Director Kevin Tancharoen put the internet into an uproar when he released a proof-of-concept trailer for a rebooted, more “realistic” Mortal Kombat film he called Mortal Kombat Rebirth. Attention from the trailer got him a gig directing a new web series, Mortal Kombat Legacy, using the actors and themes from the trailer, and fans seemed to dig it. Now, with the success of the web series, Warner Bros. has officially signed off on a new Mortal Kombat movie with Tancharoen as director. None of the actors from the web series, like Michael Jai White and Jeri Ryan, are signed on yet, but given that the project was only just announced, we can probably wait a while before worrying about casting. I’m not big into Mortal Kombat at all, but Tancharoen’s bootstraps approach to getting to work on a property he loved is pretty impressive and I hope he continues to do well for himself. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 25, 2011 in Animation, Cinema
Regardless of how you feel about the whole My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic thing, you have to admit that this scene from a recent episode, a parody of Star Wars’ ending scene, is pretty much pitch-perfect. Perhaps the world doesn’t need yet another Star Wars parody/homage/reference/whatever, but hey, if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it right, and it looks like that’s what happened here. Side note: I feel like Vader probably would have made being a “brony” against Imperial law. That’s at least one thing he and I would agree on. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 24, 2011 in Comic Books
DC’s “New 52” initiative, which rebooted/relaunched 52 ongoing comic series starting this month, is a great opportunity to challenge or completely destroy conventions that have been present in Big Two comics for a long time. As someone who’s purchased nearly half of said 52 books, I’ve actually been really pleased with the ones I picked up, but I’ve been choosy about which I purchase. I have a confession, though — I love female superheroes, so I bought every book that had one in it. Laura Hudson of Comics Alliance wrote a great piece about the unfortunate depictions of DC mainstay ladies Catwoman and Starfire (in Catwoman and Red Hood and the Outlaws, respectively). Basically, Catwoman is offensively bad cheesecake — it looks and reads like fanfiction, with Selina walking around with half her bra showing and ending the book with a two-page spread of Selina riding Batman on a rooftop — and Starfire in Outlaws is some twisted male vision of what a “sexually liberated female” would be (read: a sex doll). It’s disheartening to see books coming out with content like that, because the relaunch was such a great opportunity to build some bridges with female readers rather than burn them down. But I’m here to tell you that the rest of the ladies in the new DCU don’t have it as bad. In fact, most of them seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. This week, I came home with Birds of Prey, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman, all of which star female characters, and I walked away really pleasantly surprised. Read more…
Some day in the future, when you open up a book about the top ten greatest innovators in filmmaking, you’ll see one name at the top of the list: one Mr. Tim Burton, the filmmaker responsible for classics like Edward Scissorhands. Why, you ask? This man has done what previously the world thought impossible, a feat that will undoubtedly be imitated for years — nay, decades — to come. The feat? Casting Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in a Tim Burton movie. You can see from the above promotional still that there is indeed one (1) Johnny Depp (center) and one (1) Helena Bonham Carter (far left) in this film, which is directed by Tim Burton. The movie is Dark Shadows. But you’ll remember. You’ll remember. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 18, 2011 in Comic Books
Superhero costumes are in the public eye lately, with the summer blockbuster season being filled with superhero movies and DC relaunching almost all of their superhero books. Colour Lovers examined a huge number of hero and villain costumes and analyzed the colors used in them to develop a really neat infographic. It’s way too long to post the whole thing here, so check out the mammoth image over at Colour Lovers. I think the reason why green is often used for “unnatural” or evil character is that it’s often a complementary color to skin tone, by the way. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 17, 2011 in Television
Duncan Jones’ second sci-fi film, the actually-excellent Source Code, was a sleeper hit in theaters this year. Now, it appears that CBS is trying to bring some of that appeal to the small screen with a TV series based on the film. The series will reportedly follow three former federal agents who take advantage of “Source Code” tech to try to unravel the mysteries behind tragic events by jumping into the consciousness of people caught in them. Mark Gordon will serve as producer, and Lie to Me and Lost scribe Steve Maeda is set to write the pilot. I get the feeling we’ll be hearing the phrase “I liked this show better when it was called Quantum Leap” a lot in the next year or so. Read more…
Besides Sam Raimi’s increasingly bizarre direction, the main thing people watch Evil Dead for is its star, Ash, played by the inimitable Bruce Campbell. But the long-rumored Evil Dead remake (which I guess technically isn’t a rumor anymore), written by Juno‘s Diablo Cody, apparently won’t have Ash in it at all! Slashfilm broke the news with tweets from Campbell that Ash would not be featured in the film but that everyone involved was quite happy with how the film was shaping up. A different direction, no doubt. But what king will we hail now?! Read more…
