Category: News

There’s only one reason for Warner Home Video to release the 1993 disaster of a film, Arizona Dream: Johnny Depp. Anything with him in it is virtually a license to print money so the movie is released this week as a part of their Archive Collection. The DVD comes with the movie and nothing else as in keeping with the line designed for collectors.

While Depp was still at the beginning of his film career, the cast includes veterans who should have known better, including Faye Dunaway and Jerry Lewis. That’s right, Jerry Lewis playing a straight role.  The film also has veteran character performer Michael J. Pollard in a cameo and relative newcomers Lily Taylor and Paulina Porizkova.

The movie was shot in 1991, released in Europe only two years later and didn’t come to America until 1994. The original cut ran for 142 minutes while the television and home video cuts are at 119, including this release. From what I’ve seen, that’s more than enough and the director’s cut can stay in the vault.

David Atkins wrote what is politely called a romantic fantasy about Axel (Depp), a young man trying to make it on his own in New York City when his cousin Paul (Vincent Gallo), essentially kidnaps him for a trip to Arizona for Uncle Leo’s (Lewis) wedding to the much younger Porizkova. Depp, with his vivid dreams about Eskimos, is coaxed by Uncle Leo to stay and join the family car dealership. When Axel tries, he falls for Elaine (Dunaway), a woman who dreams of flying. Her stepdaughter Grace (Taylor) has her own dream: suicide and reincarnation as a turtle. Axel and Paul vie for Elaine’s affections while Uncle Leo is convinced he’s dying and wants to leave the family together.

The script, though, under-develops every character and there may be some comedic elements, but there’s little to hold things together. Why does Leo want to marry the younger woman and what does she see in him? How did Elaine get to be so daft and what demons drive Grace towards her own death? There’s a morbid tone to everything and despite the desert setting, the film feels dark and forbidding.

There’s a lot of talk of death from all the characters but there’s no rational behind any of it and interestingly enough, only two actually die. And let’s not even discuss the final scene.

Directed by Emir Kusturica (who cowrote the story) has some terrific performers to work with but doesn’t let any of them shine. Lewis is wasted in a nothing part and you wonder why the extremely selective performer agreed to be in such a minor role. Depp’s characterization tries too hard and at times feels like he’s in an entirely different film.

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Robert Culp, best known to genre fans as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero and as Trent in the Outer Limits episode “Demon With A Glass Hand”, passed away after a fall outside his Los Angeles home. He was 79.

Culp gained fame very early in his career as the star of
the 1957-59 Western television series Trackdown
in which he played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, but was best known in the 60’s for the series I Spy, where he co-starred with Bill Cosby, the first time a black actor got equal star billing. Culp wrote the scripts for seven episodes, one of which he also
directed. One episode earned him an Emmy nomination for writing. For all
three years of the series he was also nominated for an acting Emmy for lead actor, but lost each time to Cosby. He returned to prominence in 1981 with The Greatest American Hero, a role that brought him a new generation of fans, many of which he greeted the last few years at conventions as talk of a movie adaptation surfaced.

We were lucky enough to interview Robert Culp back in 2008, and he was one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. My wife still has an audio clip where he wished her a happy birthday.

Take the time tonight and watch some of his great work. Choose from his Emmy nominated written episode of I Spy:

or The Greatest American Hero:

After announcing the acquisition of the British hero Marvelman last summer, Marvel Comics finally has scheduled their initial offerings. In a press release, the company said they would be celebrate the rich history and reprint material from the beginning.

Once Fawcett ceased publishing Captain Marvel stories in the 1950s, the British publisher of the comics chose to convert the hero, supporting cast, and villains into original characters under the similar name Marvelman. Under the guidance of artist Mick Anglo, the characters lasted until the 1960s then vanished. Dez Skinn resurrected the character for Warrior magazine and has been a source of fascination ever since.

Here’s the release:

Marvel is proud to announce the return of Marvelman to shelves everywhere with the release of Marvelman Classic Primer #1 in June! Who is the mysterious Marvelman? And just why is he one of the most enduring super heroes of all time? The answers arrives in this commemorative one-shot featuring interviews with creator Mick Anglo, superstar Neil Gaiman and more who contributed to this character’s history over the years! Plus, get all-new pin ups of key Marvelman characters by superstar artists Mike Perkins, Doug Braithwaite, Miguel Angel Sepulveda, Jae Lee, Khoi Pham and Ben Oliver! This landmark issue features two covers—one with the timeless art of Mick Anglo and another with the now-iconic rendition of Marvelman by Marvel Editor-In-Chief—and superstar artist—Joe Quesada!

Then, in July, thrill to the debut of Marvelman Family’s Finest #1, a new ongoing series reprinting Marvelman’s greatest adventures for the first time in the US! Plus, no comics fan can miss Marvelman Classic Vol.1 Premiere HC, reprinting Marvelman’s earliest adventures in chronological order!

Now’s your chance to learn just why Marvelman is one of the most important characters in comic book history—it all begins in Marvelman Classic Primer #1, this June!

MARVELMAN CLASSIC PRIMER #1
Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS
Cover by JOE QUESADA
Variant by MICK ANGLO
Rated A …$3.99

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There’s a report in Entertainment Weekly that the U.S. version of Torchwood – should it get picked up – will have a Captain Jack with more narrowed sexual interests. That does not please Captain Jack himself, actor John Barrowman.

Digital Spy reports the current Desperate Housewives guest-star “The last thing I would want would be for Jack to become this
heterosexual, straight hero. He’s an omnisexual guy. He likes men,
women, aliens, whatever. I think we should continue going down that
route.” He went on to say that if this is the case, it would foster a “big discussion” between creator Russell T Davies and his producing partner Julie Gardner. Davies, who is also an executive producer of the series, is a well-known gay and lesbian rights advocate, as is Barrowman. The actor did not say he wouldn’t be available for the series, nor did he say he’d resurrect the role if asked. Since the pilot is still in the script stage, nobody’s asked. However, Barrowman notes both Davies and Gardner said “there will be no Torchwood without John Barrowman as Captain Jack.”

So it might come down to which the Fox network wants more: Torchwood with a straight Captain Jack, or Torchwood without John Barrowman.

However, Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat told the British newspaper The Guardian “I imagine that kids would love to see Captain Jack meet the new Doctor.”

But if that happens, it won’t happen this season.

WALL*E’S JOURNAL: October 12th, 2085:

This planet is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.

The streets are extended gutters and the accumulated filth will foam up and all the politicians will look down and shout “Clean up!”…

…and I’ll look up and make some cute little robot sound.

Don’t tell me they didn’t have a choice.