Football season is coming to a close and Super Bowl XLV will be on FOX, Sunday, February 6. Now, I know not everyone like myself is a geek/sports fan hybrid and a lot of you out there couldn’t care less about the game. Personally, I’ll be watching and enjoying greasy food and delicious alcohol – but that’s neither here nor there, or the point of this post. . .

What all of you lovely geeks out there will want to watch for are the sweet movie spots that are set to play during the commercial breaks of the game! I know, most of you aren’t going to sit through an entire “meaningless” sporting event just to get a glimpse at some new footage at some of the best geek movies coming out this year – and that’s fine, we all have our own interests and sports isn’t for everyone. Those of us that will be watching, though, will get to see these spots and piss our pants while the rest of you wait to watch them online a few days later.

Here’s what you can expect to see:

Paramount is going to be pluggin five of their major films coming out this summer. Watch for ads for JJ Abrams’ Super 8, Rango – and animated film featuring the voice of Johnny Depp, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and of course, Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (squuuueeeee!)!

Of course, you can expect to see a spot from Disney for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, but also be sure to watch for an ad for Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens from Universal and DreamWorks!

This year, Sony has opted to air ads for their tentpole movies during the pre-game show. Watch for spots for Battle: Los Angeles – the alien invasion flick featuring Aaron Eckhart that looks pretty badass, and Priest – another film with a religious-type theme featuring Paul Bettany, also some film called The Eagle starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell set in Roman times. Paramount has also decided to buy some air time during the pre-game show, and you can plan to see an ad for Kung-Fu Panda 2 during that time.

That appears to be it, or at least all that has been announced thus far. Considering the game is on FOX, and the amount of publicity we’ve seen from X-Men: First Class this week, I’d be willing to bet we see at least a teaser spot from their camp. Even if it’s just an image of the Mansion with some voice overs, or some bullshit of the sort.

Anywho! . . . Be sure to watch for these ads as you enjoy the game in about two weeks!

It’s the story that just won’t die this week! First we had the first official image from X-Men: First Class released and was met with huge disappointment and skepticism that it was even legit. Then, we got a little more of the story and confirmed the image as official. But, while it appears that the photo is official, it wasn’t meant to be released and director Matthew Vaughn is none-to-pleased with the release of it. Slashfilm was contacted by the irritated director who had this to say:

“I freaked out on them yesterday. I don’t know where the hell that came from. I don’t think it’s a Fox image. It’s not a pre-approved image. When I found out, I said, what the fuck is this shit, and Fox is running around trying to figure out what happened as well. I agree. It’s like a bad photoshop, which maybe it was by someone. It didn’t reflect the movie. I was shocked when I saw it. I was like ‘Jesus Christ’…

“I’m a fan of X-Men. We’re not bastardizing X-Men, I’m trying to get them back to being whole again.

Vaughn was also kind enough to provide to more official photos for the fans to see.

Hero Complex over at the LA Times has done a lengthy write-up on the filming of First Class which I would encourage you to read. It really gives some insight to what Vaughn is up against, and a little about the direction he is trying to take this film. In the article he confirms once again that this is a prequel, not a reboot. The article does make the director appear to be quit stressed out, and even he describes himself as a “boxer against the ropes”.

The thing is, I like Vaughn, but I don’t like the studio in charge of this film, nor do I have faith in them. He is confident this film will be more than good competition for the slew of other superhero films coming out this year. I have maintained since this film was first announced that it’s not looking good for our favorite group of outsiders, and all of these images that have been released this week haven’t really changed my mind. That said, I am still curious to see a trailer, and when the movie is finally released I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong and have this be a freat X-Men film.

You can check out all five new official photos below (click the top two for high-res)!

So, what are your thoughts so far on this film after all the new images released this week and seeing what Vaughn had to say about his film? You still not impressed? Has he instilled a little faith in you? Sound off in the comments below!

Remember all the hullabaloo from yesterday about that X-Men: First Class cast photo? “It’s a fake!”, “It’s not a fake!”, “It’s obviously Photoshopped!”, “It’s just a comp!” Well, guess what doubters, it’s real. Other news outlets seemed pretty convinced it was a fake, I was pretty sure it wasn’t and that the first publicity still for this film really was that bad.

In all fairness, there was a lot of confusion with MSN posting the picture, then immediately pulling it down, MTV being asked by FOX to remove the picture from their site, so on and so forth. We had the benefit of a little insider information from our good friend Jerk-Bot that convinced us that “Yes, it’s real.”

It’s not a fake. It’s for real. The complication is that one of the actors has not signed off on his likeness in the photo.

