News Chat - by Rodney - December 3, 2009 - 10:03 America/Montreal - 4 Comments
The new Dreamworks animated supervillain film OoberMind has split hairs once more and will be tossing the Oober for a Mega.
The title OoberMind for no reason stated at all will now be called MegaMind
/Film shares:
Last night it was announced that Dreamworks Animation had signed a deal with video game company THQ. In the press release, a new name was listed for the upcoming 2010 superhero comedy Oobermind. The new title will be MegaMind, which off the bat is not only a lot easier to say, but gets the point across quicker.
I took it for granted that people understood the colloquial use of the German word Über (meaning “over and above”) It is used in English as a slang prefix suggesting something even more.
Could this by why they dropped the “Oober”? Did they think that people wouldn’t get the Über reference even though they phonetically dumbed it down (which I thought was deliciously ironic considering it referenced a supersmart villain)
It is just splitting hairs and in the end it will make no difference. But I would rather they gave a reason for changing the name instead of leaving us to speculate in the dark.
News Chat - by Rodney - September 17, 2009 - 20:15 America/Montreal - 22 Comments
I am an unappologetic Star Wars fan. And part of the fun of loving the movies is buying the toys er.. collectibles and participating in the excitement of it all.
The most bittersweet part are the games. Well not ALL the games. The MMO sucked pretty bad, as well as a grand majority of the other Star Wars licenced properties. Then there was the Jedi Knight series. What started with a new character, became expanded univese canon with chapter after after chapter of Kyle Katarn growing from Mercenary to rogue Jedi Knight.
Steam is my new best friend. We were always close, but now I have a love for them that I just can`t put to words. Mostly because I will be playing the greatest Star Wars games EVER published. Best part is that they have no medichlorians or JarJars.
Right now
Steam is offering ALL of it for $20. Not kidding. And you know what? They are not even paying me anything to pimp this. I just love the series that much.
Star Wars Dark Forces
Star Wars Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
Star Wars Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight – Mysteries of the Sith (expansion)
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
This is a hell of a deal. I have already bought mine!
News Chat - by John Campea - July 22, 2009 - 01:08 America/Montreal - 67 Comments
Yes you read that title right… and no I’m not kidding. The one video game that I’ve always thought had a chance at becoming a half decent movie is indeed finally coming to the big screen. “Warcraft” is in development and none other than Sam Raimi has signed on to direct it.
The folks over at Variety give us this:
Sam Raimi has signed on to direct “Warcraft,” the live-action film adaptation of the fantasy videogame franchise “World of Warcraft.”
Legendary Pictures and vidgame publisher Blizzard Entertainment are mounting the film, and Warner Bros. will co-finance and distribute. The team boasts an impressive pedigree: In addition to the director of “Spider-Man,” the partners have added “The Dark Knight” producer Charles Roven to the creative mix.
The plan is for Raimi to supervise development of “Warcraft” and shoot the picture after he completes work on “Spider-Man 4,” which gets under way early next year for Columbia Pictures.
The movie will be financed under the Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with WB, in a manner similar to the Todd Phillips-directed “The Hangover” plus the Roven-produced “Batman Begins” and “Dark Knight.”
I am beside myself with excitement! Raimi is a fantastic choice for a project like this one and I think will do the film great justice!
Excuse me now… I’ve gotta go level up my Undead Mage!
News Chat - by John Campea - July 20, 2009 - 08:53 America/Montreal - 11 Comments
Morgan Freeman has been one of my favorite actors out there ever since his role in “The Shawshank Redemption” (as a side note, that movie is in my top 10 films of all time list). He doesn’t always appear in the best films, but he always gives an amazing performance regardless of the material he’s working with. Last year alone he appeared in two of my favorite films of 2008, “Wanted” and “The Dark Knight”.
Reports are now coming out that Freeman is in talks to appear in the upcoming Bruce Willis film “Red“. “Red” is based on the graphic novel of the same name published by Wildstorm/DC that is described as: “C.I.A. operative, Paul Moses’s unique talent for killing took him around the world, from one hotspot to another, carrying out the deadly orders of his superiors. And when he retired, he wanted to put his bloody past behind him. But when a new administration takes over the White House, the powers that be decide that Moses knows too much, forcing him back into the game against the agency that trained him.”
It’s a project that sounds ripe for film development and Bruce Willis seems like the perfect guy to play that role. Willis and Freeman last worked on a film together back in 2006 on “Lucky Number Slevin“.
No official word yet on what role Freeman would be playing. Ironically enough Freeman’s character’s name in “The Shawshank Redemption” was also “Red”. Go figure.
News Chat, Reviews - by Rodney - June 12, 2009 - 06:23 America/Montreal - 18 Comments
Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is Solarbabies.
THE GENERAL IDEA
In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth is more like a prison. A group of kids have formed a “skateball” team and call themselves Solarbabies. The youngest member of the team (their mascot) finds an orb of special power, but is stolen by a mysterious outsider who escapes the orphanage. The Solarbabies escape from the orphanage and try to cross the wasteland looking for the orb as the stormtroopers search for them and the orb. They discover what is left of this post apocalyptic world, and an adventure that will change everything they know.
THE GOOD
There is a solid story that was very reminiscent of teenage independence in the 80s. There seemed to be a lot of movies where kids are left to fend for themselves. This film takes a strong sense of loneliness that is only staved off by friendship and “the family you choose” mentality. Looking back on it, I found the “gang” to be more realistic than some of their contemporaries of the time that just seemed to be a cluster of exaggerated personalities. However, at the time I was more fascinated by the roller skates, and how cute a teenage Jami Gertz was.
The minimal effects are quite decent considering this film was made in 1986. They are not so cheesey that they take you out of the film, even by todays standards. The story is the real star here and it weaves a wonderful story of friendship and adventure at its heart. No gritty darkness or ultra real violence that seems to be the only trigger for entertainment these days, but still it manages to tell the tale of this strange fictional future.
Sarah Douglas plays the suit behind the enforcer cop and she is more menacing than the leader of the cops. Its no wonder she exudes an evil spirit as she was earlier seen as Ursa in Superman 2. Her part is brief but effective. She could recite nursery rhymes and still make it clear that their militaristic goals are evil.
Also in a supporting role of the strange outsider who first steals the orb from the Solarbabies, Heroes’ Adrian Pasadar (pictured above as in the movie) makes one of his earliest appearances in film.
Also, the orb has a name. It’s Bodhi. Before Patrick Swayze ever used it in Point Break.
THE BAD
The despotic leader of the Protectorate hardly makes for a menacing opposition. He reminds me of the bumbling LtHarris from Police Academy. Without the bumbling. He just doesn’t have the presence to lead a police force that is supposed to embody evil. If not for his sidekick enforcer, I wouldn’t find them a threat at all even though they are the ones with the guns.
And for the love of Zod, the Rollerskates. Ok, we can accept that there was quad skates instead of the inline rollerblades far more popular today, but they were a gimmick in this film and nothing more. The late 80s were clinging onto their quad roller skates that managed to maintain decades of popularity over many other fads of the time and they wanted them to be cool in this movie too. The Solarbabies played a game like lacrosse on skates. It’s what binds these orphans together – the only entertainment or joy they had in their dismal lives. When they break out of the complex they took to their skates to escape across the wasteland which conveniently had plenty of roads for them to run off on. The inclusion of rollerskates was completely uneccessary.
Also the group of friends is, by todays standards, a tired stereotype. Despite having less exaggerated personalities than most other films of the time, The Solarbabies are a Breakfast club gang with their handicapped sidekick, alpha male leader, hot brunette, nerdy computer guy, token black kid who breakdances and the musclebound jock. Watching this with years of those stereotypes used over and over takes away from their “uniqueness” in its time. So in that aspect it doesn’t hold up well.
OVERALL
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV.
Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it.
Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
So on a scale of TV, Rent or Buy I suggest Rent!
Everything else is out of stock at the rental place tonight? Check out the Not-New releases shelf and see if your local store carries a copy!
News Chat - by Rodney - March 3, 2009 - 09:03 America/Montreal - 3 Comments
Ok, let me start off with two BIG Warnings here.
This Post Talks about SPOILERS FOR TRON 2!!!!
Also, this might be complete bupkis or it might be right off the script, so take it as you see it. This does shed some light on the teaser trailer we saw from ComicCon last year, and explains a few things. But if you want to be in the dark, please don’t read this scoop.
LatinoReview spills:
The title will almost certainly NOT be TRON 2 or TR2N. Possibly something with a colon – TRON: ________.
The story takes place approximately 25 years after the original.
The movie starts in 1989. Kevin Flynn (Bridges) has created some of the world’s top selling games based on his Game Grid challenges in the first film, and has marketed the hell out of what he saw there (action figures, Recognizer night lights, yadda yadda yadda).
Flynn has a seven year old son named Sean.
Flynn disappears, leaving behind his son.
Alan Bradley (Boxleitner) takes over Flynn’s company (ENCOM).
Jump forward in time: Sean is now twenty something.
Alan Bradley has info that leads Sean to look for Flynn.
Search takes Sean to Flynn’s old arcade – mothballed.
Into the computer world goes Sean.
There’s a CLU character (Flynn’s computer alter-ego from the first film).
Flynn has programmed CLU to run around and make a better computer world, but CLU’s gone corrupt and is creating his own interpretation of that perfect world. This is why CLU (young Bridges) is being such a punk-ass in that Comic Con footage we saw.
CLU has it out for a kind of program called ISOs & wants to eradicate them.
The ISOs believe Sean Flynn is the one who will free them from CLU’s belligerence.
Somewhere in the computer world, the real Kevin Flynn is whizzing around in a classic Light Cycle. Will he help in the battle against CLU?
Light Jets have jet walls, too.
Light Cycles versus Light Jets.
Big Disc battle!
Bridges going all out for this role. Embracing it. Fans will go gaa gaa.
[END OF LINE]
I anticipated an “upgrade” to the effects as evident in the teaser, but the last line I think embodies the whole thing for me. Jeff Bridges “going all out for this role” and even being involved at all in this will be a massive nostalgic geekgasm for me.
I can’t wait for this!
News Chat - by John Campea - January 10, 2009 - 10:45 America/Montreal - 53 Comments
When Heath Ledger died many wondered if his portrayal of The Joker could be his best performance of his career. Turns out it was. As a mater of fact, he was so good that even though The Joker survived The Dark Knight, many assumed that we’d never see the character again in Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman.
However… recent comments from one of the films producers MAY suggest that they’re thinking about returning to the Joker with another performer. The folks over at Total Film give us this:
The Dark Knight producer Chuck Roven has claimed that people need to “separate the actors from the role,” in response to a question regarding The Joker and Heath Ledger. When asked by MTV whether the filmmakers would have done anything different had they known Ledger wouldn’t be reprising the role, Roven claimed that the character wasn’t tied to the actor.
“On a personal level, Heath was a friend of mine,” he said at the People’s Choice Awards. “We had worked together before The Dark Knight, but I still think that The Dark Knight is its own thing, and we have to separate them.”
I celebrate this news IF it indeed turns out to be true.
