5:54 PM
Billy...
Here's a look at Nolan North rocking Deadpool in the upcoming Wolverine vs Hulk DVD.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Why aren't you watching THE CLONE WARS?
If you missed The Clone Wars series on the Cartoon Network I highly recommend giving it a chance. Yes, I am a Star Wars dork who grew up with the original trilogy, but like many I was monumentally disappointed by the three car pile-up that was the prequel trilogy. However, this new series produced by 
George Lucas is better written and a lot more fun than the last three films. As a kid, I was always mystified by the Clone Wars when Obi Wan mentioned them in "A New Hope". Were the Jedi fighting against the clones? Was the war over the ethics of Cloning? Who knew? Finally our questions would be answered in the prequel trilogy and they completely skip over them! This series finally shows it in all it's droid, clone, and jedi butt-kicking glory. First, this isn't kid stuff. Sure its premiere was the most watched series premiere in Cartoon Network's history, but it's rated PG. There is a surprising amount of violence in this show, people get blown away, run through with light sabers, and clone troopers get mercilessly sucked out into the vaccume of space. Also, this show doesn't just focus on Obi Wan and Anakin, (By the way, the animated Anakin is a much better actor than Hayden Christensen!) many Jedi are spotlighted like Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, some guy named Yoda, and there is even an episode focusing on a group of Clone rookies! And yes, one episode did feature Jar Jar Binks, but just one! And with 10 episodes aired that's a pretty good ratio. Also, I gotta say I am a big General Grevious fan, and we didn't get to see nearly enough of him in the films. In the series he is pretty much the central bad guy, and he is a great villian with one of the coolest voices ever. Cartoon Network has been showing Clone Wars marathons during the holidays, a great way to catch up when the new episodes start in January, so check it out already!
[Entry by Jeff Beckley -Hopefully, the first of many. ]
George Lucas is better written and a lot more fun than the last three films. As a kid, I was always mystified by the Clone Wars when Obi Wan mentioned them in "A New Hope". Were the Jedi fighting against the clones? Was the war over the ethics of Cloning? Who knew? Finally our questions would be answered in the prequel trilogy and they completely skip over them! This series finally shows it in all it's droid, clone, and jedi butt-kicking glory. First, this isn't kid stuff. Sure its premiere was the most watched series premiere in Cartoon Network's history, but it's rated PG. There is a surprising amount of violence in this show, people get blown away, run through with light sabers, and clone troopers get mercilessly sucked out into the vaccume of space. Also, this show doesn't just focus on Obi Wan and Anakin, (By the way, the animated Anakin is a much better actor than Hayden Christensen!) many Jedi are spotlighted like Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, some guy named Yoda, and there is even an episode focusing on a group of Clone rookies! And yes, one episode did feature Jar Jar Binks, but just one! And with 10 episodes aired that's a pretty good ratio. Also, I gotta say I am a big General Grevious fan, and we didn't get to see nearly enough of him in the films. In the series he is pretty much the central bad guy, and he is a great villian with one of the coolest voices ever. Cartoon Network has been showing Clone Wars marathons during the holidays, a great way to catch up when the new episodes start in January, so check it out already![Entry by Jeff Beckley -Hopefully, the first of many. ]
RESIDENT EVIL: DEGENERATION
Have you ever sat around playing Resident Evil and thought, "Wow! This stuff is better than that crap that they've been putting in the movies. They should just CGI a movie like this". Well, speculate no more. It's here.
TROOPS [1998]
I know this piece is ten years old, but it's held up well over time. This was probably the first really well done parody I had ever seen online. Troops is a Cops parody featuring Stormtroopers (well, technically Sandtroopers) on Tattooine in a couple of very familiar scenarios from the original Star Wars film. It shows that these misunderstood Imperial soldiers were just, you know, doing there duty to keep the peace. Nothing wrong with that, right? Oh, and for you MST3K fans, if you pay close attention you'll notice that the officers have recovered a certain Mr. Tom Servo from the Jawas sandcrawler.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Will we get to watch the Watchmen?
