT appeal set to attend are the fabulous Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether, both of whom played Catwoman on the campy Batman TV series in the 1960’s (the late Eartha Kitt also served as the show’s feline femme fatale); Star Trek actress and GLBT supporter Nichelle Nichols; The Bionic Woman herself, Lindsay Wagner; Kathy Najimy of Sister Act and Hocus Pocus fame; sexy actor Kaj-Erik Eriksen (The 4400); pop music diva Taylor Dayne; and Linda Blair of The Exorcist, Roller Boogie and Chained Heat fame.

More than 400 exhibitor, celebrity and creator booths will be set up, giving attendees ample opportunity to peruse collectibles and pursue autographs. As at Comic Con International and other such conventions, guests are not only allowed but strongly encouraged to dress in costume as their favorite comic book, film, TV, game or other characters. There will be a costume contest on Saturday, April 17. Please note: There will be children present, so costumes must be kept “PG-13” with no nudity or anything too revealing. I anticipate there will be more than a few costumes inspired by Tim Burton’s current box office hit, Alice in Wonderland.

A feature unique to the Anaheim Comic Con will be a Horror Pavilion. Billed as “a celebration of all things gory and grisly,” the pavilion will feature writers, artists, actors and musicians who have contributed to the horror genre in comics, movies and TV. There are plenty of GLBT horror fans who will want to check the Horror Pavilion out … but don’t do so alone!

For complete information about the event and to purchase tickets, visit the official Anaheim Comic Con website.

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Reverend's Report from Comic-Con 2009

It's amazing how much more crowded Comic-Con, San Diego's annual celebration of pop culture, has gotten in a mere two years. This is likely due to heightened media attention from the likes of Entertainment Weekly and the Los Angeles Times, the latter of which now runs not only preview pieces but also a daily report from the con. I wasn't able to attend last year's event but had gone four years in a row prior. I never had to wait in lines as long nor be turned away from panels as often as I did this year.

Nonetheless, my partner (a.k.a. Movie Dearest's newest contributor, James Jaeger) — who is a truer connoisseur of comic books than I am — and I had great fun prowling the exhibit hall, checking out the costumes (OK, checking out the men in tights and/or hot pants), and attending those panels we were able to get into. A few other highlights for me:

— There were plentiful celebrity sightings and not just in conjunction with the sneak peeks of upcoming movies, most of which were impossible to get into. I saw babe-of-the-moment Megan Fox (the Transformers movies and next year's Jonah Hex) atop the multi-level Warner Brothers display, waving to the delight of the fanboys gathered below; the original Lt. Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, looking lovely if a bit overwhelmed; and the cast of the new Fox TV series Glee, including yummy Matthew Morrison (more on Glee in a bit).

The high point, however, was looking up from my cell phone in the exhibit hall after texting my partner about a rendezvous spot and finding Torchwood's Captain Jack Harkness himself, John Barrowman, undressing me with his gorgeous eyes! Like any gay fan of the polysexual BBC hero, I hightailed it over to say "Hi!" He was friendly, flirty and delightful as can be. I commended him on the excellent, just-broadcast-in-the-US Torchwood miniseries Children of Earth, and thanked him for his revealing TV special, The Making of Me, in which Barrowman explored the possible causes of homosexuality using himself as guinea pig. He's a great song and dance man, too, having appeared in numerous West End musicals and is the lead singing Nazi in the film version of The Producers musical.

— To the delight of the initially-dubious Fox TV execs present, the screening of Glee's second episode, "Showmance," and panel discussion with the cast and producers packed the hall and received a rousing reception. This was the episode's second public showing, after its debut last weekend before a much smaller crowd at Outfest. Glee is shaping up to be the hit of the fall season, although I'm not convinced it will be embraced by older — and straighter — viewers. As the panelists accurately stated over and over, "This ain't High School Musical." It's gayer, snarkier and generally smarter.

