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In this film publicity image released by Disney, Ebenezer Scrooge, voiced by Jim Carrey, is shown in a scene from "A Christmas Carol." (AP Photo/Disney, ImageMovers Digital LLC)

JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lionel Barrymore. Alastair Sim. Laurence Olivier. Albert Finney. George C. Scott. Bill Murray. Michael Caine. Mr. Magoo. Scrooge McDuck.

Of the many to play Ebenezer Scrooge, Jim Carrey now adds his name, starring in Disney's new 3-D animation version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The appeal of the part is clear: You get villain and redemptive hero rolled into one, plus you spend most of the movie in your pajamas.

But the allure of Scrooge alone wasn't enough for Carrey. In this latest incarnation of Dickens' Christmas fable, Carrey plays not only the penny-pinching miser, young and old, but also the three ghosts that visit him: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

Carrey's zest for the undertaking comes through clearly enough -- after all, the rubber-faced "Ace Ventura" and "Man on the Moon" actor has always been a contortionist. His Scrooge is exceptionally gaunt, topped by limp white hair, and features a downturned mouth below an Ichabod Crane nose.

When Scrooge breaks into a sudden jig or the Ghost of Christmas Past -- rendered here (faithfully to the book) as a kind of flickering candle -- gives a comic twitch, it's easy to recognize the actor behind the animation.

But on the whole, the film feels suffocated by its design, and the liveliness of Carrey and the rest of the cast (including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Cary Elwes) struggles to shine through.

For a distinctly modern approach, director Robert Zemeckis ("Forrest Gump," ''Cast Away") opted to use performance-capture animation, having the actors movements and expressions transferred from live-action to animation. Zemeckis has previously employed the technique in "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf."

Unfortunately, the characters come across oddly inanimate. Many have vacant, almost ghostly eyes and closer resemble the figures that might be used in an architect's model. It seems a curious decision to go to such lengths to make a thoroughly human story so inhuman.

It's a shame, too, because the architecture of this "Christmas Carol" is at times striking. The mid-19th century London of Dickens' novella is painted with care, animated to be dramatically lit by candlelight. Alan Silvestri's bombastic score is also stirring.

Zemeckis largely hues closely to the text, allowing the audience to soak up Dickens' language, still fresh and familiar and musical.

But too much of the film is geared around 3-D wizardry. Unneeded sequences pop up for purely "wow" baiting, such as an airborne Scrooge shot skyward to the moon, and a gratuitous chase sequence as he runs from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (who has now wrestled up a chariot of black stallions).

Film adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" are nearly annual events. That's not a bad thing, necessarily. Dickens' story is about as sturdy a one as we've got -- it would be nearly impossible to mar what might be the finest ghost story this side of "Hamlet."

But it's unfortunate that this should be the 2009 edition. The time, not just the season, is ripe for "A Christmas Carol." It is, of course, about a greedy industrial capitalist of the 1800s (Scrooge recalls his deceased partner, Jacob Marley, as "a good man of business") who learns to see the value of family and charity.

How ever could such a story be relevant today?

"A Christmas Carol," a Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release, runs 95 minutes. Two humbugs out of four.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Sheldon Dorf, who founded the world famous Comic-Con International comic book convention, has died. He was 76.

A longtime friend, Greg Koudoulian, says the Ocean Beach resident died at a San Diego hospital on Tuesday from kidney failure. He had diabetes and had been hospitalized for about a year.

Dorf, a freelance artist and comic strip letterer, founded Comic-Con in San Diego in 1970 after moving from Detroit.

Today, the convention draws 125,000 fans a year and is a major gathering for comic book fans, artists, writers and movie stars.

Koudoulian says Dorf was friends with comic greats such as Marvel artist Jack Kirby and "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz. He says Dorf was also instrumental in helping budding artists find audiences.

Ivan Dixon, left, and Steven Perry star in the 1960 Twilight Zone episode "The Big Tall Wish."

On what is usually considered a movie night at Geoffrey's Comics in Gardena the regular comics club crew gathered Tuesday to watch a handful of "Twilight Zone" episodes.

Before I made the journey from Long Beach I was asked by a friend which episodes we would watch this evening.  I said I didn't know, but any of the older Zone episodes were a can't-miss when it comes to quality, theme and sheer entertainment value.

We watched the episodes "The Big Tall Wish," "Nick of Time" and "Living Doll."

There were some fine moments in "Nick of Time" starring William Shatner, who plays a seemingly well-adjusted man who becomes obsessed with the future.  And who could ever forget the creepy, classic "Living Doll" starring Telly Savalas?

There's man vs. man, man vs. nature and in "Living Doll" writer Charles Beaumont introduces us to man vs. doll.

"Hi, I'm Talking Tina and you're gonna be sorry," the doll says to Savalas.

Who loves ya, baby?  Apparently not Talking Tina... baby.

My favorite episode was "The Big Tall Wish," which was the first one we watched last night.  Yes, there was some heavy-handed acting and the story is pretty straightforward, but that's just me being silly because Wish is a fine example of what a good episode of "Twilight Zone" can do.  A hard-luck boxer named Bolie Jackson -- played by Ivan Dixon -- gets a little magic through the wishes of a kid named Henry. 

