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Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 13, 2012 in Cinema, Fandom 
You may remember that awesome proof-of-concept trailer for The Goon way back at Comic-con 2010. If you were like me, you got excited about seeing such a cool comic coming alive on the big screen – but nothing ever materialized. The movie never got the funding it needed and was dropped. However, David Fincher, Eric Powell, and the gang at BLUR Studios really want to make this film. So they’re running a Kickstarter to finance the full-length story reel – aka, the rough edit of the storyboards. It’ll have music, sound effects, and the like, but be aware it’s not “making” the CGI film you’re supporting. Will that make Hollywood take another look at The Goon? I’m not sure, but you have to admire the sheer willpower of the creators! Read more…
Tags: Kickstarter, The Goon
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 12, 2012 in Anime, Cinema 
Though mainstream audiences may know the series as Battle of the Planets or G-Force, depending on how old they were when it was on the air, to old-school anime fans it has always been Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, or just Gatchaman. The adventures of the five-member team was widely popular the world over and spawned an additional OVA, as well as laying the foundation for franchises like Super Sentai, which was eventually adapted into Power Rangers for America. A movie had been planned by Imagi, but the company cancelled it in 2011. Now, there’s a new film project, coming this time from Japanese producer Nikkatsu. Read more…
Tags: Superheroes
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 11, 2012 in Cinema, Videogames 
You have to hand it to Disney, their marketing for Wreck-It Ralph, the upcoming CGI film set in the world of video games, is really fantastic. They’ve been running with the idea that Fix-It Felix has been a real game, from making an actual arcade game you can play, to an authentic-feeling “vintage” ad for the local Litwak Arcade. They did such a good job it makes me wonder if they actually transferred the video to a VHS tape at any point. Anyway, I hope this bodes well for Wreck-It Ralph, as it sure does seem like the creators have an honest love for old-school games. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Wreck-It Ralph
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 11, 2012 in Cinema 
Are you a big Quentin Tarantino fan? Big enough to re-buy all of his films on Blu-ray? Coming this November is Tarantino XX, an 8-film collection picked by Tarantino to illustrate the first 20 years of his career. The collection includes Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Jackie Brown, Death Proof, and True Romance. All great films, but I suspect many of you already own these films on Blu-ray (I know I do), so it depends on whether 5 hours of new special features is worth the entry price of $89.98 via Amazon. If you’re picking up, at least you’ll get a fantastic cover and box to hold all the films! Tarantino XX drops November 20th. Read more…
Tags: Quentin Tarantino
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 10, 2012 in Cinema, Videogames 
Microsoft wants a Gears of War movie, and since the movie industry isn’t moving on it, they’re ready to try pushing it into production a different way. New Line Cinema has the movie rights to the franchise, but they’ve decided to focus on The Hobbit films, which are guaranteed to bring in tons of money. The studio has placed Gears of War in turnaround for another studio to pick up. The thing is, Creative Artists Agency, the reps for the film, don’t want to wait.
Since New Line doesn’t seem to care about the movie, CAA is more than happy to take the license and shop it around to other studios. The most recent version of the script was written by Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), a script which is likely to get referenced during negotiations.
I’m not sure why Microsoft isn’t pushing a Halo film harder though, considering that it would likely have a slightly broader appeal due to increased mainstream recognition and the potential to be targeted towards more than 18- to 35-year-old males with a penchant for extreme military violence. I like Gears of War, but I’m not entirely sure it needs to be realized on the big screen.