It was the movie they said would never get made, and now it looks like it may be the movie that never gets seen. With it's March release date looming, there's a chance that the Watchmen movie may not see the light of day until 2011 or beyond. The Warner Bros. property (DC Comics is a subsidiary of WB) has switch hands from Fox, to Universal, then Param
ount where it is finally being produced together with Warner Bros. and during that whole time not a peep came from Fox. In fact, Zack Snyder had signed to helm the project and the film was deep into production when bits of the movie started showing up online and causing quite a buzz of excitement. It wasn't until that point, when the movie was all but completed and fans were primed to finally see Watchmen that Fox called foul claiming that they still held certain proprietary rights to distribution of the film (that WB wasn't even aware of). Now Fox has taken the matter to court and apparently is less interested in settling than they are keeping the film from being released at all. To complicate matters more, on Christmas Eve the court ruled that Fox did in fact hold certain rights the film, but all of that was between Fox and producer Lawrence Gordon who brought the property to Fox in the first place. It's Gordon and not WB that is liable here, but he refused to testify in the initial hearing and now the judge, Gary A. Feess has ruled that any information that Gordon has that would go against the judge's ruling is not allowed. That means that if it turns out that WB is within their rights and all wrong doings are between Gordon and Fox, that will no longer matter. In fact, the man who took the property from Fox to Paramount (Gordon) isn't even a defendant in what's going on. The person responsible and who cashed in on the deal is not liable. Yeah, that sounds like justice. In actuality, the judge even decided to rule in favor of Fox without a hearing. When laywers for WB protested the lack of due process, the Judge Feess stated that he planned to move on to the question of remedies rather than fight the issues again. The problem with that is that if WB is within their rights to distribute this film, which is the main issue, then remedies are incidental. There is a court date set for January 6, 2009 to try to get this settled before the March 6th release date, but Fox has no intention at this time of letting this film see the light of day and Judge Feess has stated that the release of the film could very well be blocked if the dispute isn't settled in time. So, Fox decided not to make a film, they were cool with it going to Universal, they were cool with it going to Paramount, they were alright with Warner Bros. (who actually owns the property)/Paramount finally making a film out of it, but when it was clear that this film could be lucrative they decide that they still have the distribution rights to the property. They're like a little kid who doesn't want a toy until they see someone else enjoying it. Of course, I can't blame them since Fox is notorious for not being able produce a blockbuster movie anymore. Fox claims it never fully relinquished story rights from its deal made in the late 1980s, and sued Warner Bros. in February. Warner Bros. contended Fox isn't entitled to distribution. Warner Bros.' attorney said Monday he didn't know if an appeal was coming, but thinks a trial is necessary and a settlement unlikely. In my opinion I believe that 20th Century Fox thought that if they waited until Warner Bros. had already financed the film and production was all but complete to stake a claim that they would have WB in a corner and gain incredible leverage, which at this point seems to be the case. So, now what do they want? You know, Fox has been begging WB for the rights to distribute the old Batman TV series for years, maybe they can just trade distribution rights straight up. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
"9" Trailer