I think it would be appropriate for me to revisit my previous arguements as to why I think Heath Ledger can indeed be replaced as The Joker for future films:
_______________________________________
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AUGUST 4th 2008
Before I go into the reasons why I reject the idea that “no one will ever be able to play The Joker as well as Ledger did”, let me briefly address another issue I’m hearing some people bring up. Some people are suggesting that having another person play The Joker at this point would somehow be an “insult” or a “slap in the face” to Heath Ledger. That notion to me is utterly absurd.
First of all, do you think Heath Ledger put all his heart and sole into that character, sank so much energy and effort into the role to elevate it and raise the bar… just so the character would be retired if he couldn’t play the part anymore??? That’s sheer nonsense in my opinion. That’s the equivalent of saying “The best way to honor the magnificent career of Michael Jordan and to thank him for what he did for the game of basketball is to shut down the NBA after he retired”. Or “Lance Armstrong was so good at being an inspiration to people in his recovery against cancer, that no one else should ever try to overcome the disease and inspire others”. If WB doesn’t want to use The Joker again because he doesn’t fit into their future story plans, that’s totally fine. But to not use The Joker (who Ledger worked so hard to elevate and raise the bar for) because of some misguided notion that it would somehow be disrespectful to Ledger’s memory is one I reject outright.
Secondly, just because an actor does a wonderful job portraying a character, does not suddenly mean the character BELONGS to that actor. Ledger did his job magnificently… but his job was only one part of brining The Joker to “The Dark Knight”. The director who guided Ledger owns The Joker just as much as Ledger does. The Nolan brothers who wrote all the things that The Joker said and did owns The Joker just as much as Ledger does.
So would getting another actor to portray The Joker in the future be an “insult” to Heath Ledger? No, not even remotely. On the contrary, it could be the greatest honor you could give him.
But now let’s address the main issue here. The notion that no one could ever do as well as Ledger did playing The Joker. As amazing as Ledger was… i reject this idea. So due to the following reasons, here is why I believe Heath Ledger can be replaced as The Joker:
#1 – HEATH LEDGER WAS A GOOD BUT NOT GREAT ACTOR
During his career, Heath Ledger turned in some truly exceptional performances. Brokeback Mountain (which despite how good Ledger was in it, I believe was an overrated movie) and The Dark Knight showed us how good Ledger could be when he was really on his game. But unfortunately, for every one Brokeback performance, there were 2 Casanova’s and The Order’s. For everyone one “The Dark Knight”, there seemed to be two The Four Feather’s and A Knight’s Tales. Ledger was hit and miss. That fact doesn’t detract from his accomplishment as The Joker one little bit… but there are many better actors out there than Ledger, and to suggest none of them have the potential to turn in an even better performance than Ledger did is pretty myopic and short sighted. It’s not to say that anyone WOULD be better… but that there are actors out there who carry the potential to do even better if they were really on their game like Ledger was on his. I’m not saying it’s PROBABLE… I’m saying it’s POSSIBLE.
#2 – WHAT IF GUY PEARCE GOT THE ROLE INSTEAD OF LEDGER?
Let’s play “what if” for a moment. Let’s say that Christopher Nolan ended up choosing Guy Pearce to play The Joker instead of Heath Ledger. Ok, now let’s assume that Pierce did an amazing job (when does Pearce ever do anything less?) playing The Joker, let’s say just 0.0005% less well than Ledger ended up doing. Ok… now follow me here. We’d all be praising Pierce for the great job he did right? Now can you imagine how much you would be laughing at me if I came out of nowhere and said “I bet Heath Ledger would be an even better Joker than Pearce just was”. I would have been laughed out of town. “Pierce’s Joker was perfect” people would be sure to tell me. “No one will ever be able to do it as well as he has”. Yet little do they know that Ledger would have been better… even if only by 0.0005%. It would therefore be naive of us to not acknowledge that out there are some people that would be 0.0005% better a Joker than even Ledger was… and probably names that we would laugh at in our ignorance, just as we would have laughed at Ledger’s name 2 years ago.
#3 – IT CAN ALWAYS BE DONE BETTER
There was a time when it was said no one would EVER be as dominant or equal the accomplishments of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the world of professional bodybuilding. The man won the Mr. Olympia 7 times. You’re an idiot if you think anyone will ever do it better! Yeah well… that sounded safe enough to say until the day Ron Coleman won his 8th Mr. Olympia in a row. Whenever anyone says something has been done as well as it will ever be done… someone comes along and does it better. That’s the nature of things. Remember at the beginning of this post I mentioned that it is my opinion that Ledger’s performance as The Joker is the best performance in the history of the genre? That’s true… but it won’t be forever, or maybe even for long. Someone else will come along, probably someone we don’t really expect, and will beat it… and that’s a great thing to think about if you’re a fan of the genre.
#4 – ONLY CRISPIN GLOVER CAN BE THE JOKER. ONLY LACHY HULME CAN BE THE JOKER…
I remember back before Ledger was cast for the role, the online message boards were filled with casting ideas for The Joker… and usually the word “ONLY” preceded their name. ONLY Mark Hamill can be The Joker. The only person to play Joker is Guy Pearce. No one else other than Crispin Glover can really make the role work. The only person they should consider is Jack Nicholson again! Yeah, everyone had their idea about who the “ONLY” person alive was who could adequately play The Joker. Turns out they were all wrong, because Heath Ledger came in and rocked the hell out of that role. But now people, refusing to learn their lesson, are once again using the word “ONLY”, but this time it’s with Ledger. The lesson here is that there is NEVER “only” one person for a role.
At this point we have no idea if The Joker was even in the plans for the next Batman movie before Ledger died, so all this discussion could be for nothing. My only point here is to say, as great as Ledger was as The Joker (I believe great enough to warrant Oscar consideration), to believe that no one can possibly do it as well or better is completely naive in my opinion. And being aware of that fact is in no way a “slam” on the breathtaking performance he gave us, but rather just a recognition of how life and reality works.
Should they have The Joker in the next Batman flick? That’s a totally different question. Maybe the character doesn’t fit in with the story arch plans they have. But if they do have a story in mind that involves The Joker character, then it is possible that another actor could do the role just as well or even better than Ledger did, and to do so would be honoring and a tribute to the level that Ledger brought that character to in his final, and most brilliant performance.
Features - by John Campea - December 19, 2008 - 02:12 America/Montreal - 73 Comments
There is only one honor this awards season that really means anything at all. It’s not the Golden Globes. It’s not the Oscars. No my friends, the one award that studios and publicists in Hollywood clamor for, campaign for… and yes… even beg for. The 2008 Movie Blog Awards honoring the best in movies for the past year.
Ok, maybe no one actually cares… but that doesn’t stop us from doing them anyway.
All things considered, I’d have to say this was a pretty damn good year for film. Yes, there was a lot of crap on the screen this year as well (as you can see from our “Worst 10 Movies of 2008″ post we did a few days ago), but overall a solid year.
So as we get ready to dive head first into the major awards season and get ourselves pumped up for the new year in film, let’s take a few minutes to look back on 2008 as we now present to you the winners of the 2008 Movie Blog Awards!
BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the best overall film of 2008
WALL-E
Easily, without question and hands down the best film of 2008. The movie is a brilliant mixture of humor, emotion and message. Never before have I seen a character so engaging, likable and emotionally investable without ever really saying a word (other than Eve a couple of times). It is the #1 critically rated film of the year for good reason, and this year’s recipient of the 2008 Movie Blog Best Movie Award.
Honorable Mention (In no particular order)
– Frost/Nixon
– Slumdog Millionare
– Milk
BEST COMEDY OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the film achieving the best and most consistent laughs
STEP BROTHERS
Like many people, I had begun to grow a bit tired of the Will Ferrell schtick, especially with the horrible Semi-Pro only coming out months earlier. However, Step Brothers seemed to tap into that intangible quality that makes Will Ferrell the funniest man on the big screen when he’s on his game, and John C. Reilly is his perfect on screen partner. Hilarious from start to finish. For our money, the funniest movie of 2008.
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Tropic Thunder
– Forgetting Sarah Marshall
– Sex Drive
BEST GEEK GENRE FILM
This award is given to the best film in the Comic Book, Sci-Fi or Fantasy genres
THE DARK KNIGHT
We all thought Christopher Nolan accomplished the near impossible when he masterfully resurrected the Batman property into a new living breathing franchise. Then he faced an even greater challenge in trying to top Batman Begins. Well… he did it, delivering one of the greatest comic book films in history.
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Iron Man
– Hellboy 2
– The Incredible Hulk
MOST SURPRISING MOVIE OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the film which exceeded its initial low quality expectations by the greatest amount
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
My first thought of The Spiderwick Chronicles was… well… pathetic. Just another throw away film trying to capitalize on the modern trend of converting popular children’s books into mid grade movies. The trailers looked terrible too and so my expectations for the film were below basement level. But to my shock, I ended up truly enjoying just about every minute of it. Freddie Highmore does a fantastic job playing twin brothers. The movie is magical and I found myself getting caught up in the wonder of it and feeling like I was 8 years old again.
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Bolt
– Step Brothers
– Kung Fu Panda
MOST UNDER-APPRECIATED FILM OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the best film of the year that receives little to no attention or credit for its quality
DEFINITELY, MAYBE
A sweet and endearing story told from a very interesting perspective. The concept of the narrative of the movie being told by the father through a series of stories to his daughter as a game so she can figure out which woman in the stories is her mother worked surprisingly well. The movie also serves notice that when called upon, Ryan Reynolds can be one hell of an actor and in my opinion this was the best performance he’s ever given in his young career.
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– In Bruges
– Wanted
– The Forbidden Kingdom
BEST ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
SEAN PENN – MILK
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
– Frank Langella (Frost / Nixon)
– Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE
REBECCA HALL – VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
– Meryl Streep (Doubt)
– Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
HEATH LEDGER – THE DARK KNIGHT
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges)
– Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
– James Franco (Milk)
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
MARISA TOMEI – THE WRESTLER
Honorable Mention (in no particular order)
– Kate Winslet (The Reader)
– Viola Davis (Doubt)
– Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
So there you have it folks. I’m sure there are a million different opinions out there for each one of the categories, so now is your chance to jump in the comments section and let us know how your “awards” would break down.
Also, are there any other categories you can think of besides the old traditional ones that you’d like to see us do a follow up post in this coming week? Let me know.
News Chat - by Rodney - December 12, 2008 - 19:50 America/Montreal - 9 Comments
One of the most anticipated Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game is Bioware’s The Old Republic MMO which will reunite the creators of the award winning Knights of the Old Republic with the Lucasfilm family once more. This was the worst kept secret as Sony’s exclusivity rights were expiring on a Star Wars MMO, and Bioware was fast at work on a secret MMO project.
Now they have a production blog and the first installment of the Video Doc is online! Click here to watch it
The Old Republic production blog:
BioWare® and LucasArts™ share the vision for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ in our first video documentary, complete with new concepts, new screenshots, and real-time pre-production gameplay video.
