Rich Ross, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios; Sean Bailey, president, production, The Walt Disney Studios; John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; and Kevin Feige, producer and president, Marvel Studios, presented a look at The Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming film slate, which included DisneyToon Studios’ Planes, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, Disney•Pixar’s Brave, Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University, Untitled Pixar Film From Director Bob Peterson, Untitled Pixar Film From Director Pete Docter, John Carter, Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Oz The Great and Powerful, Disney’s The Muppets, Disneynature’s Chimpanzee and Marvel’s The Avengers.
DisneyToon Studios’ Planes It was announced that actor Jon Cryer (TV’s “Two and a Half Men”) will voice the main character in DisneyToon Studios’ Planes. Jon joined John Lasseter on stage for the announcement and to introduce the teaser trailer of the film.
Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph Director Rich Moore welcomed Jack McBrayer and Sarah Silverman on stage where the D23 audience was the first to see the opening sequence from the movie.
Disney•Pixar’s Brave Filmmakers Mark Andrews and Katherine Sarafian were joined by actors Kelly Macdonald and Kevin McKidd to present footage from the film.
Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University In a special surprise appearance, Billy Crystal, flanked by Mike Wazowski and Sulley, joined director Dan Scanlon to discuss the film and show some behind-the-scenes making of the film.
Untitled Pixar Film From Director Bob Peterson Joining Bob Petersen was producer John Walker to give fans never-before-released information about the untitled film. Please find the official logline in the attached materials.
Untitled Pixar Film From Director Pete Docter Alongside Pete Docter was producer Jonas Rivera to provide never-before-released information about their upcoming project. Please find the official logline in the attached materials.
John Carter Producer Jim Morris and director Andrew Stanton were accompanied by the film’s stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe to present never-before-seen footage, introducing fans to the film’s epic characters.
Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie Producers Don Hahn and Allison Abbate gave fans a sneak peek at what’s to come in next year’s film, including a demonstration on how these fascinating characters come to life through stop-motion animation.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green The film’s star Jennifer Garner was on hand to talk about the inspiring, magical film and her experience making the movie.
Oz The Great and Powerful Unable to join in person as they’re currently filming in Detroit, the film’s director Sam Raimi and stars James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Zach Braff provided fans with a first look at the making of Oz The Great and Powerful via a taped piece from the set of the film.
Disney’s The Muppets Stars Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy gave fans an exclusive look at never-before-seen footage from their upcoming film.
Disneynature’s Chimpanzee Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross presented the next Disneynature film, Chimpanzee.
Marvel’s The Avengers The Avengers assembled at the D23 Expo, alongside producer and president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige. Stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders and Chris Hemsworth made an appearance to present their upcoming film.
Also, as part of the festivities, Buzz and Woody were onboard to help celebrate Pixar’s 25th Anniversary – with enough cupcakes for the entire audience!
I remember growing up and going to the movies with my cousins. Sometimes we would go see the movie we paid for and other times see something our parents didn’t want us too. ‘Fright Night’ was one of those movies. This was 1985 and it was to be a big deal to see this horror movie. I couldn’t sleep well for days thinking our neighbor was a vampire. I digress as it is 2011 and this is the new ‘Fright Night’, updated for a new generation and some fun for those of us fans of the original.
Director Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock, Lars and the Real Girl) steps in with the original writer/director Tom Holland with Marti Nixon (I Am Number Four) to scare and poke fun anew.
Another forgetful day in Vegas, or is it? High school senior Charley and his hot girlfriend Amy are going to school as usual. But is everyone there? A few of their schoolmates haven’t been to school. Ed is Charley’s boyhood chum whom Charley doesn’t see too much anymore, something that tends to happen during high school. Ed has a theory as to why they are missing and needs Charley’s help. Ed knows the truth about Charley’s new neighbor, Jerry, he’s a vampire. With the help of Peter Vincent an occult Vegas magician and a little luck, Charley will save his mom, girlfriend and who knows along the way.
Gillespie has done an outstanding work that would make any horror buff proud. In a day where everyone is doing a remake, and not always in a good way, he has done justice to the integrity of Holland’s original. Even with the addition of 3D the story wills out over having to do the cheap 3D tricks. Yes there are a few but within the context they are shot they work very well. This can be attributed to Nixon who is no stranger to keeping a story in check and not getting out of line.
As the story is important, it takes actors to bring it to life in a talented and fun group of individuals. Charley is played by Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett, Star Trek). His boyish looks lend to his ability to be that high school kid who is caught up in something way above his head. Playing the, everybody wants her, girlfriend Amy is Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre, Centurion). Poots is as in past films playing the part to a tee. I am still waiting for her to burst through doing good parts and hitting her potential.
Keeping the bit if comedy in the film is Ed, the ever persistent friend who knows what’s going on, is played by the always baby faced Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Kick Ass). This is in no way downplaying Christopher’s acting skills. He is a consummate actor who is stereotyped as the ‘nerd/geek’ kid, very reminiscent of fellow actor Alan Ruck.
Yet this would not be the horror film without the villain, in this case, Jerry played by Colin Farrell (Alexander, Horrible Bosses). Farrell is just ultra creepy as Jerry. This is in no way a slap to the original actor Chris Sarandon who played Jerry and has a great cameo. Let’s just say payback is a…. Farrell has just been fantastic as of late when he can exude a deep dark thought and keep making it more and more edgy. You can see in his performance that he is enjoying the mind games he plays with Charley.
The film is chock full of talent supporting this cast and exciting film. Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense) as Charley’s single mother who just wants the best for her son and David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Peter Vincent the occultist magician with a secret past.
Since this is a horror film it would be insensitive of me not to chat about the special effects, make up and all that went into keeping you wondering “what’s next”. From the opening scene you are exposed to the mastery of a highly creative team. From the title trailing across the screen as fresh blood to the morphing of Farrell into the vampire, the attention to detail is prominent. It goes back to my note about the 3D, in that it was not over used and when it was it was not just to do it but do it with purpose. The music enthralls you and makes the hair on the back of your neck tingle. The gore factor is not overdone and helps draw you into the story.
As I have said, great applause to Gillespie and his team for taking the remake mantle and not doing a par level film. Taking the time and effort to make this film their own and bring to the theater a compelling horror film that stands on its own. Congrats to all of you for making a grown man jump in his seat.
