Author: Robert Greenberger

Win a Free VOLTRON Mask Avatar for XBox

Thanks to our Voltron friends, we have two Voltron mask  avatars for XBox to give away.

Here is what you will see when you go to download the game from the XBox Marketplace. The cost to download the game, when it becomes available on Wednesday, will be 800 Microsoft Points. More will be released on the launch date but why wait?

voltron-mask-blue-8300850Voltron: Defender of the Universe, produced by THQ and Behaviour Interactive, will be a 1-5 player online co-op game. Players will be able fight as the individual lions in an overhead shooter style gameplay to then form Voltron to take on Robeasts in a fighter style combat.

How do you win one of these avatars? Easy. All you need to do is tell us which is your favorite Voltron Force pilot and why. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m., Thursday, December 1. The judgment of ComicMix‘s panel of experts will be final.

After the cut are additional details on the game and the world of Voltron.

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Review: ‘The Muppets’

muppets_group_master_v5flat_r-300x229-4252206There has been a tremendous amount of talk in our world about reboots, successful or not, and I just got back from experiencing the year’s single best relaunch of a tired property. Deb, Kate, her guy Mike, and I saw The Muppets and pretty much smiled all the way through, guffawing with pleasantly regularity and wiping away a tear every now and then.

Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention, because this is how it’s done.

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Meet the Avengers

In case you missed it, here are the character specific one-sheets to tease next spring’s Avengers movie. And sandwiched in-between are the official details.

Genre:                         Action-adventure
Rating:                         TBD
U.S. Release date:       May 4, 2012

Running time:

Cast:                            Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson

Director:                       Joss Whedon

Producer:                     Kevin Feige

Executive Producers:   Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Patricia Whitcher, Louis D’Esposito

Screenplay by:                        Joss Whedon

Marvel Studios presents Marvel’s The Avengers—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series The Avengers, first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting eventmovie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when Marvel’s The Avengers assemble in summer 2012.

In Marvel’s The Avengers, superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

Fortress of Solitude Print Lauches Mondo/DC Comics Poster Series

Austin, TX— Wednesday, November 23, 2011 — Mondo, the collectible art boutique arm of Alamo Drafthouse, is pleased to announce its new licensed poster series for DC Comics.  The first poster in this epic lineup will be Superman’s “Fortress of Solitude” on sale Black Friday (November 25, 2011) at http://www.mondotees.com. Follow Mondo on Twitter (@MondoNews) for exact sale time.

FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE

Artist: JC Richard
Size: 12×32
Edition: 390
Price: $50

The DC Comics series, in partnership with Sideshow Collectibles, will encompass both comics and films as Mondo artists tackle some of the most iconic characters of all time.  “We wanted to kick off the DC Comics series with an art print from arguably the most famous character ever, but in a unique way which focuses on the iconic Fortress of Solitude,” said Mondo’s Creative Director Justin Ishmael.

“This marks the second time we’ve worked with artist JC Richard, who wowed us all with the subtle beauty of a lost world in his Jurassic Park print; and he again knocks it out of the park with a stunning vision of Superman’s lair,” said Mondo’s Mitch Putnam.

Review: ‘The Shadow: Behind the Mask’

behind-the-mask-onesheet-3376167You have to appreciate the efforts from MGM and Warner Bros., trolling through their film libraries and resurrecting titles that only a handful of videophiles might be interested in owning. After transferring these to disc, they are made available as manufactured to order, largely available only through websites. Warner has over 1000 such videos available in every genre imaginable while MGM is catching up quickly.  Among the recent releases is one curiosity worth noting for ComicMix readers.

While we are all familiar with Conde Naste’s The Shadow, few beyond Anthony Tollin may recall that there were three really low budget features produced in 1946 from Monogram, all starring Kane Richmond. The second of the trio, Behind the Mask, is now out and if you’re a big fan of the character, you might want to check this one out.

The stories are watered down crime adventures; missing the spark Walter Gibson (writing as Maxwell Grant) brought to the pulp magazine that debuted in 1931 and was still coming out twice-a-month but running out of steam by this point. Visually, the gun-toting vigilante wears a full black face mask rather than the red scarf covering the lower half of his face. The slouch hat and cloak are present along with familiar figures for the magazines and popular radio series.

The fairly pedestrian story, from Arthur Hoerl (Reefer Madness) and George Kallahan involves the murder of Daily Bulletin reporter Jeff Mann with people thinking it’s the Shadow when it’s actually an impostor, the Silhouette. While this is happening, Lamont Cranston is about to marry Margo Lane (Barbara Reed), something that was never going to happen. Oddly, despite being his confidante and agent for countless missions, she now wants him to hang up his .45s simply because they are to be married, as if his cause has become superfluous. Others from the mythos include Shrevvy (George Chandler), the faithful chauffeur.

The mystery is predictable but we take our time getting to the obvious, with comedic asides that do nothing to make the characters appealing or counterpoint the story. Richmond handles the comedic elements far better than he does portraying the cold, cruel crime fighter. The film was handled with a by-the-numbers approach by director Phil Karlson, who apparently never thought to make the low budget work in his favor with camera angles and lighting to create some sense of mood, the same mood so easily created on radio. Trust me, the earlier movie serials were better. As for the other two Monogram films, The Shadow Returns and The Missing Lady, last time I looked, both were available for instant streaming on Netflix.

