Robert Meeks: October 2008 Archives

The acclaimed graphic novel "Preacher" will finally get its live action due since Columbia Pictures has picked up the rights for director Sam Mendes. Mendes is acclaimed himself for his work on "American Beauty," his first film as a director.

"Road to Perdition" followed starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. This was also based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins.

The comic followed a down and out preacher who received the power to speak with the voice of God.

Putting "Preacher" in the hands of Mendes may increase the chances of this one actually making it to theaters and not languishing in script development. Splashpage at MTV has more and a suggested set of cast members. (The name of actor James Franco was tossed out there.)

Cover image courtesy DC/Vertigo Comics

I read the "Da Vinci Code" and found it to be very entertaining despite the far-fetched plot. Millions of readers did as well. And while I did not read Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" many have told me that it is the superior book. The film adaptation by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer is due May 2009.

Entertainment Tonight has the trailer here or click the image above. 

This sentiment may have already been expressed by a few like-minded folks who left comment at Hero Complex, but actor David Tennant is the best "Doctor" since Tom Baker and I am sorry to hear he is leaving the series.

Get more on this from Hero Complex here by the way.

Personally, I credit SCI FI Channel for even making this worthwhile news in the U.S. The cable channel has drawn increasing attention over the years for its high-quality television productions of "Battlestar Galactica," "Dune" and "Eureka."

At least it earned attention from millions of fans like myself. Acquiring replay rights to 'Who' was an excellent idea. This is the longest running television science fiction show and the mythology of the character deserves a wider audience.

I had to play catch up and I have sacrificed hours of sleep watching seasons two and three of "Doctor Who." Tennant will complete his obligations for the coming 'Who' specials this season. Producer/writer Russell T. Davies leaves as well.

It has been speculated that new showrunner Steven Moffat may select Paterson Joseph of "Jekyll" to become the Doctor. If this happens he would be the first black Doctor... awesome.

Comic book writer Mark Millar continues to expand his brand beyond the printed graphic novel page to the big screen after the success of "Wanted." In an interview with Empire he pitches his idea for a "Godfather" Superman story (About  8 hours worth) that would span the character's life from Krypton to his last days on Earth.

Leave it to Millar to take a story to its extreme. (Re: "Superman: Red Son"). Warner Bros. has expressed a desire to make their next superhero film properties darker like "The Dark Knight" even if it threatens to counter the essence of the character.

Dark Superman? Superman noir?

Is this a good idea or should they let the Superman film franchise idea rest a while?

 

No way -- the guy from "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?" The dude who played the actor dude who was playing another dude of a different ethnicity in "Tropic Thunder?" He's going to be an even bigger star than before?

Marvel Studios says yes to all of the above. Actor Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark/ Iron Man in "The Avengers," based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. That means the "Iron Man" team comes along, right?

Jon Favreau will produce the film and Don Cheadle is confirmed to come back as Jim Rhodes (WAR MACHINE) after "Iron Man 2" which should hit the screens in May 2010. More details can be found here at Comingsoon.net.

This is a huge triumph for Downey and Favreau who have been on the fringes of the mainstream with their earlier works. Favreau directed "Made," "Zathura" and "Elf." "Elf" was the big boxoffice hit for Favreau earning $220 million worldwide.

More later.

"Heroes" is in trouble.

It's not just you guys who think so -- it's my friends, my parents, my wife and even Entertainment Weekly who agree.

The results  from the poll I presented last week indicate that 33 percent of you think "Heroes" is only doing "OK." The bad news is that "Good" respondents are tied at 22 percent with the "Less than OK" choice.

"Bad" and the "Forster" option round it out with 11 percent.


Let's be honest, choosing "Less than Good" is a nice way of saying the show is something you may come back and download or watch on DVR later. And that means lower ratings upfront -- the barometer of a television program's worth to television studios. "Heroes" is averaging 9.4 million viewers and is down two million from last season.

EW provides a list of things the show could do to improve itself. This is nothing new to me or the fewer-of-you who are watching. This season "Heroes" has a habit of doing something well while everything else drops out around it. The Russian roulette scenes with the "puppet master" villain were solid last week. Then what happens is we get more Spider-Suresh/Dr. Jekyll, Sylar-knows-best and the comedy stylings of Hiro and Ando.

