Author: Robert Greenberger

Tim Bruckner To Create Superhero Looks for Round 2’s 2012 Captain Action Lineup

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  • January 5, 2012
SOUTH BEND, Indiana – 1/04/2012 – Captain Action Enterprises and Round 2 are pleased to announce that sculptor Tim Bruckner will be developing superhero action figure sculpts for the 2012 Captain Action toy line.Captain Action, the popular super hero toy from the 1960s, will return to toy shelves along with new costume sets, including Marvel Comics’ heroes such as Spider-Man, Thor and Captain America. New toys will debut in March 2012, with additional waves every three months.

Bruckner is a highly regarded sculptor, best known for creating dozens of statues and over 140 action figures for DC Direct. His 40-year career has included a variety of clients: Mattel, Sideshow, Dark Horse, Hasbro, Toy Biz, Hallmark, Gentle Giant, the Danbury Mint, Enesco and many others. Tim’s work has been featured in several museum shows and was recently seen in Blue Canvas magazine. He co-authored the book Pop Sculpture: How to Create Action Figures and Collectible Statues and has appeared in several issues of China’s most popular magazine dedicated to fantasy art.

“We’re thrilled to have Tim on board. We’ve been big fans of his for years, and know that he’ll help us provide great looking product that both collectors and casual toy fans will love,” said Joe Ahearn of Captain Action Enterprises, LLC.

Bruckner has begun working on the new mask sculpt for Hawkeye, the Marvel Comics character who appears in the Avengers comics, animated series and the upcoming theatrical release. “I’m excited to be part of the action, and really excited to work on some iconic Marvel characters too!” said Bruckner.

Uneasy Lies The Crown on Anthony Head as Merlin Begins Fourth Season on Syfy Tomorrow

  • News
  • January 5, 2012

The poetic irony of Shakespeare’s phrasing is not lost on Anthony Head. When the Bard wrote that “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” even he could not have known what was in store for the actor Head’s royal character as the fourth season of MERLIN begins tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.

As the new season opens, Head’s character – King Uther – is a mere shadow of himself, mired in bleak despair after realizing that his illegitimate daughter Morgana has arisen to become his greatest enemy, using dark magic to besiege Camelot and its leaders.

The first of a two-part episode, “The Darkest Hour, Part 1” finds Morgana’s blinkered determination threatening not only Arthur’s future, but the very balance of the world. With her magic stronger than ever, the sorceress summons the mighty Callieach (pronounced “kay-lix”) to tear open the veil between the worlds. Hellish creatures – the Derocha – pour forth, killing any who succumb to their touch. With King Uther in dire straights, it falls to Merlin, Arthur and his loyal Knights to protect the kingdom.

Head, the beloved Rupert Giles of Joss Whedon’s cult classic TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, enters his fourth season as Camelot’s monarch Uther Pendragon. The actor has been particularly busy for the past year working in television on both MERLIN and reprising his role
on NBC’s Free Agents, as well as appearing in feature films, including The Iron Lady alongside Meryl Streep and the upcoming sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

QUESTION: After all that happened in Season 3, how has Uther’s perspective changed entering Season 4 … and how does that change things in Camelot?

ANTHONY HEAD: Uther is broken man. Everything that he basically believed in and held
as reality has shifted. I’d say he’s not playing with a full set of marbles. And all of that means Arthur has more responsibility, and there is another – Nathaniel Parker has joined the cast as Agravaine – who has been drafted to act as the chancellor, to politically help
Arthur. It’s an interesting and kind of logical progression from where we were. (more…)

Katie McGrath Discusses the Joys of Wickedness as Merlin’s Morgana

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  • January 2, 2012

img_0710-300x450-2493926To put a new spin on an old phrase, hell hath no fury like a sorceress scorned.

So goes the tale of MERLIN, the international hit series that begins its fourth season on Syfy next Friday, January 6 with the first of a two-part episode that finds Morgana’s blinkered determination threatening not only Arthur’s future, but the very balance of the world. With her magic stronger than ever, the sorceress summons the mighty Callieach to tear open the veil between the worlds. Hellish creatures pour forth, killing any who succumb to their touch. With King Uther a shadow of his former self, it falls to Merlin, Arthur and his loyal Knights to protect the kingdom.

Katie McGrath has spent four years evolving the character of Morgana, once the beloved ward to the king who discovers she is actually his daughter. That secret is revealed to her through her half-sister, the wicked Morgause, who guides Morgana down a path of dark magic, opening her eyes to the true power of her evil. Morgana now has a clear focus: to return to Camelot as its rightful ruler, and bring down her wrath upon all she believes have wronged her.

McGrath has eschewed vacation time away from the MERLIN set in lieu of additional work in productions as varied as W.E., the Madonna-directed drama about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson; A Princess for Christmas, a 2011 Hallmark Channel holiday enchanter starring McGrath opposite Sir Roger Moore; and the upcoming Labyrinth, a medieval tale from Ridley Scott that centers around the Holy Grail.