The footage looks good, and it looks like they are taking a solid approach to the franchise. I like that they showed so much of the Jedi, but I hope that you have some alternatives to force using classes or at least have some variety in force using types.
It does look like you will have the chance to be a dark Jedi if you wish. It is kind of unique that everyone will start the same, and your faction is chosen by your actions.
I look forward to seeing more about this.
Favorites, Features, Top Lists - by John Campea - November 21, 2008 - 05:11 America/Montreal - 254 Comments
Well, today is the official opening day of “Twilight“. A very highly anticipated movie… not because of the marketing campaign (which has been average at best), but because of the rabid and loyal following that the book series has. With that in mind, I thought it would be an appropriate time to put together a top 100 movies list of movies that were based on books.
Whenever I hear of a new movie coming out based on a popular book or comic book or a sequel, I instantly hear naysayers complaining about a “lack of creativity in hollywood”. “Why not write something original” some will say. But I say thank goodness gifted screenwriters adapt novels into movies! As you can see from my list, some of the greatest movies in the history of film were adapted from books… films that I can’t even imagine what the world of film would look like today if they never came to be.
So I spent a couple of weeks putting together this list with three purposes in mind:
1) To highlight the important role books have played in the movie world
2) To draw attention to some fantastic movies that some of you may have never taken the time to watch before
3) To draw attention to the fact that these movies are indeed based on books, which may encourage you to try reading them (which I confess is a little hypocritical of me since I’ve only read a fraction of the books here.)
Now let me emphasize this next point very explicitly. THIS LIST IS NOT A LIST OF THE BEST BOOKS OR WHICH MOVIES DID THE BEST JOB ADAPTING FROM THE BOOK. It is a list of the best movies which happen to be BASED on books. Also, while I did not include Graphic Novels or Comic Books in this list, I do include short stories or novellas since they are usually a part of a single issue collection.
Like all movie lists, this one is subjective and in no way authoritative. The main purpose of which is to spark discussion and maybe interest in seeing some of these fantastic films again, or for the first time. So now I present to you The Movie Blog’s Top 100 Movies Based On Books:
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#100 – THE JOY LUCK CLUB
Rottem Tomatoes Rating – 90%
Synopsis: Through a series of flashbacks, four young chinese women born in America and their respective mothers born in feudal China, explore their past. This search will help them understand their difficult mother/daughter relationship.
John’s Thought: Yes, I am a heterosexual male… and I loved this movie. |
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#99 – THE MAMBO KINGS
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 78%
Synopsis: Musician brothers Cesar and Nestor leave Cuba for America in the 1950s, hoping to hit the top of the Latin music scene. Cesar is the older brother, the business manager, and the ladies’ man. Nestor is the brooding songwriter, who cannot forget the woman in Cuba who broke his heart.
John’s Thought: No Antonio! Too sexy! Too Sexy! |
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#98 – STARDUST
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 76%
Synopsis: “Stardust,” based on the best-selling graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, takes audiences on an adventure that begins in a village in England and ends up in places that exist in an imaginary world. A young man named Tristan (Charlie Cox) tries to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller), the beautiful but cold object of his desire, by going on a quest to retrieve a fallen star. His journey takes him to a mysterious and forbidden land beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey, Tristan finds the star, which has transformed into a striking girl named Yvaine (Claire Danes).
John’s Thought: Easily the single most underrated and under appreciated film of 2007 |
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#97 – FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 82%
Synopsis: A heartwarming tale of family, friendship and murder in rural Georgia. In a Southern nursing home, a feisty resident and old local fixture named Ninny Threadgoode (Tandy) befriends Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) a depressed housewife and stirs her to action with an inspirational tale. She tells the story of a transcendent friendship between two young women living in Georgia in the 1930s, Idgie Threadgoode (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth (Mary Louise Parker), who forge a powerful bond after witnessing a terrible tragedy together. The two women open a cafe (where fried green tomatoes are a house specialty) together in their small Southern town of Whistle Stop and manage to survive the hardships of life, despite racism, prejudice and the pressures of trying to live their lives as individuals in a strict and close-minded Southern society.
John’s Thought: Powerful cast, powerful story. An honestly moving film. |
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#96 – THE SHINING
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 86%
Synopsis: A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future
John’s Thought: Iconic film with some of the most quoted one liners from a horror film in history. |
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#95 – PATRIOT GAMES
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 80%
Synopsis: Jack Ryan, the hero of Tom Clancy’s techno-thriller series, returns in the sequel to _The Hunt for Red October_. Ryan is on vacation in England when he spoils an assassination attempt on an important member of the Royal Family. Ryan gets drawn back into the CIA when the same splinter faction of the IRA targets him and his family.
John’s Thought: Once again proving you CAN change actors and still make the franchise work. Ford in his prime and my introduction to the brilliance of Sean Bean. |
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#94 – WAG THE DOG
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 84%
Synopsis: When a Firefly Girl accuses the president of sexual misconduct in the Oval Office less than two weeks before the upcoming election, White House official Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) is told to bring in Conrad Bream (Robert De Niro) to fix the situation and save the president’s chances for reelection. This mysterious “fixer” fabricates a conflict with Albania in an effort to detract attention from the sex scandal, bringing in legendary Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to “produce” the war. When the CIA foils the initial plot, the creative team turns to a new story line, creating the saga of a U.S. soldier left behind enemy lines whom the president vows to find and return to American soil.
John’s Thought: Especially funny watching this movie now after the events of the last 8 years. Hard to go wrong with Hoffman and DiNero before he started sucking. |
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#93 – CHARLOTTE’S WEB
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 74%
Synopsis: Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen.
John’s Thought: Loved this as a kid, still love it today and will leave it on whenever I stumble across it channel surfing. Much better than the Julia Roberts voiced one from a couple of years ago. |
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#92 – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 88%
Synopsis: From the classic novel by Jane Austen about the morals and mores of the class system in early Georgian England. The intelligent and spirited Elizabeth Bennet is one of 5 daughters — which, during that era, meant trouble: because women cannot inherit, upon her father’s death her family’s home will become the property of their nearest male relative. Only marriage, preferably to someone wealthy, can ensure her security. But the proud young lady instantly takes offense when Mr. Darcy, a promising newcomer in town, doesn’t seem quite admiring enough, and she spurns his advances. Slowly and painfully, Elizabeth realizes her error, but not before it seems she has lost him forever.
John’s Thought: Easily the best adaptation of this book ever done. Not taking away from any of the other ones… but Olivier rules. |
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#91 – THE NOTEBOOK
Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 51%
Synopsis: The movie focuses on an old man reading a story to an old woman in a nursing home. The story he reads follows two young lovers named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun, who meet one evening at a carnival. But they are separated by Allie’s parents who dissaprove of Noah’s unwealthy family, and move Allie away. After waiting for Noah to write her for several years, Allie meets and gets engaged to a handsome young soldier named Lon. Allie, then, with her love for Noah still alive, stops by Noah’s 200-year-old home that he restored for her, “to see if he’s okay”. It is evident that they still have feelings for each other, and Allie has to choose between her fiancé and her first love.
John’s Thought: I avoided seeing this for a couple of years because it had “chick flick” written all over it. My loss… turned out it’s an exceptional film. |
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Features - by John Campea - September 9, 2008 - 13:34 America/Montreal - 69 Comments
Whenever anyone asks me the question “What comic book story would you most like to see turned into a live action film” (and I do get asked that question a lot) I always respond with the same two answers. 1) The Age Of Apocalypse from the X-Men universe, and 2) The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (300, Sin City).
The Dark Knight is the book that got me into comics in the first place. The story is of a 55 year old Bruce Wayne who gave up on being Batman after the death of the second Robin (Jason Todd). Consumed by guilt Wayne become an alcoholic. Now, years later Gotham is overrun by gangs, drugs and crime. One night Bruce is confronted by gang members, AND NOW HE’S HAD ENOUGH! Bruce comes back as Batman, but this time he’s older, his body can’t do all the things that he used to do and the public sees him more as a menace now. However, he’s also more brutal than he used to be with no compassion for those who would break the law. He RULES! Eventually this leads to a confrontation with Superman that culminates in the most epic battle in the history of comic books (in my opinion anyway).
Whenever you hear people talking about wanting to see a “Superman vs. Batman” movie, this is where it comes from.
For decades now people have wanted to see a Dark Knight Returns movie… but one of the problems that has always existed was who on earth you get to play Batman/Bruce Wayne. Well… maybe Frank Miller himself has given us the answer. Our friends over at Cinematical quote an interview with Miller about who he thinks would be the right guy for Batman:
“Just that mouth of his, the scowl and the way it would look in a mask. I loved Rocky Balboa. This wounded warrior, that’s what Batman is in Dark Knight Returns. “
I’ll cut right to it. I LOVE THIS IDEA!
Sylvester Stalone is not the greatest actor in the world, although when he’s on his game he can be pretty good, but he embodies The Dark Knight at 55. He has the face, he has the pure massive physique, he has that rage, that anger and he also has that sadness that underlies Wayne in the story. I can 100% see this without question. If I had $100 million in the bank I would immediately start making phone calls and try to get this off the ground.
The great thing is that The Dark Knight Returns is set in another time. It’s 20+ years in the future from where the current Batman franchise is set and thus you don’t have to worry about pretending they’re in the same or different continuities. Which just feeds into another reason why you get Stallone for this… he’s just about the right age (actually, he’s a touch too old, but he would work).
Will this ever happen? Probably not in a million years, but that doesn’t change the fact that Sylvester Stallone as Batman in The Dark Knight Returns is a wicked idea. So good, that I’d pay for it myself if I could (you might be surprised to discover I can’t).
So put on your casting hats. What would you think of Stallone as Batman? If not him, who could you see as the aged caped crusader?
News Chat - by Rodney - September 3, 2008 - 11:59 America/Montreal - 29 Comments
We have confirmation of the TMNT news that was swirling about yesterday from Eastman himself. We get the following scoop from our friends at comingsoon:
Yes, it is true. Although the CGI film did well enough to warrent a sequel, there has been much talk between Imagi and Warners to do a better “re-invention” (newest Hollywood buzzword) of the TMNT’s, in a live action film–like what was done with Batman. Back to basics, back to the origin and the intro of the Shredder, etc…there have been talks, trips to Northampton to talk to Mr Laird, and discussions with the original “first” TMNT film director Steve Barron to come back and do it right–but no official word yet…will keep you posted. Best, Kevin
If they simply do the origin/Shredder story it would be welcomed by me with open arms. I would even be game for a black and white film to mirror the original comic. Oddly enough, with the success of The Dark Knight, a Turtles movie may now be told they way it always should have. Everyone wants “darker” comic book films and the origin story of the Turtles is ready to deliver on that order. Get ready for ninja stars to the face!
I think this is a great idea and a way to right the (more marketable) re-invisionings of the characters that we have seen over the years. What do you guys think? Are you ready for a gritty, dirty, ultra violent film about mutated biped turtles?