It's not the super powers... what really stretches credibility is having us believe that everyone else besides PETER PETRELLI is inept -- and it just aint true! 

Expect some origin stories in the coming weeks and if you are still a devoted viewer to "Heroes" try not to worry too much about 'Weekly' and its assessment of the show. They selected "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" as one of the shows that also needs fixing and suggested it just get back to having simple stories like a metal robot coming to kill John Connor every week.

You and I both know that would make the show progressively boring and silly as they miraculously escape a killing machine each and every week. In my opinion 'Sarah Connor' can give "Heroes" a lesson on how to balance multiple storylines and not play hopscotch over sharky waters.

Until next time.



Related: The villain revealed

              Confused and shocked

              Lots of action and more revelations

              Keeping the story on track

              The Heroes return tonight

              Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season 

It's not the most well-known work from actor-producer and soon-to-be director Seth Green but his comic book "The Freshmen" co-created with Hugh Sterbakov is on the track to be adapted to a motion picture.

Splashpage MTV reports that Green, who also produces the hilarious stop-motion animated series "Robot Chicken," is planning to develop his comic published by Top Cow in 2005 as a film he will both write and direct.

I like to flip through whatever catches my eye on the comic store racks and that cover art on "The Freshmen" #1 was quite visually arresting.

I didn't know it was by Green but the story about a team of college kids housed together who acquire unusual and sometimes ridiculous powers made me smile. (There's a guy who drinks, makes himself sick-to-death hungover and can make you as ill as he is.)

The series didn't move me like "The Umbrella Academy" did last year, but I could see the potential in there being a live-action element if it was pursued by the creators. And here we are.

Green expects the film to be low budget -- around $35 million (that's low budget?) -- and he plans to gather the funds himself and perhaps bypass a few Hollywood production barriers to get it done. More details here.

(Article edited for clarity because I am sleep deprived.)

Spike TV's Scream Awards rewarded their picks of the best in science fiction, horror and comic books. Yep, they award comics. Congrats to the creators of one of my favorites (The one I don't shut up about) "Y: The Last Man."

But please check out this clip from the Awards show of a special extended trailer from the "Watchmen" film courtesy of Slashfilm.

There are some more visual clues in this clip that relate closely to the "Watchmen" graphic novel.

Those of you who watched tonight don't need me to tell you again that Robert Forster has joined the "Heroes" cast and wastes no time showing us why he is more bad news than Sylar ever was.

(CHEERS! APPLAUSE!)

All I can say is thank goodness and let's get this villains show on the road.
 
As I posted last week the regular "Heroes Watch" post will happen a little later in the week to give everyone some time to catch the show.

I am not revealing anything here and now so please watch the latest "Heroes" episode at their official site and if you feel inclined please let me know what you thought.

 

  

Actor Terrence Howard says being dropped from the "Iron Man" sequel and replaced by Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes was the "surprise of a lifetime."

He also comments on the reported implication that "it was about money." All this info is courtesy of an interview with NPR that you can listen to. 

The crew at Latino Review has a funny response to Howard as to what a "surprise of a lifetime" should really entail.

In other Iron-news Samuel L. Jackson says he will be back to reprise his bigger role in the sequel as Nick Fury. And to those who are stressing that Nick Fury is white in the Marvel Universe mainstream we all need to accept that Jackson is playing Ultimate Nick Fury as influenced by the Ultimate Marvel Universe and the actual personage of Sam Jackson.

And he's the biggest bada-$ in the acting game. Who else would be the Director of S.H.E.I.L.D.?


Related: 'Iron Man 2' gets Don Cheadle, loses Terrence Howard
 

"Max Payne," the movie based on the video game that looks like it has a touch of "The Punisher" and a pinch of "The Crow," chased "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" out of the top spot at the box office this weekend.

The $18 million estimated weekend take could be an indication of yet another profitable film for star Mark Wahlberg.

Yeah, his last movie was the widely panned "The Happening" from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, but that didn't stop it from making more than $163 million worldwide. The comparatively tiny $50 million budget made "The Happening" a winner for the studio who upped the coin but did nothing for the cats who had to sit in the theater.

