Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Dreaming...

How many hours a day and a week...




Jeffrey Katzenberg is a very busy man...

The Mouse's major competition, DreamWorks Animation apparently wants to create its own cable channel. It looks like after buying Classic Media, Jeffrey is looking for a place that he can exploit all those properties, as well as expand the properties his company already has.

I wonder if the rebroadcast rights to his series revert back to the company in a few years? That way he can have the "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness" series, "The Penguins of Madagascar" and anything else rerun on his new channel. Not to mention the ability to create new content for the channel. But it's all in the early stages right now, so we don't know exactly what form it will take just yet. Or when.

It looks like he's planning on expanding the DWA brand beyond that new theme park...

Shadowy Beginnings...

Who knows what what eeeeeeviiiilllll...




Eighty-Two years ago today, an iconic figure in radio/pulp fiction was born...

On the Detective Story Hour at the beginning of the Thirties, on this night a despondent, tired and pessimistic America tuned into their radios for a break from the harshness that the stock market crash had spent over the nation.

On tonights program, a new and exciting character would right the wrongs and deliver justice to a society that looked for hope. The mysterious Shadow would go on to create a sensation for young and old alike. He was a pre-superhero, before Superman and Batman, that did things the common man couldn't, but wanted to. And he offered a chance for the listener to escape the Great Depression, if only for a few hours.

Happy Birthday, Lamont Cranston...

Purple Guys Rule...

A son of Titan, not a teen titan...







Those of you that have seen "The Avengers" remember the post credits...

Particularly the first one with the big guy with the purple skin. Many people wondered who that was, and I'm sure Google got a lot of people looking up the word "Thanos" over the last few months.

But for those of you that haven't seen the film (are there any?), Marvel has now released the first post credit online for your entertainment. And to sell a boat load of these. I expect we'll be seeing more of him over the next couple years, particularly 2014. And once he's defeated who else will we see fill the void?

Too bad they cancelled that "Thanos: Son of Titan" mini-series...

Monday, July 30, 2012

A Tale That Grew In The Telling...

Them Baggin's is multiplying...






We all heard the possibility of Peter Jackson turning his Hobbit duology into a trilogy...

And now it's official. Via "The Hobbit" Facebook page the director made the announcement today:


"So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three."


Go check out the entire post to see more of what Jackson had to say. Now we have to wonder what will the third film be called? Or will they just call it "There And Back Again Part 1 & Part 2" maybe? Now when it's all over, fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will have two trilogies to fire up on the Blu-Ray by 2015. But until then, it looks like Warner Bros. will own December for the next three years, which is their intent.


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 2012
The Hobbit: There And Back Again - December 2013
The Hobbit: TBD - December 2014


I know someone asked if Jackson would do The Silmarillion, but I think he'll be tapped out after these. And then he'd have to convince the Tolkien Estate to sell the rights. Which they might not do since they aren't happy with his adaptation of LOTR. Which I don't understand. It's as faithful as a film can be and still be a film, not a book. Each frame is filled with love of the source material, so I don't understand the disappointment. It sounds misplaced.

Perhaps if this is overcome, they can have Jackson/Wingnut Films produce the series and find other directors for that and other works that take place in Middle Earth. Possibly even a television series/mini-series?

The opportunities open up and become endless...

UPDATE:

The guys over at /Film have some info, via Fusible about what it could essentially be called. Warner registered several titles and a couple of them are: http://whois.domaintools.com/desolationofsmaug.com and http://whois.domaintools.com/riddlesindark.com.

So what it might turn out to look like is this:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The Hobbit: Riddles In The Dark (2013)

The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug (2014)

Which means they could technically release the entire trilogy as "The Hobbit: There And Back Again" the following year. Just speculation, but not entirely incomprehensible. Is it?

Saturday, July 28, 2012

MCU2TV...

Excelsiorvision...






Nikki Finke
's website has a nice little rumor...

I don't link to Deadline anymore (if you want it, you can google it), but they had a small blurb about what Marvel Television's plans are in the future. While a series like the Guillermo del Toro produced "Hulk" series is not set in the MCU, the Superhero Studio and the ABC Network are working on a series that will be set in the movie universe: read that it'll be canon.

No word yet on what it'll be about other than it won't be about the characters in the film, but will be in the universe of the film. So it could be about everyday people dealing with a world with super powered heroes, or a special unit of S.H.I.E.L.D. perhaps? There has been talk of a rumored animated series, but it was nowhere near being green lit. Then again, this sounds barely out of that realm as well.

All we know it that they're looking for a writer for the show. May I suggest J. Michael Straczynski? He's a great writer that's worked in comics/tv/movies and knows how to travel between those worlds. He's written entire seasons of shows, so why not let him help them build this bridge from the MCU films to the MCU tv?