— Of the major upcoming movies trumpeted at Comic-Con, I'm most looking forward to the soon-to-be-released District 9; this fall's horror-comedy Zombieland; the occult western Jonah Hex (which looks and sounds more interesting than its fellow comics-inspired releases scheduled for next summer, The Green Hornet and Iron Man 2); Disney and Robert Zemeckis's 3-D take on A Christmas Carol; and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I have yet to see the first Twilight movie, but the posters of shirtless hottie Taylor Lautner have me convinced the sequel is going to be awesome!


I'm scared of 2012, not because of the subject matter but because it appears completely overwrought, as well as the toy-based Stretch Armstrong, which sounds lame. What's next, Weebles?

— The 22nd annual Gays in Comics panel Saturday night brought Comic-Con 2009 to a close for us. This year's participants included stalwarts Andy Mangels, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone and Phil Jimenez, plus newbies Perry Moore and Sina Grace. Moore is author of the very good novel Hero, which features a teenager coming to terms with both his super powers and his homosexuality. He revealed Showtime may be picking up a proposed TV series based on the book.


Grace was the youngest panel member, and held his own impressively. I'm planning to get a hold of his self-published illustrated novels Books with Pictures and the Orange County-set Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic. All had typically honest and inspirational things to say about their professional experiences as gay or lesbian artists, writers and/or artists who inspired them, and their hopes for the future of GLBT comics.

All in all, another full and fabulous weekend was had at Comic-Con International!

Report by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Comic-Con 2008: Wrap Up

Comic-Con 2008 came to a close yesterday, which means it is time for some gratuitous shots of sexy costumes!

Continuing the tradition started last year, here's another 300 hunk, along with a bevy of comely Disney vixens, a studly Superman, a bearish Wolverine, and a whole pack of sexy Jesuses. If you ever wondered what is was like to be a superhero-for-a-day, Cinematical's buxom-for-a-day Elisabeth Rappe (that's her Lara Croft with the Hamlet 2 gang) blogs all about it over on her home turf.

Save for the Watchmen confab and that out-of-nowhere Tron 2 teaser (catch the covert footage online while you can), there wasn't anything all that earth shaking this year. That is, unless you count some paltry information about remakes (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Friday the 13th, H.R. Pufnstuf, Red Sonja, The Wolfman) and sequels (The Evil Dead, I Am Legend, Punisher: War Zone, Scream 4, Terminator Salvation) nobody really asked for, not to mention movies just begging to be franchises (GI Joe, RocknRolla, The Spirit, Twilight). And then there is always the tantalizing news of exclusive footage that no one outside of the Con can see for now (most notably, an extended trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which keeps appearing and reappearing on the net ... let me know if you find it). Most glaring was the complete lack of anything regarding the new Star Trek movie. It seems that now that Hollywood has more or less taken over the Con, the studios are holding all the cards ... and they're playing them very close to their vests.

Nevertheless, Moviefone has a pretty thorough overview of the entire geektastic weekend (including a tease about the two name actors who star in the fictitious gay porn flick Shut Your Mouth Before I F*** It in Kevin Smith's raunchy comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno). And for more photo galleries of the fantastic fashions on display, visit Cinematical.com.

UPDATE: Who were the "hunks of Comic-Con"? Visit Thompson on Hollywood to find out. And for more of the best in retrospect, Cinematical has posted their "first annual Comic-Con awards!"

Reverend's Report from Comic-Con ... in Absentia

At the end of Comic-Con weekend here in Southern California, I hate to admit that I didn't make it down to San Diego for the first time in five years. I was registered and planned to attend Friday at least, but I had to stay in Long Beach on-call for my hospice "day job." Granted, tending to the dying is infinitely more important than movie previews and guys roaming around in 300 attire, but I still hated not being able to be there.