I did see that one -- it'll take me a little while to trust M. Night again.

What "Max Payne" does for Wahlberg is keep him on the radar. And you should keep track of him since he is one of a number of actors who are taking on more challenging roles and not just the thin ones that are box office bait.

Remember Wahlberg in "The Departed?" He will also be in "The Lovely Bones" directed by Peter Jackson (LORD OF THE RINGS) based on the novel written by Alice Sebold who lived here in Long Beach for a time.

Hopefully, the actor also maintains a sense of humor about himself. Peep the sketch from Saturday Night Live below.

 


 

I believe everyone is a geek about something.

Seriously. Whether it's Hot Wheels, Barbie Dolls, Fantasy Football or the occasional designer accessory, it's gotta be something.

I had a colleague spend twenty minutes trying to apologize to me for referring to me as a geek and I did not think to let him off the hook by telling him "it's cool, we're all in that camp in some form or another."

Megan Fox is a cool geek because she gave the answer I could not articulate. Her geek cred isn't bestowed by her appearance in films involving fantasy or the supernatural like "The Transformers" or the upcoming Diablo Cody film "Jennifer's Body." She gets props because she's a fan of the kind of movies she is in.

In an article in last month's GQ magazine the reporter spent time with Fox at the San Diego Comic-Con and tossed out a wrong-headed dismissal of the fans who packed the convention hall.

Fox seems in her element here: She marvels for nearly ten minutes over comic legend Michael Turner's Batman sketches and, at one point, scolds me for an offhand comment about the nerds being out in full force.

"They're not nerds," she said. "They're just passionate."

You tell him Megan.

If you can get past the image of the actress on the cover in a bikini teasing you, check out the article. But no matter what, proudly remember her response and my suggestion that everyone is a geek about something.

Now I'll have to figure how many comics I have to hock to get that $125 Jonathan Richards hat on page 244. 

 

By now you happy few who are regular viewers of the "Heroes" TV series are probably telling a few others you know (like me) that the show is dangerously close to jumping the shark.

Get me some water skis.

Here's your SPOILER ALERT so please watch the latest "Heroes" here and come back when you're ready.



THE SITUATION: SYLAR is still partnering with NOAH to track down escaped super people. This time we get a cameo from another actor from "The Wire" who plays a guy who has the power to open miniature black holes. First, that is kind of a cool power and second, I wish the quality of the storytelling matched the impressive (for television) special effects.

CLAIRE goes out to fight villains and prove how bad she is. Does she still have to prove that? Let me be serious here - Claire was my favorite character on the show and not for her groovy cheerleader outfit either. Claire was scrappy and a stand up person with courage that belied her recuperative powers. Remember she took down the nuclear man with her skin peeling off and no idea whether she would survive to save everyone? Sure, it's easy to be brave when you don't die but she is a far cry from the victim we have seen since this season began.

Hayden Panettiere has some acting range so give her a chance to show it guys. Check out her video from Funny or Die here.

PETER has been silenced now that he has Sylar's power and cannot control his urges to steal powers. I'll back up. FUTURE PETER advises present Peter - The one I'm talking about - to take Sylar's power to help him avert future disaster. Now he's just another power vampire. How does that help with anything? The only smart thing he almost did was kill his deceptive mother.

Yeah, I said it. (Editors note: I meant that all in jest because his mom is sort of evil. And speaking of...)

DR. MOHINDER SURESH (BWAH! HA! HA! HE'S EVIL!!!) finally does something to silence the whiny MAYA. He puts her in a web cocoon. Suresh is apparently Spider-Suresh and now he is a full time villain. That is, after all, the name of this "Heroes" chapter.

No more indirect speculation based on scattered and varied interviews with filmmaker J.J. Abrams on his upcoming "Star Trek" film. The director answers questions and discusses the plot in a magazine article to be released tomorrow.

Of course, it is available online now at the Entertainment Weekly Web site.

There are some cool pictures depicting several cast members in their character get up. The cast includes: Chris Pine as Kirk, John Cho as Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Zoe Saldana as Uhura and "Heroes'" Zachary Quinto as Spock.