Again this is a horror film set for the teens of today’s generation. For those of us who saw the original it is a great look at connecting with that generation. This is a coming of age story hidden in the hellish nightmare of confronting a vampire. Charley, even though still a child, is the man of his house must protect what he loves no matter the cost. Something a child should not have to do. The original took place at a time when there was a lot of single mom’s making headway in society, my mom being one of those mothers and I, just like Charley was the man of the house. Today’s film is still prominent as we are seeing the single mom take the fore front of our society again, this time maybe stronger than before. This means even more kids growing up faster than they should, like I did. This is not a bad thing, just a little tough when you lose a bit of your childhood because responsibilities stack up faster. As a child you should be able to enjoy the ability to be just that a child and not take on the full responsibilities of an adult until they truly need to be, after high school.
Follow my entertainment adventures throughout Southern California on Twitter @SCThrillsMarc.
Performance capture can be an amazing tool in the right hands. Thanks to this incredible technology, actors are no longer limited by physical restrictions. Anybody can play anyone or anything, and that must be incredibly liberating for an actor. However, for every Golllum, Davy Jones or Neytiri, there’s going to be a few Milos.
37-year old Seth Green stars as Milo, the 11-year old at the center of one of Disney’s biggest financial disappointments, Mars Needs Moms. Like most kids his age, all Milo wants is for his mom to stop telling him what to do. First he has to take out the trash, and then she has the nerve to make him eat all his vegetables! Of course, Milo only focuses on these negatives, and fails to appreciate all the wonderful things she does for him as well. That is until she’s kidnapped by Martians trying to harvest her motherly essence in order to power their Martian mom robots. Yes, that is the plot.
I understand that not every movie can be filled with depth and complexity, but this is just ridiculous. True, this is a kid’s film, but it has less subtlety than an episode of Leave it to Beaver. The lessons are telegraphed from the very beginning, and the characters are nothing but stock-types designed to push the story to it’s inevitable heart-felt conclusion. Green is a very funny and talented performer, but he just mugs his way through this role, bouncing around the virtual set doing an impersonation of a child rather than playing an actual character.
Like Milo, the Mom is played without any subtlety by another versatile actor, Joan Cusack. The fact that these two extremely capable performers turned in such phony performances really indicate that the fundamental flaws lie with the directing and writing. The only other human of note is Gribble, played by Dan Fogler. Fogler gets to play the closest to a real character that the film has, that of a child who was forced to grow into adulthood alone on Mars. This basic concept had a lot of potential, and while it never really played out as well as I would have liked, I appreciated the attempt.
As for the Martians, this is where the Motion Capture should have really led to something special. Unfortunately, all the Martian designs are just ugly and devoid of any nuance whatsoever. Like the name says, performance capture exists to capture performances, but these could just as easily have been Computer Animated characters, and nobody would have known the difference. As for the individual characters, they too are just types, including a “flower child” influenced by Earth sitcoms from the sixties. This just seems lazy, creating an excuse to not have to create a real character.
Even the world itself is garish. One of the great things about modern film is the opportunities we have to be taken to worlds we have never seen before. This is especially true in Science-Fictoin, and it’s truly disheartening to see a world so ugly in service of a story so poorly thought out with characters so bland. There is nothing imaginative about this film, and it just feels like such a wasted opportunity.
Despite my disappointment in the film itself, the newly released Blu-Ray is a pretty terrific package. Coming with four discs, the set includes a 3D Blu-Ray, a standard Blu-Ray, a DVD and a digital copy. They’ve pretty much covered all of the potential viewing methods (that aren’t online) in one box. The standard Blu-Ray and 3D Version have phenomenal picture quality. Modern animated films on Blu-Ray almost always tend to look fantastic, and this is no exception.
As for the extras, the best is a feature in which you can listen to an audio commentary while watching the Motion Capture being performed picture-in-picture. It’s particularly fascinating to see the way they create what looks like an obstacle course in order to replicate the landscapes that the characters are moving through. Other extras include almost 30 minutes of deleted scenes in various stages of production, a two minute vido of Seth Green goofing off on set, and a very short but interesting feature on the development of the Martian language. While nowhere near as complex as other languages created for film, the creating of a language is an interesting process and I wish they had devoted a little more time to this.
Even though I love science-fiction and Disney, I’m not sure I’m the target audience for this one. I can’t help but think that even an actual 11-year old would feel talked down to with this film. However, Disney did a great job putting this set together. There’s a lot of material here, and the picture-in-picture is fascinating. It just seems like a lot of work went into something with very little payoff.
Jackson Mississippi, the center hot bed of unrest during a movement which would come to change the US and the South forever… The Civil Rights Movement. In Jackson, the top of society are the ladies who lunch. Those beautiful Jr. League women who live for their bridge clubs, their charity events and of course being the top of the society pile. Children and household came second only to the latest hair and dress; those trifles they left to the silent, colored, partners who ran their homes, raised their babies and disappeared behind closed door into the evenings each night… the help.
Touchstone Pictures and DreamWorks Studios along with Imagination Abu Dhabi FZ bring you a film not to be missed, “The Help”, based on the most talked about and brilliantly written novel by the same name by Katheryn Stockett. Imagine in this world of beauty, grace, good manners and good breeding where these girls are brought up to believe that there is nothing more than being accepted and revered as society ladies. But just beneath this layer of beauty is the ugly reality of racism and bigotry against the black community of Jackson and the country. The Help, which raise their children, clean their houses and cook their meals, are treated as second class citizens, unimportant and mistreated. Yet they feel tied and obligated to serve their employers and the children which they come to love as their own.
Meet Skeeter (Emma Stone, Easy A, Super Bad), a girl in her early 20s who aspires to be a writer. She has been brought up in the world of Southern Society but has always felt she didn’t quite belong. As she begins her career as a columnist for the local paper she starts to really see the “friends” she’s grown up with for who they really are. And what she sees is ugly. She begins a friendship, of sorts, with Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis, Nights in the Rodanth, Solaris) the black house maid/ nanny who’s raised 17 babies in her tenure as a household worker. She works for the neglectful Elizabeth Leefolt (Ahna O’Reily, The Vampire Diaries, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) who is more concerned with following in the footsteps of bully and society Queen Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard, The Village, Lady in the Water) who by all accounts is a Goddess and a monster.