What interested me as a filmmaker is how this episode was composed with such a creative economy of shots (due to budget limitations).  What impressed me as a fan of the "Twilight Zone" is how Rod Serling's science/fantasy/fiction shows never lose sight of the fact that they are about more than the plot.  "The Big Tall Wish" would serve as a fine example to some of the current science fiction television creators who need a reminder of how effective sci fi can be for social commentary.

Watch "The Big Tall Wish" yourself at Veoh.
 

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- An auction of rare comics found in the basement of a suburban St. Louis home has brought in nearly $500,000 so far.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the first day of the auction on Sunday in St. Charles included $101,000 for the comic X-Men No. 1. All told, the auction has generated $490,000. It continued on Monday at Ameristar Casino.

About 3,000 comic books were found in the basement of a home in Arnold. The owner collected them as a boy. He died several years ago, and his mother died earlier this year. A cousin who became heir to the estate found the comic books. The heir has remained anonymous.


Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

Beside his regular work on "Batman: Streets of Gotham," DC Comics artist Dustin Nguyen creates short works that he posts at his blog or his site at Deviant Art.

As a Halloween treat, Nguyen posted a short comic story depicting some lyrics by the rap group "Geto Boys" from their hit "mind playing tricks on me" and interpreted it into a mugger's confrontation with the Batman.

"But this was no ordinary man.
He stood about six or seven feet--
--Now, that the creep I'd been seein' in my sleep."

It works perfectly.  Batman would definitely be a nightmare figure for any criminal.  Good work, Dustin!

Check out the one-page story here.
  

More than a hundred "undead" dragged  their way down Fourth Street on Retro Row Friday night for the 2009 "Zombie Walk."

A couple hours before the 10:30 p.m. event you could see dozens of anxious zombies sipping coffee or dining before they would get their walk on.

I didn't stay for the midnight screening of "Night of The Living Dead" at the Art Theatre this time -- I was afraid -- but I may have the courage to do it next year. 

Something for Halloween?  Here you go...

I admit I have not been able to keep up with every crossover title in DC Comics' "Blackest Night," and it's not because it's been uninteresting.

For those who aren't hip to the Night, it's the event series spun from the Green Lantern side of the story-verse where dead heroes and villains are brought back evil-zombie-style by some dark, terrible force.  And they go after old lovers, friends and enemies with the aim of feeding off your emotions (and the beating heart from your chest). These creatures are known as the Black Lanterns. 

And while I fully expect to catch up and find out what's going on with the other parts of the series, it would be a little too expensive for me to do that right now.

I have been following one of the spin-off books: "Blackest Night: Superman."  In this three-issue series, Superman, Conner Kent (the new Superboy), Supergirl and Martha Kent have to face their own undead demons in Smallville -- Earth-2 Superman, Earth-2 Lois Lane and the Psycho Pirate. 

There are some interesting moments that give Blackest Night fans a few clues on the weaknesses of the Black Lanterns.  I won't give all of those away but I have to say my favorite moment is in the comic excerpt above where Ma Kent tells zombie Lois to "get off her lawn!"

OK, she doesn't exactly say it that way but watching her throw down and not be some helpless victim was cool anyway.

Related posts:

Green Lantern makes with the scary stuff

Behind the Scenes With Kanye from We Love You So on Vimeo.

I know this confrontation is totally set up by director Spike Jonze ("Where the Wild Things Are") and music superstar (and current super villain) Kanye West. I consider this to be a public relations move --  a good one -- to remind us that West has quite a sense of humor ... despite his recent award show outbursts... and all of his, um, other outbursts.

Via Spike.com

In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, a scene from the film, "Paranormal Activity," is shown. (AP Photo/Paramount)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Paranormal Activity" has won a weekend battle of fright films over part six of the "Saw" franchise.

Paramount's upstart chiller "Paranormal Activity" went into nationwide release and took over the No. 1 spot with $22 million. That compares to just $14.8 million for the debut of "Saw VI," a franchise that has been an annual fixture before the October Halloween holiday since 2004.

It was the worst opening ever for Lionsgate's "Saw" series, whose previous low was $18.3 million for the original movie. Subsequent installments of the "Saw" franchise all opened at $30 million or better.

This time, horror fans simply gravitated toward "Paranormal Activity" instead of "Saw VI."

"'Paranormal' ate their lunch," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "There's no other way to explain it."

After four weeks in narrower release, Paramount slotted "Paranormal Activity" into 1,945 theaters. That still was just under two-thirds of the 3,036 theater count for "Saw VI."

"Paranormal Activity" raised its total haul to $62.5 million. The low-budget movie was shot for a reported $15,000 but has become a horror sensation because of online fan buzz. The fictional movie unfolds like a homemade documentary as a couple copes with apparitions and supernatural phenomena in their home.

It has a strong shot at topping $100 million, something none of the "Saw" movies ever managed. While "Saw," the grisly saga of a puppetmaster putting victims through savage moral tests, was embraced as a fresh twist by horror fans five years ago, it now is part of the Hollywood establishment compared to "Paranormal Activity."