I have already slipped you some of the rumors on the plot a little while ago. If you read it then what you'll find in the EW article is that much of what was posted here is indeed true. (Don't check it out if you don't want a spoiler. The article also gives you a chance to turn back if you don't wanna know.)

I will say one of the most interesting parts of the article is Abrams admission that he is not a hardcore Trekker but sought the advice of Hollywood-ites who are. (Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman - the writers of "Transformers.")

Of course there is also an Abrams response to the William Shatner YouTube response to not being in Abrams' film. Check it out here.


Images Courtesy Entertainment Weekly



 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the movie "The Odd Couple" and the "Batman" television series, has died. He was 85.

Hefti died Saturday at his home, said his son Paul Hefti.

Neal Hefti's notable achievements include the iconic theme of the 1960s superhero series "Batman," which became a Top 40 hit and won a Grammy Award in 1966 for best instrumental theme. He also composed music for "The Odd Couple," ''Barefoot in the Park" and "Harlow," which featured his classic track "Girl Talk."

Hefti was born Oct. 29, 1922, in Hastings, Neb., and played trumpet with local bands as a teenager to earn money.

As an adult, he worked with and arranged music for the greats of the Big Band era, including Count Basie, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak and Harry James.

"He was one of the really great arrangers and composers of all time," radio and television personality Gary Owens, a longtime friend, told the Los Angeles Times.

--Associated Press

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reports exclusive confirmation that the second half of the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" will debut Jan. 16 on SCI FI Channel.

The show creators suggested January would be the likely month of return but with all the changes going on in television schedules post Writer's Strike there was no way to be sure.

I call this good news (bad news for my wife) because now I have to go back into my obsessive pondering of the mystery of the Cylons.


Image courtesy SCi FI Channel  

  

Actor Terrence Howard will be replaced by Don Cheadle for the "Iron Man" sequel several news sources report.

According to the story in Hollywood Reporter there were some "financial differences" with Howard and the studio. That studio being Marvel. Some may call the early rancor in the comment sections of almost every story about this to be very pro-Howard and anti-Cheadle.

I sifted through scores of comments and found that to be true but only by a slight margin. Here's why...

Despite the dazzling success of "Iron Man"  ($570 Million worldwide), there are quite a few who were not fully satisfied with Howard's performance as Jim Rhodes in the film. Plenty of fans of the Iron Man character would probably not have minded someone else in the part who looked more like Rhodes. (One commenter threw out the name Michael Jai White, recently of "The Dark Knight" and not so recently the star of "Spawn.")

Others who are fans of Howard's work believed he wasn't given much to do. Put me in both camps. I didn't think Howard fit the role of Rhodes and I didn't think he had enough to do in the part anyway.

No matter who plays Rhodes it will be difficult if there isn't much of a role in the script.

My hope is that the character of Jim Rhodes is better developed by writer Justin Theroux so that whoever gets the part can bring more to it than buddy-flick comedy relief. In the comics Rhodes not only subs for main character Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) when he's dealing with his alcoholism, he gets his own armor and joins the superhero ranks as "War Machine."

Cheadle can do action or drama and to those who are worried about whether he is a physical match for Rhodes, consider this: Many stars are larger than life on screen because of the way the film is shot and their workouts and diets to make them look the part. Don't fool yourself into thinking Robert Downey Jr. is really buffed up like Stark is in the comics. 

Almost half of those who have taken the poll have said "Yep" to Johnny Depp -- The people have spoken and agreed that he should become the highest paid actor ever.

The 'yes' side of this took a narrow lead early in the morning and and never looked back. Check the chart out and you'll see that about 34 percent actually think Depp is not worth the money. About half that number thinks I'm jealous. Well... my answer to that is heck yeah. I wouldn't mind getting a payday like that. Why should movie stars get all the love?

It looks as if Depp will get his payday of $55.8 million to star in a fourth installment of the hit film series. What the plot will be for this next pirates remains to be seen, but Jack Sparrow is ready to take the helm.

Thanks to everyone for participating in the poll.


Editor's note: The 'Pirates' writer Terry Rossio says this sequel stuff is not true and is only a rumor. Perhaps. But at least we know readers of Modern Mythology would pay Johnny Depp his money.

Comics are expensive. The average price for a single 22-page issue can run you anywhere from $2.99 to $3.99. That makes those comics seem awfully thin for the green you're shelling out.