Heck, maybe even get Joss Whedon since he's talked so much about his love of tv lately...

Creating Magic...

If one is good, ten will be great...



Fourteen years ago today, the Walt Disney Company set sail...

The Disney Cruise Line christened its first cruise ship on this date.

The Disney Magic became the first of two ships that would form the basis for a Disney cruise line. Not much of line, but it was a start. The initial plans were far more ambitious with plans to expand rapidly to ten ships. That's right, ten ships and their home port would have been slit between Florida, just a short distance from Walt Disney World, and California at the soon to be built Port Disney. But it was an overly positive plan. And so, only the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder were built.

Both were an instant hit, but the Mouse has/was extremely conservative when planning expansion. After close to a decade, it was announced that two more ships would be added, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy, essentially doubling the fleet. Not quite up to ten, but almost half. If the bookings continue to be a success then by the end of the decade we may have another ship or two join these sisters. But until then we have four elegant ladies that cut through the water, entertaining us rather successfully.

Now, if we can just get one permanently on the West Coast...

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Last Train To Gotham...

Next stop: new director-ville...





There is a lot of discussion going on now about Christopher Nolan's last Batman film...

Batman is my favorite superhero. I've loved him since I was old enough to walk and play out the adventures in my backyard. From pretending to be Batman with my cousins and forcing my little cousin to play Commissioner Gordon (causing him to cry), to watching the reruns of 60's "Batman" television show I would rush home each day from school to watch. It along with George Reeve's "Superman" series that I would watch on Sundays are the core of how I became a "DC Guy" over Marvel. From the rush of seeing Tim Burton's flawed, but wonderful reinterpretation of Batman, to the travesty of Joel Schumacher's hideous trip back down the wrong path to camp, I've been there.

So when my best friend handed me a script by David S. Goyer, and I flipped through the first few pages realizing it was the new Batman film, I was instantly excited. Upon reading it, I knew that Nolan had gotten the character right. When the second film came out, I didn't want to read the script since I wanted this one to come at me without the knowledge of each and every scene. And it was amazing and numbing all at once. So when Christopher Nolan came back to finish his take on the Caped Crusader, I waited each day on pins and needles for the chance to see how he ties it up.

It's a little bitter realizing that there will never be another Nolan take on the character. But now that it's done, I'm glad that there is an ending for this story. I'm curious to see who Warner Bros. picks to helm the next reboot of the film (after all, the guy that helped choose Nolan is now at Disney: Alan Horn). In all likelihood the person playing the part may be chosen well before the actual film comes out. If the "Justice League" film that they're trying to pull together comes to fruition, then whoever they hire will probably be stuck with the actor he or she will use for their interpretation. Not a bad thing; look how Joss Whedon pulled it off with a story where almost everyone was cast for him? But until then, we have Nolan's latest opus to keep us happy, or to argue over.

I saw "The Dark Knight Rises" a week ago today (midnight Friday, technically), and had immediate impressions about it, but I won't review it. Our own Decadent Dave had the official Blue Sky Review of the film for the site. But I will say that after watching the film, and the two previous ones back to back, I know where this one stands in the trilogy. If "The Dark Knight" is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the three, then this one is "The Return of the Jedi" of the series. That will hopefully give you my thoughts on the film.

But there are interesting thoughts/analysis/critiques all around the net right now and I found some that you might be interested in reading.

The guys over at /Film have a great post about some of the same problems I had with the film entitled "15 Things that bothered us about 'The Dark Knight Rises'." I agree with the majority of what they focus on, and yet there are parts of the film that reach what I expect from a Nolan film. Take a look at it if you've seen the film, but avoid it if haven't because there are major spoilers.

Not many characters in popular literature can evoke such a strong response, both pro and con, but Bruce Wayne's alter ego can and does. If you're a big fan of the Bat then you should take a look at these articles that focus on the fighting style of the character: "The Martial Arts of the Dark Knight - Part 1" and "The Martial Arts of the Dark Knight - Part 2," We even focus on the minute details of how he puts down a bad guy.

All this deep psychological/analytical probing for a character that began as an escape from the dreary existence of the Great Depression? That's why we hold Batman, Superman and the other characters up with such wonder. They offer us dreams of a way out, a different life, or a better tomorrow. And for a dime, it was easy to buy that dream. It may cost more today, but it's still a worthy experience that we strive to attain as we turn each page, or buy each movie ticket. That's what Nolan gave us over the last seven years. He gave us dreams that we'll always have, and always enjoy.

And for that I will forever be grateful to him, and of course Batman...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Signs Of The Times...

Take it as a sign...







The very point of a theme park is to have a theme...

This was one of the problems with DCA 1.0. really. You could say it had a theme, but it wasn't very strong or clear, it wasn't thought out and it wasn't really good.

For Imagineers it was a rare misfire.

