Robert Meeks: September 2009 Archives

We've mentioned former Long Beacher and DC Comics artist Dustin Nguyen and his and writer Derek Fridolfs' backup project  "Lil' Gotham." Over at Dustin's site the sketches keep on coming.

"It's not very serious, it's just something I do at the end of the day," Nguyen said about the all-ages re-imagination of the characters.

Well, the above Batman Beyond sketch and other original art goodies await those who visit.  But few things are more cute than a pint-sized futuristic Dark Knight.

A friend at work told me about this trailer for "Daybreakers" directed and written by the Spierig Brothers.  

I know, you may be fed up with vamps and with good reason since vampire movies are the new super hero movies as far as the entertainment industry trends go.  Notice, I differentiate between comic book-based movie and super hero movie.  There is a difference lay-persons!

But this one has a little something to it.  The concept of a world of vampires living off surviving humans is not totally new in other media.  I've seen a comic series with a similar idea and there must be some books with the same theme.   But the movies should have some fun with this concept too because it's just... cool.

This flick stars Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan and Sam Neill.

In this film publicity image released by Columbia/Sony Pictures Animation, the characters Sam Sparks, voiced by Anna Faris, and Flint Lockwood, voiced by Bill Hader, are shown in a scene from Columbia Pictures' "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs." (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Animation)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Movie fans lined up for a second helping of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," which took in $24.6 million to remain No. 1 at the box office for a second straight weekend.

The Sony animated tale raised its domestic haul to $60 million after 10 days in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" fended off Bruce Willis' action thriller "Surrogates," a Disney release that debuted at No. 2 with $15 million.

Opening in third place with $10 million was MGM's "Fame," a new take on the 1980s music and dance hit about students at a school for performing arts.

Michael Moore's documentary "Capitalism: A Love Story" opened strongly in limited release with a $240,000 weekend haul in just four theaters, raising its total to $306,586 since premiering Wednesday. The Overture Films release expands nationwide Friday.

Overall business dipped, with Hollywood's total domestic gross at $100.5 million, down 4.5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Eagle Eye" opened at No. 1 with $29.2 million.

While it was generally quiet for new movies, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" held up strongly, its receipts dropping just 19 percent from a $30.3 million opening weekend. Revenues for many films fall 50 percent or more in their second weekends.

"We've seen that not only families but teens seem to be embracing it, as well," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "To only drop 19 percent, it's just one of those movies that's playing to everybody."

Some Hollywood analysts had expected "Surrogates" to open in first place. With a production budget reported at $80 million, the movie's $15 million weekend was a blow to Disney.

"Unfortunately, I don't think this was a great moviegoing weekend, for whatever reason," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. "I'm disappointed we're not No. 1, but very happy we beat the other films we opened against."

While "Fame" opened even lower, it cost far less to produce, with a budget of just $18 million.

"Do I wish it was better? Yeah. But are we going to lose money? No," said Erik Lomis, head of distribution for "Fame" distributor MGM.

"Capitalism" opened in four theaters in New York City and Los Angeles, its big weekend putting it on track to become the latest documentary hit from Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11," ''Bowling for Columbine").

With "Capitalism," Moore examines the roots of the economic meltdown, mixing interviews from people losing jobs and homes with his trademark stunts, such as wrapping crime-scene tape around Wall Street.

"People are frustrated, and I think Michael points some things out that are pretty thought-provoking and pretty eye-opening," said Kyle Davies, head of distribution for Overture. "It's timely. People want to see what's going on, but the movie's funny and entertaining at the same time. Michael's one of the unique people able to point to some topical issues and make it extremely interesting."

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. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $24.6 million.

2. "Surrogates," $15 million.

3. "Fame," $10 million.

4. "The Informant!", $6.9 million.

5. "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself," $4.8 million.

6. "Pandorum," $4.4 million.

7. "Love Happens," $4.3 million.

8. "Jennifer's Body," $3.5 million.

9. "9," $2.8 million.