Before taking a winter holiday, though, McGrath spent some time chatting about the new season of MERLIN, the virtues of playing evil, “Jitterbug Perfume,” the recurring medieval themes in her professional life, The West Wing, Louis XIV, and Florence and the Machine. The Lady Morgana speaks … read on.

QUESTION: The fourth season of MERLIN continues down a darker, more dramatic path. Do you feel the show is following a natural evolution?

KATIE MCGRATH: The guys (co-creators Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy) have found a formula that works, and they’ve taken it to the next level with the fourth season. This is clearly their most ambitious. In four seasons, the characters have changed and grown, and the audience has grown with them. MERLIN still has all the great comedy and relationships that the audiences adore, but we’ve gotten more sinister and the show has gotten there in a very organic way. That was the path that was destined for us. Plus the show has gotten more filmic – it’s bigger in many ways than when we started, visually and in the storytelling. So our episodes are now more like 14 little cinematic films.

QUESTION: Morgana is having dreams in Season Four that include visions of her future … as well as an aged, bearded Merlin. How does this affect her perspective of what she’s doing?

MCGRATH: I think it breathes a fear in her of this character. Morgana doesn’t know that this vision is actually Merlin – she only knows the name Emrys and that he’s a very powerful person.  Before the visions, Morgana didn’t believe she had anything to worry about, because she is so powerful herself. But these visions breed a fear and mistrust in her because she can’t fight what she doesn’t know. So her fear and paranoia of Emrys becomes a major part of the fourth season. (more…)

Justice League: Doom to Debut at the Paley Center for Media in February

Warner Home Video, MTV Geek and The Paley Center for Media proudly present the World Premiere of Justice League: Doom, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies, in New York on February 13, 2012. Filmmakers and members of the voice cast will attend the event for red carpet media interviews and a post-screening panel discussion.

A limited number of free tickets are available for the general public. Fans in the New York City area wishing to receive free tickets to the NY event on Feb. 13 must RSVP via email to JLDoomNY@yahoo.com. Email RSVPs should include the fan’s first and last name, and a valid email address.

Tickets to the event will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis. MTV Geek will also be giving away special seating for the event.

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid and Howard Porter’s much-heralded JLA: Tower of Babel.

The film features the voices of Nathan Fillion (Castle) as Green Lantern, Tim Daly (Private Practice) as Superman, and a grand reunion of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, including Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg. The cast features three villainous alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah. David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.

The filmmaking team includes executive producer by Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, producer Alan Burnett and dialogue/casting director Andrea Romano. Justice League: Doom is the final DC Universe film script from the late Dwayne McDuffie.

Voice cast members and filmmakers will be announced as confirmed for the event. The Paley Center for Media is located at 25 West 52nd Street, New York, NY.

Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new Justice League: Doom arrives February 28, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy.

 

 

Uwe Boll Talks In the Name of the King: Two Worlds

  • News
  • December 20, 2011

intotk2bd-300x376-9251619Director Uwe Boll is no stranger to video games or controversy but remains indefatigable and is back next week with In the Name of the King: Two Worlds, his sequel to the 2006 film he made based on the Dungeon Siege video games. The new film, his twenty-fifth, stars action hero Dolph Lundgren and is a direct-to-video release from Twentieth Century Home Entertainment.

The German –born Boll spoke exclusively with ComicMix to talk about the film and his approach, which ignores his critics, many of whom cite him as the worst director working today. In turn, Boll has challenged them to box, to see who is the better person but our conversation was far from combative.

ComicMix: This is your first sole directorial work. Any reason why?

Uwe Boll: In the past, I was more a producer, such as with Alone in the Dark. Normally I’m the director, producer,, and sometimes the writer. I think it came to an opportunity to get the financing completely through Canada; so I said, “Absolutely, let’s go for it.”

CMix: Why a sequel to a dormant video game?

Boll: I liked the Bloodrayne film series,  and I don’t always do sequels. I liked the first movie a lot, and while I didn’t have the financing to make a big sequel, I came up with a time traveling idea for a brand new story. It brings a little humor to the story and with a guy like Dolph, with his bone dry humor; he’s very intelligent, not a guy who can have long speeches. He’s more a character from the present, and I have all these kinds of things, sending him back to the medieval time, he can wander around asking, “Where is the toilet, can I drink this water?”

It’s an interesting new storyline, not just “let’s make a second part but only cheaper”. It’s better to be completely new, and I am actually happy with the movie. It has a lot of humor; it’s quick and entertaining. (more…)

Marvel Adds Three More Season One Books for Summer 2012

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  • December 16, 2011

Marvel: Season One, a line of all-new graphic novels, just got bigger as Marvel is pleased to add three titles to the highly anticipated line-up with Ant-Man: Season One, Hulk: Season One & Doctor Strange: Season One! These all-new complete stories offer fans a chance to immerse themselves in the Marvel Universe like never before. Journey into the unknown with Ant-Man, learn about the mystic arts with Doctor Strange and find out how Hulk balances humanity and monstrosity as each of these graphic novels offer new revelations for long-time fans and give new readers a fresh introduction to the character. With modern retellings of the world’s greatest super heroes seminal origins by some of the most critically acclaimed creators in the business, no fan can miss this! Each of these graphic novels also include a code to download each book for free, via the Marvel Comics app, making them must haves for every fan.

