Well, since there's a new DC Showcase short on the Batman: Year One DVD, I thought I would review it separetly as I've done in the past. So, let's take a look at....
DC Showcase: Catwoman
Directed by Lauren Montgomery
Starring the voices of Eliza Dushku, John DiMaggio, Tara Strong, Cree Summer, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Lillian Mumy.
Backstory: A prime way to illustrate my disappointment with the DC animated direct-to-DVD films is the DC Showcase line. This animated short films give focus on beloved B-list characters that could clearly carry their own film. The best example: Catwoman. Bruce Timm, the producer in charge of these films, has long said a Catwoman film is one he would love to do...but it looks like this short film is all we're going to get. Don't get me wrong, I love these shorts, but...they could be whole films!
Plot: On one moonlit Gotham City night, Catwoman saves a stray cat from being mercilessly gunned down by a couple of thugs. This piques the Cat's curiosity, so she begins to investigate, and she's soon doing battle with a notorious diamond smuggler known as Rough Cut. What is Rough Cut's nefarious plan, and can Catwoman get to the bottom of it?
What I Liked: Well, a good portion of the film takes place in a strip club, and they really push the limits of the PG-13 rating on this DVD. Like a lot of the DC Showcase shorts, it's kind of short for character development, so the main focus is on action, and there's some great action set pieces in this. The voice acting is really good, and the quality is very high level. And throw in a script from fan favourite Batman writer Paul Dini...it's all good.
What I Didn't Like: IT'S TOO DARN SHORT!!
Final Verdict: I really like this DC Showcase concept, and if this is all we're going to get for characters the level of Catwoman's popularity, then keep bringing them on.
3 Nibs
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Movie Review -- Batman: Year One
Hey! Another DC Comics direct-to-DVD animated film came out a couple of weeks ago. And I finally had a chance to sit down and watch it. So let's get to my review of....
Batman: Year One
Directed by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery
Starring the voices of Ben McKenzie, Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku, Katee Sackhoff, Alex Rocco, Jon Polito, Jeff Bennet, Steve Blum, and Grey DeLisle.
Backstory: I tend to repeat myself whenever one of these DC animated films comes along, and that is, I'm getting very disappointed in their choice to just focus on Superman and Batman. There's so many great "lower A-list" and "upper B-list" characters that could sustain a film, but apparently, Superman and Batman are the only ones with enough "mainstream appeal" to make this project profitable. And, my disappointment reached new heights when it was announced that they'd be doing Batman: Year One, Frank Miller's legendary retelling/updating of Batman's origin tale. Seriously, so much of Batman: Year One inspired Batman Begins that how could you do a Year One adaptation without it seeming like a Batman Begins rehash? Well, my copy arrived from Amazon.ca a few days ago, so let's pop it in and find out.
Plot: Lieutenant James Gordon, still recovering from a police scandal in Chicago, arrives in Gotham City for a new posting with the GCPD and a chance at starting over. Meanwhile, after 12 years of traveling the world, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne finally returns to Gotham City. Wayne, himself, has been working on his own plan to help clean up the streets of Gotham, and he seems ready to enact it. Gordon soon finds himself quickly being the only honest cop in a police force that's corrupt to the core, and he's soon put to work on a special task force to bring in this vigilante that the press has dubbed "The Batman." Can Gordon remain the only honest cop in Gotham City? Will Bruce Wayne's plan succeed? Will these two be able to strike up a partnership and bring hope to this troubled city?
What I Liked: This is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the original graphic novel. I'm glad that the story's action centerpiece -- a tense standoff between Batman the Gotham SWAT team in a burnt-out apartment building -- survived unscathed. Probably the best voice acting in this film comes from Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Sackhoff as Detective Sarah Essen, Gordon's partner. They really put emotion into their roles. And the animation, as always, is of very high quality.
What I Didn't Like: The voice acting of our two leads -- McKenzie as Batman and Cranston as Gordon -- is...not the best. They both sound really sleepy in their roles. This being a Frank Miller comic, when they do wake up, they seem to take their acting cues from Sin City. In fact, in most of his scenes, McKenzie seems to be playing Batman as though he's Dwight McCarthy, or at least Clive Owen's portrayal of him in Sin City.
Final Verdict: Meh. It's OK, but it could have been better. And, surprisingly, it didn't feel like a Batman Begins rehash.
2.5 Nibs
Bonus Features: There's an interview with the current creative team working on the Batman comics, a running commentary with film`s directors and producers, a featurette about returning Batman to his dark roots, a preview of the next direct-to-DVD film, Justice League: Doom, 2 bonus episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and they resurrect the DC Showcase concept to bring us an all-new short film all about Catwoman.
Batman: Year One
Directed by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery
Starring the voices of Ben McKenzie, Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku, Katee Sackhoff, Alex Rocco, Jon Polito, Jeff Bennet, Steve Blum, and Grey DeLisle.
Backstory: I tend to repeat myself whenever one of these DC animated films comes along, and that is, I'm getting very disappointed in their choice to just focus on Superman and Batman. There's so many great "lower A-list" and "upper B-list" characters that could sustain a film, but apparently, Superman and Batman are the only ones with enough "mainstream appeal" to make this project profitable. And, my disappointment reached new heights when it was announced that they'd be doing Batman: Year One, Frank Miller's legendary retelling/updating of Batman's origin tale. Seriously, so much of Batman: Year One inspired Batman Begins that how could you do a Year One adaptation without it seeming like a Batman Begins rehash? Well, my copy arrived from Amazon.ca a few days ago, so let's pop it in and find out.
Plot: Lieutenant James Gordon, still recovering from a police scandal in Chicago, arrives in Gotham City for a new posting with the GCPD and a chance at starting over. Meanwhile, after 12 years of traveling the world, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne finally returns to Gotham City. Wayne, himself, has been working on his own plan to help clean up the streets of Gotham, and he seems ready to enact it. Gordon soon finds himself quickly being the only honest cop in a police force that's corrupt to the core, and he's soon put to work on a special task force to bring in this vigilante that the press has dubbed "The Batman." Can Gordon remain the only honest cop in Gotham City? Will Bruce Wayne's plan succeed? Will these two be able to strike up a partnership and bring hope to this troubled city?
What I Liked: This is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the original graphic novel. I'm glad that the story's action centerpiece -- a tense standoff between Batman the Gotham SWAT team in a burnt-out apartment building -- survived unscathed. Probably the best voice acting in this film comes from Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Sackhoff as Detective Sarah Essen, Gordon's partner. They really put emotion into their roles. And the animation, as always, is of very high quality.
What I Didn't Like: The voice acting of our two leads -- McKenzie as Batman and Cranston as Gordon -- is...not the best. They both sound really sleepy in their roles. This being a Frank Miller comic, when they do wake up, they seem to take their acting cues from Sin City. In fact, in most of his scenes, McKenzie seems to be playing Batman as though he's Dwight McCarthy, or at least Clive Owen's portrayal of him in Sin City.
Final Verdict: Meh. It's OK, but it could have been better. And, surprisingly, it didn't feel like a Batman Begins rehash.
2.5 Nibs
Bonus Features: There's an interview with the current creative team working on the Batman comics, a running commentary with film`s directors and producers, a featurette about returning Batman to his dark roots, a preview of the next direct-to-DVD film, Justice League: Doom, 2 bonus episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and they resurrect the DC Showcase concept to bring us an all-new short film all about Catwoman.
Labels:
Movie Reviews
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The Targ Returns!
Well, I think we've reached that time...it's time to bring back U62: The Targ for another season!
In Episode 5.01: What, This Again?, I take the time to explain where I've been and why it was time to bring it back, I recap the superhero movies of the summer, and I disclose my podcast's secret origins.
Give it a listen!
Click here to go download it!
Head here to subscribe in iTunes!
Be a fan in Facebook!
Labels:
U62: The Targ
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
2 Famous Sleuths
Hey, look, we have a new trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows!
Actually, I'm just posting this because it gives me an excuse to blog about some movie news I've been wanting to blog about but have been putting off.
