Robert Meeks: August 2009 Archives

The image below is just a sample of the fun. Check out Paul DeBenedetto and Matt Occhuizzo's parody cover art work over at DeBenedetto's blog Wednesday's Child.

RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Business Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, which was announced Monday and is expected to close by the end of the year, Disney will acquire the rights to 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Disney CEO Robert Iger said Marvel's comic books, TV shows, movies and video games amounted to "a treasure trove of content." Iger said the deal would bring benefits like the ones Disney got from buying "Toy Story" creator Pixar Animation Studios Inc. for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.

"The acquisition of Marvel offers us a similar opportunity to advance our strategy," Iger said, and "to build a business that is stronger than the sum of its parts."

For Marvel, Iger said being in the Disney camp would mean better global distribution and better relationships with retailers to sell its products.

Marvel Chairman Mort Handel called Disney "a perfect home for our great collection of characters."

One point of the deal is to help Disney appeal to young men who have flocked to theaters to see Marvel superheroes such as Iron Man in recent years. That contrasts with Disney's recent successes among young women with such fare as "Hannah Montana" and the Jonas Brothers.

Marvel television shows also already account for 20 hours per week of programming on Disney's recently rebranded, boy-focused cable network, Disney XD, and that looks likely to increase, Iger said. The shows are "right in the wheelhouse for boys," he said.

However, analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. noted that that the $4 billion offer was at "full price."

Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50 based on Friday's closing stock prices.

Marvel shares shot up $9.91, or 26 percent, to $48.56 in midday trading Monday. Disney shares fell 82 cents, or 3 percent, to $26.02.

Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.

Although it began producing its own movies, starting with "Iron Man" last year, Marvel has several deals with other movie studios that Disney said it will honor and re-examine upon expiration.

For example, "Spider-Man 4," set for release in 2011, is being made with Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures; "Iron Man 2" will be distributed by Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures next year; and the upcoming "X-Men Origins: Magneto" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2," both due in 2011, are to be distributed by News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox.

Iger said Pixar also had third-party licensing agreements that eventually expired, allowing the companies to move forward together.

Marvel earned a net profit of $206 million in its last fiscal year, up 47 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $676 million.

Disney said the acquisition will hurt its earnings per share by a mid-single digit percentage in fiscal 2010 but be positive in 2012. That is partly because the company will issue 59 million new shares and partly because of the timing of Marvel releases such as "Thor" and "The First Avenger: Captain America" in 2011.


File Photo By Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Spider-Man and Mickey Mouse are going to be under the same roof.

Disney agreed to purchase Marvel Entertainment Inc. today in a deal worth an estimated $4 billion.  Marvel joins recent Disney acquisition Pixar Animation Studios Inc. which was purchased in 2006.

All of this is still unfolding but early speculation by some financial watchers say this will heavily benefit Marvel and the more than 5000 characters it represents.

It would appear that Editor in Chief Joe Quesada agrees.  From his Twitter page:

G' morning, Marvel U! Welcome to this moment in history. Everyone relax, this is incredible news and all is well in the Marvel U.

There may be no need to worry.  As an example, Pixar basically operates as it always has.

What do I think?  Get ready for the Disney marketing engine to bring some of the same presence to "Iron Man" they have to "Toy Story."

But will fans still consider Marvel one of the cool kids?


Pictured above, actor Robert Downey Jr. from the movie "Iron Man."

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Movie fans have made fear their top destination at the weekend box office.

The horror tale "The Final Destination" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $28.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. sequel is the latest installment in the franchise about people stalked by death after a premonition saves them from their destined demise.

"Final Destination" took over the top spot from Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds," which slipped to second place with $20 million. The Weinstein Co. release raised its total to $73.8 million after 10 days in theaters.

Weinstein also had the No. 3 slot with the horror flick "Halloween II," which opened with $17.4 million. The movie is Rob Zombie's sequel to his update of the slasher franchise about crazed killer Michael Myers.

It's unusual for two horror movies to open over the same weekend. While "Final Destination" and "Halloween II" competed for the same audience, both managed solid receipts.

"They got their $17 million, we got our $28 million. That's a lot of business all around," said Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros.

"Final Destination" continued Hollywood's streak of 3-D successes. The 3-D component accounted for 70 percent of the movie's revenues, even though only 54 percent of the 3,121 theaters where it played offered the movie in 3D.

The Weinstein Co. plans to release "Halloween 3" in 3-D next summer, said Bob Weinstein, who co-founded the company with brother Harvey. While Zombie will not be back to direct, the next sequel will pick up from his story and give a new twist on slasher Myers, Weinstein said.

"Halloween II" did far less business than Zombie's "Halloween," which opened at No. 1 with $30.6 million two years ago. But Weinstein noted that the sequel took in more than its $15 million production budget over opening weekend.

"It's like hitting a single or a double," Weinstein said. "There are going to be bigger ones like 'Inglourious Basterds,' but for the Weinstein Co., we don't mind having two or three of these a year."

The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' music romp "Taking Woodstock," opened a weak No. 9 with $3.7 million. Directed by Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," ''Brokeback Mountain"), "Taking Woodstock" is a nostalgic look behind the scenes at the mammoth 1969 rock concert.

Though Hollywood's summer season historically does not end until Labor Day, the holiday comes late this year, adding an extra week to the movie schedule and skewing comparisons to past summers.

Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian is using this Monday to mark the end of the season, since this weekend corresponded to Labor Day weekend last year. Dergarabedian estimated that through Monday, Hollywood will have taken in $4.26 billion, 1.5 percent ahead of the revenue record the industry set in summer 2008.

While receipts ran at an all-time high, attendance was off 2.2 percent compared with last summer factoring in this year's higher ticket prices, he said.

Revenues had lagged compared to last year's because of a midsummer skid, but Hollywood finished with an unusually strong lineup in August, typically a quiet time at the box office.

"August gave us the record," Dergarabedian said. "Virtually every summer crosses the finish line with a whimper. This year, we crossed with a bang."

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

1. "The Final Destination," $28.3 million.

2. "Inglourious Basterds," $20 million.

3. "Halloween II," $17.4 million.

4. "District 9," $10.7 million.

5. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $8 million.

6. "Julie & Julia," $7.4 million.

7. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $6.7 million.

8. "Shorts," $4.9 million.

9. "Taking Woodstock," $3.7 million.

10. "G-Force," $2.8 million.

In this image from"The Final Destination" someone gets their head stuck through their sunroof at a car wash.  I hope that character lives because that's not a cool way to go out. In 3-D no less.

"The Final Destination" earned an estimated $10.9 million Friday to $7.6 million for Rob Zombie's "Halloween II."  More estimates are due later today.

I am interested to learn what more audiences will choose to see. I won't be in the theaters for either of these scary flicks this weekend.  "Halloween II" I can wait for, but "The Final Destination" is not even on my radar.

But so far, audiences are choosing to see the Destination.  I'm sorry, but I can't get past that part in the trailer when that girl is about to die at the hands of the malevolent car wash.

Info via Variety.com
    

Editor's note: If you're interested, see the rest of TV columnist Frazier Moore's list here.

FRAZIER MOORE
AP Television Writer

"FlashForward" (ABC, Sept. 24). It happens to everyone on Earth, including all the characters who populate this eerie thriller: They black out for two minutes, during which they see visions of their future as they might (or might not) live it on a certain day next April.

What's causing this? Will the visions come true? And, hey, isn't that "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane in a cameo appearance? If you watch this episode, expect your future to include more episodes.

In the image on the right, Joseph Fiennes wonders what the heck happened in the premiere of ABC's "FlashForward." (AP Photo/ABC, Craig Sjodin)

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan writes and directs "Inception," his follow-up to last year's brilliant "The Dark Knight."

It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and the teaser above flashes realty-bending imagery while the words "Your Mind is The Scene Of The Crime" run across the screen.

The disappointing part about giving first-looks to movies coming out Summer 2010 is that we get to sit here all year waiting for it.  But I think the same thing every August and before I know it, it's June of next year and I'm in line at the multiplex.

What I really want confirmation on from Nolan is will he be coming back on board for another Batman film.  Someone send me that official announcement if I've missed it. 

This could be a killer box office weekend for Rob Zombie's "Halloween II."

I'm sure this movie is a tickle and half for fans of Rob Zombie the filmmaker (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects).  The movie studio benefit is that Zombie combines his blood-drenched horror brand name with the Halloween film franchise for audiences who may not have been born when John Carpenter's original hit the scene in 1978.

This review from Ruth McCann of The Washington Post doesn't give the flick points for horror artistry (it's not Carpenter) but admits that the film does what it is supposed to do -- scary the #@&% out of you.

