Err, you know what I mean. Another science show. It’s totally different than the other one; this one deals with horrific experiments, fringe science, and … okay, okay, I get it. But this one’s about real science! That’s right, Fringe‘s John Noble will be hosting a new show on the Science channel called Dark Matters, dealing with the dark side of science using real historical examples. The first six episode descriptions read like Fringe summaries, which is, of course, wildly appropriate. Expect to see body transplants, reanimation, and more, with Noble’s trademark mug to guide you through the creepiness. Who could ask for anything more? Read more…
Marion Cotillard was long ago confirmed as having been cast in The Dark Knight Returns, the third film in Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy, but her character didn’t appear to be anyone particularly special; not with the name “Miranda Tate.” But there were rumors that perhaps her real role in the film was being obfuscated and that she was actually playing Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the main villain from Batman Begins. Well, those rumors may be right, if this set photo from the movie’s Chicago filming session has anything to say about it. I don’t think just anybody walks around in clothes like that, and certainly not with armed guards. At least, you could extrapolate that, anyway. Me, I’m far too busy just enjoying the feeling the merest glance at Miss Cotillard gives me.
Look, let’s face it. I don’t think any of us were really expecting a lot out of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The series, which started off with a perfectly fine sci-fi film, suffered from a few too many sequels, and Tim Burton’s bizarre (obviously) 2001 remake certainly wasn’t a critical success, even if it did make a bunch of money. And yet, here we are, ten years later, with a prequel/reboot to the series released in theaters. But here’s the really shocking thing: it’s apparently pretty good. Roger Ebert gave it three stars, and review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes places it at a very healthy 80%. Don’t believe the action-packed trailer that makes it look like there’s some ape war, though — it’s a thriller, not an action movie. Damn you marketers all to hell! Read more…
Zack Snyder and his team have been hard at work filming the new Superman film The Man of Steel recently, and star Henry Cavill has been spotted on set in his new superhuman physique and trademark Supes hair. But until today, we didn’t know what he’d look like in the suit! To that end, Warner Bros has released this promotional shot of Cavill in full Man of Steel getup, replete with long cape, comic-styled boots, and (apparently) no red undies this time! The colors in the photo seem oddly washed-out, but I suppose you can probably blame Zack Snyder for that; look at 300. I personally love the suit, but if you’re worried, don’t be — don’t forget that Christopher Nolan of Batman Begins and Inception fame helped pre-produce the film. Maybe we’ll finally get the Superman movie we deserve! Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 31, 2011 in Comic Books
Jack Kirby was responsible for the creation of dozens of characters in the Marvel universe, from the Fantastic Four to Thor to Spider-Man. While his style and creations are as close to immortal as you can get in comic books, the sadly-mortal Kirby died in 1996. His heirs, though, are very much alive, and have been attempting to wrestle the rights to his characters back from Marvel. Marvel claims that any of Kirby’s work was done as “work for hire,” meaning that the company owns whatever he created during his tenure. And a judge agrees — the case was decided in Marvel’s favor. Kirby’s heirs have vowed to fight the ruling, but the judge implied that there was no real evidence in their favor, so their chances of success are pretty dubious at this point.
If you’re a fan of good comic-book cinema, then, well, you probably aren’t a very big fan of Ghost Rider. You may or may not tangentially aware, then, that there’s a new Ghost Rider movie coming from Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, the creators of the ridiculously over-the-top Crank. Titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, it’s said to be a new take on the character, far different from the first film, despite starring the perpetually financially-troubled star of the first film, Nicolas Cage. “We didn’t really consider the first film at all while making this,” Taylor said in an interview with Collider. Let’s hope so! Ghost Rider’s appearance in the upcoming console fighting game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is no doubt tied to the resurfacing of the film franchise (if you can call it that), so perhaps that can drum up some good will from the public at large. And at least we know that a film by Taylor and Neveldine will be completely insane, if nothing else. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 29, 2011 in Comic Books
This is a secondhand story to this photo I can’t really verify, but I thought the implications were too adorable not to share. Wandering a comic-book convention, a young boy gets separated from his dad in the crowd. Scared, he goes to the two people who could definitely help him out: the Flash and Wonder Woman. Sure, the photo seems conveniently snapped, but if it’s true, it really does speak to the feeling of good will behind most conventions. As a commenter on the image said, “99% of the people in costume at conventions like this are the nicest, most considerate people you’ll ever meet.” Because, after all, if you can’t trust the Justice League, who can you trust? Read more…
