Evolution Of... by Jeff Victor

Jeff Victor is a terrific artists who obviously loves movies. He is trying to figure out a way to portray some of his favorite film characters in an interesting and original light, so he decided to go with a timeline format for some of our favorite actors & actresses. This allows him to draw someone like Tom Hanks in a plethora of characters that he has portrayed over the years. I think this is a cool idea, and shows us just how much a characters roles have varied over the years. You can see a ton of his timeline pieces and other fantastic art that he has to offer by clicking over to his page, or you can continue after the jump and see my faves in his 'Evolution Of...' series...

One Of My Favorite Properties Of All Time Is Coming To Fruition...

... and frankly it is looking fucking fantastic. The Lone Ranger was and always will be one of the first pop culture properties I can ever remember watching. I also remember being 3 or 4 years old and having the toys & playset for the show, complete with horses Silver & Scout. Tonto & The Lone Ranger are the two first action figures I ever had... before G.I. Joe, He Man, Star Wars and my full on 3 ft metal Voltron robot. Those guys provided me with a ton of memories, and the original show was always on in re-runs during my childhood. So when they announced a reboot of the franchise from Gore Vebrinksi & Jerry Bruckenheimer (the guys behind Pirates of the Caribbean) and said that the movie would star Armie Hammer & Johnny Depp... well, I was in. Plagued by budget issues and other shooting problems in a post John Carter movie making world, the film has been a bit troubled. So when I saw this fantastic new trailer for the film (clocking in at over 2 minutes) I was reassured. As you should be. Can;'t wait for this movie this summer. Enjoy the trailer after the jump...

So 'Dark Shadows' Is Gonna Take The Campy Route... Wait, What????

Wow... I don't exactly know what just happened. I just watched the 2.5 minute trailer that was just released for Tim Burton's upcoming film Dark Shadows and I don't really exactly know how I feel. This is completely NOT what I expected... but I am not that upset by it. As a fan of the original show (I have watched over 300 episodes of the original show on Netflix) I was eager to see what someone as talented as Tim Burton would do with a stellar cast and a cult classic property. I saw all the stills of Johnny Depp as Barnabas, looking very reminiscent of the old Barnabas Collins. I saw the amazing cast consisting of people like Michelle Pfiefer, Jackie Earle Haley, Chloe Moretz, Eva Green, Helena Bohnam Carter, and many more... and it looked fantastic. Very dark and brooding, true to the gritty feel of the show. Then you see the video for the trailer, and you get something right out of left field. Click after the jump to see the trailer and then hear my reactions...

'I'd Buy That...As a Tee!' Vol 20

Always on the look out for inspiring art... emblazoned across the chest of humanity. Here's some of the t-shirts I have my eye on to do just the trick but, there's only one problem....they aren't for sale yet! Please click the links below to the Threadless.com voting pages for each and give these beauties '5' ratings so I can throw 'em on my charge card one day.

***Please click READ MORE below for more terrific tees from Threadless!***

Bat Country by Dann Matthews

Wonderful 8-Bit rendition of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas by artist Dann Matthews. Courtesy of Popped Culture (Whatup Jeremy!!!)

OHC of the Day: Astrid Berges-Frisbey

This french stunner is exactly what I am looking for when I pick the Obscure Hot Chick of the Day. I am looking for newcomers or relatively unknown (to the masses anyway) actresses who I feel will someday (probably soon) make a splash in the industry. How better could an actress make a splash then to play a mysterious mermaid in Pirates of the Caribbean 4? See what I did there? Anyway, this french model went through a ton of auditions for the role of Syrena in what producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Rob Marshall are hoping to be another trilogy of Pirate movies. She only appeared in one other movie, The Sea Wall, which I have never seen. I have yet to see Pirates 4 (It came out last night for Christ sakes!), but seeing the beautiful Astrid on the screen is sure to make the movie much more enjoyable.

***Please click Read more below to see more of the lovely Astrid Berges-Frisbey***

Johnny Depp Through The Years

 

 I had to jack this one from Jeremy over at Popped Culture... in honor of Pirates 4 that will be released today!

Kermit The Frog Live From The Black Carpet Of The Pirates of the Carribean Movie Premiere

In some more Muppet news, I came across this little gem, from the premiere of 'On Stranger Tides.' Kermit gets the exclusive with all the attending celebs, including Johnny himself.