When WDI began the task of taking/remaking California Adventure it needed a cohesive theme that would work throughout the new lands/areas/ to focus this park into a place that guests would want to go.

It's clearly been a success, but sometimes people don't notice all the little things. In addition to the architecture, the smallest of details help tell a story. For instance: Signs point the way, and lead the mind to the conclusion that it's believing the world that has been created for it. Or not. In this case, it works remarkably well.

Buena Vista Street is supposed to take you back to the late Twenties or Thirties and pull you into the period. The signs here are a great reflection of that. The buildings and music and atmosphere are all wonderful, but it's the signs that point the way.


























And these are only a few signs of what you take in as you walk into this representation of Walt's past...

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Why Do We Fall?

Hello Mr. Wayne...







[As always, spoilers apply.]


After the success of The Dark Knight, it was evident that Christopher Nolan was faced with the impossible challenge of concluding his epic Batman trilogy without its most memorable villain, the Joker. Respectfully and wisely he chose not to recast the role and decided to make no mention at all of the Joker in the follow-up However there were still lingering questions that bothered me about the ending of The Dark Knight and the Joker's mysterious absence in Rises becomes prominent during the major events that occur throughout and simply go unacknowledged. Heath Ledger's absence in the film is indeed felt as is also the absence of Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent/Two Face whose questionable death at the end of The Dark Knight made Batman a pariah who has disappeared from Gotham for almost a decade.


The Dark Knight Rises is a disappointment for Batman fans, but most audiences who are not stepped deep in the lore of the comic book mythology or character will still probably enjoy the film as mindless summer blockbuster escapism. Never mind that the film is riddled with more plot holes than a block of moldy Swiss cheese that would make even The Riddler green with envy. For example, if Batman has retired, why then did he even bother rebuilding the Batcave when Wayne Manor was restored after its destruction in Begins? How is it that Batman is able to survive having his back broken by Bane and is able to not only heal himself without the use of the Lazarus Pit from the comics but also climb out of a virtually inescapable prison pit somewhere in India to return to physically confront his nemesis is a time frame that defies any logical sense? And how is it that Bane can travel half way around the world to dispose of Batman and return to Gotham all the while in the midst of executing his uninterrupted and strategically coordinated terrorist attacks on the city? Why does Alfred abandon Bruce Wayne after repeatedly assuring him he would never leave his side in the other films? Why does Bruce fall in love with Miranda Tate after being so distraught over Rachel's death that he hangs up Batman's cowl? These and many other lapses of plot logic largely go unaddressed throughout the film leaving the viewer to either scratch their heads in bewilderment or simply accept them with naive suspension of disbelief.


Admittedly Christopher Nolan was not that familiar with the comic book mythology of Batman, instead turning to screenwriter David S. Goyer for story and character ideas to help him bring a decidedly reality-based Batman to the screen. As a result, there are not that many Batman villains from the infamous "Rogues Gallery" who could have convincingly translated well into the "Nolanverse" on the big screen. Certainly the Penguin could have worked in a very crime boss way taking over for Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins, but the inevitable inclusion of Catwoman as alluded to in The Dark Knight would have made The Dark Knight Rises feel more like a redux of Tim Burton's Batman Returns. The Riddler could have potentially worked if he had been realized as a sort of Zodiac killer but ultimately the Riddler would have felt like The Joker-lite.


Enter Bane who represents a significant chapter of Batman's comic book mythology in that he is the villain responsible for breaking, both literally and symbolically, Batman's back and putting him out of commission while Jean Paul Valley a.k.a. Azrael takes up Batman's mantle during the "Knightquest" storyline from which Goyer and Nolan have "lifted" many of their key plot points for Rises from and also from the "No Man's Land" epic storyline in which Gotham City suffers from a catastrophic earthquake which isolates it from the mainland while the inmates of Arkham have taken over the city ala: Escape From New York. The result is a visually stunning epic film that ultimately makes very little sense plot-wise.


Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane is unique and vastly different from the steroid induced hulking Bane wearing a Mexican wrestler looking mask from the comic books. Hardy is one of the most interesting and versatile method actors to watch onscreen. His performance in Bronson was extraordinary and his physical presence onscreen as Bane is chillingly brutal even when limited by emoting from behind a synthesized face mask that at times makes his dialogue somewhat distorted and unintelligible and come off sounding like Darth Bane. The character's origins have been altered significantly from the comics. Instead of a South American inmate that had been physically transformed by an experimental super-soldier serum Venom, Bane origins initiate from somewhere in the Middle East where he was disfigured in a prison in which he is coincidentally, for the sake of the plot, the protector of Ra's Al Ghul's daughter Talia who has returned to Gotham under the name of Miranda Tate and her reveal as Talia who has returned to avenge her father's death and fulfill the destiny of the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham feels like a forced plot contrivance tacked on at the end of the film.