Skeeter decides to challenge herself by beginning the process of writing a book based on the experiences of Jackson’s black maids and their hardships. This is met by fear, resistance and anonymity by the black women in this community. Skeeter, trying as hard as possible to get her book under way, believes in her project and convinces Aibileen to talk to her about her experiences both good and bad. After a particularly ugly incident between Hilly and her cook Minny (Octavia Spencer, Dinner for Shmucks, Wizards of Waverly Place) Skeeter and Aibileen are able to convince her to open up about her experiences as well. Between the three women there is an understanding that this must be kept secret as they are all worried about being lynched or shot by snipers at night. However, after the community is stunned at the arrest and assault of a fellow maid and neighbor who has been accused of theft by non other than Hilly Hollbrook herself the community comes together to tell all of their disturbing, tragic, hateful, and funny stories. What is born from this is a secret and controversial book released on to the people of Jackson and revealing the ugly truths behind its prim and proper society.
This film will bring you to tears, of joy, laughter and sadness. It reminds us that not too long ago the words “separate but equal” were an ugly lie that was disguised as the best way for society to be. It reveals the sadness that so many went thru and the trials and challenges as well. How beautiful change can be and how frightening it was to be strong in those times. It is brilliantly written and directed and the cast shines! With other supporting cast such as the brilliant Allison Janny (West Wing, American Beauty) as Charlotte, Skeeter’s mother who is dying of Cancer but never loses her spunk; who has spent her life working towards becoming the true society lady and in the process forgot who her daughter really is but discovers with abandon that her child has grown to not only be beautiful but strong and just. And of course Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) as the unrefined, country girl turned, wealthy wanna be society lady Cynthia Foote, who wants nothing more than to belong but finds herself on the same level as the black maids in Jackson. This movie turns your head and makes you think.
In a world of injustice, change does begin with a small, timid whisper. And these women find strength in each other and in themselves. I found this movie truly unforgettable and gorgeously envisioned. I tip my hat to them all. I sincerely hope that this movie moves you and makes you take stock in our world, and helps you look at your neighbor in a new light, for the ones we may see as below us are just like us in many ways and that color is just skin deep.
A disgrace to the character of Chil Palmer, this uninspired follow-up to the far superior Get Shorty is a waste of time for everybody involved. I get why they made the film. Palmer was a terrific character in Get Shorty, and Travolta’s performance just oozed “cool.” It’s only natural to think that people would want more. Unfortunately, all the attempts at being cool feel forced this time around, and the entire movie becomes a tedious exercise in mediocrity.
The film opens with one of those self-referential conversations that films about Hollywood seem to think are so clever. Palmer, a successful film producer, is discussing his disappointment with sequels, hitting the audience over the head with the “subtlety” of the fact that this is a sequel. I love meta humor, but simply referencing yourself is not funny in and of itself. And it was all downhill from there.
After a record producer played by James Woods is killed in front of Palmer, he decides that he’s done with movies, and that he’s going to take over his dead friend’s business. I guess the thinking was that this would give the filmmakers plenty of opportunity to leave the film industry behind, satirizing the music industry this time around. This could have been a good idea if they actually had anything to say about the music industry. Instead we’re treated to two excrutiating hours of noise about white people acting black, Russian mobsters, slimy record producers and on and on.
Somehow, director F. Gary Gray got a lot of big names to appear in this film. However, the only truly inspired casting was The Rock as a gay bodyguard with aspirations of acting. His monologue from Bring It On was one of the only genuinely funny moments in the film. However, there are so many big names in the film, almost nobody stands out. It takes a particular lack of talent to make a film with performers as diverse as John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keital, Danny DeVito, Vince Vaughn, etc. and make them either forgettable, or worse, annoying.
Particular credit has to be given to Vaughn for creating one of the most grating characters I’ve seen on film in a long time. The joke of his character is that he’s white, but he acts black. I’ve never found that premise for a character to be funny, but this is just a pathetic performance. With a high pitched voice and nasally laugh not that far from the Weasels in Roger Rabbit, every moment on screen with this character is a disaster. And he gets a lot of screentime.
I really don’t know who the supposed audience is for this film. It’s not funny, the story isn’t compelling, and the characters aren’t interesting. There’s some novelty in seeing Thurman and Travolta dancing together for the first time since Pulp Fiction, and I got a small amount of enjoyment seeing the real Hollywood locations where the film was shot. But these small pleasures were derived from recognition of moments outside of the film. Being reminded of Pulp Fiction doesn’t make the moment as good as Pulp Fiction, and recognizing locations that I have visited isn’t as fun as actually being there.
At least the picture quality is good. MGM has been releasing some of their older titles lately, and this is the best looking one I’ve seen so far. There are a lot of sequences at night, as well as in darkly lit clubs, arenas, etc. The picture looks really sharp, with vibrant colors and detailed lighting. I’ll give the filmmakers credit for making the world these characters inhabit at least look glamorous.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many extras on the disc. There’s a “documentary” running just over 20 minutes that is comprised of almost nothing but clips from the film, intercut with the cast and crew giving vague anecdotes and compliments to themselves. There are some deleted scenes, a trailer, the full music video from the film featuring The Rock’s character, and some short vignettes about the characters. Nothing too spectacular, and from what I can tell, none of it is new for this release.
In watching the film, it really feels as if the filmmakers thought they were making something special. The groundwork was there, but it just didn’t come together. Get Shorty was a great film, and if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. I wish I could say the same for this one, but unfortunately, there is nothing cool about this disasterous sequel.
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for Nicolas Cage films, no matter how inconsequential they might be. No matter how bad the movie, he usually seems like he’s having fun, which usually elevates the material on screen. Honeymoon In Vegas is far from a perfect comedy, but Cage definitely seems like he’s having a ball, and so did I. Cage plays Jack Singer, a man with a dilemma. He promised his mother, just before she died, that he would never get married. Unfortunately, he’s in love with Betsy, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. When he decided that his promise isn’t worth jeopardizing the relationship, he proposes that they fly to Vegas and get married right away. While there, a gambling kingpin named Tommy Korman (played with great comic timing by James Caan) sees Betsy and realizes she is identical to his dead ex-wife. And this is where the fun begins.