Now, what if that $2.99 book not only contained an engrossing story but had some of the most impressive artwork you could find in any comic being published today? Maybe that price wouldn't be so bad since you're collecting something that is a pleasure to look at.

Marvel's "Astonishing X-Men" teams one of the busiest writers in the game -- Warren Ellis -- with the Italian art sensation Simone Bianchi. The squad over at Comic Book Resources have an interview with the artist and more samples than I can show you here at Modern.

I caught Bianchi's work over on the ongoing "Wolverine" series. It was violent, vivid and not so realistic that I disconnected. That's the knock some fans, myself included, sometimes hang on the brilliant Alex Ross whose work is so real it can cause a subliminal cancellation of the comic storytelling experience.

I am an X-Men fan from the earliest days of my life and there are so many key moments in the series' history that I define by not only the storyline of the time but also the visuals on every page every issue.

I remember artists Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Paul Smith and Jim Lee. When this run on 'Astonishing' is done, I may love or hate the story but I can say I will definitely recall Simone Bianchi's artwork.

Check out the interview here and if you can't afford those individual issues of "Astonishing X-Men" stay on the lookout for the inevitable collected paperback sometime next year.


Images courtesy Marvel Comics 

Can you stand it? I think Disney wants another "Pirates of the Caribbean." Are you out of your minds with excitement? No?

How about if I add that they are willing to pay Johnny Depp $55 Million to play Captain Jack Sparrow again? It would be the most bucks paid to an actor for a single project. I can't say who first reported this piece of news but I can recall standing at a magazine rack somewhere when I read it in a news brief in Entertainment Weekly.

This was a week ago and I am only writing about it now, so you can kick me for being late again. I must have blocked this story out of my head because like many of you I have been engrossed in the current state of Wall Street.

All that money for one guy for THAT sequel? I am among the folk who liked 'Pirates' for what it was -- A theme ride. I watched all three and without revealing anything to the four people left on this planet who have not seen the movies, I figured the story was justly completed and in little need of further exploration.

But when Hollywood is involved with a hit machine like 'Pirates' that makes billions worldwide I guess it can help any company offset the financial market blues. If this story is true then that Johnny is a shrewd negotiator.



Photo By Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Major 'Superman' comic news (Sort of)

There has been quite a scuffle in the web-o-verse about the BIG SPOILER (don't click if you don't wanna know) in the NY Daily News involving Action Comics #870. Don't worry I'm not going to give anything away. You can click here, see the cover and draw your own conclusions.

I'm gassed about comics getting more press than ever, but my fellow newspaper folk have to remember a big comic book story is just like most pop entertainment. You must cover them a little more like that big movie that's hitting the screens on Friday or even that highly-anticipated novel that may or may not have the death of a major character.

For many people who follow these storylines for a year, they want to find out what happens when they read it.


That's the dude from 'Friday Night Lights' and Wolverine!

Taylor Kitsch of "Friday Night Lights" did an interview with Media Blvd. and briefly discussed his part in the upcoming "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" film as Gambit. The same film that will star Hugh Jackman and a host of others in a story that will focus on the origin of the popular clawed mutant with the unbreakable bones.

Or just call it "X-Men 4," like Kitsch did in his interview when he described the film. What would I call it? I would call it "Wolverine 3" because I thought "X-Men" and "X-men: United" were the first and second Wolverine films due to all the character focus and screen time for Jackman.

With Gambit tossing his explosive playing cards and Deadpool competing with Wolvie for bada*$ status there are all kinds of possibilities for some great action in this movie. I hope studio politics don't grind this flick into dust like the last X-movie.

I wish Taylor Kitsch all the luck as Gambit.


'Green Lantern' film may get Ryan Gosling?

I certainly don't know much about this, but you can get the skinny at Latino Review. Ryan Gosling is rumored to be in the running to play the Green Lantern. Which Lantern you ask? Review says the character in the script is Hal Jordan and he is about 27-years-old and perfect for Gosling who is 28.

The big hurdle will be introducing the character to a general movie audience considering he is not as familiar as the Batman or Spider-Man.

