Hey, I almost forgot to share the news!
You remember that Knight Rider TV movie that was in February? The one where, if it did good enough, they'd be turning it into a new Knight Rider TV show?
Well, guess what?
It did well enough! The new Knight Rider made the fall schedule!
And in other news, Kevin Smith has just launched the website for his new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno.
It's just a teaser site right now, with a couple of pictures from the film. But, Smith has revealed that he'll soon be launching a video production diary called Money Shots. As you remember, Smith also did a video production diary for Clerks II. He called it Train Wreck.
Anyway, be sure to bookmark zackandmiri.com!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
Wow! U62: The Targ is here and on time this week!
For our return to regularity, I've got Episode 90: Covered Two Ways. I ponder how to spend my tax rebate, share the oddest book title of 2007, and rant about KFC's grilled chicken.
Simon says, "Listen!"
For our return to regularity, I've got Episode 90: Covered Two Ways. I ponder how to spend my tax rebate, share the oddest book title of 2007, and rant about KFC's grilled chicken.
Simon says, "Listen!"
Friday, March 28, 2008
Star Trek meets Indy meets Star Wars
Wow, here's two geek spheres that are about to collide in a magnificent way.
It was revealed today that the next trailer for the new Star Trek movie will be in front of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Man, it's not like I needed another reason to see Indy....
And also, the good folks at Lucasfilm announced today that, on Tuesday, they'll be launching Indiana Jones Shop.com, your online answer to all your Indiana Jones merchandise needs.
For some reason, though, they're really hyping the fact that one of the items up for sale will be version "A" of the poster for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which I think have mentioned is one of my favourite movie posters of all time.
Have I ever told you why it's one of my favourites?
When I was a kid, the one movie theatre I went to all the time had a bunch of early-80s movie posters on display in the lobby. The above poster hung right next to the poster for Return of the Jedi. I spent every moment before every movie I saw as a child staring at this:
I've got the Jedi poster...I'd kind of like to complete the set.
It was revealed today that the next trailer for the new Star Trek movie will be in front of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Man, it's not like I needed another reason to see Indy....
And also, the good folks at Lucasfilm announced today that, on Tuesday, they'll be launching Indiana Jones Shop.com, your online answer to all your Indiana Jones merchandise needs.
For some reason, though, they're really hyping the fact that one of the items up for sale will be version "A" of the poster for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which I think have mentioned is one of my favourite movie posters of all time.
Have I ever told you why it's one of my favourites?
When I was a kid, the one movie theatre I went to all the time had a bunch of early-80s movie posters on display in the lobby. The above poster hung right next to the poster for Return of the Jedi. I spent every moment before every movie I saw as a child staring at this:
I've got the Jedi poster...I'd kind of like to complete the set.
The Truth? Still Out There.
I'm guessing that we are now far enough removed from the 1990s that we can start having 90's nostalgia. That being said, I was hit with a huge wave of 90's nostalgia this morning when I saw the first movie poster for the long-awaited second X-Files movie.
If this were 1997, I'd be so geeking out right now. Instead, I'm thinking, "Ah, remember the good ol' days, in college, when this show was still good?"
In a recent interview, X-Files creator and director of the second movie Chris Carter said that, right now, he and 20th Century Fox are scrapping over what the title should be. I'm certain we'll know shortly, though.
And here's something that just came down the news wire that made me giggle.
The British literary magazine The Bookseller has awarded it's prize for "the oddest book title of 2007." And the prize went to....
If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs.
Yes, the author described it as, "a self-help book, written by a man, for the benefit of women." The author, who used the pen name "Big Boom," says his book is "raw, honest and about you," distilling "the sweat off [his] back, the wrinkles in [his] forehead from anger and thinking all the time." The editor of The Bookseller says that the title is so effective, that you don't need to read the book.
The runner up was I Was Tortured by the Pygmy Love Queen, and coming in at third place was Cheese Problems Solved.
If this were 1997, I'd be so geeking out right now. Instead, I'm thinking, "Ah, remember the good ol' days, in college, when this show was still good?"
In a recent interview, X-Files creator and director of the second movie Chris Carter said that, right now, he and 20th Century Fox are scrapping over what the title should be. I'm certain we'll know shortly, though.
And here's something that just came down the news wire that made me giggle.
The British literary magazine The Bookseller has awarded it's prize for "the oddest book title of 2007." And the prize went to....
If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs.
Yes, the author described it as, "a self-help book, written by a man, for the benefit of women." The author, who used the pen name "Big Boom," says his book is "raw, honest and about you," distilling "the sweat off [his] back, the wrinkles in [his] forehead from anger and thinking all the time." The editor of The Bookseller says that the title is so effective, that you don't need to read the book.
The runner up was I Was Tortured by the Pygmy Love Queen, and coming in at third place was Cheese Problems Solved.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Hump Day Stuff
I've always wondered how Canada is perceived by other countries, ever since I went to Japan and most of my Japanese co-workers derided the company-selected primer on Japanese culture as being "hilariously exaggerated" and "maybe true in the 19th century." I see that the company that made the primer on Japanese culture has also made a primer on Canadian culture, and I keep threatening to seek it out someday.
I recently came across this article in the British newspaper the Guardian. It says how the Calgary City Police has been actively recruiting British police officers to bolster Calgary's forces. Apparently, the British bobbies find Canadian criminals to be quite polite, and that patrolling the mean streets of Calgary is a lot more relaxed than the mean streets of London.
The article sums up with this description of Alberta and its culture. I would like to point out that I did not add any emphasis...I bolded exactly what was bolded in the original article.
