In Contention

Category: Daily

  • COMIC-CON: Wrapping it up…are we getting through?

    My Comic-Con experience ended a bit sooner than I expected this morning when I woke up and decided whatever was on the Sunday docket wasn’t as fetching as a three-hour ride in traffic back to LA. That’s how exhausting the convention was this year.

    Here’s the thing. We all know Comic-Con and its 125,000-plus attendees form nothing more than a marketing bonanza in this day and age. No need to preach down to those who were there if you decided to remain back on your high horse and wait it out. You’re not enlightened. We get it. The event’s roots had a completely different shade and Hollywood has invaded the territory. But at the same time, as Hero Complex’s Geoff Boucher shrewdly pointed out before Saturday’s Warner Bros. presentation, Comic-Con — or comics, in general — has also invaded Hollywood.

    So what we have is a symbiosis that plays right into the hands of studio marketing chiefs. No one can fault businessmen for making business decisions, but I think it would be worth it for Comic-Con brass (whoever they are) to take stock of what’s happening here. A craven desire to sell as many passes as possible, secure as many big names as possible and bloat the festivities with dubious material has taken things far from where they started, yes. But the thing is so stressful, people are stabbing each other!

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘Scott Pilgrim’ preaches to an enthusiastic choir

    Perhaps the most ubiquitous presence at Comic-Con this year has been Universal’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” The film held a traditional panel Thursday evening, was screened three times to audiences including the public, was fully visible with a massive ad on the north side of the Hilton Bayfront and took over the Hilton Gaslamp with “The Scott Pilgrim Experience,” a smörgåsbord of marketing mojo fit with T-shirt printing, video game test drives and autograph sessions.

    I saw the film at the first screening Thursday.  Following the Hall H panel, director Edgar Wright led the march from the convention center through downtown San Diego as a hundred or so lucky fans got the chance to partake in the event at the Balboa Theatre.

    Inside, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala were filling everyone’s eardrums with funky beats as the crowd filed in.  It was interesting to note that many didn’t even seem to realize they were witnessing a show people would pay good money to see, assuming it was just another DJ set or something.  Hardly.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘Let Me In’ trailer

    I’m back from San Diego and will wrap things up throughout the afternoon, but this trailer for “Let Me In” hit during the convention and it goes a long way toward explaining my new-found excitement over the remake.  Head on over to MTV by clicking the image below or check out the embed (and yet another poster) on the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘Captain America’ teases, ‘Thor’ hammers, ‘Avengers’ assemble

    Hall H was humming by the time Marvel Entertainment honcho Kevin Feige took the stage for the highly anticipated “Captain America” and “Thor” panels this afternoon.  And for the comic book masses waiting with bated breath for any sliver of info, it was ecstasy.  For me…not so much.

    Director Joe Johnston and stars Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving were on hand to talk all things Cap.  Johnston had a quick preview reel full of graphics that ended with a few shots of Evans in the test costume, which frankly looked like a Halloween get-up.  But hopefully it’ll all come out in the wash.

    Later there was a scene featuring Weaving (who plays villain Red Skull).  It was largely important to the audience for its revelation of the Cosmic Cube being in the film.  (Read up on that more here and here.)  Naturally, there were geeky gasps throughout the hall, but the scene itself had a nice atmosphere.  I’m cautiously optimistic for this one.

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  • COMIC-CON: Universal brings ‘Paul’ and ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ oh my

    With its “Scott Pilgrim” presence already dominating the scene here at Comic-Con, Universal publicity didn’t need to do much else to be top of the nerd mountain this weekend. Then they went and blew the roof off.

    The studio first offered up a sizzle reel for Greg Mottola’s sci-fi comedy “Paul,” which went over well with its tip of the hat to the Con (early scenes show a recreated convention). The director and most of the cast were here to discuss the road trip movie with a twist, but that was just an hors d’oeuvre.

    The roof-blowing was owed completely to Harrison Ford’s first-ever appearance at the convention. It was a geek’s wet dream as Han Solo/Indiana Jones took to the stage at Hall H in handcuffs (which we all thought was making light of an earlier incident where a stabbing occurred in the hall, but was actually a pre-planned gag, as in Favreau had to drag Ford to the convention in shackles). Ford was there to help promote Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys & Aliens,” which had a surprisingly robust presence during the presentation.

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  • COMIC-CON: Ruffalo and Renner a go for ‘Avengers’

    I’ll get to today’s Marvel’s “Avengers” presentation later tonight, but the news worth conveying is that Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner were on hand to be confirmed as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk and Hawkeye, respectively.  The announcement was made by Robert Downey Jr., who was here with Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and director Joss Whedon, making for one hell of a photo op.  Chew on that for now.

