Every week Martin J Dekay and Ken Derrick discuss DC Comics, movies, video games, and toys.
Spoilers!
If you haven’t read The Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon skip 31.30 to 32.30
Show Notes:
Young Justice episode 4
Wonder Woman #606
Digital comics
Shazam #1
Action Comics #897
Flashpoint, upcoming books, and more.
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The Disney Parks Blog had some surprise news for Star Wars fans this morning.
The creator of Star Wars (and producer Rick McCallum) visited the Disneyland Anaheim Star Tours attraction and did some test riding.
From their blog:
It was a big day for Star Tours recently, as Star Wars creator George Lucas, joined by producer Rick McCallum, paid a visit to Disneyland Park to take a few test rides on the attraction with our Walt Disney Imagineering team. After experiencing adventures to several of the Star Wars worlds aboard the Starspeeder 1000, George and Rick gave the team a big thumbs up on their progress. George even took a moment to pose with the Audio-Animatronics figure of C-3PO in the Starspeeder cockpit!
We’ll keep you updated as more is known about the ride! I have to say that this ride has gone in quick. I was there when they closed the original and it was right at the tail end of July. This ride must have been in production for quite a long time prior to the closing.
Derek Luke is in the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger film.
How exactly do we know this you ask? Because BSR! friend, and regular tipster, “Jerk-Bot” (you may know him better as film critic, Jeff Vice), has seen the official Cap movie poster which is slated to be released this Friday! I promise I am trying to get a description of it out of him prior to its release, but in the mean time there was an interesting tidbit he passed on to us, and that’s that Derek Luke’s name appears on the poster. So what role could he be playing? Let the speculation begin!
Aside from the fact that he could be an anscillary character made up especially for this film, there are a couple ideas floating around the BSR! staff here.
There is no information anywhere about Derek Luke being in this film, so it was quite a surprise to see his name pop up on the poster. Personally, I’d like to see the film incorporate the “Truth” series a little bit and Luke would be a great fit as at least a similar character to Isaiah Bradley. In any case, we will have to hang tight to see if any information surfaces about what possible role he will be playing, or just wait for the movie!
Check out Jeff Vice on the Big Movie Mouth Off (Facebook) and on MSN’s Parallel Universe!
UPDATE: Mr. Vice is reasonably certain that Derek Luke will be portraying Gabe Jones of the Howling Commandos.
.jpg "gabe jones")
So, we’ve shared our thoughts on possible roles for Derek Luke in the Captain America movie, any other characters out there tied to Cap that he could possibly be playing? Or do you think he just may be a playing a character specifically created for the film? Sound off in the comments below!
I came across some casting information today that was curious. It was nothing about who’s going to play what, but WHERE its going to be played.
An agent friend of mine released this today on facebook:
Feature Film – The Dark Knight Rises, Starring: Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. Casting is currently underway. Get your agent/manager to pitch ya ASAP, as there are tons of featured roles. With filming locations in Bucharest, Romania; Bedfordshire, England; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, LA; and of course some WB Studio work as well.
First of all- I working on verifying this.
If you were to base a Dark Knight screenplay solely on where it is set- what would these Cities tell you? There is a vast expanse of the world represented here- does the Bedfordshire, England mean we’re going to see some Alfred backstory? Does Bucharest just mean that Chicago didn’t have the right alleyway to represent Gotham properly in some scene?
What do you think?
According to 24 Frames, Zack Galifianakis is set to star along side Ryan Reynolds in the film based on the Dark Horse comic book, R.I.P.D.
Galifianakis is in talks to play the co-lead in the film, according to two people with knowledge of the project who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. The movie is based on a popular Dark Horse comic about dead police officers patrolling the underworld.
Peter Lenkov created the comic — the acronym stands for Rest In Peace Department — which centers on the revenge sought by the recently murdered policeman Nick Cruz (Reynolds). Galifianakis would play another dead police officer.
The project currently resides at Universal and is slated to start production some time next summer – pending Reynolds’ busy schedule; Robert Schwentke is currently attached to direct.
Not sure where to really go with this news, because it’s awfully vague, but here it is.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in talks to have a role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises according to Deadline. There is no information on the role for which he may be up for. Previous rumors had Gordon-Levitt in talks to play The Riddler in Nolan’s third Batman film, but, obviously that didn’t exactly prove to be true.