"Alberta is the second most western of Canada's 10 provinces. Three times bigger than the UK, it has a population of 3,290,350, most of whom live in Calgary or Edmonton. Despite the money which has rolled into the province as a result of the oil and natural gas fields discovered up north 30 or so years ago, Alberta is cowboy country, where beef is on every menu and rodeos are highlights of social calendars. The Rocky mountains lie to the west with the border to British Columbia, and the vast majority of the province is covered in prairies dotted with farms. And there is serious money to be made; with the energy sector booming, Alberta is growing fast, but there are far more jobs than jobseekers. By 2016, the government estimates there will be a shortfall of 109,000 workers."
So it was announced today that the CBC is preparing a film about the life of Don Cherry. The 4-hour mini-series will focus mainly on Cherry's hockey career, and end with when he first met Ron MacLean. The mini-series was scripted by Cherry's son Tim, and the CBC hopes to start filming this summer.
Ummm...why?
And in case you haven't heard, the CFL is heading back to Ottawa. I won't embarrass myself by attempting to talk about football, but I will say I think this is cool. Now, if we can only get one in Halifax to bring it up to an even 10, I just might attempt to get into this football thing.
I recently came across this article in the British newspaper the Guardian. It says how the Calgary City Police has been actively recruiting British police officers to bolster Calgary's forces. Apparently, the British bobbies find Canadian criminals to be quite polite, and that patrolling the mean streets of Calgary is a lot more relaxed than the mean streets of London.
The article sums up with this description of Alberta and its culture. I would like to point out that I did not add any emphasis...I bolded exactly what was bolded in the original article.
"Alberta is the second most western of Canada's 10 provinces. Three times bigger than the UK, it has a population of 3,290,350, most of whom live in Calgary or Edmonton. Despite the money which has rolled into the province as a result of the oil and natural gas fields discovered up north 30 or so years ago, Alberta is cowboy country, where beef is on every menu and rodeos are highlights of social calendars. The Rocky mountains lie to the west with the border to British Columbia, and the vast majority of the province is covered in prairies dotted with farms. And there is serious money to be made; with the energy sector booming, Alberta is growing fast, but there are far more jobs than jobseekers. By 2016, the government estimates there will be a shortfall of 109,000 workers."
So it was announced today that the CBC is preparing a film about the life of Don Cherry. The 4-hour mini-series will focus mainly on Cherry's hockey career, and end with when he first met Ron MacLean. The mini-series was scripted by Cherry's son Tim, and the CBC hopes to start filming this summer.
Ummm...why?
And in case you haven't heard, the CFL is heading back to Ottawa. I won't embarrass myself by attempting to talk about football, but I will say I think this is cool. Now, if we can only get one in Halifax to bring it up to an even 10, I just might attempt to get into this football thing.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Pointless News
You've probably heard this by now, and I think that the public is really over-reacting.
Allow me to re-iterate. KFC is about to start selling grilled chicken. As many have pointed out, grilled chicken is healthier than fried chicken, and KFC has actually been kind of slow to get on the healthy food bandwagon.
At first, I didn't know why such a big deal was being made out of this. I mean, I remember KFC attempting to offer healthy alternatives in the past. It was around 10 years ago that KFC introduced their Tender Roast chicken...roasted instead of fried. I remember it was out in 1997 because I tried some while watching the infamous fastest man alive race.
But then I read the fine print. KFC is going so far as to re-name some of their stores "Kentucky Grilled Chicken." They're doing a complete re-branding of their stores. Now THAT is a significant change.
Right now, they're only trying it in 6 American cities, and it'll be rolled all across the USA in 2009. No word yet on when/if it comes to Canada.
And despite what they tell us on the news, I don't think Colonel Sanders is rolling in his grave.
I hate DVD double dips, and here's one that I'm pointing out for the James Bond fans in the house.
The most recent James Bond film, Casino Roayle, is getting yet another DVD edition. The 3-disc collectors edition comes out on June 7. You get everything that was on the 2-disc special edition. New stuff includes 8 new featurettes, a bunch of cut scenes, a director's running commentary, and the TV special Bond Girls are Forever.
I, personally, think I'll be skipping this one.
Allow me to re-iterate. KFC is about to start selling grilled chicken. As many have pointed out, grilled chicken is healthier than fried chicken, and KFC has actually been kind of slow to get on the healthy food bandwagon.
At first, I didn't know why such a big deal was being made out of this. I mean, I remember KFC attempting to offer healthy alternatives in the past. It was around 10 years ago that KFC introduced their Tender Roast chicken...roasted instead of fried. I remember it was out in 1997 because I tried some while watching the infamous fastest man alive race.
But then I read the fine print. KFC is going so far as to re-name some of their stores "Kentucky Grilled Chicken." They're doing a complete re-branding of their stores. Now THAT is a significant change.
Right now, they're only trying it in 6 American cities, and it'll be rolled all across the USA in 2009. No word yet on when/if it comes to Canada.
And despite what they tell us on the news, I don't think Colonel Sanders is rolling in his grave.
I hate DVD double dips, and here's one that I'm pointing out for the James Bond fans in the house.
The most recent James Bond film, Casino Roayle, is getting yet another DVD edition. The 3-disc collectors edition comes out on June 7. You get everything that was on the 2-disc special edition. New stuff includes 8 new featurettes, a bunch of cut scenes, a director's running commentary, and the TV special Bond Girls are Forever.
I, personally, think I'll be skipping this one.
Latest Targ's Up!
Sorry it's a day late, folks. I went home for the Easter weekend and all that. And seeing as to how I missed last week, I knew I couldn't go two weeks in a row with no episode.
However, I made good on my promise from the last time I put up an episode a day late! This one is called Episode 89: ...And a Dollar Short. I herald the return of the McRib, introduce you to the voice cast of the next Batman animated movie, and plot my running for office.
Interesting trivia note: as I mentioned, I nixed last week's episode because I recorded it when I was in "a bad place," and it reflected. One of the breaks in this week's show was originally from the cancelled episode, but I re-recorded it in a more cheerful manner. Try to guess which one!