Favorites, Features - by John Campea - August 25, 2008 - 13:11 America/Montreal - 158 Comments
Last week a viewer sent in a question for us on “The Movie Blog: Uncut” show asking about sequels that were better than the originals (a very rare thing). That got me to thinking about what I consider to be the greatest sequels ever. After seeing my friend Brad over at RopeOfSilicon do his 10 best sequels list today, I thought I should throw mine up too.
If nothing else, the films on this list are a testament that sequels can be a great thing. Often people (me included sometimes) will moan and complain when they hear about a sequel coming out… saying there’s no creativity left in Hollywood and that they’re all terrible and just cash grabs. Well, I’m glad studios don’t listen to that sort of talk, because if they did, none of the magnificent films on this list would exist.
Remember, all lists are totally subjective and no 2 lists will look exactly alike. Having said that, I now present for your consideration and debate, The Movie Blog’s Top 20 Sequels:
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#1 – LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING
The movie holding the record for the most Oscars (11) is still what I consider to be the greatest overall achievement in cinematic history. When you consider all the film making elements of cinematography, acting, art direction, visual effects, music, direction, story, no film in history has brought them all together in a package as nearly perfect as The Return of the King. An incredible ending to only the second trilogy in history to have all three of its films nominated for Best Picture. |
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#2 – THE GODFATHER PART 2
More than just an amazing story, The Godfather Part 2’s real genius was in how director Francis Ford Coppola told the story. Disconnecting the linear timeline and in essence telling two separate stories book ending the time frame of the first Godfather movie. Many will argue (understandably so) that this should be #1, and I can respect that because the film is just so flat out amazing. Still, for me part 1 is still the best of the franchise. One of the best, most tragic and haunting endings to any film in history. (The other trilogy to have all 3 films nominated for best picture) |
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#3 – RETURN OF THE JEDI
Like many many many other people out there, I’m a certified Star Wars freak (only of the original trilogy, otherwise Star Wars is dead to me now), but unlike most others, I actually think Return of the Jedi was just a little bit better than Empire. As you can see below, I think both were magnificent, but to me Jedi had something extra that’s hard to define. The Vader/Skywalker battle in the Emperor’s throne room and the music that accompanied it is one of my favorite single scenes in film history. Not to mention the greatest space battle scene in movie history that STILL hasn’t been beat. |
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#4 – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Sweet hotness! I still remember as a little kid seeing Empire for the first time. I thought I was going to wet myself when we saw the Star Destroyer for the first time shooting out the probe droids. I definite darker tone than the others in the franchise made for maybe the best dramatic storytelling in the franchise. And today, with all the M. Night Shamhammers running around it’s hard to appreciate a good “twist” anymore… but man, back in the day Darth Vader telling Luke he was his father was MIND BLOWING! I still remember as a kid wondering how Grover because a Jedi on some swamp world. |
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#5 – INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2
To this day my favorite cop movie of all time is the original Infernal Affairs (which as some people still don’t know is what the 2007 Best Picture winning film “The Departed” is a remake of), and yet Infernal Affairs 2 just might be even better. Filled with twists and revelations, the movie is a prequel to the original with many of the key cast returning and younger versions of some of the original cast filling in the gaps. A completely killer film. |
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#6 – INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
This is actually my favorite film of the entire franchise. One would think it impossible to meet or top the achievements of the Indiana Jones films at that time, and yet somehow Lucas and Spielberg found a way. Brining on Sean Connery to play Indy’s father is probably one of the best celebrity additions to a franchise ever. The chemistry between Ford and Connery was fantastic and carried much of the charm of the film. Funny, exciting and everything else you’ve come to expect an Indiana Jones movie to be (minus the nuclear fridge). |
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#7 – TOY STORY 2
The funniest thing about Toy Story 2 was that it was originally supposed to be a straight to video sequel, and that at some point the execs looked at it again and said “holy crap… this is actually turning out really well. Let’s release it in theaters!”. It’s a damn good thing they did. Not only did the film make nearly $500 million world wide, it is the only wide release film to hold a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes as well. |
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#8 – THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
Following the amazing achievement of Fellowship of the Ring (a LOT of people expected that movie to suck) people were bracing themselves for a let down. “The first one was a fluke” I heard more than one person say. Even I thought the franchise had nowhere to go but down. Wow was I wrong! The Battle at Helm’s Deep stands as one of my favorite battle scenes in history as the story of the ring got deeper and better. Many felt this film was robbed of the best picture Oscar… I’m one of them. |
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#9 – ALIENS
Where the first Alien film leaned more towards being a Sci-Fi suspense film in many ways, the second burst into a different direction as a balls to the wall action film. The film is just loaded with memorable scenes and fantastic one liners (”Game over man”). It was the first action film I’d ever seen that I could literally say had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The film will hold up forever. |
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#10 – X-MEN 2
The first X-Men movie single handedly resurrected the superhero genre movie after Batman Nipple Lord vs Austrian Ice Ham” nearly single handedly killed it several years earlier. X-Men 2 took it up a notch. Right from the incredible opening scene with Nightcrawler breaking into the White House to the end where we catch our first glimpse of he Phoenix (that only fans of the comic book recognized and freaked out over when the fiery shape came on the screen), X-Men 2 redefined just how good Comic Book movies could be. To this day it’s still my favorite Comic Book movie. |
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#11 – TERMINATOR: JUDGEMENT DAY
Who among us didn’t thing the new liquid Terminator was the damn coolest thing we’d ever seen when this movie first came out. But the T-1000 wasn’t just cool visual effects. The cold passionless killer that Robert Patrick gave us was also one of the scariest things my teenage eyes had ever seen. Damn that guy gave me nightmares. The story was excellent, Linda Hamilton just ruled (I still think Cameron is a bloody idiot for cheating on that woman) and seeing the Arnold Terminator as a GOOD guy was fun too. |
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#12 – THE DARK KNIGHT
Director Christopher Nolan did what many people thought couldn’t be done… he topped his own Batman Begins with a film broader in scope, deeper in story, more exciting in action all topped off with a classic villain given new incredible life by the single greatest performance ever in the history of comic book movies. The Dark Knight, while not perfect, delivered everything a Batman fan could have hoped for to send them home happy. The movie struck an obivous chord with comic and non comic book fans alike, quickly becoming the second highest grossing film (not counting inflation) in history. |
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#13 – CLERKS 2
To many people Kevin Smith and his films are an acquired taste. To be honest, as much of a fan that I am of Smith, I’m not actually that thrilled with many of his films. Having said that, I honestly think Clerks 2 is one of the sharpest, funniest and yes smartest comedies I’ve seen in a long long time. Smith shows he’s more than just fart and fuck jokes. Clerks 2 has so much heart to it that many people miss. Real issues struggled with by a lot of people entering their mid 30’s, issues of friendship, home, belonging, dreams, all dealt with within the context of Smith’s edgy humor. I unapologetically love this movie |
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#14 – STAR TREK 2: THE WRATH OF KHAN
The first Star Trek film just blew chunks of refuse, so to many at the time a follow up film was a bit of a surprise. However, the idea behind the film was nothing short of pure genius. Going back and directly making the movie a sequel to AN INDIVIDUAL EPISODE of the TV show was a move that save the franchise. Ricardo Montalban instantly became one of the greatest villains in movie history reprising the role of Khan. If you didn’t feel the blood rushing through your veins when Khan quotes “To the last, I will grapple with thee. From hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee” then you are totally dead inside. |
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#15 – SPIDER-MAN 2
I nearly lost my mind the first time I saw this flick. Just about everything a Comic Book movie should be. Great visual effects, terrific action, loads of wild cheer moments, fun, funny and character who stick surprisingly well with the spirit of their comic book counterparts. Tragically overlooked in this film whenever it’s discussed is the performance of Alfred Molina as Doc Ock who brought that extra dimension to the film that Spider-Man 1 (as good as it was) missed. Such a shame Spider-Man 3 went completely to shit. |
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#16 – ROCKY 2
The original Rocky (which I know most people these days haven’t seen) was a different kind of sports movie. It was more about the character and his story than the sport. Rocky 2 began to float more towards the “action” elements that the franchise would become known for, but at the heart of it was still this terrific character… Rocky Balboa. How this simple guy went from nothing to celebrity status, how it effected himself, the relationships in his life and his dreams. One of the most electrifying ends to a movie ever. |
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#17 – ARMY OF DARKNESS
I understand that most people feel that if you’re going to put an “Evil Dead” movie on this list, then Evil Dead 2 should be the one to get the nod. Sorry, but to me Army Of Darkness is the king of the franchise and always will be. Perhaps no film in history has ever been as purely quotable as this cult classic. As a matter of fact, a lot of the most famous quotes in various movies and video games were all direct rips rips from Army Of Darkness. It’s the movie that elevated Bruce Campbell to god status who now dwells in the halls of the immortals. |
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#18 – STAR TREK 4: THE VOYAGE HOME
Ok, if I were a movie studio executive back in 1984 and some guy came into my office with an idea for a new Star Trek movie that focused on the crew of the Enterprise going back in time on earth to the 1980’s, looking like hippies and on a mission to save the whales, I would have thrown that dude out of my office and fired him on the spot. I guess sometimes the dumbest sounding ideas can be executed in such a way to make a classic. This movie is just so damn charming and fun. Scotty trying to talk to the 1980’s computer is a classic scene! “Oh, a keybord. How quaint”. |
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#19 – SHREK 2
The first Shrek film was pretty good, but there was something about the sequel that will always give it a special place in my heart. Blatant pop culture reference jokes rarely hit with me, but for some reason they way the material was handled in Shrek 2 had me grinning, giggling and laughing pretty much the whole way through the movie. Puss In Boots was a great addition to the cast of characters and that musical number of “I need a hero” near the end still gets my heart thumping. Like Spider-Man 2 however, it’s a shame the next film was total garbage. |
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#20 – DIE HARD 3
Kind of like the Army of Darkness pick, there will be many out there who will feel that Die Hard 2 deserves the place on this list. However, to performance of Jeremy Irons, the heist plot and the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson pushed this one over the top. Come to think of it, in terms of just the “heist” portion of the film… it may be one of my favorite heist movies ever. The plan was so freaking great! |
So there you have it folks. Like I mentioned at the beginning, all film is subjective and no 2 lists will look exactly alike, so I’m sure that even if you love or hate my list, there are things you agree or disagree with. What would your list look like? Which films would you put on there that I left off? Which ones would you boot off? (just so you know, I amended this list to include Clerks 2 which I originally forgot to add).
Features - by John Campea - August 15, 2008 - 13:11 America/Montreal - 54 Comments
Every year they make up a certain percentage of the films that get released, and every time one of them gets announced a lot of people get upset. Remakes. Films that have already been made that some studio decides for one reason or another to make again.
You can’t really blame a lot of people for rolling their eyes when the possibility of a remake gets brought up. After all, the roster of remakes is filled with movies that deserve to be on the dirty end of used toilet paper. I mean with crap like:
-The Invasion (remake of invasion of the Body Snatchers)
-Poseidon (remake of the ‘Poseidon Adventure)
-The Fog (Single Handedly killed the potential movie career of Tom Welling)
-Planet of the Apes (reason #154 of why I don’t like Tim Burton)
-101 Dalmatians
-Godzilla (I like Matthew Broderick and all, but why was he in this?)