You see, Korman is desperate to be with this woman who looks like his ex, and will utilize all the resources at his exposure to make this happen. He ends up tricking Singer into owing him thousands of dollars, and agrees to remove this debt if Singer allows him one weekend with Betsy. Singer reluctantly agrees, and ends up spending the rest of the film trying to undo the consequences of that decision.
Travelling from Vegas to Hawaii and back, the film is like a love letter to these two completely different locations. The fast-paced glamorous Vegas life directly contradicts the natural beauty and simplicity of Hawaii, and Singer’s frantic struggles in both locations allow for some really divergent setpieces. I’m always a fan of comedies where the characters find themselves in over their heads, trying to rectify a situation of which they have no control. This frantic struggle can be hilarious in the right hands, and Cage plays the part perfectly.
While the film doesn’t really have a lot of substance, it’s just entertaining. If you’ve ever seen a single commercial for this film, then you already know that there’s a sequence where Cage skydives with a group of Elvis impersonators. I still remember watching the previews back in 1992, and finding that a unusually hilarious visual. I never actually saw the film until now, but that moment has stuck with me over the years, and the buildup to this moment is as ridiculously silly as the moment itself.
Of course, skydiving Elvises fits right in with the motif of this film, which is Elvis himself. The King has a presence throughout the entire film, with a soundtrack comprised almost entirely of Elvis material. Coincidentally, Singer and Betsy are in Vegas at the same time as a convention for Elvis impersonators. Because of this, there is almost a constant Elvis presence in the movie. Most sequences in the film are accompanied with an Elvis song that lyrically relates to what is happening on screen. It’s a very clever soundtrack, and I enjoyed picking out the creative ways they selected which songs accompanied which moments.
Again, this isn’t a great movie, but it’s an entertaining one. It’s very silly, and doesn’t have any substance to it at all. Despite this, everybody involved seems to be having a great time, and the film is just fun to watch. Unfortunately, there aren’t any extras on the recently released Blu-Ray other than a short preview that gives the entire film away. The transfer is also lacking, looking about as good as an old VHS copy would have looked. I recently reviewed another film from the MGM catalog that recently got a re-release, and that film had the same problem. It seems as if MGM is just releasing their catelog on Blu-Ray without taking the time and effort to clean them up, or provide any good bonus material.
I can’t really recommend this film as a purchase, but it’s definitely a fun rental. It would be nice if MGM would have put a little more care into these releases, but at least they’re getting released at all. If you’re a fan of Nicolas Cage like I am, then this is definitely worth checking out.
While definitely flawed, there is nothing inherently good or bad about Overboard, Garry Marshall’s 1987 romantic comedy starring real-life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel. It’s a perfectly acceptable, middle-of-the-road, time-waster of a film. And that’s not an insult. This self-described “riches-to-rags romance” tells the slightly convoluted story of wealthy socialite Joanna Stayton, who gets amnesia from falling off of her yacht. This is after she refuses to pay Dean Proffitt, a carpenter who didn’t fix her closet to her liking. Of course, in typical Hollywood fashion, he decides to enact revenge by convincing her that she is his wife and mother to four obnoxious children. Needless to say, wackiness ensues and lessons are learned.
I suppose it’s easy enough to suspend disbelief and just go with this. The problem is that there is no rooting interest. Before her amnesia, Stayton was a horrible shrew of a character; a cliched Real Housewife before the Real Housewives existed. And while Proffitt is supposed to be the everyman we identify with, I found it very difficult to sympathize with a man who would A) pull such a horrible trick, and B) raise four children with such disregard for their well-being.
However, the movie is moderately amusing, and I suppose that’s all that should really count in a film like this. Russell and Hawn seem to have a lot of fun playing these characters, and that translates into an entertaining enough diversion. There is something satisfying about seeing this woman put in her place, and as the sitcom hijinks give way to attempted pathos, I found myself going along for the ride. This is a film that follows the exact trajectory you’d expect, and while there are absolutely no surprises, I still enjoyed the journey. When I say the film is predictable, I’m not even talking just about the story outline, but rather specific plot points. This is the type of film where the screenplay randomly sets up little clues that are going to have an obvious payoff, and if you aren’t able to piece together the entire film based on these clues, then you just aren’t paying attention.
MGM has recently issued a Blu-Ray release for this film, although I’m not entirely sure there was a high demand for it. Honestly, it’s not going to take me long to completely forget this film exists. Considering it’s been about 24 years since the film’s release, I can’t imagine that there are people overly excited to be able to add this film to their collection. However, if you are one of those people, I hate to tell you, but this is a pretty bare-bones release.
The only extra is the trailer, and the picture quality/sound are about on par with VHS. I was really surprised at the lack of care the film was given for this release. There is a certain expectation when it comes to Blu-Ray, and while they don’t have to all be filled with extras, the picture and sound should at least be worthy of the release. Having said that, maybe the film holds some sort of nostalgic appeal for some of you, and if that’s the case, then enjoy. Otherwise, there’s not much too recommend here.
After its demonic 2010 debut, the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is set to make waves across Southern California’s haunt scene in 2011 with mazes and madness that make the most of the ship’s unique haunted history.
Now in its 17th year, the Queen Mary Halloween event was originally known as Shipwreck, but in 2010, the ship bravely steamed into Dark Harbor to shrieks of delight from haunt aficionados and chillseekers alike.
“The Queen Mary is often cited as one of the most haunted places in the world,” said paranormal expert and ship guide Erika Frost. “This gives the event an atmosphere unlike any theme-park haunt. For instance, one of the mazes crosses the first-class swimming pool where many visitors claim to have encountered a little girl wandering around searching for her doll or mommy. Or, if they haven’t seen her, they’ve reportedly heard her.”
Dark Harbor features seven bloodcurdling mazes and attractions on the ship and on the shore as well as an entertainment complex with live entertainment, cocktails and food.