“As a result of the great response from fans and retailers, we realized we couldn’t just stop with one wave of titles” said David Gabriel, Marvel SVP of Sales. “We’re showing our continued support for this line by insuring that fans have a reason to come back into comic shops month after month to get the next volumes in the Season One line of original graphic novels.”

The complete second wave of Season One graphic novels includes:

  • Ant-Man: Season One by Tom DeFalco (Spider-Girl) and Horacio Domingues (Incorruptible), on-sale in July 2012
  • Hulk: Season One by Fred Van Lente (Alpha Flight, Herc) and Tom Fowler (Venom), on-sale in August 2012
  • Doctor Strange: Season One by Greg Pak (Astonishing X-Men, Red Skull: Incarnate) and Emma Rios (Osborn, Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger), on-sale in September 2012

Whether you’re picking up a comic for the first time, or looking to add more to your comics reading experience, then it’s time to discover the world’s greatest super heroes all over again in Marvel: Season One!

Dr. Evil Returns to Menace Captain Action in July

SOUTH BEND, Indiana – 12/06/2011 – Round 2 and Captain Action Enterprises are pleased to announce the addition of Captain Action’s long-time nemesis Dr. Evil to the 2012 Captain Action toy line.

Captain Action, the popular super hero toy from the 1960s returns to toy shelves with new costume sets, including Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man, Thor and Captain America. new costume sets will debut in March 2012.

Dr. Evil, a menacing alien complete with his traditional creepy exposed brain, served as the original antagonist to Captain Action during the 1960s. Just as Captain Action can assume the identities of popular heroes, the new Dr. Evil will assume the identities of villains such as Thor’s evil brother, Loki, and the Red Skull via costume sets. “Every good hero needs an evil counterpart, and who’s more evil than the original Dr. Evil?“ said Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises.

The new figure will be created from all new sculpts and molds, and even add one creative innovation. “The new Dr. Evil will have interchangeable brains! The figure will come with three different brains: a battle brain, a brilliant brain and a bionic brain” said Mike Murphy, Creative Director at Round 2. “Fans will be able to swap the brains in and out of his head with each one having a specific purpose that will aid Dr. Evil to carry out his diabolical schemes!”

Comic legend Joe Jusko is providing the Dr. Evil illustration for the packaging. Dr. Evil and the Loki costume set will be available in July of 2012.

Paramount Modifies Logo for its Centennial

One of the most iconic studio logos of all time is undergoing some modifications in time for the studio’s 100th anniversary celebration. It has withstood the test of time and certainly was brought to life during the opening moments of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here’s the formal press release:

HOLLYWOOD, CA (December 14, 2011) – Paramount Pictures today unveiled a new company logo that commemorates the studio’s 100thAnniversary in show business. The new logo can be seen on the new Tom Cruise starrer, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL. The movie will open in IMAX and on other premium large format screens on Friday, December 16th and in theatres everywhere on December 21st.

The studio’s first logo, a symbol of a rugged, snow-covered peak from the Wasatch mountain range, was created in 1916. The 100th Anniversary logo was created by Devastudios, Inc.

Paramount will use the logo throughout its centennial year in 2012. Beginning in 2013, the wordingabout the 100th anniversary will be removed from the logo, with the rest of the design remaining in use.

The Rocketeer

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  • December 13, 2011

rocketeer-blu-ray-300x392-1766084For a movie based on a comic book set in the 1930s, The Rocketeer was actually ahead of its time. The movie was released as Disney’s big summer film in 1991, backed with tons of marketing, and planned as a big tent pole for their future.

The problem was, in 1991 there were precious few superhero movies creating a genre to support the fan following. When it opened that June there was nothing out there to support it and the groundswell of geekdom had yet to reach critical mass. Therefore, despite relatively positive reviews, the movie did minimal business, finishing 27th for the calendar and largely forgotten. Its director, Joe Johnston, went on to make a number of other hits and misses until he scored big earlier this year with Captain America. Now, taking his fame and the 20th anniversary into account, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released [[[The Rocketeer]]] on Blu-ray and DVD today.

(more…)

Rise of the Apes Street Mural

  • News
  • December 13, 2011

Over the weekend, we told you that Australian born street artist Anthony Lister had arrived in Los Angeles, working throughout the nights to create a gigantic street mural that was inspired by Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Today marks the film’s debut on Blu-ray and DVD, coming from Twentieth Century Home Entertainment.

Here’s a look at the production using time lapse photography:

PlanetoftheApestimelapse

 

 

 

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