News broke a couple of weeks ago that, for his next franchise, Robert Downey Jr is looking to resurrect another famous sleuth for the big screen...none other than the legendary crusading defense attorney, Perry Mason.
Perry Mason, created by Earle Stanley Gardner in a series of mystery novels back in the 1930s and 40s, and elevated to mythic status thanks to the legendary TV series starring Raymond Burr.
For the new spin, they're going to go all the way back to the beginning, and set the film in the 1930s...where the character first made his appearance and the time in which the first stories are set.
There's absolutely no word on when or if this'll ever hit theatres. All I know it is it could be pretty neat. I have a minor fascination with Perry Mason, ever since I read a newspaper article in my teen years chronicling how the character has developed a Trekkie-like following.
All I know is, if the movie ever comes to be, they've got to remember to work Park Avenue Beat into the soundtrack.
Actually, I'm just posting this because it gives me an excuse to blog about some movie news I've been wanting to blog about but have been putting off.
News broke a couple of weeks ago that, for his next franchise, Robert Downey Jr is looking to resurrect another famous sleuth for the big screen...none other than the legendary crusading defense attorney, Perry Mason.
Perry Mason, created by Earle Stanley Gardner in a series of mystery novels back in the 1930s and 40s, and elevated to mythic status thanks to the legendary TV series starring Raymond Burr.
For the new spin, they're going to go all the way back to the beginning, and set the film in the 1930s...where the character first made his appearance and the time in which the first stories are set.
There's absolutely no word on when or if this'll ever hit theatres. All I know it is it could be pretty neat. I have a minor fascination with Perry Mason, ever since I read a newspaper article in my teen years chronicling how the character has developed a Trekkie-like following.
All I know is, if the movie ever comes to be, they've got to remember to work Park Avenue Beat into the soundtrack.
Labels:
Movie stuff,
The Trailer Park
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Latest from the Master
We are very blessed this holiday season. We are not getting one, but two new movies from the guy who is generally considered to be the greatest living director today, Steven Spielberg!
First up, the one that's been bigger on my radar, The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. As the legend goes, Spielberg became a fan of the legendary comic strip back in 1981, when a European film critic called Raiders of the Lost Ark "the greatest Tintin movie ever made." Spielberg sought out the comic, instantly became a fan, contacted Herge, and acquired the movies rights. Spielberg has then been trying for the past 30 years to try to get a Tintin movie off the ground.
A few years back, Spielberg took a "now or never" approach to it. He contacted Weta Digital about doing a CGI Snowy (Tintin's faithful dog and sidekick). Peter Jackson, who brought us The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the owner of Weta, and a huge Tintin fan himself, immediately called Spielberg and convinced him to do the whole film with performance capture. Because, you know, a few years ago, before Mars Needs Moms tanked at the box office, we were all told that performance capture was going to be the future of filmmaking.
So, Spielberg and Jackson joined forces to finally bring Tintin to the big screen. Spielberg is directing and Jackson is producing. They will switch roles should this be successful enough for a sequel. For the script, they drafted a trio of phenomenal Brits: Steven Moffat, the current showrunner on Doctor Who, Edgar Wright, director of the much-beloved (be geeks) Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Joe Cornish, director of the critically acclaimed Attack the Block. The story is an amalgam of three classic Tintin storylines: The Secret of the Unicorn, the Crab With the Golden Claws, and Red Rackham's Treasure.
For our cast, Jamie Bell, still best remembered as Billy Elliot, is Tintin, Andy Serkis, best remembered as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is Tintin's longtime friend and sidekick, the salty sea Captain Haddock, Edgar Wright film regulars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the identical detectives Thomson and Thompson, and James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, is the villainous pirate Red Rackham.
It had its first press screening in Tintin's homeland of Belgium a couple of weeks ago and has been getting really good reviews. It comes out in the UK at the end of the month, and it hits North American theatres on December 21.
But wait! There's more! Turns out Spielberg had another movie on the go that was under my radar. While waiting for the animation to be finished on Tintin, Spielberg went and made another movie, War Horse.
Based on the classic children's novel of the same name, War Horse follows the adventures of Joey, a horse who is sold to the army and made to serve in the cavalry during World War I. Albert Narracot, Joey's young owner, can't bear to be separated from his beloved horse, so he lies about his age, joins the army, and the two are soon on a quest to be reunited with each other in the trenches of World War I.
The book was turned into a critically acclaimed play a couple of years ago. Spielberg saw the play, instantly fell in love with the story, and set out to bring the tale to the big screen.
As I said, this one was below my radar, but when I saw the trailer, I knew it was classic Spielberg, from the lavishly filmed sunsets to the John Williams score. War Horse hits theatres on Christmas Day.
First up, the one that's been bigger on my radar, The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. As the legend goes, Spielberg became a fan of the legendary comic strip back in 1981, when a European film critic called Raiders of the Lost Ark "the greatest Tintin movie ever made." Spielberg sought out the comic, instantly became a fan, contacted Herge, and acquired the movies rights. Spielberg has then been trying for the past 30 years to try to get a Tintin movie off the ground.
A few years back, Spielberg took a "now or never" approach to it. He contacted Weta Digital about doing a CGI Snowy (Tintin's faithful dog and sidekick). Peter Jackson, who brought us The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the owner of Weta, and a huge Tintin fan himself, immediately called Spielberg and convinced him to do the whole film with performance capture. Because, you know, a few years ago, before Mars Needs Moms tanked at the box office, we were all told that performance capture was going to be the future of filmmaking.
So, Spielberg and Jackson joined forces to finally bring Tintin to the big screen. Spielberg is directing and Jackson is producing. They will switch roles should this be successful enough for a sequel. For the script, they drafted a trio of phenomenal Brits: Steven Moffat, the current showrunner on Doctor Who, Edgar Wright, director of the much-beloved (be geeks) Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Joe Cornish, director of the critically acclaimed Attack the Block. The story is an amalgam of three classic Tintin storylines: The Secret of the Unicorn, the Crab With the Golden Claws, and Red Rackham's Treasure.
For our cast, Jamie Bell, still best remembered as Billy Elliot, is Tintin, Andy Serkis, best remembered as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is Tintin's longtime friend and sidekick, the salty sea Captain Haddock, Edgar Wright film regulars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the identical detectives Thomson and Thompson, and James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, is the villainous pirate Red Rackham.
It had its first press screening in Tintin's homeland of Belgium a couple of weeks ago and has been getting really good reviews. It comes out in the UK at the end of the month, and it hits North American theatres on December 21.
But wait! There's more! Turns out Spielberg had another movie on the go that was under my radar. While waiting for the animation to be finished on Tintin, Spielberg went and made another movie, War Horse.
Based on the classic children's novel of the same name, War Horse follows the adventures of Joey, a horse who is sold to the army and made to serve in the cavalry during World War I. Albert Narracot, Joey's young owner, can't bear to be separated from his beloved horse, so he lies about his age, joins the army, and the two are soon on a quest to be reunited with each other in the trenches of World War I.
The book was turned into a critically acclaimed play a couple of years ago. Spielberg saw the play, instantly fell in love with the story, and set out to bring the tale to the big screen.
As I said, this one was below my radar, but when I saw the trailer, I knew it was classic Spielberg, from the lavishly filmed sunsets to the John Williams score. War Horse hits theatres on Christmas Day.
Labels:
The Trailer Park
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Just Wait 6 - 8 Weeks
One thing I miss about childhood are all the great mail-away offers. You remember the ones, right? With just 3 proofs of purchase and $5.99 shipping and handling, you could get some kind of really nifty thingamabob. There was just something about the anticipation of waiting for it, the exclusivity of the thing you were sending away for, and just the novelty of getting mail. Not just a letter or a birthday card from Grandma, but a full-blown parcel!
