Entertainment Weekly’s Comic Con issue drops tomorrow, and they’ve graced the cover with the clearest shot of Jaimie Foxx as Elctro so far. I’m pretty sure fan reactions to the way Electro looks will be mixed, but I personally like it quite a bit. Definitely looks a lot like Electro from Ultimate Spider-Man, don’t you think?
So, what do you think? Too much? Too blue? Just right? Or are you ticked that they didn’t go with the classic green and yellow suit?
According to Vin Diesel’s Facebook Page, he has now officially met with Marvel Studios assumably for a role in an upcoming Marvel/Disney film:
“Marvel meeting today, only the people in the room can tell you what was discussed…P.s. Thanks to Our page, for pushing to make it happen… you know I get tunnel vision with my work… and after that meeting today… wow!”
He also included the following picture:
This, of course, raises the question: “Who could Vin Diesel be playing?!”
Two possible hints from his post point to two different characters. In his post, he uses the word Vision – of course, not in any context that would imply that that is the role he is up for, but perhaps it was a word used for a very specific reason? In the photo, he is standing in front of a poster of an Avengers comic book cover that prominently features Giant Man (Henry “Hank” Pym) – perhaps this was intentional? Maybe this is more a hint towards that this mystery role will be in the Avengers sequel? At this point, this is speculation border-lining grasping at straws; it’s not like the word “vision” isn’t a common word in the English language and I’m sure the Marvel Studios headquarters’ walls are plastered with posters like the one seen in this photo.
I quite like Vin Diesel and his films and think he would make a fine addition to the Marvel Movie Universe. Could I see him playing Hank Pym? Not really, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t work – hell, I didn’t think Chris Evans would make that great of a Captain America and look how that turned out. It will definitely be interesting to see if he picks up a part in a future Marvel film, perhaps we will hear something at Comic Con? . . .
Which Marvel character do you think Vin Diesel should play in the Marvel Movie Universe? Sound off in the comments below!
I wasn’t allowed to watch horror movies when I was a kid; my first experiences with any of the classics like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and the others didn’t take place until well into adult hood. That said, the one movie cover that scared the crap out of me when I was younger despite having never seen it was Child’s Play. While I eventually watched the whole series and got a few chuckles out of the black humor that they tried to infuse into Bride and Seed of Chucky, the fact remains that I have an irrational fear of ventriloquist dummies and dolls, so the idea of one coming to life and killing people absolutely terrifies me even to this day.
It would appear the writers of the reboot of Child’s Play are looking to play on that same fear with The Curse of Chucky, coming our way on DVD and Blu-Ray this October. Here’s a peek at the trailer.
Please to enjoy.
Behold! The first poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier has hit the internet!
While it’s pretty basic stuff, the image of the shield with all of the paint chipped off is pretty cool and could mean a lot of things. Is Cap putting in overtime fighting the world’s villainy? Does the shield perhaps lack the ol’ red, white, and blue to signify something else? Or did he just scrape it off to better match his new blue and white duds for this film? Maybe Cap is just more fashion-forward than any of us thought . . .
Knowing Marvel, I’m sure there is some meaning to this, and if you are familiar with the Winter Soldier story line from the comics I’m sure you have a dozen ideas in your head as to what the significance of this is. With Comic Con just around the corner I’m sure we will be getting some more details about what to expect from this film aside from the numerous set photos we’ve been seeing. Of all the Marvel movies on deck leading up to The Avengers sequel, I think this is the one I am most excited for and I am very optimistic that we will see a great film adaptation of this titular story line.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters on April 4, 2014.
UPDATE: In the wake of the backlash of the call for a boycott of the Ender’s Game movie, Orson Scott Card has released the following statement regarding his views on the issue of gay rights and marriage:
Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984. With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute.
Considering how intense his original view on the government recognition of gay marriage has been in the past (again, he called for the overthrow of any said government), one has to wonder how intense the pressure was to make him change his stance. Either that or the potential paycheck is much bigger than he had originally thought.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The national LGBT group, Geeks OUT, is asking people to “Skip Ender’s Game” due to the virulently homophobic views of the book’s author, Orson Scott Card. Geeks OUT says,
Skip Ender’s Game is a call to action. Do NOT see this movie! Do not buy a ticket at the theater, do not purchase the DVD, do not watch it on-demand. Ignore all merchandise and toys. However much you may have admired his books, keep your money out of Orson Scott Card’s pockets … By pledging to Skip Ender’s Game, we can send a clear and serious message to Card and those that do business with his brand of anti-gay activism — whatever he’s selling, we’re not buying. The queer geek community will not subsidize his fear-mongering and religious bullying. We will not pay him to demean, insult, and oppress us.