Give it a listen!
However, I made good on my promise from the last time I put up an episode a day late! This one is called Episode 89: ...And a Dollar Short. I herald the return of the McRib, introduce you to the voice cast of the next Batman animated movie, and plot my running for office.
Interesting trivia note: as I mentioned, I nixed last week's episode because I recorded it when I was in "a bad place," and it reflected. One of the breaks in this week's show was originally from the cancelled episode, but I re-recorded it in a more cheerful manner. Try to guess which one!
Give it a listen!
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Voice of Batman
Well, there was some other nerd-tacular news this week that I've failed to report on. Not so much failed to report on as I was just waiting to have some time.
As you know, we've got the next Batman straight-to-DVD animated movie coming out this summer. Batman: Gotham Knight sees Batman turned over to some of the finest Japanese animators in the world to give Batman an all-new anime spin.
Earlier this week, they announced the voice cast, and boy are the geeks happy.
Kevin Conroy is back as Batman!
Conroy, of course, did the voice of Batman on Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and the elderly Bruce Wayne on Batman Beyond. To many, he has become THE definitive Batman.
Now, as cool as this is, I'm not so sure it's right for the project. I mean, here's a picture of the anime-styled Batman.
As much as I love Kevin Conroy as Batman, I just can't picture his Batman voice coming out of this Batman.
but then, who knows? Conroy is a good enough actor to maybe alter his Batman voice to make it more appropriate. He's done it in the past. I still think this is a cool concept, though.
And, what I like is, going over the whole voice cast, they've brought together a bunch of all-stars from other DC animation projects to do voices. Here's some of the other legendary voice actors on this project. Sadly, we don't know who exactly they're voicing, but I list their famous voice in the DC animation world.
George Newbern - Superman on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
Corey Burton - Brainiac on Superman, Justice League and even Legion of Super-Heroes
Kevin Michael Richardson - The Joker on The Batman
Will Friedle - Terry McGuinnes/Future Batman on Batman Beyond
Scott Menville - Robin on Teen Titans
Hynden Walch - Starfire on Teen Titans
Plus some other legendary voice actors like Rob Paulson and Jason Marsden.
Oh, and we've got some celebrity casting as well. Gary Dourdan, still best-known as CSI Warrick Brown on the original CSI is a Gotham City police detective, and David McCallum, star of the legendary 1960s spy show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and having a bit of a resurgance on NCIS takes the reins as Alfred.
Batman: Gotham Knight comes out straight-to-DVD on July 8. That's one day after my birthday, and yes, I will accept it as a late birthday present.
As you know, we've got the next Batman straight-to-DVD animated movie coming out this summer. Batman: Gotham Knight sees Batman turned over to some of the finest Japanese animators in the world to give Batman an all-new anime spin.
Earlier this week, they announced the voice cast, and boy are the geeks happy.
Kevin Conroy is back as Batman!
Conroy, of course, did the voice of Batman on Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and the elderly Bruce Wayne on Batman Beyond. To many, he has become THE definitive Batman.
Now, as cool as this is, I'm not so sure it's right for the project. I mean, here's a picture of the anime-styled Batman.
As much as I love Kevin Conroy as Batman, I just can't picture his Batman voice coming out of this Batman.
but then, who knows? Conroy is a good enough actor to maybe alter his Batman voice to make it more appropriate. He's done it in the past. I still think this is a cool concept, though.
And, what I like is, going over the whole voice cast, they've brought together a bunch of all-stars from other DC animation projects to do voices. Here's some of the other legendary voice actors on this project. Sadly, we don't know who exactly they're voicing, but I list their famous voice in the DC animation world.
George Newbern - Superman on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
Corey Burton - Brainiac on Superman, Justice League and even Legion of Super-Heroes
Kevin Michael Richardson - The Joker on The Batman
Will Friedle - Terry McGuinnes/Future Batman on Batman Beyond
Scott Menville - Robin on Teen Titans
Hynden Walch - Starfire on Teen Titans
Plus some other legendary voice actors like Rob Paulson and Jason Marsden.
Oh, and we've got some celebrity casting as well. Gary Dourdan, still best-known as CSI Warrick Brown on the original CSI is a Gotham City police detective, and David McCallum, star of the legendary 1960s spy show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and having a bit of a resurgance on NCIS takes the reins as Alfred.
Batman: Gotham Knight comes out straight-to-DVD on July 8. That's one day after my birthday, and yes, I will accept it as a late birthday present.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
I'm seriously geeking out.....
Ladies and gentlemen, our first picture of Snake Eyes from the live-action G.I. Joe:
That is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, 100% absolutly spot-on perfect.
August 2009 is when we see it in action.
That is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, 100% absolutly spot-on perfect.
August 2009 is when we see it in action.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Fast Food and Fast Movies
Oh, the fast food nerds of the world are on a high!
The McRib is back, bay-bee!
Ah, yes, a fast food sandwich so epic and so mythical they made a Simpsons episode about it.
I have fond memories of eating these as a child in the 1980s. God, when was the last time McDonald's had these? The last time that it was really heavily hyped was in 1994, when the did a whole tie-in with the live-action Flintstones movie. But they had to have brought it back in 1997, because I remember having one on my summer of gravel crusher goodness. Ah, yes, I remember getting off the crusher crew at midnight, hitting the all-night McDonald's drive-thru, and having a McRib picnic under the stars.
I haven't been excited since Wendy's introduced their fish burger.
And because Man cannot live on bread alone, check out this cool new Speed Racer poster.
Not gonna lie...I've had a crush on Cristina Ricci for a long time, and looking at her smirk in that poster just reminds me why.
I'd better end this before it gets stalkery.
The McRib is back, bay-bee!