Of course, growing up with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, it was something that became ingrained in you. G.I. Joe was great for this, as each and every G.I. Joe toy had "Flag Points" on the back. The Flag Points were your proofs-of-purchase, which you used to mail away for all the exclusive action figures. My brother and I diligently collected all our Flag Points for a good three or four years, and then, when he was 12 and I was 10, we finally figured it was time to cash in. Man o man, that was a great summer and a good portion of the fall. Just about every two weeks we were getting another package from Hasbro with more rare G.I. Joe toys. And it was all such legendary G.I. Joe mail away exclusives like the Manta Windsurfer, hooded Cobra Commander, and the one that started it all, the Steel Brigade customized figure. For your six Flag Points and $5.99, you could get a G.I. Joe whose code name was one that you chose, and whose real name was your name! My brother was always nuts for aircraft and had just about every G.I. Joe airplane and helicopter...he got his Steel Brigade figure (code name: Hi-Fi) so he could finally pilot all those planes.
When I grew up and started going to high school and college, I still sent away for the occasional thing. When I was writing my epic series of entries about all the times I bought Star Wars, I mentioned that you could get a VHS tape of the TV special The Making of Star Wars, with two proofs-of-purchase from Froot Loops and $4.99. I've still got that tape and watch it every once in a while...I'll probably be watching it less now seeing as to how The Making of Star Wars was included as a bonus feature on the new Star Wars Blu-Rays. For more Star Wars stuff, I remember when the Special Editions hit theatres. You could get an exclusive "Spirit of Obi-Wan" action figures from Lay's Potato Chips for three proofs-of-purchase and $4.99. I got that, too, and it's still a nice addition to my action figure collection.
But my favourite had to be the hockey pennants. Back in high school, I was eating a lot of Pop Tarts, and they had the promotion where they were giving away miniature hockey pennants...nothing fancy, just a three-inch strip of felt with the logo of an NHL team on it. They were neat, but no matter how many Pop Tarts I ate, I kept getting the Chicago Blackhawks. No offense to that fine organization, but after getting two dozen pennants, that's when you start getting a little frustrated.
That's when I read the side panel of the box, and discovered that for two proofs-of-purchase and $6.99 shipping and handling, you could send away for the complete set of pennants, plus a special board to mount and display them on. So that's exactly what I did. And, 6 - 8 weeks later, I got my complete set of pennants. The mounting board was all laid out in the proper conferences and divisions...I remember it was the final season where the conferences and divisions were named after people (eg. the Whales Conference and the Campbell Conference instead of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference). I checked the sports section of the newspaper to make sure I got all the teams in their right divisions, and then hung it on my wall. Some where between my teen years and my adult years, I misplaced that. I kind of miss it...I'm sure there must be some kind of sports memorabilia collection who might pay a couple of bucks for it.
But now that I'm a responsible adult, I just don't do stuff like that anymore. Walk down any grocery store aisle, and you'll see that there aren't really a lot of companies doing stuff like that anymore. Granted, I do buy a lot of crap online, but that's just not the same.
So, back in the early summer, I was perusing the snack aisle, looking for some snacks to feast upon during another quiet, lonely night at home watching DVDs, when a fancy-looking Pringles can caught my eye. Pringles was having a special mail away offer! For 4 proofs-of-purchase and...nothing shipping and handling, you could send away for a gadget that turned a Pringles can into a speaker. My curiosity was piqued. So, I bought a can of Pringles for my movie-time snacks, and for the next few weeks until I had my four proofs-of-purchase. I tossed my four proofs-of-purchase in the mail, and began waiting the 6 - 8 weeks. Actually, 10 - 12 weeks, according to the package.
And then, late last week, I got a package in the mail from Pringles.
Woo hoo! My speaker had arrived. So, of course, I had to open it up and try it out. I was a little stunned that it was an amplified speaker...the original order form didn't say that.
In the box was the speaker gadget, three AAA batteries (Yes! Batteries are included!) and the instructions. So, of course, I had to fire it up and try it out. The instructions are pretty simple: put the batteries in, snap it into the top of a Pringles can, plug it into an MP3 player, turn it on, and enjoy some tunes!
So, what is the sound quality like from a speaker made out of a Pringles can? Well, I made a video demonstrating it.
As I say in the video, the sound quality is a little tinny, and you occasionally get this weird metallic echo when you're listening to a podcast. Other than that, it's pretty neat. It'll find a place in my kitchen for listening to the radio when doing dishes.
It was a nice trip down memory lane, to once again send away for something like this. However, I'm not as thrilled as I once was when I was a kid. When I was a kid, I was all like, "Wow! It's finally here!" But now, I'm all like, "Oh, it's here." Maybe my sense of childhood wonder had finally dissipated. Maybe it's clinical depression. All I know is, I have a really neat speaker.
Of course, growing up with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, it was something that became ingrained in you. G.I. Joe was great for this, as each and every G.I. Joe toy had "Flag Points" on the back. The Flag Points were your proofs-of-purchase, which you used to mail away for all the exclusive action figures. My brother and I diligently collected all our Flag Points for a good three or four years, and then, when he was 12 and I was 10, we finally figured it was time to cash in. Man o man, that was a great summer and a good portion of the fall. Just about every two weeks we were getting another package from Hasbro with more rare G.I. Joe toys. And it was all such legendary G.I. Joe mail away exclusives like the Manta Windsurfer, hooded Cobra Commander, and the one that started it all, the Steel Brigade customized figure. For your six Flag Points and $5.99, you could get a G.I. Joe whose code name was one that you chose, and whose real name was your name! My brother was always nuts for aircraft and had just about every G.I. Joe airplane and helicopter...he got his Steel Brigade figure (code name: Hi-Fi) so he could finally pilot all those planes.
When I grew up and started going to high school and college, I still sent away for the occasional thing. When I was writing my epic series of entries about all the times I bought Star Wars, I mentioned that you could get a VHS tape of the TV special The Making of Star Wars, with two proofs-of-purchase from Froot Loops and $4.99. I've still got that tape and watch it every once in a while...I'll probably be watching it less now seeing as to how The Making of Star Wars was included as a bonus feature on the new Star Wars Blu-Rays. For more Star Wars stuff, I remember when the Special Editions hit theatres. You could get an exclusive "Spirit of Obi-Wan" action figures from Lay's Potato Chips for three proofs-of-purchase and $4.99. I got that, too, and it's still a nice addition to my action figure collection.
But my favourite had to be the hockey pennants. Back in high school, I was eating a lot of Pop Tarts, and they had the promotion where they were giving away miniature hockey pennants...nothing fancy, just a three-inch strip of felt with the logo of an NHL team on it. They were neat, but no matter how many Pop Tarts I ate, I kept getting the Chicago Blackhawks. No offense to that fine organization, but after getting two dozen pennants, that's when you start getting a little frustrated.
That's when I read the side panel of the box, and discovered that for two proofs-of-purchase and $6.99 shipping and handling, you could send away for the complete set of pennants, plus a special board to mount and display them on. So that's exactly what I did. And, 6 - 8 weeks later, I got my complete set of pennants. The mounting board was all laid out in the proper conferences and divisions...I remember it was the final season where the conferences and divisions were named after people (eg. the Whales Conference and the Campbell Conference instead of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference). I checked the sports section of the newspaper to make sure I got all the teams in their right divisions, and then hung it on my wall. Some where between my teen years and my adult years, I misplaced that. I kind of miss it...I'm sure there must be some kind of sports memorabilia collection who might pay a couple of bucks for it.
But now that I'm a responsible adult, I just don't do stuff like that anymore. Walk down any grocery store aisle, and you'll see that there aren't really a lot of companies doing stuff like that anymore. Granted, I do buy a lot of crap online, but that's just not the same.
So, back in the early summer, I was perusing the snack aisle, looking for some snacks to feast upon during another quiet, lonely night at home watching DVDs, when a fancy-looking Pringles can caught my eye. Pringles was having a special mail away offer! For 4 proofs-of-purchase and...nothing shipping and handling, you could send away for a gadget that turned a Pringles can into a speaker. My curiosity was piqued. So, I bought a can of Pringles for my movie-time snacks, and for the next few weeks until I had my four proofs-of-purchase. I tossed my four proofs-of-purchase in the mail, and began waiting the 6 - 8 weeks. Actually, 10 - 12 weeks, according to the package.