Those words may seem a little harsh, but people need to keep in mind that OSC is not just an author who happens to dislike gay people. We’re talking about a man who sits on the board of the extremely homophobic National Organization for Marriage, who has gone on record stating that homosexuals are rapists and pedophiles, that they should be punished in a court of law (he went on later to say his words were taken out of context), and that any government that supports gay marriage needs to be destroyed. No, this is a far right nut — a fact not lost on Summit Entertainment who is putting out the film.
If you’re going to Comic Con this year and see the Ender’s Game panel or exhibit, you’ll notice that OSC is pointedly absent. One would think that having the author there would be important for the fans (just look at George R. R. Martin with Game of Thrones), so it’s rather telling that OSC was not invited to appear. It’s not far fetched to guess that Summit knew the reaction to his presence would be detrimental to the experience and told him to stay the hell away, so I’ll be very surprised if we see or hear anything out of him throughout the premiere and release of this movie — everyone knows he’s a liability.
The struggle for me is that Ender’s Game was one of the most important and formative books of my childhood and remains extremely influential to me even now as an adult; hell, I have an ‘Ender’ tattoo on my right arm! Thus, my desire to see a movie I’ve been waiting for almost my whole life is clashing like hell with the ideology of the idiotic and insane author who created it.
One thing people need to understand is that boycotts don’t work; they sound neat, get everyone riled up around a cause, but in the end, don’t really do much. Remember, there’s no such thing as bad publicity; the moment one person says they’re going to boycott something, it makes another person go out and see/buy whatever is being boycotted simply because they’re being told not to.
So I’m not going to boycott the movie. What I AM going to do, aside from seeing it at a press screening, is make a donation to a local LGBT charity to more than match every dollar I spend on the movie or blu ray (thanks to KMC1138 for the idea). This way, the people directly involved who worked hard on this project and deserve respect for their work (actors, director, etc) get their due while ensuring that the scales stay tipped on the side of equality and not this mad man. Is it a compromise? Yes, but it works out for everyone and is something that seems just to me.
After the abysmal failures of the late 90s, Disney’s hand drawn animation efforts had taken a turn for the worst and no one expected much from them. But from 2000 to 2002, they came out with a trifecta of movies that defied expectations and, to my mind, resurrected their hand-drawn talents for a while longer.
All three movies that came out in that period were re-released on Blu-ray recently (along with their cheapquels of less quality.)
Each of them are worth owning and re-watching. All of them look stunning on Blu-ray. All of them are a delight.
We’ll take them chronologically.
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Off the heels of the well received but fairly standard retelling of Tarzan from the year before, The Emperor’s New Groove was something different altogether. Settling in with a highly stylized indigenous South American vibe, the film took all of the things I hated about Hercules and seemed to make them good, somehow. Like Hercules, it has too much anachronistic pop culture and self-awareness to it, but instead of being annoying, this film makes it charming and timeless.
David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, and Patrick Warburton assembled to create a memorable voice cast that still gets quoted around my house to this day because the film is just so fun and funny. On rewatching, it still has a very breathless pacing to it that helps. And, like I said, it takes the weaknesses of Hercules, does them right, and turns them into strengths.
Perhaps they’d been paying attention to the Pixar model and fashioned a story that works on a variety of levels, with jokes that still go over the heads of my children and land squarely on my funny bone.
This film belongs in your collection, for sure.
Moving on to my favorite of the three films released:
Atlantis was as much a departure from The Emperor’s New Groove as The Emperor’s New Groove was from Tarzan. The directors took the bold adventure storytelling of Disney’s early live-action films and married it with the visual style of Mike Mignola and created a pulpy steampunk-like adventure, years before it had hit the mainstream.
Rewatching this film, I truly believe it was ahead of its time. The storytelling is fantastic, it’s equally funny and dramatic, it feels like the period it’s set in, and, above all, the visuals are gorgeous.
The story revolves around Milo Thatch, voiced by the always great Michael J. Fox, and his quest to find the lost city of Atlantis with the help of mercenary adventurers. The voice cast is filled out with the likes of Don Novello, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy, and Corey Burton, making it truly pop. It took risks most Disney films don’t, as well, making it all the more daring and alluring to an audience member like me. There’s a femme fatale character, strong and sultry. There’s a good guy turned villain in a twist with a voice perfect for the part. There’s just the right mix of comedy and adventure and excitement and it culminates into a battle the likes of which was clearly inspired by Star Wars.
It’s a breathtaking film and truly the first time I saw Mignola-like images moving in a way that seemed organic.
This is an underrated masterpiece of Disney animation and I hope it stops being overlooked.
This is definitely worth picking up for your collection. Immediately. Watch it and I dare you to tell me otherwise.