My Little Pony is miraculously en vogue again. It’s almost like we’ve … traveled back in time, much like Amy and the Doctor routinely do! Clearly DeviantArt user EatToast has the right idea on how to celebrate such an amazing coincidence — by converting My Little Pony toys to horrific recreations of Doctor Who villains. This particular model is an Ood-pony, an ungulate version of the creepy aliens from that weird space-Hell episode from the tenth doctor’s run. He’s done a few more, too, including a Cyberman-pony and a Silence-pony. You know, come to think of it, doesn’t “brony” sound like the name of an alien race? Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 10, 2011 in Star Trek
45 years ago today, the very first episode of Star Trek aired on NBC! And what better way to celebrate four and a half decades of classic sci-fi than with ridiculously cute sugar cookies? Daria over at Bakingdom cooked these cookie crewmates up, and provided easy directions (and drool-worthy photos) for anyone who wants to play along at home. Too bad you can’t beam them into your kitchen! Just send a shuttlecraft to the grocery store. Star Trek joke. Happy anniversary, Star Trek. Read more…
If you’ve seen Back to the Future, and I don’t want to speak to you if you haven’t, then you must be acutely aware of Marty’s awesome Nikes from the future. Well, Nike agrees that they’re awesome, and they manufactured a pair of shoes identical to the ones featured in the movie, replete with lights and some sort of device to help your laces tighten. They’re called Nike Air MAGs, and they’re not available in your local Foot Locker — Nike has put them up for auction to raise money for Parkinson’s research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. A total of 1500 pairs will hit eBay at 88 miles per hour over the next ten days, so if you want them, you’d better be prepared to sell everything but your Calvin Kleins to do it. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 9, 2011 in Television
I know! It’s crazy, right? But we have definitive proof that Syfy has actually not cancelled a science-fiction television show. In fact, the news is even better — they’ve gone so far as to renew said science-fiction television show! The show in question is newcomer Alphas, which I’ve never seen but like anyway due to the presence of master actor David Strathairn. Perhaps this could be the dawn of a new era for Syfy, a programming era of unprecedented not-wrestling. We’ll see. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 4, 2011 in Comic Books
Of the 52 initial titles in DC’s enormous brand-wide reboot/relaunch, only Justice League #1 has actually been released yet, but several other titles are already sold out through Diamond, DC’s distributor. Action Comics, Batgirl, Hawk & Dove, Justice League International, and Batman & Robin, along with Justice League #1, have all sold completely out of their first printing, well on their way to second printing each. This is great news for DC, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that these are copies sold to stores, not to individuals. The second is that all 52 titles are fully returnable, making what might otherwise be a sizeable and difficult investment for a small store a little less of a risk. Some stores could be ordering more copies than they normally would to anticipate demand, or there could just be such a massive interest in DC books because of the relaunch. Either way, the next few weeks will see whether DC’s gamble paid off. Just wake me up when Demon Knights #1 ships. Read more…
It’s been a good weekend for Neat Futurama Stuff. Via io9, we learned about these totally cool and completely bizarre Futurama character busts with a real-life twist by DeviantArt user Artanis One. I actually really like this Dr. Zoidberg; he looks like he’d be right at home in a Mass Effect game in this particular iteration. Honestly, I don’t think Professor Farnsworth even looks that out-of-place as a a real person; he’s already so old that there’s only so much exaggeration you can even do. As for Leela, well, I think it’s a little weirder to see a cyclops with a realistic human head than it is to see one with the Groeningian Overbite. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Sep 2, 2011 in Comic Books
You may know George R. R. Martin from his blockbuster fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, and its current television adaptation as A Game of Thrones, but his written work from before that series is actually quite good, I think. In fact, if you look back to his teenage years, you can find what may be his best work — this letter to Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee. In it (click above for a bigger version), he praises Avengers #9 as a masterpiece, recommends some other villains for reappearances in the comics, and has some harsh words about villains like Diablo and the Moleman. It’s pretty adorable. And it doesn’t even have any sex or violence in it. Or page-long descriptions of food, for that matter. Who knew? Read more…
According to the much-loved cartoon Futurama, a lot has changed in the year 3000, but at least one thing remains the same: greed is still alive and well! And you can take 80s Guy’s financial advice to heart when you pick up the Futurama edition of Monopoly, which comes out in November. Everything has been given a Futurama makeover, including the railroads (now modes of travel like the Travel Tube and Robot Santa’s Sleigh) and locations (own New New York and Robot Hell, among others). Even the player pieces are now show staples like Leela’s Boot, the Planet Express Ship, and Fry’s Dog (nooooo!). Just don’t be surprised when invaders from Omicron Persei VI invade your board and enslave you. I don’t think that’s actually part of the game, but then again, this is Futurama. Read more…