-When a Stranger Calls
-The Wicker Man (To be fair, the original sucked ass too)
-The Pink Panther (Steve Martin what are you doing?!?!)-
And many many more. As a matter of fact, even more remakes are on the boards at every studio in Hollywood. Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street for example are being developed for remakes as we speak as are dozens of others.
Now let’s balance this out. There are good remakes out there. Sabrina (hugely underrated film in my opinion), Ocean’s 11 is 10x better than the original, Scareface and a bunch of others.
So while I understand a sense of apprehension many people feel when hearing about a movie getting remade (look again at that bad list above), I’ve never understood the almost militant attitude some people have about the whole notion of remakes. Here are some arguments some people make against remakes:
A) THERE IS NO CREATIVITY LEFT IN HOLLYWOOD
Without fail, whenever I post about a remake going into production, at least one person will make some variation of the comment “There isn’t any creativity left in Hollywood”. To me, this is a ridiculous statement for a couple of reasons:
1) Source Material
Lots of movies are based on other source material. In that sense, remaking a film isn’t as different as you think from making a movie based on a book, or making a movie based on a video game, or making a movie based on a comic book (why aren’t all these people complaining how making The Dark Knight was just a lazy thing to do by a Hollywood that’s run out of creativity?)
2) Adaptation is HARD
I know a lot of screenwriters, and a many of them tell me that adapting a piece of work can actually be more difficult creatively than doing something from scratch. Doing a totally original work presents no boundaries to you. You’re free to go or do whatever you want, and so running into obstacles is no big deal because you have a million options. However with adaptations, you’re forced to think more creatively because there is an existing framework you need to stay within. I’m not saying adaptations are BETTER, I’m just pointing out that creatively adaptations can be even more challenging.
3) There Have Always Been Adaptations
For as long as the movies have been around, a certain number of them have been adaptations of other works or even remakes. YES there are more remakes and adaptations today than ever before… but that doesn’t really mean anything because there are more movies in general put out every year than ever before… almost triple the amount from just 13 years ago. I would argue that while there are more remakes today, the proportion is still probably about the same.
So there goes the argument of creativity.
B) IT RUINS THE ORIGINAL
I hear this one all the time and to this day I have no idea what they’re talking about. It’s almost as if they believe that if Uwe Boll decides to do a remake of Sparticus, somehow Kirk Douglas’ performance in the original will mystically become wooden. Somehow the original masterpiece will melt on DVD store shelves everywhere and all we’ll be left with is the Boll rendition. The fact of the matter is that if Boll does a Sparticus remake and it sucks… I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL! The original hasn’t been touched or soiled or sullied or “ruined” in any way shape or form. As a matter of fact, a remake will get people talking about the original again and maybe even influence more people to check out one of the best films ever made that they never would have thought about had the remake not come along.
The only exception to my argument is when George Lucas comes along and actually starts changing the originals… but that’s a blood thirsty rant for another time.
C) REMAKES ALWAYS SUCK
No, as a matter of fact they don’t. As I already mentioned, Ocean’s 11 is better in every way from the original, Sabrina just ruled, where would cinema be today without Al Pacino’s Scarface? But there are other notable ones too. Cape Fear was fantastic and is underrated for how much it has influence a lot of cinema today, Dawn of the Dead is considered by many to be superior to the original. The Fly rocked and I don’t care who says different! The point here is that remakes can and have worked.
Now… do the majority of remakes suck? YES! They absolutely do. But guess what… the majority of movies that get released in general suck, so why should remakes be any different?
Look, I’m not saying we should all jump up and down in an enthusiastic happy dance whenever yet another remake gets announced (For the record, I have little to no hope for the Friday the 13th or Elm Street remakes I the works). All I’m really trying to say here is that I don’t completely understand the massive presumption that remakes in general are a bad idea.
So if you’re someone who hates the idea of remakes, why do you feel that way? If you don’t hate the idea of remakes, why do you think some others do?
Features - by John Campea - August 4, 2008 - 03:56 America/Montreal - 129 Comments
It was, in this writer’s opinion, the single greatest performance given by an actor in the history of the comic book genre of film. It was also the performance of a lifetime which only adds to the tragedy of his early demise. Heath Ledger’s performance playing “The Joker” will long be remembered and long be talked about. A performance so strong, that it makes us forget he’s not with us anymore. A performance so strong that its presentation overshadowed the shock of his passing. A performance that will be his legacy, and one that will probably earn him an Oscar nomination 6 months or so from now.
But as “The Dark Knight” finishes its life at the box office and the excitement of the DVD release comes and goes, we will once again be reminded of the fact that Ledger is not with us any longer. When our thoughts turn once again to the NEXT Batman movie we’ll be revisited yet again by the sad truth that Ledger will not return to play the Clown Prince of Crime.
The question will be raised by some: “Who should be next to play The Joker”? It’s an inevitable and also fair question to ask.
But as much as the asking of the question is certain… one of the responses is just as certain. There will be a great number of people who will answer that question (and indeed are already saying as much) that no one should play the Joker again, because (in their opinion) no one will ever be able to do as well as Ledger did.
That response is understandable due to the brilliance Ledger brought to the role, but it’s also a response I 100% disagree with.
Before I go into the reasons why I reject the idea that “no one will ever be able to play The Joker as well as Ledger did”, let me briefly address another issue I’m hearing some people bring up. Some people are suggesting that having another person play The Joker at this point would somehow be an “insult” or a “slap in the face” to Heath Ledger. That notion to me is utterly absurd.
First of all, do you think Heath Ledger put all his heart and sole into that character, sank so much energy and effort into the role to elevate it and raise the bar… just so the character would be retired if he couldn’t play the part anymore??? That’s sheer nonsense in my opinion. That’s the equivalent of saying “The best way to honor the magnificent career of Michael Jordan and to thank him for what he did for the game of basketball is to shut down the NBA after he retired”. Or “Lance Armstrong was so good at being an inspiration to people in his recovery against cancer, that no one else should ever try to overcome the disease and inspire others”. If WB doesn’t want to use The Joker again because he doesn’t fit into their future story plans, that’s totally fine. But to not use The Joker (who Ledger worked so hard to elevate and raise the bar for) because of some misguided notion that it would somehow be disrespectful to Ledger’s memory is one I reject outright.
Secondly, just because an actor does a wonderful job portraying a character, does not suddenly mean the character BELONGS to that actor. Ledger did his job magnificently… but his job was only one part of brining The Joker to “The Dark Knight”. The director who guided Ledger owns The Joker just as much as Ledger does. The Nolan brothers who wrote all the things that The Joker said and did owns The Joker just as much as Ledger does.
So would getting another actor to portray The Joker in the future be an “insult” to Heath Ledger? No, not even remotely. On the contrary, it could be the greatest honor you could give him.
But now let’s address the main issue here. The notion that no one could ever do as well as Ledger did playing The Joker. As amazing as Ledger was… i reject this idea. So due to the following reasons, here is why I believe Heath Ledger can be replaced as The Joker:
#1 – HEATH LEDGER WAS A GOOD BUT NOT GREAT ACTOR
During his career, Heath Ledger turned in some truly exceptional performances. Brokeback Mountain (which despite how good Ledger was in it, I believe was an overrated movie) and The Dark Knight showed us how good Ledger could be when he was really on his game. But unfortunately, for every one Brokeback performance, there were 2 Casanova’s and The Order’s. For everyone one “The Dark Knight”, there seemed to be two The Four Feather’s and A Knight’s Tales. Ledger was hit and miss. That fact doesn’t detract from his accomplishment as The Joker one little bit… but there are many better actors out there than Ledger, and to suggest none of them have the potential to turn in an even better performance than Ledger did is pretty myopic and short sighted. It’s not to say that anyone WOULD be better… but that there are actors out there who carry the potential to do even better if they were really on their game like Ledger was on his. I’m not saying it’s PROBABLE… I’m saying it’s POSSIBLE.
#2 – WHAT IF GUY PEARCE GOT THE ROLE INSTEAD OF LEDGER?
Let’s play “what if” for a moment. Let’s say that Christopher Nolan ended up choosing Guy Pearce to play The Joker instead of Heath Ledger. Ok, now let’s assume that Pierce did an amazing job (when does Pearce ever do anything less?) playing The Joker, let’s say just 0.0005% less well than Ledger ended up doing. Ok… now follow me here. We’d all be praising Pierce for the great job he did right? Now can you imagine how much you would be laughing at me if I came out of nowhere and said “I bet Heath Ledger would be an even better Joker than Pearce just was”. I would have been laughed out of town. “Pierce’s Joker was perfect” people would be sure to tell me. “No one will ever be able to do it as well as he has”. Yet little do they know that Ledger would have been better… even if only by 0.0005%. It would therefore be naive of us to not acknowledge that out there are some people that would be 0.0005% better a Joker than even Ledger was… and probably names that we would laugh at in our ignorance, just as we would have laughed at Ledger’s name 2 years ago.
#3 – IT CAN ALWAYS BE DONE BETTER
There was a time when it was said no one would EVER be as dominant or equal the accomplishments of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the world of professional bodybuilding. The man won the Mr. Olympia 7 times. You’re an idiot if you think anyone will ever do it better! Yeah well… that sounded safe enough to say until the day Ron Coleman won his 8th Mr. Olympia in a row. Whenever anyone says something has been done as well as it will ever be done… someone comes along and does it better. That’s the nature of things. Remember at the beginning of this post I mentioned that it is my opinion that Ledger’s performance as The Joker is the best performance in the history of the genre? That’s true… but it won’t be forever, or maybe even for long. Someone else will come along, probably someone we don’t really expect, and will beat it… and that’s a great thing to think about if you’re a fan of the genre.
#4 – ONLY CRISPIN GLOVER CAN BE THE JOKER. ONLY LACHY HULME CAN BE THE JOKER…
I remember back before Ledger was cast for the role, the online message boards were filled with casting ideas for The Joker… and usually the word “ONLY” preceded their name. ONLY Mark Hamill can be The Joker. The only person to play Joker is Guy Pearce. No one else other than Crispin Glover can really make the role work. The only person they should consider is Jack Nicholson again! Yeah, everyone had their idea about who the “ONLY” person alive was who could adequately play The Joker. Turns out they were all wrong, because Heath Ledger came in and rocked the hell out of that role. But now people, refusing to learn their lesson, are once again using the word “ONLY”, but this time it’s with Ledger. The lesson here is that there is NEVER “only” one person for a role.
At this point we have no idea if The Joker was even in the plans for the next Batman movie before Ledger died, so all this discussion could be for nothing. My only point here is to say, as great as Ledger was as The Joker (I believe great enough to warrant Oscar consideration), to believe that no one can possibly do it as well or better is completely naive in my opinion. And being aware of that fact is in no way a “slam” on the breathtaking performance he gave us, but rather just a recognition of how life and reality works.