Gordon-Levitt is a fan favorite actor, and seems to have developed a good relationship with Nolan, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he does end up with a role in this film – especially since his Inception co-star, Tom Hardy, has been cast to play the villain Bane – but I couldn’t even begin to guess in what capacity.
We will keep you up to date with any progression on this rumor, but until then, this is all the information that seems to be out there.
Do you think Joseph Gordon-Levitt will land a role in Nolan’s final Batman film? What role do you think he could possibly be being considered for?
So, everyone’s heard the news by now. Bane & Catowman are going to be in Chris Nolan’s next Batman movie. This is great news, even though I was hoping for the Riddler. Now the issue I can see some people having is just who the heck is this Bane guy? Sure, he was in Batman & Robin (BOMB!), but his portrayal there is pretty much the antithesis to his actual character. I used to write Bane off as the Johnny-come-lately brought in to alter the status quo. He was that, true, but unlike Doomsday, who had a similar role, Bane was actually given characterization from the start and continues to be a compelling and three-dimensional character today. Now there is no way to know how Bane will be used in The Dark Knight Rises, but if they stick with his comic beginnings with minimal tweaking for story purposes they’ll do fine. So here we go, the Secret Origin of Bane!
Bane’s story actually begins with his father. You see, daddy dearest was part of a coup in the Caribbean republic of Santa Prisca. Unfortunately, the coup was unsuccessful, and Bane’s father was killed. His mother was taken to the island’s prison of Pena Duro, pregnant with the child who will be Bane. Until Santa Prisca law, the male heirs of criminals are forced to carry out the sentences of their fathers. So from birth, Bane was a prisoner. For the first few years of his life, Bane was under protective custody with his mother, and Zombie, a prisoner assigned to the doctor. You’d thinking growing up in a prison is not the best environment for an impressionable boy, and you’d be right…
Some kids get Sesame Street, but not our 'lil scamp Bane!
This is life for the little guy until age six, when his Mother dies. Seriously, the kid an’t catch a break. With his mom no longer there to protect him, Bane is moved into the general population of the prison. As you might guess, this is a terrible idea and almost immediately, the other inmates have plans for him. It cause a bit of a scuffle when yet another inmate named Trogg comes to Bane’s aid. In the struggle, Bane is knocked off a balcony and is in the resulting coma for months. In that time, he sees things that will change him forever.
That must have been some fall.
In his vision, his future self tells him to overcome fear and he’ll call no man master. Of course this being a bat-villain, fear takes the image of a bat. Anyway, the disturbed lad finally emerges from his coma and the chrysalis truly has made him grow up in a hurry. The first thing he does is kill the cell mate than threatened him. This doesn’t go down to well, and it’s not too difficult for the warden to find out who’s responsible. It’s mentioned in the aftermath that the young man is a bane to everything holy, and thus the boy has his name. There are consequences of course. The warden may be the authority in Pena Duro, but he certainly has met his match in young Bane.
Yeesh, that is CREEPY!
True to his word, the warden puts Bane in solitary with nothing but the scorpions and rats to keep him company. Many have been easily driven mad in this place. Bane’s pure, unadulterated hatred made him strive to overcome fear. during the long days, he retreated into his own mind, developing techniques for meditation there were no names for. This does on for a full ten years. The warden finally releases him hoping someone will want to take revenge on Bane. Instead, the tale of the boy has caused him to become a legend in the prison. Due to this, many in the prison want to serve him, including a criminal called Bird from a city called… Gotham! Intrigued, bane asks for more information.
Days in the prison go smoother than before. Bane makes himself into a model prisoner, getting library duty. With bird teaching him how to read, Bane has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, so much so, that he learns to read in six languages and when the prison’s supply of books has become exhausted, his thirst won’t stop…
Well, Reading IS Fundamental.
His mind is not the only thing Bane plans on honing though, his exhaustive physical regimen includes a thousand push ups and sit ups a day, Instead of sleep, Bane meditates for four hours a day. The drive Bane has to make himself master of all things is very much a dark mirror of Batman’s own drive, yet different enough that it’s not clichéd. Eventually, Bane gets Bird to tell him more about the mythical Gotham City, Bird goes so far to mention that it isn’t the mobs that rule Gotham, it’s The Batman. Of course, this calls back to Bane’s coma and something inside of him clicks.
"I have given a name to my pain..." Oh wait, wrong villain.