All they need do is follow the "Ironman" plan. This Marvel comics character was known vaguely to the non-comics reader by, I don't know, OSMOSIS or what have you. What appeared to have worked was not the origin story, all the movies have those. What worked was the front row seat to the creation of the armor. That suit was the coolest thing I had seen on a movie screen since "The Matrix."

So here's Green Lantern and, you know, he has a ring that not only allows him to fly, it can create anything the person can imagine. Since I'm on the Matrix kick consider the Green Lantern to be what Neo may have been if he had more imagination.

However, this should not discourage the Wachowski Bros. from directing this movie if it's offered to them. I hope you're listening guys.

Once again, read more here. And check out some Green Lantern required reading by correspondent Ryan Riley here.

The question was posed to me yesterday by a fan of the "Heroes" TV series who didn't watch this week.

"So how was Monday's episode?"

I looked at him and said "They went nuclear."

"Oh, is that all?"

This is the official SPOILER POINT and I will drop a picture here in between my brief observations for this week. And please use this link to this week's episode if you have not seen it.


And here we go.

So we get the present and future image of the mad scientist DR. MOHINDER SURESH when future and past PETER PETRELLI (pictured above) visits four years ahead.

Oh crap! Everyone has super powers - if you can afford it. Future Peter and CLAIRE have a brief and fatal meeting in the, uh, future. This sets up a super-powered battle royal (hopefully the first of many) between future Claire, KNOX, DAPHNE, SYLAR and the occasionally clueless present Peter.

It was the best moment of the show and in the presence of some fellow "Heroes" watchers at Geoffrey's Comics last night I heard several opinions echoing my own.

I know it's going to be hard for the producers to continue to afford this level of special effects and a cast this large, but it makes the show. Seeing the characters slip into their familiar roles is fine for an interlude but they must work it in with some significant confrontation.

Peter vs. Daphne, Knox vs. Sylar and Claire vs. dark hair and a leather outfit.

One other note tossed my way and a suggestion. We see the down side of future Suresh's experimentation and I'm not talking about him turning away MAYA. We couldn't see him clearly, but he looks like he may be severely mutated under that dirty hooded sweatshirt.

One of my friends, we'll call her RED. Red sees a picture of normal Suresh on my computer screen.

"Wow, who is that?"

"That's Dr. Suresh on the show Heroes," I say.

"Well Dr. Whatever-his-name is hot," she says.

A little advice for the "Heroes" producers - and I don't mind saying it - for your women fans you may want to think twice about messing up the face of your best looking male character on the show.

All in all a good week with a good ending. See you next time.

 
Related:  Keeping the story on track

               The Heroes return tonight

               Heroes Watch: Looks like a fun season

Yeah, I didn't catch on until recently.

Here we are reading and discussing the "Starman Omnibus Vol. 1" tonight and I'm the only one who did not at least try an issue when it was all the critical rage several years ago. I knew of its existence and heard good things but like many of us I became quite disillusioned with most comics in the nineties.

Oh, don't act like I was the only one. Trust me, we'll talk about the near-comic company apocalypse of the last decade another time. 

The "Starman" series by writer James Robinson ("Superman") and artists Tony Harris ("Ex Machina") and Wade Von Grawbadger does a retake on the Golden Age super hero by dropping his legacy into the lap of the outcast son who didn't want the mantle in the first place.

I can relate to not initially wanting to carry on the family business and the struggle the main character Jack Knight has with that.

This omnibus collects the first 17 issues of Robinson and Harris' "Starman" and the real value of their work has become apparent to me. It suggests a kind of realism. Shadow illusion creatures and belts that make you fly aren't part of the real world - unless you're self medicating - but Robinson manages something all the best creators of superhero fiction do...

They give you stories that could play whether you have the fantastical elements in them or not.

If you can handle the hefty $49.99 of the Volume one omnibus it's a keeper for fans of good comic fiction. (There are some used ones online too at around $25.)

If you stop by Geoffrey's Comics tonight come by and say hi.


Cover image Courtesy DC Comics  

I am not a charter member on the fan list of HBO's "True Blood" but I have not stopped watching it.

There must have been a bunch of people like me (4 million estimated regular viewers) because HBO has deemed the southern vampire series based on the books by Charlaine Harris worthy to receive a second season. And to its credit the cable network has chosen to continue a show with some (should I write it?) teeth. (Sorry about that, it's early.)

