Category: News

Final Details Revealed for ‘Complete Steve Canyon Volume 1’

The final details have been released for Volume One of the Steve Canyon DVD set. Writing at the show’s blog, the production team stated, “Before we get to the good news I need to mention that the Volume 1 release has been regrettably delayed for (hopefully) only a week at this point. This is due to a number of factors (not the least of which is the massive logistics involving multiple discs/episodes/soundtracks) manufacturing issues, and our resolve to put out a superior product. Several of our celebrity commentaries have been added at the very last minute as well which has slowed us down (but I’m sure is worth it). in any eventI apologize for the delay and take full responsibility for it. thereforeI am resetting the counter to Tuesday November 25th today and am extending the $24.95 early-bird pre-order price to that date as well.”

THE COMPLETE STEVE CANYON ON DVD VOLUME ONE:

Disc 1

1. OPERATION TOWLINE
NBC Premiere Saturday September 13, 1958
Directed by Ted Post • Written by Joseph Landon, Shelly Colbert & Milton Caniff • With: Harry Townes, Susan Alexander, Paul Frees, Morgan Woodward

Steve is working on a dangerous mission to develop an anti-missile system of towing Convair F-102 jet fighters from a KB-50 tanker.

EXTRA: Commentary track featuring actor Morgan Woodward and producer John Ellis (more…)

Big Finish Outlines 2009 ‘Doctor Who’ Audio Adventures

mcgann-as-dr-9256386Big Finish reports that 2009 will feature new audio adventures of Doctor Who, starring Paul McGann, the eighth doctor. He will be joined by Sheridan Smith as Lucie, his companion in the weekly series.

“This time, though, the stories will be released for download every Saturday night in half-hour episodes, for 16 consecutive weeks from Saturday 7th March,” the company posted on their website. “Each complete two-part story will subsequently be available on CD as normal, with one a month being released from March. Plus, there will be a bonus ninth adventure which will be released as a Christmas special in December 2009.”

The site went on to outline the serials for the coming year:

Orbis by Alan Barnes and Nicholas Briggs, picks up from the previous season’s cliffhanger in The Vengeance of Morbius. Guest stars for this story include Andrew Sachs (Manuel in Fawlty Towers) as Crassostrea and Laura Solon (Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul) as Selta.

The Krynoids (The Seeds of Doom, 1976) return in Hothouse, a cautionary ecological tale by Jonathan Morris. Nigel Planer (The Young Ones, The Color of Magic) plays Alex Marlowe, while Lysette Anthony (Dark Shadows, Dracula: Dead and Loving It) is Hazel Bright.

There’s death and mystery in a small German town in the year 1827 in The Beast of Orlok by Barnaby Edwards. The impressive guest cast includes Miriam Margolyes (Being Julia, Happy Feet, the Harry Potter films) as Frau Tod and Samuel Barnett (The History Boys, Beautiful People) as Hans.

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Erotic Comics: A Graphic History (Volume 2) Coming to America in March

Ilex Press  has announced a January release of Erotic Comics: A Graphic History (Volume 2) – From The 1970s to the Present Day. Former Vertigo editor Tim Pilcher returns for the second volume, with additional research by Gene Kannenberg, Jr, and the book sports a foreword by Alan Moore. Abrams ComicArts will release the book domestically on March 1, 2009, retailing for $29.95.

The book promises to explore European, American and Asian artists as they explored the possibility of the form in the years since the explosion of the Sixties’ underground comix.

The book will examine how the form has become an international publishing phenomenon by showcasing artwork that has inflamed desires, incensed censors, and caused controversy.

This provocative title covers everything: the erotic comics explosion in America in the mid-‘80s; the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender comics scene; UK and European erotic comic creators since the ‘70s; and the Japanese hentai phenomenon. The future of erotic comics online is also explored in this fascinating and surprising volume.

In the first survey of its kind in over 20 years, Erotic Comics completes this fascinating two-part chronicle with previously unpublished, rare and out-of-print material, featuring insights from key artists, editors, and publishers. Fully illustrated with stunning, rare, and seldom-seen art by Howard Cruse, Gengoroh Tagame, Melinda Gebbie, Hunt Emerson, Howard Chaykin, Giovanna Casotto (whose work graces the cover), Tom of Finland, Milo Manara, Junko Mizuno, and many other top erotic cartoonists. The informative text provides a sexy, intriguing, and entertaining tour through the origins of an often-overlooked art form and comic book genre.

Pilcher has previously co-authored of The Essential Guide to World Comics and The Complete Cartooning Course, and has contributed to numerous other publications including, Comix: The Underground Revolution, 500 Comic Book Action Heroes, The Slings and Arrows Comic Guide (1st Edition), 500 Essential Graphic Novels and the forthcoming War Comics: A Graphic History.

Will There or Will There not be a Sequel to ‘Cloverfield’?

JJ Abrams and Matthew Reeves have been dancing around the notion of making a sequel to Cloverfield.  At first, they made noises about it being a one-off project but noted they did add elements to the film that would lend itself to a sequel, such as the issue of where Clover came from.

Some potential sequel production art (see right) also seemed to be leaked six months back and now Reeves told Moviehole, “Wanting something to happen and coming up with the right idea are two very different things.

“At times it’s gone dormant and then it’s come back up again”.

He sounded fairly certain a sequel would not pick up on the surviving actors from the first feature, which opened to acclaim in January. Instead, they thought about moving it to other locales set during the same time frame.  “There are a couple ideas that have potential but we haven’t quite cracked it yet,” he says, adding, “When we were in Japan we thought, wouldn’t it be cool to do it here”.

