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...

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.

Comic-Con: Pacific Rim Panel.

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

More Epicness...

The power of two, three or more systems...







A little note as I head off to San Diego...

I will be attending as many panels as I can, but being as I won't be able to clone myself, there will be several that I don't get to attend. This sadly, is one of them.

Warren Spector is coming to Comic Con this Sunday at 1:00 pm in Room 25 ABC for a panel on his "Epic Mickey 2" sequel. He'll be there with Peter David, award-winning comic writer and author of the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey 2 Graphic Novel and Marv Wolfman, author of the comic book version of the game (and the man that got me reading Teen Titans a kid). Unfortunately I have other plans for that day and can't make it. But if you're going, perhaps you can.

One of the mistakes made on the original was making it only available on the Wii. This time, anyone on any system should be able to play it. And with this, we get to expose the world to more Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Hmmm, could the Mouse be gradually getting the public used to him for an ulterior motive? Something more in the future? Time will tell. If you haven't seen anything about this sequel, take a look at this opening for a bit of story on where the tale continues.

Now, if I was there for the panel, I'd be asking Warren about that Ducktales game he wants to do...

Nerdvana Begins Again...

Get your geek on...







This week, all geeks flock to Mecca, or San Diego as we call it...

Comic-Con 2012 will begin unofficially on Wednesday, and then a horde of geeks/nerds/fanbois will descend on the peaceful, seaside city to extort revenge for many a night of no date, or the low score on their X-Box live account.

But seriously, the world of pop-culture will see the latest films, shows, video games and yes, even comics will be there to be showcased. And I will too. Of course, I won't be able to attend everything, but I do plan on being there to report to you what Blue Sky finds important and relevant. Or at least as much as we can report.

I don't know how many more years I'll keep doing this. I've been going for over a decade, but each year it gets harder and more difficult to handle. It used to be a fun trip to buy back your childhood, but lately it's become a hassle as the crowds have grown. I know that the organizers have signed a deal with the city to keep it there, but unless they expand the convention center soon, and make it so that tickets aren't as hard to get as a rock concert, this may be my last.

Of course, I said that last year. But I still have yet to see the plans the city has for dealing with this and many other problems. If they don't work it out, Anaheim and Los Angeles await. Which are more convenient and have more space, but lack the fun of travelling to the lovely city further south of what is popularly known as Southern California.

Stay tuned for reports on our perceptions of what happens when "Man of Steel" finally gets a look at by the ones that really care. As well as that film about Hobbits and such. Maybe even a thing or two about superheroes (even Marvel superheroes). If you see a guy in a large gray trench coat with a red hat... that won't be me.

Sneakers, jeans and T-shirt are my modus operandi...

And There Came A Day...

At Comic-Con, they showed the audience a lot of teaser trailers that have slowly leaked out onto the Web...

We've put up several of them here, and now thanks to Rope of Silicon, we have the Avengers trailer that Joss Whedon is directing. But be warned. It doesn't show much. It's the teasiest of teasers and all you'll see is the logo and Sammy J. providing narration. Though watching it, you could probably imagine the fun that is ahead.

Enjoy...

Behold...

Marvel Studios has released the trailer footage that it showed at Comic-Con...

Personally, I love the stuff in Asgard, but I'm not quite sure when he makes it to Earth. If you remember my post, "Unfinished Business" about the Top Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made, then you'll remember that "Thor" was on that list. But this one has been vastly rewritten, so I don't know how much will be left from what I read. The one I read had Thor Odinson being cast down to our world, but it fit the film because it was set in viking times and played more like a mythological tale. Seeing cars fly by this guy that is supposed to be the God of Thunder looks a little, I dunno, hard to take? Take a look and judge for yourself.

Now, about that "Captain America" trailer footage...

The Darkening Seasons...

There's always room for Star Wars, we like to say...