10. "Inglourious Basterds," $2.7 million.

Fans who are excited about writer Derek Fridolfs and artist Dustin Nguyen's recently announced "Lil' Gotham" project should thank Nguyen's kids - seriously.

"(I'm) drawing murder mysteries all day and I have kids. So they're like, 'Can you draw me Batman and Robin, but fun?'" Nguyen said.

The project re-interprets many of the familiar Gotham hero and villain characters into these squat, "mite"-like caricatures who will be featured in stories suitable for readers of any age. "Lil' Gotham" will run as separate backup chapters in the upcoming "Batman Annual #27" and then "Detective Comics Annual," both due in October.

"Basically, they're like these super-deformed versions of the book I work on -- Batman. I just draw them in this cute little kids style," he said. "It's not very serious, it's just something I do at the end of the day."

The "Batman: Streets of Gotham" artist added that if the response to the short "Lil' Gotham" chapters are good then he and Fridolfs are ready with a story big enough to fill a hefty volume.

At the Long Beach Comic Con this weekend, Nguyen will team with other artists (Mike Choi, Philip Tan, Joe Benitez and Ale Garza) this Saturday at 4 p.m. on the "Drawing Comics" panel to talk about working as a professional artist.

For more on Dustin Nguyen and his artwork check out his blog: http://duss005.blogspot.com/ and for information on other creators appearing at the Long Beach Comic Con go to http://longbeachcomiccon.com/.

And as for convention coverage this weekend, you don't even have to ask -- Modern Mythology will be in the house.

The top image is kids-friendly and the side one from "Streets of Gotham" #4, not so much.  But the artwork on both is impressive.

Comic book artist and former Long Beach resident Dustin Nguyen, who is the artist of "Batman: Streets of Gotham," is a featured panelist at the inaugural Long Beach Comic Con, opening Friday. Nguyen says the convention's prominent "artist alley" will be a draw for comic book fans. (Diandra Jay, Staff Photographer)

Inaugural show serves up a heroic display of industry insiders


After four years without a major comic book convention in Long Beach, it would take more than a magic word or a bite from a radioactive spider to bring one back.

For Martha Donato, president of MAD Event Management, it took experience, tenacity and some help from an enthusiastic comics community to bring about the inaugural Long Beach Comic Con, set to debut Friday.

"I worked in Long Beach previously when I did work with Wizard (Entertainment) and we had such a great show," she said. "We had such a great turnout and people were so excited to have a show of their own."

The Long Beach Comic Con, which runs Oct. 2-4, boasts more than 150 notables, ranging from "All Star Batman and Robin" artist Jim Lee and "Green Lantern" writer Geoff Johns to film and television stars like "Robot Chicken's" Seth Green and Thomas Jane of the HBO series "Hung." (Jane will be promoting his new films, "Dark Country" and "Give 'Em Hell Malone.")

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday will feature pop culture icon Stan Lee, who created many of Marvel Comics' most popular characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men and Iron Man.

Show guests will have the chance to purchase graphic novels, catch a screening of unreleased films or peruse the latest products from electronic game companies such as Nintendo.

For aspiring artists, Marvel representatives will conduct portfolio reviews.

In addition to gathering from across the entertainment media, show organizers wanted to promote fan and creator interaction.

"Right from the beginning we decided we wanted to make the focus of the show the talent that drives the comic book industry - the artists, the writers, the animators," Donato said.

In many comic conventions, the "artist alley" is often tucked away in the corner of the show floor. However, Long Beach Comic Con has boosted the profile of its artist alley, designing its layout to place the creative talent in the center of the exhibit hall.

Former Long Beach resident and "Batman: Streets of Gotham" artist Dustin Nguyen - who will be a guest panelist on the craft of being a professional comic artist -- says this style of show is what fans are most receptive to.

"Fans don't come there to buy the book; they can buy the book anywhere," he said. "They come there to meet their creators."