I recently posted the animated short "9" on GeekSexy from the Animation Show series and made mention that creator Shane Acker was currently in a deal to make "9" a full-length feature. Well, apparently production is much further along than I thought since just a few days ago an official trailer for the film was released online. So, here it is, the first trailer for the upcoming animated film "9":
Friday, December 26, 2008
Miller's solo directorial debut has no Spirit
We've all seen the fantastic trailers for The Spirit movie and immediate comparisons to Frank Miller's own Sin City come up. The pulp feel. The classic vernacular. The colorful characters. I guess the biggest difference between the two is that Sin City was actually good. The Spirit,
although visually breathtaking, has nothing else to offer. The story is empty. The acting is flat. But, man, is it pretty! And for that reason many people will hear how extremely bad this movie is and they still won't be able to stay away. Don't say you weren't warned. I guess the best part about all the negative reviews is that now people have a better chance of walking into the theater expecting Batman and Robin and come out feeling like they saw The Dark Knight (well, maybe Batman Returns). Unfortunately, I did not have those expectations. I couldn't wait to
see this film. I couldn't understand why it was going to be in black and white when Will Eisner's classic stories consisted of vibrant hues and colorful suits, but I thought, "Frank Miller knows what he's doing. Look at Sin City. Even if it ends up more like another entry in that series, I'm cool with that." Well, it turns out that it was Robert Rodriguez who knew what he was doing with Sin City. Don't get me wrong, Miller can paint quite a pretty picture and tell a heck of a story, but when it comes to getting the most from his actors...did I already mention that he paints a pretty picture? The only real kudos for this film would have to go to cinematographer Bill Pope for delivering a film that is actually more enjoyable with the volume off. Miller originally refused to direct this picture when he was approached at his good friend Will Eisner's funeral. Even when accepted he had no desire to make this film, he just didn't want anyone else to because he didn't want anyone screwing it up. I guess he wanted to save that embarrassment all for himself.
although visually breathtaking, has nothing else to offer. The story is empty. The acting is flat. But, man, is it pretty! And for that reason many people will hear how extremely bad this movie is and they still won't be able to stay away. Don't say you weren't warned. I guess the best part about all the negative reviews is that now people have a better chance of walking into the theater expecting Batman and Robin and come out feeling like they saw The Dark Knight (well, maybe Batman Returns). Unfortunately, I did not have those expectations. I couldn't wait to
see this film. I couldn't understand why it was going to be in black and white when Will Eisner's classic stories consisted of vibrant hues and colorful suits, but I thought, "Frank Miller knows what he's doing. Look at Sin City. Even if it ends up more like another entry in that series, I'm cool with that." Well, it turns out that it was Robert Rodriguez who knew what he was doing with Sin City. Don't get me wrong, Miller can paint quite a pretty picture and tell a heck of a story, but when it comes to getting the most from his actors...did I already mention that he paints a pretty picture? The only real kudos for this film would have to go to cinematographer Bill Pope for delivering a film that is actually more enjoyable with the volume off. Miller originally refused to direct this picture when he was approached at his good friend Will Eisner's funeral. Even when accepted he had no desire to make this film, he just didn't want anyone else to because he didn't want anyone screwing it up. I guess he wanted to save that embarrassment all for himself.Wednesday, December 24, 2008
All-new Monsters vs Aliens trailer
Here is the all-new, all-different trailer for the upcoming Dreamworks Animation picture Monsters vs Aliens, now with more fiber!