At Comic-Con this year, they showed a preview of the upcoming Season 3 of the "Clone Wars" animated series on Cartoon Network. Here it is for your enjoyment. I'm sure that Decadent Dave is already getting his DVR ready as I type.

Say what you will about this show, the quality and story are becoming far better and more interesting than the Prequels ever were (save for some of Sith). Of course, that in and of itself isn't saying very much. Season 3 starts this October.

And Lucasfilm is already planning the fourth...

Got To Have Character...

Hopefully, In brightest day...





During the Con, lots of marketing goes on...

There is lots of swag to buy and be given, many shirts to be worn and several posters and banners to be seen and ogled over. Warner Bros. released these four character sheets that give you a glimpse of some of the other stars of this other than the Emerald Warrior.

Enjoy...

Hat Tip to /Film which has large versions of each if you want to click over.

Website & Cast Assembled...

Assemble, baby...


Marvel Studios has put up the official "Avengers" website...

It ain't much, but it's a start and proof that this geek dream is soon to be a reality. Early next year they start filming. Two years and we see the fruit of all this sweat and labor.

Then the fun begins...

UPDATE: From the SDCC Marvel Panel; the cast is now set.

Your Avengers are:

The Invincible Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr. (Duh)

The Mighty Thor - Chris Hemsworth (another Duh)

The Incredible Hulk - Mark Ruffalo (?)

The First Avenger, Captain America - Chris Evans (Duh, Duh)

The Black Widow - Scarlett Johannsen (sexy Duh)

The Archer, Hawkeye - Jeremy Renner (nice)

The Head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury - Samuel L. Jackson (Whassup!)

The Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Phil Coulson - Clark Gregg (back again, and again)

The Director - Joss Whedon (officially, for a change)

And I feel we're going to get a few more S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and cameos over the coming months...

A Real Suckerpunch...

Just got off the phone with the Colonel...

While waiting for the "Cowboys and Aliens" panel after sitting through the "Let Me In" panel a fight broke out. In the hot weather in San Diego tempers can sometimes flare even at the Con, but usually nothing really happens.

Not today.

Someone got stabbed. Two suspects were being taken in and there were a whole lot of police walking around Hall H. The events got postponed/delayed and some poor guy got stabbed by an idiot with a temper to match his IQ. I told you that this place is crazy this time of year.

I expected madness, just not that kinda madness...

Religious Experience...

So I got another call from the Colonel...

Seems he attended the Sony panel that had there films on display for the Con-Goers, "Priest," "Green Hornet," and "The Other Guys." He was apologetic and giddy all at once. Sorry for his EPIC FAIL on the "Tron Legacy" panel, but stoked that he was able to get into this panel. But for reasons other than why he went in.

"I am a convert to 3D!" He told me. You see, the Colonel has for the most part, always been a skeptic about wearing glasses. Comes from all those years he used to scream down at the enlisted men, calling them "four eyes" and whatnot. But after seeing some of Sony's presentation, he's starting to warm to it. He didn't think you could take a film that wasn't shot in 3D and make it look good. He was wrong. I guess he's finally recovered from the "Clash of the Titans" experience and this ain't it.

What was it that he found so seductive? Well, there was the three minute trailer that showed a lot of cool action and slick/sick violence. And then there was that opening sequence for Priest that was animated by Genndy Tartakovsky which blew his mind. It was wickedly violent in an almost unbelievable way. But that set the stage for the rest of the film. For those that don't know, Priest is a loose adaptation of a popular Korean manhwa title. And for those that don't know what manhwa is, well, what comics are to America, manga is to Japan and manhwa is to Korea. Now for those that don't... ahh, to heck with it. It was published here by Tokyopop. Try and keep up, please.

Well anyway, Scott Stewart introduced the clips and provided the description of things. It seems to take place in an alternative world where Christians battle Santanist in wars that have lasted centuries. Karl Urban plays the villain, Black Hat and the scenes they showed happen to make Kurtz feel that this is a much better film than "Legion," which he was forced to watch. Luckily he didn't have a cyanide capsule or this trip to San Diego wouldn't of been possible. But there were some interesting scenes with trippy vampires and intense action. The mood was good and the third dimension was actually cool. He's planning on buying a ticket to this one, which says a lot.