I can't say the twists and turns of 'True' are unexpected and I am not going to reveal too many specifics here until after the season ends considering that cable series have DVD and replay life after first-run. But these last few episodes have been surprisingly gory and the ending of yesterday's show left yet another bloody footprint.

And that's fine, because stuff with vampires in it is supposed to be a little scary isn't it?

As psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse actress Anna Paquin ("X-Men") has done a solid job and I could care less about whether she looks good with blond hair. (But some have mentioned it.) The real revelation, especially after this last episode, is the character depth of her vampire love interest Bill Compton played by Stephen Moyer.

My wife hates grisly stuff but even she watched and found Moyer's character to be quite sympathetic.

On the basis of a plot that is still a little thin I am not ready to call this show a must-see, but I will call it a must see it ONCE and you should do it for the sheer craft and dark humor. (This is not for the young ones, but I'm not sure the other vampire-based novel "Twilight" is either.)

I am still not forgetting this show is going head to head with "Dexter" on Showtime which wormed (sorry again) its way onto my must see list two years ago. But 'True' runs again late at night and then several times throughout the week which gives me a chance to keep an eye on it and not quite give up on the talents of producer-writer Alan Ball. 

  

I wish I was there to check out the screening but the good news is that the Warner Bros. "Watchmen" film is living up to being as good as its trailer.

At least 25 minutes of it is.

I watch a lot of movies and if any film has a really good 25 minutes in it, that could make it more than adequate.

Reading the praise for the considerable visual talents of director Zack Snyder ("300") here at Collider only confirms what everyone who saw that impressive movie trailer observed... The kid has game.

Yeah, Snyder can bring the fireworks, but does he have a chance of making a story this complicated work as a three-hour film? (I can't imagine it any shorter than that.)

Frosty at Collider writes that the opening sequence is a storytelling marvel. And I don't want to ruin what you could get if you read the post here. There are also audio clips of Snyder discussing the film.

There is little new word on the spat between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. over the distribution of "Watchmen." Attorneys on both sides were instructed to collect their materials and prepare to appear in court (edit: go to trial) in January.

Despite all of the legal issues there is confidence it will work out and perhaps that's with both sides getting something out of it.

(Edit: A link to a New York Times piece that navigates the twisty details of the "Watchmen" legal struggle.)


Image courtesy Warner Bros.

 

Robert Downey Jr. expects to strengthen his reign as current king atop the action/fantasy films mountain in the lead role of the Guy Ritchie directed "Sherlock Holmes."

Props to Entertainment Tonight for having this video interview with Downey and making it embed-ready for those of us who will appreciate him discussing 'Holmes.' Sorry, it auto plays so just click the picture below.

The film will also star Rachel McAdams ("Red Eye") as a super-intelligent master villain and is planned to drop in 2010. I believe we can expect "Ironman 2" around that time as well.

All this goodness is after the actor publicly looked "The Dark Knight" in the eye and fearlessly told DC Comics what he thought about the Batman film. That took some guts because now Downey can also expect to forgo that role in the "Justice League" movie he may have wanted. (Yeah, right.)

But that's not the real evidence of Downey's bravery - He's got guts for taking on this picture under the directorial eye of Guy Ritchie.

Ritchie is the guy fans of slick visual film making love to hate and hate to
love. You may not want to say you enjoyed "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" or "Snatch" but you did. His miscues could be mentioned but he still has some style. Check the trailer to "Rocknrolla" and the interview with Downey below

 

I could not let the day go by without sharing this image of the variant cover of Amazing Spider-Man #573.

Ever since the retool of the storyline in the Marvel Universe involving Spider-Man - The dissolution of the Mary Jane marriage, A deal with Mephisto and other assorted plot gems - the comic has only nominally caught my attention.

But hey, grabbing attention is what a comic book cover is designed to do isn't it?

I don't know if I can afford the variant cover issue when it becomes available, but I do want one. Once again, I am not a regular reader anymore but it's STEPHEN COLBERT and Spidey!

When it comes to some things during this intense election year, I can be swayed.


Cover Image courtesy Marvel Comics