Alas, all was not lost. As my mother taught me when I was a kid: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" So I created my own, individualized Comic-Con weekend, with enough superheroes and genre events to tide me over until Comic-Con 2009:

Watchmen: I had been most excited about going to the Watchmen movie preview at Comic-Con on Friday. The trailer is amazing (and I'll give a special blessing to the first person to respond with the name of the prior comic book-inspired film that the Smashing Pumpkins song used in the trailer comes from). But Friday morning I realized, "I've had the original Watchmen graphic novel on my bookshelf for at least two years and have never read it!"

So on Friday, I started reading it. I haven't finished it yet, but suffice to say I could see within the first ten pages that the kudos heaped upon it since its publication in 1986 are well deserved. Great writing meets great, cinematic art, which will hopefully translate well to the big screen next March. Big, blue, naked Dr. Manhattan (personified by the talented, hot and digitally enhanced Billy Crudup in the film) is enough to get me to buy a ticket!

The Dark Knight: All indications were that it would have a huge opening weekend, so I didn't rush to see the latest Batman adventure. At the risk of upsetting my fellow critics and fans who have been raving about it, I think it's a very good movie but also highly overrated, not to mention overlong. The best movie of the year and/or best comic book movie ever? I think not. It struck me more as a classic-style gangster film than a superhero saga. There is too much talk/philosophizing/ moralizing, and at least three subplots and plot twists too many.

Heath Ledger was very good in a different interpretation of the Joker (especially when one lays it alongside his performance in Brokeback Mountain), but he wasn't necessarily better in the role than Jack Nicholson or even Cesar Romero. I think his untimely death has a lot to do with the adoration his performance is receiving.

The best performance in the movie is actually that of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I didn't expect Two-Face to be as significant in this film as he is, and it is really his story rather than the Joker's or even Batman's. I encourage my fellow critics and fans of the film to give the overshadowed Eckhart the accolades he deserves.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army: I knew nothing about Mike Mignola's comic Hellboy when the first film inspired by it was released in 2004. The character intrigued me, the movie engrossed me, and I was eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

As directed and largely designed by Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy II is frequently beautiful to look at but lacks the creepy, apocalyptic spirit of its predecessor. It's more of a fairy tale about elves trying to overthrow the human race, and Hellboy's being the son of Satan doesn't figure into it much. Ron Perlman, however, continues to surprise and amuse as the big red bad boy trying to fit in and do good.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe: Comic-Con wouldn't be complete each year without The X-Files making its presence known, so I caught Mulder and Scully's new movie sequel to the TV series. I hadn't heard much about it in advance and had only read one review (which didn't reveal much), so I really didn't know what to expect.

Wow! Not only is I Want to Believe the best-written movie of the summer so far, treating a number of very serious current topics (including same-sex marriage) in a profoundly mature way, it is also very well-directed by series creator Chris Carter; wonderfully acted by David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and the supporting cast; beautifully photographed by Bill Roe; and brilliantly edited by Richard A. Harris. Oh, and it's as eerie, scary and teasingly romantic as the series' best episodes were.

It didn't do very well at the box office this weekend (even Mamma Mia! grossed more), so please get out there and see it. Be sure to stay through the end credits!

Clearly, one doesn't have to go to San Diego each summer in order to have a Comic-Con experience. But Comic-Con is unique, and I'll look forward to returning there next summer, along with 125,000-plus of the craziest and coolest people on the planet.

UPDATE: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The X-Files: I Want to Believe and The Dark Knightare now available on DVD from Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Franco as Ginsberg

Here's some unexpected queer cinema scoop from Comic-Con, of all places. While promoting his next movie Pineapple Express, James Franco revealed to MTV News that he has been cast as legendary "Beat Generation" poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl, an upcoming documentary by the award winning team of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

Considering that it is a documentary, I'm not exactly sure how Franco could "play" Ginsberg; perhaps in reenactments and/or voice-overs. Interestingly enough, this will be the second time this year in which Franco went "gay for pay" on film. He will also portray Scott Smith, Harvey Milk's lover, in Gus Van Sant's biopic Milk, due this December.