I may or may not see it this weekend. I hear that Zombie's "Halloween II" has a quasi-supernatural Michael Myers and that cancels a little bit of the fun for me.  However, my only horror alternative this weekend seems to be watching young adult teenager/twenty-somethings die ridiculous deaths in "The Final Destination."

Maybe I'll just go see Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock."


Note: Robert apologizes for the lead to this post.





 

Over at Bully says: Comics Oughta be Fun they are on hour 20 of a 24-hour Jack "King" Kirby birthday tribute in honor of the late comics genius.

Most comics fans in my age bracket know of Kirby's incredible visual and editorial influence and the younger ones who don't should.  Kirby's drawing hand brought many popular characters to printed life such as the Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, the X-Men and The Silver Surfer.

I owned that comic on the right at one time.  When I am brave enough to climb into my mother's attic again it will be mine once more!

And yes, that's Stan Lee in the Mr. Fantastic role and Kirby is The Thing.

Hollywood and the publishers know a good thing when they see it.

If Comic-Con attendance is any barometer, then companies seeking to market genre entertainment to both genders are well aware they can now reach thousands of female fans (an estimated 40 percent of the 2009 'Con audience were women).

Veneta Rogers, with the comics and pop culture site Newsarama, started a series this week examining the increasing role of women fans in the comics, science fiction and fantasy realm.  And of course, movies, television and the Web have a lot to do with that.

I argue with my friends all the time about how big the audience really is for comics, sci-fi and the like. This is a topic well-worth some thoughtful examination.  In the first part, Rogers makes it clear that this "fangirl" thing goes a lot deeper than "Twilight."

It has been reported that production on the rebooted "V" television series has temporarily shut down.

This information was confirmed by Entertainment Weekly and a statement from Warner Bros.

The premiere will apparently go on as planned Nov. 3 on ABC, but what about the future of the series?  And what was it that caused the snag?

A part of the The Warner Bros. statement from EW:

We will take advantage of our November premiere to maximize creative opportunities and deliver the audience the best show possible.

That sounds like it could mean we're recasting, rearranging the staff and rethinking even redoing this series in the first place.

Sorry, maybe I'm just shell-shocked from all the "Dollhouse" drama last season.

Josef Adalian at THE WRAP writes it's not uncommon for shows to do this in their first season out of the gate.  Changes can be made to story direction and other things.

Or it could just mean what The Envelope suggests... this two-week hiatus may be there to give Elizabeth Mitchell from 'Lost" time to finish her work on that show... maybe.

What do you think of the trailer above?   And moreover, do you want to see a new "V" TV series?

Summer Glau (left) and Eliza Dushku do a promotional spot for Fox Friday night. Oh yeah, you want to stay home and watch them Friday night on "Dollhouse."  Don't you?

Yeah, I'm still mourning the death of the TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," but I'm not so bereft I can't celebrate fan favorite Summer Glau joining the cast of "Dollhouse."

Entertainment Weekly reported that Glau will join the cast as Bennett, "a Dollhouse employee who shares a past with Eliza Dushku's Echo."

I believe this casting move was as inevitable as the sun rising for two reasons: Glau is a Joss Whedon alum from the series "Firefly" and after a sexy promotional segment for Terminator and DollHouse ran promoting Fox's Friday night lineup, fanboy internet buzz probably reached a fever pitch.

Or this imaginary interchange happened between Joss and a FOX executive...

FOX EXECUTIVE: Joss? Can you add Summer Glau to "Dollhouse" and amp up the sexy?

JOSS WHEDON: --The what?

As it turned out, Fox canceled Connor and kept "Dollhouse." I wasn't looking forward to another season of the dolls but a second chance could be just the thing the show needs to capitalize on the good season ending episodes.

I think this is a great move for Glau and maybe the role of Bennett will give her another opportunity to showcase her acting chops.

On the canceled Fox series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Glau played Cameron, a cyborg killing machine sent to the past to protect the future savior of humankind, John Connor. She, and the deft TSCC writers, managed to make this robot character seem very human at times. Mysteriously human (see the episode "Allison from Palmdale").

In its final weeks of airing this Terminator TV series suffered for Cameron being left out of the main storyline.  I suspect it wasn't an intentional move on the part of the Connor writers. However, the show managed to have a terrific season/series finale.

I've eulogized Sarah Connor enough.  It's out of my system now.

Anyway, welcome to "Dollhouse" Summer Glau, I hope you survive the experience.

On Saturday Megan Fox (Mikaela Banes in the "Transformers" film series) will log onto Xbox LIVE to play "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen The Game."

Fox should be on the scene around 3 p.m. Pacific.  Don't get too excited yet, Xbox fans.  You have to be (don't laugh) an Xbox LIVE Gold Member and those who are not would have to upgrade their accounts.  After all that you have to send a friend request 30 minutes before the gaming begins.

More details on how to do that are available at the Xbox Web site.

Game time, once again, is Saturday Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.


Photo By Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Trailer month continues... Denzel Washington stars in "The Book of Eli," a post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Allen and Albert Hughes AKA The Hughes Bros.


Movies to see: "The Road Warrior."

In this video game image released by Eidos, Batman battles some of the Joker's henchmen in "Batman: Arkham Asylum." (AP Photo/Eidos)

LOU KESTEN
Associated Press Writer

The video-game industry has defeated more superheroes than Lex Luthor could ever dream of. Superman, Aquaman, Iron Man, X-Men: All rendered lifeless by forces more focused on making a buck than on delivering thrills.

So calling "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (Eidos, $59.99, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) one of the best superhero games ever is kind of a backhanded compliment. Let's just call it a great game, period. For DC Comics fans, it's a must-buy, but it's hugely entertaining even if you aren't versed in the whole Batman mythology.

It begins with the Caped Crusader ushering the Joker back to Arkham Asylum, Gotham City's home for the criminally insane. This time, however, the supervillain has set up a clever trap and quickly takes over the entire facility. Besides setting free hordes of violent lunatics, the Joker has an even deadlier endgame in mind -- and only Batman can stop it.

Fans will relish the chance to take on familiar foes like Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Scarecrow. Combat is easy to handle, and Batman can usually handle a dozen or so henchmen without breaking a sweat. But it's more rewarding to take them out one by one, using Batman's stealth skills to sneak up on them or swoop down from the rafters.

More intriguing is the opportunity to explore Arkham, the eeriest video-game setting since Rapture, the underwater city in "BioShock." The dank, decaying facility oozes menace and depravity, even when the all-seeing Joker isn't taunting you over the public-address system.

Throughout the asylum, you discover tools from Batman's utility belt: "batarangs," explosive gel, a grappling hook and other wonderful toys that open up new areas of Arkham and help you uncover its secrets.

"Arkham Asylum" developer Rocksteady Studios borrows freely from other games: puzzles from "The Legend of Zelda," stealth from "Metal Gear Solid," freaky nightmare sequences from "Eternal Darkness." But those are pretty good games to imitate, and this game blends its influences smoothly.

The mood reflects the darker tone of last year's "The Dark Knight" movie, and younger Batfans may find the violence and dialogue disturbing. The smart script is by Paul Dini, a veteran of the noirish "Batman: The Animated Series," and that show's two stars -- Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker -- deliver stellar voiceover work.

Demanding fans will be disappointed by the absence of some popular villains, and most of the major boss battles are lackluster. And it's frustrating that Batman's powers are sometimes unnaturally limited, forcing you to solve problems the way the programmers want you to do.

But it's a fascinating journey, combining a solid story with a lively mix of diverse gameplay styles. Rocksteady has, at long last, delivered a superhero game that's really super. Three-and-a-half stars out of four.

http://www.batmanarkhamasylum.com/

I can't embed it here yet but this is the trailer for "The Wolfman" starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.  Click the scary, were-wolfish image to see the clip for yourself.

I just want to give props to Del Toro for my own selfish reasons -- Since he's in this movie I should have an easier time convincing the Wife to see it.

If everything stays on track, the flick should open February 12, 2009.

In these undated photos released by the Colorado Attorney General's Office, Aaron Castro (left) and Alfonzo Castro of Denver is shown. Colorado authorities say they've broken up a drug ring responsible for importing and distributing more than $2 million worth of methamphetamine in the Denver area each month. The indictment was handed up last week. It accuses 29-year-old Aaron Castro of Commerce City and 30-year-old Alfonzo Castro of Denver of being the ringleaders. (AP Photo/Colorado Attorney General's Office)

P. SOLOMON BANDA
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) -- Two brothers accused of running a drug ring that imported and distributed millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine in Denver bought hundreds of collector comic books to launder the money, authorities said Monday.