Finally giving himself a purpose in life, he realizes being stuck behind the walls of a prison can put a bit of a damper on plans. He goes a but stir crazy and kills a bunch of people. As such, he’s set to go back to solitary, but instead the warden think he’s the perfect candidate for medical experiments that have killed lesser men. He survives having a deadly drug named Venom being tested on him. While this is going on, Zombie, the man who watched over Bane in childhood obtains a sample of the drug for himself. Shortly after it’s found Bane can survive being injected with Venom, he is operated on. The Venom now being administered directly to his brain. Zombie is able to analyze the drug and tells Bane what it does. Specifically it stimulates adrenal glands and ultimately fuses the left and right brain together. Bane is happy with these advantages and hatches a plan to escape the prison.
Simple, right?
Of course he can will his vital signs to fake a flat line, this is comics, guys! Bane is dumped out to sea, and of course not really being dead, he survives, after a quick scuffle with a shark! Bane could easily have made his way to the mainland after than, but he makes his way back to the prison, kidnaps the warden, and holds him hostage in order to free his own cohorts, as well as get transport off that god-forsaken rock. After his demands are met, bane kills the warden anyway. Course is set for Gotham. Bane’s boys are to work immediately, procuring false identities, a place to plan, but most importantly a device for Bane’s exclusive use…
Lucha before it was cool. (It was always cool)
Now “complete” Bane visits a known member of Gotham’s underworld, one Jimmy “No Nose” Novak. Bane and his cronies meet Jimmy ostensibly to learn more about Batman and his methods, maybe not in the way you’d expect. You see, “No Nose” not only has mob connections, but he is also Bird’s former boss. To say there is animosity is quite the understatement, so Bane arranges some bodily harm to draw out Gotham’s protector, I’d say it was pretty effective:
You don't have to have a sense of humor to be Gotham cop, but it helps!
The scene is made to look like a particularly brutal mob hit, and it does indeed draw out Batman. This allows Bane the opportunity to track Batman, observe his methods and determine the best way to take him down. In his observations, Bane sees the Batman do something he himself would never do. He saves a thug’s life. This causes Bane to make his presence known.
That's "Thou Shalt Not Kill" if you're keeping score.
Bane then reveals to Batman his master plan of utterly destroying him. Batman, to his credit, blows off Bane. I mean, he has people threatening him on an daily, if not hourly basis. Seeing some admittedly large dude in a full face mask isn’t that intimidating. Bane makes his escape, leaving Batman to clean up his mess. Bane returns to his crew and muses…
"Then I will do something to get rid of this terrible case of red-eye!"
And of course many of you may know how the story goes. He breaks Batman’s back, kind of becomes a lame villain for a while, but it enjoyed quite the renaissance in the pages of Gail Simone’s Secret Six. I like characters who are driven, and have a purpose, rather than just being flashy for flashy’s sake. So here’s hoping Bane will get his due in the movies, he certainly deserves it after Batman & Robin.
This story first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 January, 1993.
Before addressing the content of this book IDW Publishing gets my highest accolades for presentation. Over-sized hardcover books have become a new genre for collectors and this book outshines many of them with glossy graphics printed in bright colors directly on the cover eliminating the need for a dust jacket. The paper is a perfect fit to duplicate the original presentation with a more crisp feel than traditional newsprint and the covers are reproduced in full color. I dare you to pick this book up at your local comic shop and not purchase it, I couldn’t.
I was first introduced to David Boswell’s Reid Fleming character in the pages of Flaming Carrot Comics in the mid 90’s and somehow forgot about this brilliant creation. Thanks to IDW Publishing you can now own these hard to find stories in a beautiful collection with hopefully another volume to follow.
Laugh out loud one liners fill every page of this book including the cover through beautifully scratchy art. The narrative follows the overly violent milk delivery man through six issues of his own title and a strange detour through the 40 page love story HeartBreak Comics.
As odd as the Heartbreak storyline is it stands out as the most impressive chapter in the book. The art is beautifully rendered with cross hatching filling in the shadows and adding a visual depth to the weight of the more serious parts of the story.
The title character Reid Fleming is as flamboyant and whimsical as he is violent. Surrounded by a mundane group of people, his death and gravity defying antics don’t seem to shock those around him. He chain smokes cigarettes and downs bottles of Rye Whiskey while committing every moving violation possible. Reid lives an exciting life dating an actress and quitting work during the day to watch his favorite television program “Dangers of Ivan” before losing his job to extreme negligence of company property.