  • COMIC-CON: Red band ‘Machete’ trailer

    In all the back and forth and panel coverage, I’ve been trying to find time to post tid-bits like this.  With a few minutes’ rest before Marvel comes into Hall H and owns the joint, I figured I’d finally get to the recently released red band “Machete” trailer, courtesy of IGN.  Robert Rodriguez was here Thursday with some of his cast members serving tacos in downtown San Diego.  It was a modest but, I think, effective presence.  And now we get more blood and guts.  Click the image below to take a look or watch the embed on the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘Let Me In’ isn’t just the rally cry of Hall H lines

    As far as Matt Reeves’s “Let Me In” is concerned, I’ll freely admit a sense of hesitation. Based on one of the best films of 2008, it has had an air of arbitrary remake-itis around it. But much of that started to disappear as marketing materials were unveiled throughout the last few weeks, and following a panel for the film today, I’m feeling even better about things.

    Reeves was on hand, along with stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz and Richard Jenkins. He had a pair of clips with him and they went a long way toward dispelling all of that ambivalence.

    First and foremost, I was rather struck by how patient the filmmaking is here. That was a key element of “Let the Right One In,” this kind of lingering camerawork and moody elegance that was largely responsible for helping the film hit the sweet spot when it could have easily been another dip in the typical vampire well.

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  • COMIC-CON: WB brings ‘Green Lantern,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Sucker Punch’ to San Diego

    One of the most anticipated events at this year’s convention was Warner Bros. Pictures’ presentation of footage from Martin Campbell’s upcoming “Green Lantern” adaptation.  Starring Ryan Reynolds as test-pilot-turned-intergalactic-enforcer Hal Jordan, the film is the first big screen adaptation of the superhero to date.

    Comics writer and head of DC Entertainment Geoff Johns said during the panel discussion, moderated by Hero Complex‘s Geoff Boucher, that there was a time he thought an adaptation would never see the light of day. Working as an intern with Richard Donner over a decade ago, the project had begun to pick up some momentum. When he heard a studio exec ask if the film could be done without the ring, his heart sank and he figured it was a doomed property.

    Today Johns is one of the key architects of the new DC universe on the page, having spent five years re-inventing and streamlining the world of Green Lantern as well, and for him, the film is a dream come true.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘The Expendables’ injects some testosterone into the geek Mecca

    We’re only a day in, but the star of Comic-Con so far, if it isn’t Scott Pilgrim, has to be Sylvester Stallone.  The muscle-bound action star hit Hall H yesterday with a few scenes from his new film “The Expendables” in tow and couldn’t have had more swagger and charisma.

    Ain’t It Cool News poobah Harry Knowles moderated a panel consisting of stars Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Sly himself.  Bruce Willis, who was on hand earlier in the day for a “RED” panel, stopped by for a few moments as well.  Early on, Knowles caught himself in the moment: “Can I just say something?  HOW F**KING COOL IS THIS??”

    It wasn’t really a hyperbolic statement. It WAS pretty damn cool to see that much testosterone on stage.  And it was the right crowd for this kind of film, echoed by one of the Q&A questioners later on: “I just wanted to say that you guys are responsible for my upbringing, more so than my parents.”

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  • ‘The Company Men’ trailer

    The debut feature of director John Wells (best known for his TV work on such series as “ER” and “The West Wing”) garnered fairly reserved reviews at Sundance in January. The trailer, which hit yesterday via Yahoo! Movies, does play a little on the beige side, but the story is topical, the cast excellent (always nice to see Rosemarie DeWitt getting work) and The Weinstein Company is putting it out in the prime real estate of late October. Maybe there’s something here. Maybe not. Judge for yourself by by clicking the link below, or watch the embed on the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: New ‘Let Me In’ poster

    In the rush of Comic-Con I haven’t gotten around to posting the new poster for “Let Me In,” which debuted to coincide with the convention.  You might remember the teaser poster, which was released a few weeks ago, and this one is still teaser-ish, but certainly better.  Check out the full poster after the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘TRON Legacy’ invades Hall H for a third-straight year

    “It proves to me some things, good things, take a really long time to happen,” “TRON” creator Steve Lisberger said to a packed Hall H, looking strikingly like Bad Blake next to a clean-shaven Jeff Bridges.

    And that was the vibe you got from the euphoric crowd this afternoon as Disney revealed eight minutes of footage from the new film “TRON Legacy.” A new trailer was also shown, which was simultaneously “unlocked” by internet users online.

    Actors Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen (in his first Comic-Con appearance), Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund joined Kosinski, Bailey and Lisberger on stage with moderator Patton Oswalt for a discussion on technology utilized by the project, re-visiting the material 27 years later and the underlying themes of the film.

    “We need modern myths,” Bridges said. “And one of the themes in our movie is the dark side of technology. We’re developing it so fast we haven’t developed any ethics.”

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  • COMIC-CON: Guillermo Del Toro to remake Disney’s ‘The Haunted Mansion’

    Following an intense “TRON: Legacy” panel at Comic-Con this afternoon (which I will get to in a moment), Disney pulled a real coup by having moderator Patton Oswalt introduce a brief animated piece of footage announcing a remake of “The Haunted Mansion” and then bring out the film’s writer/producer, announced exclusively right here in the hall: Guillermo Del Toro.