Should they have The Joker in the next Batman flick? That’s a totally different question. Maybe the character doesn’t fit in with the story arch plans they have. But if they do have a story in mind that involves The Joker character, then it is possible that another actor could do the role just as well or even better than Ledger did, and to do so would be honoring and a tribute to the level that Ledger brought that character to in his final, and most brilliant performance.
Features - by John Campea - July 30, 2008 - 10:16 America/Montreal - 60 Comments
Somewhere in Los Angeles right now, Thomas Jane is sitting back in a leather chair, possibly smoking a cigar with one hand and holding a goblet of wine in the other, tilting his head back in a very satisfied state and whispering out loud… “I TOLD YOU SO”.
The 2004 version of “The Punisher” (in which Jane carried the big gun) failed to impress a large audience, but although the movie had some major flaws I ended up having some fun with it and thought the potential was there for an improved sequel. A sequel seemed unlikely considering the lack of box office success that the studio was looking for… but that never stopped Thomas Jane from advocating and campaigning for a sequel. He really liked the character and believed that another Punisher film, with the lessons learned from the mistakes of the first one, could be something pretty special.
Then came the news… there would indeed be another Punisher film… but quickly after that news came he first sign that the project was doomed to fail as the biggest cheerleader for the movie, Thomas Jane himself, thought what he saw coming together was so bad he had to drop out, even though no one wanted the movie more than he did. How badly did he want this movie? This is what he said at the time he dropped out:
“I can’t tell you how completely broken up I am about it. After busting my ass at the gym four days a week for almost two years, watching every character driven action pic that any fan would ask me to watch while I was standing in line buying egg whites and Tuna fish after countless Saturday nights making notes and drinking soda water and munching on seaweed sticks while my daughter slept on my lap to the sound of automatic gunfire, (now she can’t sleep without it. I had to make a tape of automatic gunfire to play in her room at night) after hauling myself to any ‘Guns! Knifes! Ammo!’ show in any small town that I found myself in shooting Killshot or The Mist or Mutant Chronicles, after torn ligaments, screwed up rotator cuffs, thousands of $$$ on ridiculously huge vitamins, overly long conversations with frighteningly tall men about The Fastest Way To Kill Someone With Your Bare Hands, and after a dude refused to sell me a Fatburger at 2am on Santa Monica Blvd, I am, sadly – no, make that heartbrokenly – fuck it – just rip out the heart and stomp it into the pavement a couple of times – pulling out. Punisher fans are already fighting an uphill battle as it is. And I’ve always felt a responsibility to fight that fight for them and with them so that Frank Castle gets the treatment he deserves.”
Now let me be clear here… I’m NOT saying the Prunisher looked doomed because the great Thomas Jane wasn’t going to be in it… I saying that it looked doomed when the guy (whoever that is) who was the most enthusiastic about getting the movie made decided it was looking too horrible for even him to participate in it. That was a BAD sign.
But like all things in Hollywood and the rest of the planet, life moved on and “The Punisher: War Zone” started to take shape. An interesting development with Lexi Alexander coming on as the director (kinda cool to see a woman director fora comic book based action flick) and Ray Stevenson was added as The Punisher himself… but everything else has been dark news.
Early script reviews came out sounding abysmal… the first teaser trailer came out and looked stupid as hell and just failed to capture the Punisher feel… and then came the big hammer… the studio canned the director. Lexi was taken off the project and the editing has been handed over to other people to finish up. YIKES! Can you imagine how bad this thing was looking?
Then at Comic Con they put the Punisher stuff at the most awkward times (an 8pm panel??? Who the hell goes to panels at 8pm?). A press reception at 4pm in the afternoon? It was almost like they were hiding the Punisher at the Con, but didn’t want to flat out cancel their appearance there.
Look, I haven’t seen Punisher: War Zone yet, so I can’t say the movie will suck, nor can I say the movie will rule for certain. However, I can look up at the sky, see tons of dark clouds forming and take a guess that it’s going to rain. Punisher has a lot of dark clouds surrounding it with sounds of rolling distant thunder. I think it’s a pretty safe bet it’s time to pull out your umbrella.
News Chat - by John Campea - July 28, 2008 - 13:39 America/Montreal - 9 Comments
Well, it has come and gone and I’m now sitting at home here in Los Angeles reflecting back on an amazing 2008 Comic Con in San Diego. Comic Con has become something of a holy pilgramage for those belonging to the geek nation. It is Mecca, Jerusalem and Minas Tirith all rolled into one for a proverbial orgy of comics, video games, TV and most importantly (to me) movie culture. And at this Orgy, the spunk is flying!
Something you should know about me when it comes to events like Comic Con that is unlike just about every other movie website out there. I don’t go to “cover” the convention. “Covering” is what news sites do, and as I’ve said a million times, The Movie Blog is NOT a news site… this is a blog. As such, I’m not a reporter… I’m a blogger. I don’t report the news… as a blogger, my job is to communicate my experiences, my opinions, my thoughts and my points of view. Yes, that often means you get all the news, because that’s what I’m giving my opinion on… but there is still a fundamental philosophical difference.
With that in mind… when at an event like Comic Con, my idea of a good time isn’t sitting in line for 3 hours, and then just sitting on my ass in an auditorium for several more hours listening to panels, nor is it to go into a room with 40 journalists and sit at “round tables” as actors and filmmakers all give the exact same quotes. How is that a good use of my time? I can just read what was SAID at the panels on 1000 websites that all say the exact same thing… I can just read what was SAID at the round table interviews that 100 other sites repeat verbatum. I want to EXPERIENCE Comic Con, and you can’t do that while spending most of your time sitting in a chair.
So I made a decision… I wasn’t going to go to any movie panels or do any round table interviews at all. I turned down interviews for Watchmen, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, The Day The Earth Stood Still… yadda yadda yadda… because round table interviews are useless unless you’re a news site… just reporting the exact same thing everyone else is reporting.
I wanted to EXPERIENCE Comic Con… that meant parties, the floor, screenings and meeting people that I was interested in. Sharing lots of pictures and putting up lots of video (although we didn’t put up as much video as we should have).
You see, most other sites just wanted to give you the INFORMATION of Comic Con. Movie Star “A” said this. Movie producer “B” said that. We wanted to give you guys a taste of what it’s like to actually be there. We wanted to communicate a bit of the EXPERIENCE of Comic Con… and I think we did an “ok” job at it. Many things we could have done better… but overall you guys seemed to like the stuff we put up, and I hope on some level it made you feel like you were there.
WEDNESDAY
Doug, Ann and myself arrived in San Diego, checked into our hotel and relaxed for a few hours before Doug and I headed down to the Convention Center to pick up our Press Passes. I was AMAZED at how many people were already there. Officially the Con didn’t start until the next day, but there had to be 50,000+ people there outside already. Doug and I had to stand in line for over 2 hours just to pick up our Press Passes that we were already pre-resistered for. INSANE! They have to improve this for next year.
Once we finally got the passes we went in to see the “special preview night”… which was basically just walking around and seeing the floor. And let me tell you, the floor was IMPRESSIVE! So much to see, so many sights and sounds (and smells of unbathed fanboys as well). The floor was HUGE!!!! It took me 20 minutes just to walk from one end to the other… granted much of that time was due to the human traffic… but it’s still bloody massive. I couldn’t get over the sheer size of the floor. Insane!
Later Wednesday night we took in our first screening of the Con which was Tropic Thunder. The theater was packed out. I wasn’t sure how good the film would be… honestly I thought it would suck and that Robert Downey Jr. would be the only good thing in it. Thankfully I was wrong and the movie ended up being HILARIOUS! You can see my review of the film here.
THURSDAY
Thursday was really all about “The Masters of the Web” panel. I got to sit on the panel with guys like Robert Sanchez (IESB); Garth Franklin (Dark Horizons); Mike Sampson (Joblo); Erik Davis (Cinematical); Brad Miska (Bloody Disgusting); Eric “Quint” Vespe (AICN); Devin Faraci aka The Internet (Chud); Paulington J. Christensen III (Movieweb) and Kellvin Chavez (Latino Review).
Honestly I didn’t think 50 people would show up for it… but by the time we started the panel the room was packed over capacity with people crammed in standing along the walls and a ton of people had to be turned away. It was so much fun. You can see some video from the panel here.
Later in the evening we went and checked out the party put on by G4 Tech TV. The club was nice… but at 10pm they closed the open bar. LAME!!! All of us cheap ass web guys split after that. The funniest moment of the night however (and I don’t think he’ll mind me sharing this) came at about 1am. After leaving the lame G4 party, I was exhausted from the long day and just decided to go back to the hotel to relax. At 1am my phone buzzes with a text message… it was from an already drunk Brian Taylor (one of the Directors of Crank, Crank 2, Game) saying “Dude, we’re fucking shit up over at the Ivy party. Get over here douche bag”. Sadly I was already in bed and didn’t participate in “fucking shit up” that night. :P
FRIDAY
Friday was great… ate at several fantastic restaurants (actually, we ate at great restaurants all week!), did a really fun interview with the girls from “Bitch Slap” (you can see the video here), walked more of the floor and then headed to a midnight screening of “Midnight Meat Train”. The screening was totally sold out within hours of the passes becoming available over a week ago… so it was supposed to be a full house. But the problem was, a lot of people who had passes were exhausted after a full long day of Comic Conning… and the screening was at midnight… so some of the people didn’t show up for it. Now this part is great… when most of us think of Studio Execs, we think of fat lazy bastards who are so out of touch with reality they think Comic Con is a funny criminal. But not Robert Burke, the Senior Vice President over at Lakeshore Entertainment (the production studio behind Midnight Meat Train) decided he wanted people to see this movie… so he PERSONALLY went out into the streets and started handing out free passes to people to come into the theater and watch the movie. I saw him out there and was like “dude… what are you doing out here?”, and he replied “not all the seats are full… why waste them?” That was cool… seeing an exec down to earth enough to personally hit the streets and hand passes out to average folks.
SATURDAY
This is where everything just sort of becomes a blur. Saturday same and went so fast. Once again we hit the Comic Con floor, met people, chatted, ate great food… but really the whole day was about the annual Masters of the Web party later that night on the roof of the Hard Rock Hotel. Over 500 people turned up including TONS of Hollywood A list names. It was a blast. It was so popular, that when I arrived (one of the Masters of the Web) me and my group (Doug, Ann and Kat) couldn’t get in! Thank goodness Robert Burke (yeah, same guy) personally came down to get us escorted in. Rob and Lakeshore were the main sponsors of the party that the crew over at IESB were responsible for organizing.
There was MUCH drinking (no lame open bar closing at 10pm), much partying, and much showcasing the upcoming “Crank 2″ and “Game” movies (which should both be a lot of fun by the way. We had SOOOO much fun. Good times, good times.
SUNDAY
Did NOTHING except sleep in a bit, eat breakfast and drive home.