Before forming her own events management company in March, Donato worked on numerous live events for more than 12 years. Much of that experience came during her time as an assistant to Wizard Entertainment chief executive Gareb Shamus. After two years at Wizard, Donato said she was given the reins of her first show in 1996.

The Long Beach Convention Center played host to two Wizard World Los Angeles comic conventions - one in 2004 and the other in 2005 - before the show moved to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

After working for Wizard for nearly 14 years, Donato, who operates out of her Warwick, N.Y., office, said she and her Los Angeles-based business partner Phil Lawrence kept returning to the idea of a comic book convention in Long Beach.

"So he (Phil) and I kept talking about it and talking about it. `Hey, wasn't that fun when we worked in Long Beach and had such a great crowd there?"' she said. "And, you know, one thing led to another and we ended up actually putting together a business plan to do a show there - and it worked."

While marketing Long Beach Comic Con earlier this year, Donato reached out to friends in the industry, local retailers and various publishers to get the word out to prospective attendees and talent.

The feedback surprised her.

"It has been better than I could have hoped for," she said. "We knew it was risky, and we were prepared for a slow start but so far we've had a really phenomenal response."

Local comics publishers BOOM! Studios, IDW, Top Cow and Aspen are among the companies that have enlisted their stable of writers and artists to appear, said Donato.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics will dispatch editors and creators to Long Beach to make panel appearances and meet fans. Also, Marvel Comics will publish a "variant," or special edition issue, of Amazing Spider-Man #606 for guests who purchase a three-day pass for the entire weekend.

Convention officials and show planners don't expect the Long Beach Comic Con to be the size of the massively popular San Diego Comic-Con International, which draws more than 126,000 attendees over five days.

Still, Nguyen said, Long Beach can offer creators and guests a similar atmosphere of excitement.

"I'm looking forward to a really good turnout regardless of if they (fans) come to see my stuff or anyone's stuff," Nguyen said. "I just want it to be a good show. Because if it means it's a good show then they are going to do the show again."

robert.meeks@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1368

Long Beach Comic Con

    * When: Oct. 2-4; 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
    * Where: The Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. 562-436-3661
    * Admission: $25 for single-day pass; $45 for three-day pass; children ages 12 and younger are free.


Related posts:

Artist Dustin Nguyen makes Gotham stories for all ages

Stan Lee to visit Long Beach Comic Con

Have you seen 'Lil Batman Beyond?'

LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream, and he's not talking about starring in the box-office hit "Knocked Up" or playing a superhero in the upcoming "The Green Hornet."

Rogen co-wrote an episode of "The Simpsons" and lends his voice to a character in the episode that airs 8 p.m. EDT Sunday, kicking off the Fox show's 21st season. He's only the second visiting celebrity to both write and act, following in the 2006 footsteps of Ricky Gervais.

"As a writer, it always just seemed like the Holy Grail," Rogen said of the animated series. "I can die a happy man now."

The episode, by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg in collaboration with the show's writers, plays off the actor's pre-filming fitness regimen for "Green Hornet." The movie is in production and set for release in 2010.

In "Homer the Whopper," Rogen plays a trainer assigned to get Homer Simpson in superhero shape to play Everyman, a hero created by Comic Book Guy and played by the rotund couch potato.

"We wanted to comment on how Hollywood generally ruins these movies. The whole joke is Homer is cast to play a guy who's an everyman and they try to make him into this physically fit guy," Rogen said.

Recording with the cast was "one of the highlights of my life," said the seriously devoted "Simpsons" fan (favorite episodes include "Itchy & Scratchy Land" and the one in which Bart sells his soul to Milhouse).

"It was completely surreal. I was just in shock afterward. I felt like I had gone skydiving or survived an earthquake," Rogen said.

Other celebrities to be heard on "The Simpsons" this season include Sarah Silverman, Angela Bassett, Eli Manning and Bob Costas.

As for Rogen's part in "Green Hornet," he's still processing his on-screen switch from lovable schlub to dapper leading man. He and Goldberg wrote the screenplay.