Perhaps the biggest offense though in TDKR is the fact that Nolan has repeatedly gone on record stating that Robin would never make an appearance in his Batman films but then decides to shoehorn him into the ending of the film in such a way that is not only a slap in the face to Batman fans everywhere but does so in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with the character of Dick Grayson's Robin, or even his protege Jason Todd or even his successor, Tim Drake. Joseph Gordon Levitt's John Drake/Robin has more akin to Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne's future successor to Batman's mantle from the cartoon and it's literally a "cop out" if you'll pardon the pun. John Drake is an orphaned street cop who just walks up and knocks on the door of Wayne Manor and announces that he knows Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne and we are supposed to buy that Bruce then endows Batman's entire legacy and mantle to him, without any of the martial arts training he acquired under the tutelage of Ra's Al Ghul or the League of Shadows, and will allegedly continue on as Gotham's new Batman?


Christopher Nolan is, though, to be commended for bringing a gritty realism back to Batman and keeping the franchise alive after Joel Shumacher's campy farcical films nearly destroyed the franchise completely. However, a director of Nolan's acclaim and talent should be ashamed for the lackadaisical directorial effort demonstrated in TDKR. In short, it feels like Nolan phones it in on this one. Like Indiana Jones, Batman has Nuked the Fridge. Perhaps it was the overwhelming success of The Dark Knight, the daunting task of continuing in the wake of the death of Heath Ledger, and or physical and mental exhaustion of contractually delivering a third installment to the studio that makes TDKR feel so substantially "off" from the pitch-perfect feel of The Dark Knight, a superior film by comparison which felt as though all of the narrative pieces fit together seamlessly along with the strong performances by Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart.


TDKR is the Return of the Jedi of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. It is a very flawed, tired, but guiltily entertaining film to watch. It will be interesting to see where the Batman franchise goes from here. Will it continue with Joseph Gordon Levitt wearing the cowl or will a new director recast and reboot from scratch and completely disregard the alternate reality continuity of the Nolanverse? Batman is a mythology that has been continuously retold in all media from different interpretations of the character. If The Man Of Steel is successful I can already see Warner Bros handing Zack Snyder the keys to the franchise, turning his vision of a reboot into a hyper-reality, CGI exaggerated 300 meets Watchmen style of Batman. Personally, I would much prefer a big screen adaptation of Arkham City. Probably the best interpretation of Batman I've experienced in any media.


The Dark Knight Lives.

Monday, July 23, 2012

San Diego And Back Again...

Precious film, it is...






When Peter Jackson took the stage he was filming it with his camera phone...

He mentioned that he was going to have another one of his video blogs out soon and wanted to show some of Comic-Con in it. Well, he has released that "The Hobbit" Production Video #8 for everyone to see. Take a look at it, there is a lot of emotion and care in what you see he's filming.

December we go back to the Shire...

The Lost Ranger...

Hi ho, low thinking...






Today was an example of the repercussions of good/bad business...

Good for DreamWorks Animation and bad for the Disney corporation. Not totally bad for them, but an example of what can happen when you are short sighted in your business concerns. And to that I have to thank Michael Eisner for not being able to see over the next hill. Disney California Adventure's birth and squandered first decade for identity aren't the only mistake he made. Now, I'm not using this to say that he's wrong on everything (he wasn't), but I am using it to show how he lost the rights to something that he could have used to expand the already large collection of Disney properties. What am I blathering on about?

The Lone Ranger.

Sure, next year the Mouse will put out a film that will have cost around a quarter of a billion dollars on a property that it doesn't own, but once did. That's correct, the Masked Man was owned by Disney and was sold for a song. And it will now have to pay more for a license to a property that it could have used for free. If you've read Blue Sky regularly then you probably know this because I've mentioned it in the past.

Back in the late Eighties when the Walt Disney Company was looking to expand the Disneyland park into the Disneyland Resort, there were several things they had to do and wanted to do. One of those was reacquire the rights to the "Disney" name and property from those that owned The Disneyland Hotel. That's right, the Disney Company didn't own the rights to the hotel or the use of it's name until it bought them in the late 80's. Back when Walt Disney was planning on opening the park, he knew he would have to have a hotel for them to stay in, but being as he had all his money invested in building the park, he didn't have the cash to build it. So he turned to Jack Wrather, a friend and businessman to build it. In exchange for him building the hotel, Walt gave Jack the exclusive rights to build hotels in California with the name "Disney" for a 99 year lease. He only built one thankfully, or it would have been a much more tangled mess to unravel.