OVERALL
I had a magnificent time over all. The Con is a bit too crowded though. They need to either find a bigger venue (although I don’t know how that’s possible), increase the price of the tickets to reduce sales, or limit how many tickets they sell, because my one complaint of the event was standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people for hours at a time trying to walk around the floor and seeing people having to stand in line for 4+ hours just to watch a panel. That’s not cool. But I guess if your biggest problem is the size of your success, you must be doing something right!
Comic Con 2009 can’t get here fast enough!
News Chat - by John Campea - July 17, 2008 - 19:05 America/Montreal - 2 Comments
So here’s the deal guys. As most of you know, the biggest geek movie event of the year is next week (Comic Con in San Diego), and as a part of that event, we’re having the grandaddy of parties. The Masters Of The Web party from last year now has its sequel… “THE WRATH OF CON”!!!!!
So who will be at the party? Well:
Jason Statham (Death Race, Crank, Snatch)
Rhona Mitra (Doomsday)
David Goyer (writer of The Dark Knight)
Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Rocky Balboa, Pathology)
Derek Mears (Friday the 13th)
Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Hot Fuzz)
John Cho (Star Trek, Harold & Kumar)
Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)
Sophie Monk (The Hills Run Red)
Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite)
Neil Patrick Harris (Harold and Kumar)
Lena Headey (300, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Thomas Dekker (Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Heroes)
Jamie King (The Spirit, Sin City)
Kyle Newman (director of Fanboys)
Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor (directors of The Game, Crank, Crank 2)
Corey Haim (Lost Boys: The Tribe), Corey Feldman (Lost Boys: The Tribe)
Bai Ling (Crank 2)
Edgar Wright (Director of Hot Fuzz & Shaun of the Dead)
Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar)
And many many many others. Not to mention all your favorite movie website guys (including yours truly)!
HOW CAN YOU GET INTO THIS PARTY TO END ALL PARTIES?
All you have to do is attend the Masters of the Web panel on Thursday, July 24th at 10am in Room 32AB where we’ll be giving away a bunch of invitations to get into the party. It’s just that simple. I think we’re giving like 20 invitations away.
On top of that, you get to hear from some of the best voices in the online movie community like Robert Sanchez (IESB); Garth Franklin (Dark Horizons); Mike Sampson (Joblo); Erik Davis (Cinematical); Brad Miska (Bloody Disgusting); Eric “Quint” Vespe (AICN); Devin Faraci aka The Internet (Chud); Paulington J. Christensen III (Movieweb); Kellvin Chavez (Latino Review); oh… and I’m there too! Moderating the event this year will be frequent “The Movie Blog: Uncut” guests Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine!
So you’ll get an hour of great stories, Q&A and you may even walk away with passes to the best party of the year. Make sure you’re there!
News Chat - by John Campea - July 9, 2008 - 10:05 America/Montreal - 1 Comment
Hey there guys. Comic Con is now just 2 weeks away and I am far more excited about this than any man in his 30’s should be. Last year was my first expedition to the Con, and my only regret was that I haven’t been going to this thing for years.
Now, I’ve already mentioned that Doug and I will be there, and that you can meet us at the “Masters Of The Web” panel happening on Thursday morning… but the whole Thursday schedule has been released and it looks fantastic!. We’ll post up the schedule for Friday, Saturday and Sunday once that information becomes available. There are still SOME tickets left… so grab them quick!
10:00-11:00 Kings: Exclusive Sneak Peek Screening and Q&A with Cast and Executive Producers
Kings is a contemporary re-imagining of the timeless tale of David and Goliath, an epic story of greed and power, war and romance, forbidden loves and secret alliances, and a young hero who rises to power in a modern-day kingdom. Be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek from the two-hour pilot. Moderated by Greg Grunberg (Heroes), the panel includes a Q&A with creator/executive producer Michael Green (Heroes), director/executive producer Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend), executive producer Erwin Stoff (I Am Legend), and the cast: Golden Globe winner Ian McShane (Deadwood), Chris Egan (Resident Evil: Extinction), Susanna Thompson (Star Trek: Voyager), Sebastian Stan (Gossip Girl), and Allison Miller (Seventeen Again). Room 6B
***10:00-11:00 Masters of the Web***
For the second year in a row the biggest genre and movie websites are coming together to discuss how new media have affected movie making, what it takes to run a popular site, and much more in a panel discussion and Q&A session. Participants include Robert Sanchez (IESB.net), Garth Franklin (Darkhorizons.com), Mike Sampson (Joblo.com), Erik Davis (Cinematical.com), John Campea (TheMovieBlog.com), Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com), Eric “Quint” Vespe (Aintitcool.com), Devin Faraci (CHUD.com), Paul Christensen (Movieweb.com), and Kellvin Chavez (Latinoreview.com). Moderated by directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank 2, The Game). Room 32AB
11:00-12:00 The Disney Animation Story Process
Nathan Greno (head of story, Bolt), Don Hall (head of story, The Princess and the Frog), Mark Kennedy (head of story, Rapunzel), Joe Mateo (story artist, Bolt), Michael LaBash (story artist, Bolt), Paul Briggs (story artist, The Princess and the Frog), and Josie Trinidad (story artist, The Princess and the Frog) offer an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into the story process at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Coming together exclusively at Comic-Con, these story team leaders will take you from first concept to final story approval as they discuss the art of storyboarding, re-create story pitches, and share boarding styles from their upcoming animated features. Don’t miss this revealing and humorous panel and your chance to get a sneak peek at Disney’s next animated feature, Bolt! Room 32AB
11:15-12:15 30th Anniversary Battlestar Galactica Panel
Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek/Apollo), Bear McCreary (BG composer), producer Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men), Dr. Kevin Grazier (science consultant), and surprise guests present an in-depth discussion of the Battlestar universe from the classic to the re-imagined and beyond, including BSG trailers and Q&A. Room 6B
11:30-12:30 Hasbro: GI Joe
As Hasbro ramps up for the summer 2009 blockbuster movie release of GI Joe, Aaron Archer (Hasbro Design), Michael Ritchie (Hasbro Marketing), and Michelino Paolino (Hasbro Design) discuss this year’s product line, entertainment, and other initiatives. Panelists will include special guests that you won’t want to miss, plus Q&A! Room 7AB
11:30-1:00 20th Century Fox: The Day The Earth Stood Still and Max Payne
Stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, plus director Scott Derrickson and producer Erwin Stoff, present an exclusive look at The Day The Earth Stood Still, Fox’s contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Keanu is Klaatu, an alien whose arrival on our planet triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance, a woman (Jennifer) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission—and come to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described “friend to the Earth.” Klaatu Barada Nikto. The legendary interactive video game Max Payne comes to the big screen, telling the story of a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murder of his family and partner. Hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal. “Max Payne” himself—Mark Wahlberg—will be on hand with Mila Kunis, Ludacris, and director John Moore to discuss turning the game’s noirish, hard-hitting, and complex world and characters into a movie event. Hall H
11:45-12:45 Knight Rider: First Look at the New Series and Q&A with Cast and Executive Producers
On the heels of NBC’s hit sequel movie based on the iconic 1980s television classic, Knight Rider has been reinvented as a supercharged action series showcasing the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand). Be the first to see exclusive footage from the new series. Moderated by Television Week deputy editor/columnist Josef Adalian, who participates in a Q&A session with executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and The Furious, Las Vegas); executive producer David Bartis (Heist, The OC); and the cast: Justin Bruening (Cold Case), Deanna Russo (NCIS), Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Veronica Mars), Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica), Yancey Arias (Kingpin), Bruce Davison (X-Men) and Smith Cho (Blades of Glory). Room 6A
12:00-1:00 Sideshow Collectibles
Sideshow Collectibles is a leading manufacturer in the world of figure collectibles, with an award-winning artistic team. Sideshow’s product development team offers insights into the newest products and licenses, as well as a Q&A session. Room 2
12:00-1:00 Doctor Who
Writer Russell T Davies (Doctor Who), executive producer Julie Gardner (Torchwood), and writer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) discuss their creative process and experience working on the BBC’s Doctor Who—Britain’s most successful sci-fi franchise—with exclusive clips and a Q&A session. Ballroom 20
1:00-2:00 Torchwood
Writer Russell T Davies (Doctor Who), executive producer Julie Gardner (Torchwood), writer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), and actors John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman discuss their creative process and experience on working on BBC America’s highest-rated show ever—Torchwood— followed by a Q&A session. Ballroom 20
1:15-2:45 Summit Pictures
Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage of some of its upcoming major film releases:
Push—In this futuristic sci-fi thriller set in Hong Kong, a group of young American ex-pats with extraordinary psychic abilities must band together and use their different talents on a final mission to escape a clandestine government agency forever. Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, Camilla Belle and director Paul McGuigan present a first look at exclusive footage and answer questions about the film.
Knowing—An action thriller of global proportions. Director Alex Proyas appears in person to introduce never-before-seen footage for his new major motion picture starring Nicolas Cage.
Twilight—Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book series, Twilight is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a vampire and a mortal. Director Catherine Hardwicke, author Stephenie Meyer, and the cast—including Robert Pattinson (Edward), Kristen Stewart (Bella), Cam Gigandet (James), Rachelle LaFevre (Victoria), Edi Gathegi (Laurant), and Taylor Lautner (Jacob)—answer your questions about bringing the world of these beloved characters to life on the big screen and show exclusive footage from the film. Hall H
2:00-3:00 Red Sonja: One-on-One
Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), Rose McGowan (Grindhouse), Doug Aarniokoski (2nd unit director, Resident Evil 3) and David White (Undisputed 2) are teaming up to bring back the red-headed warrior woman known as Red Sonja. Join Robert, Rose, Doug, and David for this one-on-one interview and Q&A session! Room 6CDEF
2:00-3:00 Spotlight on Jim Woodring: Please Stand By
Comic-Con special guest Jim Woodring (The Frank Book) presents a slide show with commentary providing a rare overview of his life, career, motivations, methods, and dark personal secrets. Q&A session to follow. Room 10
2:15-3:15 Anchor Bay: Jack Brooks Monster Slayer Artists Panel
Preview the upcoming DVD release of Jack Brooks Monster Slayer with star/producer Trevor Matthews, director/co-writer Jon Knautz, producer Patrick White, composer Ryan Shore, creature designer David Scott, and horror icon Robert Englund! Then hear writer/director Daniel Waters (Heathers), Oscar-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (Masters of Science Fiction), and writer/director Robert Hall (Laid to Rest) discuss their latest Anchor Bay projects! Moderated by Shock Til You Drop’s Ryan Rotten. Ballroom 20
3:00-4:00 DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2008
Bill Hunt, Todd Doogan, and Adam Jahnke (The Digital Bits.com, Geek Monthly) discuss the latest DVD and Blu-ray Disc developments and look ahead at upcoming releases. Panelists include Javier Soto (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army), Charles de Lauzirika (Blade Runner, Twin Peaks), Andy Mangels (The Real Ghostbusters, Slimer), Cliff Stephenson (Rambo, Crank 1 & 2), and Robert Meyer Burnett (Shoot ’Em Up, Free Enterprise 2). There will be lots of Q&A, so be sure to bring your questions! Room 5AB
3:00-4:00 Wizard’s First Rule
Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and Ken Biller (Star Trek: Voyager) give you a first look at the upcoming television series Wizard’s First Rule. The one-hour weekly series, premiering in late fall, is based on Terry Goodkind’s bestselling epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, which follows the extraordinary transformation of woodsman Richard Cypher into a magical leader who joins with a mysterious, beautiful woman to stop a bloodthirsty, sinister tyrant. Join Sam and Ken for a moderated interview and audience Q&A session! Room 6B
3:00-4:00 Disney: Race to Witch Mountain
What secrets does Witch Mountain hold? Stars Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino and director Andy Fickman talk about the mysterious, paranormal activity around Witch Mountain. Dwayne, Carla, and Andy will present the first look at the movie and answer audience questions as they talk about the thrilling action-adventure that is set to hit theatres in March 2009! Hall H
4:15-5:15 Afro Samurai: Resurrection Exclusive Worldwide Premiere!