"It's odd to see yourself looking cool when you're someone like me," Rogen said, laughing. "It's just not something I'm used to."



In this TV publicity image released by Fox, character Homer Simpson, dressed as a comic book character Everyman, left, is shown with celebrity fitness trainer "Lyle McCarthy, voiced by Seth Rogen on the animated series, "The Simpsons." (AP Photo/Fox)

I watched "Pandorum" last night and I have to say it was quite good. That's if you like your sci-fi with a hefty side-order of thrills.

In "Pandorum," astronauts awaken from artificial slumber to discover their memories and crew are missing. Yeah, It falls into some plot conventions, of course, but what movie doesn't have a few of those? 

Across the board, the filmmakers and actors do the job.  Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue (I can't pronounce her name but she rocked it), Eddie Rouse and Cung Le.  The film evokes imagery that may remind you of "Alien" but it also has a touch of "Pitch Black" ... with more teeth.

It will likely not be the number one movie at the box-office this week and all that stuff.  Many more will probably check out "Surrogates" or "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."  I may be wrong about that -- we'll see. 
 

JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Surrogates" is itself a surrogate, a kind of stand-in for many of the sci-fi movies of the recent past: In it, you'll recognize in it the ideas of "Blade Runner," ''Minority Report" and even "WALL-E."

The Bruce Willis action flick opens with two murders -- the first in years in a quasi-present day Boston. Technology has advanced enough so that nearly everyone has a surrogate -- or "surry" for short. While reclining at home and plugged into a machine, people control a robotic version of themselves that safely maneuvers through the world in all of its slings and arrows.

The surrogates are a fantasy version of one's self -- cosmetically perfect, thinner, younger and sometimes of the opposite sex. (This means, most importantly, that we have a blond Bruce Willis on our hands.)

Yes, like James Bond, John McClane has gotten the Ken doll treatment. For an aging action star, the pseudo Willis is almost a pun, a wink at moviegoers' need for stars that never age.

Willis is a police detective named Greer who, along with his partner (Radha Mitchell), is trying to solve the murders which, though committed on surrogates, also "liquefied" the brains of their human operators.

The police, too, have surrogates. When Greer -- himself, not his doppelganger -- rolls out of his bedroom after a long night as himself, the attractive surrogate of his wife (Rosamund Pike) sighs at the sight of her bald and wrinkly husband.

The surrogates are a clear metaphor for the virtual reality that's already upon us. It's a subject popular in Hollywood these days, given the recent Gerard Butler film "Gamer" and James Cameron's upcoming "Avatar."

Having a robotic stand-in has some obvious perks: Sexuality is less inhibited. If you fall, you don't scrape your elbows. And if your helicopter crashes, you don't die.

But this crime-less utopia is also a superficial wasteland, devoid of meaningfulness. As the investigation into the murders goes deeper, a plot to destroy the network becomes unfurled.

It has something to do with VSI, the company that created surrogates. (Its slogan: "Life ... only better.") One of the founders of VSI (James Cromwell) is having inventor's remorse. Some also choose to live in human-only areas; the leader of these renegades is played by a dreadlocked Ving Rhames.

"We're not meant to experience the world through a machine," Rhames' character announces. It's an ironic sentiment coming from a film projector beamed into a state-of-the-art movie theater.

"Surrogates," directed by Jonathan Mostow ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"), is adapted from a graphic novel by Robert Venditti. If anyone hasn't noticed yet, graphic novels are -- for better or worse -- the new pulp fiction.

Like those hard-boiled novels of the 1940s that Hollywood couldn't get enough of, graphic novels are fueling what once would have been called B-movies. At its best, that's what "Surrogates" is: a quality B-movie, pulpy and very much reflective of its times. The film isn't shy about its feelings about technology -- it's time to unplug. It laments a culture that medicates pain away and has its head in virtual realms.

It's hard to miss the message or the nihilistic glee the film takes in seeing a world of robot surrogates suddenly collapse -- a Second Life apocalypse that effectively forces society to unplug and step outside.