"There's no question 'Paranormal' offered a fresh alternative," said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "This movie definitely has achieved a place in our culture right now."

The overall box office declined, with Hollywood revenues totaling $121 million, down 9 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" debuted with $42 million and "Saw V" opened with $30.1 million.

The box-office should get a jolt over Halloween as "Paranormal Activity" expands to as many as 2,500 theaters and Sony's "Michael Jackson: This Is It" heads into its first weekend after debuting late Tuesday night.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. tale "Where the Wild Things Are," fell to No. 3, just behind "Saw VI" with $14.4 million. Spike Jonze's adaptation of the beloved children's book by Maurice Sendak raised its total to $54 million.

Among other wide releases, Summit Entertainment's "Astro Boy" opened at No. 6 with $7 million, Universal's "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" debuted at No. 8 with $6.3 million, and Fox Searchlight's "Amelia" premiered at No. 11 with $4 million.

"Astro Boy" features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage in a sci-fi adventure based on the Japanese comic book and cartoon series about a superhero child robot. "Vampire's Assistant" stars John C. Reilly as a centuries-old bloodsucker who takes on a teenage apprentice in a traveling freak show. "Amelia" is a film biography of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart starring double-Oscar winner Hilary Swank.

In limited release from IFC Films, Lars von Trier's graphic "Antichrist" had a modest debut, pulling in $73,500 in six theaters for a $12,250 average. The movie stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a couple whose relationship devolves into torture and self-mutilation after the death of their child.

Now that "Paranormal Activity" has a firm grip on audiences, Paramount is toying with the prospects for sequels or prequels.

"Given the success of this and the passion of the online community, I think our guys have got a number of different ideas they're percolating," Moore said. "Once we've gotten to the end of this run, we'll see what other fun we can have with this."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Paranormal Activity," $22 million.

2. "Saw VI," $14.8 million.

3. "Where the Wild Things Are," $14.4 million.

4. "Law Abiding Citizen," $12.7 million.

5. "Couples Retreat," $11.1 million.

6. "Astro Boy," $7 million.

7. "The Stepfather," $6.5 million.

8. "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," $6.3 million.

9. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $5.6 million.

10. "Zombieland," $4.3 million.

In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Astro Boy, voiced by Freddie Highmore, is shown in a scene from, "Astro Boy." (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The animated "Astro Boy" is a shiny hodgepodge of "Pinocchio," ''WALL-E," ''Oliver Twist," ''Gladiator" and "Superman," with some obvious visual touches taken from "The Iron Giant." As its own entity, though, it's pretty forgettable.

Director David Bowers ("Flushed Away"), who co-wrote the script with Timothy Hyde Harris ("Kindergarten Cop," ''Space Jam"), gets some help from a lively voice cast that includes Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy and Nathan Lane, and the Art Deco look of the film's architecture has a classic appeal. But it almost feels like there are too many movies competing simultaneously in what is essentially a pretty standard tale of good versus evil.

The jokes aren't all that funny and the father-son relationship between Astro Boy (Highmore) and brilliant scientist Dr. Tenma (a typically lethargic and curiously cast Nicolas Cage) isn't all that moving. There's a lot going on, but none of it ever really grabs you. (Along those same innocuous lines, the movie is sufficiently bright and colorful for kids of all ages without ever being too scary.)

Based on the Japanese comic book from Osamu Tezuka that began in 1951 -- and influenced the anime genre as we know it today -- "Astro Boy" traces the origin of a young superhero. He began life as a regular kid named Toby, but after dying in a freak lab accident, his father brings him back to life as a robot containing Toby's personality, memories and Bob's Big Boy looks (as well as some tricky gadgets and powers that are never explained).

Once Dr. Tenma realizes -- duh -- that this eager-to-please robot version of his child is nonetheless inferior and sends him away, Toby flees the floating, gleaming Metro City and lands back on the now-trashed Earth below, where he becomes known as Astro Boy. There, he meets other orphaned children who grubbily root around for spare robot parts to bring back to their Fagin-like father figure, Hamegg (Lane). (The trash can that follows them around and looks like a pug is pretty darn cute, though.)

Astro wants to fit in with the others, namely the street-smart Cora (Bell), and forge some sort of normal life. But high among the clouds in Metro City, President Stone (Donald Sutherland) is after him for his Blue Core: a powerful crystalline nugget that Dr. Tenma implanted in his chest. You see, there's a Blue Core and a Red Core. The blue one provides a peaceful, benevolent strength, while the red one turns you into a ferocious killing machine.

The Dick Cheney-like president wants to control them both for his ironically named "Peacekeeper," a burly device intended to dominate Earth: "I've got an election to win and I need my robot to be a fighter, not a lover," he says early on.

Yeah, it's not a terribly subtle political metaphor.

And so the obvious inevitably arrives: Astro Boy must return to his home to fight the ultimate fight and face his ultimate destiny. He also might run into his dad again. You never know.

"Astro Boy," a Summit Entertainment release, runs 90 minutes. Two stars out of four.