Review: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

taking123-original-300x385-7900940One of the joys of the current Blu-ray era is that studios have been delving into their libraries and restoring gems, releasing them with varying degrees of love and care. We’ve recently seen, for example, the arrival of musical greats West Side Story and My Fair Lady. But studios have also been working to bring back the really good films that have been somewhat forgotten. They may not get the deluxe restoration or bonus features, but it’s nice to have clean prints and high definition editions so we can still enjoy them at home. I’m reminded of all this because out now is the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. This film, starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, is based on a novel and was one of my favorite films of the 1970s. I was interested to see the Tony Scott remake a few years back but longed for the original which I finally tracked down. I watched it and felt incredibly nostalgic.

The film is far from perfect, but is an excellent time capsule of New York City in the mid-1970s, as crime was rampant, the city was dirty, and the public servants were rumpled and dogged. Four men with colorful pseudonyms — Mr. Green (Martin Balsam); Mr. Grey (Hector Elizondo); Mr. Brown (Earl Hindman); and Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) — took possession of the subway designated Pelham One Two Three. They make demands of cash, threatening the passengers’ lives. On the other end is the MTA’s Lt. Zach Garber (Matthau), trying to determine how they could pull off the hijacking with such precision. It had to be an inside job and the hunt is on. Amusingly, a delegation from Japan is visiting the MTA control center just as all hell breaks loose and provides some stereotypical comic relief with a killer punchline. The film is filled with a wondefrul supporting cast, from Kenneth McMillan to Jerry Stiller.

A cash-strapped New York has one hour to assemble a million dollars cash and deliver it to the subway. Some of the most knowing sequences are set at the home of the mayor (Lee Wallace, who also was Gotham City’s Mayor in Batman), surrounding by his chief aide (Tony Roberts) and his wife (Doris Roberts).

As directed by Star Trek veteran Joseph Sargent, the film is tense and atmospheric, restrained in the action but with enough humor to make it feel real.

The transfer is solid without being perfect, the original’s graininess and subtle colors are nicely preserved. 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment has included the original trailer as the sole extra.

Seeing this film in comparison with the 2009 remake is a fasciating example of how our moviemaking has changed, along with audience expectations. Now we get a lot of crashes and cursing and time devoted to bringing the characters to an approximation of three-dimensions. Still, the original remains superior for the tension it creatres and the cold, calculating Shaw matching wits with Matthau, a far more interesting matchup than Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

Review: ‘The Office: Special Edition’

There are times we lose sight of Ricky Gervais’ comedic genius now that he has become a celebrity in his own right. The news that he will once again host the Golden Globe Awards brings with it nervous anticipation but the better news is that The Office Special Edition is coming out this week from Warner Home Video. The 2001 series is collected in its entirety with both Christmas specials included along with new featurettes plus the original bonus material.

Never before has there been a television series set in an office environment that felt so accurate even though there were some distinctly English touches. Coming two years after Mike Judge’s brilliant Office Space, Gervais and partner Stephen Merchant gave us the employees at Sough’s Wernham Hogg Paper Company and a mockumentary style that has been imitated by numerous shows ever since.

Gervais’ David Brent is everyone’s worst nightmare of a boss; a man who desperately wants to be liked and is willing to ignore the company’s smooth running so as not to ruffle anyone’s feathers. He’s surrounded by your basic office drudges, self-deluded ladder climbers, and the utterly clueless. With sharp writing and excellent casting, the series arrived on BBC 2 with a splash and it wasn’t long before American audiences embraced it. As happens all too often, NBC snapped it up for adaptation but in a rare feat, managed to do so successfully. With Steve Carrell and a wonderful ensemble, the show quickly exhausted the source material – a mere twelve thirty-minute episodes — and found its own voice. (more…)

Answer ‘Super 8’ Trivia and Beam Aboard the Enterprise

HOLLYWOOD, CA (November 21, 2011) – Paramount Home Entertainment is celebrating the November 22nd Blu-ray and DVD debut of director J.J. Abrams’ gripping adventure SUPER 8 with an out-of-this-world sweepstakes.  From November 20th through December 4th, fans can visit www.Super8Sweeps.com to enter the “Super 8: Watch It & Walk-On” sweepstakes.  Visitors will be challenged to answer trivia questions about the critically-acclaimed thriller SUPER 8 for a chance to win one of two walk-on roles in Abrams’ highly-anticipated Star Trek sequel, scheduled to debut in theaters in 2013.

Participants must be at least 18 years old to enter the “Super 8: Watch It & Walk-On” sweepstakes and will be allowed one entry per day during the sweepstakes period.  Two winners will be randomly chosen in December from among all the entries and will receive travel to the filming city, as well as accommodation for two nights for a non-speaking walk-on role.  For complete rules and terms, please visit www.Super8Sweeps.com.

The SUPER 8 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack with Digital Copy debuts on November 22nd and boasts more than two hours of enthralling special features including eight behind-the-scenes featurettes, an in-depth deconstruction of the breathtaking train crash, interviews with cast and crew including J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg and more.

Martin Scorsese and James Cameron Talk ‘Hugo’

In case you didn’t notice, the forthcoming adaptation of Brian Selznick’s [[[The Invention of Hugo Cabret]]], Hugo, will be a 3-D movie. Since this is the first family friendly movie and first 3-D effort from director Martin Scorcese, it’s certainly going to be worth a look.

Here, Scorsese chats with 3-D pioneer James Cameron talking the use of 3-D in the movie.

A New ‘Brave’ Trailer from Pixar

Brave, Pixar’s summer 2012 offering, has a new trailer for you to enjoy.

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In Brave, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late. (more…)