To enter this port of purgatory, guests must maneuver through a fog-filled 220-foot tunnel of cargo containers concealing monsters. Guests emerge at the foot of ‘Hell’s Bells Tower,’ a 33-foot tall tower of 11 cargo containers shooting 20-foot flames into the night sky. This is the centerpiece of Dark Harbor and is assembled each year with the help of longshoremen from the Port of Long Beach. Three panic-inducing shipboard mazes raise the fear factor with pyrotechnical, atmospheric and watery special effects. They include ‘Submerged’ where guests are sure to get a sinking feeling, ‘Containment’ where the ship’s original infirmary gets sick and twisted, and ‘Hellfire’ where the horrors get terribly hot. Two other hair-raising mazes are on shore: ‘The Village of the Damned’ where the monsters try to make you their permanent houseguests and ‘The Cage’ which simply defies description.
Performances by local bands, food and cocktails in the ‘Night Mariners’ Bar,’ and a demon-filled attraction known as ‘The Barricades’ will ensure leaving is…unthinkable, as will a trio of She-Demons who prey on all who cross their path after sunset. And beware of aforementioned ghosts walking the decks of the Queen Mary, for these travelers from the past may inhabit any ‘body’ left unattended.
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor will be open October 7-9; 14-16; 20-23; and 27-31 from 7 p.m. to midnight. Ticket discounts and promotions start as low as $20 online at www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor. ‘Fast Fright’ front-of-the-line passes are also available online and at the door, and well worth the additional $20 upgrade for busy nights.
The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach.
Love is a mess, one with no reason, no rhyme, just mostly insanity. At least that is what the makers of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” want you to believe. The genius of the film is its ability to appear on the surface a quiet romantic comedy, while its exposé on relationships is much deeper and complex than one would imagine.
The brilliance of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is its multigenerational storyline that hardly ever feels overwhelming or overbearing. At its center is insurance man Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) who is informed unexpectedly by his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) that she desires a divorce, admitting she recently cheated on Cal. Having hit a plateau in his life years ago, Cal’s personality has become severely muted, and while this news shatters him, he willingly leaves his family without a fight. Cal’s thirteen year old son Robbie feels betrayed by his dad, unable to understand why his hero has been defeated so easily.
Rejected and isolated, Cal soon finds himself a regular customer at the local bar where he is eventually approached by Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who convinces Cal that he needs to “rediscover his manhood.” Jacob is the suave ladies man who can get any girl he approaches to go home with him, and he is intent on mentoring Cal how to do the same. But even Jacob has his own fatal flaws, incapable of using his winsome nature to seduce the one woman he really wants – a self-assured law student named Hannah (Emma Stone).
With all the different players involved, the script would appear to be a contrived setup. And for the first ten minutes or so, the movie borders dangerously close to being more like a series of unbalanced snapshots than a fluid story. But once the field is set, the true colors of the tale begin to shine through. Co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa don’t shy away from displaying the heartache and despair that results from broken and lacking relationships. The originality of this romantic comedy comes from the manner in which it observes how the struggles of love often tend to be amusing.
This is the kind of film that thrives on the ensemble of performances. The leading characters have a chemistry that never appears forced or faked. Steve Carell is cast in one of the better roles of his film career, portraying vulnerability while avoiding most of the abrasive foolishness that made him popular on “The Office.” Julianne Moore has a surprisingly youthful quality about herself, in light of playing a mother dealing with divorce. Audiences will easily be drawn to Ryan Gosling not only because of his enduring “coolness” but also the tact in which he plays Jacob’s more subtle insecurities as an empty, searching man. Emma Stone is constantly exuding a sweetness and independence that is a strong match for Gosling.
What is truly refreshing about “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is the ways in which it over and over again refuses to embrace cliched, recycled story lines of lost love. The three generations of lovers represented in the film give a rich-bodied perspective of relationships. In almost every way, the movie succeeds with the exception of the second act where Cal and Emily receive an inordinate amount of screen time while the supporting characters are pushed to the side. When the story does return to focus on Jacob and Emily’s relationship, it is wildly unpredictable yet balanced. This film is filled with unique revelations, some expected, and some not at all. What stands out is the unadulterated honesty of the characters, especially in the case of Cal and his son. Cal admits to his wife, “I should of fought for you,” while in equal measure, Robbie isn’t afraid to say he believes that “love is a scam,” after being repeatedly rejected by his crush, his rosy-cheeked babysitter Jessica (Analeigh Tipton).
Rather than mock, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” boldly offers truth in the matters of the heart. Where most films would rely on glitzy montages to show the gradual growth of the characters, this movie devotes time to the tedious realities of relationships. In this, there comes a rewarding measure of art. In the end, the story still doesn’t arrive at perfection for all parties involved, but more of an understanding. Love is a process, an experience, that comes in seasons and rarely ever makes complete sense. And that, is what makes it beautiful.
As Alex and I cruise down Harbor Blvd and turn onto Fair Drive we find ourselves immediately surrounded with the smell and sound of farm animals, kettle corn, fried food and screaming teens, this can only mean one thing; it must be time for the annual Orange County Fair!
In years past the OC fair has chosen a theme that is apropos to any State Fair or County Fair you may go to, this year’s theme? “Let’s Eat!” If you can’t find something you like you must not be alive because they have everything and anything you may want to eat at the fair.
Upon entering your senses are hit right away with the sight, sounds and smells of some of the most amazing barbeque this side of Texas. Everywhere you look the theme is in full swing with turkey legs, foot long sausages, 2 pound burgers, potatoes done every way possible (I prefer the Tasti Chips, Alex the Chili Cheese Fries curly or crinkled…), ice cream, frozen lemonade, all kinds of tasty treats and of course the fired food. YUM!
Since 2011’s theme is, “Let’s Eat!” we’ll start with the food! I tend to be the food aficionado so Alex left me the “difficult” task of trying all the food… well most of it. First up was to try to find the most unusual fried food, from Klondike bars, Cheesecake, and Oreos to fried butter we didn’t quite find the “weirdest” fried food until we came across… fried candy apples and fried Kool-Aid ™. I decided to live dangerously and went for the Kool-Aid ™, much to Alex’s dismay. A video of this experience forthcoming. To my surprise it was quite delicious! And filling! After just 3 of the 6 generous pieces I was pretty much done; it was quite delicious but I was done. If you’re wondering how they did this imagine a hush puppy flavored with your favorite childhood Kool-Aid™ flavor, then deep fried and sprinkled with more of those tasty sugary crystals! Viola! A fried concoction worthy of any County Fair!