Ah, yes, a fast food sandwich so epic and so mythical they made a Simpsons episode about it.
I have fond memories of eating these as a child in the 1980s. God, when was the last time McDonald's had these? The last time that it was really heavily hyped was in 1994, when the did a whole tie-in with the live-action Flintstones movie. But they had to have brought it back in 1997, because I remember having one on my summer of gravel crusher goodness. Ah, yes, I remember getting off the crusher crew at midnight, hitting the all-night McDonald's drive-thru, and having a McRib picnic under the stars.
I haven't been excited since Wendy's introduced their fish burger.
And because Man cannot live on bread alone, check out this cool new Speed Racer poster.
Not gonna lie...I've had a crush on Cristina Ricci for a long time, and looking at her smirk in that poster just reminds me why.
I'd better end this before it gets stalkery.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sword in the Stone on DVD
Wow. Every Disney animated film really is getting a special edition!
It was reported today that Disney is prepping a super-special 45th anniversary edition of The Sword in the Stone. This Disney classic, very loosely based on the TH White novel of the same name, tells the tale of a young Arthur Pendragon as he meets an elderly wizard named Merlin, and Merlin begins to prepare Arthur for his destiny. It's truly one of Disney's lesser animated films, but I watched it a lot as a kid.
For the 45th anniversary edition, it's being released in widescreen for the first time ever, along with an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix. You'll get an interactive gallery of concept art, a featurette about the music, two Disney animated shorts, an interactive game, and that wonderfully vague bonus material on every DVD, "more!"
It comes out on June 17.
Now, c'mon Disney! Get around to The Black Cauldron! With the legendary super-gory undead army scenes!
And hey! I discovered some interesting facts on Dumbo the other day.... Dumbo is Disney's shortest animated film, at 64 minutes long. In fact, it was so short, that the distributor, RKO Pictures, asked Disney to either edit it down to a short film, or make it longer. Disney said, "No. It gets released uncut!" and that's what happened.
Dumbo was also Disney's first film released to the growing home entertainment market. Dumbo hit VHS and Beta in 1981.
It was reported today that Disney is prepping a super-special 45th anniversary edition of The Sword in the Stone. This Disney classic, very loosely based on the TH White novel of the same name, tells the tale of a young Arthur Pendragon as he meets an elderly wizard named Merlin, and Merlin begins to prepare Arthur for his destiny. It's truly one of Disney's lesser animated films, but I watched it a lot as a kid.
For the 45th anniversary edition, it's being released in widescreen for the first time ever, along with an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix. You'll get an interactive gallery of concept art, a featurette about the music, two Disney animated shorts, an interactive game, and that wonderfully vague bonus material on every DVD, "more!"
It comes out on June 17.
Now, c'mon Disney! Get around to The Black Cauldron! With the legendary super-gory undead army scenes!
And hey! I discovered some interesting facts on Dumbo the other day.... Dumbo is Disney's shortest animated film, at 64 minutes long. In fact, it was so short, that the distributor, RKO Pictures, asked Disney to either edit it down to a short film, or make it longer. Disney said, "No. It gets released uncut!" and that's what happened.
Dumbo was also Disney's first film released to the growing home entertainment market. Dumbo hit VHS and Beta in 1981.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
No Targ This Week
I've recently been reading up on the supposed "lost issue" of Fantastic Four.
It's like this. Marvel Comics popularized a way of making comics called "the Marvel method." Rather than give a complete script to his artists, Stan Lee would just give them a rough outline of what he wants to see happen in that comic. The artist would draw the comic based on the outline, and then give the finished artwork back to Lee to write the dialogue. The quirks of this system can be beneficial. For example, Stan Lee once gave artist Jack Kirby this outline for a Fantastic Four story involving a planet-eating villain named Galactus. When he got the artwork back, Lee saw that Kirby drew in this little guy riding a surfboard. When Lee asked Kirby about it, Kirby said that he reasoned that someone like Galactus would have a herald flying on ahead, searching out tasty planets. Lee agreed, and the Silver Surfer was born.
But this system had its drawbacks. One day, Lee got some artwork back from Kirby, and Lee thought that Kirby had gone of the rails...completely mis-interpreted his outline. Lee asked for the artwork to be re-done, and, well, relations were strained between Kirby and Lee anyway, and Kirby quit Marvel comics. Lee eventually made this unused Kirby artwork work as an extended flashback in a later issue, but for the most part, some considered it a lost issue.
Now what does this tale have to do with the fact that there's no episode of The Targ this week?
It's like this. I'm sick. I've got aches and pains all over my body, and when it reaches the whole left arm/heart area, I got scared. Real scared. And I recorded this week's Targ when I was really scared.
And now, here I am, the next morning. I'm Stan Lee, looking at the artwork, and going, "Gee, this guy went off the rails."
And to top it all off, I'm still not in the mood to record something new for you. In fact, I just got off the phone with my parents, and they were all like, "Pains in the left arm and heart area, hmm? Well, why didn't you GO TO THE HOSPITAL when it all started ON THURSDAY??"
So that's probably how I'm going to spend my Sunday morning.
I'm sorry there's no Targ this week, but I'm just really scared right now.
It's like this. Marvel Comics popularized a way of making comics called "the Marvel method." Rather than give a complete script to his artists, Stan Lee would just give them a rough outline of what he wants to see happen in that comic. The artist would draw the comic based on the outline, and then give the finished artwork back to Lee to write the dialogue. The quirks of this system can be beneficial. For example, Stan Lee once gave artist Jack Kirby this outline for a Fantastic Four story involving a planet-eating villain named Galactus. When he got the artwork back, Lee saw that Kirby drew in this little guy riding a surfboard. When Lee asked Kirby about it, Kirby said that he reasoned that someone like Galactus would have a herald flying on ahead, searching out tasty planets. Lee agreed, and the Silver Surfer was born.