Police seized comic books worth at least $500,000 while arresting Aaron Castro, 29, of and Alfonzo Castro, 30, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said.

"It was their intent to launder money, and their choice was collector comic books," Suthers said.

Some of the seized comic books were first edition Superman and Batman publications encased in protective plastic covers, Adams County District Attorney Don Quick said.

"It appeared as they were working on a startup company for high-end comic books," he said. One of the comic books was worth about $3,500.

It wasn't immediately clear if the brothers had started selling the comic books.

The ring imported and distributed as much as 100,000 doses of meth each month, collecting about $500,000, Suthers said.

Denver once had more than 100 meth labs broken up each year. But a change in the law and stepped up enforcement has reduced the amount of locally manufactured meth, leaving such drug rings to fill the void, Quick said.

Suthers said members of the drug ring would pick up pounds of meth in Phoenix, which led him to believe it was produced in a "superlab" in Mexico

Forty-one people were indicted in the case, with all but one in custody. Nineteen, including the Castro brothers, face racketeering and conspiracy charges, while the rest are accused of possession and intent to distribute drugs and other charges.

Phone numbers listed for the Castro brothers have been disconnected. It's not clear whether they have attorneys.

The volunteers in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" got their scalps and also ended up earning #1 at the box office.

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The war effort by Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt has paid off as their history lesson "Inglourious Basterds" claimed victory at the box office with a $37.6 million debut.

It was Tarantino's best opening ever, exceeding the $25.1 million haul for 2004's "Kill Bill -- Vol. 2." Overseas, "Inglourious Basterds" added $27.5 million in 22 countries, giving it a worldwide total of $65.1 million.

Released domestically by the Weinstein Co. and overseas by Universal, "Inglourious Basterds" features Pitt and an international ensemble in a sprawling tale of Jewish commandos and a plot to take out Nazi leaders at a movie premiere during World War II.

The film provided a much-needed hit for Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who have managed only lackluster receipts at their new outfit since departing Disney-owned Miramax four years ago.

At Miramax, the Weinsteins balanced prestige and profit with a string of Academy Awards triumphs such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago" and hits such as Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and the "Scary Movie" and "Scream" franchises.

"Tarantino helped build the house of Miramax. He's proving right now that he's helping to build the house of Weinstein," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

So far, the Weinstein Co. has been unable to reproduce that Miramax success, its lineup burdened by box-office underachievers such as last year's "Soul Men" and 2007's "Grindhouse," Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's B-movie double-feature.

Harvey Weinstein said critics continually write off him and his brother, including a magazine piece in 2002 "saying we were the flavor of the '90s but we were kind of over in the new millennium."

Weeks later, he noted, Miramax scored 40 Oscar nominations, among them three of the five best-picture nominees, including eventual winner "Chicago."

Weinstein said his new company has a strong lineup ahead, including next weekend's horror sequel "Halloween II" along with "Chicago" director Rob Marshall's musical "Nine" and the post-apocalypse saga "The Road" late in the year.

Rodriguez, Tarantino's "Grindhouse" partner, did not fare so well with "Shorts," his Warner Bros. family comedy that debuted at No. 6 with just $6.6 million. The movie features William H. Macy, James Spader, Leslie Mann and a cast of kids in a series of loosely linked adventures centered on a magic rock that grants wishes.

Fox Atomic's comedy "Post Grad," with Alexis Bledel as a college graduate who moves back home with her eccentric family after she's unable to land her dream job, tanked with $2.8 million, coming in at No. 10.

The previous weekend's top movie, Sony's sci-fi thriller "District 9," slipped to second-place with $18.9 million. With a domestic total of $73.5 million, the movie is on its way to becoming a $100 million sleeper hit.

Hollywood's revenues were up for the third-straight weekend, a late-season surge that has helped the industry recover from a monthlong slide in receipts. Overall ticket sales were $134 million, up 27 percent compared to the same weekend last year.

The weekend put Hollywood back on track to break last summer's revenue record of $4.2 billion, though receipts this season are up only a fraction.

Factoring in higher ticket prices this year, movie attendance is running 3 percent below last summer's, according to Hollywood.com.

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

1. "Inglourious Basterds," $37.6 million.

2. "District 9," $18.9 million.

3. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $12.5 million.

4. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $10 million.

5. "Julie & Julia," $9 million.

6. "Shorts," $6.6 million.

7. "G-Force," $4.2 million.

8. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $3.5 million.

9. "The Ugly Truth," $2.9 million.

10. "Post Grad," $2.8 million.

If you haven't checked out the trailer to writer-director James Cameron's ("Aliens," "Terminator") space epic "Avatar," view it here via IGN.

The film stars Sigourney Weaver (you better know who she is), Zoe Saldana ("Star Trek") and Sam Worthington ("Terminator Salvation," the upcoming "Clash of the Titans")
 
This innovative 'motion-capture' and live-action project was more than 10 years in the making and opens in December.

You've heard the buzz about this movie -- what do you think?

The image above means trouble for Clark Kent and the world!

Entertainment Weekly has the trailer for "Smallville" season 9.  To see it, click the image above or here.

And yes, that looks like a bunch of folks kneeling before ZOD.

Writer-comic creator Dani Dixon leads a panel discussing comics diversity and her series "13" -- about a world where kids who turn 13 develop superpowers for the duration of that year. And sometimes those powers can lead to unpredictable and dangerous results.

The book's cast of characters are from diverse backgrounds.

Dixon will be joined by the series artists and some "cast members"; actors after whom "13's" main characters were modeled.

Along with publishing through Tumble Creek Press, Dixon is a member of The Antidote Trust collective of comic creators. The Trust shares knowledge on publishing comics with new and veteran creators.

The Diversity in Comics Panel is Saturday Aug. 22, 1:30 p.m. at the L.A. Black Book Expo at Exposition Park. 3980 Menlo Ave., Los Angeles, CA. 90037.

For more information visit the Tumble Creek Press Web site.

Have you been reading "Blackest Night" or as some like to jokingly call it, "DC Zombies?"

Here's the skinny: The Green Lanterns, the space cops who are bastions of courage (willpower) with their GREEN power rings, represent only one aspect of the emotional color spectrum in the universe.

Dramatic circumstances (are there any other kind?) have set in motion the emergence of numerous Lanterns -- especially after the excellent "Sinestro Corps War" series a couple years ago.  Now there are Red Lanterns for rage, Blue Lanterns for hope,  Sinestro Corps ("Yellow Lanterns") for fear and the most dangerous of them all... Black Lanterns for death.

The BLACK LANTERNS have arrived and they are raising dead heroes and villains to fight against the Green Lantern Corps and destroy everything.  In only two issues we have seen the return of several recently deceased characters. And in the first issue some new ones have been recruited to the cause.

That means some characters you know are getting smoked.

Like most event series, this one runs through more than a few DC Comics titles. So far, I've limited myself to only the main "Blackest Night" series.  And it may be Green Lantern and there may be a cape or two in there, but this book is not for the little kids.

There are lots of guest stars in this book not seen anywhere in years. And the story comes equipped with the kind of big-ticket suspense I expect from writer Geoff Johns and artists Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert.


"Blackest Night" is playing at a comic store near you.  
 

Who would have thought that "Shorts," the movie for kids, would have the interesting time-shifting narrative device to tell the story while the latest Quentin Tarantino flick is, yet again, pegged with pacing issues?

But this isn't really a contest between film-buddies and occasional collaborators Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino.  I suspect very few of us who go to see "Shorts" will also go see "Inglourious Basterds" this weekend.

The trailer for "Shorts" didn't move me to want to go see it because the film is not meant for me -- it's for a younger audience. As one critic wrote, it is more for the youth audience than Rodriguez' "Spy Kids" series which had some stuff in there for the older cats.

"Shorts" opens Friday.

In this film publicity image released by The Weinstein Co., director Quentin Tarantino is shown on the set of, "Inglourious Basterds." (AP Photo/The Weinstein Co., Francois Duhamel)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

Note: "Inglourious Basterds opens tomorrow.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If only Quentin Tarantino the director weren't so completely in love with Quentin Tarantino the writer, "Inglourious Basterds" might have been a great movie rather than just a good movie with moments of greatness.

Everything that's thrilling and maddening about his films co-exists and co-mingles here: the visual dexterity and the interminable dialogue, the homage to cinema and the self-glorifying drive to redefine it, the compelling bursts of energy and the numbingly draggy sections.

And then there is the violence, of course: violence as a source of humor, as sport, violence merely because it looks cool on camera, and because the 46-year-old Tarantino still has the sensibilities of a 12-year-old boy.