Next was "The Other Guys," which was originally known as "The B-Team." Get it? Like A-Team, so on and so on... Yeah, the Colonel was laughing about that, being as he's one of the few that went and saw that film. It brings back nostalgia for him. I don't know if it's for the 80's or his years in combat, but it gives him the flutters every time someone fires a gun. Anyhoo, back to the film. This was the best of all three films. It's going to make a ton of money. Make that tons (plural). The cast and crew were hilarious and Adam McKay and Will Ferrell were in prime form. This looks like it was the favorite judging by what Kurtz was noticing.

Then there was the "Green Hornet" film. What did he have to say about this? Well, once the stars and director were announced and took the stage, people started heading for the exits. Seems it wasn't a lot of people's cup-o-tea. They showed a clip that looked Ok, but nothing earth shattering. They're playing it over the top, but it fell flat on the dear Colonel. Nothing that he'd want to see on opening night. He thinks it's going to bomb. I don't know if it will, but I'm agreeing with him. He and I are also in agreement that Seth Rogen, whom I like, is not Britt Reid. This seems to be a misfire by Sony. Hopefully, we turn out to be wrong, as I don't wish any one or any film to fail.

And then a dial tone filled my ear and he was gone. He had to go to another panel and promised me he'd make the Marvel panel tomorrow, but he wasn't sure about the DC panel. It figures coming from a guy who's favorite character is Spider-Man. The Colonel's taste, not mine.

Expect tomorrow to be filled with an unbelievably amount of insaneness...

Message In A Bottle...

Yo, ho, yo, yo...


Those that were lucky enough to get in to the "Tron Legacy" panel got more than a few surprises...

One of those was a message from a rum drunk captain by the name of Jack Sparrow.

Enjoy his rantings, and his bloody mary...

Tron Lingerings...

Well, having just talked to the Colonel I now know some interesting things...

I was setting by window reading when my iPhone rang. I checked the ID and noticed it was Colonel Kurtz calling. Looking at my watch I noticed that the "Tron Legacy" panel had just ended. I answered the call and heard deep breathing. Was Kurtz alright? Well, yes and no.

You see, after getting up early and making it to the convention center, he stood in line, dutifully to take notes for us here at Blue Sky. Not that I had to force him, it was one of two or three things that were on his "must see" list. And so, after waiting in line for over two hours, he made it up toward the front only to be told that it was full. Full.

Full?

He wouldn't be getting in. He wouldn't be seeing the panel. He wouldn't be watching the footage. He wouldn't be seeing the trailer. He wouldn't be reporting on all the awesomeness that he had seen. How was that. The Colonel made sure that he was in line way earlier than he had been for other panels held at Hall H before. How? Why? Well, as I said earlier, Comic-Con has just gotten that big. It's so massively large right now that certain events take great effort to just simply attend.

So off Colonel Kurtz lingered in a daze, until he finally went trudging through the main hall, starring over at the Tron Legacy display area that Disney had set up, taunting him. Holding back tears, he walked on down the aisles and glanced over his schedule to see what was his next destination. Finally, after looking about the floor, fighting the crowds and trying to buy back small bits of his childhood, he whipped out his iPhone to call me and inform me of the bad news.

He was stunned that he had traveled all this way to be denied. I told him that it was ok as several other websites already had descriptions of the panel online. Just don't miss the "other" panels you were supposed to be at. And he hung up, whimpering. Ok, he wasn't whimpering so much as sulking. The Colonel wouldn't like me make him out to be a man that cries. Because he doesn't. Or at least, would never admit it. And so the drama that is the Con goes on and on.

We've got three more days of this madness, so prepare for more hectic craziness...