Source: Variety
Tags: Gears of War, Microsoft, Xbox 360
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 5, 2012 in Cinema 
Still confused by Prometheus? I enjoyed it, purely from an artist standpoint, but sadly felt that the story left much to be desired. Perhaps that’s the reason I’m excited for the Blu-ray release of Ridley Scott’s latest – deleted scenes and alternate beginning and ending clips might help make the story feel a bit more cohesive. But these new features on the disc, while neat, probably won’t fix everything. I did crack up at the dramatic music that started playing when the trailer mentions you can use your tablet with the film to see extra content. Read more…
Tags: Blu-Ray, Prometheus
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 5, 2012 in Cinema 
Perhaps I’m just a jaded, empty, shell of a man, but when I first saw the news of Gore Verbinski tackling a remake of The Lone Ranger, I was skeptical. And now that the trailer is out, I have to say, my opinion hasn’t changed. The film stars Johnny Depp and some other guy (poor Armie Hammer, being upstaged by his co-star) with Helena Bonham Carter. Is she legally obligated to be in any film that features Depp? Is it some bizarre clause written into his contract? Is there some internal movie studio study that shows Helena and Johnny together increase movie revenue? I just don’t understand. Read more…
Tags: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, The Lone Ranger
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 30, 2012 in Cinema 
Did you know that Oldboy director Park Chan-Wook is making a film here in the US? And it stars Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska? Well now you do. You know what else you should know? The first trailer for the film has come out, and lets just say this movie looks insane – in the best way possible. It tells the story of a girl named India who, after her father dies, learns of her Uncle Charlie. He comes to live with her mother, a lady who is a little off-kilter herself. India’s uncle seems increasingly suspect but to make matters worse she is also a little attracted to him. Seems like a Park Chan-Wook film through and through! Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: park chan-wook
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 30, 2012 in Cinema 
Did you like Christopher Nolan’s latest, The Dark Knight Rises? So did millions of others, I think I remember it did alright in the box office… Probably not a very big release, either way. Still, the Blu-ray is coming out December 4th, just in time for Christmas, so you can buy it for yourself and justify it a little easier. The special edition box set will include a bunch of extras, such as a documentary about the Batmobile, 17 featurettes about the making of the film, and a short on how they demolished an entire city street. Of course, most importantly, it comes with a broken Batman cowl, just like the one the film. No word on if it’ll fit on your face and shatter properly when a friend punches you. Read more…
Tags: Batman, The Dark Knight Rises
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2012 in Cinema 
Are you ready to see Rian Johnson’s latest film, Looper, which stars Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt? It’s out today in the US, and from initial impressions it seems to be a pretty solid flick! Here’s something cool about Johnson though: he collaborates with two of his cousins for his films. Nathan Johnson does the score, and Zachary Johnson made posters and an animated trailer for the film. And let me tell you, this animated trailer is really something special. I think it just convinced me to go see Looper, in fact. I’d love to hang some of these frames up on my wall! Watch the video after the break. Read more…
Tags: Looper
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 27, 2012 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s been a while since Patrick Stewart played Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, in the X-Men films. X-Men: The Last Stand was his last take, with subsequent films focusing on Wolverine and then recasting James McAvoy in the role for X-Men: First Class. Of course, First Class did pretty well, so there’s a sequel planned — and Stewart is back on board. Read more…
Tags: Marvel, Sir Patrick Stewart, X-Men
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 26, 2012 in Cinema 
The hype machine has started working in full force for The Hobbit, and despite my best efforts to remain cautiously optimistic about certain controversial decisions, I can’t help being swept up in the excitement. The trailer whet my appetite, but it’s seeing the fans get involved that really gets me going. In particular, a recent book reading grabbed my attention. Read more…
Tags: The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 21, 2012 in Cinema 
“I’m going on an adventure!” The new trailer for The Hobbit hit all the right notes for me: excitement, some epic scenery, fantasy characters, and a solid dose of humor and light-heartedness. I’m sure most of you have seen it by now, but what you might’ve missed is that this new trailer had 4 other endings different from the one featuring the dwarves in the main release. Appropriately called Gandalf, Bilbo, String, and Gollum, all of these alternate ends are quite funny, especially the clip with Gollum conversing with Bilbo. Watch them below! Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 19, 2012 in Cinema 
I’m still quite wary of Peter Jackson’s decision to split The Hobbit into not just two, but three films. It seems like the pacing might move as fast as a glacier, with tons of details expanded upon that don’t need the additional exploration on film. However, I can’t deny that every other bit of PR is getting me really excited. This whole week is being called “Tolkien Week,” in honor of not only the book’s 75th anniversary on Friday, but both Bilbo and Frodo’s birthdays on September 22. First up on the celebration: new pictures! Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2012 in Cinema 
How many of you like period dramas? How about ones that feature Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln? And directed by Steven Spielberg? Granted, this film might not have vampires in it, and Lincoln may not hunt them (who knows, though!), but it still looks to be an interesting film. However, I think I’m at the point where (brace for impact, fanboys!) I’m over John Williams. His score really didn’t help the trailer, and if anything made it feel a bit more cheesy. Still, I’m curious to see how everything pans out. Lincoln opens in a limited release November 9th, then nationwide on November 16th. Read more…