This of course was washed down with the first of MANY fresh squeezed lemonades we enjoyed in the annual OC Fair cup! A great value as it cuts the price of refills in half! We also enjoyed chili cheese fries which, according to Alex, were cheesy and delicious ( I only enjoyed one, she is very serious about her fries), a foot long western sausage worked up to my liking and doused in BBQ sauce, and for dinner fresh cheddarwurst, and to top the evening off creamy ice cream.
All in all the food was, as any County Fair, delicious and fun! Had we had room for seconds we probably would have indulged in more tasty treats! There are of course many other delights from cupcakes to Italian food and other carnival goodies enough to satisfy any indulgent craving!
Now that Marc has fully intoxicated you all with the decadent and delightful foods the OC Fair has to offer we’ll move to my favorite part of the fair, shopping! The OC fair has tons to offer when it comes to items to purchase and delight in. From clothing featuring local OC designers, to fresh inventions and gadgets to delight the most nimble fingers and minds you’re sure to find it at the fair! Most items well priced and fabulous! I found myself unable to make just one choice from all the amazing things there were to see, touch, try and buy. My eyes danced over beautiful pieces of jewelry and accessories and my inner fashion diva reveled in the array of frocks and shoes available. There are of course items for kids and grownups alike as well as your usual cute and fun fair tchotchkes.
Bubble guns, fashion hair accessories, shoes, balloons, special make up, and also car wax, bug cleaners and more! From big to small there was nothing that wasn’t offered to the eager fair goers. I can’t wait to go back!
After all that shopping it was time to take a look at the more artistic side of the fair. From gardening to woodworking, paintings to crocheting artist from all around the OC submit their personal works for judging. After walking a short time through the visual arts pavilion we came across some amazing exhibits by featured artists Jim Jenkins and Daniel du Plessis.
Jeff’s visual sculptures of flight, mechanics and puppetry are impressive not only in there intricacies but the sheer detail and scope of vision. The dancing devil, “A Dime A Dance” was a crowd favorite, especially with children. Simple in its presentation it still left many an adult looking beyond the surface of this hypnotic sculpture.
Daniel is exquisite with a brush bringing paint to life. He doesn’t stop at the canvas as several of the artworks have frames that are just as detailed and intricate as the piece they hold.
After a viewing a few more entries in photography Alex had to step out as she tends to get a little emotional being surrounded by such inspired artwork.
From youths to adults every art form was present. Some of my favorites were the stained glass window of Maleficent, bowling balls crafted into miniature structure sculptures, and many of the presented woodworking projects.
After wandering around we needed a little libation so we headed over to the Wine Garden. This tends to be a favorite of mine and has been for many years; Alex is slowly coming into her enjoyment of wine, especially the sweeter varieties. The Orange County Wine Society did not disappoint with this year’s selection of award winning wines. From reds to whites, syrah’s to ports the variety offered will appeal to all levels and palates. Our recommendation, or I should say Alex’s favorite for an early summer evening sitting comfortably in the back yard, would be the South Coast ‘10.
This is not the only adult indulgence in beverages. There is Hussong’s Cantina and Baja Blues offer full bars and over by the Pavilions there’s the World of Beers featuring 30 plus beers for any hop head out there.
There is so much more to see at the fair with the livestock area featuring the work of local hard working 4H students, Centennial Farm, Ice Museum, daily concerts at both The Hanger, Pacific Amphitheatre and surrounding stages, Kids World and of course the Carnival. It is a great value for a family or an evening for two on a date.
So take the family out to the OC Fair Wednesday thru Sundays running through August 15th. We’ll see you there! Meanwhile she’ll have the wine, I’ll have the Kool-Aid™. Oh wait is that a fried candy apple?
The first two days of Comic-Con were fantastic. We saw some great panels, and got a lot of information regarding some big upcoming projects. However, the third day wasn’t quite as successful. Due to extreme crowds, and some miscalculations on our part while attempting to jump from room to room, we only ended up seeing four panels. Even getting to those panels felt like a miracle considering how many hours in total we wasted in various lines throughout the day. With that being said, here is a brief rundown of the few panels we were actually able to get into.
Terra Nova: A very expensive weekly television program Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg, Terra Nova tells the story of a future in which the Earth becomes uninhabitable, and mankind is forced to travel back in time to when dinosaurs roamed free. At this presentation, they showed us the entire pilot and then had a brief Q&A with some of the cast and crew. I wasn’t entirely sold on the show going in, thinking it might have just been a cheaper version of Jurassic Park on a weekly basis. However, I ended up pleasantly surprised, as the pilot did a great job setting up several compelling storylines and characters. The dinosaurs are definitely an aspect of the show, but they are from the entire point of it.
(See a preview of Terra Nova)
Coming from writers with credits as varied as 24 and Star Trek: The Next Generation, this is a show with a lot of action, a lot of heart, and several intriguing mysteries to explore. Production values are very high, with special effects and set pieces far beyond the scope usually seen on television. I found some of the family drama slightly manipulative, but necessary in order to move the plot forward. Fox has a reputation for cancelling genre shows before their time, but I really think this one will catch on. Unlike shows such as Firefly, Drive, or even Fringe (which is still on the air), this show feels very mainstream, and not as if it will only appeal to a niche audience. My only concern is the obviously high budget. If the show doesn’t get huge ratings, I’m really afraid that Fox won’t be able to justify spending that much per episode. So, if you’re reading this, please watch when it premieres this Fall. Because I really want to find out what happens next.
The Immortals: I’d seen the generic posters, but had no idea what to expect from the actual film. Turns out, this is a story about war amongst the Gods (Zeus, Poseidon, etc.), presented in a way very reminiscent of 300. The film was directed by Tarsem Singh, and while they hyped his unique visual style before showing any footage, I didn’t find their “Tarsemvision” to be all that compelling. Several years ago, Singh directed a fantastic film that very few people saw called The Cell. That was one of the most unique films I’d ever seen, and was a true original. Unfortunately, this one looks much less interesting. There is a lot of mediocre CGI, along with footage that changes speed mid-shot, and a color pallet exactly like 300. Singh even admitted that he made the movie from a visual perspective first, with story coming next. They showed us a preview and one of the final action scenes (twice), did a Q&A and that was that. The film doesn’t look bad, I guess. It just isn’t that exciting either. This one’s a rental.
