Mr. Goat Boy’s new stand-up is very reminiscent of his past.Jim Breuer starts his comedy routine recollecting his memories from HALF BAKED and “Saturday Night Life”, which he joined in 1995.Being a little worried that he was only going to talk about his past, Breuer fortunately quickly switched to talking about his recent life activities.Looking forward where he was going with his stand-up, I was little disappointed that he would only talk about his family.
Jim Breuer’s routine was still funny, but I wouldn’t say I found myself laughing out loud much.His impressions, which I didn’t know he did, were actually quite good.Make sure you watch the video being played during the menu screen.Here Breuer is acting as if he is talking to the viewer about picking a selection on the menu.During this he does impressions of Dave Chappelle, Metallica, Joe Pesci, and even some of his classic Goat Boy bit.There is also a semi-funny video that plays during the special features screen.
One thing you must realize before going into this DVD is that Jim Breuer is now a family man.He has a wife and three children, and loves talking about them.His comedy is relatively clean to what’s out there today.Being such a clean comedy act, I would almost say this is family friendly.There are only a few bits that are questionable.I was mildly entertained throughout, but I don’t see many people finding this absolutely hilarious unless they already were fans.
An aspect I was really impressed with was how active and physical he was with his comedy.Jim was all over the stage jumping and crawling doing some superb physical humor.I always appreciate a comedian that goes up there and puts forth a lot of effort like this.The audience really seemed to find it hysterical, but I am going to say I was just entertained.That might be possibly all you need.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Photo Shoot – Just a short video taken during a photo shoot for the DVD.
Fireside Chat with Dad – Actually quite funny! How Jim and his dad talk with each other is hilarious.Best part is how quick his dad is with comebacks.“Now scram!”
The special features selection is quite small with not more really to offer then his just over an hour long stand-up routine.I must say, he looks a lot older and his comedy is as well.Not necessarily a bad thing.At least he doesn’t appear as “high” as he used to, then again that was a part of his shtick and he’s still trying to bank off of it.
I’m glad to see Jim Breuer still doing some stand-up and I do look forward to his next special even though this wasn’t anything unique.I haven’t heard his SIRIUS Satellite Radio show entitled “Breuer Unleashed”, but I’m glad he is still doing something with himself.Hopefully his next tour focuses more on other parts of life then his family.
At long last! Sony Pictures Television has delivered a series that truly lives up to it’s name. Spectacular Spider-man is a truly unique look at Peter Parker’s early years, from high school teenager to arachnid-skilled vigilante. This season showcases classic stories pulled from every adaptation of Spider-man, borrowing heavily from the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko comic run and even the more recent Sam Raimi film series.
Of the season’s thirteen episodes, (all included in this collection) Editorial highlights include: Ep. 7 Catalysts (In which the Green Goblin makes his chaotic debut) Ep. 10 Persona(Perhaps the most plot-heavy episode to date, featuring Chameleon, Black Cat, and a certain alien-symboite…) and my personal favoriteEp. 11 Group Therapy (Which includes the epic formation of the Sinister Six and an all out Spider-war)
The overall flow of the series is well-thought out and seemless, from the carefully crafted story-boards to the impressive visuals by lead designer Sean Galloway. The writing crew also infuses a rather interesting notion of the Villians often being introduced several episodes before they even assume their well-known Super-status.
Overall, The first season leaves little to ask for. Chock-full of heroic musical underscoring, gorgeous character design and down-right enjoyable stories make this a recommended pick for Spiderfans every where. (From first time viewers to long time readers, this series guarantees some major entertainment for everyone.)
Special Features included:
Spider-Man Re-Animated: A short and sweet look at why/and how Spectacular Spiderman became just so dang-Spectacular Stylizing Spidey: dive in to a closer examination of the animation techniques and styles used in this gorgeous series
Special Features excluded:
No Subtitles: Sorry folks…the Spectacular Spider-man is not going to be helping with those spanish lessons this time around.
In Closing, this DVD’s widescreen presentation is crisp and matches the show’s own “mainstream/modern” aesthetic theme. Thus for an impressive and full-collection, tell-all features, and an all around rock-solid series; Spectacular Spiderman receives a spider-sense tingling 4 out of 5.
(Author’s Advisory: The Spectacular Spider-man is filled with so much web-headed’ goodness, it’s almost TOO much for one sitting...Not to mention without proper precaution the show’s solid theme song will stick in your head forevermore)
Ironically enough, my introduction to Lost came at Comic-Con. It was the summer before the show premiered and I had no clue what I was about to see. There weren’t many people there; we were basically just killing time waiting for the panels we actually cared about. And then they showed us the first half of the extraordinary pilot. By the time Dominic Monaghan’s character Charlie spoke the central mystery of the show, “where are we?,” everyone in that room was hooked.
Here we are heading into the sixth and final season, and this show now fills up Hall H, the 6,500 seat venue that is home to the most popular programming of the convention. A perfect balance of pure storytelling mixed with compelling character work, Lost is epic cinema for one hour a week. Last season ended on a cliff-hanger that could potentially change the direction of the entire show, and everybody in the room was hoping for the tiniest clues and revelations as to what was in store. Not a lot of specific information was given, but the producers put on quite a show. This panel was mostly about entertaining the crowd, and they definitely succeeded.
When we first entered the room, we were handed an ad for something called Lost University, along with a pencil engraved with a Lost University web address. On the back of the ad it appeared that someone had been writing on it with a pencil. A teacher’s name and phone # were given. I can only assume this is part of a viral campaign; something Lost does very well. We were also given a surprisingly generic poster for the final season. The poster was simply a white background with the Lost logo on it, and the words “the final season.” I would have liked more.
The presentation itself began with a couple of creative videos, one showcasing Lost University, and the other a commercial for a “documentary” from the 80’s called “Mysteries of the Universe: The Dharma Initiative.” Honestly, they were both entertaining but nothing special. I think they were both part of the same upcoming viral campaign mentioned above, and seemed pretty generic.