Afro Samurai picks up his sword once again for the second installment of this critically acclaimed, funktastic anime! This action-packed panel features the creators behind the hit, including star and executive producer Samuel L. Jackson (The Spirit), original creator Takahashi Okazaki, musical artist The RZA (Kill Bill), and executive producer Leo Chu (Spike TV). Be the first to see the worldwide premiere of the exclusive Comic-Con trailer, dazzling artwork from the manga, and never-before-seen demos of the pulse-pounding video game. Room 6B
4:15-5:15 Lionsgate/Marvel: Hulk vs. Wolverine
Alberta, Canada: Over the past week, the Incredible Hulk has been tearing a line across the Canadian wilderness, leaving a swathe of destruction in his wake. He has to be stopped, and there’s only one man up to the job. He’s the best at what he does, but what he does isn’t very nice. He’s Wolverine, an elite agent of Canada’s top secret Department H, and he’s been put on Hulk’s trail with a single objective: stop the green goliath…at all costs. Hulk and Wolverine are about to enter the fiercest battle of their lives. And they have no idea that there are a few unpleasant surprises waiting for them on the other side. Meet Craig Kyle (supervising producer/co-writer), Frank Paur (producer/supervising director), Christopher Yost (co-writer), and others involved in this Marvel Animation milestone and watch the complete Hulk vs. Wolverine months before its January 2009 Blu-ray and DVD release! Hall H
4:30-5:30 HBO’s True Blood
Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, True Blood is created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Emmy-winning series Six Feet Under. The series takes place in the not-too-distant future, when, thanks to the invention of synthetic blood, vampires no longer need humans for their fix and can walk freely, if not yet comfortably, among their living counterparts. With their integration into a small Louisiana town causing a stir, a love story ensues between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, the X-Men films; Academy Award winner for The Piano), an innocent waitress with the unusual ability to read minds, and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer, The Starter Wife). The series also features Ryan Kwanten (Summerland), Rutina Wesley (How She Move), Sam Trammell (Judging Amy), and Nelsan Ellis (The Inside). True Blood debuts September 7 exclusively on HBO. Room 6CDEF
4:45-5:45 “SCREAM” Like a Girl
Spike loves women. And the coolest women on the planet are the ones who destroy aliens, defeat serial killers and battle evil villains with their superpowers! In honor of Spike’s Scream Awards 2008—the first and most important televised event that celebrates the genius creative talent behind the powerhouse Hollywood genres of comic books, science fiction, fantasy and horror—Spike brings you a candid discussion of these genres from the women they love, who are poised to rule the fanboy’s universe! Moderator Kevin Smith (Clerks), the brilliant writer, director, and comic book genius hosts an all-female panel of actresses, artists, writers, directors, and producers in a discussion about working in these genres from their unique point of view. Twenty lucky panel attendees will win tickets to the 2008 Scream Awards. Ballroom 20
6:00-7:00 Dark Castle Entertainment
Launched by producer Joel Silver and director Robert Zemeckis, Dark Castle Entertainment was founded to create a unique brand of horror movies inspired by the works of filmmaker William Castle. Recently, Dark Castle entered into an arrangement with CIT Group Inc. to broaden Dark Castle into a full genre label that will include feature films (London-based crime thriller RocknRolla, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Gerard Butler, scheduled to be released in October; Ninja Assassin directed by James McTeigue and starring Korean pop sensation Rain; and Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale), home video (The Hills Run Red starring Sophie Monk, William Sadler, and Tad Hilgenbrinck) and comic books (Ferryman by Marc Andreyko and Jonathan Wayshak). Hall H
5:45-6:45 Showtime: DexteR
Showtime presents exclusives from the set of the highly anticipated third season of Dexter. Moderator Kristin Dos Santos (E!) presides over this revealing interview and Q&A session with the top stars and executive producers of Dexter, featuring Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Clyde Phillips, and John Goldwyn, plus a special guest! Room 6CDEF
6:00-7:00 Life, Death, Life of Star Trek
You’ve heard a lot of hype about sci-fi’s first franchise lately, now it’s time to see what it’s all about and celebrate an illustrious 40 years of boldly going with this regular panel of unpaid, uncensored Treksperts, who pay homage to Trek’s past and future with some special surprises and exclusive audio-visual treats you’ll only see here. Daren Dochterman (ST: TMP Director’s Cut Special Edition), Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise), Jeff Bond (The Music of Star Trek), and moderator Mark A. Altman (Free Enterprise) talk Trek like no one else can…or will. Room 2
6:00-7:00 Devil’s Due Presents: Hack/Slash and Beyond!
Hollywood screenwriter Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) joins Hack/Slash creator Tim Seeley (Halloween: Nightdance) to talk about the new H/S film and his new DDP/Capcom comic book series Bionic Commando. Also featuring director Todd Lincoln, Hack/Slash Annual stars from The Suicide Girls, and a blockbuster surprise guest you won’t want to miss! Room 8
7:00-9:00 Comedy Central TV Funhouse with Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel (Saturday Night Live) and Dino Stamatopoulos (Morel Orel) reunite to discuss the most groundbreaking show to ever hit (and subsequently disappear) from basic cable. Join the guys to relive the glory of the best show you barely remember. Room 6CDEF
7:00-9:00 Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist
Get a look behind the mask of The Spirit creator in this feature-length documentary movie. With a triumphant world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the production features the legendary writer/artist Will Eisner with Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Jules Feiffer, Jack Kirby, Kurt Vonnegut, and many others. Following this unique free movie screening, director/producer Andrew D. Cooke and writer/producer Jon B. Cooke will be available for a dynamic Q&A session. Room 7AB
8:00-8:30 Lionsgate and Marvel: Punisher: War Zone!
Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Incredible Hulk) and stars Ray Stevenson (Rome) and Julie Benz (Rambo, Dexter) take you into the world of the Punisher for an exclusive first look. You won’t be prepared! Room 6B
8:30-9:00 Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures: Saw 5
Join director David Hackl, along with the filmmakers and cast for an exclusive first look at the latest terrifying installment of the most successful horror series in history! Room 6B
8:30-10:00 Star Wars Fan Film Awards
It’s the galaxy-spanning return of a Comic-Con favorite! The Star Wars Fan Film Awards come back to Ballroom 20 as the Thursday night big event. Ballroom 20
9:00-10:00 Repo! The Genetic Opera First Look
See what director Darren Lynn Bousman has been up to since directing the last three Saw movies: Repo! The Genetic Opera. Check out the phenomenon that is this Goth Rock musical with sneak peeks and the new trailer plus stories from Darren and the actors themselves, including Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), and Ogre (the band Skinny Puppy), among others. Room 6B
10:00-12:00 Warner Premiere and Warner Home Video: World Premiere of Lost Boys The Tribe
Prepare to sink your teeth into the long-awaited and highly anticipated next chapter of the cult phenomenon started by the 1987 cult classic, and be the first to see Lost Boys The Tribe before its July 29 DVD release at this special world premiere. More than 20 years in the making, Lost Boys The Tribe is an homage to the original 1987 cult hit and stars Corey Feldman as vampire hunter Edgar Frog, along with Tad Hilgenbrinck, Angus Sutherland, and Autumn Reeser, with appearances by Jamison Newlander and Corey Haim. Meet the cast and filmmakers as director P J Pesce and original Lost Boys star Corey Feldman are joined by Tad Hilgenbrinck, Angus Sutherland, and Autumn Reeser to answer questions and talk about the making of this new horror classic. Ballroom 20.
Features - by John Campea - June 18, 2008 - 08:05 America/Montreal - 15 Comments
Hey guys. For those of you who may be interested and are planning on attending Comic Con 2008 in San Diego this July, it looks like I’ll (John) be speaking on the “Masters of the Web” panel (yeah I know, it’s kind of an egotistical name for the panel… makes me feel like I should be holding aloft He-Man’s sword of power or something) on the very first day of the convention. More details to follow.
The panel will take your questions about anything and everything ranging from the role the web now plays in Hollywood, how we do what we do, behind the scene stories… ect. ect. ect.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE MASTERS OF THE WEB PANEL:
1) If you’re into the movie web community, this is actually one hell of an impressive line up on the panel (aside from me that is). The guys I’ll be joining on the panel are:
- Eric “Quint” Vespe (Ain’t It Cool News)
- Robert Sanchez (IESB.Net)
- Garth Franklin (Dark Horizons)
- Devin Faraci (CHUD)
- Mike Sampson (JoBlo)
- Erik Davis (Cinematical)
- Brad Miska (Bloody Disgusting)
- Paul Christensen (MovieWeb)
- Kellvin Chavez (Latino Review)
So basically you’re looking at the online All-Star team (I’m the bat boy I guess)
2) We’re giving Away 20 passes to the Masters Of The Web Party on Saturday night. TRUST ME… this is THE party to be at for Comic Con. The party is by INVITATION ONLY. A number of Celebs were there last year, and this year there will be even more of them and other VIPs. This is the ONLY way regular Comic Con attendees can get into this party and you want to be there. Here are just a couple of Family Friendly pics from last year’s party:
This is a pic of me and Mike Davis (Director of the Clive Owen film “Shoot Em Up”)
(I really can’t show you any more)
3) See exclusive footage of the upcoming Jason Statham movie “Crank 2″ and the upcoming Gerard Butler film “The Game”. The Masters of the Web panel session is the ONLY place at Comic Con convention attendees can see this stuff.
4) We’ve asked our friends Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Directors of “Crank”, “Crank 2″, “The Game” and the upcoming WB movie “Jonah Hex” to moderate the panel discussion. If you ever watched one of the Uncut Live episodes with these guys on… you know they’re hilarious live.
5) Since the panel is at 10am, Doug Nagy and I are inviting any Movie Blog readers who attend the panel to join us for lunch afterwards. This will be a good chance for you to get together with other TMB readers, to tell Doug Nagy to his face you’re offended by all his swearing, and to tell me how wrong I am about Tim Burton and just about everything else. Good times good times!
So come to Comic Con, and join us for the “Masters of The Web” panel (iiiiii… haavveeee… the pooowweerrrr!). It’ll be a great way to meet folks and get Comic Con 2008 kicked off! Hope to see you there.