Others were convinced that it was real, but just a work in progress, and the real touched up version would be released when MSN’s interview with Michael Fassbender (Magneto) went up. Well . . . that Fassbender interview went up this morning, but it was only moments ago MSN released the “higher-res” photos of that same shot. If you ask me, I don’t see a difference, looks like the same damn photo to me:

So, there you have it folks! That’s the story in a very small nutshell; these are the X-Men you’ll get in this film, and this is what they will look like. Now that you can see them a little better (the photo’s above are the highest-res available at the time of this post), do you think they look better, worse, or did you original opinion not change? Sound off in the comments below!

If I remember right, I predicted on a previous Podcast that the 3DS would launch at 249.99, because America would never pay 299.99 for a handheld system.
Our friends at Engadget released their information from the dual press conference Nintendo held this morning in Amsterdam and New York. The system will launch on March 27th, 2011 at the price of 249.99 in the United States. According to the press release the game selection during the launch window (March 27th, til about the first week of June.) will include 30+ titles including:

During the launch window (between the March 27 launch date and the E3 Expo in early June) more than 30 games will be available to Nintendo 3DS owners. These include Nintendo-created games like Pilotwings Resort™, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogs™ + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel Diver™, a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the player is peering into an aquarium. Other Nintendo 3DS games in the works include The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Kid Icarus™: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart™, Animal Crossing™ and Paper Mario™ series.

Nintendo 3DS also enjoys some of the strongest third-party support of any system launch. A partial list of titles coming soon to Nintendo 3DS includes Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked from Atlus; Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil®: The Mercenaries 3D from Capcom; Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS; The Sims™ 3 from Electronic Arts; Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami; LEGO® Star Wars® III: The Clone Wars™ from LucasArts™; Ridge Racer® 3D and Dual Pen Sports™ from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.; Super Monkey Ball™ 3D, Thor™: God of Thunder and CRUSH™ 3D from SEGA; BUST-A-MOVE™ UNIVERSE from Square Enix, Inc.; Samurai Warriors® Chronicles and Dead or Alive® Dimensions from Tecmo Koei America Corp.; and Asphalt™ 3D, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars, Combat of Giants™: Dinosaurs 3D, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® 3D, Rayman® 3D and Rabbids® Travel in Time from Ubisoft.

I’m excited… is anybody else as pumped as I am? The thought of the eventual 3D Pokemon touches me deeply, and Street Fighter on a handheld that doesn’t drop frames?! (we hope) I’m sold times ten. Thoughts anyone?

UPDATE: JoBlo points out via Twitter that no where in the press release is the word “Catwoman”…  Though the Hollywood Reporter AND The LA Times are running it as though it was…  Interesting food for thought.

Hero Complex at the LA Times is reporting that Anne Hathaway will be playing Catwoman and Tom Hardy will be playing Bane. The Warner Bros. press release had this to say:

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.” Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. “The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

To be honest I’m a little surprised that they picked her. But I prefer my women a little closer to Christina Hendricks with some meat on their bones. And Bane… really? I’ve never been a big fan of that villain. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.

Swank-mo-tron weighs in: I was in the middle of writing my own article about this, but Kill beat me to the punch. I think this is a little surprising, but also refreshing. I think Bane was dealt a raw hand in the Batman “movie” he was in… He’s been a very strong character over the years in the comics and his arc has been fascinating one…  From his determination to bring down Batman (and successfully break him) to his endless struggle to destroy the Lazarus pits of Ra’s al Ghul (which would be an intelligent use of him here) and his work WITH Batman during that time…  It would make sense to see a villain team up with Batman to handle a greater villain.

And as far as Catwoman is concerned, she was dealt a raw hand, too.  The way Schumacher just ignored the ending of Batman Returns is one of the many things that makes that film garbage.  Hathaway is an incredible actress and I can’t wait to see her put on a skintight vinyl suit and play a villain.  And I hope to Christ they use the Darwyn Cooke/Mike Allred Catwoman costume…

Not every character can be a household name. Even so, some of these characters still have a small but loyal fan base. Sometimes people are drawn to the concept behind the character, and sometimes they just like how they look. This week’s Secret Origin is a character that encompasses all of this. He has a great visual, he has an incredibly outlandish concept, and there are people who just love the guy. So turn down the lights, put on your two-toned glasses and enjoy… The Secret Origin of the 3-D Man!

