... When they change stuff in the comic book to make it match the movies? Ok look, I understand the corporate robot-think that leads to comic book companies doing this, but I find it contemptible and I'll never agree with it. And that's not just nerd-rage talking, the way I see it, its a really shortsighted and stupid thing to do.
300 was one of the biggest genre changing movies of the last 20 years... it further pushed the comic book adaptions into the stratosphere and helped jump start the career of visionary director Zack Snyder. Snyder may not be everybody's favorite director, but his techniques and visual effects output is unmatched. 300 actually made Frank Miller & Lynn Varley's original comic come to life, and the action sequences literally are adapted shot for shot. Gerard Butler & Lena Hedley (among many others) had their careers launched into orbit, and it seemed like there would be sequels abound to follow. Talk about a follow up comic from the original creators started immediately, and even talks of where to take the direction of the film franchise were on the rise. But with the delay of 'Xeres' (the follow up comic from Miller & Varley) coming fast and frequent, Warner Brothers decided to stop waiting and start filming. So 300: Rise of An Empire is a film that is set in the world of Miller's creation, yet not the direct of a comic that the first film was. We got a new director (Noam Murro) and a full new cast (with the exception of Xeres, played again by Rodrigo Santoro) to tell another story during the Greek/Persian war. Good lawd, Eva Green is looking right! The movie pops off on March 7th, and I for one can't wait. The previews look good, and if it is nearly as much fun as the 1st film than I will be completely entertained. Check out this clip that was released by the studio, a kind of combo trailer/behind the scenes of things to come. You can see it after the jump...
Independent comic companies are a plentiful bunch, but there are a few of the so called 'smaller' companies that are putting out tons of great material to compete with Marvel & DC. Image is riding high with The Walking Dead, which helps fund a plethora of their other creator owned books. Dark Horse is the other major player in the second wave of comic publishers. They have a monster property in Hellboy, and they use that main character to drive most of the titles they offer. Due to Hellboy's horror/supernatural influences, Dark Horse tends to dabble into this area more often then not. One of the cooler titles that they have come out with is 'Beasts of Burden, which is a title that appeared in a bunch of 'Dark Horse Presents...' collections and a mini series of its very own, as well as a cross over one shot with Hellboy. The base of the story is a group of five dogs and a cat who investigate paranormal activity in the town of Burden Hill. The book is extremely well written by Evan Dorkin and drawn by Jill Thompson, and it is a lot of fun. Now it is possibly getting the big screen treatment from Shane Acker, the director of the the underrated CGI/animated movie '9'...
Check out more from the official press release after the jump...
Another month, another cool ass video from my boy Dave and the Exophrine team. In the past they have taken on cars, guns, and all sorts of other topics, but this month Exophrine is taking a look at some of the greatest romances to ever grace the comic book movie screen. To be honest, romance in comic book movies is just as important as villians and plot points... the significant other (and rescuing of that other) has long been a returning trope, so it's great that Dave chose to focus on that. Enjoy the video after the jump, and go over to Exophrine and show the guys some love. Tell em CCD sent ya....
This is a funny story. Isaiah Mustafa, the guy from the awesome 'Old Spice' commercials ("look... I'm on a horse") has it in his head that he wants to play Luke Cage (Power Man) in a big screen version of the Marvel Comic. While there has been some talk of giving Cage a shot for a solo feature, rumors are that Idris Elba might get the nod. Elba was cast in 'Thor' as Heimdall the Gatekeeper and he absolutely killed it. Judging by the way Marvel likes to dig back through their older movies for stars on their newer projects, I was leaning towards Elba for Cage as well. So who will be the "Hero for Hire" on the big screen?
It looks like Mustafa ain't waiting around to lose the role to Elba, who already has a foot through the door. Mustafa put together this faux trailer for a Power Man movie and it looks pretty cool. Take a look for yourself:
Now that's how you go after it!!! I would have liked Mustafa to look a bit bigger (Cage is gigantic), but that can probably be fixed with some CGI. My only beef is that he should have wore the silver headpiece from the vintage (70's/80's) Cage comics.
I know Luke Cage isn't rocking that look anymore, but Mustafa would have score major points with Quesada and the gang over at Marvel. Who do you think Power Man should be? Tell us in the comment section below.
Jaimie Alexander is the success story that you like to hear about in Hollywood... well, lets just say she is on her way to being the success story that everyone likes to hear about. She attained some level of recognition as the Jessi, the sidekick of Kyle on the ABC Family TV show Kyle XY. Then she starred in two horror movies, Rest Stop and Hallowed Ground. She has made appearances on many hit TV shows, such as Bones, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and CSI: Miami. But now she is about to make that leap that all young actresses hope to make... full fledged star. She is lighting up the big screen in Marvel Comics smash hit 'Thor' as Lady Sif, and she absolutely rocks it. Next she will be appearing on the hit Showtime series 'Nurse Jackie' opposite Edie Falco, and in the movies 'Savannah' & 'Loosies'. Sky is the limit for this raven haired goddess... my guess is you will be seeing alot more of that beautiful beauty marked face in the future. Just remember where you saw her first....
***Click Read more below to see more of Jaimie Alexander***
I went to a midnight screening of Thor on Thursday night with my CCD partners in crime Tommy Lombardozzi and Jeff Bond (and my man Jon as well... whatup Jon!!!) and I couldn't be happier. This is what being a geek is all about, no? Late night movies before anyone can ruin it for you by telling you what happens or posting on Facebook about key plot points... if you see it before everyone then you got the advantage. At least that's what I keep telling myself after all these years... but I digress.
Your welcome ladies...
The movie was pretty awesome, and I am not one to say something like that lightly. I can honestly say that I can like something without being totally enamored by it. I am definitely not somebody who has to ABSOLUTELY love something in order to give it some credit. Thankfully, Thor was not one of those movies that I had to worry about. I loved it... all 'round loved it! Here are a few reasons why:
They got the little details right. The Rainbow Bridge leading out of Asgard was stunning. I envisioned them getting this wrong and seeing a huge gaybird bridge... that would have been devastating. The smaller details in a wide sweeping movie like this are what really drive home the point.
The characters all looked the part. Chris Hemsworth is Thor... shit, I can't see him playing ANYTHING else beside Thor. Portman was believable as a scientist. 'The Warriors Three' looked amazing, very comic book accurate. Future OHC (later this week... your welcome!) Jaime Alexander was stunning as Sif. Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins were perfect as elder gods. And that brings me to my next point...
The Frost Giants!!!!!! Amazing... just amazing. They looked creepy as hell, their world was unreal, and that creature that they had chasing Thor & the crew was a CGI masterpiece. Very well done.
The fight scenes were plentiful and were quite satisfying. Good action... thats what I want from these movies.
It was funny... these are COMIC books after all. There needs to be some humor in these movies, and Thor finds a way to incorporate humor into the plot without being overlay cheesy. I love the fish-out-of-water portions of the story. Very funny stuff.
Kat Dennings can still get it, despite the fact they made her look like an early 90's grunge reject... boobies don't lie son!!!
The helmets rocked... super accurate yet not ridiculous. I always liked Loki's helmet, and they did it just right.
I loved the 'after the movie' scene... seems to allude to the Capt America movie... looking forward to how it all fits together. 'Cosmic Cube'... yes please!!!
This was an wonderful movie that I couldn't recommend enough. If you are an old fan of Thor or new to the character, this movie is sure to make for some viewing pleasure at the movies. Summer movie season is upon us... comic nerds rejoice!!!