After this came the two creative geniuses behind the show, Damian Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. They talked for awhile about the endgame of the show, and how they wanted to prove once and for all that they do have a plan. Producing the script pages for the final scene of the final episode, they proceeded to lock these pages in a box, each wearing one of two keys required to unlock it. They told us that they would be going on Jimmy Kimmel Live the night of the finale and would unlock the box and read these pages at that time, confirming that they have an end-game. It turns out this was all just a skit, with the punchline appearing at the end of the panel. I’ll discuss the punchline later on.
Once the pages were secured away, Lindelof and Cuse decided to take this time to show various footage of fan-made videos. Some contained footage of Lost parties and some were spoof films. Most were pretty funny. After this, they showed some footage “from their sponsors.” This segment of the panel proved amongst the most compelling in terms of the future of the show. The first commercial was for Oceanic Airlines. It was an ad showcasing Oceanic’s flawless record. 30 years without incident. But that would mean that Oceanic 815 never crashed. Interesting. Next up came a commercial that Hurley made for his new restaurant. He stated that after winning the lottery, he’s had nothing but good luck. Well, we all know that that isn’t true. Finally, an America’s Most Wanted segment showing us that Kate escaped from the air marshall from the first episode and is currently on the run. So, it looks like we have confirmation that something definitely happened when Juliet exploded that bomb. I have no idea what’s going on, and I love it.
When this was over, they began the Question and Answer session of the panel. As expected, the line was huge and many of the people were in costume. After the first couple of questions, Jorge Garcia, aka Hurley, showed up to ask a question. He was absolutely hilarious, complaining about minute details unanswered and even talking about how the cliffhanger could be seen as a copout way of cheating with the history of the show. Lindelof and Cuse told him to “trust them,” to which he responded that they also told him to trust them when they said that Nikki and Paulo were going to be awesome. This got a HUGE laugh from the audience.
Finally, Jorge was interrupted by none other than Michael Emerson, aka Benjamin Linus. This segment of the panel was absolutely fantastic. Essentially, Garcia and Emerson did a scene together with Emerson chastising Garcia for asking more than one question. He then proceeded to ridicule his character, his acting and his attitude on set. He was in full-on Ben mode, and it was great. Hurley explained that Emerson was just upset because he wanted the role of Hurley. They then showed a lost “audition tape” of Emerson essentially doing a Hurley impersonation. Everyone in the audience loved this. It was obvious that this was a really fun group, and that they genuinely enjoy working with each other.
The lights came back up and Emerson and Garcia were up on the stage with Lindelof and Cuse. There was some more Q&A after this. It was fun, but nothing very substantial was given. They did say that every year has a theme (the flashforwards, time travel, Dharma, etc.) and that this year would continue that trend. However, they said that they were not ready to divulge this theme. However, they did say that the Dharma Initiative would have a much smaller part this year. They also divulged that we would get a very important back-story to Richard Alpert, as well as reveal the details behind the food-drop.
At one point in the Q&A, somebody asked a question about Alpert, so they decided to bring him out on stage a little earlier than they were planning. They introduced him by showing a video, supposedly back-stage, of him applying eye-liner. He was looking in the mirror telling himself that his character wasn’t immortal, but he was. It was kind of funny. Anyway, he came running out to huge cheers.
A couple more questions were asked and then it was time for the punchline with the locked-up script pages. They showed a montage of Sawyer, and when this finished, he came running out on stage with a tazer. He “tazed” Lindelof and stole the key from around his neck. He then took the key from Cuse, and opened the box. Pretending he couldn’t read the pages because he “left his glasses on the island,” Emerson took them and proceed to do a very theatrical reading of what turned out to be a supposed final scene from Heroes. Featuring dialogue such as “don’t you see Sylar, YOU’RE the last Petrelli,” it was a great moment.
After this came the “In Memoriam” segment of the panel where they went through everybody that died, and showed their death scenes. Interestingly, Juliet was NOT part of this montage. The final character in this clip package was Charlie, and it was the longest segment of the whole thing. When this ended, Dominic Monaghan came running out on stage with the words “Am I dead?” written on his hand.
As stated above, this panel was a lot of fun. They obviously put a lot of work into the presentation because they knew they wouldn’t be able to give us the answers we so desperately wanted. I forgot to mention earlier that they also showed a really cheesy 80’s-style opening credit sequence that was fantastic. For being such a dramatic show, this was a really silly, light and entertaining experience. Unfortunately, as we are going into the final season, this will be the last Lost panel ever at Comic-Con, so I’m glad I was able to be there, bringing my experience with Lost at the Con full-circle.
The morning began with a promising preview of ABC’s hopeful answer to HBO’s True Blood; Eastwick, a televised spin-off of John Updike’s supernatural novel. Now, having known very little about the source material, I really couldn’t help being skeptical. However once the “sneak peak” pilot finished airing, I found myself genuinely entertained by this ensemble’s onscreen chemistry from the devlishly handsome Paul Gross to the surprisingly sensational Rebecca Romijn. This entertaining, high-energy series from executive producer Maggie Friedman may truly define the “grounded-magic” concept, as far as one can tell. The show premiers on ABC Wednesday’s starting this September!
The impressive Eastwick premiere was followed by a fully-loaded Marvel Comics panel, updating the comic-book masses on all the latest chaos from the Marvel Univerise thanks to it’s latest cross-book story-arch Dark Reign. This being my first official comic-book panel experience, I did find myself a little surprised at the snarky responses the Marvel artists seemed to enjoy. Marvel’s editor-in-chief Joe Quesada often partcipated in this dodging of questions and withholding specific and tangible facts. Quick and truthful responses were often substituted with unsatisfying attempts at sarcasm. Though a surprise last-minute addition of a young Comic Book-Con attendee dressed as the Marvel hero “Vision” did add some much needed grounding to the presentation.