The Internet, though, is here to stay. Dreams of a computer-less society are as much fantasy as a blond Bruce Willis.

"Surrogates" is a Walt Disney Co. release. Two stars out of four.


The above film publicity image is released by Touchstone Pictures, Bruce Willis is shown in a scene from, "Surrogates." (AP Photo/Touchstone Pictures-Disney, Stephen Vaughan)

In this film publicity image released by Touchstone Pictures, Bruce Willis is shown in a scene from, "Surrogates." (AP Photo/Touchstone Pictures-Disney, Stephen Vaughan)

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- Great Falls native Brett Weldele, who five years ago illustrated a graphic novel called "The Surrogates," has been invited to this week's premiere of the movie based on the novel.

In the movie "Surrogates," Bruce Willis portrays an FBI agent dealing with robotic avatars -- creatures filling in for the people who control them -- in a future world.

The movie opens Friday after the premiere Thursday at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

Disney-Touchstone optioned the rights to the comic book.

"There's a real boom with comic properties being optioned," said Weldele, 32.

Weldele, who graduated from Great Falls High in 1995 and lives in Portland, Ore., knew the odds of "The Surrogates" becoming a Hollywood film still were long.

Thousands of comics are optioned, but only a small number actually become movies.

"Having this happen is the equivalent to winning the lottery," Weldele said.

Weldele watched some early filming in Boston.

"It's crazy," Weldele said. "When we visited the set, there were 200 people working at this thing. We got to watch Bruce do his thing, which was pretty awesome."

Both Weldele and novelist Robert Venditti receive a film credit stating that the movie was based on their graphic novel.

Venditti and Weldele have put out a prequel to "Surrogates," called "Flesh and Bone," in which the surrogates are being test-marketed. It is set in 2039, 15 years before "Surrogates."

In this publicity image released by FOX, from left, Cleveland Jr., Kevin Michael Richardson, Cleveland and Rallo, both voiced by Mike Henry, Donna, voiced by Sanaa Lathan and Roberta, voiced by Reagan Gomez-Preston, are shown in a scene from the animated series, "The Cleveland Show," premiering Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on FOX. (AP Photo/FOX)

FRAZIER MOORE
AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- On the premiere of his new Fox show, Cleveland Brown gets a fitting send-off from the world he inhabited on "Family Guy."

Forces unleashed by "Family Guy" lunkhead Peter Griffin cause the front of Cleveland's home to be destroyed, exposing him naked in his second-floor bathtub, whereupon he slides -- yelping "no, no, no, no, no, NO!" -- to a crash-landing out on his front lawn.

It isn't the first time.

But if the terminally affable Cleveland has spent six seasons as a "Family Guy" sidekick and fall guy, that's about to change.

"I'm tired of being kicked around by this world!" he erupts, as best he can in his gently modulated voice.

Divorced by his wife and evicted from his home, he knows it's time to set off from Quahog, R.I., with his portly teenage son, Cleveland Jr., for a new life on "The Cleveland Show," which premieres Sunday at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

He heads back to his hometown in Virginia, where he weds his high school sweetheart, Donna, and becomes stepfather to her children: hotsy high-schooler Roberta and mouthy 5-year-old Rollo.

Befitting a spin-off of "Family Guy" (where despotic baby Stewie converses with Brian, the dog), Cleveland meets a clutch of nutty neighbors, including husband-and-wife bears.

"It's a whole new world and set of characters," says Mike Henry, a co-creator of the show and the man who voices Cleveland. "There's a new tone. Sweet and family-ish."

Say what?!

"There's still plenty of filthy jokes," Henry laughs, careful not to distance his new venture too far from his old one. "But there's a whole, nice message in each 'Cleveland Show' episode. 'Family Guy' paved the way for a lot of coarseness and shock humor, but we're not trying to push that any farther."

Yes, there will be comic cutaways and flashbacks -- but fewer than on "Family Guy."

And yes, there will be the rare appearance by Peter and other "Family Guy" regulars.