Throughout theses seven issues a strange world is created wherein fist fights, practical jokes, and reoccurring dreams are commonplace. If you enjoy debauchery in the form of comic books it doesn’t get any better than this. There is high and low brow humor to be found here, most of it so subtle it will slip by if you try to read this like an average comic book.
Highly recommended
By David Boswell
Introduction by Jonathan Demme
Reid Fleming World’s Toughest Milkman Volume 1
Hardcover
224 pages
$29.99
Check out http://www.reidfleming.com/ for more information, merchandise, and digital comics.
The folks over at What’sPlaying are claiming to have a list of actresses who are up for the part of Lois Lane in Zack Snyder’s Superman film. We obviously already have our Superman, but who’s on the list to play the intrepid reporter and love interest of the Man of Steel?
Personally, none of these actresses get me particularly excited for the role – but then again I’ll defer to Heath Ledger as the Joker. I have plenty of faith in Snyder (and Nolan) and their casting decisions and I’m sure whoever they cast will be right for the role . . . Unless it’s Kristen Stewart (again, No. God no.). This is all coming from What’s Playing, and who knows what their sources are, so as with any rumored “short list” of actors and actresses up for any part, take all rumors with a grain of salt.
Any of these actresses fit the role of Lois Lane for you? Any actresses NOT on this list you think would fill Lois’ shoes better (NOT Erica Durance from Smallville – it’s highly unlikely anyone from that show will be cast in a movie version of Superman, sorry fans)?
If you are an online video streaming addict like myself, then you are probably well acquainted with the fact that as far as unlimited video streaming goes, Netflix is the only game in town. Sure, there’s Hulu and their paid service, “Hulu Plus” (which is actually a paid service version of Hulu in which you get less, but it’s needed to stream on any other device besides your computer) but they are almost exclusively for TV shows. As far as streaming movies go with an unlimited plan at a set monthly cost, Netflix is it – but that could be changing soon.
For a while now there have been rumors that Amazon.com was looking to release their own unlimited streaming video service, and even rumors that they were planning to outright buy Netflix. Now, it looks like that may be a reality and possibly sooner than we think. A reader over at Engadget, who is an Amazon Prime member, recently got a message when trying to rent a movie from Amazon’s existing video streaming “rental” service informing him that his Amazon Prime membership now includes “unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows” (screenshot above) with a library that was similar to their existing Watch Instantly selection. Unfortunately, Engadget was unable to reproduce this message:
We weren’t able to pull up the option on any of our Prime-enabled accounts and from the comments it doesn’t appear any of you were either. According to our tipster, the option has disappeared from his page as well. One other interesting note came from commenter vfiz, who found that several variations of the primeinstantvideos.com domain name were registered by Amazon-owned DPReview January 5.
So, could Amazon be releasing their own unlimited streaming video service? Looks like it could be coming. One thing that comes to mind is that Amazon’s Video On Demand service, in which you pay a price to either buy or rent the movie for 48 hours, only streams in 480p – but that doesn’t mean they could have improved this. I own a wonderful little device called a Roku through which I am able to watch Hulu Plus, Netflix, and order movies from Amazon VOD. We all know that frustration with Netflix’s streaming video selection, it’s often months after a movie is released on DVD before we see it in their Instant Watch category. Amazon’s VOD catalogue is much better as far as more recent movies go, but right now you are going to pay $3.99 (SD) – $4.99 (HD) to rent them for 48 hours. If, and this is a big if, Amazon is able to release unlimited video streaming to their Amazon Prime members with a catalog that reflects their current VOD catalog, Netflix may need to step up their game with regards to their instant streaming library.
If Amazon does release such a feature, I will definitely be signing up for Amazon Prime to do a direct comparison to Netflix, after which I will make a decision to keep one or the other, or maybe both if it’s justifiable. To be an Amazon Prime member you pay a yearly fee of $79 and currently this gives you free expedited shipping on anything you order, if they throw unlimited video streaming with a killer library that makes one hell of a deal that makes the cost of Netflix’s cost of just over $95 (for streaming only, it’s more if you get physical discs in the mail as well) seem a little steep.
Product and service competition is always a good thing as it usually ends up benefitting the customer most. Up until this point Netflix has essentially gone unchallenged, it’ll be good for us if Amazon jumps in the ring and we have two services trying to offer the customer the best movie/TV selection at the lowest price!
What do you think about Amazon possibly releasing an unlimited video streaming service? Will you give it a try if they do, or will you remain a diehard Netflix faithful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!