So back to the story. As Eisner and company moved forward to expand the park to a resort and add hotels, he wanted to purchase the Disneyland Hotel. The company played hardball with the company when they weren't really looking to sell. They were going to increase the lease for the Monorail stop at the hotel to a point where it would be excessively cost prohibitive for them to use. Can you imagine how angry guest would have been to stay there and see the Monorail go on by and not stop to allow guests to take it into the park. Well, the negotiations works. But in a different way, because the company that owned the hotel may not have been willing to sell the hotel back to Disney, but it was willing to sell itself to Disney: the entire company.

So, to get the property and name back, the Walt Disney Company agreed to purchase the Wrather Corporation. It was more than just that hotel you see. Now, being as Michael Eisner didn't like having to pay so much for other parts of a business he didn't want, he had the company get rid of part it didn't (he felt) need or want. There were good things that came from this, and bad things as well. You see, Tokyo DisneySEA's seed was planted when this happened, because one of the things that Wrather's company had the rights to was the Queen Mary. And when Disney was looking at making Disneyland into a resort, it also wanted to see what other opportunities were available as well. With this newly acquired area in the Port of Long Beach, Eisner set the Imagineers at WDI to task with finding a way to exploit it. And that is how "Port Disney" came to be. The Long Beach Project as it was known internally had a resort with 5/6 hotels, a shopping district, ports for the Disney Cruise Line and a theme park called Disneysea. Although it wasn't fully formed, it was the fetus that became Tokyo DisneySEA a decade after the American project was cancelled.

But there were other properties that Wrather owned also. And one was the Lone Ranger. It was sold in a fire sale to try to make back some of the millions that were spent on the purchase of the iconic hotel. No thought was given to mining the classic character for television like was done with the Zorro property that Disney didn't own. No thought was given to creating a movie for such a well known character. No thought was given to the merchandising profits that could have been had with Disney's marketing behind them. It was just something to get rid of. Granted, hindsight is 20/20, but fans of pop-culture would see the opportunity that this American character represented to an American institution like Disney. A company known as Classic Media bought the rights to Kemosabe. Let's hope that the rights to the character are locked for a long time if this film is successful. Perhaps Disney's lawyers were forward thinking and included the rights to possible television series as well, otherwise Jeffrey Katzenberg's company could have a DreamWorks television series up on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon to take advantage of the new Disney film. Don't thing that could happen?

Then you've never heard the story of Antz...

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Men Of Steel...

I give to you, my only son...


The trailer(s) for the new "Man of Steel" film is out...

It's actually two trailers. Each one is pretty much the same thing, but near the end there are a couple scenes different, not much and the voice-overs are different.

They're playing randomly with "The Dark Knight Rises," so there is no pattern as which you will see. Again, they're basically the same other than who you hear for the most part.

One has Jor-El (Russell Crowe) narration.

One has Jonathan Kent (Kevin Coster) narration.

Both are equally good, but focus on different points of view. Jor-El offers a look at human's acceptance of a person of Kal-El's powers, while Kent offers a look at who he is as a human and what he should/will become with those powers.

Not much is shown, but that's expected till we get an actual trailer in the fall...

Friday, July 20, 2012

One. Small. Step...

The American Way: Imagine the impossible and do it...





A pinnacle of human achievement happened on this date...

Forty-three years ago on this day, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk upon the surface of the moon with the success of the Apollo 11 mission.

The historic event is broadcast in Tomorrowland... It was a perfect example of the optimism Walt saw when thinking about man's future. It is a case of doing something right. Something positive. It was American progress on display for the world to see...

That's what was/is great about Walt and what was/could again be great about Tomorrowland. it represented the best of what man could do, and never focused on what he could not.

The impossible is only impossible when we tell ourselves we can't do it...

Inside The Universe...

Coolness never seemed needed...





If you've seen the list/photos of Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One, then you know how cool it is...

Now, Marvel Studios/Disney's home entertainment division even got a trailer for it. Yes, that's right. A Trailer for a Blu-Ray box set.

But to be fair, it's a really, really cool box set...

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Mouse's Chinese New Year...

Get in on, bang a gong, just not in Hong Kong...






On this day the seed of the Third Kingdom in Asia, the second in the Middle Kingdom was planted...

A decade ago on this date, the Walt Disney Company signed a letter of intent to build Shanghai Disneyland. And now it's under construction as we speak.

Only three years before this tree bares fruit...

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Paperclips...

That Oscar for best animated short, give it up...






John Kahrs' "Paperman" is getting an unbelievably large amount of positive buzz...

And it deserves every single piece of praise that is heaped upon it. It's truly marvelous, special and amazingly poignant. I've only seen a small amount, but I've talked to many who have watched the entire thing, and they're universally loving this Disney short.

There are several short films that the Mouse has released talking about it. So here for you are those:

The Idea.

The Drawings.

The Look.

So when you go to see "Wreck-It Ralph" this fall, you'll get a diamond-like bonus in front of that film. And while you will love the wonder and cleverness of Ralph, you will fall in love with this small black and white masterpiece.