Johnny Depp and Kermit the Frog. Nerdgasm! What better interviewer could you ask for than the former 'News Flash' correspondent?

Meet Your New Lone Ranger... It's Armie Hammer!!!

I have to admit I am a bit excited about this. I always liked the Lone Ranger when I was a child, and when I heard that Gore Verbinski got his 'Pirates of the Carribean' star Johnny Depp into the role of Tonto I didn't need much else to convince me. But at the end of the day, the star of the show is always gonna be the guy playing the famous masked man that shouts "Hi-yo Silver... AWAY!!!"... so who better to give the part in Disney's newest version of the classic charcater to one of the rising stars of Hollywood, Armie Hammer.

Hammer is probably most well known for playing both of the Winklevoss twins in "The Social Network". He really brought those characters to life and played the smooth rich kid (s) well opposing uber geek Marc Zuckerman (Jesse Eisenberg) about stealing the idea of Facebook from them. What most people do not know is that Armie almost became a full blown star a few years back when he was tapped to play Batman/Bruce Wayne in the massive Justice League movie that never took off.

The proposed cast for the failed Justice League movie...

That one never worked out (Thanks alot DC Comics... meh!) and Hammer chipped away acting in all sorts of stuff until he hit the jackpot with 'The Social Network'. It's good to see him get a shot at a tentpole film and possible franchise starter. Good luck Armie... Be on the look at for this one sometime in the next few years (I can't believe I just typed that... grrrrrr!!!).

These Two Tentpole Movies Are Shaping Up Nicely...

In the last few days, we have seen the trailers for two of next years most geek related movies. First, we had 'Thor', and now we have 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides'. Both looked really good, and despite the fact that we got a long time to wait, and many films coming out before them, I can't help but be super intrigued by them. Here are a few things I liked about each of them.

First, we have The Mighty Thor:

My Thoughts:

1. I love Agent Coulson. He is starting to shape up as a bad ass agent. I am looking forward to him being an integral part of The Avengers Initiative.
2. Asgard looks fantastic... just spectacular.
3. All the armor and helmets look comic book accurate, but not overly ridiculous. Thor's helmet scared that shit out of me... I thought for sure he was gonna look like a dick with a metal helmet and duck wings with feathers on the sides. Definitely not the case.
4. Chris Hemsworth is Thor...'nuff said. Better yet, Thor is playing an actor named Chris Hemsworth on Earth right now.
5. The Frost Giants, The Destroyer Armor, and Loki look fucking amazing. Villains tend to be these comic book adaptations downfall... and this does not look likely here.

Next, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'

And now, my thoughts:

1. Captain Jack Sparrow as a prisoner. My favorite scenes from this series always come when Jack is in the capture of someone... and he finds a way to worm out of it.
2. Penelope Cruz... damn son!!!!
3. Blackbeard aka Ian McShane. I was not a huge fan of Deadwood (I know, I know... I am the ONLY one in the world who didn't like it) but I definitely loved every scene McShane was in. He is gangster... and now he will bring that wickedness to the high seas.
4. Dropping Keira Knightley & Orlando Bloom. Those two had a great storyline through three movies, but that was enough. If Disney is going back to the well for a 4th, 5th and 6th film (that's the rumor), then its good they chose to gravitate away from that completed storyline. Maybe Bloom can make a cameo as the captain of  The Flying Dutchman.
5. Mermaids, Zombies and action... oh my!!! These twists look great. Bring it on!!!

So, there you go. We'll see how it goes next year. Are you guys excited to see these films? Why? Tell us in the comment section below!!!