But overall, says Henry, "We really wanted to get out on our own legs."

The series' gestation began a couple of years ago when "Family Guy" maestro Seth MacFarlane pitched the idea to Fox brass.

"We didn't have to sell an elaborate premise," recalls MacFarlane, who's teamed with Rich Appel and Henry on the spin-off. "It doesn't matter what the premise of a comedy is, it's about the characters. We said, 'Here are our characters.'"

Long before then, Cleveland had struck the threesome as a character with more to say than "Family Guy" permitted. However much he resisted stereotyping, he mostly served as the show's token black guy. But they thought he had more to offer.

"All we'd seen of him is the tip of the iceberg," says Henry. "And, as opposed to Peter Griffin or Homer Simpson or a lot of other protagonist dads, he doesn't get himself into trouble just by being an idiot. He gets himself into trouble by trying to do the right thing but constantly making mistakes."

Cleveland doesn't want a lot from life: just fairness, groundedness and equilibrium.

"Never gonna happen," chuckles Henry, who re-enacts a scene from an upcoming episode:

"He tells Rollo to sit through the commercials on the DVR.

"Rollo says, 'Sit through the commercials?! THAT'S why we got a DVR -- to zip THROUGH them!'

"And Cleveland replies, 'No, we got a DVR to sit through the commercials, too. Your generation just needs to callllllm downnnnnnnnn.'"

Calm is his specialty. But now sleepy-eyed, pudgy Cleveland is capable of showing some fire. In the premiere, he sharply warns Roberta's no-good boyfriend to have her back right on time from their date -- or else.

Then, his point made, he giggles his best wishes that they have a nice evening.

The 43-year-old Henry (whose repertoire also includes Rollo and Herbert, the eternally deprived pedophile on "Family Guy"), began to demonstrate a gift for voices early on, mimicking teachers and fellow students.

That was back in Virginia, where he grew up the son of divorced artists of little means, "but somehow wound up in a private school with the offspring of bankers and lawyers and other conservative Southerners," he recalls. "I spent a lot of time trying to fit into that world, as well as hating it and making fun of it.

"I always felt a little bit of an outsider. So I've been able to remove myself and observe life, through comedy."

He met MacFarlane in 1995, and was part of "Family Guy" when it began a few years later. He created Cleveland as one of Peter's drinking buddies.

Now Cleveland is on his own. So is Henry, who says the main input from his partner MacFarlane is furnishing the voice for shirt-and-tie-clad neighbor Tim the Bear.

A huge talking bear on an ordinary street? For Henry, that's the essence of humor.

"In comedy, you take what's normal and throw a ridiculous thing into it," he says. "Then you let it play out."


On the Net:

http://www.fox.com

JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer

The forecast was bright at the box-office for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," which earned $30.1 million to lead this weekend's films.

Sony's 3-D animated family comedy was adapted from the popular 1978 children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett. Despite schools being back in session, the film still was able to draw kids and their parents to the multiplexes.

"The meatballs have cleared, so to speak," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It really is a feature where everything aligned perfectly."

That's good news for other adaptations of classic children's books on the horizon, namely the much anticipated big screen version of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." The Spike Jonze directed adaptation will be released Oct. 16.

"It really does pave the way for a really strong opening for that film," said Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It's such a beloved book that the anticipation is really high."

He added that the strength of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" showed that 3-D is proving to be a significant draw for moviegoers. The film also was released on IMAX at 127 venues, which accounted for $2.5 million, or 8 percent of its box-office.

Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant!" came in second with $10.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. That was slightly better than expected for the Warner Bros. comedy, which stars Matt Damon as a bipolar whistle blower.

Last week's box-office topper, Tyler Perry's "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," saw a 57 percent drop for Lionsgate. It still earned $10 million, good enough for third place. That brought its cumulative total to $37.9 million.

Jennifer Aniston's "Love Happens" (Universal) came in fourth with $8.5 million, suggesting that audiences may be tiring of the actress in romantic comedies. It's her third film this year.

