The Crow is a pretty beloved genre film, not only due to the tragic death of its young star Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee) during filming, but also because, hey, it’s a good movie. And like any good movie made in the last thirty years, Hollywood is about to remake it. Or are they? Relativity Media is supposed to handle distribution of the remake, with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) directing and Bradley Cooper stated to be in the running for the lead, but they appear to have hit a snag. Miramax has filed a lawsuit claiming that they control the film’s distribution rights, a claim that Relativity Media calls “absurd.” Relativity says Miramax is just trying to sabotage production of the film and create bad press. I don’t know. Would that be so bad? Do we really need another Crow? Read more…
Of all of Marvel’s film projects, Thor has stood out as the wildcard. Iron Man grounded itself very firmly in reality (with a dash of science fiction, of course), The Hulk was more a psychodrama than a comic book movie, and Captain America is surrounded by something we can all dig — killing Nazis. Thor, on the other hand, represents the more Jack Kirby side of the Marvel universe; the powerful cosmic forces that exist unbeknownst to the general Earth public. It would’ve been easy to go full cheese mode for this one (hi, Green Lantern), but it looks like director Kenneth Branagh centered the film around the very Shakespearean politics of the god of thunder and his relatives instead. And, according to its 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes after its Australian premiere, it looks like it worked. You’re up, Cap.
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 17, 2011 in Comic Books
I love charts. Specifically, I love charts about stuff so nerdy that I feel the urge to buy them in poster form. This is one such chart, “The Illustrious Omnibus of Superpowers,” created by Pop Chart Labs. Contained therein you’ll find handy taxonomy for all types of superhero powers, from projecting glue to affecting probability. 200 superheroes and villains are on the chart, a considerable effort, and it’s certainly nice to look at it. If you don’t want to use the site’s magnifier to look at small portions of it, you can always buy it in poster form and hang it on your wall for those moments when you can’t remember who that one guy was who could emit a beam that only melts metal. Read more…
Wait! Don’t go! I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t want to smell like Cheetos and Mountain Dew and body odor!” But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s RPG perfume oil collection. There’s a selection of race-, class-, and alignment-themed scents. Shroud yourself in mystic spices and exotic incense with the Mage scent, or exude holy calm with the Paladin scent’s warm vanilla and frankincense. You can even forewarn your love interest that today’s not the day with the Evil scent. I’ve bought from Black Phoenix before, and the scents really are top-notch, and a bottle lasts for a good long time. They even change a little depending on your skin chemistry. Plus it helps you roll for initiative at the bar. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 16, 2011 in Videogames
I have fond memories of my little handheld electronic games I got for cheap at Radio Shack when I was a kid, back in the days when games for my “real” handheld game system were prohibitively expensive. Hippopotam– clearly a person (or persons) who knows that the very mention of the phrase “Plane & Tank” is enough to send me into a nostalgia seizure — has digitized classic handheld games like the above Plane & Tank, Game & Watch favorites like Legend of Zelda, and even Casio’s Castle Adventure and made them fully playable with mouse or keyboard controls. It’s like going back in time. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 16, 2011 in Star Wars
George Lucas is (and has never been) never shy about the whole merchandising thing when it comes to Star Wars, but sometimes it just goes way over the top. This 80s Underoos commercial is definitely one of those times. It gets even weirder, though — as io9 points out, the C3P0 dancer is actually Erika Eleniak, aka the stripper from Under Siege. Try to be comfortable with that juxtaposition. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 15, 2011 in Videogames
Might and Magic is a pretty old franchise in video game terms, and it only makes sense that current franchise owner Ubisoft would want to inject some new life into it. That new life comes in the form of Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD, the high-def remake of last year’s critically-acclaimed Nintendo DS title from Capybara Games. The first thing veteran MM players will notice (besides the unique puzzle/strategy gameplay, of course) is the distinctive Saturday morning cartoon art style, with hand-drawn environments and characters. It even ties into the Heroes of Might and Magic storyline, yet still remains accessible to players new to the franchise. If the sound of a different studio getting their hands on your treasured IP makes you nervous, well, just keep two things in mind: first, Clash of Heroes is a legitimately good game, a charming and engrossing single- and multi-player experience. Second, the Clone Wars cartoon was several leagues better than the actual Star Wars prequel trilogy. Clash of Heroes is available now on PSN and Xbox Live for $14.99. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 15, 2011 in Television