Epstein and Friedman are no doubt familiar to Movie Dearest readers as the creators of such seminal gay docs as The Celluloid Closet, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt and, ironically, The Times of Harvey Milk. The latter two films won Academy Awards.

Jumpin' Jupiter

Of all the buzz-worthy properties buzzing about this year's Comic-Con, perhaps the buzziest is Watchmen, Zack Snyder's eagerly awaited big screen adaptation of the landmark graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Even with the first trailer still fresh in our minds, and the film's official website just re-launched, there was still plenty of other fresh information to impart to the fan masses at the Con. So much so that Cinematical posted not one but two reports on the official Watchmen panel. Highlights included:

- Extended clips showed why this movie won't be anywhere near a PG rating, including Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) "kicking lots of ass in Vietnam". (And remember, Dr. Manhattan is big, blue and bald. And naked.)
- A look at the mask of Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), which can change its freaky inkblot visage, in action.
- Regarding Patrick Wilson's Night Owl: "Yes, he does have a paunch." Too bad for us Wilson watchers.
- Some sexy moments between a redheaded Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter (a.k.a. the original Silk Spectre; that's her in the accompanying illustration, by artist James Jean) and a sleazy Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian, who had this to say about getting into character: "I found getting in the costume and sticking a cigar in my mouth really got me in the mood to kill people".
- Most of the sets were real, not green screen, as in Snyder's 300.
- And finally: Matthew Goode (currently in Brideshead Revisited) was told this by a friend when he was cast as Ozymandias: "Looks like you're playing another gay, but this one's a stoner".

Watchmen opens in theaters March 6, 2009.

Wolf Blitzkrieg

The Wolfman crew were out in force at Comic-Con yesterday, and attendees not only got a look at the trailer (alas, not online as of yet), but also a bunch of information about the eagerly awaited remake of the Lon Chaney Jr. monster mash classic. Most reassuring was this comment from the new film's makeup maestro, Rick Baker: "the whole movie is a nod to the original".

The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston (Hidalgo) and starring Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving, is scheduled to open April 3, 2009.

Up With Pixar

So what's next for Pixar after the critical and financial success of WALL-E? Well, things are looking Up.

The computer animation giant was at Comic-Con today to preview their next feature (directed by Monsters, Inc.'s Pete Doctor) and it sounds like they have another winner on their hands.

Click here for a charming sneak peek of the film, in theaters May 29, 2009.

Doing the New Tron Dance*

In this day and age of instant information via the internet, where every minute detail of motion picture productions are broadcast worldwide in the time it takes to click a mouse, you got to give Disney props for what they pulled off yesterday at Comic-Con.

At the tail end of a presentation for the upcoming "re-imagining" of Escape to Witch Mountain titled Race to Witch Mountain, the Mouse House dropped a bomb that must have had the fanboys wetting their Underoos with glee. Not only did they confirm without a doubt that the long rumored sequel to Tron was being made, they actually showed footage from it. And not just any footage, but footage featuring The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. Both the MTV Movies Blog and ComingSoon.net have play-by-plays of the clip, which will likely not be seen by we the masses anytime soon.

No other details of Tron 2 (or, annoyingly, Tr2n) were given, but Imdb lists a 2010 release date.

* Anyone else remember when the Pointer Sisters performed their hit "The Neutron Dance" on some Disney TV special back in the early 80's? There were actually dancers, clad in the familiar Tron costumes, dancing the, well, neutron dance. I tried in vain to find a video of it online, to no avail. So much for the internet ...

UPDATE: See it while you can: cam footage of the Comic-Con trailer.

Stardate 2008: Comic-Con Commences

That rumbling noise you hear coming from the west coast is the sound of millions of fanboys and girls descending upon the San Diego Convention Center for the 2008 Comic-Con. And, as the official schedule attests, there will be plenty of movie and television related events, as Hollywood has caught on to the marketing power of having all those fans in one place at one time (a very crowded place, too; Variety reports that Los Angeles and Las Vegas are trying to woe the con away from San Diego to larger pastures).