But this system had its drawbacks. One day, Lee got some artwork back from Kirby, and Lee thought that Kirby had gone of the rails...completely mis-interpreted his outline. Lee asked for the artwork to be re-done, and, well, relations were strained between Kirby and Lee anyway, and Kirby quit Marvel comics. Lee eventually made this unused Kirby artwork work as an extended flashback in a later issue, but for the most part, some considered it a lost issue.
Now what does this tale have to do with the fact that there's no episode of The Targ this week?
It's like this. I'm sick. I've got aches and pains all over my body, and when it reaches the whole left arm/heart area, I got scared. Real scared. And I recorded this week's Targ when I was really scared.
And now, here I am, the next morning. I'm Stan Lee, looking at the artwork, and going, "Gee, this guy went off the rails."
And to top it all off, I'm still not in the mood to record something new for you. In fact, I just got off the phone with my parents, and they were all like, "Pains in the left arm and heart area, hmm? Well, why didn't you GO TO THE HOSPITAL when it all started ON THURSDAY??"
So that's probably how I'm going to spend my Sunday morning.
I'm sorry there's no Targ this week, but I'm just really scared right now.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
My Hero's Next Project
I guess I should specify which hero, as I've got so many. Weird Al...Kevin Smith. In this entry, it's Brad Bird.
Bird, of course, made my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant, and he brought us the best reviewed film of 2007, Ratatouille.
Well, after months of hinting, it was finally made official this morning. For Bird's next film, he's breaking into live-action.
1906 will be a historical epic about the 1906 San Fransisco Earthquake. It'll focus on a young college student who's investigating his father's murder, and in the course of his investigation, he discovers the flaws that lead to the massive outbreaks of fires that happened after the earthquake.
John Logan, who wrote the historical epics Gladiator, the Aviator and The Last Samurai, and the sadly mediocre Star Trek Nemesis, wrote the script. Bird himself is doing a re-write.
No word yet on when it comes out.
Ooo! Check it out! There's a new trailer for Speed Racer!
Bird, of course, made my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant, and he brought us the best reviewed film of 2007, Ratatouille.
Well, after months of hinting, it was finally made official this morning. For Bird's next film, he's breaking into live-action.
1906 will be a historical epic about the 1906 San Fransisco Earthquake. It'll focus on a young college student who's investigating his father's murder, and in the course of his investigation, he discovers the flaws that lead to the massive outbreaks of fires that happened after the earthquake.
John Logan, who wrote the historical epics Gladiator, the Aviator and The Last Samurai, and the sadly mediocre Star Trek Nemesis, wrote the script. Bird himself is doing a re-write.
No word yet on when it comes out.
Ooo! Check it out! There's a new trailer for Speed Racer!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Latest Targ's Up!
Darn you, daylight savings time! I loathe you, and the way you mess up my sleep cycle. My VCR may have sprung ahead, but not my biological clock! It makes me want to move to Saskatchewan, where they don't believe in you!
But I'm not letting you thwart this week's podcast! I've got a brand new episode of The Targ up!
This week, it's Episode 88: Keys in my Pocket, where I say good-bye to The Batman, Data sings, and I read the news stories too hot for radio.
Give it a listen!
But I'm not letting you thwart this week's podcast! I've got a brand new episode of The Targ up!
This week, it's Episode 88: Keys in my Pocket, where I say good-bye to The Batman, Data sings, and I read the news stories too hot for radio.
Give it a listen!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Saturday Morning Reivews
The latest chapter in Batman animation has come to a close. The final episode of The Batman just aired. As is the trend, they hit the magic #65, can now sell into worldwide syndication, and really have no reason to go forward.
The Batman was interesting. The legacy of Batman: the Animated Series is still strong in a lot of geeks' minds, so pressing forward with a new Batman cartoon seemed crazy to some, but it still had a lot of good stuff going for it.
What's most fascinating is that The Batman can be split into two distinct eras. For the first two season, it tried venture into Batman Begins/Batman Year One territory. Batman had been in operation for three years, the police were still trying to bring him in as a vigilante, and a lot of episodes focused on new origins for Batman's rogues gallery. In these early days, I dubbed it "Ultimate Batman," because it really seemed like they were applying Marvel's "Ultimate" formula to Batman. Most of the supporting cast were Gotham city police officers, and a major player in the cast was Detective Ellen Yin, the one "good cop" that helped Batman.
But then, with season 3, Alan Burnett took over behind the scene. Burnett was one of the trinity responsible for Batman: The Animated Series, and under his guidance, it became more of a conventional superhero show. Batman was now an accepted superhero, Ellen Yin and the rest of the Gotham PD were dropped. It became your standard formula of superhero vs. supervillain. Batgirl was added in season 3, Robin was added in season 4, and season 5 was The Brave and the Bold, with Batman teaming up with other DC superheroes in about every second episode. Heck, the final episode was Batman and the Justice League. Maybe it was because of Burnett's involvement with B:TAS that he felt there was no need to re-invent the world.
All things considered, The Batman was a worthy addition to Batman animation. It brought us the first animated incarnations of Batman rogues like the Cluemaster and the Black Mask, and even popular one-shots like Wrath. But if you still want a Batman cartoon that's fun AND healthy, then Batman: the Animated Series is still tops.
And another hero gets another chapter in animation. For, right after The Batman finale, it was the premier of The Spectacular Spider-Man. For the latest Spidey cartoon, they decided to go back to the beginning. Peter Parker is still in high school, and once again he's an ass-kicking superhero by night, and scrawny high school nerd who gets the crap beat out of him by bullies in the day.