[FIRST LOOK: MONSTERS VS ALIENS]
[FIRST LOOK: MONSTERS VS ALIENS]
A Wish for Wings That Work
With the Christmas season upon us I thought I would share with you one of my favorite Christmas movies off the beaten path, A Wish for Wings That Work, starring Opus the penguin and Bill the psycho cat from Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County and Outland comic strips. Based on his 1995 book, the story was adapted for television in 1991. Since then it hasn't made many appearances, but you may catch it randomly every couple of years. Of course, it's been on video since the early 90's and finally came to DVD last year, but you can catch all three parts right here. A Wish for Wings That Work features the incomparable Frank Welker who is best known as the voice of Fred and sometimes Scooby-Doo in the Scooby-Doo cartoons, not a one-trick pony, Frank has also provided the voices for characters such as Hefty Smurf, Wonderbug, Dynomutt, Shmoo, Iceman, Donkey Kong Jr., even Megatron and Soundwave from the original Transformers cartoon. Welker is a walking who's-who of cartoon history, but I digress. Here he just has the insignificant role of Santa Claus in a Christmas movie. Oh, yeah, and that isn't enough, Robin Williams is the voice of Kiwi...but he's credited as "Sudy Nim" just for the fun of it. Anyhoo, here it is, A Wish for Wings That Work:
[PART 1]
[PART 2]
[PART 3]
[PART 1]
[PART 2]
[PART 3]
Sunday, December 21, 2008
RETRO CLIP: THE HULK
This is a quick look at the classic Hulk cartoon from 1966's Marvel Super Heroes series. Here is the first episode: The Origin of the Hulk.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Zombie returns to Halloween
Well, it's official. Rob Zombie is returning to do the sequel he swore he'd never make. Zombie has announced recently that he will, in fact, be helming the sequel to last year's re-imagining of Halloween. Filming will begin in March for a Halloween 2009 
release. Returning will be Taylor Mane as the man himself Michael Myers, and the Laurie Strode character, but whether Scout Taylor-Compton will reprise the role or not is still in question. Zombie, who I just met last week, said that at least one character will be played by a different actor and that it would be an 'acceptable change' for fans. Could he be going a few years into the future for the follow-up story featuring a more mature Laurie as opposed to the original sequel that picked up the same night as the first film? There are also some changes currently being made to the mask. Hopefully not as drastic as the changes the mask went through in the original series (some of the masks just got on my nerves), maybe they just needed to add the bullet holes from the first film for some continuity. Whatever the case, you can expect plenty of Rob Zombie regulars to grace the screen, as usual, but for Zombie fans this recent change of events has many people asking, "Are we EVER going to get a Tyranasaurus Rex film?" If you don't know what that is, don't worry, apparently you're going to have some extra time to find out, now. The sequel is currently being titled "H2" as to not be confused with Halloween 2, because having an H2 and an H20 is much less confusing to people who don't know any better.
release. Returning will be Taylor Mane as the man himself Michael Myers, and the Laurie Strode character, but whether Scout Taylor-Compton will reprise the role or not is still in question. Zombie, who I just met last week, said that at least one character will be played by a different actor and that it would be an 'acceptable change' for fans. Could he be going a few years into the future for the follow-up story featuring a more mature Laurie as opposed to the original sequel that picked up the same night as the first film? There are also some changes currently being made to the mask. Hopefully not as drastic as the changes the mask went through in the original series (some of the masks just got on my nerves), maybe they just needed to add the bullet holes from the first film for some continuity. Whatever the case, you can expect plenty of Rob Zombie regulars to grace the screen, as usual, but for Zombie fans this recent change of events has many people asking, "Are we EVER going to get a Tyranasaurus Rex film?" If you don't know what that is, don't worry, apparently you're going to have some extra time to find out, now. The sequel is currently being titled "H2" as to not be confused with Halloween 2, because having an H2 and an H20 is much less confusing to people who don't know any better.Thursday, December 18, 2008
"9"
I first saw this video when it debuted at The Animation Show 3 back in 2006 in San Diego and I was blown away by the subtle complexities of this ten and half minute CGI short. Within seconds you are immediately drawn in to the story. Without a single spoken word every emotion is conveyed perfectly and with almost no back story you feel more empathy and concern for this character than some ninety minutes films are capable of. And as good as it is here, it was so much more encapsulating on the big screen. When I found out that The Animation Show series (started by Don Hertzfeldt and Mike Judge) was coming to DVD I was anxious to get a chance to enjoy a number of these films again. The first two in the series were released together and a little later the third, but no "9". After some investigation I found out that "9" is a theater exclusive short and was purposefully left off of the TAS3 DVD. Well, that just bites it. I did find out recently, however, that creator Shane Acker has a deal with Focus Features to make "9" into a full-length movie. This time around it will contain dialogue, which kind of changes the whole film. The project will feature the voice talents of Elijah Wood (9), Jennifer Connelly (7), John C. Reilly (5), Crispin Glover (6), Christopher Plummer (1), and Martin Landau (2). "9" is scheduled for theatrical release on 9/09/09. Pretty cool, huh?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Help the animated homeless.