"Inglourious Basterds" also reflects the discipline, or lack thereof, of an adolescent -- one who's never been told "no." Certain scenes of his wildly revisionist World War II saga have a wonderfully palpable tension, but then he undermines them by allowing them to go on too long. You expect talkiness in a Tarantino film, but rather than whisking you away in waves of poetry, as he did with the Oscar-winning "Pulp Fiction" screenplay he co-wrote, too often here his talk lacks snap.

As for the plot ... well, it might be in there somewhere among the many meandering threads. In one of them, "Inglourious Basterds" follows a band of Jewish American soldiers, led by twangy Tennessean Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), who hunt Nazis with the goal of not just killing them but scalping them and sometimes carving swastikas into their foreheads.

Pitt is a hoot, by the way, in the tradition of his best comic supporting work in films like "Snatch" and "Burn After Reading." He's pretty much doing a bad impression of George W. Bush -- campy but irresistible -- and it is always such a joy to watch him let go and goof off.

Among his "Dirty Dozen"-style crew are "Hostel" director Eli Roth as a Boston native who likes to take a baseball bat to the enemy's skull as if he were Ted Williams facing a fastball.

But Pitt isn't the star, despite being the biggest name and marketing focal point. "Inglourious Basterds" also intertwines the stories of Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent in a subtle and intense performance), a young Jewish woman who fled to Paris and opened a movie theater after Nazis killed her family; Hans Landa (a commanding Christoph Waltz), the cool but cruelly conniving Nazi colonel who orchestrated that attack; German movie star Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger, oozing old-school glamour), who's an undercover agent for the Brits; and Nazi war hero Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl), who's about to become a star by playing himself in a propaganda flick about his exploits.

All these characters converge one night at Shosanna's theater, where their various ambitions and murder plots collide. The climax is a seriously over-the-top explosion -- even for a Tarantino movie -- of flames, gunfire and screaming, teeming masses. After respectfully ripping off other directors his whole life, perhaps this is intended as a parody of himself, but even he doesn't seem to know how to handle it.

While the path to that moment can be torturous, it can also be a visual wonder. "Inglourious Basterds" may be Tarantino's most artfully photographed film next to his "Kill Bill" movies (Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson shot them all), with spaghetti Western touches at the beginning eventually giving way to dramatic noir imagery by the end.

But for every inspiring moment or performance -- Waltz especially stands out, in four different languages, no less -- Tarantino frustrates in equal measure.

"Inglourious Basterds," a Weinstein Co. and Universal Pictures release, is rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality. Running time: 152 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

In this movie still released by Samuel Goldwyn Films, Lauren Ambrose and Paul Giamatti are shown in a scene from "Cold Souls". (AP Photo/Samuel Goldwyn Films, Adam Bell)

Note: "Cold Souls" is currently playing at the Landmark in Los Angeles.

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- People are so preoccupied with the importance of the soul, it's become its own cottage industry. Oprah Winfrey has devoted an entire series to the evolution of one's soul. If yours is hungry, you can feed it chicken soup.

But what if you just didn't need yours? What if you decided one day you'd be better off without a soul and just ... had it removed? That's the inspired and absurd premise of "Cold Souls," the feature debut from writer-director Sophie Barthes.

And who better to personify such existential hand-wringing than Paul Giamatti? His bug eyes, hunched carriage and exasperated delivery suggest that he constantly bears the weight of the world on his shoulders, even in a comedy or an action picture. Here, Giamatti plays himself -- or a version of himself, not unlike John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich," which is fitting. "Cold Souls" explores some of the same questions about identity, memory and reality that frequently arise in Charlie Kaufman's writing.

Paul is preparing to star in a production of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" and rehearsals are vexing him. He's not enjoying the work -- he just can't get it right.

One day, his agent suggests he read an article in The New Yorker magazine about a lab on New York's Roosevelt Island where they extract the soul and store it until you decide you need it again -- unless you'd like to try someone else's, that is. The process is intended to alleviate worries and fears: Instead, you feel nothing at all.

David Strathairn is coolly amusing as the deadpan Dr. Flintstein who runs the place, which looks like a day spa designed by Stanley Kubrick. As Paul examines a row of souls being held in their cylindrical glass containers, the doctor explains that "they mostly come in dark tones -- blacks, browns, grays." And so he's understandably horrified to find when his own soul comes out that it looks exactly like a chickpea (it's a neat little visual gag).

Barthes cuts back and forth between Paul's story and that of a Russian woman named Nina (a confident performance from Dina Korzun), who functions as a sort of "soul mule" for a guy running a black-market operation. She takes them in on one end and has them extracted on the other; trouble is, after so many transfers, she's got a build-up of residue in her body. And so, like Paul -- whose path will eventually cross with hers -- she's a bit mixed up about who she is herself. Katheryn Winnick is also very good as the soul merchant's trophy wife, a no-talent soap-opera star who wants the soul of an American actor (preferably Al Pacino, George Clooney or Sean Penn) to help her improve her craft.

These are all very surreal, inventive ideas, heightened by the dreamlike cinematography from Barthes' partner, Andrij Parekh; the scenes shot in St. Petersburg, for example, are simultaneously gauzy and bleak. The combination of themes and visuals does make "Cold Souls" feel a little slow, but it's also invigorating to walk out of a movie that actually makes you think -- especially during this time of year.

"Cold Souls," a Samuel Goldwyn release, runs 101 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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This was hilarious...

Check it out and tell me if you agree with Stephen Colbert and his The Word segment.  That is, if you even had a chance to grab a copy of Archie Comics No. 600 today.

In other news: There's been more than a little backlash against the dreaded Veronica proposal -- can you believe it?

Related Post: Fan sells rare 'Archie' comic in protest

'The Box' is the latest work from writer-director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko). The trailer reminds me of the kind of film you would see from David Fincher (Seven) about 12 years ago.

Must see: "Donnie Darko" and "The Game."

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sony is adding a digital reader service that will allow owners of its handheld gaming system, the PlayStation Portable, to download comics.

The service will start in December and will include content from Marvel Entertainment's Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four.

Users will be able to read classic and new comics page by page or frame by frame. Sony says PSP owners will be able to access a range of media through the digital reader service, but it gave no further details.

Sony did not announce prices Tuesday. The service will initally be available through the PlayStation Stores serving the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Stan "The Man" Lee, the living legend creator of most of the Marvel Comics characters you know and love, will host a ribbon cutting to start the Long Beach Comic Con, Friday Oct. 2.

Five fans who pre-order their convention tickets will have an opportunity to win a "meet and greet" with Lee on the opening day of the L.B. Comic Con.  Winners will be randomly selected.

Lee joins an ever-expanding cast of guests who are going to appear at the convention in its inaugural launch at the Long Beach Convention Center Oct. 2-4.  Newly added to the list (since I have checked) are Seth Green ("Robot Chicken"), Jeff Scott Campbell ("Danger Girl") and Rob Liefield ("Youngblood").

For more information visit the Long Beach Comic Con Web site.

In this Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, photo, Dave Luebke, owner of Dave's Comics holds a photo of the Number One Archie Comic Book that he is selling at his shop in Richmond, Va. When comic book store owner Dave Luebke heard that after 67 years, the carrot-topped everyman of the comic world, Archie, was proposing to va-va-voomy rich girl Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, he decided to protest by selling his copy of the series' rare first issue. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

DALLAS (AP) -- When comic book store owner Dave Luebke heard that after 67 years, the carrot-topped everyman of the comic world, Archie, was proposing to va-va-voomy rich girl Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, he decided to protest by selling his copy of the series' rare first issue.

Luebke's Archie Comics No. 1 sold for $38,837 when Dallas' Heritage Auction Galleries offered it Friday. Heritage spokesman Noah Fleisher said the buyer was a longtime Archie reader and collector from Virginia who did not want to be identified.


Related Posts:

It looks like Archie may marry... Veronica?

Is Archie getting married?

Director Spike Jonze gets to have all the fun.

This is the teaser for "Where The Wild Things Are," based on Maurice Sendak's widely read book.  And while I joke that Jonze gets to have all the fun, I really meant he gets to make interesting, visually brilliant stories that are about more than the eye candy -- and this film has the potential to be one of those.

The screenplay is by Jonze and Dave Eggers ("Away We Go").

Must see: "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation."

There's finally a home for "Stardust" director Matthew Vaughn's film "Kick-Ass," based on the popular (and chronically late) comic by fan-fave writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr.

Variety reports that Lionsgate will distribute the film which was financed and produced independently by Vaughn and Millar with an assist by Brad Pitt's production co. Plan B.

For those of you who are not familiar with the story, it's about a comic fan who decides to become a costumed hero -- sans superpowers -- and take on crime. It is funny, sad and VERY violent.