And you will see the future of Disney Animation with this short...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Lost Again...

Dad is out looking for Harpo again...









So Andrew Stanton is going back to the well...

Deadline Hollywood, the site that doesn't like to credit non-approved websites for breaking stories has the breaking story. Stanton will film a sequel to his most famous creation: "Finding Nemo."

After the lackluster box office of "John Carter" because of the marketing departments totally inept campaign, the director is moving into familiar territory. Disney hadn't confirmed it as of this morning, but it makes sense. According to Deadline, the Lamp is very happy with the take that the director wants to take with the story.

Hopefully, it'll be more than just finding this time around...

UPDATE:

Sources are reporting that scribe Victoria Strouse (The Apostles of Infinite Love - Black List 2008), has been hired by the Mouse to write the script based on Stanton's idea. It looks like they're aiming for a 2016 release date.

Being There: Pacific Rim...

Giant $%*#&W@ robots...





To see Guillermo del Toro work a crowd at Comic-Con is pure fun...

The man is an Uber-Geek and knows what the fans like because it's what he likes. Well, if you want to see the "Pacific Rim" panel then you now have the opportunity via YouTube. This is pretty much the entire panel, minus the footage. For that and more, you'll just have to wait to go see "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" later this year.


Be careful, as Guillermo's language is NSFW, but that's him...

55 & 57...

To all that come to this happiest place on earth...






A dream was born Fifty-seven years ago today...

Walt Disney opened his version of what a theme park should look like on this day, and in doing so he reinvented it. It was the first, the original and unheard of at that time. Disneyland became the park that all others would emulate. Doesn't look too shabby for being born all the way back in 1955, does it?

Through most of his life Walt struggled to get money for his projects, from shorts to films... he very often gambled the fate of his studio on projects that if they were to fail, would have doomed his own company to bankruptcy. And when it really counted, like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" he came through more confident, more strong and more able than before. But after Disneyland opened he never ever had trouble getting financial backing again for anything.

Anything...

Monday, July 16, 2012

Marvel Mayhem...

I'm sitting on top of the world...





I know, all Marvel, all the time...

But Marvel's panel the other day really capped off a weekend filled with pop-cultury goodness. Much of it having to do with the iconic House that Stan Built. Those that weren't there missed out on some amazing visuals, and sneak peeks at the future of Phase Two.

That being said, here are some of the things you missed that I'm sure you'll love:

First off, THE INTRO of Robert Downey Jr. was classic and funny as you can imagine. Take a look at how he owns the crowd.

There were many questions asked at the panel and here are a collection of some of the most interesting ones.

Or this incredibly sweet surprise drop by that Downey did for an Iron Man costume competition at the Con.

And then there was the footage, but that you'd have to have been there for. The Warner panel was big and bombastic and filled with amazing projects that will likely prove a blockbuster year for Warner Bros. But Marvel knows how to get a crowd going, and have having RDJ as your master of ceremony is the ringmaster. It was the most pure fun of any of the panels. It was the one which was pure of heart. And it was the one that showed Marvel's game plan is very smart.

Your move DC...

It's A Bird, It's A Falcon...

Soaring above the sky, on crimson wings...






So Marvel's first African-American hero won't be the Black Panther after all...

Anthony Mackie is currently in negotiations to play "The Falcon" in the sequel, "Captain America: Winter Soldier," which starts filming next year. If you've read the comic book series: Winter Soldier, then you know that Sam Wilson plays an integral part in the story. We don't know how close the film will follow the comic story, but you can tell by the casting that certain elements of the story will be retained by new directors. Joe and Anthony Russo.

Although I wished that Marvel would have kept Joe Johnston, the take that this adventure will have will be tonally different as most of it will be set in the present MCU. I just don't want them to lose what makes Cap the man that he is. I pray that they keep his soul intact, and Mackie could be playing a very reflective character for Rogers to have to deal with.

Developing...

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Revealed (Almost)...

And a one, and a two...



Sorry for the delay, but it was a long day...

I thought since every website had pretty much covered the footage, discussions and teases that were revealed in the Marvel Panel yesterday, I'd try something different. With the films that Marvel President, Kevin Feige introduced we now have a very clear direction of what leads up to "The Avengers 2" with one tiny blank spot. Let's look at the path that is spread before us.

2013:


May 3

We will get the last of an "Iron Man" trilogy starring Robert Downey Jr. possibly. It's going to take some serious negotiations on Feige and Marvel's part to get him to return. I hope that they do, but they've already mentioned that the part will be like James Bond. No actor is bigger than the character, but Downey inhabits Tony Stark like no one, and it'll be hard to replace him.