This is what happens when characters are made for an animation that never sees fruition. This holiday season give the gift of loving animated films and shorts. Together we can make a difference. Or at least have some fun trying.
Monday, December 15, 2008
WOLVERINE TRAILER...FINALLY
As I had mentioned before, the Wolverine trailer debuted in theaters with The Day the Earth Stood Still, which probably contributed to at least 35% to the films $31 million opening weekend. Starting today MySpace.com has exclusively released the trailer online for all to enjoy. So, here it is -The first official trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the reason The Day the Earth Stood Still will probably be number five next week.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD
Saturday, December 13, 2008
DVD releases for Dec. 16th
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 6
- The Cheetah Girls: One World (Extended Music Edition)
- Chunking Express
- Generation Kill
- The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (Special Edition)
- The Little Mermaid Trilogy
- Mamma Mia! (2-Disc Special Edition)
- Mamma Mia! (Full Screen)
- Mamma Mia! (Widescreen)
- The Mummy Trilogy
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 1
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 2
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 3
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Deluxe Edition)
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Full Screen)
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Widescreen)
- Petticoat Junction: The Official First Season
- Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection
- Wild Country
- The Cheetah Girls: One World (Extended Music Edition)
- Chunking Express
- Generation Kill
- The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (Special Edition)
- The Little Mermaid Trilogy
- Mamma Mia! (2-Disc Special Edition)
- Mamma Mia! (Full Screen)
- Mamma Mia! (Widescreen)
- The Mummy Trilogy
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 1
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 2
- The Mummy: The Animated Series, Vol. 3
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Deluxe Edition)
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Full Screen)
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Widescreen)
- Petticoat Junction: The Official First Season
- Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection
- Wild Country
HULK VS. finally has release date
The direct to DVD/Blu-Ray double feature Hulk VS. (Wolverine/Thor) is hitting shelves on January 27, 2009. The animated feature will tell two different stories, both primers for upcoming Marvel projects. The big news is that the new footage of Hulk VS Wolverine features appearances by Logan's Weapon X pals to give you a little taste before X-Men Origins: Wolverine hits theaters. Making the scene will be Sabretooth (of course), Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red, and THAT'S RIGHT, BABY!!! -Deadpool!!! Although he's played by Ryan Reynolds in the live-action movie, for this DVD he is portrayed by voice actor Nolan North, who coincidentally enough voices Cyclops in the Wolverine and the X-Men cartoon, as well as Pyro, but he doesn't stop there; Nolan has also provided the voices for Ghost Rider and Hawkeye (Marvel Ultimate Alliance), Giant-Man/Hank Pym (Ultimate Avengers 1&2), and Raphael in the TMNT movie. Not a bad way to earn some fanboy cred. But, whatever...DEADPOOL, baby! Whoo!
WATCHMEN: COMICON EXCLUSIVE
So, apparently the powers that be have been gracious enough to release the exclusive Comicon footage of the upcoming Watchmen movie on the internet. It's only a few minutes worth, but I'm sure Watchmen fans went crazy for it when they got this first glimpse of the long-awaited film. One thing this clip has over the trailers is a little bit more of Billy Crudup pre-Dr. Manhattan.
Now if only they would release an official version of the Wolverine Comicon footage...
Now if only they would release an official version of the Wolverine Comicon footage...