In addition to Star Trek (which will be handing out the nifty posters displayed above), notable films and TV shows that will have a presence at Comic-Con this year include Bitch Slap, Disney's Bolt, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Death Race, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, Friday the 13th, GI Joe, Hamlet 2, Land of the Lost, Lost, Max Payne, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Pineapple Express, Punisher: War Zone, Quarantine, Race to Witch Mountain, Red Sonja, Repo! The Genetic Opera, RocknRolla, The Spirit, Terminator Salvation, Twilight, Pixar's Up, Watchmen, The Wolfman, and Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, plus world premiere screenings of Lost Boys: The Tribe (the sequel to The Lost Boys that will be released on DVDJuly 29) and the one movie that couldn't be more fitting in this environment: Fanboys.

If last year is any indication, there will be a lot of news and such flying out of Southern California and onto the internets, so we'll try to post the relevant information here at Movie Dearest. Plus, our own Chris Carpenter (fresh off his Outfest assignment -- and didn't he do a great job with that, by the by?) will be braving the crowds of Klingons and Caped Crusaders on Friday. Expect a report from him this weekend; in the meantime, Entertainment Weekly has a pictorial preview of all the goings-on planned for this year's Comic-Con.

I Went to Comic Con, and All I Got Was This "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" T-Shirt

Going to Comic-Con? Want to see Hamlet 2? Better yet, want one of these rockin', sexy "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" t-shirts?

Visit Cinematical to find out how.

UPDATE: And this year's Oscar for Best Original Song goes to ... this.

Poster Post: The Spirit is Willing

Although it doesn't open until next January, Frank Miller's big screen adaptation of the classic Will Eisner comic book The Spirit is suddenly all over the place, with this new poster and a nifty new teaser trailer. Very Sin City-ish ... and Morricone-y.

In more comic book-cum-movie news (can you tell the New York Comic Con is this weekend?), it appears that that big Justice League movie, plagued with negative buzz and production delays, has finally been laid to rest ... for now, at least.

UPDATE: Due to positive response, the release date for The Spirit has been moved from January 2009 to Christmas day 2008.

Comic-Con '07: That's a Wrap!

This year's Comic-Con is history and let me tell you, if all the geeks who dressed up looked like this Spartan 300 dude, then the joint would have been even more crowded. (No offense to geeks, of course ... the whole pot/kettle/black thing.)

To wrap things up, some odds and ends from around the web:
- For a lot of blood, a little skin and a few choice four-letter words, check out the R-rated trailers for 30 Days of Night, Beowulf and Shoot 'Em Up. That last one looks like a hoot and a half, with a badass Clive Owen, a homicidally wacky Paul Giamatti, a baby and a carrot.

- On the G-rated front, WALL·E was not the only Pixar-related news: a collection of their award-winning shorts will hit DVDthis November 6 (which will reportedly also see the release of Ratatouille). In addition to such favorites as Geri's Game, For the Birds and Boundin', a documentary on the creation of the animation powerhouse, The Pixar Story, will also be included on the disc, which will be released both in standard and Blu-Ray formats.

I expect there will also be some kind of sneak preview of WALL·E as well; in the meantime, take a look-see at the collectable WALL·E postcards that were handed out at the Con.

- As for the superhero franchises (this was Comic-Con, after all): Check out the super-cool Hellboy 2 poster; Sam Raimi talks Spider-Man 4 (you knew that was coming); Seth Green talks Green Hornet (not a comedy); and get this - Edward Norton wrote the script for The Incredible Hulk.

Hope you caught that Iron Man footage on YouTube earlier this week, 'cause it ain't there no more. In addition, Jon Favreau discusses the possibility of a whole mess of heroes hitting the big screen in a Marvel Universe movie ... and that sound you heard was millions of fanboys' heads exploding in anticipation.

And sure, Tony Stark may have an awesome ride, but he uses the john just like the rest of us.