Marvel’s masterful side-stepping session was quickly followed by the highly-anticipated DC Universe editorial panel. (A presentation which proved the most exciting for this diehard Justice-League wannabe!) DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio and the top-notch DC panel (including Geoff Johns) truly outdid their Marvel counterparts by providing fan-aimed teasers, well-worded hints, and even honest-to-goodness; breaking news regarding the status of some of the world’s most beloved heroes (The Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman) The presentation concluded with a solid, informative, and rather entertaining Q & A, where despite possibly unfavorable responses, DC’s panel approached each question in a simple and honest fashion.
After sitting through several panels, it was apparent that it was time to get out of the conference halls and get myself moving. So despite being warned in advance I decided to travel the exhibition floor solo. (Warning! Too many items to scower through with too little financial preparation may lead to a rather painful trek of the floor) Nevertheless, finding myself met eye to eye with overzealous fanborgs, and oddly costumed patrons (even passing Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime himself, at a cotton candy machine) I attempted to survey the booths as best I could. Walking the floor with an open bag at my side made me as sought after as Willy Wonka’s fabled golden ticket, as I was often confronted by vendors who began tossing odd pins, buttons, and other random promotional items into my ape-like hands. Surviving the pandemomium of merchandise mayhem made the best part of the exhibition being a chance to see some of my favorite artists in their natural environment. In fact, I was even able to spot some of my personal favorite cartoonists such as Stephen Pastis ( of the well-worded/quick witted Pearls Before Swine) Zachary Weiner (of the zany and borderline blue Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal) and even a chance to gawk and drool at Spiderman creator Stan-Lee.
My long but exciting day concluded with a sensational walk through the looking glass into an exclusive Sneak-Peak exhibition of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. This hidden musuem-esque maze held notes from Burton’s own directoiral files, while creatively displaying official props and gorgeous costume pieces, by using walk-through replicas of the movies sets. This delightful experience, served as a reminder, that there is truly no telling just what remains to be found down the rabbit-hole this next March.
Needless to say; In regards to a day spent at Comic-Con, the third time truly was the charm, in which the SoCalthrills staff was treated to a truly fine day of prime-panelling, stellar-shopping, and entrancing-events galore!
While Universal Pictures’ new feature comedy from Judd Apatow is yet to be released (July 31), the soundtrack to this film starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann comes out July 28. When watching and critiquing films, the biggest thing you look for is making sure that the story is the main focus. Nothing should distract from the story, whether that be the spectacular effects (or lack thereof), the famous cameo appearance, or the soundtrack. All of these elements are secondary to the story and should be used to further the plot, not overshadow it. Even without previewing the film prior to writing this review, I feel that Judd Apatow and company have successfully picked a soundtrack that pairs excellently to their latest project.
The story follows an aging comedian (Sandler), who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and his search for meaning and quality in his life. By listening to the soundtrack all the way through, you really get a feel for the emotional progression of the story, all while bobbing your head and tapping your foot to the wonderful selection of tracks and artists. The album kicks off with a subdued but cheerful “Great Day” from Paul McCartney, who is joined on this CD by fellow Beatles members Ringo Starr and John Lennon, who closes the disc with an acoustic rendering of “Watching the Wheels,” which was released as a post humus single in 1981.
Even with the somewhat morose premise, the enduringly laidback but cheerful vibe that plays throughout the soundtrack gives me assurance that Judd Apatow and company will be keeping up morale and not stray too far from their comedic giftings. With such big hitters as James Taylor, whose on-camera performance of “Carolina On My Mind” helps start the record, the soundtrack aspires to be great. However, its restrained nature and mostly acoustic-driven melodies requires something from the listener. It requires you to actually listen. I feel this is a testament to the creators and their understanding of what is necessary of any musical underscoring for a film, and that is to tell the story. The first two listenings of this record found me doing other things while letting the smooth tunes croon in the background, making it a soundtrack for my activities. The record filled this position quite well, and I found myself humming along at times. However, a third listen found me actually sit down and digest each song, an activity through which I found some great instances and songs that will be receiving even more playing time in the future.
While this record doesn’t scream mainstream popularity, nor does it force you to listen, it instead beckons you to come and sit and enjoy the relaxed mix of songs that, when listened to intently, pack a punch. The soundtrack for “Funny People” is available on July 28th from Concord Records, and is definitely worth a listen or three.
The first panel of the day featured a wide selection of upcoming Warner Bros. films. It was a really exciting event, showcasing a lot of great looking projects. Warner Bros. began by featuring their live-action version of Where the Wild Things Are, being released later this year. Wild Things star Max Records came out to introduce a series of clips. He came across very nervous but charming, and the audience seemed to love him. There was a lot of footage really showcasing the creature effects as well as the world in which they reside. Overall, director Spike Jonze seems to have done a great job capturing the tone of the story, yet enhancing it in his own way. Based on the audience’s enthusiastic response, Warner Bros. seems to have a hit on their hands.
Next up was Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic actioner featuring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis. All three made an appearance, as did directors Alan and Albert Hughes. They showed the atmospheric teaser, and then proceeded with an audience Question and Answer session. I hadn’t heard of the film before this, and it definitely looks interesting. The presentation didn’t leave a huge impression, but it created awareness, and is definitely something I’ll be paying attention to as it gets closer to release. Also of note is the revelation from Gary Oldman that the next Batman film WILL begin filming next year, for a release in two years.
Immediately following this presentation came the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. I am a huge Nightmare on Elm Street fan, and found myself simultaneously nervous yet excited to see what they had done to my beloved franchise. I am extremely pleased to report that the teaser looked great. Unlike most of the horror remakes, reimaginings, etc. this seemed full of atmosphere and suspence. And yes, it featured the famous Freddy jumprope chant. They didn’t showcase the new makeup on Freddy, but the iconic hat and sweater were the same. So far, this one is looking promising.