And from what I hear, Vaughn and Millar didn't water down all the bloody stuff.

The comic series, published through the Marvel imprint Icon, left off at a great cliffhanger and I hope to read it before the film hits theaters sometime in 2010.

The flick stars Nicolas Cage and the kid from "Superbad," Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

This movie still released by Sony Pictures shows, left to right, Sharlto Copley, Mandla Gaduka and Kenneth Nkosi in "District 9." (AP Photo/Sony Pictures)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The first-time director and cast of unknowns of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller "District 9 " have given Hollywood a late-summer box-office boost.

The Sony release produced by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson led the weekend with a $37 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"District 9" is the debut feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the tale about extraterrestrials forced by humans to live in squalor in a ghetto in South Africa.

The movie built audience interest with a clever marketing campaign playing up the theme of prejudice against aliens, including posters instructing citizens to report non-humans and ads on bus benches stating that the seats are for humans only.

"Everybody was like, 'What is this?' There was a big question mark in people's minds," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It did really pique their interest and drove them to the Internet and elsewhere to discover what's going on."

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," slipped to second place with $22.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $98.8 million.

Another sci-fi tale, the Warner Bros. romance "The Time Traveler's Wife" starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, opened a solid No. 3 with $19.2 million. The film joined the previous weekend's "Julie & Julia" as a choice for women, with females accounting for 76 percent of its audience.

"District 9" and "Time Traveler's Wife" led a wave of five new wide releases for mid-August, when Hollywood's summer output normally is petering out. The rush continues next weekend with another surge of new releases, led by Quentin Tarantino's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds."

"It's getting very crowded, and it's these films that want to compete in the summer time frame but can't compete in the sweet spot of summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Opening 'District 9' against 'Star Trek,' that would not be a good strategy. But to release it now makes sense. August is the month of opportunity for films that in other months of summer would get slaughtered."

The weekend's other debuts: Paramount Vantage's used-car comedy "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," opening at No. 6 with $5.4 million; Disney's animated adventure "Ponyo" from animation master Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"), coming in at No. 9 with $3.5 million; and Summit Entertainment's teen rock 'n' roll tale "Bandslam," which tanked at No. 13 with just $2.3 million despite a cast that includes Vanessa Hudgens of "High School Musical."

It was Hollywood's second weekend in a row of rising revenues after a monthlong slide compared with summer 2008, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" was smashing box-office records.

Overall receipts came in at $142 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "Tropic Thunder" debuted at No. 1 with $25.8 million.

Revenues since the summer season opened the first weekend of May are at $3.77 billion, just a fraction below where Hollywood was last summer, according to Hollywood.com.

Factoring in higher ticket prices, admissions are off 4 percent compared to summer 2008, though movie attendance remains strong given how "The Dark Knight" dominated a year ago. The biggest blockbuster since "Titanic," ''The Dark Knight" topped out with a domestic haul of $531 million.

"Considering we had a movie of that magnitude in the mix, I think this summer has held up very well for itself," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released "The Dark Knight."

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

1. "District 9," $37 million.

2. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $22.5 million.

3. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $19.2 million.

4. "Julie & Julia," $12.4 million.

5. "G-Force," $6.9 million.

6. "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," $5.4 million.

7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $5.2 million.

8. "The Ugly Truth," $4.5 million.

9. "Ponyo," $3.5 million.

10. "500 Days of Summer," $3 million.

Still image from from "District 9" written-directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings"). (TriStar Pictures)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The mysterious and alarming signs have been out there for weeks, months even: On billboards, benches and bus stops featuring crude cartoon alien drawings, they've warned us of non-humans, they've urged us to remain separate.

"What is all that about?" you've probably wondered. Well, they're ads for the enormously buzzed-about "District 9," and thankfully, given their ubiquity, all the hype is justified.

This is one intense, intelligent, well-crafted action movie -- one that dazzles the eye with seamless special effects but also makes you think without preaching. Like the excellent "Moon" from earlier this summer, "District 9" has the aesthetic trappings of science fiction but it's really more of a character drama, an examination of how a man responds when he's forced to confront his identity during extraordinary circumstances.

Aliens who arrived here in their spaceship more than 20 years ago have now been quarantined in cramped and dangerous slums; the nerdy bureaucrat charged with moving them to new quarters (the tremendous Sharlto Copley) undergoes a physical and emotional transformation in the process.

What's amazing is that this visceral yet philosophically sophisticated film is the first feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the script with Terri Tatchell. (Peter Jackson is the big name attached to this refreshingly star-free project -- he's one of the producers -- and Weta Digital, the company behind Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, provided the intricate alien effects.)

Blomkamp set "District 9" in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was born and raised, so it's easy to assume his themes of racial division are a metaphor for apartheid. You could interpret it that way, but its quick bursts of violence and urban warfare also feel like a statement on the war in Iraq; a private corporation tasked with keeping aliens away from humans is reminiscent of Blackwater.

Using his own short film, "Alive in Jo'burg," as a leaping-off point, Blomkamp creates a sensation of relevance and immediacy by combining fake news footage, real TV clips and documentary-style, hand-held camerawork. Meanwhile, the fantastic sight of a spaceship hovering over Johannesburg -- trapped and unable to return home, its former inhabitants scurrying about on the ground in squalor -- creates an ominous and steady source of tension.

But he also builds suspense early on with a flurry of talking-head interviews from experts and insiders, all foreshadowing that something horrible has happened in the slum known as District 9, and that Copley's character, Wikus van der Merwe, was at the center of it.

"The entire world was looking at Johannesburg so we had to do the right thing," says one.

"Nobody saw it coming at all," says another.

Wikus seems a rather ordinary sort in his own on-camera interviews: sunny, jumpy, a bit like Ricky Gervais' character, David Brent, on the British version of "The Office." He lives in a nondescript suburban house with his wife; his father-in-law is his boss. Everything seems to be in order.

But what's fascinating is watching his true nature emerge as he interacts with the aliens once he enters their camp and tries to evict them. He becomes slick, conniving, almost cruel. And what's even more riveting is the way his dramatic exposure to these creatures -- known pejoratively as "prawns" for their antenna and hard shells -- doesn't necessarily make him a better person all of a sudden.

There is so much more to say from this point but doing so would ruin the many twists and revelations in store. We'll just say that Wikus adapts -- he learns how to survive -- in a place where there are no easy answers.

"District 9," a TriStar Pictures release, runs 113 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

In this movie still released by Disney, a scene from the animated film "Ponyo," is shown. (AP Photo/Disney)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If you're 5 years old, or under the influence of some sort of hallucinogenic drug, "Ponyo" is probably awesome. Clearly, these are the ideal scenarios in which to watch the latest animated fantasy from Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki.

For everyone else, though, "Ponyo" will seem beautiful but surprisingly boring: a children's film that's at once overly simplistic and needlessly nonsensical. The hand-drawn images can be wondrous and inventive as they are in all of Miyazaki's films, but this story of a goldfish who longs to be a little girl lacks the sophisticated depth and engaging weirdness of his most acclaimed and best-known work, such as the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away" and the Oscar-nominated "Howl's Moving Castle."

It feels safe -- and that extends to the casting in this English-language version. Rather than playing in Japanese with subtitles, "Ponyo" is coming to a multiplex near you with a team of all-stars voicing the characters. (Pixar Animation guru John Lasseter is among the co-directors and "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" writer Melissa Mathison wrote the translated screenplay.)

It might have been easier to immerse ourselves in Miyazaki's story, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," if it featured unknown actors rather than Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett. Exceedingly capable as they are, they also remind you of their stardom with every word. With Betty White, Lily Tomlin and Cloris Leachman serving as a sort of Greek chorus at a senior center, it's hard not to think about the meatier, smarter, more daring material we've had the pleasure of watching these women work with before.

Meanwhile, Ponyo is voiced with girlish enthusiasm by Noah Cyrus, Miley's younger sister, with the Jonas Brothers' younger sibling Frankie (otherwise known as the "Bonus Jonas") playing Sosuke, the boy she befriends on land.

Being an inquisitive and playful little fish, Ponyo sneaks away from the underwater lair of her wild-haired wizard father, Fujimoto (voiced by Neeson, though the character looks distractingly like Phil Spector), who fights the damage humans do to the ocean. Once she reaches the shore of a remote Japanese village, she meets Sosuke, a lonely and serious boy who lives in a cottage atop a hill with his mother (Fey) and father (Damon), a sea captain who's rarely around.