Of course, though, there are some changes. As part of the back to the beginning, the most prominent girl is Gwen Stacey. But now, she's a grrrl geek who's smarts are at least as equal to Peter Parker. And while Parker hasn't noticed it yet, she's starting to have feeling for him. Eddie Brock is also in it. Brock is a freshman in university, and it's revealed that he went to high school with Peter Parker, and that he was kind of Parker's older brother/protector from bullies. While Brock was a jock in high school, he's now given his life to science where he's a lab assistant to Dr. Curt Connors.
The geek-out factor for me on The Spectacular Spider-Man is that the creator/showrunner is Greg Weisman, the creator of Gargoyles. And in the first episodes, Weisman did give a few tips of the hat to his most famous creation. Spidey trashes a gargoyle that looks just like Broadway, and Keith "Goliath" David is now the voice of the Big Man.
Peter Parker is still new to being Spider-Man. People regard Spidey as "an urban legend," and in the opening narration Spider-Man referrs to his superhero career as "how he spent his summer vacation." They showed two episodes back-to-back...#1 dealt with the origin of the Vulture, and #2 was the origin of Electro.
It seemed like a good start...we've got all those character moments we remember about Spider-Man that we haven't seen in a while...mainly, teen angst. And Joe Quesada didn't have to sell a piece of Spider-Man's soul to get there!
It's off to a good start, I think.
The Batman was interesting. The legacy of Batman: the Animated Series is still strong in a lot of geeks' minds, so pressing forward with a new Batman cartoon seemed crazy to some, but it still had a lot of good stuff going for it.
What's most fascinating is that The Batman can be split into two distinct eras. For the first two season, it tried venture into Batman Begins/Batman Year One territory. Batman had been in operation for three years, the police were still trying to bring him in as a vigilante, and a lot of episodes focused on new origins for Batman's rogues gallery. In these early days, I dubbed it "Ultimate Batman," because it really seemed like they were applying Marvel's "Ultimate" formula to Batman. Most of the supporting cast were Gotham city police officers, and a major player in the cast was Detective Ellen Yin, the one "good cop" that helped Batman.
But then, with season 3, Alan Burnett took over behind the scene. Burnett was one of the trinity responsible for Batman: The Animated Series, and under his guidance, it became more of a conventional superhero show. Batman was now an accepted superhero, Ellen Yin and the rest of the Gotham PD were dropped. It became your standard formula of superhero vs. supervillain. Batgirl was added in season 3, Robin was added in season 4, and season 5 was The Brave and the Bold, with Batman teaming up with other DC superheroes in about every second episode. Heck, the final episode was Batman and the Justice League. Maybe it was because of Burnett's involvement with B:TAS that he felt there was no need to re-invent the world.
All things considered, The Batman was a worthy addition to Batman animation. It brought us the first animated incarnations of Batman rogues like the Cluemaster and the Black Mask, and even popular one-shots like Wrath. But if you still want a Batman cartoon that's fun AND healthy, then Batman: the Animated Series is still tops.
And another hero gets another chapter in animation. For, right after The Batman finale, it was the premier of The Spectacular Spider-Man. For the latest Spidey cartoon, they decided to go back to the beginning. Peter Parker is still in high school, and once again he's an ass-kicking superhero by night, and scrawny high school nerd who gets the crap beat out of him by bullies in the day.
Of course, though, there are some changes. As part of the back to the beginning, the most prominent girl is Gwen Stacey. But now, she's a grrrl geek who's smarts are at least as equal to Peter Parker. And while Parker hasn't noticed it yet, she's starting to have feeling for him. Eddie Brock is also in it. Brock is a freshman in university, and it's revealed that he went to high school with Peter Parker, and that he was kind of Parker's older brother/protector from bullies. While Brock was a jock in high school, he's now given his life to science where he's a lab assistant to Dr. Curt Connors.
The geek-out factor for me on The Spectacular Spider-Man is that the creator/showrunner is Greg Weisman, the creator of Gargoyles. And in the first episodes, Weisman did give a few tips of the hat to his most famous creation. Spidey trashes a gargoyle that looks just like Broadway, and Keith "Goliath" David is now the voice of the Big Man.
Peter Parker is still new to being Spider-Man. People regard Spidey as "an urban legend," and in the opening narration Spider-Man referrs to his superhero career as "how he spent his summer vacation." They showed two episodes back-to-back...#1 dealt with the origin of the Vulture, and #2 was the origin of Electro.
It seemed like a good start...we've got all those character moments we remember about Spider-Man that we haven't seen in a while...mainly, teen angst. And Joe Quesada didn't have to sell a piece of Spider-Man's soul to get there!
It's off to a good start, I think.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Raunchy News/Data Sings!/What I Do For a Living
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I think I'm going to do it.
At work, there's a lot of news stories that come down the wire services, and while they are hilarious, I know they're a little too risque for conservative ol' Athabasca.
So, what I think I'm going to do, is whenever one of these news stories comes down the wire, I'm going to post them here at my blog. Cuz really, they're just so funny, they have to be shared.
Like this one that came down today:
Sex toys are getting some respect in Sweden.
The state-owned pharmacy chain (Apoteket) will be stocking
vibrators beginning in June.
Pharmacy officials say the adult novelties will be stocked in 50
select stores for a year-long trial.
A chain spokeswoman says the official pharmacy wants to help
people to have a better sex life -- with or without a partner.
The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education is helping
officials decide which sex toys to stock.
All I can say is: Sweden rocks.
OH MY GOD! Data has a new album out!
For those who aren't nerd enough, Brent Spiner will forever be known as Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he is a bit of a crooner. He released an album back in the early-1990s, and his first acting gig after Star Trek was doing a couple of Broadway shows.
His new album is called "Dreamland," and he says it's not album so much as it is a "radio play/musical." Spiner is releasing it independently, and you can buy it straight from Spiner at his official website.
And, as is the case with every musical artist these days, you can hear a few tracks over at his MySpace page.