One of the big surprises of their presentation was for The Box, the new film from Richard Kelly starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. All three showed up for the panel. I had heard of the movie, but didn’t really know much about it. They showed us four and a half minutes of the film, and it looks great. Based on a short story by Richard Matheson from 1970, it felt like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Set in 1976, it’s the story of what happens when a couple is presented with a choice. If they push a button on a box, they will receive a million dollars but a stranger will die. Of course, the button is pushed, and the rest of the movie shows what happens next. I don’t know the context of everything shown, but it looks really intriguing. During the Q&A session, Kelly informed us that the film contains no profanity and is desiged as thought-provoking, challenging fare. I can’t wait.
After this came Jonah Hex, based on the (apparently) very popular comic book. I personally had never heard of the character, but the audience seemed extremely enthusiastic. Of course, this may have also been due to the presence of Meagan Fox. Either way, they showed the preview and then brought out the director and stars Josh Brolin and Fox. Overall, I wasn’t too impressed. The film was described as an “anti-hero spaghetti western” with lots of action and some supernatural elements. It looked fun, but nothing more. It was loud, there were lots of explosions, and from what I could tell, not much plot. The film doesn’t ome out until next year, so maybe it will prove more compellng later on, but right now, I’m not sold. The following Q&A proved almost as annoying as yesterday’s Twilight panel, with guys going to the microphone simply to drool over Fox. Hearing how amazingly hot she is over and over again got really annoying, really fast.
And Warner Bros. saved the best for last. As soon as Jonah Hex finished, with no introduction whatsoever, Robert Downey Jr. came on stage and began talking up his new film, Sherlock Holmes. I don’t think I’ve seen anybody play to an audience at Comic-Con as well as he did this morning. He reeked of confidence, even joking about how extreme it is. He had the audience eating out of his hands. He played some footage, which all looked great, and then brought out his wife and Joel Silver, who served as producers on the film, and Rachel McAdams. There was an informative Q&A session that went pretty in depth into the making of this film. They talked a lot about the source material and the actual production itself. This movie looks like a lot fun, and I think it will make a fortune
And that was the Warner Bros. panel. It was a lot of fun, and there was a ton of great new footage. They sold themselves well, and it looks like they have a series of films that will play well outside of the Comic-Con crowd. There was lot of promise, and hopefully, they will all live up to these presentations.
Immediately following the Warner Bros. panel came the Disney animation panel. So far, this and Avatar have been the highlights of the convention. The panel began with no introductin, simply going straight into the opening scene of Toy Story 2. In 3-D. Yes, they are re-releasing the first two movies in three dimensions and it looks great. The sequence shown was amazing. It feels as if the movie was made for 3-D all along. Everybody was completely blown away, and you could feel the excitement in the room as the scene progressed. As soon as the footage ended, John Lasseter came out to thunderous applause. He told us that for two weeks, beginning October 2, the first two Toy Story movies will be shown in this new format as a double feature.
He then proceeded to show a specially made preview for the 3-D release. The preview feature Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Rex all discovering 3-D. On top of being hilarious, it really demonstrated the power of this new technology.
Next up came the director of Toy Story 3, Lee Unkrich. Over three years in the making, this time will focus on “the day Andy grew up.” It begins with him heading off to college and that’s all the plot they would give. He did say that this film would be the most emotional of the three. He then told us that Barbie’s role would be much bigger this time around, and as such, Ken would become the newest featured character. Ken will be voiced by Michael Keaton, and based on the short film shown featuring Ken, he will fit right in. The film was called “Groovin’ With Ken” and was supposedly a discovered interview with him back in the 60’s. It was a hilarious introduction to the character, and the audience loved it.
After this came the Beauty and the Beast presentation. Being released on Valentine’s Day, they have converted the film into probably the best 3-D I have ever seen. Honestly, I thought the 3-D was more stunning than the new Toy Story footage. Considering Beauty and the Beast was hand-drawn, I found this truly impressive. This 3-D went beyond simply creating depth, it was truly immersive. They showed the opening musical number in the town, and it felt like I was completely enveloped in the image. I have never seen anything like it.
They transitioned from the Beauty and the Beast footage directly into something called Prep and Landing. As Lasseter explained, Pixar has a tradition of creating short films to go with their feature films. They do this both to encourage new talent as well as push the technology. Chris Williams, the writer and director of Bolt, pitched a concept in which Santa’s elves go into each home to prepare for Santa’s arrival. Lasseter decided that instead of making a Pixar short out of this, they would make it into a half-hour Christmas special through the Disney label. They showed the opening sequence, and it was highly entertaining. It wasn’t Pixar good, but it was really solid nonetheless. Prep and Landing will air on ABC this holiday season.
After this, Lasseter started discussing his desire to bring back traditional hand-drawn animation at Disney. At the beginning of the panel, he had explained that as soon as Pixar and Disney formed their partnership, the very first thing he did was reinstate hand-drawn animation. And we are just now seeing the first results of this action. The Princess and the Frog is the first film in this format to come from the Lasseter era at Disney. After bringing out John Musker and Ron Clements, who also directed the Little Mermaid, they showed approximately eight minutes of the film. There are seven original songs by Randy Newman and the first clip featured one these numbers. It was extremely catchy and a great treat to see the return of this style work from Disney. This particular sequence featured the villain, a Tarot-Card reading voodoo practitioner. The other sequence involved the introduction of a firefly named Ray. It wasn’t quite as exciting, but still a lot of fun. I really hope this movie does well and proves that there is a desire for this type of work.
The last presentation at this panel was for Hayao Miyazaki. A legend in the animation world, Miyazaki is response for such beloved films as My Neighbor Totoro, Spired Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. Next up for this animation giant is Ponyo, coming out on August 14 in 800 theatres (his widest release yet). He got the longest standing ovation I have ever seen in my many years attending Comic-Con. They showed us a pretty long sequence from the film, and it was gorgeus. All hand-drawn, the sequence featured a lot of water and it looked great. After this Lasseter and Miyazaki were presented with the Inkpot Award, a Comic-Con trophy given out for achievement in animation.
Disney put on one of the best shows I’ve seen at the Convention. The future is looking very bright for the future of animation, and I am extremely excited to welcome its return.