If you’re a genre reader, you’ve probably read Neil Gaiman’s work, whether Good Omens, his fan-favorite book with Terry Pratchett, or his recently-a-motion-picture kids’ tale Coraline. And if you’re a fan, as most of his readers are, then the news that HBO is in talks to pick up his bestselling novel American Gods to produce as a TV series will likely excite you to the very core. The source material — a battle between the old gods from various countries and faiths and the new “American gods” of technology, consumption, and celebrity — is perfect for HBO, and even better for a TV show. No worrying about it fitting in a single film or even miniseries. As long as it can avoid the fate of a certain other fantastical HBO show, anyway. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 10, 2011 in Pulp Fiction
If you’re reading this site, you’re probably comfortably familiar with the old trope of dragons hoarding treasure, given that it’s been present in almost every fantasy setting ever. But have you ever given much thought to how much some of those hoards would be worth in real dollars? Probably not. Forbes did, though! In fact, they’ve compiled a list of the 15 wealthiest fictional characters, and Smaug’s hoard, calculated with lots of easy-to-understand math formulae, puts him squarely in the 7th position on the list. For an explanation as to how the total value of his hoard ($8.6 billion) was estimated, check out Michael Noer’s very entertaining Forbes article. Read more…
You’d think with the sudden re-popularity of the Star Trek series that someone would be rushing to put the series back on the airwaves after a six-year absence, but not so, according to Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker on The Next Generation. He said he developed a new Trek series for TV, but the suits at Paramount turned it down, along with previous ideas from William Shatner and Pushing Daisies‘ Bryan Fuller, saying that they didn’t want to oversaturate the media with it like they had in the past. Honestly, it’s probably a good thing that they think that way now, since it’ll let the movies breathe a little and reestablish the fandom. Not that I wouldn’t love a new (and this is important, good) Trek series on the tube, of course.
He’s superpowered! He’s weird-looking! He’s completely insane! He’s Deadpool, and his movie may finally have a director. The LA Times reports that Tim Miller, a visual effects wunderkind, has been given his first shot at the director’s chair for Deadpool. Miller, perhaps most well-known for this visual effects work in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, is the latest in a long line of possible Deadpool directors, including Robert Rodriguez and Adam Berg. Ryan Reynolds, who despite his busy schedule is still attached to the project, had high praise for the film’s fourth-wall-breaking script several months back. If you’re concerned about the choice of director, just remember that Zack Snyder directed commercials before he directed comic book movies. Take that how you will. Read more…
It’s been hinted at for a while, but now we can finally confirm that Hawkeye makes an appearance in the Thor movie via this puzzlingly context-free clip from Marvel. Why’s the dude just hangin’ out on the crane? Why doesn’t he shoot Thor? Does he shoot Thor after the clip ends? Why is this fight scene so important? I probably shouldn’t be so glib. They’re obviously just trying to toss us a little Avengers bone here, get the ol’ word-of-mouth machine rolling to get people hyped. It’s working! By the way, if you missed Hawkeye, he’s at about 24 seconds in, and shows for less than a second. Hopefully he’ll be in the full film for a little bit longer.
Cosplay isn’t a new phenomenon — for pretty much as long as there’s been fandom, there’s been cosplay. These retro cosplay photos, posted on 4chan’s cosplay board, prove it! We’ve compiled the best here for your perusal, from events ranging from WonderCon to WorldCon from the 70s to the 80s. You’ll notice some patterns — Red Sonja was a very popular cosplay choice for ladies back then, and Vulcans and Elric of Melnibone were popular for men. You can even see cosplay mainstays like Orion slave girls. It’s almost comforting to know that people have been dressing themselves up like fantasy and scifi characters for this long — it means that there have always been incredibly nerdy people in the world. Read more…
Play Pac-Man, apparently! Among several other surreal activities, as captured by photographer Thurston Roscoe. How he managed to fool action figures of normally quite astute characters with a rudimentary hidden camera is a mystery, but I think the discovery speaks for itself. Who knew He-Man was so good at arcade games? And who knew Uhura was into Eternians? These photos will undoubtedly help us further human-figure relations for decades to come. Read more…
Warner Bros. has admitted that the original Green Lantern trailer was underwhelming at best, so they’ve vowed to provide the public with only the coolest material from the movie from here on in. And, I’ve got to say, based on the above footage shown at WonderCon, there might be hope for this movie yet. Check out all those awesome alien lanterns! And Mark Strong is a pretty great live-action Sinestro if ever I’ve seen one (I haven’t, mind you). Guess we’ll all know for sure in a few months! Read more…