And then, late last week, I got a package in the mail from Pringles.
Woo hoo! My speaker had arrived. So, of course, I had to open it up and try it out. I was a little stunned that it was an amplified speaker...the original order form didn't say that.
In the box was the speaker gadget, three AAA batteries (Yes! Batteries are included!) and the instructions. So, of course, I had to fire it up and try it out. The instructions are pretty simple: put the batteries in, snap it into the top of a Pringles can, plug it into an MP3 player, turn it on, and enjoy some tunes!
So, what is the sound quality like from a speaker made out of a Pringles can? Well, I made a video demonstrating it.
As I say in the video, the sound quality is a little tinny, and you occasionally get this weird metallic echo when you're listening to a podcast. Other than that, it's pretty neat. It'll find a place in my kitchen for listening to the radio when doing dishes.
It was a nice trip down memory lane, to once again send away for something like this. However, I'm not as thrilled as I once was when I was a kid. When I was a kid, I was all like, "Wow! It's finally here!" But now, I'm all like, "Oh, it's here." Maybe my sense of childhood wonder had finally dissipated. Maybe it's clinical depression. All I know is, I have a really neat speaker.
Labels:
life,
Opinions I Should Keep to Myself
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Marvel's The Avengers Trailer
Holy moly. When all the superhero adaptations, this is one folks thought they'd never see.
It was always a bit of a pipe dream about five years ago when Marvel announced that they were forming Marvel Studios with the intent of producing their own films based on their own properties. Cuz hey, they owned all the rights to the characters, so why not?
But still, no one was expecting that fateful day in 2008, when Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk both became big hits at the box office, and Marvel made the announcement that they were building towards this. The plan: Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010, and Captain America and The Avengers in 2011.
Well, various production delays caused the schedule to be juggled around, and it soon changed to Iron Man 2 in 2010, Thor and Captain America in 2011, and The Avengers in 2012.
For those who've never followed the comics, The Avengers is Marvel's supergroup, of which Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk are all members. And the fact that they got all the same actors from all the previous films to come back...well, it's stunning, really.
So, once again, we get to see:
The man who Marvel tapped to bring all these characters together is fan favourite Joss Whedon, creator of such cult classic TV series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. In fact, the only other big screen directorial credit Whedon has under his belt of the movie version of Firefly, Serenity. But most have faith in the Whedon.
The first trailer came out today, and I have to admit, it looks pretty damn sweet.
Marvel's The Avengers (we have to call it that to avoid confusion with the classic TV series of the same name) hits theatres May 4, 2012.
It was always a bit of a pipe dream about five years ago when Marvel announced that they were forming Marvel Studios with the intent of producing their own films based on their own properties. Cuz hey, they owned all the rights to the characters, so why not?
But still, no one was expecting that fateful day in 2008, when Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk both became big hits at the box office, and Marvel made the announcement that they were building towards this. The plan: Iron Man 2 and Thor in 2010, and Captain America and The Avengers in 2011.
Well, various production delays caused the schedule to be juggled around, and it soon changed to Iron Man 2 in 2010, Thor and Captain America in 2011, and The Avengers in 2012.
For those who've never followed the comics, The Avengers is Marvel's supergroup, of which Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk are all members. And the fact that they got all the same actors from all the previous films to come back...well, it's stunning, really.
So, once again, we get to see:
- Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Scarlett Johannson as the Black Widow
- Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
- and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and he finally gets to do more than wave after the end credits.
The man who Marvel tapped to bring all these characters together is fan favourite Joss Whedon, creator of such cult classic TV series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. In fact, the only other big screen directorial credit Whedon has under his belt of the movie version of Firefly, Serenity. But most have faith in the Whedon.
The first trailer came out today, and I have to admit, it looks pretty damn sweet.
Marvel's The Avengers (we have to call it that to avoid confusion with the classic TV series of the same name) hits theatres May 4, 2012.
Labels:
The Trailer Park
Thursday, October 06, 2011
On the Passing of Steve Jobs
Like a lot of folks last night, I was shocked and saddened when I read about the loss of Steve Jobs. Jobs, who founded Apple Computers in his parents' garage, went on to become one of the first true IT billionaires, and pretty much shaped the way we view and use technology, dead at the age of 56. The cause of his death hasn't been publicized yet, but he'd been battling pancreatic cancer for the past seven years.
I saw lots of folks online saying, "Thanks for my iPhone, iPad, etc," and suchforth. Wanting to be a little different, I posted this:
"Let's not forget his biggest contribution to movies. Back in 1986, he bought ILM's computer animation R&D lab and turned into Pixar."
Yup. That's true. Because of that, he has an executive producer credit on Toy Story. When Disney and Pixar merged 5 years ago, he became Disney's biggest shareholder. I highly recommend you check out a documentary called The Pixar Story, which is all about the history of Pixar. It was released on disc 2 of the 2-disc special edition of WALL-E, so it's easy to come by. Jobs is interviewed quite a bit in it, and I'll never forget something he said in that documentary. Even though Toy Story was a massive hit, Jobs wasn't too excited about it. Said Jobs about his lack of enthusiasm....
"Yeah, but see, I invented the Apple II, which was considered the best success in the history of home computers. And I followed that up with the Apple III, which is still considered one of the biggest disasters in home computers. So I wasn't going to get excited until our second success. That's when I'd be confident that we were on to something."
As I was lying in bed last night, thinking about all those "Thanks for my iPad" posts, I started thinking about the little ways in which he changed computing.
The year was 1998. I was still in college, and hanging out with a lot of computer science majors. Jobs had just made his triumphant return to Apple, and the first product under his renewed leadership was just announced: the iMac. Chilling out in the dorms one night, I overheard my computer science friends picking apart the iMac's specs....
"I don't believe it."
"What?"
"It's got nothing but USB ports."
"You can't be serious."
"I am! Look. No printer port, no serial port...just USB ports!"
"Who the fuck uses USB ports?"
"You can't get anything that plugs in with USB ports! Why would he come up with a computer that you can't plug anything into?"
Here we are now, 13 years later, and how is your keyboard plugged in to your computer? That's right, Jobs pretty much made USB ports the industry standard.
It might finally be time to seek out the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. I've always wanted to see it. An HBO original movie, it chronicled and compared the rises to power of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. ER's Noah Wyle played Jobs. Jobs was so impressed with Wyle's performance that he actually got Wyle to impersonate him at one of those famous Apple product launches to see if anyone would notice the difference. Anyway, the film opens with Jobs (as played by Wyle) speaking directly into the camera, laying out his personal philosophies and what he wants to accomplish with computers.
The camera angle changes and we that Jobs is actually talking to legendary film director Ridley Scott as they're about to film Apple's legendary 1984 commercial, and he's telling Scott the vision he wants to get across in this commercial.
I saw lots of folks online saying, "Thanks for my iPhone, iPad, etc," and suchforth. Wanting to be a little different, I posted this:
"Let's not forget his biggest contribution to movies. Back in 1986, he bought ILM's computer animation R&D lab and turned into Pixar."
Yup. That's true. Because of that, he has an executive producer credit on Toy Story. When Disney and Pixar merged 5 years ago, he became Disney's biggest shareholder. I highly recommend you check out a documentary called The Pixar Story, which is all about the history of Pixar. It was released on disc 2 of the 2-disc special edition of WALL-E, so it's easy to come by. Jobs is interviewed quite a bit in it, and I'll never forget something he said in that documentary. Even though Toy Story was a massive hit, Jobs wasn't too excited about it. Said Jobs about his lack of enthusiasm....
"Yeah, but see, I invented the Apple II, which was considered the best success in the history of home computers. And I followed that up with the Apple III, which is still considered one of the biggest disasters in home computers. So I wasn't going to get excited until our second success. That's when I'd be confident that we were on to something."
As I was lying in bed last night, thinking about all those "Thanks for my iPad" posts, I started thinking about the little ways in which he changed computing.
The year was 1998. I was still in college, and hanging out with a lot of computer science majors. Jobs had just made his triumphant return to Apple, and the first product under his renewed leadership was just announced: the iMac. Chilling out in the dorms one night, I overheard my computer science friends picking apart the iMac's specs....