Tags: Steven Spielberg
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2012 in Cinema, Videogames 
A new trailer for Wreck-It Ralph! I know you all loved the cameos in the last trailer, so I had to mention the latest one, which includes Sonic and Dig Dug! Granted, we’re starting to see more of the “kid movie” trappings of the film, with a few poor jokes and the presence of the annoying “little kid” character, but I’ll do my best to keep my judgement until I get a chance to see it. Wreck-It Ralph will be hopping into theaters November 2nd. Watch the trailer after the break! Read more…
Tags: Wreck-It Ralph
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 10, 2012 in Cinema 
It looks like Spike Lee’s version of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is getting closer and closer to being real. FilmDistrict picked up the film today, the same company that released Drive (on of my favorite films last year). We also have finally gotten the cast double-triple-super confirmed, so no more rumors here: Josh Brolin will play the main character, Elizabeth Olsen, the young woman he meets, and Sharlto Copley will be the villain. Samuel L. Jackson and Nate Parker have also been confirmed to have roles. Along with all this, the press release included a small synopsis of the film, and it seems to follow the original’s story fairly well, with a few minor changes. I don’t know if I should be interested, excited, or wary. Read more…
Tags: Oldboy, Spike Lee
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 10, 2012 in Cinema 
As part of a new program to get customers on the digital bandwagon, FOX will be starting to release their films early on digital distribution services – before the Blu-ray and DVD hit shelves. The first film as part of this new promotion will be Prometheus, which you’ll be able to download from iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu, and more on September 18th. The physical release arrives October 11th. Granted, it’s not Blu-ray quality, but if you’re looking to get your alien fix early, that’s the way to do it. It’ll run $15 and more films are on the way, including Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Let’s hope FOX begins to work well in the digital space. Read more…
Tags: Fox, Prometheus
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 9, 2012 in Cinema, Star Trek 
Two bits of movie news popping up this weekend: first off, J.J. Abrams’ second Star Trek film is slowly coming together, and now we’ve got a solid idea of the title. Multiple sources have rumored that the film will be called Star Trek Into Darkness. No colon? What a bold prospect! With a teaser trailer on the horizon, we should find out for sure soon. On the other side of things – The Hobbit! New pictures of all the characters, mainly the dwarves. I’ve got to say, the costume design is outstanding. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2012 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Sadly, it’s true: the massive and awesome-looking Phase One boxset featuring all the Marvel films so far (including the Avengers) that was set to come out September 25th is now delayed. Why? Apparently, Rimowa GmbH, a German luggage company is suing Marvel for using a design of theirs. Apparently, while Marvel and Disney licensed the use of suitcase design in the film, they didn’t get rights to making a plastic case for the Phase One boxset. Thus, they’re back to square one, and will redesign the case. So if you had Phase One on pre-order – don’t worry – you’ll get it eventually. Just not September 25th. And not in that sweet packaging. I’m sure we’ll end up with a similar-yet-very-different suitcase in the end, it’s just a shame we have to wait. Read more…
Tags: avengers, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 6, 2012 in Anime, Cinema 
April 2011 saw the release of Tiger & Bunny, an anime about two superheroes competing to be better than other superheroes on a corporate-sponsored reality TV program. It was a sleeper hit, leading to two compilation movies being produced based on existing animation, with new animation added in to smooth over the cut content. The first of those movies, Gekijo-ban Tiger & Bunny -The Beginning-, is premiering this month, not only in Japan, but also in America. Read more…
Tags: Anime, Superheroes
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 4, 2012 in Cinema 
Rurouni Kenshin was one of my favorite mangas to come out of Weekly Shonen Jump in the 90s. When I started watching the censored anime adaptation that was broadcast on Toonami in the early 2000s, I didn’t realize that I would fall in love with Kenshin the repentent samurai enough to pick up every volume that came out, especially the third and final act that never made it into the anime. To say I’m excited for seeing the live action adaptation is an understatement, and now that the film has premiered in Japan, it looks like the rest of the world is on track for getting its own release! Read more…
Tags: Rurouni Kenshin, samurai
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 3, 2012 in Cinema 
You’ve probably heard that Warner Bros. loves money – er, I mean, Peter Jackson wanted to film more and expand the two Hobbit films into three. Well, they did, but that’s old news. What’s the new news? They’re moving thing around a bit in regards to naming the films: the second film will now be called The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and the third will take the old name, There And Back Again. Confusing? Probably, but it’ll be old hat by the time December rolls around. Also, after the break, take a first peek at Thranduil and the White Council! Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 29, 2012 in Anime, Cinema 
The next installment in Studio 4°C’s adaptation of Berserk is coming soon to Japan, and the studio has released a brand-new trailer via Yahoo! Movies Japan. Titled Berserk Golden Age Arc III: Descent, the movie wraps up the planned trilogy covering volumes 3-15 of the classic manga. (Wait, does it count as classic if it’s still running? Author Kentaro Miura sure likes taking his time.) Read more…
Tags: Anime, Berserk
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