Comic-Con International 2009 is in full force!This year the annual convention celebrates its 40th anniversary.No one who has visited Comic-Con over a decade ago could have ever imagined it to grow to be so large.In fact, Comic-Con has become one of the largest trade shows in the world.Originally featuring mostly comics, Comic-Con now covers everything from movies to fantasy drawings to little figurines.I was of course here for the movies though.
I am interested in many other aspects of the convention, but it’s impossible to cover everything.You will need quite a few people covering the many panels and events throughout each day.Wednesday is now preview night and just as congested as the rest.Therefore, below are some of the highlights from Thursday.
Hall H: – Quite a crazy scene Thursday morning as all the crazy fans waited to see their favorite moviemakers and actors in Hall H.This hall has a capacity of around 6,500 patrons and it can remain full all day.We were unfortunately stuck with a Twilight panel later in the day.This caused many tweens to be in line all day and taking up many spots during the earlier panels as they waited to get the best seats for Twilight.Luckily, the Twilight fans seem to be mostly hidden.It appears most Twilighter’s know that they are hated by most Comic-Con fans and the others are strictly there just for the one panel.Not much are a bother since many are with their parents and keep to themselves as the other dressed-up fans take their presence at the convention.
A Christmas Carol – I’ve already seen most of the footage of this Robert Zemeckis tale of the Christmas classic, but I would like to add that they decided to include roughly 5 more minutes to the scene screened last month.The movie is still looking fantastic and utterly creepy!I’m still not too sure how well this will sit with children though. The audience seemed to really enjoy it, but I didn’t hear much of the buzz afterward.
One major note was Roger Zemeckis’s non-answer to an audience members question concerning the possibility of a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel.He claimed he could neither confirm nor deny whether or not there was a sequel in works.In regards to a follow up question about a possibility of 3D CGI use in the sequel, Zemeckis states that they will stick to 2D animation IF this film ever gets off the storyboard.
Alice in Wonderland – Talk about an energetic applause!The crowd erupted in applause when Alice in Wonderland was mentioned.Of course without any less of applause, Tim Burton was called to the stage.I guarantee you that every member of the audience was excited to be in the room at that time.There was no new footage shown besides a trailer release.This was however a different trailer then the official trailer released online.Most of the footage is the same besides a couple different shots.It’s cut a little differently and does not feature a narration by the Mad Hatter.Nonetheless, everyone seemed thrilled.
Patton Oswalt, the panel’s moderator, loved it so much he showed three times and seemed generally excited.Might I add Tim Burton had a little surprise for us.Take a wild guess?Well it surprised me.Johhny Depp appeared on stage to a standing cheer of constant camera flashes with me included.He only came out to say hi, which was enough for me.He wasn’t listed on the program, but some people were quite upset he didn’t sit in on the Q & A session.
Some previously released concept art was displayed and character design was shortly discussed before moving on to…
TRON LEGACY – Yes, that is the new official name of the sequel.I am very happy that this isn’t a reboot but rather a sequel taking place many years in the future.Due to the fact that I always thought the original was ridiculous even though being a classic, I didn’t have my hopes up on this.Somehow director Joseph Kosinski has appeared to steer this franchise in the right direction.I’m sure others behind the project including Sean Bailey and original writer and director Steve Bailey have helped out as well.
Jeff Bridges returns to his role as Kevin Flynn, but I was more concerned about the new art direction.Great new concept art was shown including a new two-seater cycle that I believe was said can be used on and off the grid.Also shown is a new take on the “light-cycle” as well as a 2.0 version that is supposed to be from the 80’s.The test footage from last year was re-shown but now in 3D and another scene where the old arcade is found. There wasn’t too much shown, but I hope that Tron Legacy appeals to more than just the past Tron fans.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meat Balls – This movie has a very clever plot as Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures takes us on a goofy 3D adventure when a small town starts to rain food.Odd… yes, fun… absolutely!However, this corky film does not have much interest to me.Although this should be a great film for families with younger children, I don’t expect this to do great in the box office.The animation is basic and reminds me of new CG animated children television shows.Hopefully this take on the classic children’s book will compensate for the lack of quality.
The Hole – Joe Dante (Gremlins 1 & 2) is back with his new innocent horror film that he claims is not going to give children nightmares.What is he talking about?This film is about a hole found in a basement that is unlocked allowing crazy dolls to climb up and terrorize the children.Sweet dreams kids!
The Hole is your classic, cheesy, scary movie that would have worked perfectly in 1990.From the clips shown, there are no new tricks or story here.The kids appear to have to just stop the evil characters coming after them while trying to stay away from random set-up shots in order to make you jump out of your seat.For example, the kid quietly steps backward toward the camera as a hand reaches out to the kids’ shoulder strangely enough causing a really loud strike of noise.So original, but in Joe Dante’s defense, he does claim this is his take back to 80’s horror genre.Nothing to see here kids.Keep the line moving.
The Final Destination – Was there anything I need to say about this 4th film of the franchise?It claims to be THE Final Destination, but producer Craig Perry practically states that this is not necessarily the last of the franchise.Say it ain’t so!Perry started off by saying that he found a new way to tell the story by including 3D.What he really is saying is that New Line Cinema figured that they could make the same movie with different outrageous ways to kill people as long as they just add the 3D tag to it.The newly improved 3D technology is good, except it is never good just as a gimmick.If I’m not mistaken, 3D is supposed to enhance the story.
3D is not an excuse to redo a film.The Final Destination series needs to end.The clipped showed plenty of 3D gore, but failed to show any type of new plot.I guess if you want to see stakes going through people’s heads or body’s being sliced by chain-linked fences, then you have found the right movie.
Astro Boy – At this point, me and half of the audience is forced to sit through Summit Entertainment panel to get to James Cameron Avatar.Okay, it wasn’t Summit the audience was concerned about, but rather Twilight coming up.That’s for later.