Instantly smitten by Sosuke, Ponyo transforms herself into a person using the magic inside her and a drop of blood she licks from a cut on Sosuke's thumb. (This is one of the many leaps in logic in Miyazaki's fantastical world you're either going to go with or you're not. "Ponyo" handles it rather matter-of-factly.) In no time she's enjoying all the mundane joys of human life: a warm towel, a mug of tea and the food that becomes her obsession: ham.

But the ecstasy she experiences inspires her thousands of goldfish sisters to swim around with such frenzied energy, they cause a tsunami. Miyazaki depicts this torrent first as a golden burst of light, like the eruption of an underwater volcano. But then the storm churns and turns darker, more dangerous. Dark blue waves with eyes form over and over, leaping across each other with fierce momentum and eventually submerging the town. It's easily the highlight of the film.

From there, the pieces feel a bit scattered. Mom feels compelled to leave her son and the fish-girl home alone while she battles rain, winds and flooded roads to get back to the senior center where she works: "You're only 5 but you're very smart," she tells Sosuke. Could she be the most neglectful mother ever?

Later, Sosuke must rise to a totally arbitrary challenge posed by Fujimoto and Ponyo's mother, an ethereal ocean goddess voiced by Blanchett. The fate of the planet, which is suddenly out of balance, is all that's at stake. Sure thing -- no biggie for a little kid.

"Ponyo," a Walt Disney Pictures release, runs 100 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

MICHAEL KUCHWARA
AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP) --Has "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" been caught in a web of financial difficulties?

Hello Entertainment, one of its producers, says work on the lavish Broadway-bound musical has been suspended until the resolution of an "unexpected cash flow problem."

Yet in a statement, Hello said: "Plans necessary for this correction are in hand now and it is expected that activities, including work in the theater, will resume within the immediate future."

No specific date was given.

The musical is still scheduled to begin preview performances Feb. 25 at the Hilton Theatre, although no opening date has been set.

"Spider-Man" reportedly has a budget of upward of $40 million, and the Hilton has undergone extensive renovation to accommodate the show, which will be directed by Julie Taymor and features a score by Bono and The Edge of U2.

Taymor was the creative force behind "The Lion King," Disney's long-running musical, now in its second decade on Broadway. She will co-write the "Spider-Man" book with Glen Berger.

The story for the musical was inspired by the Marvel comic books hero -- who's also inspired three hit movies -- and will include the story of his origins as well as new material.

No casting has been announced for the show's title character but Evan Rachel Wood will portray Peter Parker's girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, and Alan Cumming is set for the role of Norman Osborn, the musical's villainous Green Goblin.

Related stories: Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood join Spider-Man musical


Images above of actors Alan Cumming (left) and Evan Rachel Wood by Associated Press

The film "District 9," directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, was the flick with the trailer that made folks ask "what the heck was that?"

That was a while ago, now it's one of the most anticipated films of the summer.

While I was on the train to to the San Diego Comic-Con last month I overheard a woman joke that she would cause great bodily injury to someone just to see an early screening of that film.

Miss, you don't have to do that, just go to your local movie theater when "District 9" opens Friday Aug. 14.


 

This story from Variety is making the rounds everywhere in the comics blogoverse.

A deal to have writer-director Frank Darabont turn writer Robert Kirkman's successful drama-horror series from Image Comics into a screen production is in the final stages.

AMC is home to the critically acclaimed cable series "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad."

While I'm not a regular reader of "The Walking Dead," I have followed the zombie series enough to know that it's more human-focused and certainly more horrific than something like "Dawn of the Dead."

And no, I'm not having a zombie-themed day because of the Jane Austen stuff above.

In this image taken in London, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, three books are shown of a new bread of classic author novel and mutant beast. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen novel in possession of added gore is a surefire best-seller. That's the conclusion reached by publishers since the success of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," an unlikely literary sensation created by adding dollops of "ultraviolent zombie mayhem" to Austen's classic love story. "Zombies" _ billed as 85 percent Austen's original text and 15 percent brand-new blood and guts _ has become a best-seller since it was published earlier this year, with 750,000 copies in print. There's a movie in the works. And it has spawned a monster _ or, more accurately, a slew of literary monster mash-ups. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) -- It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen novel in possession of added gore will be a surefire best-seller.

That's the conclusion reached by publishers since the success of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," an unlikely literary sensation created by adding dollops of "ultraviolent zombie mayhem" to Austen's classic love story.

"Zombies" -- billed as 85 percent Austen's original text and 15 percent brand-new blood and guts -- has become a best-seller since it was published earlier this year, with 750,000 copies in print. There's a movie in the works. And it has spawned a monster -- or, more accurately, a slew of literary monster mash-ups.

Next month, "Zombies" publisher Quirk Books is releasing "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters," which adds giant lobsters and rampaging octopi to Austen's love story. Out this week from another publisher is "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre," a supernatural sequel which portrays the aloof hero of "Pride and Prejudice" as an undead bloodsucker. Later this year comes "Jane Bites Back," in which the author herself develops a taste for blood.

Even Austen purists admit a grudging admiration for the "Zombies" concept.

"In publishing terms, it's brilliant," said Claire Harman, a Columbia University professor and author of "Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World."

"Why did I spend three years writing a critical book on Austen? Why didn't I just think of that?"

Quirk Books editorial director Jason Rekulak said he was inspired by the Internet-unleashed wave of "creative copyright infringement" -- musical and video mash-ups that mangle styles and genres for comic or dramatic effect.

He made a list of classic books whose copyrights have lapsed and were ripe for pillage, from "Moby Dick" to "Great Expectations."

"Then I made a list of things that might enhance these novels -- robots, ninjas, zombies," Rekulak said. "As soon as I drew a line between 'Pride and Prejudice' and zombies, I knew I had a great title."

The irresistible title is key to the success of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." The book itself keeps most of Austen's story -- girl meets boy, girl hates boy, girl is won over by boy's good looks and large fortune -- with added chunks of zombie violence by U.S. writer Seth Grahame-Smith.

"Zombies" and its successors are the latest mutant offshoots of the unstoppable Austen industry.

The author wrote just six novels before she died at age 41 in 1817, but they have inspired endless spinoffs, from "chick-lit" novels like "The Jane Austen Book Club" to time-traveling TV series "Lost in Austen" and Bollywood-tinged movie "Bride and Prejudice." There are books on everything from etiquette ("Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners") to gardening ("In the Garden with Jane Austen"), and a huge Internet-based community of passionate Jane-philes.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a writer who achieved limited success in her lifetime and was largely forgotten after she died.

Harman, who studied Austen's resurrection by a band of late 19th-century admirers, said her global fame rests partly on the appeal of her elegant, witty books, with their blend of social commentary, feisty heroines and romantic happy endings.

"Because there are only six of them, (readers) want more and they will riff on the scenes she provided," Harman said. "People want to wallow. They want to get in that lovely warm bath and have a longer bath."

And partly, Harman said, it's good timing, "a kind of technological luck."

The emergence of the Internet coincided with a wave of Austen adaptations, including the BBC's 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" and Ang Lee's adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" the same year, that brought the writer new fans.

That doesn't explain the surprising affinity between Austen's Regency world, with its horse-drawn carriages, country-house balls and empire line dresses, and the supernatural.

"There's more overlap between the two worlds than I ever imagined," said Rekulak, who was startled to find a large number of Austen fans at Comic-Con, the San Diego conference devoted to all things science fiction and fantasy.

"It struck me that that kind of Regency romance is its own sort of fantasy," he said.

It's not so far-fetched to see echoes of handsome, brooding Mr. Darcy in the teen-heartthrob vampires of the "Twilight" books and movies or the TV series "True Blood."

Amanda Grange, author of Sourcebooks' "Mr. Darcy, Vampyre," said she found it easy to add dark, Gothic overtones to the story of Darcy and Lizzie Bennet. Austen wrote against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, and in an era that produced Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and the first vampire stories.

Like many good publishing ideas, the trend could soon spiral out of control. Rekulak says he can't stop friends and family sending him ideas for more books -- he has a list of more than 200 titles, from "A Farewell to Arms and Legs" to "The Brothers Kara-zombie."

The coming months promise more in the same bloody vein from a variety of publishers, including "Queen Victoria: Demon-Hunter" and "I am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas."

In the United States, where Quirk Books is based, all books copyrighted before 1923 are in the public domain. For other books, copyright generally expires some decades after the author's death, but this varies from country to country.

If nothing else, the trend proves the willingness of readers and writers to eliminate the gap between pop culture and what used to be known as high art.

Grange said she had the idea for her story years ago while watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the TV show about a suburban California student who battles demons.

"I just thought that if they ever did a 'Pride and Prejudice' episode it would work really well," Grange said. "You could have Buffy as Lizzie and Angel as Darcy.