William Stanhope, a schoolteacher, wrote venerable sci-fi author Ray Bradbury in 1991 asking him to describe an obstacle he had faced in his lifetime and how he overcame it. Bradbury eventually replied, and his response is recorded in this letter now being auctioned by RR Auction. Bradbury describes the moment when he destroyed his Buck Rogers comic strips after a classmate made fun of him, and his realization that his interests helped enrich his life. His resolution? Collect more Buck Rogers, of course! His advice, “love what YOU love,” is great for just about anybody, not just schoolkids or sci-fi fans. Me, I’d do pretty much anything Ray Bradbury told me to do. As long as it wasn’t burning books. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 2, 2011 in Television
You might know Cinemax (or “Skinemax,” in the vernacular) for a lot of things, but original series aren’t one of them, especially original sci-fi series being helmed by Ridley Scott. As part of the channel’s plan to rebrand as a hub for male-oriented television and movies, Cinemax is teaming up with Scott to produce The Sector, a one-hour drama that’s being called a spiritual successor to Blade Runner. In fact, the plot — about a cop that tracks down either androids or genetically-enhanced humans, depending on who you ask — is almost identical to Blade Runner. But you don’t see me complaining about that! Read more…
Okay, so Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen wasn’t very good. Even Michael Bay, the film’s own director, thinks so. He’s promised that the third film in the Transformers series, The Dark of the Moon, will be heaps better, and he appears to be following through on that promise by adding the one thing sure to draw nerds to a film: the venerable Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy will be lending his voice to the pre-Optimus leader of the Autobots, Sentinel Prime, whose remains are discovered on the moon in the film. This isn’t Nimoy’s first foray into the Transformers universe, either; diligent fans will recall that he was the voice of Galvatron in the Transformers movie of old. Read more…
We see conventions like Comic-Con as so huge and, well, modern, that for the young (like me) it’s hard to imagine what they were like before the internet, before information got around so easily. Well, we now have video proof! Joe Field from Flying Colors did a promotional video review of WonderCon 1988, and it’s surprisingly … YouTubey. Eerily ahead of its time, even. There are interviews with Stan Lee and Will Eisner, among others, as well as footage and commentary on the con itself. It’s a pretty fascinating piece of video. Read more…
If you think your house is missing something, I think I know what it is. It’s a cross-stitched art piece of characters from your favorite genre series! Wee Little Stitches agrees, and they have your back. There are over 20 cross-stitch patterns of the casts from everything from Firefly (above) to the Avengers, and reasonably-priced, at that. I don’t know about you, but a cross-stitched picture of Jayne’s hat feels meta to the max to me. Like some kind of recursive meta loop. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 26, 2011 in Videogames
BoingBoing gives us this video, a grim video diary of deaths from classic video games. It’s funny to see the stark differences between deaths from one game to another, the bombast and understatedness you could experience depending on the game. Exploding into a shower of multicolored pixels is pretty cool, or a series of flashing rings, or a ball of flame, but what about the classic woob-woob-woob-woob of a Pac-Man in his death throes? In games as in real life, not everybody goes out with a bang. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 26, 2011 in Animation
One of the world’s most beloved children’s book artists and the world’s most beloved fantasy series? Sounds like the perfect team to me. Tony DiTerlizzi says that Maurice Sendak (“Where the Wild Things Are”) very nearly illustrated “The Hobbit” in the 70s, but a misunderstanding between J. R. R. Tolkien and Sendak led to the partnership falling through. Sendak created art that was whimsical but could also be twisted and dark, a lot like Arthur Rackham before him, so he would’ve been the perfect choice for a book like “The Hobbit.” It’s a shame that a silly misunderstanding prevented what would’ve been beautiful work. Check out the whole story at Hero Complex.
Even though it hasn’t even been released yet, Sony Pictures is banking on The Amazing Spider-Man being a big success. How big? Well, they’ve already greenlighted a sequel to the reboot, that’s how big. James Vanderbilt, screenwriter for the first film, has received the go-ahead to start a script for the sequel. Seems like a pretty big risk, but if TASM does do well, it means that they’ll have a leg up on pre-production for the sequel. If not, well, I’m not an accountant, but greenlighting a movie definitely costs some money. Maybe someone at Sony got bit by a radioactive hundred-dollar bill. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Mar 25, 2011 in Television
In a parallel universe, the internet is mourning the loss of some of the best sci-fi ever seen on television. But not in this universe! Despite worries about ratings and a much-dreaded move to the “Friday night death slot,” Fringe has officially been renewed for a fourth season. And it gets better: a full run of 22 episodes has been ordered, not a “we’re worried about this show’s chances” 13-episode run. Fox seems to be of the mind that an established show will do better in the Friday night slot than a new one, and they’re probably right. Either way, great news all around. Read more…