Astro Boy is a classic superhero CG animated story set in a futuristic world.Our hero is a robotic kid with special powers that takes on many adventures but essentially is set to find his own destiny.The new trailer revealed is cute, but hasn’t sold me.The producers wanted to make a movie that would appeal to children and adults as well.Astro Boy stars Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Cage, Nathan Lane, Donald Sutherland, and Kristen Bell along with exclusively announced at Comic-Con; Samuel L. Jackson and Charlize Theron.
Sorority Row – It’s an Audrina Patridge movie.You can probably judge whether or not you want to watch Sorority Row just from that.This film has been in the works for a long time and already been test screened with little to no praise.Sorority Row is about 5 sorority girls playing a prank on a guy by pretending he killed one of their sisters while having sex with her.As the girl pretends to be dead, the prankee ends up killing her for real by accident.It’s pretty ludicrous.
Everyone involved tries to cover up what happened only to be stalked by a serial killer that knows what they did.Judging by the footage shown, this will be great for those teenagers who haven’t seen any I Know What You Did Last Summer films. It looks like a fine horror film, but again, nothing new.Besides, it’s Audrina Patridge from “The Hills” who got little to no cheers.I guess there aren’t too many “The Hills” fans at Comic-Con.Sadly enough, Carrie Fischer is in this movie. Strange choice for her, but would have made this panel much more interesting if she would have stopped by.
Sorority Row comes out September 11, 2009.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon – After becoming deaf from the loud screeches from teenage girls sitting around me, two clips from the movie were shown.Since I have no desire to see Robert Pattison and Taylor Lautna with their shirts off, I am going to have to say New Moon looks just as bad as the first film.I have no doubt that all the hardcore fans will enjoy this second film.
The first clip features Bella, Kristen Stewart, being taught how to ride a motorcycle from Jacob.Bella ends up falling of the bike because she keeps seeing Edward, Taylor Lautna, and is distracted.Jacob quickly comes to the rescue by taking off his shirt and using it to wipe off the blood on her face.It is blatantly obvious that these characters are just taking off their shirts to make their audience happy. Everyone was laughing around me during these segments except for the few teenage girls behind me screaming and about to melt because their favorite actors were on stage.
The second scene features Bella running in an Egyptian looking town to get to Edward.Excuse me for not really knowing as I have not seen the first film nor have I read the books.Apparently Bella is stopping Edward from going into the sun, at least that’s what it seemed to me.The clip cuts as Edward was just about to step outside, of course not before he took off his robe to reveal his man cleavage.I guess it was nice to see Kristen Stewart running in slow-motion.
Speaking of Kristen, she definitely is the most eccentric out of the cast.During the entire panel she would have her head down, running her hand through her hair, and staring off to space as if she was on something.Everyone in the audience seemed to be making a big deal about this, but I’ve seen interviews of her before and this is how she acts.No big deal.All the main actors on the panel did seem to be a little out of it though; yet again the questions asked weren’t exactly compelling questions.
Avatar –
James Cameron’s return to feature film is looking good… looking real good!James Cameron seems generally thrilled about this film and really built it up for everyone in attendance.Cameron stated that this is a film that explores the curiosity he had during childhood.It is for the 14-year-old boy with a great imagination in his head interested in elaborate new worlds and space exploration.
This film is absolutely beautiful.In fact, it’s mesmerizing!About 25 minutes of the film was shown featuring several different clips.The bulk of the clips took place on a planet called Pandora with many different types of creatures in a completely new type of environment.The world created by Cameron is even more amazing.There is endless amounts of detail everywhere and being it is in 3D, makes it as if you apart of this world.The few scenes shown were so captivating that I really started to feel I was living in this world.
Avatar was conceptualized 14 years ago, but due to limited money and special effects technology, Cameron had to shelve this treatment.It was 4 years ago when he pulled this treatment out and realized how relevant it is to today.Avatar is about our world and society as human beings and how we are practically destroying our own planet.The film is about war and conservation of our environments yet told in a way much like Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E.
The acting by stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Zoe Saldana is fabulous. Avatar features motion-capture technology allowing the actors to be in a stunning world that can be manipulated easily.The creatures the humans transform into are of the native people of Pandora called the Na’vi.These are 10-foot-tall blue creatures with tales and slightly different facial features.The realism amazed me as I began to think I was just watching tall blue-painted actors run around the screen.
Avatar is going to be getting a lot of buzz soon.Keep an eye out for this one.If you cannot wait, James Cameron is holding “Avatar Day” Aug. 21st where he is trying to get as many IMAX and big screens as possible to play 15 minutes of the movie for free.
Avatar comes out Spring 2011.
Drawn Together Movie: The Movie – If you know “Drawn Together”, then you know how raunchy it is.Just wait for the movie!Expect more raunchiness and attacks at other famous cartoon characters.Basically the plot is about how they don’t have a plot and need to find one in order to save the show from being cancelled.This is quite funny as the show has been canceled.They are trying to get Comedy Central to pick-up the show again though.
This panel was hilarious as all the voice actors besides Adam Corolla were there and did a sex scene in their voices and commented toward many other things in their respected voices.I had no idea how talented these voice-actors were.Their credits include “Rugrats”, “Animaniacs”, “Inspector Gadget” and more.The movie looks great if you’re a fan of the tv show no doubt.
1965: Twelve children are gathered together on a deserted moorland before being surrounded by a harsh, bright light… and then they are gone.
Today: All over planet Earth, children stop moving. Stop playing. Stop laughing. Stop everything. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing to the governments of the world the imminent arrival of a new alien threat. “We Are Coming, We Are Coming…” As the British Government closes ranks, it issues a death warrant against Captain Jack and Torchwood. Now forced to flee for their lives, it becomes clear to the Torchwood team that this isn’t the aliens’ first visit to Earth, and a terrible price is going to be paid for sins of the past…
This July, BBC proudly brings to DVD and Blu-ray the much-anticipated new installment of Torchwood – BBC AMERICA’s highest rated television series – with the release of Torchwood: Children of Earth. Premiering July 20 – 24 on BBC AMERICA – this epic five part television event rejoins Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, Doctor Who) and his alien fighting team – Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles, Little Dorrit,
Merlin) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd, Doctor Who) – who are still coping with the death of two of their closest friends. Now they are faced with their fiercest threat to date – one that sends the future of Torchwood and the human race spiraling into danger. Special guests include Peter Capaldi (In The Loop, Skins, The Thick of It), who plays the role of Mr. Frobisher – a civil servant who is hiding a terrible secret; Paul Coply (Coronation Street, The Bill) as Clem – the survivor still haunted by his past; and Liz May Brice (Bad Girls, Hustle, The Bill) as Johnson – the cynical covert government agent determined to expose Torchwood. Boasting the entire 5-part series, the 2-disc set also contains the Torchwood Declassified – a look behind the scenes featuring cast and crew.