November 8

The continuation of the God of Thunder, but this time we're promised a lot, if not most of the adventure will take place off of earth and in the other realms of the universe. We can look forward to more dealings with Thor's brother, Loki and another mysterious villain that has yet to be revealed, and now recast. This will be Marvel taking another chance with people having to not only believe in a race of Asgardians, but a world along the lines of "Lord of the Rings" in terms of scope. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

2014

April 4



The return of the original Marvel Boy Scout comes back to tell the story of "Winter Soldier." With the reveal of the title we can expect to see Bucky back in part two. And it also explains how we'll have some of the flashbacks. If you remember the first film, they glossed over the fighting with a montage of scenes. It looks like now we're going to see some of the battles that made up the relationship between Steve Rogers and his best friend. It will also be interesting how they fit Bucky in the modern world as well.

August 1




Marvel takes its biggest gamble yes as it goes for the stars. This is a title not as well known to audiences as others, but it promises to be a much larger scale than where we've gone before. Also with the addition of this film, it appears that Thanos will likely be seen in this film before/instead of "The Avengers 2"

Now that is what is solidly confirmed. Everything else is speculation, but based on what we've seen in the past, and what has been announced/teased in the past few days.

2015





Unless something happens that we don't know about, this will be the year that "The Avengers 2" comes out. And it's the type of film that will be a summer release. So in all likelihood it's going to be their summer release that year. Now, the main question is when will it release its other film that year? Spring, as in something like April, or fall as in something like November? That is what we don't know.



As for what that other film is? In truth, it'll probably be "Ant-Man" with all the information that has been put out there. Of course, Marvel could decide to release three films in 2014, which means this one could have a fall/winter release during the year. That way it would come out before Avengers, leaving room for one more property the following year. That property could be the one reportedly being put on the front burner, which is "Black Panther" according to Latino Review.



So if Ant-Man doesn't make it, we may get a trip to Africa. And then there is the possibility that Marvel may release three films in one year. They've talked about that as an option, but they don't want to over saturate the market with superheroes and destroy their own branding. I don't think that this will happen. Which ever one of these doesn't make it in to 2015, will likely be the first one we see in 2016. And you know what that is?

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Three...

Saturday, July 14, 2012

The Grid At Comic-Con...

Greetings from the Grid, San Diego...








Tron had a presence at this years Comic-Con...

It wasn't a major announcement of TR3N or anything (a few small hints, nothing more), but it was there in the form of the animated series "Tron: Uprising."

Now, I could go over the panel for you, but wouldn't you rather just see it for yourself? Thanks to Inside the Magic, here in its entirety is the panel from Room 6A:


Tron: Uprising Panel


The panel is seen with the exception of the "Scars" teaser episode (which you can now see via the link to Disney XD's YouTube channel) and a few other bits (like the show's sizzle reel here.). It's a fun panel with a lot of love for the original source. If you love the Grid, Legacy or the promising new series, take a look.

Now, hopefully next year they'll have a little surprise for us about that sequel...

There And Back Again, Back Again...

A game of riddles, it is...







Warner's panel was the one to be at this day, and this was a big reason why...

I just finished reading "The Hobbit" for the second time a couple weeks ago. So it's going to be interesting seeing this movie version of the book through Peter Jackson's eyes and not my own. After seeing this panel, I have to say that I can't wait for the Holidays. This looks like a gift left under my tree that I've waited a long, long time to open.

Peter Jackson is a man that understands this fanbase. He started doing those production blogs back in the 90's for "Lord of the Rings" way before other film makers/studios. Jackson understood he needed to get people, particularly fans, interested in this project. And people today do these kind of thing without thinking about it. So when Jackson walked out, he was holding his phone and recording the fan reaction for a new update blog on the film for people that didn't get to come to Comic-Com.

Jackson brought out the rest of the panel which included his co-writer and producer Phillipa Boyens, and then the rest of the cast joined them. He showed a large amount of footage from the film(s), including some scenes that take place in the second film. The bulk of scenes consisted of Bilbo and the Dwarfs arguing what they were going to do to get the treasure that Smaug guarded. Several other scenes/clips were shown, but the best of these was the meeting between Bilbo and Gollum. Sadly, the footage was all shown in 24fps, so we'll have to wait until the holidays to get a look at 48fps in all its glory.

There were the typical questions about things, but one asked about him possibly adapting "The Silmarillion" and Jackson honestly answering that the rights were owned by the Tolkein Estate (which I knew) and that they weren't too happy with his interpretation of the books (which I didn't know).

All in all, the film looks like a great continuation of the Middle Earth Universe, but it's not got the more dark, and somber tone of the LOTR trilogy. I can't wait to see this, but I also wonder in the back of my mind how different it is from the films that Guillermo del Toro had planned.

But really, we can never go there and back again...