This looks even cooler if you wear the glasses (Note: Not really)

Oh yeah, this is one of those origins where we are introduced to the character first and the origin comes later. I’d like to call 3-D Man a product of his time, but considering he’s based in the 50’s, yet created in the 70’s it’s more like a rose-colored view of the time. Of course this means the Red Scare. It’s a little known fact that all Marvel characters active in the 50’s had to fight Russians at least 2 a month or they’d have their hero license revoked. Anyway, 3-D man is mopping up some commie scum, fighting like a man possessed. They are backed by an old white-haired guy named Diabolik. The Giussani Sisters apparently licensed the name. The fight goes on, with various references thrown in to assure you that the story is indeed set in the 50’s. Eventually one of the communist gents exclaims the dual colored crusader is so hard to get because he fights like three men. 3-D Man assure him that’s because he is three men rolled into one. He doesn’t get to elaborate because he’s busy kicking pinko behind. Eventually the fight comes to an abrupt end. All the thugs are taken care of, and Diabolik remains. He has an ace up his sleeve, though. He knows the 3-D Man’s secret identity! That isn’t the only surprise he has, though.

"I am really... Bea Arthur!"

This turn of events triggers 3-D Man’s flashback sense and finally we get down to the nitty-gritty of the origin proper. We see our Mr. Chandler as the college football star, and we’re also introduced to his younger brother Hal. Hal is crippled due to being born before the Polio vaccine was released. And since this is comics so crippling injury + the name Hal = superhero. Trust me on this. Chuck Chandler goes on to be a top pilot in the Air Force and is set to test the top-secret plane, the XF-13. The night before the launch of this new Cold War marvel, Hal, Chuck and Chuck’s girlfriend are having a night on the town. Things are going well until Hal and Peggy leave Chuck on his own for a bit. Of course this is when those dirty commies try to kidnap Chuck, knowing he knows the XF-13’s secrets. They may have gotten away with it to, if not for the timely intervention of Hal, returning from his walk…

Crutches, as a walking aid or an impromptu weapon, is always a faithful (inanimate) companion

Hal’s timely help turns the tide of the battle. After Chuck beats up the commies, the duo meet up with Peggy, and they all decide to go to the airbase to inform Chuck’s superiors. It’s decided that they’ll all stay at the base until Chuck tests the plane in the morning. Peggy agrees to take Hal to a spot in the desert so he can see his bro do his thing. Just then, Chuck arrives in his fancy zoot suit.

Pose courtesy of Jack Kirby.

At first the flight goes on without a hitch, breaking speed records (it goes over, get this, 400 MPH!), doing loop-de-loops and all of that fun stuff. Everyone’s ready to call it a day, but all of a sudden, Chuck flies past an honest to goodness flying saucer! He is quickly abducted, and he finds out his captives aren’t just any aliens, he’s become the “guest” of the Skrulls! Chuck seems at their mercy, what with their superior tech and all, but they turn their backs for a second and Chuck makes short work of them. Not only does he gives a bunch of Skrull skulls a few more wrinkles, but he manages to blow the saucer up entirely. Luckily, he’s able to escape on the XF-13. It looks likes he’s getting away unscathed, but alas, that isn’t the case. The experimental plane is engulfed with a weird alien energy. The craft crashes coincidentally where Hal has been watching the fracas.  Chuck is able to escape the burning wreckage, but something strange is going on.

If I lived in the Marvel Universe, I'd deliberately try to get in situations like this.

With that, Chuck disappears, or does he? The feedback from Chuck’s glowing knocks Hal’s glasses off. After he recovers them, he makes a startling discovery… in each lens of his classes is a different colored impression of Chuck! Noting the facts that this is extremely reminiscent of 3-D glasses and that no one would believe him, Hal heads home, avoiding the subject of (believed dead) Chuck. It isn’t until he is alone that a startling discovery is well, discovered!

If you can't get behind how awesomely absurd this is, comics may not be for you.

The newly formed 3-D Man quickly discovers his tri-fold strength, speed and garishness, bringing about the beginning of a storied superhero career, but the end of the flashback. Back in the commie lair, Diabolik has revealed his true form! His grisly visage revealed, it’s only apt that Diabolik the Skrull also reveals his plan, and boy is it a doozy:

With an outfit like that, I don't think anyone's going to accuse you of that, my friend.

Chuck is not having any of that noise, so he attempts to kick some more alien butt, but once he throws Diabolik out of a window, the Skrull changes shape and loses himself in a crowd. nevertheless, 3-D Man now has a purpose, to fight the forces of conformity and alien ugliness! But until then, he splits back into 2 static images in Hal’s glasses, causing Hal to awaken and ponder…

I'd still say you got the short end of the stick on that deal, Hal.

And there you have it. While the concept is pretty out there, there is still fun to be had with it. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t read too many stories with 3-D Man, but his legacy lives on in the form of new heroes like Triathlon and in the pages of books like Atlas. Excelsior!