- My sources say that J.J. Abrams' mystery project (a.ka. 01.18.08 and/or Cloverfield) will be titled ... Monstrous. Or it could be Furious or Overnight depending on who you talk to ...

- Bond 22 does not have a title yet either, but it may have a new Bond girl.

- And finally, in all things Indiana Jones: Frank Darabont talks about his script (that wasn't used); co-star John Hurt doesn't say much about his secret role; and take a look at the Con exclusive poster ... and a plot synopsis. Turns out Marion is not the only aspect of the Raiders of the Lost Ark to return for the fourth film after all.

Links via Cinematical.com, ComingSoon.net, ObsessedWithFilm.com, UpcomingPixar.blogspot.com, Amazon.com, Variety.com, KungFuRodeo.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com and IGN.com.

Comic-Con '07: Bumps in the Night

Don't be scared, it's only a bunch of horror movies ...

- Trick 'r Treat (pictured) looks like good scary fun ... so why isn't it opening this Halloween?

- Apparently, all former metal heads take the natural career progression from rock music to slasher flicks. Following in the footsteps of Rob Zombie, Twisted Sister Dee Snider directs his own splatterfest, Hatchet.

- For more gore for your buck, check out the R-rated trailer for Resident Evil: Extinction, via the good folks at Cinematical.

- Don't miss Clive Barker's explanation how he came up with the title for Midnight Meat Train, courtesy of The Movie Blog.

- First The Shawshank Redemption, then The Green Mile, then The Mist, due out later this year; Frank Darabont sure has a thing for Stephen King. Darabont will next tackle The Long Walk, an adaptation of one of King's Richard Bachman books.

- Underworld 3, any one?

- Question: what would happen if a horde of vampires descended on a town without sunlight for a whole month? 30 Days of Night is the answer.

- In more vamp news, Fox 2000 pays a pretty penny for the rights to The Passage, a trilogy of terror set in an apocalyptic future.

- Looks like Jessica Alba inherited Sigourney Weaver's Ghostbuster kitchen appliances in The Eye.

- And whoever designed the international poster art for Saw IV sure knows how to get ... ahead.

Links via MovieWeb.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, MoviesBlogMTV.com, Cinematical.com, TheMovieBlog.com, Bloody-Disgusting.com and Variety.com.

Comic-Con '07: Fantastic Films

Even more news from the 'Con of Wrath' (and elsewhere), this time focusing on the science fiction and fantasy genres:

- Michelle Pfeiffer, who looks absolutely fetching in her goat-drawn chariot (pictured), stars in Stardust as a witch who will go to any extreme to retain her eternal youth (not unlike some people I know). Robert De Niro co-stars as a pirate who may-or-may-not be gay.

- If you, like me, were a little nonplussed by the original trailer for The Golden Compass, then do yourself a favor: watch this. This extended footage (first seen at the Con) ditches the trailer's stretching to connect it to The Lord of the Rings (way to set yourself up for failure, New Line) and instead focuses on what appears to be the film's strongest asset, the story. Whatever doubts I had are gone; this looks like a must-see. Plus, with a fierce Nicole Kidman and a scruffy Daniel Craig, how could you go wrong?

- Fans of Korean giant dragon movies, take note: Dragon Wars is coming.

- A fantasy movie based on a series of popular children's books that "center on a group of young children as they’re introduced to a magical world"? ... I don't know, David Strathairn, The Spiderwick Chronicles sure sounds like Harry Potter to me.

- For the upcoming remake of Death Race 2000, tough guys Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson take on the roles originally played by David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone in Roger Corman's original. And who is their ultimate nemesis? Joan Allen. Seriously.

- Hey, fanboy, wanna be in Fanboys?

- If you were as impressed with The Descent as I was, then director Neil Marshall's next film Doomsday should spike your radar ... even if it does sound like 28 Weeks Later.

- "Booed at Cannes". There is just no way Richard Kelly's Southland Tales can ever get away from that fact. But it sure as hell sounds interesting.