"People used to live in more compartmentalized worlds," she said. "Now we are exposed to all of it -- we study the classics at school but then we go home and watch TV."

Taylor Lautner accepts the Twilight Award at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday Aug. 9, 2009, in Universal City, Calif. Looking on from background left are Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, and Jackson Rathbone. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

DERRIK J. LANG
AP Entertainment Writer

UNIVERSAL CITY, California (AP) --"Twilight" struck a vein at the Teen Choice Awards.

The adolescent vampire drama dominated Sunday's ceremony with 11 wins, including choice movie drama, romance, liplock, rumble and soundtrack. Kristen Stewart won the movie drama actress category while Robert Pattinson picked up two surfboard-shaped trophies -- one for movie drama actor, another for male hottie.

"We'll see you guys in theaters November 20th," co-star Taylor Lautner teased the squealing crowd.

Lautner and Ashley Greene, who will appear alongside Stewart and Pattinson in the upcoming "Twilight" sequel "New Moon," were honored as the male and female movie fresh faces while Cam Gigandet was crowned movie villain. "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke joined the cast on stage to accept the adaptation's pack of trophies.

The Teen Choice Awards, which were selected by over 83 million votes cast online, honor celebrities in TV, film, music and sports. Several winners -- including 16-year-old Miley Cyrus and show hosts the Jonas Brothers -- took home multiple trophies at the 11th annual ceremony at Universal Studios Hollywood's Gibson Amphitheatre.

Cyrus sailed away with six awards, winning for comedy TV show and actress for "Hannah Montana;" music/dance movie actress and hissy fit for "Hannah Montana: The Movie;" music single for "The Climb" and summer song for "Before the Storm" with the Jonas Brothers. Cyrus also presented Britney Spears the ultimate choice award.

"I'm a huge fans of hers," Cyrus said before a subdued Spears accepted her own surfboard.

The Jonas Brothers won five trophies, including choice male red carpet icons. They kicked off the show performing on a tiny stage that moved through the audience. Throughout the taped ceremony, the trio completed dares submitted by fans. At one point, younger brother Nick was challenged to hug a lineup of female fans.

"It's just hugs," Joe cautioned the women. "You're not going for long-term relationships here, girls."

Other big winners included "Gossip Girl" and Zac Efron. Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick picked up TV drama actor, actress, villain and TV series awards for the sudsy CW show while Efron won for music/dance movie actor in "High School Musical 3" and comedy movie actor and rockstar moment in "17 Again."

The ceremony itself was peppered with several odd moments.

Kathy Griffin arrived on the red carpet with Levi Johnston, the teenage ex-fiance of Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Mike Tyson took shears to Joe Jonas' head as part of stunt. And before presenting the choice hottie awards, comedian Dane Cook pleaded to Vanessa Hudgens to keep her clothes on.

"The Lovely Bones," based on the novel by Alice Sebold, is the next project from director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy).

Some are skeptical of what Jackson can bring to a project that isn't about Hobbits or giant gorillas. I have one answer for them -- "Heavenly Creatures."  If you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental before you see "The Lovely Bones."

The film opens in December.

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) --G.I. Joe is the latest toy to invade Hollywood and plant its blockbuster flag.

Inspired by the Hasbro action figure, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" took command of the weekend box office with a $56.2 million debut domestically, according to studio estimates Sunday. "G.I. Joe" also took in $44.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $100.5 million.

Meryl Streep's Julia Child tale "Julie & Julia" opened a solid No. 2 as an alternative for adult crowds with $20.1 million. While "G.I. Joe" was the first choice for young males, women 35 and older were the main audience for "Julie & Julia."

"G.I. Joe" follows Paramount's "Transformers" franchise as the latest toy story to find success on the big screen.

Harsh reviews for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" earlier this summer prompted Paramount to skip critic screenings for "G.I. Joe" and put the movie in theaters sight-unseen by most reviewers.

Critics generally trashed the "Transformers" sequel, yet it had a colossal opening and is on its way to joining the handful of movies to top $400 million domestically. Based on that disparity between critical and commercial reaction, the studio decided it could do without reviews for "G.I. Joe."

"The thing we saw from 'Transformers' is that with these kind of movies, at times critics have a hard time getting their arms around them," said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "But the audience got exactly what it was. A fun summer movie, a great way to end your summer. You just relax and have a good time. You don't have to worry about global politics or global warming."

Critics who went to see "G.I. Joe" after it opened gave it mixed reviews at best, with many branding it mindless action but some finding it fun and entertaining.

The weekend's other new wide release, Universal's slasher thriller "A Perfect Getaway" with Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich, opened weakly at No. 7 with $5.8 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen's "Funny People," tumbled to No. 5 with $7.9 million, down a whopping 65 percent from its opening weekend. The Universal release has taken in $40.4 million so far.

"G.I. Joe" pulled Hollywood out of a monthlong box-office swoon compared with last summer. The overall box office came in at $147 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" still was the No. 1 flick after four weeks in release.

"'Joe' kind of saved the day," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "We needed a box-office hero to turn things around, and we certainly got it."

But summer revenues continue to lag behind last year's, with receipts this season down about 1 percent.

"G.I. Joe" features Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a globe-trotting adventure about an elite military unit taking on a corrupt arms dealer.

While the G.I. Joe action figures started out as all-American heroes, the movie expands their story to include an international team of good guys to capitalize on overseas box office, which nowadays can equal or exceed domestic receipts for Hollywood movies.

"One of the best markets on the movie was Russia," Moore said. "How far G.I. Joe has come. He was incredibly popular in Russia."

"Julie & Julia" casts Streep as celebrated chef Child and Amy Adams as a woman trying to revitalize her own life by cooking every recipe in Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Sony opened it opposite "G.I. Joe" to give adults a fresh option after a summer of action adventures, family flicks and comedies.

"We felt the audience we were going to start with was going to be very hungry by this point," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution. "It's a really fun movie with heart and humor and good food."

Child was also a hit on Amazon.com this weekend. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" was the Web site's top seller Sunday, while Child's memoir "My Life in France" was No. 9.

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

1. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $56.2 million.

2. "Julie & Julia," $20.1 million.

3. "G-Force," $9.8 million.

4. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $8.9 million.

5. "Funny People," $7.9 million.

6. "The Ugly Truth," $7 million.

7. "A Perfect Getaway," $5.8 million.

8. "Aliens in the Attic," $4 million.

9. "Orphan," $3.73 million.

10. "500 Days of Summer," $3.7 million.

OK, so maybe those Friday estimates at Box Office Mojo are way off.

Because if they aren't, then it looks like "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" will make a tidy little sum at the theaters this weekend. Moreover, it appears that the plan by Paramount to nix the critics screenings for the "traditional" news outlets is working out.

... For now.  There's that word-of-mouth wave that either helps a flick fly or die the following weekend in the theaters.

So far audiences want what they want despite the 39 percent Tomatometer rating at Rotten Tomatoes for Joe. One of the listed critics, Michelle Alexandria at Eclipsemagazine.com, kicked the film around for a number of reasons (super-powered armor, not enough Snake Eyes) but ultimately gave it a B+:

"Went expecting to hate it, but loved it, not because it's "fun" but because they kept the tone serious. When did having FUN at a movie become a BAD thing?"

I guess It's not a bad thing at all.

The first time I watched G.I. Joe director Stephen Sommers' "The Mummy" I laughed at more than just the funny parts. Even though I had a few problems with the story it didn't matter, I still liked the picture overall.

Haven't watched G.I. Joe yet, but I'm considering checking it out.

This screen grab released by Atari shows a scene from "Champions Online", where players will be able to create their own superheroes.(AP Photo/Atari)

DERRIK J. LANG
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Think you can do better than Stan Lee?

Launching next month, the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game "Champions Online" will let gamers create their own virtual superheroes. Sorry, no Spider-Men or Batmen allowed.

Developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Atari, the PC game is based on "Champions," a pen-and-paper role-playing game published in 1981.

"The idea with 'Champions Online' is that we allow players to create any hero they can envision, and that's every single element from what the costume looks like to what exact powers they have to things like the colors of their powers," said executive producer Bill Roper. "It's a detailed system that lets players create an iconic character in our world."

"Champions" isn't the first superhero-themed online game. Cryptic Studios also developed "City of Heroes" in 2004 and its sequel, "City of Villains," in 2005. DC and Marvel Comics have also announced they are developing their own online games, which will allow gamers to fight alongside characters such as Superman and Batman.

Roper isn't worried.

"One of the things I like about having the 'Champions' universe to play with is that players don't know what to expect," he said. "So they get to explore. They get to build, and they get to become the important heroes in the world, as opposed to having to live in the shadows of iconic characters that they've known and been reading about forever."