Friday, December 12, 2008
Bettie Page dies at 85
Bettie Page, the world's most famous, or should I say infamous pinup queen, largely responsible
for ushering in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, passed away yesterday at the age of 85. Page, whose later life was marked by depression, violent mood swings and several years in a state mental institution, died at a Los Angeles hospital where she had been on life support since she had a heart attack on Dec. 2. A cultural phenomenon, Page was most recognized for the 20,000 or so 4-by-5-inch black-and-white glossy photographs taken by amateur shutterbugs from 1949 to 1957. In 2005, HBO Films released The Notorious Bettie Page, a look into the crazy life of this troubled icon. It's a great film for any Bettie Page fan. -When looking for a photo for this post I noticed that there aren't a lot family-friendly Bettie Page photos out there. Odd, huh?
for ushering in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, passed away yesterday at the age of 85. Page, whose later life was marked by depression, violent mood swings and several years in a state mental institution, died at a Los Angeles hospital where she had been on life support since she had a heart attack on Dec. 2. A cultural phenomenon, Page was most recognized for the 20,000 or so 4-by-5-inch black-and-white glossy photographs taken by amateur shutterbugs from 1949 to 1957. In 2005, HBO Films released The Notorious Bettie Page, a look into the crazy life of this troubled icon. It's a great film for any Bettie Page fan. -When looking for a photo for this post I noticed that there aren't a lot family-friendly Bettie Page photos out there. Odd, huh?Thursday, December 11, 2008
DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION TRAILER
The trailer to the upcoming film, Dragonball: Evolution has just been released in all it's cheesiness. The film is scheduled to hits theaters in the U.S. April 8, 2009.
Heath Ledger gets Golden Globe nod
It was announced yesterday that Heath Ledger has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. This will unfortunately be the only nominatio
n for the critically-acclaimed movie at this year's Golden Globes. Whether or not The Dark Knight and Heath himself have garnered enough Oscar buzz has yet to be seen, but I think it's safe to say that another Best Supporting Actor nomination is more than likely in the wings. The hit comedy Tropic Thunder actually has two nominations for BSA themselves, Robert Downey Jr. in his amazing performance as Sgt. Lincoln Osiris and Tom Cruise in his amusing performance as Les Grossman sporting the bald cap and fat suit (Really? Golden Globe-worthy?! Are you serious?). Oddly enough, James Franco is also nominated for his role as a stoner in Pineapple Express as opposed to his dramatic performance in Milk. Even if they more than likely won't win, it's nice to see comedies getting some well-deserved respect. You know what they say, "As an actor it's easier to make someone cry than it is to make someone laugh." I believe that Ledger should win the Golden Globe hands downs, but then again stranger things have happened. The Golden Globes are scheduled for January 11, 2009, just eleven days before the Oscar nominations are announced.
n for the critically-acclaimed movie at this year's Golden Globes. Whether or not The Dark Knight and Heath himself have garnered enough Oscar buzz has yet to be seen, but I think it's safe to say that another Best Supporting Actor nomination is more than likely in the wings. The hit comedy Tropic Thunder actually has two nominations for BSA themselves, Robert Downey Jr. in his amazing performance as Sgt. Lincoln Osiris and Tom Cruise in his amusing performance as Les Grossman sporting the bald cap and fat suit (Really? Golden Globe-worthy?! Are you serious?). Oddly enough, James Franco is also nominated for his role as a stoner in Pineapple Express as opposed to his dramatic performance in Milk. Even if they more than likely won't win, it's nice to see comedies getting some well-deserved respect. You know what they say, "As an actor it's easier to make someone cry than it is to make someone laugh." I believe that Ledger should win the Golden Globe hands downs, but then again stranger things have happened. The Golden Globes are scheduled for January 11, 2009, just eleven days before the Oscar nominations are announced.Monday, December 8, 2008
BLU-RAY WORTHY: THE DARK KNIGHT (definitely)
TOP PICK:
- The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition)
ALSO THIS WEEK:
- The Dark Knight (Full Screen Edition)
- The Dark Knight (Widescreen Edition)
- Deadwood: The Complete Series
