Monthly Archive: October 2008

Sci Fi Channel Sets Up Five Telefilms

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

The Sci Fi Channel and RHI Entertainment are teaming up for their fourth multipicture deal in the past 12 months. This new deal includes basic cable rights for the U.S. premiers of five new horror and thriller projects. Three of these telefilms will begin shooting in Romania soon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, these films are:

Sand Serpents, starring Gedrick, follows American combat soldiers in the Afghan desert who battle the Taliban and a horde of giant carnivorous serpents.

Alien Western is set in an Old West town in the 1890s where monstrous buglike machines from another world attack.

Carney, based on the Jersey Devil legend, where a fiendish carnival side-show attraction escapes and terrorizes a Depression-era Mid-Atlantic town.

Also included in the deal are Ricky Schroder’s Hellhounds and the Eric Balfour-starring Rise of the Gargoyle. Fun fact: Schroder and Balfour were co-stars on the sixth and most recently televised season of 24.

RHI produced a third of all Sci Fi’s movies in the last season, according to RHI’s Robert Halmi Jr.

"What sets our product apart is that we spend more money so that we can get better cast and have better production values onscreen," Halmi Jr. clarifies.

RHI, who also produced Sci Fi’s record-breaking Tin Man limited series, will distribute the telefilms in key territories across the globe.

Sci Fi Channel has many telefilms in the pipeline, including the Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, directed by Edward James Olmos, and a reimagining of Children of the Corn, starring Battlestar vet Kandyse McClure and Heroes‘ David Anders.

ComicMix Radio: The Stand Spreads Slowly

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

Those couple of issues out so far haven’t even scratched the surface of what lies ahead for Marvel’s adaption of The Stand. Artist Mike Perkins tells us what’s ahead, plus:

  • DC and Warner add more Motion Comics to the mix
  • Two new World Of Warcraft cards that will blow you away
  • Kevin Spacey Says He  Be Luthor

     

Stop laughing at that and Press the Button!

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-1308467 or RSS!

 

 

Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe Kollector’s Konundrum

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

We’ve talked about Midway’s upcoming Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe fighting game plenty. Consider it a done deal that we want to play Green Lantern fighting Sub-Zero. So the only question that remains is to get the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version.

Not so fast.  A Kollector’s Edition has been announced. For an extra $10 you get a removable Alex Ross alternate cover, making of videos, and a 16-page comic book.

“But wait. There’s more,” as the cheesy infomercial announcers say. Pre-order at Gamestop and get a lithograph of The Joker finishing off Scorpion in the Batcave.

“We’re not done yet!” Another wrinkle in the mix is that the PS3 version will have a neat exclusive for comic book fans: a digital version of the Kollector’s Edition comic book viewable on your game system.

Mortal Kombat Versus DC Universe is scheduled to ship for release on November 10th.

New ‘Batman’ and ‘Superman’ Animated Projects

  • Uncategorized
  • October 9, 2008

415638834-e05b7fd219-8220988Taking a cue from their recent Watchmen motion comic, Warner Bros. and DC Comics have announced two new projects in the same style. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Batman: Black & White and Superman: Red Son are the next comics to get the animated treatment. Red Son is based on Mark Millar and Dave Johnson’s Elseworld comic depicting Kal-El had he grown up in Russia instead of America. Black & White was a four issue mini-series in the 1990s that featured several eight-page short stories.

Superman: Red Son and Batman: Black & White will follow the recent Watchmen motion comic project’s style, combining authentic looking artwork with music, voice-over work and subtle movement of the art. Two chapters of Watchmen have been released so far, with a new episode to be released every two weeks. Hopefully these newly announced projects will utilize multiple voice actors, rather than the one Watchmen narrator that voices every character — yes, that includes Sally and Laurie Juspeczyk.

The motion comics can be downloaded on iTunes, Amazon VOD, Xbox Live and the Sony PlayStation Store, with "summary editions" available for Verizon Wireless V Cast and Sprint TV customers.

Several DC Comics have made the leap from page to animation in recent times, most notably Justice League: The New Frontier based on Darwyn Cooke’s graphic novel DC: The New Frontier. The latest film released was Batman: Gotham Knight, an anime film intended to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Next up is February’s Wonder Woman with voice work from Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.  After that will be a Green Lantern project with no details revealed to date.