Apparently Abrams and Reeves have discussed having others step in to make the film. “There was the thought that maybe we’d bring in some young exciting people and we’d produce their take.”

Reeves is at work on his new film, The Invisible Woman, while Abrams oversees post-production on next May’s Star Trek.

DreamWorks To Do List Heavy on SF

DreamWorks outlined for The Hollywood Reporter which of the properties it retained after its divorce from Paramount are now on their “high-priority list”. Among them are a few genre properties including:

Cowboys and Aliens:
The adaptation of the Platinum Studios comic is still being written by  now executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. Ron Howard’s Imagine is producing with Robert Downey, Jr. still attached to star.

Real Steel: A futuristic boxing movie written by Les Bohem (Dante’s Peak).

Button Man: The John Wagner and Arthur Ransom graphic novel is being adapted by screenwriter Hillary Seitz (Eagle Eye).

Hereafter: A supernatural-themed original screenplay by Peter Morgan with Clint Eastwood said to be interested in directing the story.

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‘Pushing Daisies’ May Conclude as a Comic Book

pushing-daisies-9828111TV Week is reporting what everyone has expected: ABC will not be ordering additional episodes of Pushing Daisies which looks to be buried after December. “Under one scenario making the rounds, ABC might find a way to extend the options on the Daisies cast and crew for several months so that the show could be revived next season. But such a plan would be costly,” the site wrote.

Production on the thirteenth and likely final episode for the second season wrapped Thursday. "If it’s our last episode," Fuller said, "it’s something we can all be proud of."

As a result, there will be just 22 episodes between the strike-shortened first season and the sophomore year.

Creator Bryan Fuller though, told the SRO crowd at the Paley Center for Media on Tuesday that he envisions continuing the story in comic books.

"The idea would be to finish out the season’s story arcs in comic books to satisfy the fans and ourselves, to finish up the stories we’d love to tell," he said. Given that the series is produced by Warner Bros. Television, WildStorm is the most likely home for the show.. The DC Comics imprint already has comics based on the CW’s Supernatural, NBC’s Chuck and Fox’s Fringe.

"That would clear the slate for a movie," Fuller also said. He added that a series soundtrack CD will be out on December 9. Kristin Chenoweth’s duet with Ellen Greene on "Birdhouse in Your Soul" is likely to be included.

Fuller has been heavily rumored as returning to the troubled Heroes should Daisies be trimmed. Nothing further has been announced.

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Marvel Animation Announces Thor Series

thor-kirby-1263191Following the established pattern of creating an animated series in the wake of its live-action counterpart, Marvel has announced the arrival of Thor. The series has a 26-episode order, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and will debut in the fall of 2010, after the Kenneth Branagh-directed feature opens in July 2010.

The series appears to be faithful to the comic book’s use of Norse legend and high fantasy to tell its stories. Described by the trade as, “the Norse god of thunder, as he defends his mythical home of Asgard against fantastical villains, fiendish hordes, winged creatures and angry giants. The show will take place in various worlds — from mountainous landscapes to places of icy mists and fiery voids — and will include many of the comic’s supporting cast, including Balder the Brave, the Warriors Three and Thor’s evil adopted brother, Loki.”

Already in the pipeline are Iron Man and Wolverine for 2009 and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, for fall 2011.

Thor first had his comic book adventures animated in the original 1966 Marvel Super-Heroes show, airing Thursday evenings. He has appeared in other animated series ever since.

‘Pinocchio’ added to Guillermo del Toro’s Crowded Plate

Director Guillermo del Toro told Bloody Disgusting that he is producing Gris Grimly’s directorial debut, a new version of Pinocchio.

"We are trying to get a full stop-motion version of Gris Grimly’s Pinocchio off the ground, with the Jim Henson Company," del Toro told the site while promoting the DVD release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. "The idea came from Gris, and everybody loves his book about it. The original story is far more perverse and spooky and semi-necrophilia vibe to it in certain aspects. Gris certainly has that vein in him, he wants to do this with that original spookiness in it, we are trying to get it going. The Jim Henson Company is the behind it and we are currently working on the screenplay! It’s not coming to a screen near you any time soon, even if it were to begin today it would be about three years in the making, but we are working to make it happen. A full-scale puppet universe takes time," he jokes.

Del Toro has been fascinated with puppets it seems given the extensive work on the prologue setting up the story for Hellboy II.  He also says he’s developing an original puppet project with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

Production Art from Boorman’s ‘Oz’

Ain’t it Cool News reports that the just-announced John Boorman Wizard of Oz project has been in development for some time.  It now is learned that Boorman has been fascinated with L Frank Baum’s creation for some time and production art has been polished as seen below.

The site notes, “The screenplay is reported to read very dark (by design) and they may even be voice casting. Expect Boorman to use his connections to bring in some strong voices.

“Look for a return to the book, Including the fact (from the book) that the Tinman is a Munchkin and shorter than Dorothy. Look for Dorothy to be a tomboy…a real Kansas farm girl. There is even some information on Dorothy’s parents (Dorothy’s mom is Aunt Emily’s sister).

“The Emerald City was descried as sitting on a plateau over endless waterfalls sending up a witch proof veil of mist.”

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New ‘Watchmen’ Trailer Now on Line

Last night, the latest trailer for Warner Bros.’ Watchmen went live and if you missed it, check it out below. It’ll be on big screens today, along with the equally awaited Star Trek trailer for those attending Quantum of Solace at your local multiplex.