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Limited Edition Gift Set)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Widescreen and Full Screen Single-Disc Edition)
- Elephant Tales
- Get Smart: The Complete Series
- Gunsmoke: The Third Season, Volume One
- Happy Days: The Fourth Season
- Happy Days: Seasons 1-4
- I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
- It Happened One Night
- Lost: The Complete Fourth Season - The Expanded Experience
- Man on Wire
- The Man Who Came Back
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- Murnau, Borzage and Fox
- Open Window
- Rawhide: The Third Season, Volume 2
- Sex and the City: The Movie - The Wedding Collection
- The Wire: The Complete Series
- You Can't Take It With You
TOP PICK:
- The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition)
ALSO THIS WEEK:
- The Dark Knight (Full Screen Edition)
- The Dark Knight (Widescreen Edition)
- Deadwood: The Complete Series
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Limited Edition Gift Set)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Widescreen and Full Screen Single-Disc Edition)
- Elephant Tales
- Get Smart: The Complete Series
- Gunsmoke: The Third Season, Volume One
- Happy Days: The Fourth Season
- Happy Days: Seasons 1-4
- I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
- It Happened One Night
- Lost: The Complete Fourth Season - The Expanded Experience
- Man on Wire
- The Man Who Came Back
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- Murnau, Borzage and Fox
- Open Window
- Rawhide: The Third Season, Volume 2
- Sex and the City: The Movie - The Wedding Collection
- The Wire: The Complete Series
- You Can't Take It With You
VAST FOOD NATION wraps first arc
Wrapping up the first Vast Food Nation story arc, here are episodes 5 & 6. (Rated PG-13)
[EPISODE 5: FLAME-BROILED HEAT]
[EPISODE 6: THE GREAT EXPOSITION EXPOSITION]
[EPISODE 5: FLAME-BROILED HEAT]
[EPISODE 6: THE GREAT EXPOSITION EXPOSITION]
Friday, December 5, 2008
PUNISHER MOVIE
For a character that started out as a one-shot villain in a Spider-Man comic, The Punisher has acquired quite a following and a never-say-die attitude. Today marks the release of the third attempt to start a Punisher series. The first one in 1989 starred Dolph Lundgren, back in the Roger Corman days of making comic book films (not this one in particular, but 'Cormanesque' is a good barometer of the times). There are a lot of fans who feel that this is the most faithful adaptation to comic version. In 2004, Marvel tried again with Thomas Jane in the Frank Castle role. This one didn't have the whole 'punish the wicked' feel as much as a man who's hurting and taking revenge on the man who killed his family, but then, it is an origin story and you have to star somewhere. Of course, this Castle didn't have much time to get into his own, before the series was rebooted again this year with Punisher: War Zone. No, this is not a sequel to the 2004 film, like most people think. It is another reboot (a la The Incredible Hulk). Hardcore fans felt the 2004 version was too soft and didn't have enough 'punishing', so they upped the violence. WAY up. The new Punisher film is so violent and graphic that it has been categorized by many as a slasher flick. Most fans were hoping for the feel of the first film with the quality of the second, but once again filmmakers missed the mark. Many people have been disappointed by the new film and claim that the only people who will enjoy it are people who just watch films for explosions and gratuitous violence. The acting has no real range and the story is almost non-existent. But people will
still have to go and see for them
selves, and some will hate it and some will love it. That's just how it goes. The only really positive change is the addition of an actual comic book villain, Jigsaw; although to me, it just looks like SNL's Will Forte in make-up fighting a Jigsaw played by Johnny Knoxville.
[THE PUNISHER (1989)]
[THE PUNISHER (2004)]
[PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)]
still have to go and see for them
selves, and some will hate it and some will love it. That's just how it goes. The only really positive change is the addition of an actual comic book villain, Jigsaw; although to me, it just looks like SNL's Will Forte in make-up fighting a Jigsaw played by Johnny Knoxville.[THE PUNISHER (1989)]
[THE PUNISHER (2004)]
[PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)]
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
More VAST FOOD NATION
In case you haven't caught them yet, here are episodes 2, 3, and 4 of Aniboom's hilarious Vast Food Nation. Just be warned in case you prefer your toons a little more wholesome -the content of Vast Food Nation is definitely PG-13.