So, I absolutely adore when great artists and writers take very adult subject matter and turn it into a children’s book. This particular children’s book, designed by Andrew Kolb, takes David Bowie’s classic tune “Space Oddity” and gives it a whimsical makeover, with Kolb providing fantastic art to go along with Bowie’s lyrics. However, Kolb doesn’t change the lyrics or content, making it unusually grim for a children’s book. Then again, I suppose that’s probably the point. There’s nothing you can do, after all. Read more…
Marvel is just about to wrap up filming for The Avengers, so that means that soon we’ll be in the middle of an advertising blitz that can only accompany the biggest blockbuster in recent memory. Teasers, stills, TV spots. And, of course, tie-ins! In this case, we’re talking about a comic that sheds some more light on the Avengers team members, for which Disney and Marvel released this promotional image of the team (mostly) assembled. Maria Hill and Agent Coulson unfortunately don’t make an appearance here, but we do get a pretty good look at the Hulk, minus the strangely bushy eyebrows that plagued his Comic-Com poster appearance. Is it just me, or does Black Widow look really surprised to be in this shot? Read more…
The CW has the record for longest-running superhero TV show in Smallville, but now that Superman’s formative years are up, they want to bring another DC Comics property to television. This time, it’s Deadman, the body-jumping ghost hero. And who better to bring him to life on TV than former Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke? Nobody, that’s who, and CW execs agree. Details are scarce, but the series is definitely being developed, and may indeed be only one of several DC properties the CW is pursuing for an adaptation. Read more…
I saw and thoroughly enjoyed Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class this summer, with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Xavier and Magneto (respectively) proving highlights of the experience. But, you know, no movie is perfect. There’s always something missing, something just a little bit off. And, thanks to this deleted scene, I finally understand what was missing from First Class: Magneto in drag. Watch the clip; you kind of had to be there. Read more…
“Yeah, we live on Fourth Earth now. You haven’t heard of it? Yeah, of course you haven’t. It’s really indie. It’s like Third Earth before it sold out, you know?” That’s the conversation I figure I’d be having with these hipster Thundercats, drawn up by Zano over on DeviantArt. It’s got all the quality ingredients of a hipsterized character — your thick-rimmed glasses, your sloughing-off-the-shoulder girls’ top, your v-neck. I think the only thing we’re really missing here is a keffiyeh. But I’ll take it. Man. Imagine the kind of vinyls you could find with Sight Beyond Sight.
Posted by Michael Sacco on Aug 20, 2011 in Comic Books
Mixing superheroes with religious iconography? Well, I’m sure it’s not the first time this has happened, but this may be the first time that someone has made stained-glass versions of comic book covers. These awesome (and slightly bizarre) iterations come from Brandon Michael Barker of Man or Monster Studios, who clarifies that the pieces are actually painted glass, which is different than stained glass, but I don’t think that makes them any less cool, personally. “When there were no sets of footprints, that is when I was carrying you while we swung from a web.”
Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider, part of the Joystiq network.
Doctor Who — a worldwide phenomenon. A genre classic. A pop culture treasure. It only makes sense that, eventually, someone would convert all of the series main characters to cats. I think it’s some kind of fandom law nowadays. These particular cats come from artist Jenny Parks, who’s recreated all of the eleven Doctors in eerily accurate feline form. The Tom Baker Cat is particularly spot-on, I think. I think I’ve met that cat. And the Christopher Eccleston one is, of course, the black … er, cat of the family. Read more…
The Britain (and world at large) of the Harry Potter series has a lot of rebuilding to do after Voldemort’s defeat. How can the Ministry of Magic reclaim its good name? What can the leaders of both the Muggle and magical governments do to prevent the same thing from happening again? Those questions and more drove the creation of Post-Conflict Potter, an article by Foreign Policy magazine, wherein real experts on foreign policy suggest the ways that post-Potter Britain could fix itself. Honestly, I loved the Harry Potter books, but my larger questions about how the magical society presented in the books could even function put kind of a damper on Rowling’s otherwise meticulous world-building. Post-Conflict Potter is a great read that helps address some of those very questions. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Aug 13, 2011 in Television
Sometimes by boss sends me links via email with a request to feature them on the site. Normally they’re self-explanatory — here’s a cool Star Wars case mod someone made, or here’s a neat artist — but sometimes they’re mystifying even to me. Take the Thunderbirds Lab, for example. It’s a website for a pharmaceutical group that lets you take some Thunderbirds-inspired tests, play a game or two, and create a neat custom Thunderbirds badge for yourself. Of course, it’s also nearly 100% in Japanese, which made the process a little more difficult for me, admittedly. But if you speak Japanese, you’ll be in puppet heaven, and you may be able to fumble your way through (as I did) even if you don’t. Thunderbirds are go! Read more…