G.I. JOE Relaunches with IDW

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

Back in the 1960s, the first doll to be called an "action figure" was created. The "G.I. Joe" line (named after a term used to describe a generic soldier) was a popular toy and depicted soldiers from different U.S. armed forces. In the 1970s, it was re-tooled as the Super Joe Action Team.

In the 1980s, the line was re-launched by Hasbro as "G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero" and now there was a story wrapped around the action figures. It was said that the different characters were all part of a group called G.I. JOE, essentially a counter-terrorist strike force involving the best agents from all branches of the military. Their primary enemy was said to be Cobra, an organization bent on world domination, led by the vicious Cobra Commander and aided by the Scottish war profiteer James McCullen Destro.

This new storyline ignited an interest among fans that has continued for years, inspiring multiple cartoon series, a new live-action movie coming out next year, and a comic published by Marvel and written by Larry Hama (Wolverine), who also wrote the "history files" of the characters for their trading cards and who was no doubt aided by his own experience in the military.

The series spanned 155 issues from 1984 to 1994, along with a few spin-off titles, all of which added deep layers of history and characterization to the JOEs and veered heavily away from the more light-hearted cartoons. Stories ranged from flashbacks to Vietnam to high-flying action in exotic locales to epic struggles between ninjas and battles with science fiction super-villains. In 2001, Devil’s Due Publishing began their own G.I. Joe series, picking up years after the Larry Hama series had ended and lasting over 130 issues, not including spin-offs.

Now IDW has taken the property and has new plans for their own G.I. JOE comics. But rather than continuing the original series and dealing with years of history, they’ve decided to reboot the entire universe from scratch, re-imagining the world and introducing the players to a brand new audience. And this isn’t just one new series. IDW is actually launching three titles under the G.I. JOE banner: G.I. JOE, G.I. JOE: Cobra and G.I. JOE: Origins. The third title will be written by Larry Hama himself.

The three titles will be edited under the direction of Andy Schmidt, who was Marvel’s editor for the cosmic crossover Annihilation. Schmidt spoke to CBR about the new titles and how they will relate to each other. Although each title will reflect the same people and occasionally reference events featured in the other books, the intention is to keep them separate so that readers can follow just one line if they so wish without feeling like they’re only getting part of a story. Likewise, a story that begins in one will not directly continue into one of the other titles.

Andy Schmidt remarked, “[G.I. JOE] has a large cast and will focus on characters and character beats but it’s more the ‘big action movie’ style title. If you really want to get to know Duke, Stalker and the other JOES, then Origins is the book for you. If you’re looking for more of a suspense-thriller feel then Cobra is the way to go. None of the titles is the lead book. Together they all form a strong foundation." Schmidt added, "Obviously, I’m hoping fans will want to try all three and I think those that do will be very happy, but I don’t want to twist anybody’s arm. Each book can be read on its own, but if you’re reading all three you’re going to get some extra layers."

To kick-start the relaunch, IDW is releasing G.I. JOE #0 this month to the tune of one dollar. "It’s not preview pages," Schmidt assured. "There’s actual story content in the issue, so you can see which one or two or three of the books you want to buy.” (more…)

The Complicated Archaia Studios Press Sale

  • Uncategorized
  • October 9, 2008

petersen1-1211107Over the last few days, there have been reports that Archaia Studios Press was being acquired by Devil’s Due Publishing. Not so, according to an official statement from Mark Smylie, Archaia’s founder. The company will be acquired by Kunoichi, Inc., instead.

Says Smylie, "We’re in the process of being acquired by Kunoichi, Inc., a creative services company based in Chicago that was co-founded and co-run by [DDP President] Josh Blaylock until he exited the company to focus solely on Devil’s Due."

This would explain some of the confusion, as Kunoichi maintains a close relationship with Devil’s Due. Kunoichi has been referred to as DDP’s "sister company." Further, Devil’s Due CEO P.J. Bickett owns Kunoichi as well.