"I don't believe it."
"What?"
"It's got nothing but USB ports."
"You can't be serious."
"I am! Look. No printer port, no serial port...just USB ports!"
"Who the fuck uses USB ports?"
"You can't get anything that plugs in with USB ports! Why would he come up with a computer that you can't plug anything into?"
Here we are now, 13 years later, and how is your keyboard plugged in to your computer? That's right, Jobs pretty much made USB ports the industry standard.
It might finally be time to seek out the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. I've always wanted to see it. An HBO original movie, it chronicled and compared the rises to power of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. ER's Noah Wyle played Jobs. Jobs was so impressed with Wyle's performance that he actually got Wyle to impersonate him at one of those famous Apple product launches to see if anyone would notice the difference. Anyway, the film opens with Jobs (as played by Wyle) speaking directly into the camera, laying out his personal philosophies and what he wants to accomplish with computers.
The camera angle changes and we that Jobs is actually talking to legendary film director Ridley Scott as they're about to film Apple's legendary 1984 commercial, and he's telling Scott the vision he wants to get across in this commercial.
That spot, by the way, pretty much accredited with creating the modern-day concept of the Super Bowl ad.
So, yeah. We lost a man who truly changed the world yesterday.
So, yeah. We lost a man who truly changed the world yesterday.
Labels:
life,
Opinions I Should Keep to Myself
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Next Next Generation
Yesterday marked the official 24th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and to commemerate, Paramount made a big announcement.
TNG is coming to Blu-Ray!
Actually, reading about the show coming to Blu-Ray, I'm learning quite a few things about the show. Apparently, re-mastering TNG into high-definition has turned out to be quite a time-consuming process, because TNG was filmed in a very unique way, and highly experimental for its time.
TNG was shot on film, and then all the footage was transferred to videotape. And then, all of the editing and adding in of special effects and pretty much all the post-production work was done on video. So all of the old masters for all the TNG episodes are on videotape.
The problem with that is videotape doesn't transfer to high-definition very well. However, Paramount still has all of the original footage on film kicking around in their archives. And film transfers to hi-def very well.
So, to get TNG in high-definition, what Paramount is doing is transferring all of the original film footage to high-definition, and then re-editing each and every episode to match as closely with the original episodes as possible. They're even "re-compositing" the special effects where they need to. And the whole process is being supervised by Michael and Denise Okuda who, after penning The Star Trek Encyclopedia all those years ago, have kind of become the official Star Trek archivists.
Our first sampling of Star Trek: The Next Generation in high-definition is a special compilation Blu-Ray called The Next Level: A Taste of TNG in High Definition. This compilation will include the classic episodes Encounter at Farpoint, Sins of the Father, and The Inner Light. Fanboys are already complaining about these selections. (Me, personally? I would have dumped Farpoint and put on Best of Both Worlds.) It drops on January 31, 2012.
And then, they're going to start rolling out complete season sets in September 2012, just in time for TNG's 25th anniversary.
Holy moly, TNG is almost 25. When did I get so old?
TNG is coming to Blu-Ray!
Actually, reading about the show coming to Blu-Ray, I'm learning quite a few things about the show. Apparently, re-mastering TNG into high-definition has turned out to be quite a time-consuming process, because TNG was filmed in a very unique way, and highly experimental for its time.
TNG was shot on film, and then all the footage was transferred to videotape. And then, all of the editing and adding in of special effects and pretty much all the post-production work was done on video. So all of the old masters for all the TNG episodes are on videotape.
The problem with that is videotape doesn't transfer to high-definition very well. However, Paramount still has all of the original footage on film kicking around in their archives. And film transfers to hi-def very well.
So, to get TNG in high-definition, what Paramount is doing is transferring all of the original film footage to high-definition, and then re-editing each and every episode to match as closely with the original episodes as possible. They're even "re-compositing" the special effects where they need to. And the whole process is being supervised by Michael and Denise Okuda who, after penning The Star Trek Encyclopedia all those years ago, have kind of become the official Star Trek archivists.
Our first sampling of Star Trek: The Next Generation in high-definition is a special compilation Blu-Ray called The Next Level: A Taste of TNG in High Definition. This compilation will include the classic episodes Encounter at Farpoint, Sins of the Father, and The Inner Light. Fanboys are already complaining about these selections. (Me, personally? I would have dumped Farpoint and put on Best of Both Worlds.) It drops on January 31, 2012.
And then, they're going to start rolling out complete season sets in September 2012, just in time for TNG's 25th anniversary.
Holy moly, TNG is almost 25. When did I get so old?
Labels:
DVD,
The Trailer Park
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Athabasca Extrication Challenge
Lookie thar, I've made another YouTube video!
This past weekend, Athabasca was host to the annual extrication challenge, where firefighters from across the province show off their extrication skills.
(That's rescuing people from crashed cars.)
Here's some footage of Team Athabasca in action.
This past weekend, Athabasca was host to the annual extrication challenge, where firefighters from across the province show off their extrication skills.
(That's rescuing people from crashed cars.)
Here's some footage of Team Athabasca in action.
Labels:
YouTube Movies
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Reynolds-Alberta Museum Harvest Festival
So, when I recently went home for the long weekend, my Dad spoke of his long-held desire to go down to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum and check out their Harvest Festival.
Held every Labour Day weekend, the Harvest Festival is when they fire up the vintage farm equipment and show you what it was fully capable of.
So, yeah. Here's some footage of vintage farm equipment.
Held every Labour Day weekend, the Harvest Festival is when they fire up the vintage farm equipment and show you what it was fully capable of.
So, yeah. Here's some footage of vintage farm equipment.
Labels:
YouTube Movies
Sunday, August 28, 2011
RIP ToyFare
I know I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I just found out that back in January, my beloved ToyFare magazine ceased publication.
ToyFare was a sister publication to Wizard, which also ceased publication in January. Wizard was the magazine for coverage of the world of comic books. Interview with the artists, previews of upcoming storylines, and a comprehensive price guide, for those who might be looking to make a buck off their collections. And ToyFare did for action figure collecting what Wizard did for comics. Interviews with the sculptors who actually made the action figures, previews of upcoming toy lines, and a comprehensive price guide, so I could prove to my friends that I was actually making money with my nerdly hobby.
I started collecting action figures way back in high school. Playmates Toys had just released their Star Trek: The Next Generation action figures, I decided to pick some up, with the goal of tearing them open and sitting them on my desk. But then, I read some where that keeping an action figure in its package makes it more valuable, so I kept them in the package. And hell, they still looked as nice sitting on my desk. Then Deep Space Nine figures came along, new Star Wars action figures came out, and things kind of snowballed.
I first discovered ToyFare magazine in my college days. It was one frosty November night, when I was taking a study break to make a Sev-Run. There, on the magazine rack in 7-11, I spotted it. It must have been frosty November 1996, because there was a bunch of Borg action figures on the cover, and Star Trek: First Contact had just hit theatres. I started leafing through it, and as I saw page after page of news about action figures, I was hooked. I bought that issue, and became and immediately became a regular reader.
ToyFare was a sister publication to Wizard, which also ceased publication in January. Wizard was the magazine for coverage of the world of comic books. Interview with the artists, previews of upcoming storylines, and a comprehensive price guide, for those who might be looking to make a buck off their collections. And ToyFare did for action figure collecting what Wizard did for comics. Interviews with the sculptors who actually made the action figures, previews of upcoming toy lines, and a comprehensive price guide, so I could prove to my friends that I was actually making money with my nerdly hobby.
I started collecting action figures way back in high school. Playmates Toys had just released their Star Trek: The Next Generation action figures, I decided to pick some up, with the goal of tearing them open and sitting them on my desk. But then, I read some where that keeping an action figure in its package makes it more valuable, so I kept them in the package. And hell, they still looked as nice sitting on my desk. Then Deep Space Nine figures came along, new Star Wars action figures came out, and things kind of snowballed.