Last on the list of this renaissance is:
This film is a fun sci-fi adventure with a heart, set in a very stylized, water-color backgrounded Hawaii. The main protagonists are a bratty little girl and a bratty little alien who learn lessons about loyalty and who they are and what the meaning of family is.
This film works for me to a degree. It’s not one I rewatch with any regularity, the story after a few viewings seems bland, but that’s not really what you’re watching it for. For my money, this film shines the most in the animation and vibe. Who would ever think to match beautiful water-color backgrounds of Hawaii and the tone set by Elvis music to a science fiction fish out of water story? The vibe is the thing I love the most about this movie and it’s the thing I’m saddened to see go the most with this push for all 3D animated filmmaking.
There’s a charming warmth to the look and feel that you simply can’t replicate with 3D animation.
I do like this movie, but it’s the least of these three. It’s one my kids like much more than I do, and will probably watch it much more often than I do.
If you want this movie, don’t hesitate to add it to your collection as well.
If you missed the part of the headline of this post that said “SPOILERS!”, then here is your final warning that there are potential Amazing Spider-Man 2 spoilers in this post. They may just be rumors, but you have been warned.
Still with me? Great. Here we go.
It has been previously reported that we will, in fact, see the Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 along with Electro and Rhino. There are rumors that they are building up to a showdown between Spider-Man and the movie version of the Sinister Six and these villains will fill three spots on that roster, presumably to be joined by others in the following movie(s). Chris Cooper is on board to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (in a supposed Iron-Man-like armor thing), but Movie Web is reporting that it will not be Norman Osborn who becomes the Green Goblin, but instead his son Harry, played by Chronicle‘s Dane DeHaan.
Movie Web also notes that the climax of the film will take place in an Oscorp power plant and that Gwen Stacy’s “death” will only be a “fake out” in this film – her “real” death will come in either Amazing Spider-Man 3 or 4. And finally, they also note that there will be a post-credits stinger (mini-movie) that will lead directly into the next film.
How’s that for some potential spoilers for you?!
Marc Webb tweeted all sorts of on-set pictures and teases during the shooting of Amazing Spider-Man 2, and couple that with the no shortage of rumors and spoilers that have been flying around, I have officially given up on what to expect from this film. I am in the camp that really enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man and am very much looking forward to the sequel. My concern, however, is that they are just trying to pack too much into the film. We’ve seen this time and time again with superhero films where the thought process is more villains equals more action, and more action equals a better movie and the result have been less than great.
With regards to Harry Osborn, not Norman, becoming the Green Goblin, I just don’t know. There’s a part of me that is bothered by this and feels that it is an unecessary change, but another part that feels this could be interesting. This is not comic book Spider-Man, this is Amazing Spider-Man movie Spider-Man, so I’m willing to see how this change plays out on screen – but I am not without reservations.
We will have to wait until May 2014 to see how much of this is all true when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hit theaters!
El Mayimbe, the scourge of Marvel, has produced this report on the secrets he’s learned about the plot to Dr. Strange.
WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE! ‘Doctor Strange’ Plot Details REVEALED! from Mayimbe Media on Vimeo.
Here’s part one of his report on Latino-Review.
If this take pans out, it’s certainly an interesting take on the origin of Dr. Strange. It’s a movie I’m incredibly excited, Dr. Strange is one of my favorites and I want his story on screen to be amazing. And if El Mayimbe’s previous scoops about the villains comes true, this will race to the top of my “most anticipated Marvel movie” list.
I don’t know what makes me more excited – the names that Latino Review is tossing out, or the fact that it now seems completely concrete that the Dr. Strange movie will actually happen. I have been doubting. But also yearning, because YES PLEASE.
The names that are being tossed about?
A/Many Giant Mindless Ones. I’m not clear on the pluralization there. Mindless Many?
Karl Mordo, which is awesome but I still have a hard time taking a villain named “Karl” seriously.
And last but most awesome – Dormammu!
Now, please take your excitement with a grain of “maybe.” According to Kevin Feige, all this will take place post 2015. Scripts, villains, and best-laid plans could all change wildly by then. But for now – let’s fancast!!
There’s a new Robotech movie and a re-release of the Shadow Chronicles and I couldn’t be more excited. Robotech is one of my most favorite guilty pleasures and more of it is always a good thing. I’ll take that back… It’s not a guilty pleasure. I don’t feel bad about it at all. In fact, it’s one of my professional goals to write Robotech professionally at some point. We’ll see how that works out.
Shadow Chronicles was a wonderful theatrical experience (despite a marked lack of Minmei music) and Love Live Alive looks fantastic.
The Robotech: 2-Movie Collection comes out on DVD July, 23, 2013. You can preorder it now on Amazon.