Marvel’s film universe is working out pretty well for them, with all of the Avengers setup films released and the team-up flick ready to go for 2012, but Marvel’s not getting complacent. They’re ready to go after another media format: television! Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that four live-action shows are currently in development: The Hulk, AKA Jessica Jones (otherwise known as Alias), Cloak & Dagger, and Mockingbird. Imprint fans will be happy to know that Luke Cage and Carol Danvers will indeed be making appearances in AKA Jessica Jones. But wait! There’s more! There’s also new Marvel animation hitting the small screen, like Ultimate Spider-Man, an animated version of Joss Whedon’s well-received run on Astonishing X-Men, and a Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H series. That last one will have pretty much every Hulk permutation imaginable, from Red Hulk to She-Hulk, all on the same team. Whole lotta smashin’ goin’ on. Read more…
Futurama is definitely a rare breed of television show, in that it survived cancellation and returned to the airwaves as a great success. What makes it even more amazing, of course, is that it had been canceled for seven years. After its wildly popular comeback season, Fox granted the show another year on the air, and as of right now, interest in the show shows no sign of petering off. In fact, Fox announced at San Diego Comic-Con today that Futurama was renewed for not one, but two more seasons. It’s heartening to know that in an age of brilliant shows canceled before their time, a show like Futurama can succeed and even thrive. Read more…
Steven Spielberg is responsible for many great films in the past few decades, but my generation probably has a standout favorite among them: the film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. We got a sequel in 1997’s The Lost World, which was a box office success, if not a critical one. The Rocketeer‘s Joe Johnston then brought us the troubled Jurassic Park III, which is most people’s least favorite entry into the series. But there’s good news for series fans — Spielberg himself announced at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend that he’s developing a fourth film for the series himself, and it could be coming in as few as two years. “We have a story,” he says. “We have a writer who is writing the treatment and hopefully we are going to make Jurassic Park 4 in all of our foreseeable futures, hopefully in the next two or three years.” The sooner the better, Steve! Do you think this one will have dinosaurs in it? I’m hopeful. Read more…
Two intergalactic peacekeeper groups that taste great together! IDW Comics announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they’ll be producing a six-issue limited comic book series in which the crew of the USS Enterprise and the Legion of Superheroes work together to battle a common threat. Honestly, I don’t know that much about the Legion, but it’s no small wonder that this has never happened before. Of all of the planets the Enterprise crew has beamed aboard, you’d think one of them would have been the home base of a bunch of dudes and ladies wearing capes and firing energy blasts, or eating matter, or something. Those eager to see which superhero Kirk seduces (my money’s on the Charlie’s Angels-lookin’ gal) can buy the first issue of the series in November. Read more…
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 isn’t even a year old, but Capcom has already announced its value-priced followup, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Besides gameplay tweaks like new moves for current fighters and a direly-needed spectator system for online matches, Marvel and Capcom have also added a dozen new (and bizarre, in some cases) fighters to the fray. The original announcement showed Hawkeye and Ghost Rider for the Marvel side, with Firebrand and MvC fan-favorite Strider Hiryu repping Capcom. A accidental leak from the Capcom website, however, revealed the entire list of new brawlers, relieving us of the suspense of several months of slow-drip character reveals. Marvel fans can now also look forward to playing as Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Nova, and Rocket Raccoon (?!); Capcom fans get their pick of Dead Rising‘s Frank West, Resident Evil 3‘s Nemesis, Dante’s brother Vergil from Devil May Cry, and Phoenix Wright (?!). See what I mean about bizarre? Mega Man fans reeling from the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 will no doubt be disappointed that the Blue Bomber is skipping this iteration of the fighting game yet again. UMvC3 is slated for release in November of this year, with an MSRP of $39.99. Read more…
Yeah, popular fanboy media is filled with awesome cars, like the DeLorean from Back to the Future, or KITT from Knight Rider, or the ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters, but what car is more desirable than the Batmobile? And what sounds cooler than driving the Batman Returns Batmobile with an actual turbine engine? Nothing. And that’s why Casey Putsch, head of Putsch Racing, a high-end auto restoration team, built one using the turbine engine from a drone helicopter. If that sounds incredible and one-of-a-kind, you’re damn right, but you have to see it to believe it. Check out the video after the cut.