Kunoichi exists to creating new materials for existing properties under contract to companies such as Marvel, Hasbro, and Rockstar Games. They have not, until now, been a publishing concern.

Bickett felt compelled to clarify matters by releasing a statement of his own: “Normally, Devil’s Due Publishing would not comment on unattributed rumors. But, due to the amount of queries we have received about this, we want to set the record straight.

“While DDP and Archaia Studios Press had some initial exploratory conversations, DDP is not acquiring ASP. We are continuing to have conversations with Archaia about the possibilities of working together in some capacity, as we are with many other publishers both big and small.”

Smylie’s statement goes on to say: “While we had some initial conversations with DDP directly, it will actually be Kunoichi that is acquiring us. Further cause for confusion may stem from the fact that we are still in separate talks with DDP about working together on a few opportunities once the Kunoichi acquisition is completed, including a potential publishing partnership of which we are one of several players in the fold. There’ll be more on all of that soon, I hope.
 

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Hal Jordan and ‘The Real Girl’

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

It’s hardly a secret that Warner Bros. is looking to put Green Lantern into the skies next year. Numerous reports have indicated the studio’s interest in developing the DC super-hero project, including Production Weekly’s acknowledgment of the project as in "active development" and numerous reviews confirming that a script exists. In fact, the buzz across the net and at the DC offices is that the script is just "fantastic."

With Hal Jordan set to slip that ring on in the near future, it’s no wonder that casting speculation has taken the internet by storm. Many fans champion Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame. David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones) was considered a frontrunner for the role due to illustrator Brian Murray’s official concept art using the actor as a model. Although the Boreanaz casting has been debunked by numerous sources since, speculation continues.

Latino Review is the latest to join the fun with a new report. According to their sources, the WB wants Ryan Gosling as Hal Jordan. Though just another rumor for now, the Web site has a solid track record of out-scooping studio press releases in the trades. Earlier this year, they broke the news that Jake Gyllenhaal would be Dastan in Prince of Persia a month and a half before Variety released the official announcement. The site also reported on Jason Reitman’s attachment to Up in the Air a day in advance of a studio sanctioned press release.

For now, Gosling’s casting should be taken as a rumor only — but given Latino Review’s history, the actor is likely to be on the studio’s short list at least.

Fans of Green Lantern are likely divided by Ryan Gosling’s potential involvement. Some will point to The Notebook as irrefutable proof that the thespian should have a court restriction against the beloved DC superhero.

On the other hand, Gosling comes from a similar background as Christian Bale, the current Bruce Wayne on film. He’s starred in several indie films such as Lars and the Real Girl, and even gained an Oscar nomination for his role in Half Nelson. It’s hard to deny that Gosling has the chops to defend Space Sector 2814.

Green Lantern focuses on hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan coming into possession of the Green Lantern power ring, which allows him to do anything within the limits of his imagination and will power. The film is produced by Donald De Line and Andrew Haas, with a script from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green.
 

Newman’s Own, by John Ostrander

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

I liked Paul Newman. I should’ve hated him; bastard was too damn good looking and should’ve given me an inferiority complex. The fact is I didn’t always like how I looked but what I learned was that he didn’t always like the way he looked, either. Newman felt his looks got in the way of his being an actor, affected the roles he was offered, the roles he wanted to play. He was a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. That allowed me to identify with him as a person as well as an actor.

Paul Newman died about two weeks back. I expect you heard. He had a long and varied career as an actor and not every film was great. I won’t pretend I’ve seen them all but I do have my favorites among them. While I liked Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting and admired his collaboration with Robert Redford, those films aren’t on my list of faves. Nor is The Hustler or The Color of Money, in both of which he played Fast Eddie Felson. It intrigued me – the idea of portraying the same character 25 years apart but they don’t appeal to me enough personally to make my own list of personal favorites.

As I said in last week’s column, our likes and dislikes about anything – film, comics, food, whatever – can say more about ourselves than about those likes and dislikes. So I’m not sure what this list says about me. What follows is not a critical evaluation of the films or their place in Newman’s body of work. They’re just the ones I like best and the reasons why.