(See The Immortals Trailer)
Knights of Badassdom: What a disaster this one turned out to be. The title should have the first giveaway, but I was drawn in by the eclectic cast. The film stars Summer Glau, Danny Pudi, Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, etc. These are all people that I would never expect to work together, especially in a film like this. The basic story revolves around of group of LARPers (Live Action Role Players), who accidentally summon a succubus during a pretend ritual. Wackiness ensues. I love a good juvenile movie, but this just looks ridiculous. With the cheap effects, lame jokes, and awful premise, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this one goes direct-to-video. They showed the preview (twice), did a Q&A, and that was that. I’ve already spent more time writing about this one than it deserves.
Snow White and the Huntsman: Finally, a decent panel. After the disappointments that were The Immortals and Knights of Badassdom (I still can’t believe that movie exists), I needed a panel like this. While the film doesn’t start production until next week, they still managed to put together an intriguing presentation that had the entire audience eager to see more. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin, all of whom were on the panel. They also had the director (Rupert Sanders) and a couple of the producers there. Since they haven’t even started filming yet, they weren’t able to show us any actual footage. However, Sanders has already shot a quick demo reel designed to give the studio and crew a visual representation of how he imagines the film will look. They showed us this reel, and it was extremely impressive considering that he shot it in three days. This is going to be an epic production, one which he described as being in the vein of The Lord of the Rings. Everybody involved seemed genuinely excited to be a part of the film, and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. They also showed us photos of all the actors in their costumes, and they look amazing. I have a feeling this one is going to be something special.
And with that, Comic-Con 2011 was over. Unfortunately, day 3 didn’t live up to the first two, but we still had a great time with Terra Nova and Snow White and the Huntsman. There are a lot of great looking projects out there, and hopefully, they’ll all live up to their potential. It’s that sense of the unknown that makes Comic-Con so much fun. A lot of the great looking projects could end up terrible, and a lot of the terrible ones could be amazing (although I highly doubt that for Knights of Badassdom). Thanks for reading, and we’ll back for Comic-Con 2012.
Well, it’s been three exhausting but exciting days, and Comic-Con 2011 is officially behind us. While we weren’t able to get into every presentation we would have liked, we still saw a lot of terrific panels and got a lot of great information. We’ve already covered our first day at the con, so without further ado, here’s day two.
The Adventures of Tin-Tin: I think everyone in that room would agree that this was the highlight of the convention. It was well publicized that Steven Spielberg would be making his Comic-Con debut with this panel. I knew it would be an amazing experience to hear the film-making legend in person, but I didn’t realize the actual panel itself would be so entertaining. Before getting into Tin-Tin, Spielberg was presented with an Inkpot Award, a Comic-Con staple given to those who have made great contributions to the pop-culture landscape in some way. It goes without saying that Spielberg is more than entitled to this distinction. However, they reminded everybody in that room just how significant his contributions to film have been by playing a spectacular montage of moments from most of his films. I’ve seen these movies multiple times, and I still got chills as I was reminded how much of an impact this one man has had on the pop-culture landscape.
When the clips ended, they brought Steven out to the longest and most-deserved standing ovation I’ve ever seen in Hall H. It was a thrilling moment, and one that I’ll never forget. After he gave a brief, but sincerely grateful acceptance speech, it was time to get into Tin-Tin. For those that don’t know, Tin-Tin is a very popular comic around the world, that never caught on in America for some reason. He explained how Tin-Tin was first brought to his attention in a review of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which compared Indy to Tin-Tin. Now knowing who that was, Spielberg did some research, discovering that Tin-Tin is a child reporter who always ends up becoming part of the story he’s investigating, much like Indy is an archeologist who finds hiimself part of the mythology of the relics he’s sent to unearth.
Spielberg quickly became fascinated with the character, and eventually decided he wanted to direct a film version. However, the comics have a very distinct visual style. After struggling with the dilemma of how to adapt this look, he recruited WETA to do a test. The comics feature a dog named Snowy, and he had them do an animation test of this character against a live-action actor who played a character named Captain Haddock. He informed us that this presentation was made many, many years ago. He then told the very excited audience that he brought that test to show us.
The test was surprisingly fantastic, and would have actually worked just find as a film. The real surprise of the footage however, was the “actor” who played Captain Haddock. WETA had director Peter Jackson play the character, and he was very funny in the part. In the test, he was talking to the audience about his desire to play the character while Snowy was trying to get his attention behind him. Eventually, Jackson/Haddock spills some wine which Snowy promptly drinks, getting so inebriated that he stumbles off the dock in a drunken stupor. At this point, Jackson/Haddock dives in to save him, and the clip ends.
As the lights came back up, the audience was thrilled to discover that Jackson himself had joined Spielberg on stage. As Jackson is in the thick of filming the Hobbit, I don’t think anybody in that room was expecting this surprise. Through the rest of the panel, the two just talked about their history with the character, with each other, and eventually took questions from the audience. They also showed a pretty long clip in 3D, and I’ve got to say, the movie looks terrific. It was all done in motion-capture, with Spielberg himself operating the camera. Because of this, there were some truly exciting visuals in the presentation. The story also looks like a lot of fun, and the voice-talent sounds terrific.
The Q&A portion of the panel was surprisingly good as well. I have to hand it to this crowd, they handled themselves really well for the most part. I’ve been to a lot of panels where the questions were simply people gushing, asking for hugs, and stumbling over their own words. There was a little of that, but the questions were mostly questions that I genuinely was curious about the answers. As an aside, while most of the questions were either conceptual or about their careers, I was thrilled to hear one person ask for an update on Jurassic Park 4. As Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies, I loved getting to hear Spielberg himself reveal that we will have JP4 in 2 or 3 years.
When the panel was over, I knew I had seen what would be the best presentation of the day. While I love going to these panels every year, very few leave a lasting impression. However, I’m sure I’ll always remember this fantastic presentation.