Links via StyleScenes.LATime.com, AfterElton.com, AfterEllen.com, YouTube.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com and Cinematical.com.

Comic-Con '07: Toon Up

The latest crop of animation ranges from the "wow" to the "whatever":

- The new teaser for Blue Sky's Horton Hears a Who starts out impressive ... until the elephant opens his mouth and out comes Jim Carrey. And it just goes further downhill once you hear the Who, and it's Steve Carell. I swear, what happened to the good old days when the most famous person in an animated film was Thurl Ravenscroft? And aren't Dr. Seuss characters supposed to speak in rhyme?

- I'm still not sold on this whole mo-cap thing. Tell me, what is the point of making animation so photo-realistic, as in the Beowulf trailer, instead of just doing it in live action?

- In the paw steps of Garfield and Underdog comes Alvin and the Chipmunks ... and they don't look much better.

- The Weinsteins are trying to get their feet wet in animation with Igor, a computer animated comedy that sounds like warmed-over Shrek leftovers. And, yes, it will have a star-studded cast (sigh), including the recently added Eddie Izzard, replacing Jeremy Piven as a mad scientist.

- And the film that will likely be more entertaining then these other four combined, Pixar's WALL·E, was presented at Comic-Con by its director, Andrew Stanton (who won the Oscar for Finding Nemo). Hopes are high for this one, and from what has been said about it, it looks to be another winner. Plus, the title character doesn't speak like a famous person.

Links via Video.aol.com, Members.aol.com, Apple.com, Movies.aol.com, Cinematical.com and YouTube.com.

Comic-Con '07: Continuing Adventures

Further news from this weekend's Comic-Con and elsewhere, focusing on sequels and other continuing series.

- The big news this past week was the confirmation that Zachary Quinto (Heroes' nasty Sylar) has been cast as the younger Spock in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot. More surprising is that Leonard Nimoy has been coaxed out of retirement to don once more his famous Vulcan ears for the new film (likely in some form of framing device). The film's first poster art (above), charmingly retro, was also revealed.

- We, like Cinamatical and The Guardian, like our Bond "more gritty, less quippy". Eon Productions, please take note. In related news, Daniel Craig is now the highest paid actor in England. And he still won't return my calls.

- Rachel Weisz (who nabbed her Oscar and ran) is out; Maria Bello is in as Brendan Fraser's ladylove for the third Mummy movie, rather clumsily titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Here's some more casting news for the flick, courtesy Obsessed With Film.

- Per our sources, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian looks like "more of the same". And from this peek at the concept art, we would have to agree. This second chapter, which is currently filming in Prague, will be released next May, with subsequent chapters to follow suit.

- Cars 2, any one? Can't say that I blame them; the merchandise is doing alarmingly well.

- More from the Mouse House: To wet your appetite (or possibly quench it) for another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Disney may turn to TV for the next adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow.

- From the "Nope, Nothing to See Here" file: Borat 2. As one of the few people who loathed the first movie, I say "thank goodness".

- From the "Don't Count on it Anytime Soon" file, Robert Rodriguez sub-file: Sin City 2 and Grindhouse 2. Hey Robert, maybe the following quote has something to do with the delays "due to issues apparently involving the Weinsteins": "we [would] kill Harvey Weinstein in the movie". Ya think?

- And from the "Who Asked for That?" file: Meatballs 5. I had no idea there was more then two ...

Links via HollywoodReporter.com, Cinematical.com, Guardian.co.uk, UltimateJamesBond.wordpress.com, StarPulse.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, NarniaWeb.com, ComingSoon.net, JVPixarNews.blogspot.com, Hollywood.com, SuperHeroHype.com and FilmWad.com.

Poster Post: 01.18.08/Cloverfield

Chances are you have already seen the voyeuristically scary teaser trailer for producer J.J. Abrams' next film project. Still untitled (what, is this a trend?), the vague advance marketing for the film, codenamed either 01.18.08 or Cloverfield (depending on which day of the week it is), will either pay off big time come January or fizzle out, Snakes on a Plane-style, from too much fanboy over-expectations.