And for those who wonder what happens when my work and my hobbies collide, check this out.
The brand-new Athabasca Regional Multiplex opened up around two weeks ago. And because I love playing with my digital camera, I went up there and took a few photos and posted them on my Facebook page.
A couple hours later, I get an e-mail from head office. "Hey, those are real nice. How about putting them on the station website?" And I said, "Sure!"
So swing by www.fox850.ca and check out my virtual tour of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
At work, there's a lot of news stories that come down the wire services, and while they are hilarious, I know they're a little too risque for conservative ol' Athabasca.
So, what I think I'm going to do, is whenever one of these news stories comes down the wire, I'm going to post them here at my blog. Cuz really, they're just so funny, they have to be shared.
Like this one that came down today:
Sex toys are getting some respect in Sweden.
The state-owned pharmacy chain (Apoteket) will be stocking
vibrators beginning in June.
Pharmacy officials say the adult novelties will be stocked in 50
select stores for a year-long trial.
A chain spokeswoman says the official pharmacy wants to help
people to have a better sex life -- with or without a partner.
The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education is helping
officials decide which sex toys to stock.
All I can say is: Sweden rocks.
OH MY GOD! Data has a new album out!
For those who aren't nerd enough, Brent Spiner will forever be known as Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he is a bit of a crooner. He released an album back in the early-1990s, and his first acting gig after Star Trek was doing a couple of Broadway shows.
His new album is called "Dreamland," and he says it's not album so much as it is a "radio play/musical." Spiner is releasing it independently, and you can buy it straight from Spiner at his official website.
And, as is the case with every musical artist these days, you can hear a few tracks over at his MySpace page.
And for those who wonder what happens when my work and my hobbies collide, check this out.
The brand-new Athabasca Regional Multiplex opened up around two weeks ago. And because I love playing with my digital camera, I went up there and took a few photos and posted them on my Facebook page.
A couple hours later, I get an e-mail from head office. "Hey, those are real nice. How about putting them on the station website?" And I said, "Sure!"
So swing by www.fox850.ca and check out my virtual tour of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
My Hero's Latest Project
So, the Presidents of the United States of America have a new album coming out on Tuesday.
Now, what does this have to do with my hero, "Weird Al" Yankovic?
Why, Weird Al directed the music video for their lead single, Mixed Up SOB!
Weird Al's actually getting a nice little side career as a music video director. He also directed videos for The Black Crows, Ben Folds, and Hanson, back when boy bands roamed the Earth. And, of course, Weird Al has directed all of his own music videos since Bedrock Anthem.
Now, what does this have to do with my hero, "Weird Al" Yankovic?
Why, Weird Al directed the music video for their lead single, Mixed Up SOB!
Weird Al's actually getting a nice little side career as a music video director. He also directed videos for The Black Crows, Ben Folds, and Hanson, back when boy bands roamed the Earth. And, of course, Weird Al has directed all of his own music videos since Bedrock Anthem.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Dastardly Double-Dip
Well, here's something I should have seen coming.
The Indiana Jones Trilogy is getting re-released on DVD, in time for the fourth movie. The last time the trilogy was released, it was in a 4-disc boxed set, with all your bonus features on disc 4.
For this new release, the films will be available individually, and each film is getting its own 2-disc special edition. And of course, all the bonus features are brand new. Among the new features are each film getting a new introduction by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, more storyboards, and exclusive new featurettes on each film's big special effects scenes.
These new special editions will be available individually, or you can by them all in a big, 6-disc boxed set. It all comes out on May 13...a little less than 2 weeks before the fourth film hits theatres.
I tell ya, I finally broke down and bought the DVDs a little over a year ago. I was doing my Christmas shopping, I saw HMV had it marked down to $30, and I thought, "That's the cheapest I've seen it...why not?"
I think I'll hold off on this double-dip, cuz you just know that, this time next year, they'll be announcing a new boxed set of all four films with even more new bonus features. That's when it'll be worth buying again.
The Indiana Jones Trilogy is getting re-released on DVD, in time for the fourth movie. The last time the trilogy was released, it was in a 4-disc boxed set, with all your bonus features on disc 4.
For this new release, the films will be available individually, and each film is getting its own 2-disc special edition. And of course, all the bonus features are brand new. Among the new features are each film getting a new introduction by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, more storyboards, and exclusive new featurettes on each film's big special effects scenes.
These new special editions will be available individually, or you can by them all in a big, 6-disc boxed set. It all comes out on May 13...a little less than 2 weeks before the fourth film hits theatres.
I tell ya, I finally broke down and bought the DVDs a little over a year ago. I was doing my Christmas shopping, I saw HMV had it marked down to $30, and I thought, "That's the cheapest I've seen it...why not?"
I think I'll hold off on this double-dip, cuz you just know that, this time next year, they'll be announcing a new boxed set of all four films with even more new bonus features. That's when it'll be worth buying again.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Justice League: the New Frontier Review
Well, I picked up this DVD on Friday, watched it a couple of times, so let's do a review!
Justice League: the New Frontier
Directed by Dave Bullock
Starring the voices of David Boreanaz, Miguel Ferrar, Kyle McLachlan, Lucy Lawless, Jeremy Sisto, Neil Patrick Harris, Brooke Shields, and Keith "Yes, I have the most awesome voice ever" David.
Backstory: So, when Warner Brothers and DC Comics announced that they'd be doing a bunch of straight-to-DVD animated films, and that The New Frontier would be in the bunch, it instantly became the most anticipated. Based on writer/artist Darwyn Cooke's love letter to the Silver Age of comics, The New Frontier re-imagined the origins of the Justice League by plopping them all into the real world of the 1950s. When I first heard about this, I ran down to the library and checked out the original graphic novel. It was a pretty good read, and I was ready to see how they'd adapt this for animation.