Screen Gems: Having unsuccessfully tried to get into a couple of different panels that took place at the same time, I was late actually getting into this presentation. Because of this, I only saw the very end of the Underworld 4 presentation. The director and cast were there, and they were taking questions from the audience by the time I arrived. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn anything of substance in this brief amount of time. However, I was there for the entire presentation regarding the other film Screen Gems brought to the Con, Attack the Block. I’d heard the name before, knowing that it was pretty popular in the UK where it was already released, and knowing that it’s played at some festivals to high acclaim. However, nothing they showed about this film appealed to me. It tells the story of rival gangs in London, and how they have to band together when their block is invaded by aliens.
First of all, the film looked a lot cheaper than I expected. The aliens, while practicaly effects, looked really cheesy complete with glow-in-the-dark teeth. Maybe I need more context, but in the brief amounts shown, I thought the characters seemed annoying, the look of the film ugly, and the story completely uninteresting. This wasn’t a great panel to follow-up the Tin-Tin panel with.
DreamWorks: For the DreamWorks panel, they only showcased one film, Fright Night. This was a very typical panel, where they showed some clips, and brought out some of the cast and crew. Like the presentation for Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Thursday, I just couldn’t bring myself to get that excited about advance footage for a movie opening next month. The movie looks fine, if not a little generic, but nothing about it really wowed me. To be fair, I’ve never seen the original, so this might have had more of an impact if I was already a fan of the property. It was fun seeing Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, etc. talk about the film, but there was nothing here that made the film seem like a “must-see.”
Sony: The longest panel we saw of the entire convention, Sony went all out for this one, bringing four films to showcase. They started with the sequel to Ghost Rider, followed it up with 30 Minutes or Less, then did a presentation for the remake of Total Recall, and ended with the one everybody was there for, The Amazing Spider-Man.
I pride myself on being pretty knowledgable about what films are in production at what times, and this is why I was so surprised to find out that there was a panel for the Ghost Rider sequel. I knew there was at least plans for this film, but I had no idea it had already been shot. While I did enjoy the original more than most people I know, I can’t say that I’m a huge fan. I thought Ghostrider himself was an interesting character, at least on a conceptual level; however, the story didn’t really do anything for me. With the sequel, it looks like the story is going to be even more inconsequential. However, what was shot looks absolutely insane, and unlike anything seen before in a superhero film. Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) shoot the film themselves, and put themselves right in the middle of the sequences in whatever way possible. For example, they would shoot a car chase by wearing rollerblades, holding on to the back of a speeding motorcycle and being pulled right into the middle of the scene. Or for a sequence where a character goes over the edge of a cliff, they would attach themselves to a harness facing the stuntman, and throw themselves over the edge in order to film from that usually unseen perspective.
I wish I could say that the movie looks worth all the effort, but it really doesn’t. All the crazy camerawork seems to be mildly distracting, and their visual style just seems too frenetic for my tastes. Thanks to developments in motion-capture technology, Nicolas Cage gets to actually play Ghost Rider this time, so I’m looking forward to his performance. Other than that, I can’t say I’m all that excited for this one.
After this was 30 Minutes Or Less, a comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari. Other than the fact that the director of this film also directed Zombieland, I’m not entirely sure why this film wsa being presented at Comic-Con. Usually, the films that get these presentations are more genre-based, and this seemed like a more straight-forward comedy. However, the movie looks funny, and the cast (especially Ansari) was very entertaining on stage. There was nothing entirely notable about this segment, but it was still fun.
I still can’t believe they’re remaking Total Recall. I love Philip K. Dick’s original story, and think that the original film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is an action classic. Unless they have something truly unique to bring to the table, I don’t see what there is to gain by filming the same story a second time. Unlike Schwarzenegger’s version, this one isn’t set on Mars, which seems to make the whole thing less interesting, at least to me. The director and cast were there, and they showed some clips, but nothing they showed convinced me that this is a film worth making. We saw the scene where Quaid (Colin Farrell) first goes to Rekall, and realizes that he may actually be a secret agent after all. It’s a fun little action sequence, but nothing that wasn’t done better in the original.
Finally, the Amazing Spider-Man. The panel opened with “somebody” in a cheap looking Spider-Man costume approaching the microphone. As the moderator started telling this person that they weren’t taking questions yet, the Spider-Man at the microphone started talking about what a huge fan of the character he is, and how he just had to say what was on his mind, etc. To the surprise of nobody, he ended up ripping off the mask to reveal that it was none other than Andrew Garfield, star of this new Spider-Man reboot.
At this point, he started reading a prepared speech about how much the opportunity to play the character means to him, and how thrilled he is for the entire experience. It was a great speech, and a great moment for the panel. No matter how good the finished film ends up being, I will never doubt the sincerity of Garfield’s commitment to this role. He is a fan through and through, and really is living his dream.
(Watch the Comic-Con Panel from Hall H!)
As for the panel itself, they showed the preview which had already leaked, some extended footage, and most surprisingly a very detailed look at the villain of the film, Dr. Curt Connors, aka The Lizard. If you’ve seen the preview, you know this is yet another origin story, and again, I’m not sure, this is something we necessarily needed to see again. As an audience, we all know that story, and we’re ready to just watch Spider Man have more adventures, not recap the events we already know. Hopefully, it’ll be different enough so as not to seem too repetitive. Instead of Mary Jane, this time we get Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and as mentioned above, instead of the Green Goblin, we get The Lizard.
I’m not all that familiar with the Spider-Man comics, so I don’t know a whole lot about the lizard. Having said that, I don’t know how accurate their portrayal of the character is, but he looks pretty formidable. When I heard the antagonist was going to be The Lizard, I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. Turns out, that means the Dr. Connors literally becomes a giant lizard. Like the Hulk, it’s a human who turns into a giant green creature. This one just appears to be evil for some reason. The CGI isn’t photoreal by any means, but it still looks good.
They didn’t show a whole lot of the web-slinging, but the little they did show appears to be a mixture of practical and CGI. I’m sure the film will be entertaining, but like Total Recall, I really hope this film gives us a reason for existing. I would understand furthering the adventures of Spider-Man, but I just don’t understand why we need to reboot it.
And that wraps up Day 2 of Comic-Con. As I mentioned above, the Tin-Tin panel was amazing, but nothing else came close to wowing the audience on that level. Still, it was a really fun day, and overall, this has been a really fun year for the Con.
Disney+ has announced that an all-new episode of “The Simpsons” is now streaming exclusively on the streaming service. The full-length episode, titled “Yellow Planet,”...