Man, I know I say this a lot, but on the list of movies that desperately needed gritty reboots, was Total Recall really one of them? Whether it was or not, we now have our first promotional image for the film, which is being directed by Underworld veteran Len Wiseman. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Colin Farrell says the film will be “less jokey” than the original. I’m not saying the original was a cinema classic or anything, but the weird tone it took certainly helped define it (well, that, and that mutant prostitute). Removing that aspect for the reboot seems, like the thought of a reboot itself, rather worrisome. Read more…
Sean Bean has kind of been the go-to stock big-budget British-sounding supporting actor for a while now, especially in genre films. He’s practically made a career out of double-crossing the main character of any given film he’s in. Of course, that also means he dies in pretty much every movie he’s in (after getting his comeuppance from the hero, of course), so naturally, someone was kind enough to assemble this video montage of nearly every time Sean Bean has died on film. It’s pretty extensive! Dude needs to learn how to dodge bullets or something. I bet he could, if he only had the Ring of Power. Nice job, Frodo. Read more…
It’s been a while since we’ve seen any promotional photos from the upcoming Spider-Man film reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, so it’s only fitting that Sony gave Entertainment Weekly a cover story about the film, treating us to a number of glorious, high-res shots. We finally get a clear look at Spidey’s suit from virtually all possible angles, confirmation that the web-shooters are mechanical instead of organic (like in Raimi’s trilogy), a shot of Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and of course the lovely Emma Stone as an eerily-accurate Gwen Stacy. For his part, Andrew Garfield does look the part, especially if your favorite Spidey is the lithe, lanky version. Read more…
We recently got a glimpse of Dori, Nori, and Ori, three of Frodo’s dwarf companions in the upcoming Hobbit films. Today, we get to see two more, in the form of Oin and Gloin, cousins of Thorin Oakenshield. The name Gloin should sound familiar to those who’ve seen the original Lord of the Rings trilogy — he’s Gimli’s dad! There’s definitely some family resemblance there. I’m pretty happy with the dwarves we’ve been shown thus far; all of them have a unique look, thankfully giving us an ensemble filled with something more than just a dozen Gimlis. Read more…
Normally, when two powerful forces meet, you only need to worry about which of them wins. But as we’ve learned with the Alien vs. Predator films, whoever wins, we lose. But could you survive a clash of these extraterrestrial titans? This handy infographic from Stephen Taubman helps you figure out your chances. It also gives helpful advice if you end up running into either side, like curling into the fetal position and peeing all over yourself if you meet a Predator. Good advice! Unfortunately, given the rest of the infographic, your odds aren’t so good even if you follow all proper protocol. Game over, man! Game over! Read more…
There are many, many reasons why we’re glad that the planned Akira live-action remake reportedly isn’t happening, but we can now confirm an entirely new one. Chris Weston, a British artist who was working as a production artist for the film, talked with Cinema Blend about what some of his tasks were. One of them stands out as possibly horrific: he was charged with redesigning Kaneda’s prized motorcycle. You know, the iconic one? The perfect one? Weston said the very thought of it terrified him, since “the fanboys” (hey, that’ us!) would be at his throat if it came out wrong. Hell, they even discussed turning the bike black. There are just some things you don’t do, man. Read more…
HBO’s Game of Thrones finale got you in the summer doldrums? Need something to pore over while you wait for A Dance with Dragons to be released in stores? A good place to start would be this huge, detailed, spoiler-filled map of the Seven Kingdoms of the Game of Thrones universe (click to embiggen!). This particular map was created by an artist going by the name of Other-in-Law, whose gallery also features a bunch of other GoT maps as well. But this one is probably the crown jewel of the collection, filled with Easter eggs for observant fans. Read more…
Well, it does, in Russia, the Ukraine, and South Korea, apparently. Captain America is nearing its release date here in the US under its proper title, but for its international release, Marvel gave overseas distributors the option to title the film “The First Avenger” rather than referencing America at all in its title for fear of anti-American sentiment. Surprisingly, all but three countries opted to use the original title. Of course, Cap represents more than just America — he also represents heroism and selflessness, which is something to which any audience can relate. At least, that’s what overseas distributors are banking on. Thor did very well internationally, so hopefully Cap can pull similar numbers to make it a profitable summer for Marvel. Granted, as we saw with Green Lantern, actually being a good movie probably helps with sales figures too. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 8, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is considered to be the authoritative guide on the genre, but it’s oddly resisted the siren song of the information age. Until now, anyway! The Encyclopedia will be going digital, according to a press release on their website. All text will be free and available online, though admittedly that leaves the question of what won’t be free. Multiplatform users will appreciate that the Encyclopedia staff is investigating ebook and app versions of the tome as well. And for those who still love the feel of a book in their hands, fear not — a gargantuan physical version of the book will still be published. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jul 3, 2011 in Television
While some may consider the Independence Day to be a day celebrating the birth of the United States of America, we know better. It’s Twilight Zone Day. SyFy has been broadcasting a 24-hour marathon of the Twilight Zone each 4th of July weekend for several years — that is, except for last year, when they inexplicably ran Greatest American Hero all day instead. This year, they’ve realized the error of their ways and are giving us a 24-hour block of the best Twilight Zone episodes known to man. Seriously, it’s a great lineup. And you’ll have time enough at last to watch it after those cookouts are over. Read more…
I’m having trouble imagining a plot device convoluted enough to produce the image above, but then again, Star Wars non-film media has definitely erred on the side of “x character goes to the Dark Side for some reason,” so I’m sure this has happened in print at some point. Credit goes to Phil Noto for this great image. At least he had the courtesy not to give her the cinnamon-bun haircut. That probably would have reduced the badassedness a bit. Read more…