Plot: The 1950s was a turbulent time for America, what, with the growing Cold War and the growing paranoia of whether your neighbour might be one of those dreaded Communists. Not even superheroes were above reproach, as there was growing pressure for superheroes to have "nothing to hide" and unmask. Under the growing pressure, there were those like the Justice Society, who chose to retire from superheroing and fade into society. There were those like Superman and Wonder Woman, who swore loyalty oaths to the USA and became government agents. And there were those like Batman and the Flash, who continued to operate as hunted fugitives. Throw into the mix a couple of lost souls: Hal Jordan, a soldier branded a coward because of his refusal to kill, and J'onn J'onzz, the last Martian, stranded on Earth and attempting to assimilate into society. But soon the world is threatened by a demonic force known only as "The Centre," and it's time for all these heroes to put aside their differences and personal politics and do what they do best.
What I Liked: This movie is faithful to the original graphic novel the way Sin City is faithful to its original graphic novel. You swear that all they did was take the comic and use it as storyboards. Granted, to make it a 75-minute film, lots of stuff had to be cut out. This plays out like a hyper-compressed version of the graphic novel, and all the highlights are definitely hit.
What I Didn't Like: As I already mentioned, they had to cut out quite a bit in order to get down to the 75-minutes. Some of the subtleties of the original comic had to be made a bit more blunt (ie preachy) in the interests of time. And despite it being fanboy dream casting, I thought that Lucy "Xena" Lawless came across a little bland as Wonder Woman.
Final Verdict: While still no Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, it is a damn good piece of DC Comics animation.
3.5 Nibs
Bonus Materials: I sprung for the 2-disc special edition, so on disc 1, you get a documentary on the history of the Justice League, a running commentary with the director and producers, a second running commentary with the graphic novel's author Darwyn Cooke, and a preview for the next straight-to-DVD animated film, Batman: Gotham Knight. On disc 2, you get a documentary on the history of super-villains, a featurette on the original graphic novel, and three episodes of Justice League Unlimited.
Justice League: the New Frontier
Directed by Dave Bullock
Starring the voices of David Boreanaz, Miguel Ferrar, Kyle McLachlan, Lucy Lawless, Jeremy Sisto, Neil Patrick Harris, Brooke Shields, and Keith "Yes, I have the most awesome voice ever" David.
Backstory: So, when Warner Brothers and DC Comics announced that they'd be doing a bunch of straight-to-DVD animated films, and that The New Frontier would be in the bunch, it instantly became the most anticipated. Based on writer/artist Darwyn Cooke's love letter to the Silver Age of comics, The New Frontier re-imagined the origins of the Justice League by plopping them all into the real world of the 1950s. When I first heard about this, I ran down to the library and checked out the original graphic novel. It was a pretty good read, and I was ready to see how they'd adapt this for animation.
Plot: The 1950s was a turbulent time for America, what, with the growing Cold War and the growing paranoia of whether your neighbour might be one of those dreaded Communists. Not even superheroes were above reproach, as there was growing pressure for superheroes to have "nothing to hide" and unmask. Under the growing pressure, there were those like the Justice Society, who chose to retire from superheroing and fade into society. There were those like Superman and Wonder Woman, who swore loyalty oaths to the USA and became government agents. And there were those like Batman and the Flash, who continued to operate as hunted fugitives. Throw into the mix a couple of lost souls: Hal Jordan, a soldier branded a coward because of his refusal to kill, and J'onn J'onzz, the last Martian, stranded on Earth and attempting to assimilate into society. But soon the world is threatened by a demonic force known only as "The Centre," and it's time for all these heroes to put aside their differences and personal politics and do what they do best.
What I Liked: This movie is faithful to the original graphic novel the way Sin City is faithful to its original graphic novel. You swear that all they did was take the comic and use it as storyboards. Granted, to make it a 75-minute film, lots of stuff had to be cut out. This plays out like a hyper-compressed version of the graphic novel, and all the highlights are definitely hit.
What I Didn't Like: As I already mentioned, they had to cut out quite a bit in order to get down to the 75-minutes. Some of the subtleties of the original comic had to be made a bit more blunt (ie preachy) in the interests of time. And despite it being fanboy dream casting, I thought that Lucy "Xena" Lawless came across a little bland as Wonder Woman.
Final Verdict: While still no Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, it is a damn good piece of DC Comics animation.
3.5 Nibs
Bonus Materials: I sprung for the 2-disc special edition, so on disc 1, you get a documentary on the history of the Justice League, a running commentary with the director and producers, a second running commentary with the graphic novel's author Darwyn Cooke, and a preview for the next straight-to-DVD animated film, Batman: Gotham Knight. On disc 2, you get a documentary on the history of super-villains, a featurette on the original graphic novel, and three episodes of Justice League Unlimited.
Latest Targ's Up!
Ah, another lazy Sunday can only mean another episode of The Targ!
For this episode, I talk about some of the news stories I'm covering in Athabasca right now, tell you all about the upcoming Family Guy spin-off, and obsess over Pokemon 10.
And that's why this one is called Episode 87: My Life Summed Up
Giver a go!
For this episode, I talk about some of the news stories I'm covering in Athabasca right now, tell you all about the upcoming Family Guy spin-off, and obsess over Pokemon 10.
And that's why this one is called Episode 87: My Life Summed Up
Giver a go!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Trailer Park!
Lots of new trailers hit the web yesterday.
Firstly, here's the one for Mike Myers' next film, The Love Guru:
I make no apologies! I love Mike Myers!
Now, for the big one, here's the third and final trailer for Iron Man:
Firstly, here's the one for Mike Myers' next film, The Love Guru:
I make no apologies! I love Mike Myers!
Now, for the big one, here's the third and final trailer for Iron Man:
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