This is an alien invasion story, but not one like we’ve seen before. Without spoiling the surprise, the sins of the past come back to haunt a number of people. What blew me away was how shocking, yet realistic, the behavior of the individuals in positions of power seem to be. These are men and women in the highest echelons of government and the military who are making impossibly difficult moral choices.
At the beginning of Children of Earth, children around the world suddenly stop where they are and begin screaming. A few moments later, they go back to normal like nothing had happened, with no memory of the event. This action repeats itself several times until all the children chant “We are coming.”
That’s why this series is so groundbreaking. This isn’t one of those “comfortable” alien invasions that we’ve seen time and time again. It’s so far from Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The 4400 that it is an almost entirely different genre.
Included in this two disc collection is the special “Children of Earth Declassified,” which aired on BBC America alongside the mini-season. It goes into the production utilizing interviews with producers, writers, cast, and crew.
Watch the trailer:
If you love good science fiction, you can’t get much better than Torchwood and Torchwood: Children of Earth continues their amazing run with a great story and some shocking revelations about the past.
Somewhere in there has to be a decent little girl, right? John, Esther’s father seems to see it, but we know better, the poster told us so. Orphan has all the pieces for a creepy kid horror movie, but they never seem to come together. The movie relies far to heavily on the BOO! scare. It seems every other minute, the film tries throw something at you to make you jump whether it makes sense or not. The film quickly becomes a game of peek-a-boo. Is there someone behind that curtain or isn’t there? Well, you’re going to find out and when you do, the camera is going to jerk really fast and there is going to be a really loud noise, so no matter what you’re going to jump. Apparently, this is the only thing that constitutes a scare. The sad part is how much this takes away from what would have potentially made this film scary, a creepy sadistic little girl.
Orphan is the story of a family who adopts an eight year-old, who is then able to manipulate them all against each other. This storyline is almost identical to the 2007 film Joshua, which also stars Vera Farmiga as the mother, only this time she’s the one being alienated by the child. Farmiga plays Kate who is the only one able to see that Esther is up to something, but is met with much skepticism from her husband. With no support Kate is unable to protect her family. Esther’s ability to manipulate and inflict pain on Kate is very haunting, but the scares get too gimmicky and they loose their potential.
Somewhere in this movie is an effective horror flick, but like its title character there’s something definitely wrong with Orphan.
Called “a cyberspace thriller for the male action crowd” (The Hollywood Reporter), the edge-of-your-seat suspense ride ECHELON CONSPIRACY makes a breathtaking debut on DVD and Blu-ray July 21, 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Featuring an all-star cast including Shane West (A Walk to Remember), Edward Burns (Saving Private Ryan), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction) and Martin Sheen (The Departed), the high-tech action-thriller weaves an engrossing story of greed, intrigue and the price of national security. Mysterious cell phone messages promise a young American engineer untold wealth — then make him the target of a deadly international plot. Dangerous security operatives chase the engineer across the globe, while a powerful government official pursues a mysterious agenda that threatens the stability of the entire world.
Computer whiz kid Max Peterson (Shane West) receives a mysterious package prior to his departure from Bangkok and after another successful networking job. Inside the box is a mobile device that asks him to stay another day and cancel his flight. Believing it to be a hotel gimmick, he goes along with it, but later learns that the flight he would have been on crashed, killing all aboard. The device next asks him to buy a particular stock which, hours later, shoots up over 300% in value. After missing out on that tidbit, Max begins to take the fortunate-telling device more seriously, heading to Prague and subsequently winning millions by following its exact instructions in a casino. When casino security chief John Reed (Ed Burns) becomes suspicious of Max, he attempts to seize the young man for questioning but is beaten to the punch by FBI agent Dave Grant (Ving Rhames). Max soon finds himself in the middle of a technological conspiracy, at the center of it an advanced computer system known as “Echelon” that has becoming self-aware, constantly monitoring and influencing Max to do whatever it needs of him to complete its diabolical plan.
Echelon Conspiracy on Blu-ray begins unimaginatively by taking on that cold, steely blue appearance but later delivering a wider variety of colors and lighting schemes. Several outdoor shots throughout — whether in Bangkok, Prague, or Moscow — often deliver solid depth, fine detail, and a fabulous array of colors. Other shots take on a slightly more bland appearance. The inside of the Prague casino never looks all that convincing, and while awash in color, it takes on a decidedly warm appearance that highlights red and oranges considerably. Even a red dress sticks out like a sore thumb and looks so fake as to appear almost animated, like something out of The Spirit. On close examination, details sometimes don’t impress all that much; close-up shots of various objects, for instance the cardboard box in which Max discovers the mobile device, appear hazy, undefined, and soft. However, general objects that tend to look good in the better Blu-ray transfers, sidewalks, building façades, and clothing, do impress here. Flesh tones often veer towards a shade of red or orange. Blacks, too, are all over the map, ranging from solid to bright to drowning out detail. Echelon Conspiracy does feature a healthy dosage of film grain than generally gives a film-like look, but several other negatives throughout some of which are victims of poor production design.