    With the “Pan’s Labyrinth” director’s recent departure from “The Hobbit,” many have been wondering what his next project would be.  And truly, this sounds like it could be something special from a unique and twisted mind.  Given the reaction form the crowd (who created the director to loud shouts of “Guillermo!”), there shouldn’t be much trouble building excitement around this project.

    “The scary WILL be scary,” Del Toro said of his vision in a brief announcement.  “If you bring children, they will scream.  And I hope to steal as many props as possible.”

    Obviously, for fans of Del Toro’s viscerally specific cinematic creations, this is a dream come true.  And even though it’s a remake and a Disney property, one gets the feeling he will have carte blanche with the material.

    More to come, I’m sure.  Check out the new teaser image from the film after the jump.

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  • COMIC-CON: ‘Megamind’ inverts comic genre tropes

    The opening Hall H panel of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con belonged to DreamWorks Animation’s “Megamind” from “Madagascar” director Tom McGrath.  The film, set for release November 5, is an “action comedy that takes the whole genre and turns it on its head,” McGrath told the packed hall.

    In the film, Will Ferrell gives his vocal talents to the title character.  Tina Fey plays a television reporter and Jonah Hill, her cameraman.  All three, along with McGrath, were on hand to preview five minutes of 3D footage from the film.

    Another key cast member, Brad Pitt, could not attend.  But the crew got a nice LOL pop out of the audience by bringing a cardboard cut-out on stage.

    Ferrell got into the Comic-Con spirit by donning the blue and black get-up of his character.  It’s the second time he’s been able to play a villain, following 2001’s “Zoolander,” but he said he was attracted to the idea of playing a “bad guy who becomes a good guy.”  No, nothing earth-shattering, but those are the kinds of quotes the panel was offering moderator Drew McWeeny.

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  • Aronofsky’s ‘Black Swan’ to open Venice

    [FURTHER UPDATE: Focus has confirmed that “The American” will not, in fact, be appearing at Venice.]

    [UPDATE: “Black Swan” has indeed been confirmed as the Venice opener, and will play in Competition. More soon.]

    I’ve been saying for some time that this year’s Venice Film Festival looks to be a very good vintage, capitalizing on the number of highly anticipated auteur works that weren’t quite ready in time for Cannes. Even with Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” still a major question mark — some are even suggesting it won’t surface this year — there’s plenty to get quivery about besides, as is clear from this tasty Variety piece.

    Nick Vivarelli’s article reiterates the titles — including Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” and Julian Schnabel’s “Miral” — that have long been all-but-guaranteed to show up at Venice, but adds some tantalizing new ones. Chief among them is Darren Aronofsky’s ballet psycho-thriller “Black Swan,” which will premiere as the festival’s opening film on September 1.

    The press release breaking the news, and more Venice possibilities, after the cut.

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  • COMIC-CON: Robert Rodriguez and the cast of ‘Machete’ want you to eat their tacos

    I was wondering if Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” would have much of a presence at Comic-Con this year, and it looks like it will.  And if you’re in San Diego for the convention this week, you’ll want to hear about this because it’s open to the public.

    Rodriguez and the cast of the film will be serving tacos at the “Machete” Taco Truck Thursday, July 22, from 5:00pm – 8:00pm on the corner of 5th Ave. and J St. at the 5 Star parking lot downtown.  Artwork on the truck was designed by famed graffiti artist Mr. Cartoon.

    Later, at 9:00pm, footage from the film will be shown on a giant outdoor screen. Doors for that open at 8:30pm.  Looks like they’re giving away posters and T-shirts, the full nine.  So be there or be square.

    Follow Viva Machete on Twitter for more updates, including a flyer that’ll get you a free taco.  And check out a message from Rodriguez after the jump.

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  • LA Times on DC vs. Marvel

    Full disclosure: I don’t do comics. It’s not a matter of snobbery or dislike — I quite admire the medium, in fact — but I wasn’t brought up on them and can’t fabricate the kind of lifelong enthusiasm they inspire in others. The pile of unread novels on my bedside table is high enough without bringing graphics into the equation.

    This is a roundabout way of saying that talk of the rivalry between Marvel and DC Comics means about as much to me personally as that of the teams atop the German Bundesliga table — I understand both the game and the stakes, but my knowledge of the players themselves is elementary at best. So I found this LA Times article, in which Geoff Boucher and Ben Fritz break down the recent fortunes of Marvel and DC’s respective film production divisions, rather enlightening.

    With DC Entertainment’s extreme polarities of success (Christopher Nolan’s Batman pictures) and failure (the still-reeking “Jonah Hex”) putting them on shakier economic ground than the more consistent Marvel, the studio has appointed former “Harry Potter” brand manager Diane Nelson and comic-book writer Geoff Johns to take the reins. Nelson’s background is telling: parent company Warner Bros. will be relying heavily on DC Entertainment to plug the gap left when the Potter film series concludes next year.

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