UPDATE:

It appears that Peter Jackson is trying to get Warner Bros. to fund the filming of additional material which could wind up making the second film a two-parter. That would turn this in to a trilogy of films spread out over 2012, 2013 and 2014. If that doesn't happen, then it leaves a lot of footage that could be available for the Extended Editions of The Hobbit. Warner Suits will have to decide if they want to continue this series another year. I'm sure it's a tempting decision they have to make with all those dollar signs floating around in the air.

Kal-El Begins...

Look up in the sky... it's a bird, a plane, a reboot...








We've finally got a look at what the Last Son of Krypton looks like in the 21st Century...

And it looks both very impressive and a bit worrisome. You would expect the action from Zach Snyder to look good, but I've been worried that the version they're making would try to be dark and edgy. And after seeing this, I'm still slightly worried about that.

There was a quick montage of action shown. A really cool shot of Superman and Zod hurtling toward one another for a massive battle, carnage and destruction. It all looks cool. I expect that from Snyder. He's great at visual action. I worry about the script. After "Sucker Punch," how could you not? The saving grace for this is that Christopher Nolan guided it through the process.

I have no doubt it will look great, but what worries me is the director's quotes on the subject. When he says things along the lines of: "out is the boy scout, in is kicking people's @ss!" I get worried. Superman isn't Batman and doesn't need to be edgy. In fact, he's not Clark Kent if he is that way. He's raised with midwestern, American values that plant within him the moral compass that directs his life. He doesn't have the angst of Bruce Wayne because he had a more normal past. One with a father and mother there to guide him and love him. His foundation is built so that he's not looking for answers in this world, he's trying to help it just like his mother and father would have done.

The production values look great and the actors are perfectly cast. I just want to make sure that the script is right there with the rest of the film. And right now I'm just not sure. I want to be. But I am cautiously optimistic that this will reboot Kal-El. And hopefully DC will have the start of a DC Cinematic Universe. And it would be kind of cool that the hero that started it all, will be the one that starts this universe. I can't wait to see the trailer for this that will be in front of a little film that opens up next Friday.

If the film is a darker take on the story, I hope that the bright spot in the film is Superman himself...

Pacific Toho...

Guillermo! Guillerzilla! Godzilla! G...












Not really Toho...

Not even in the slightest. This is something new, and unto itself. Holy, wow. I mean, you know I love Guillermo del Toro. I think his work is amazing and I still want him to direct that "Haunted Mansion" film, but with this he's definitely moved forward into a pack that few directors occupy. And in this environment, at this time, well let's just say that Comic-Con is a world unto itself. And Guillermo is a god here. The crowd hailed him as a conquering hero when he walked onstage to present footage/effects from "Pacific Rim."

He could have had roses thrown at his feet as he showed clips from the giant robot (Jaeger) versus giant monster (Kaiju) film. There was footage shown of a battle with the creatures, but you never really got to see it in full scale or entirety. But the scope of the destruction and battles was clearly evident. And it had del Toro's style all over it. His talk was filled with the typical humor he uses, and it feels like a friend telling you about his favorite project, not some distant film maker that happens to be trying to impress you with his latest masterpiece.

I love how when he describes the way he wants the robots to move that he mentions how they should move and why. He explains things like he's thought them out, not just trying to throw something up on the screen. And with the monsters, how he wants you to know them from the inside out, like he's been examining their physiology as a scientist. It's the same way I've heard him describe that "Frankenstein" project that he's been working on for years.

My only fear, not for the film really, but more for Legendary is that this film will make "Godzilla," which was also announced today, an afterthought. It's going to have to go in a completely opposite direction if it's not going to be perceived as underwhelming for audiences after this. Guillermo mentioned that this will be the only footage released for sometime, so attendees got to see it first until late this year/early next. And I can't wait to see a full on trailer for this when more fx work is done. I can't wait to see the battles that this mighty hero has planned for us.

Because they are going to be EPIC...

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mondosters...

Fish falls for girl, girl no so much...










I love Mondo...

They make some amazing posters. When I was a kid, I remember being obsessed with "Creature from the Black Lagoon" so much that I bought a glow in the dark model from the back of a comic book. When it got to me, I was somewhat disappointed in the fact that I had to put it together. I thought it would already be in one piece, impatient lad, that I was.

If you like this poster presented exclusively by Collider, then check out the collection that the art studio has put together. Really impressive stuff for a film geek/Universal Monster geek, or just someone that loves collecting film posters.

Maleficent, I believe you have an appointment...

Seventy Year Old Doctor...

Candles, whey did it have to be candles...








Happy Birthday to the Man in the Hat...

Today, Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr., otherwise known as Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones turns 70. Wow, I hope I'm that agile when I'm that old. It seems at that age you'd be snapping that whip from a wheelchair.

Be careful blowing out those candles Mr. Ford, we don't want you to go starting any fires now...