I first discovered ToyFare magazine in my college days. It was one frosty November night, when I was taking a study break to make a Sev-Run. There, on the magazine rack in 7-11, I spotted it. It must have been frosty November 1996, because there was a bunch of Borg action figures on the cover, and Star Trek: First Contact had just hit theatres. I started leafing through it, and as I saw page after page of news about action figures, I was hooked. I bought that issue, and became and immediately became a regular reader.
Labels:
life,
Opinions I Should Keep to Myself
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Yay New Pixar!
I'm still a Pixar fanboy, and as such, a little bit miffed that I never got a chance to go see Cars 2 this summer...even though it looked rather lame. It's just been announced that it hits DVD on November 1, and I'll probably still pick it just to make sure my Pixar collection remains complete. (I do own all the Pixar movies on DVD.)
So, this past weekend, Disney held their most recent fan event/official con D23, and while there, Pixar announced a couple of upcoming films. To recap, these are the upcoming Pixar films that we already know of:
Brave - Coming out on June 22, 2012. Pixar's first fantasy film, following the adventures of a princess in medieval Scotland. It's also Pixar's first film with a female protagonist. Apparently, at D23, Pixar's head honcho John Lasseter issued the challenge, "It's set in medieval Scotland, I dare you to find the Pizza Planet truck!"
Monsters University - The exciting prequel to Monsters Inc, detailing Mike and Sully's college years and how they first met. June 21, 2013 is when this comes along.
But, what comes after these two? That's what was announced at D23. I'd like to point out that these are working titles, and not the actual titles.
The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs - Answering the age old question, "What if the dinosaurs never went extinct?", it's set in the present day of a world where dinosaurs are now the domesticated wildlife. This one comes to us from longtime Pixar animator Bob Peterson, who helped write Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo and Up. Christmas 2013 is when this'll hit theatres.
The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind - That description pretty much sums it up. Taking place inside a human mind, they tell us this'll answer questions like why you remember certain things and why songs get stuck in our head. The talent behind this one is Pete Docter, who was the director of Monsters Inc and Up. Summer 2014 is when this one is slated to come out.
But that's not all! One of most delightful surprises in front of Cars 2 was a new Toy Story short film, entitled Hawaiian Vacation. It's been known for a while that a second Toy Story short film was in development, but now we have a name, a plot description, and release information.
It'll be called Small Fry, and is apparently about Buzz Lightyear getting left behind at a fast food place, and having to team up with a kids meal toy to get home. Glee star Jane Lynch does the voice of the kids meal toy. It's going to be in front of the new Muppet movie, The Muppets, this November.
So, this past weekend, Disney held their most recent fan event/official con D23, and while there, Pixar announced a couple of upcoming films. To recap, these are the upcoming Pixar films that we already know of:
Brave - Coming out on June 22, 2012. Pixar's first fantasy film, following the adventures of a princess in medieval Scotland. It's also Pixar's first film with a female protagonist. Apparently, at D23, Pixar's head honcho John Lasseter issued the challenge, "It's set in medieval Scotland, I dare you to find the Pizza Planet truck!"
Monsters University - The exciting prequel to Monsters Inc, detailing Mike and Sully's college years and how they first met. June 21, 2013 is when this comes along.
But, what comes after these two? That's what was announced at D23. I'd like to point out that these are working titles, and not the actual titles.
The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs - Answering the age old question, "What if the dinosaurs never went extinct?", it's set in the present day of a world where dinosaurs are now the domesticated wildlife. This one comes to us from longtime Pixar animator Bob Peterson, who helped write Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo and Up. Christmas 2013 is when this'll hit theatres.
The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind - That description pretty much sums it up. Taking place inside a human mind, they tell us this'll answer questions like why you remember certain things and why songs get stuck in our head. The talent behind this one is Pete Docter, who was the director of Monsters Inc and Up. Summer 2014 is when this one is slated to come out.
But that's not all! One of most delightful surprises in front of Cars 2 was a new Toy Story short film, entitled Hawaiian Vacation. It's been known for a while that a second Toy Story short film was in development, but now we have a name, a plot description, and release information.
It'll be called Small Fry, and is apparently about Buzz Lightyear getting left behind at a fast food place, and having to team up with a kids meal toy to get home. Glee star Jane Lynch does the voice of the kids meal toy. It's going to be in front of the new Muppet movie, The Muppets, this November.
Labels:
Movie stuff
Monday, August 22, 2011
G.I. Joe 2 Update
So, hey! G.I. Joe 2 began filming last week!
Just to get it out there, I LOVED G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. My attitude towards it is pretty much the same as with Michael Bay's first Transformers movie. Yeah, it's a deeply flawed, deeply cliched action/superhero film, but my childhood nostalgia helps blind me to all the flaws.
Originally, the release of G.I. Joe 2 was kept kind of vague, but then, J.J. Abrams got all wrapped up making Super 8, and that meant Star Trek 2 got pushed back from summer 2012 to...some time in the future. So, needing a tentpole release for summer 2012, Paramount fast-tracked G.I. Joe 2 and gave it Star Trek 2's old released date of June 29, 2012.
For a second film, though, it looks like they've decided to go in a completely new direction and kind of disregard the first film. It was announced that the only returning Joes from the first film would be Channing Tatum as Duke and Ray Park as Snake Eyes. So who's stepping forward to fill out the ranks of G.I. Joe this time around?
As for villains, the only one returning from the first film is Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow. The only one announced for this new one is Ray Stevenson as the Cobra saboteur Firefly. Stevenson you may remember as the Punisher in The Punisher: War Zone.
The script was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the zombie comedy Zombieland. And the director this time out is Jon Chu. Chu, of course, best known for the dance films Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D, and the Justin Beiber movie Never Say Never. In a few interviews, Chu has said he understands why some fans see him, the "dance movie guy," as a bad choice for for an action film, but Chu assures us that he's a huge G.I. Joe fanboy and is doing his best to give these characters justice.
There's not title for the film yet...rumored titles online have included G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes (which has since been denied) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
G.I. Joe 2 hits theatres June 29, 2012.
Just to get it out there, I LOVED G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. My attitude towards it is pretty much the same as with Michael Bay's first Transformers movie. Yeah, it's a deeply flawed, deeply cliched action/superhero film, but my childhood nostalgia helps blind me to all the flaws.
Originally, the release of G.I. Joe 2 was kept kind of vague, but then, J.J. Abrams got all wrapped up making Super 8, and that meant Star Trek 2 got pushed back from summer 2012 to...some time in the future. So, needing a tentpole release for summer 2012, Paramount fast-tracked G.I. Joe 2 and gave it Star Trek 2's old released date of June 29, 2012.
For a second film, though, it looks like they've decided to go in a completely new direction and kind of disregard the first film. It was announced that the only returning Joes from the first film would be Channing Tatum as Duke and Ray Park as Snake Eyes. So who's stepping forward to fill out the ranks of G.I. Joe this time around?
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Roadblock. This caused some head-scratching when this casting was announced because, as Roadblock's wikipedia entry says, Roadblock is "the most prominent African-American in G.I. Joe." The Rock is not African-American. But hey, they made Ripcord black in the first film, so why not make Roadblock white for the second?
- DJ Cotrona is Flint. Cotrona comes to us from the short-lived cop show Detroit 1-8-7.
- Adrianne Palicki is Lady Jaye. Palicki was on the football drama Friday Night Lights, and most recently played Wonder Woman in the ill-fated, horrible-looking Wonder Woman pilot.
- French-Asian actress Elodie Yung will be Jinx.
- Joseph Mazzello will be Mouse. Mazello, of course, still remembered as the kid in Jurassic Park, and as adult, he was one of the stars of The Pacific. I originally thought that Mouse was an original Joe for the film, but poking around online, I found that he's a character from the short-lived Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles line.
As for villains, the only one returning from the first film is Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow. The only one announced for this new one is Ray Stevenson as the Cobra saboteur Firefly. Stevenson you may remember as the Punisher in The Punisher: War Zone.