This story originally appeared in Marvel Premiere #35 April, 1977.

It’s really cool to see clips like this one.  This is a very stark contrast between Luke’s training and the training a Sith would undergo at this stage. And there are lots of implications about Yoda’s training style versus his apprentice, Dooku’s. I’m kind of nerdgasm’ing here….

I’m really impressed with this arc so far and can’t wait to see it finished.

From their press release:

Sent to track down the mysterious figure behind the deaths of several Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi find themselves on the trail of Count Dooku’s newest apprentice – the monstrous Savage Opress. However, Dooku and Asajj Ventress discover that their creation has a will of his own, and that he has grown more powerful than either of them had anticipated – perhaps even more powerful than the combined forces of the Jedi and the Sith. The end begins in “Witches of the Mist,” the final chapter of a thrilling, three-part Clone Wars arc – airing at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT Friday, January 21 on Cartoon Network.

Driven by the Machiavellian machinations of Count Dooku, the series’ various villains come face to face at last in a climactic clash of red sabers. Dooku, Opress and Ventress – all are manifestations of evil, yet each is so distinct. It’s not until these three titans are brought together in the heat of conflict, however, that their nuances and differences become truly clear.

“With Dooku, the series’ direction is pushing his character more towards that of a masterful diplomat, concealing a sinister agenda beneath a veil of polite sophistication,” says Corey Burton, voice of Dooku – and countless other Clone Wars characters, both good and evil. “He’s a subversive political overlord – a major marketing force and seducer for the dark side ‘brand.’ It’s all about his personal enrichment, power and position within the hierarchy; there’s nothing intentionally cruel or vengeful in his manner, or behind his dastardly actions – as a Sith Lord, it’s just how things are done to most efficiently preside over the fate of the galaxy. Mustache-twirling displays are beneath his sense of dignity.”

While Dooku is as consumed by his quest for power as he is by his own sense of sophistication, Ventress is wholly unconcerned by the niceties of evil. Driven by a desire for revenge, her motivation is raw and real – a product and a reflection of her own difficult past.

“She’s been wronged by so many, and I believe her experiences will lead her in an even more powerful direction,” says Nika Futterman, voice of Ventress. “We are finally beginning to understand what makes Asajj tick; I think this is her quest for revenge and not power like the Sith. That’s what separates her. She does things that may seem like her quest for power, but, I think she aligned herself with the dark side as a means to an end. She doesn’t ever forget who has done right by her and, of course, who has done her wrong. All this time, I had hoped that I would be able to delve into what made her so fabulous and complex. It turns out my hopes are coming true!”

Serving as a foil for the final confrontation between the former master and his jilted apprentice is the massively powerful Opress. Ostensibly a blunt instrument of evil, the monstrous creation is nonetheless imbued with a perverse humanity of his own – brought to the surface by sharp writing and a soulful performance by screen legend Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption).

“I’d been a fan of The Clone Wars since the first season; and then caught up with the second season with my son,” says Brown. “He was excited because it was Star Wars and I was excited about the role not just because it was in the Star Wars universe but because the writing is so sophisticated. There was never any question from me about Savage’s motives and what was going on because I was familiar with the characters, and you can go another layer deeper.”

Alright, alright. This is the first figure released under Matty Collector’s Club Ecto. For those not privy to what that is, basically you tell Matty to pull aside one figure for you and ship it before they’re up for sale. In turn you promise to buy six months worth of them. Which is good for nerds like me that complain about their site locking up every time a figure is released. This version of Peter is also the first Ghostbusters 2 to be released (not including the Toys ‘R’ Us box set).

While most would dismiss Ghostbusters 2 as a shitty movie, I (of course) disagree. Although it’s not nearly as good as the first, it still has a lot of charm. The courtroom scene with the Scoleri Brothers being in my top five reasons to watch this movie. So you can imagine how excited I was when they announced this courtroom version of Venkman packaged with one of the Scoleri Brothers.

Essentially the body is the same as the Walter Peck figure with a different jacket and no vest. The paint on this figure is an improvement from previous versions of Pete. You’ll notice the straps on the new figure popping more than the slimed Peter on the left. The face also has better flesh color, less pale, and his smirk seems to come through better. Like with all of the figures so far, lots of great articulation and well weighted.

As previously mentioned, Peter comes with the pudgier of the two Scoleri Brothers. The details of the sculpt are wonderful. From the nasty smile on his face to his shirt busting at the gut. The painting on this figure is wonderful. He is also semi-translucent for a nice ghostly effect. Mr. Scoleri the first full fledged ghost we’ve gotten. Sure, Slimer and the subway ghost have been released, but they aren’t nearly as cool as this guy. “What could make him cooler?” You might ask, well let me tell you.