Beyond battling hordes of smaller foes, "Champions" players will be tasked with taking down big villains such as Dr. Destroyer's behemoth Destroid robots and Qwyjibo, a giant gorilla with flaming fists and fiery breath. Roper said the hairy beast organically spawns in the game's Monster Island enclave and can only be taken down with a team of other superheroes.

Players who reach level 20 will learn their character has his or her very own archenemies. Roper said players can try to stop their adversary solo or invite other players to assist in throwing him in The Stronghold, a supervillain prison located in the game's virtual desert. At level 25, they build their nemesis -- just like their superhero -- from scratch.

"You use the same tools that you use to build your hero, so it's a really customized, personalized experience," said Roper. "You choose his costume. You choose the power set that he uses. You even choose his minions, his personality, what weapons or powers his minions use and then there's this whole story line that's based on fighting your nemesis."

On the Net:

http://www.champions-online.com/

(In the images above and below) Actress Zhang Ziyi's appears in a scene from "Sophie's Revenge." "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star Zhang is trying her hand at romantic comedy after a series of dramas. In "Sophie's Revenge," the 30-year-old actress will play a comic book artist who plots to get her fiance back after losing him to an actress. (AP Photo/ CJ Entertainment)

MIN LEE
AP Entertainment Writer

HONG KONG (AP) -- "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star Zhang Ziyi is trying her hand at romantic comedy after a series of dramas.

In "Sophie's Revenge," the 30-year-old actress will play a comic book artist who plots to get her fiance back after losing him to an actress. Written and directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Eva Jin, the 50 million Chinese yuan ($7.3 million) Chinese-language film also stars Chinese actress Fan Bingbing as Sophie's rival Joanna and South Korean actor So Ji-sub as Sophie's fiance Jeff.

In response to written questions from The Associated Press, Zhang described "Sophie's Revenge" as a fun-loving movie.

"We will follow Sophie's journey in the movie, crying with her and laughing with her. I hope a story like this will resonate with everyone," Zhang said.

"Sophie's Revenge," which will be released in China on Aug. 14 and in South Korea on Aug. 20, marks a change of pace for Zhang after four dramas. She played a Japanese escort in the 2005 Hollywood film "Memoirs of a Geisha," then an empress in "The Banquet," Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's 2006 adaptation of "Hamlet." Zhang next portrayed a friend of late Peking Opera star Mei Lanfang in Chen Kaige's 2008 biopic "Forever Enthralled." She also played a villain alongside Dennis Quaid in the 2009 American-Canadian crime thriller "Horsemen."

Zhang's new film, a South Korean-Chinese co-production, is also her debut as a producer. She told the AP that director Jin approached her with her script and she secured funding for the project.

"I really learned many more things serving as the producer. I now have a better understanding of the work flow of a movie," she said.

Zhang made her film debut in famed Zhang Yimou's heartwarming 1999 love story "The Road Home," but her career took off when Oscar-winning director Ang Lee cast her in his 2000 kung fu hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

With 10 years of acting and a producer credit to her name, will directing be next?

"It's so tough! You can only become a director when you're physically and mentally ready. Managing the situation on the set down to the smallest detail is really quite something," Zhang said.

It happens every time my friends and I leave a comic book convention -- we see books from hungry, imaginative and industrious comics creators and can't help wanting to try it ourselves.

For some of us the not-being-able-to-draw part can be a problem.

However, If you're ready to start learning or add to your art education, drawing classes for beginners are starting Saturday at Pulp Fiction in its new location at 1742 Clark Ave. near Atherton St. from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Pulp Fiction owner Mike Lerner said the classes will again be taught by art instructor Lisa Williams and students should get there a little early.

"We might be getting several continuing students and what we may do is split them (beginning and advanced) into two tables," Lerner said. "It's free so we may get a pretty good attendance -- people like free."

Once again the how to draw class is from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Aug. 8 -- Following class dates and times are to be determined.


Pulp Fiction is located at 1742 Clark Ave. Long Beach, CA. 90815.
Phone: (562) 986-4154

Art above is courtesy of Robert's sketchbook.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A spokeswoman for John Hughes says the director of 1980s coming-of-age films like "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" has died in Manhattan.

Michelle Bega says the 59-year-old Hughes died of a heart attack during a morning walk. He was in Manhattan to visit family.

He made a teen star of Molly Ringwald with 1984's "Sixteen Candles" about a girl's nightmarish birthday on the eve of her sister's wedding.

Ringwald also starred in "The Breakfast Club," about a group of high school misfits during Saturday detention, and "Pretty in Pink."

Hughes also directed "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and wrote "Home Alone" and "Weird Science." He lived in Illinois and set many of his films in the Chicago area.



FILE - In this 1984 file photo, director John Hughes is seen. Hughes is the man who wrote "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Mr. Mom" and "Natonal Lampoon's European Vacation." He also wrote and directed "16 Candles," "The Breakfast Club," and "Weird Science." Hughes who was 58 died in New York on Thursday. (AP Photo)

This photo released by Paramount Pictures shows the G.I. Joe team.The team from left- the members of the elite G.I. JOE team include team leader, DUKE (Channing Tatum), team commander GENERAL HAWK (Dennis Quaid), BREAKER (Saïd Taghmaoui), a specialist in deciphering covert electronics and technology, SCARLETT (Rachel Nichols), a martial arts master and skilled in the use of the Crossbow Pistol, and RIPCORD (Marlon Wayans), an expert marksman and weapons specialist, in "G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra."(AP Photo/Paramount Pictures,Frank Masi)

The message from Paramount Pictures to many movie critics looking to review "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?": "You're on your own, homie."

Not in those words exactly, but they do expect certain critics to catch the show with general audiences when it opens Friday Aug. 7.

Ben Fritz, who contributes to Company Town at the LA Times, reports on Paramount not showing Joe to "traditional" media outlets for review.

It's not unusual for smaller films to skip screenings for the press, but for a movie that represents an estimated $300 million in budget and marketing to do it?

This move by the studio may be part of the overall marketing strategy, writes the LA Times' Claudia Eller: 

Launching the film to a military audience is just one part of a highly atypical marketing and publicity campaign for "G.I. Joe," which opens nationwide and in most foreign markets this Friday. Paramount is sidestepping the traditional Hollywood showcase and courting of the national print media in favor of taking the picture directly to America's heartland. 

It didn't hurt "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" to get nailed by critics worldwide -- of course, it had the benefit of being the sequel to a hit movie.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens Friday.


Note: This post has been edited for Robert's tacky grammar.

It looks like one big, cathartic, thrashing, star-throwing vent session.

This flick stars Rain, Naomie Harris, Sho Kosugi (yeah!) and Rick Yune.  It's directed by James McTeigue ("V For Vendetta").

When you're feeling low there's nothing like watching some ninja a-- kicking to make it all better.  Coming soon?  Not soon enough!

It's the trailer for "Planet Hulk" based on writer Greg Pak's series that placed the Hulk on a far off world and in the middle of a fight for freedom.

For those who missed the comics that featured this story line, It's a shining moment for a very fun character. Definitely worth reading.

Scheduled for release on BLU-RAY and DVD February 2010.

Actor Harrison Ford as Deckard in "Blade Runner."  The title is the name for futuristic hunters (like Deckard) who track renegade Replicants -- androids who look and behave like humans.

Do you agree with Total Sci-Fi Online that "Blade Runner" is the greatest science fiction film of all time?  Director Ridley Scott's film is a favorite of mine so I would have to call it a good choice.

You don't have to go along if you are completely opposed. I mean, sure, everyone has a list but TSFO has a top 100 and that takes some thinking and some doing.  I'm going to give them some leeway and... HUH?!  What's this about Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" taking the number two spot?

OK, I have to disagree with that placing.  I think 2001 should rank a little lower, but that's me.  It's cool to give a movie more points if it breaks new ground in filmmaking. But if that's the case, shouldn't "The Matrix" (ranked No. 21) be higher?  What do you think?

Check out the top ten below and the complete list here.

1. Blade Runner (1982)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. Star Wars (1977)
4. Alien (1979)
5. Metropolis (1927)
6. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
7. The Terminator (1984)
8. Planet of the Apes (1968)
9. E.T. (1982)
10. Solaris (1972)

Note: I haven't even seen Andrei Tarkovsky's "Solaris," just the Clooney/Soderbergh one.  I better scout the Hollywood Video down the street and see what I'm missing.

This cover from OC Weekly, illustrated by Jim Rugg, is something to see.  Of course, there's a story that goes with the cover by R. Scott Moxley.

This issue is available at local spots that carry OC Weekly now.