The script was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the zombie comedy Zombieland. And the director this time out is Jon Chu. Chu, of course, best known for the dance films Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D, and the Justin Beiber movie Never Say Never. In a few interviews, Chu has said he understands why some fans see him, the "dance movie guy," as a bad choice for for an action film, but Chu assures us that he's a huge G.I. Joe fanboy and is doing his best to give these characters justice.
There's not title for the film yet...rumored titles online have included G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes (which has since been denied) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
G.I. Joe 2 hits theatres June 29, 2012.
Labels:
Movie stuff
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance trailer
With the main focus being on The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man as the big superhero films for 2012, there's one that's been in production for a while now that's been sneaking in under the radar.
And that's Ghost Rider 2, which is going by the name Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Nicholas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. Interesting fact this time out: this time around, Cage himself is playing Ghost Rider. In the first film, all of the Ghost Rider performance capture was done by a stuntman. But for the second one, Cage did it himself.
The plot, this time around, has Johnny Blaze heading to Europe to stop the birth of the anti-Christ. To stop the Ghost Rider, the Devil sends that Ghost Rider enemy known as Blackout to defeat Ghost Rider.
In addition to the returning Nicholas Cage, Johnny Whitworth is Blackout, Idris Elba is Moreau, a warrior monk who seeks out Ghost Rider to help stop this anti-Christ plot, and the Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, also shows up as the leader of the warrior monks.
The directors of Spirit of Vengeance are Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, collectively known as Neveldine/Taylor. They are the two who gave us the Crank franchise, and according to reports of footage shown at ComiCon a month or so ago, Spirit of Vengeance promises to be full of the same ridiculous, over-the-top action sequences that the Crank films are famous for.
As for my thoughts on this trailer...meh. I liked parts of the first film, but to me, the first film was the first indication that the "superhero movie formula" was starting to get set in stone. It was the first superhero film I saw that I felt comfortable calling "formulaic." So, really, then, I guess there's no where to go but up.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance hits theatres this February.
And that's Ghost Rider 2, which is going by the name Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Nicholas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. Interesting fact this time out: this time around, Cage himself is playing Ghost Rider. In the first film, all of the Ghost Rider performance capture was done by a stuntman. But for the second one, Cage did it himself.
The plot, this time around, has Johnny Blaze heading to Europe to stop the birth of the anti-Christ. To stop the Ghost Rider, the Devil sends that Ghost Rider enemy known as Blackout to defeat Ghost Rider.
In addition to the returning Nicholas Cage, Johnny Whitworth is Blackout, Idris Elba is Moreau, a warrior monk who seeks out Ghost Rider to help stop this anti-Christ plot, and the Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, also shows up as the leader of the warrior monks.
The directors of Spirit of Vengeance are Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, collectively known as Neveldine/Taylor. They are the two who gave us the Crank franchise, and according to reports of footage shown at ComiCon a month or so ago, Spirit of Vengeance promises to be full of the same ridiculous, over-the-top action sequences that the Crank films are famous for.
As for my thoughts on this trailer...meh. I liked parts of the first film, but to me, the first film was the first indication that the "superhero movie formula" was starting to get set in stone. It was the first superhero film I saw that I felt comfortable calling "formulaic." So, really, then, I guess there's no where to go but up.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance hits theatres this February.
Labels:
The Trailer Park
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Some of That High Class British Porn: Hysteria Trailer
Normally, I just slap something like this straight up on my Facebook page, but since I'm Facebook friends with some of my nieces and nephews, I figure this may not be for their tender eyes.
So, last fall, there was some giggling and nervous twittering when it was announced that Maggie Gyllenhaal had signed on to to do a historical romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator.
Well, guess what? We have a trailer!
Ladies and gentlemen, Hysteria.
I just noticed this is posted at the YouTube channel for the Toronto International Film Festival. That's where The King's Speech had its world premiere last year.
I predict this will be seen by a lot of upper-middle-aged people, wandering in to the theatre expecting to see the next King's Speech.
Keep an eye on your neighborhood art house for when it comes to your town.
So, last fall, there was some giggling and nervous twittering when it was announced that Maggie Gyllenhaal had signed on to to do a historical romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator.
Well, guess what? We have a trailer!
Ladies and gentlemen, Hysteria.
I just noticed this is posted at the YouTube channel for the Toronto International Film Festival. That's where The King's Speech had its world premiere last year.
I predict this will be seen by a lot of upper-middle-aged people, wandering in to the theatre expecting to see the next King's Speech.
Keep an eye on your neighborhood art house for when it comes to your town.
Labels:
The Trailer Park
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Reflections on ReBoot
I've been watching an awful lot of ReBoot lately. Shout! Factory, the folks who did those impressive complete series boxed sets of The Transformers and G.I. Joe, gave the same treatment to ReBoot this year. Seasons 1 & 2 came out back in the spring, and Seasons 3 & 4 came out just a month ago, and you can get the whole thing together in a big boxed set called The Definitive Mainframe Collection. I bought the two separate sets because they were good and cheap.
For those who don`t remember, ReBoot was the world's first computer animated half-hour television program. And it's Canadian, too, made by Vancouver-based Mainframe Entertainment! It premiered in the fall of 1994 -- beating Toy Story by one year -- on YTV in Canada and on ABC in the USA. The show was created by Mainframe's founders, Gavin Blair and Ian Pearson. Blair and Pearson were already widely known in animation circles for doing the computer animation in the legendary Dire Straights video Money for Nothing.
The series was set inside a computer system known as Mainframe. It followed the adventures of Bob (a Guardian...aka anti-virus software) who sought to defend Mainframe from the evil computer viruses Megabyte (who sought to conquer all of Mainframe) and Hexadecimal (who was just psychotic and near-omnipotent). Bob was assisted in his mission by Dot, who I think was Mainframe's OS, which made a business mogul who pretty much owned all of Mainframe, and her kid brother Enzo, who idolized Bob and hoped to grow up to be a Guardian like Bob someday.
For those who don`t remember, ReBoot was the world's first computer animated half-hour television program. And it's Canadian, too, made by Vancouver-based Mainframe Entertainment! It premiered in the fall of 1994 -- beating Toy Story by one year -- on YTV in Canada and on ABC in the USA. The show was created by Mainframe's founders, Gavin Blair and Ian Pearson. Blair and Pearson were already widely known in animation circles for doing the computer animation in the legendary Dire Straights video Money for Nothing.
The series was set inside a computer system known as Mainframe. It followed the adventures of Bob (a Guardian...aka anti-virus software) who sought to defend Mainframe from the evil computer viruses Megabyte (who sought to conquer all of Mainframe) and Hexadecimal (who was just psychotic and near-omnipotent). Bob was assisted in his mission by Dot, who I think was Mainframe's OS, which made a business mogul who pretty much owned all of Mainframe, and her kid brother Enzo, who idolized Bob and hoped to grow up to be a Guardian like Bob someday.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Cowboys & Aliens Review
Had me a day in the city yesterday. Didn't inspire the usual blog entry full of witty observations, though. I bought pants. Make of that what you will.
However, I did swing by the theatre and catch Cowboys & Aliens. I've got a complete review over at my main website, so click on over and check that out.
When I got home from the city, I sat down to watch Rango, which a co-worker had loaned me. I don't know, dude. I know it got lots of critical acclaim, but I found Rango to again be pretty cliched and stick to the animated film formula pretty closely. It did have some nice, surreal touches, though.
However, I did swing by the theatre and catch Cowboys & Aliens. I've got a complete review over at my main website, so click on over and check that out.
When I got home from the city, I sat down to watch Rango, which a co-worker had loaned me. I don't know, dude. I know it got lots of critical acclaim, but I found Rango to again be pretty cliched and stick to the animated film formula pretty closely. It did have some nice, surreal touches, though.
Labels:
Movie Reviews
Thursday, August 04, 2011
First Look at the New Superman!
So, today, they released the first picture of Henry Cavill as Superman from the new Superman movie!
I'm going to crop this sucker so we can get a better look....
So, let's begin the whiny fanboy rant, shall we?
First up, the colours are too dark. That could be the lighting in the photograph, so we'll let it slide.
Cape it too big. I don't like the texture of the suit. They're trying to make it kind of scaly, like the Spider-Man movie costume. And where's that trademark Superman spit curl?
But for the things I like...I do like the logo on the chest. It's a little bigger and more silver age. Plus, I like that this is the first time Superman is kinda ripped. Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh were lean and mean. But Cavill...he's big and mean.
So let's recap what brought us to this place. How did this new Superman come to be?
Flash back to 2006. Superman Returns underperformed at the box office...both financially and critically. "It made $400 million at the box office, what's 'underperforming' these days?" said director Bryan Singer. "Yeah...our budget projections said it should have made $500 million," said the bosses at Warner Brothers. So the decision was finally made to reboot the series.
And you know, Superman Returns had a few good spots, but when all was said and done, I think it's a movie that needed to be made. The Christopher Reeve Superman films were so legendary, that something had to be done to pay homage to them or give that series a proper end or just plain get it out of our systems before a whole new cinematic Superman could be made.
So, Warner Brothers started entertaining pitches for a new Superman film.
Meanwhile, down the hall, riding high on the success of The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan and Batman Begins/The Dark Knight co-writer David S. Goyer were beating their heads against the wall, coming up with a great idea for a third Batman film. During a break, Goyer said, "It's too bad we're not doing Superman, I've got a great idea for Superman." And Goyer shared his great idea. Nolan said, "That is awesome," and they ran down the hall the Warner Brothers big brass and gave their idea. Warner Brothers agreed that the idea was awesome. Goyer was put to work writing the script, and Nolan was signed on as a producer.
Nolan and Goyer then set out to find a director. After searching through Hollywood, they finally settled on Zack Snyder, who directed 300, Watchmen, and this spring's Sucker Punch. And then it was time to find the cast!
And what a cast! I think it's fair to call this an all-star cast. In our new Superman film, we will be treated to:
Man of Steel.
I'm going to crop this sucker so we can get a better look....
So, let's begin the whiny fanboy rant, shall we?
First up, the colours are too dark. That could be the lighting in the photograph, so we'll let it slide.
Cape it too big. I don't like the texture of the suit. They're trying to make it kind of scaly, like the Spider-Man movie costume. And where's that trademark Superman spit curl?
But for the things I like...I do like the logo on the chest. It's a little bigger and more silver age. Plus, I like that this is the first time Superman is kinda ripped. Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh were lean and mean. But Cavill...he's big and mean.
So let's recap what brought us to this place. How did this new Superman come to be?
Flash back to 2006. Superman Returns underperformed at the box office...both financially and critically. "It made $400 million at the box office, what's 'underperforming' these days?" said director Bryan Singer. "Yeah...our budget projections said it should have made $500 million," said the bosses at Warner Brothers. So the decision was finally made to reboot the series.
And you know, Superman Returns had a few good spots, but when all was said and done, I think it's a movie that needed to be made. The Christopher Reeve Superman films were so legendary, that something had to be done to pay homage to them or give that series a proper end or just plain get it out of our systems before a whole new cinematic Superman could be made.
So, Warner Brothers started entertaining pitches for a new Superman film.
Meanwhile, down the hall, riding high on the success of The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan and Batman Begins/The Dark Knight co-writer David S. Goyer were beating their heads against the wall, coming up with a great idea for a third Batman film. During a break, Goyer said, "It's too bad we're not doing Superman, I've got a great idea for Superman." And Goyer shared his great idea. Nolan said, "That is awesome," and they ran down the hall the Warner Brothers big brass and gave their idea. Warner Brothers agreed that the idea was awesome. Goyer was put to work writing the script, and Nolan was signed on as a producer.
Nolan and Goyer then set out to find a director. After searching through Hollywood, they finally settled on Zack Snyder, who directed 300, Watchmen, and this spring's Sucker Punch. And then it was time to find the cast!
And what a cast! I think it's fair to call this an all-star cast. In our new Superman film, we will be treated to:
- Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent
- Amy Adams as Lois Lane
- Michael Shannon as General Zod
- Antje Traue as Faora, Zod's second-in-command
- Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
- Kevin Costner as Jonathon Kent
- Diane Lane as Martha Kent
- Russell Crowe as Jor-El
- Julia Ormand as Lara
- Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy, an army officer.
Man of Steel.
Labels:
Movie stuff
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Red Tails Trailer
So, this has been online for a few days now, and I've been wanting to blog about it. It's the first trailer for Red Tails.
I got kind of excited in those weeks before the release of Revenge of the Sith when I caught an interview with George Lucas in which he confided that part the reason why did the prequels was because he knew they would make a ton of money, and thus ensure his financial security to give him the freedom to make the kind of moody, experimental films that he really wanted to make. Ooo...I wonder what Lucas was going to make after the prequels. What did he mean by "moody and experimental?"
Apparently, he meant Indiana Jones fighting aliens, because that's what he made next.
But after that, he assured us that he was finally turning his attention to Red Tails. Red Tails is a movie that Lucas has been developing since the late-1980s. Some originally thought it was a code name for Episode I, as Return of the Jedi had the similar-sounding code name "Blue Harvest." Lucas, however, assured the fans that Red Tails had nothing to do with Star Wars...that it was, in fact, a World War II epic about the legendary Tuskegee Airman -- an all-African-American fighter pilot squadron.
While Lucas himself wrote the original story, he handed screenwriting duties over to John Ridley. For the director, Lucas chose Anthony Hemingway, a veteran television director making his feature film directorial debut. The film boasts an all-star cast, with Terrance Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr, Method Man, Ne-Yo, and Bryan Cranston.
This is Lucas's first non-franchise film (i.e. not Star Wars or Indy) since 1994's Radioland Murders, and that's a bit of a detriment for me. Without the nostalgia factor of lightsabers in the trailer, it's tough to get excited about this film. I need to know more right now...more about the plot, more about the characters...just more.
However, since it is Lucas, the special effects are looking amazing. It looks like he's taking what he learned from the spectacular space battle scene at the opening of Revenge of the Sith and applying it to World War II dogfights. That's kind of a neat full-circle thing.... As has been widely reported, Lucas showed the special effects artists on the very first Star Wars dogfights from World War II films to convey what he wanted to achieve in the space battles.
Red Tails hits theatres this January, and I look forward to finding out more.
I got kind of excited in those weeks before the release of Revenge of the Sith when I caught an interview with George Lucas in which he confided that part the reason why did the prequels was because he knew they would make a ton of money, and thus ensure his financial security to give him the freedom to make the kind of moody, experimental films that he really wanted to make. Ooo...I wonder what Lucas was going to make after the prequels. What did he mean by "moody and experimental?"
Apparently, he meant Indiana Jones fighting aliens, because that's what he made next.
But after that, he assured us that he was finally turning his attention to Red Tails. Red Tails is a movie that Lucas has been developing since the late-1980s. Some originally thought it was a code name for Episode I, as Return of the Jedi had the similar-sounding code name "Blue Harvest." Lucas, however, assured the fans that Red Tails had nothing to do with Star Wars...that it was, in fact, a World War II epic about the legendary Tuskegee Airman -- an all-African-American fighter pilot squadron.
While Lucas himself wrote the original story, he handed screenwriting duties over to John Ridley. For the director, Lucas chose Anthony Hemingway, a veteran television director making his feature film directorial debut. The film boasts an all-star cast, with Terrance Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr, Method Man, Ne-Yo, and Bryan Cranston.
This is Lucas's first non-franchise film (i.e. not Star Wars or Indy) since 1994's Radioland Murders, and that's a bit of a detriment for me. Without the nostalgia factor of lightsabers in the trailer, it's tough to get excited about this film. I need to know more right now...more about the plot, more about the characters...just more.
However, since it is Lucas, the special effects are looking amazing. It looks like he's taking what he learned from the spectacular space battle scene at the opening of Revenge of the Sith and applying it to World War II dogfights. That's kind of a neat full-circle thing.... As has been widely reported, Lucas showed the special effects artists on the very first Star Wars dogfights from World War II films to convey what he wanted to achieve in the space battles.
Red Tails hits theatres this January, and I look forward to finding out more.
Labels:
The Trailer Park
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