I would have gladly paid for just this Scoleri figure on his own. Currently just being added in, his articulation isn’t great. He bends at the shoulders and turns his head a little. He comes with a second set of feet that make him look like he’s flying, which is cool… but he doesn’t have a stand to place him on while using those feet. Unless you are planning to hang him with some string or something, they’re pretty much useless. With more articulation perhaps they could’ve packed him with an electric chair and possibly the lawyer he drags out of the courtroom.

All in all I feel like this is one of the best figures to date. I was getting a little worried after the last few rereleases with extra accessories. Matty currently has a few left, but they won’t last. Go get ’em now if you want ’em.

And now, for all of your viewing pleasure, the courtroom scene from Ghostbusters 2:

UPDATE #2: Our sources from MSN (see comments below) say that the image is totally legit, the problem is one of the actors has not signed off on his likeness in the cast photo.

Update: Seems that there may be a little drama coming along with this image!

Earlier this afternoon, I had heard rumbling across the interwebs that the first official image from X-Men: First Class had debuted on MSN. I wandered over to MSN and found nothing, so I tried following some links that supposedly led straight to the image itself on MSN, and only received an error. It seemed MSN had debuted and undebuted this exclusive image within a very short time. The reason? Well, nothing on that yet . . .

MTV doesn’t seem to be convinced that this image is legitimate, stating that it has a “strong Photoshop like vibe” to it –  I tend to disagree. It looks cheesy, sure, but I believe it looks just like it’s supposed to (believe me, at this point I wish this was Photoshopped fan art!). Not to mention this first appeared on MSN as an exclusive, and even though it was pulled pretty quickly, I would suspect that due-dilligence is done on any promo for a big movie they are going to release as an exclusive.

Currently, MTV does not have the image up on their site, stating:

UPDATE: Fox has indicated to MTV News that this is not an authorized image from the “X-Men: First Class” movie.

[IMAGE REMOVED AT REQUEST OF STUDIO]

So . . . any guess what this not being an “authorized” image mean? They didn’t come out and fall it a “fake” or not “official” – they seemed to choose their words deliberately with not “authorized” . . . as in “Yes, this is an official photo, no it has not be authorized to be released yet.”?

Make up your own mind and post your thoughts in the comments below! We will keep the image up as long as we can!

Original Post: Here you go folks! Your first look at (from L-R): Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Emma Frost (January Jones), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Angel Salvador (Zoe Kravitz), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy).

Sorry, this is the highest resolution version out there circulating on the interwebs at the moment, but I’ll be sure to update this if/when one hits!

So, what do all of you think? Here at BSR first impressions are ranging from “I was so excited . . . until I saw thi.” to “This is looking more and more like a fan-made film.” to even, “More like ‘XXX-Men: First Ass’!” Me? I’m still not thrilled with what I am seeing with this film. Every bit of news and images that rolls out just in turn makes me roll my eyes.

That being said, I would like to eat crow on one thing. A while back when the January Jones as Emma Frost casting was announced, I didn’t think she fit the part. I would like to now say she actually looks pretty damn sexy in this picture. Though, I still maintain it’s just going to be her playing the same character she always does: Mopey bitch.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This is a bit of rehashed news, but interesting none-the-less.

Last week saw the unveiling of the first official picture of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. A few short hours after it was released, a high-res version followed – and that’s when things got a little interesting. If you look closely at either wrist in the picture, you can see what were suspected to be mechanical web-shooters! This would be quite a big difference since Raimi opted to go with organic web-shooters in his Spider-Man universe, but more in line with the comics since in most comic book canon Peter Parker has invented his own web-shooters and web-fluid.

At the Golden Globes on Monday, MTV caught up with Emma Stone on the red carpet and she confirmed that the silver discs on Peter’s costume were “devices”. So, is this confirming mechanical web-shooters? Not quite sure what else devices on his wrist could be used for. Does this version of Spider-Man need a “device” to help him more accurately sling webs from still-organic web-shooters? My guess, probably mechanical web-shooters . . .

It will be interesting to see what new scenarios having limited web-fluid will bring about in Marc Webb’s version, perhaps Spidey having to run through traffic on foot?

[Source: onlocationvacations.com]

For me, this may confirm limited web-fluid (and hence, mechanical shooters) for our young superhero. Why else would Spider-Man opt to run through traffic instead of swinging over it?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Side-Bar: There was speculation the official picture of Spider-Man released last week was to head off any leaks due to costumed filming that was scheduled for this week. Looks like they may have been right! Took less than a week for a fan to snap a set photo featuring Spidey!