Hombre. 1967. Martin Ritt directed this western adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel. In it, Newman plays John Russell, a white man raised by Apaches. For various plot reasons, Russell winds up on a stagecoach with a varied lot that includes Diane Cilento, Martin Balsam, and Frederic March. The stagecoach gets robbed by a gang led by Richard Boone who is after the money that March, as a crooked Indian agent, has accumulated. Russell foils the robbery, recovers the money, and becomes de facto leader of the others as they try to get out of the desert, pursued by Boone and his gang.

Newman has a great quality of stillness in the movie. His character is capable of sudden and effective bursts of violence but I was also taken with the sense of patient waiting that Newman projected at moments. Very still with little or no body movement, yet he had a sense of attention and focus. He made stillness active.

He’s also wonderfully deadpan and has some great moments in the film as a result. At one point, the stagecoach passengers led by Newman’s Russell are at the top of an abandoned mine. Boone’s outlaws have them cut off and Boone, under a white flag, climbs to the shack to dictate terms. Martin Balsam’s character negotiates and, at the end, Russell quietly tells Boone he has a question. “How are you planning to get back down that hill?” Boone turns tail and flees down the stairs and Russell puts two bullets into him.

That was cold and that was slick and I enjoyed it so much I later stole it and put it into one of the GrimJack stories. Worries me some for what that says about me, but there you go. The character of John Russell definitely influenced the character of GrimJack. I’m not going to tell you it’s a great film but it’s a fave of mine.
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Scott, DiCaprio Explore ‘Brave New World’

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio are set to adapt Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The novel, written in 1932, features a dystopian future where society is divided into castes, humans are genetically engineered and learn through sleep technology.

In an exclusive interview with io9, Scott confirms that he’s hard at work on the project. He admits that the material is a "big challenge" because it’s essentially translating the predictions of a visionary.

"They were predictions in a way," Scott says of Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984. "So the Aldous Huxley [novel], literally what is called Brave New World, that’s a very hard adaptation."

As a result, Scott admits that he’s "still struggling" with the script.

"Even with a good writer, he’ll do it and screw up," says the director, reemphasizing just how hard it is to translate the novel onto the big screen.

According to Scott, it was DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way that approached the director with the project. Scott calls the actor "perfect" for the film, and while he doesn’t explicitly say that he’ll appear on screen, it’s incredibly likely. Brave New World is chalk full of interesting male characters, including John the Savage, an outcast from both modern civilization and the primitive society he was born into.

It’ll probably be a while before any further movement occurs on this one, since Ridley Scott is prepping Nottingham and admittedly has "40 things on the go at once." Still, the project is "a very important one" to the director, so hopefully the show will get on the road before too long. In the mean time, pop a soma and relax, because a thoughtful, carefully planned Brave New World is definitely a movie worth waiting for.

Classic ‘R.U.R.’ Restaged in Chicago

  • News
  • October 9, 2008

Chicago’s Strawdog Theatre Company has mounted a new production of Karel Capek’s 1920 play R.U.R.  The seminal science fiction play gave the world the word “robot” (based on the Czech word for laborer) and this will run through October 25.

The play stars Ryan Bollettino, Brennan Buhl, Zachary Clark, Andrew Gebhart, Joe Goldammer, Sara Gorsky, Carmine Grisolia, Jocelyn Kelvin, Nick Lake, Anderson Lawfer, Michaela Petro, Henry Riggs, John Henry Roberts, Noah Simon, and Rebekah Ward-Hays.

The initials stand for Rossum’s Universal Robots. The theatre company’s site says, “Forget clunky metal boxes, these robots are genetically engineered humans with the troublesome parts, like needs and desires, omitted. The men of R.U.R. live alongside their constructs on a remote island, closely guarding their secret formula while supplying the world with all the cheap labor it can stand. It runs like clockwork until a beautiful young robot rights activist arrives via her father’s private boat.

“Shade Murray, director of Strawdog’s Jeff Award-winning Detective Story and Marathon ’33 once again breathes new life into a forgotten gem, a funny and fast-paced character piece that happens to blow the lid off a whole mess of deep metaphysical questions. What is life? What is love? You won’t find out on the web site.”

Tickets cost $20 and performances are Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m.
 

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