OHC of the Day: Amber Heard

Can one actress save Nic Cage from bankruptcy (and lunacy), John Carpenter from making another shitty horror movie (have you seen Ghosts of Mars?) & help Johnny Depp from becoming known as someone who can only make Pirate movies all in one year? If anybody can do it, its gonna have to be Amber Heard. She is all set to star with Cage in Drive Angry 3-D, alongside Depp in The Rum Diaries, and will be the lead character in John Carpenter's newest film, The Ward. Thats why we are featuring her now... cause in about 3-6 months, she is about to be Megan Fox circa two years ago status. Heard has posed in Maxim, FHM, Italian GQ (the black haired pics below... wow!) and Details (among many other mags), and she has had some small parts in some great movies. Remember the two hot blondes that made Anton Yelchin happy to be kidnapped in Alpha Dog? Remember that next door neighbor that Jesse Eisenberg was so head over heals in love with... right up until she tried to eat his face in Zombieland? How about Seth Rogen's unbelievably hot teen age girlfriend in Pineapple Express? Yup, all three of those roles were Heard. You have seen her... but do you know her? Probably not. Check out the indie horror movie All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, and also be on the lookout for And Soon The Darkness with fellow young (and possible future OHC) Odette Yustman. The Rum Diaries, The Ward, and Drive Angry 3-D all open later this year and early 2011. Get familiar people... these blonde locks and beautiful smile ain't going nowhere!!!

***Please click Read more below to see more wonderful pictures of Amber Heard***

I Have A New NetFlix Obsession, But This One Is Going To Take Awhile...

Everyone who knows me and has been following the blog knows that I am a huge fan of the NetFlix instant streaming feature on my Wii. Since I am a teacher and on summer vacation, I have found myself watching an inordinate amount of old television shows and movies using the service. I have long been interested in the 60's and early 70's classic soap opera/horrorfest known as Dark Shadows, but was always scared away by the sheer number of shows in the series. When I first saw the DVD's, there were 40 episodes on each one... and over 20 volumes!!! The show only aired for 5 years (form 1966-1971) but was on everyday, 5 days a week. The result is over 1,225 episodes. Talk about a job that I am undertaking... I must be f'n crazy!!!

The show always had a supernatural side to it, right from the beginning with ghosts and mythical creatures like the Phoenix playing integral parts of the story. But in episode 210, we are introduced to Barnabas Collins. Barnabas is a long lost relative of the Collins family, but he is a vampire. The character was greatly accepted and the shows popularity took off through the roof. The writers went on to throw the full gamut of horror characters into the mix. Werewolves, witches, sea monsters, time travel, zombies... you name it, Dark Shadows had it. They also used classics by H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe as inspiration for story lines. The DVD's of the show even start off at episode 210, basically ignoring the first 209 episodes and acknowledging that the show really start with the intro of Barnabas. What makes the show so appealing to me is that they were getting away with this type of content on DAYTIME TV IN THE 1960'S!!!! My girlfriends mom and my pops both told me how they used to race home from school to watch the show at 4pm everyday.

Now there is talk that Tim Burton is going to remake the classic show into a movie with Johnny Depp in the Barnabas role. They were both big fans of the show, and filming starts in a few months. So I decided to start the viewing... sheshhhhh!!!! All 20 volumes are on Netflix Instant Streaming, and I am 10 episodes into the 1,000 + episodes I am set to watch. (I started at episode 210 with Barnabas) They are roughly 20 minutes long... oh boy, this is sick. I'll keep you posted on my journey.... long live the night!!!!!!

NYC Subway Ads For Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland... Wow!!

So I was walking down the stairs from the J train on Essex St to transfer to the F train, and I ran smack into this huge display ad for Alice in Wonderland that was not there yesterday. Three separately framed posters, all over 7 feet high, portray a variety of characters from the film. I froze and marveled at the hugeness of the posters and then realized I had to photo this. So I pulled out my MyTouch and made the magic happen. The lighting sucked and I didn't have a photography lamp handy, so the quality of the pics is not great. I know I could have probably found these photos online in HD quality, but I feel like these shots better represent my experience of seeing the ad for the first time in person... you can even see me in the reflections a little bit!!!

Alice and The White Rabbit



The Mad Hatter



Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, The White Queen and Red Queen


The movie comes out on March 5, 2010 and will be presented in Imax 3D... I Included a link to the trailer (below) cause Youtube will not let me embedded it, sorry. I think it looks great. Burton is perfect at this type of weird shit, and if you ever read the original book by Lewis Carrol... well lets just say that my man Lewis probably made Pookie from New Jack City look like Barack Obama... just saying, Burton is definitely a good fit for this one. Will you go see it ??? What do you think looks the coolest in the trailer??? Holla back kiddies...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA&feature=channel