Without an original bone in its celluloid body, Echelon Conspiracy can only hope to impress with creativity behind the camera and decent performances in front of it, but the film wallows in mediocre-to-poor production values, standard direction, a forgettable score, an unoriginal script that features dimwitted characters, and a sluggish pace. The movie strikes out at every turn; not one character is memorable nor does even one scene stand out, the result a movie that most are likely to forget an hour after the credits roll. Even the Blu-ray presentation fails to make much of an impression. The technical presentations muster up decent enough picture and sound, though at the expense of supplements. No extras, Echelon Conspiracy makes even for a questionable rental.
Dig into a delicious second helping of Pushing Daisies, the multiple Emmy® Award-winning series that USA Today’s Robert Bianco calls, “a wholly original, rich-hued delight.” In this season, Papen County’s Pie-Maker with a witching finger for waking the dead and his alive-again love Chuck have more on the menu than a Terrifying Bee-Man and a Deep Fried Chicken Magnate. The secrets are served deep-dish when family skeletons — both literal and figurative — loom over the Pie Hole and its patrons. As jockey cum waitress Olive Snook joins a nunnery to mend her broken heart, the Pie-Maker who broke it hides Chuck from her Aunt Vivian and mother Lily, who believe she’s dead. Naturally, this results in resurrecting Chuck’s father, who actually was dead. Private Investigator Emerson Cod has daddy issues of his own when his baby-stealing baby-mama finds herself at the center of a damned dam murder case. This wondrous, witty and moving confection is as irresistible as the Pie-Maker’s three-plum pie.
Of all the shows affected by the 2007 Writer’s Strike, none were struck harder than Pushing Daisies. When it premiered that fall, it was not only a winner with critics but a ratings success as well and seemed ready to build on that momentum to really break out. But then the strike shut everything down just as things were clicking. Even worse, however, was ABC making the baffling decision that when the strike ended, rather than try to rush a few more eps out, their three biggest freshmen shows (Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money) would all be held back until the fall 2008 season. Needless to say, being off the air for ten months led to a downturn in interest and while the show still had critical hails and a core group of fans (including myself), it just wasn’t enough to gain big ratings. After being removed from the air in November, the show ended up burning off its last three episodes a month ago.
Even more than the first season, the show shines brightly in a way words can never adequately describe with wild angles and even stop motion animation to add to the wild stories. With some great guest stars (such as Fred Williamson and Fred Willard), wild plots, unbelievable sets and some of the absolute best dialogue you’ve ever heard topped off by a wonderful cast, you feel absolute anger at the network for canceling such a gem. It’s frustrating since there are still subplots up in the air (such as the full secret of Ned and Chuck’s fathers) that promised so much more amazing adventures. But now, fans can enjoy this classic for what it is: One of the most perfect tasty treats television has provided in years.
The cast helps it along immensely. Again, Pace and Friel forge one of the best romances television has ever seen, their chemistry absolutely perfect. The smiles they have are so infectious, you can’t help but get sucked in and the tragic touch that they’re unable to fully consummate it gives the relationship a unique touch that makes their talks all the more meaningful. They’re helped further by great subplots over the season. Pace discovers that his absent father had a family with twin brother magicians who still worship the man and Ned wrestles with whether to tell them the truth. Friel handles Chuck discovering the truth about her mother in a wonderfully emotional way while the plot involving her father is the dramatic high point of the season. Through it all, they handle their own unique love and make it shine all the way.
Warner Bros’ latest superhero epic packs and even bigger punch on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Last year, when I heard a new superhero movie was coming out, I shook my head at how much Hollywood latches on to trends with their movies.Just look at the last few years, when one hyped movie is about to come out, 3 others with the exact same premise get released as well.1997 had “Dante’s Peak” and “Volcano,” 1998 had both “A Bug’s Life” and “Antz” and “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon.”The trend continues.When someone lands on a good idea, four other people jump on the money train.
This is not the case with Warner Bros’ latest release to DVD and Blu-Ray, “Watchmen.”This is not some last-minute jump on the bandwagon to success and riches, but a 23-year journey from print to the silver screen.Previous to the film, I had never heard of or read the graphic novel, and wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was in for quite a ride.Directed by “300” director, Zack Snyder, “Watchmen” follows an alternate reality where masked vigilantes exist and have had their effect on America’s history since their emergence in the 1930s.Now, these are not the superheroes that the general public is use to seeing in movies.Watchmen, while part of the DC Comics’ universe, does not have any mention of the more widely recognized Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.This is not a world of superheroes as we know it, but more of a world of masked crusaders with exaggerated abilities.
The movie, based on the 1985 graphic novel of the same name, follows our heroes following their forced retirement as the U.S. moved into the cold war with Russia, and how they manage to overcome the stigma placed on their vocations by society to come around save the day, though not in the usual frosted Hollywood happiness.Applauded and panned by critics alike for its much darker portrayal of the superhero genre, “Watchmen” draws you into this world with exceptional ease, catching you up to date with the storyline that very few are familiar with prior to watching and pushing you down further into the action, emotion, twists and turns while dazzling the viewer with cinematic beauty.
Much like his previous film, “300,” Snyder based many of his shots directly from the graphic novel, giving it a very authentic look that matches so well with the plot that follows the original so closely.Though the film had to take some liberties and adjust some plot points, a reason why the project was released in 2009 instead of the original goal of 1986, the end product is hailed by most as the perfect screen adaptation of the revered graphic novel.
When I first watched it in theatres, I was blown away and had to take a couple days just to process what I had seen.I didn’t know if I even wanted to see it again.However, skeptics and fans alike can rejoice at the release of the director’s cut of the DVD, which, among many other bonus features, has 24 minutes of bonus footage that wasn’t in the theatrical cut.These scenes, like the glorious battle sequence leading up to Hollis Mason’s death and the proceeding scene where the new Night Owl discovers this turn of events, are all parts from the graphic novel that have been seamlessly reintegrated into the film so that the viewer is just greeted by a fuller viewing experience.
The director’s cut of “Watchmen” will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 21st, 2009.
This summer is going to be epic! Universal Studios Hollywood is unleashing Universal Mega Movie Summer, a brand-new seasonal event turning the park into...