In any event, the teasing continues with this poster image, released this weekend at Comic-Con, showing the other end of the carnage seen in the trailer. My opinion on the beastie that beheaded Lady Liberty? I say it's ol' Smokey ...

Links via YouTube.com, Imdb.com and Wikipedia.org.

Comic-Con '07: Four Color Fun

The 38th Annual San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing this weekend, and the makers of all the remotely genre-related movies lined up for the next year or so are making announcements faster then the Millennium Falcon in warp speed ... or something like that. This first batch of items will cover various comic book and superhero franchises, so get your geek on.

- The Dark Knight just keeps us wanting more. If you're itching for more of Heath Ledger's Joker then just the picture above, you can also hear him in the newly released teaser trailer (tease is right; there are no actual scenes in this trailer, just dialogue). And yes, that is Maggie Gyllenhaal above, taking over for Katie Holmes as Batman's damsel Rachel Dawes. To read how Gyllenhaal feels about her predecessor, visit Cinematical.

- The eagerly awaited film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary graphic novel Watchmen just got closer to reality. Major casting has been announced, and a few of our favorites will soon be donning the ol' cape and cowl for 300 director Zach Snyder's next epic. As previously rumored, Billy Crudup will be the big blue Dr. Manhattan (although reportedly via Davy Jones-like motion capture CGI). Patrick Wilson is Night Owl, the Superfriendly Batman-type, and his Little Children co-star Jackie Earle Haley is Rorschach, the "dark and broody" Batman-type. Grey's Anatomy's Denny Duquette, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, will play "The Comedian", although something tells me he won't be funny. Rounding out the cast are Matthew Goode as the "glamorous Ozymandias" and Malin Akerman as the token female do-gooder, Silk Spectre. If this all sounds a bit confusing, head over to Obsessed With Film for the official plot synopsis as well as a look at the Con-exclusive poster. You'll have plenty of time to soak up the back-story: the announced opening date: March 6, 2009.

- Other DC Comics-to-films possibly in the works are the Justice League of America, the Teen Titans, Captain Marvel (Shazam!) and Jonah Hex.

- A slimmed-down Jon Favreau introduced some Iron Man clips at the Con that haven't made their way online yet. Samuel L. Jackson (as Nicky Fury) and Hilary Swank (as Black Widow possibly) will reportedly appear in cameo roles in this film, setting them up for possible spin-offs.

UPDATE: Watch it while you can: the Iron Man footage seen at the Con, courtesy of Obsessed With Film. If the actual footage is officially released, I'll post it ASAP; this is a phone cam job via YouTube.

- The Incredible Hulk, the sequel-that-is-not-really-a-sequel, is currently filming, with Edward Norton filling the purple pants of Eric Bana (yeah, I don't see it either). Tim Blake Nelson has been cast as the villainous Leader, a green-skinned baddie with a GIANT BRAIN (yeah, I don't see it either).

- Elsewhere around the Marvel Universe, the Silver Surfer and the Black Panther may have directors, while the Punisher has a new actor.

- Seth Rogan wants Kung Fu Hustle star Stephen Chow to be Kato to his Green Hornet.

- Meet Doug Jones, the unseen star of Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the upcoming Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

- Who knew Rosario Dawson and Guy Ritchie had their own comic books? Which will be made into movies, of course.

- The team behind Disturbia will next take on Vertigo Comics' Y: The Last Man for New Line.

- And finally, Todd McFarlane wants a do-over for his Spawn.

Links via Comic-Con.org, YouTube.com, Cinematical.com, Variety.com, MoviesBlog.MTV.com, ObsessedWithFilm.com, TheMovieBlog.com, BlackFilm.com, LATimes.com, Premiere.com, Imdb.com and HollywoodReporter.com.