[EPISODE 2: THE FUN IN FUNERAL]
[EPISODE 3: KIDNAPTORIOUS]
[EPISODE 4: NOW FOR A BEEF INTERMISSION]
[EPISODE 2: THE FUN IN FUNERAL]
[EPISODE 3: KIDNAPTORIOUS]
[EPISODE 4: NOW FOR A BEEF INTERMISSION]
Batman: Dead End
With the release of The Dark Knight DVD lurking around the corner, I thought it only fitting to show people the fan film Batman: Dead End. Created by independent filmmaker Sandy Collora, the short film premiered at the 2003 San Diego Comicon and is heralded as one of the ten most pivotal moments in fan film history. Bringing an uber-realism to the Dark Knight, Sandy proved that Batman doesn't need smoke and mirrors to be intimidating. It's rumored that this was the inspiration to reboot the Batman franchise, bringing with it a more serious feel and more conceivable storylines. Oh, and for those who are surprised by the guest appearances at the end, don't be. These also happen to be characters that Batman has faced in the comic world.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
THE SPIRIT
From the mind of Will Eisner, creator of the graphic novel and inspiration to multiple generations of comic creators, comes the The Spirit. Introduced in 1940 (just two years after Superman) as a way for newspapers to compete with the rising popularity superhero comic books, Eisner's Spirit has been revered for decades in the literary community, albeit under most people's radars. The Spirit has never really left the scene and is currently going strong in his own DC Comic's title. In fact, The Spirit was actually made into a TV movie back in 1987 starring Sam J. Jones (Flash Gordan), but met with lackluster response.Will Eisner passed away in 2005 and his good friend, visionary storyteller and comic legend in his own right, Frank Miller was approached at Eisner's funeral to create a Spirit film. Miller initially refused, but immediately changed his mind knowing that the studio would just hire someone else to reinterpret his friend's work. A lot people call foul on the similarities between The Spirit film and Miller's own Sin City, but I say you just can't get enough of a good black and white, film noir, femme fatale-filled crime drama. That style just happens to be best way to stay true to the sequential art feel of the source material. They could make a hundred films with that same pulp feel and I'd come back for every one. They just don't make them like that anymore.
[LATEST TRAILER FOR THE SPIRIT]
[THE SPIRIT (FEMME FATALE TRAILER)]
[THE SPIRIT (FEATURETTE 1)]
THE SPIRIT (FEATURETTE 2)]
WOLVERINE trailer announced
The lack of any real footage or trailers (minus the inferior quality Comicon exclusive preview that's been floating around the web) for the upcoming Wolverine movie has had fans frothing at the mouth for any glimpse of what's in store for everyone's favorite adamantium-clawed mutant. Well, you now relax (Frankie say to!). 20th Century Fox recently announced that the long-awaited trailer to May 1st's X-Men Origins: Wolverine will debut on December 12th preceding the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Finally, the public has a reason to go a Keanu Reeves movie!
On a separate note, Hugh Jackman publicly stately recently that he is already looking toward a sequel set in Japan, but that if fan response is poor when the movie comes out that he will gladly walk away from the character permanently with no regrets.
On a separate note, Hugh Jackman publicly stately recently that he is already looking toward a sequel set in Japan, but that if fan response is poor when the movie comes out that he will gladly walk away from the character permanently with no regrets.Sunday, November 30, 2008
FUTURAMA: INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER
Here is the trailer to the fourth (and possibly the last) Futurama direct-to-DVD movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder. This installment hits stores April 2009 and depending on it's sales could make or break the fate of Futurama. So, everybody go out and buy their copies when it comes out; no bootlegging this time.
TOY STORY 2 / DARK KNIGHT HYBRID
Someone has taken the audio from The Dark Knight trailer and re-synced it to scenes from Toy Story 2 to make a Toy Story preview like you never seen it before. Enjoy:
