Posted on 07.12.08 by Widge @ 11:58 pm Comments on this: 6 so far. Add your own.
DC Comics and Warner Brothers are having a meeting to plan a meeting about another meeting regarding a meeting about why they suck at making hit movies based on their properties, when Marvel looks, so far at least, to have finally figured out how to do the shit correctly. There's not much to report, since WB is playing their cards close to the chest, except I wish I could be in a meeting where Grant Morrison tried to explain the fucked up mess that is the DCU to a bunch of executives. "Well, you see there's a Multiverse and...something something Gods...and something meta...and..." "Hey...weren't you attached to write Lawnmower Man 3 at one point?" (That bit's not a joke; he really was.)
Robert Downey Jr. is this close to being Guy Ritchie's Sherlock due out October 2009. Although it's interesting for one reason, worrisome for another. Interesting because technically, it's another comic book movie for Downey and yet another comic book being turned into a movie at all. The producer wrote a comic book (which the article lists as "forthcoming") and that's what the film is based on. Since so many people made hay about Downey playing Tony Stark, comic bookdom's most famous alcoholic, I can't wait to see the first interview that talks about Holmes' tendency to have fun with morphine. The worrisome bit is this: "The concept sees Holmes as more adventurous and less stuffy than previous screen incarnations and mines more obscure character traits." Obscure character traits? He's literature's greatest detective--what else do you need, Guy? Anyway, so is it Jason Statham for Watson then? (We ran down a bunch of different Sherlocks here.)
Posted on 07.09.08 by Widge @ 8:15 am Comments on this: none yet. Add your own.
Why in the hell would you try to keep up with pop culture yourself? Outsource it to us. We're professionals.
Vertigo's Exterminators, from Simon Oliver and Tony Moore, is headed for Showtime. I admit I haven't read the book...should I?
Alfred Hitchcock is getting a boxed set that's worth checking out from MGM: the Premiere Collection. It's eight discs featuring Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious, The Paradine Case, Sabotage, Young and Innocent, Lifeboat and The Lodger. They all feature new commentaries and "featurettes, screen tests, still galleries, vintage radio interviews, an AFI Tribute to Hitchcock and more." It sounds pretty sweet, although I'll reserve judgement to see how well the main three releases stack up to their out-of-print Criterion compatriots. SRP is $120, so hopefully the Amazon discount will be steep. Not available yet on Amazon, I'll keep you posted.
Rupert Grint, yes, Ron Weasley, is on board with Cherrybomb. It's, the article tells us, "a Belfast-set teen drama about two friends whose furious competition for a beautiful but manipulative girl has tragic consequences." Sounds like it could be an indie success--let's hope so, because I like all three of the main Harry Potter actors and I want them to succeed. In fact, it was Radcliffe I was the most concerned about and he's doing just fine with his post-Potter plans. So rock on. Although I will point out that, since they are all young, they qualify for the Nuts on the Road shitlist.
Posted on 07.07.08 by Widge @ 11:51 pm Comments on this: none yet. Add your own.
Amazon has a DVD sale for "Blockbuster and Indie" items. Find the sale here. The only title in there that I think is a must-own is Garden State for $8, but there's 71 of them, so browse away. Found via Dealhack.
Ancient Squid Media. I don't know anything about them other than I saw them in the latest Previews. And their choice of name is stellar. So I just wanted to share.
It looks like Marvel has finally wound down their zombie variant covers. And it's about time. Don't get me wrong: I dig zombies. And I dig Arthur Suydam. But when you start grasping at straws for what covers to parody, it's time to pack it in. So. I'm glad that's behind us.
Moon Knight #21 monkey variant
Ghost Rider #26 monkey variant.
Marvel Apes? Are you kidding? Since when did Jonathan Coulton become editor at Marvel? Anyway, how long before they have zombie monkey variants? Anyone placing bets?
Posted on 07.03.08 by Widge @ 11:50 pm Comments on this: 2 so far. Add your own.
Sometimes stuff happens. And you actually need to know about it. But you could do without 500 words on the subject. We're here to help.
Archaeologists have found a shopping centre in Britain that dates back to Roman times. This is in a field in Monmouthshire, South Wales. The archaeologists have so far found "coins, glass, ceramics, human and animal bones, lead patches used for repairing, and bits of mosaic" as well as evidence of an Orange Julius. Found via ArchaeBlog.
There's a new piece of artwork by Leonardo Da Vinci. Well, not new, but rather newly discovered--in a private Swiss collection. The portrait of a young woman, "...actually a mixed-media of white, red and black chalks with additions of watercolor, is executed on vellum and measures approximately 24X33 centimeters. This is the first known Da Vinci work executed on vellum, a factor that probably led experts to believe that it was painted by a 19th century German 'Nazarene' artist. Moreover, the portrait appears to have been somewhat painted over in the 19th century during a very sensitive restoration." The owner was overwhelmed. Considering they bought it originally for $20,000, I should say so. Especially considering they were told it was rubbish on an episode of Antiques Roadshow in 2005.
The Berkeley Pit was thought to be so terribly toxic that nothing could live there. Fish died. Birds who just stopped by to ask directions died. Things that were already dead came back to life just to die again. But--! They found 160 species of extremophiles living in there. Which is exactly 14 more than in most male-only dorm rooms. Source.