Coming in a distant fifth was "Jennifer's Body," the R-rated horror film written by Diablo Cody, the scribe of "Juno" fame. It earned just $6.8 million for 20th Century Fox. "Jennifer's Body" is viewed most significantly as a test of its star, Megan Fox, to headline a movie.

"You always hope for more, but it's a modestly budgeted film that will ultimately be profitable for us," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution for Fox.

Dergarabedian said the number was somewhat low for what looked like "a fan boy's dream," but said the R-rating and niche potential of "Jennifer's Body" wasn't ideal for a coming-out party for the actress.

"It may be a matter of just choosing the right projects for her," said Dergarabedian. "She's trying to find a world beyond 'Transformers,' and she will. She's young and has a lot of promise."

On the whole, it was an "up" weekend for Hollywood, said Dergarabedian. The weekend's total box-office gross was approximately $100 million, which compares favorably with the $88 million that was made on the corresponding weekend last year.

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

1. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," $30.1 million.

2. "The Informant!" $10.5 million.

3. "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," $10 million.

4. "Love Happens," $8.5 million.

5. "Jennifer's Body," $6.8 million.

6. "9," $5.5 million.

7. "Inglourious Basterds," $3.6 million.

8. "All About Steve," $3.4 million.

9. "Sorority Row," $2.5 million.

10. "The Final Destination," $2.4 million.

In this film publicity image released by Columbia/Sony Pictures Animation, the characters Sam Sparks, voiced by Anna Faris, and Flint Lockwood, voiced by Bill Hader, are shown in a scene from Columbia Pictures' "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs." (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Animation)

By BRANDON FIBBS
brandon.fibbs@gazette.com

(AP) I loved, loved, loved this movie! With a Chance of Meatballs is easily the best non-Pixar animated film to come out in our post-Pixar world.

After the sardine-canning factory on a small New England island is forced to close its doors, the community falls on hard times.

The only thing people can afford to eat are sardines. Because sardines are , amateur inventor Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) decides to create something to help the town.

The only problem is, Flint doesn exactly have a good track record when it comes to inventing things. He got more than enough passion and enthusiasm, but his experiments generally go from bad to worse.

Flint pins his hopes on an airborne device that turns water into food. This time it works like a charm! Hamburgers, pizza, pancakes and spaghetti rain from the sky.

Suddenly, Flint is a hero. But he may have bitten off more than he can chew. When the machine begins malfunctioning and creates a perfect food storm that threatens to destroy the whole world, Flint blessing quickly turns into a curse.

Now, he must team up with brainy weathergirl Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) to stop his out-of-control invention at all costs.

The terrific Hader and Faris are backed up by a tremendous collection of supporting voice talent, including James Caan as Flint technophobe father, who has a hard time expressing his love for his son and turns everything into a fishing metaphor, Bruce Campbell as the town scheming mayor, Mr. T as Earl the cop, and Andy Samberg as a washed-up celebrity. Others include Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Al Roker and Lauren Graham.

With a Chance of Meatballs was loosely inspired by Ron and Judi Barrett beloved children book of the same name. If you are a fan of the book, you need to know that the movie has very little in common with its source material other than aerial food bombardments.

If you go in untethered to your expectations, you probably discover that, while different, the film might just be on its way to becoming a classic, too.

With a Chance of Meatballs operates on the principles of absurdity. Chicken men sledding down hills of vanilla ice cream, houses made completely of Jell-O. The only guiding principle behind this movie seems to be: The more nonsensical the better. And it pays off huge.

The film looks tremendous, with what can only be described as a -esque use of vibrant, explosive color. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller prove extraordinarily adept at creating dramatic and exciting camera angles, and they make full use of their 3-D palate, taking every opportunity possible to wow their audience.

They also parody disaster movies such as Day and with gleeful relish and end their film by spoofing the original Wars.

With a Chance of Meatballs is not a deep or meaningful film (though there are some nice bits about being true to yourself and your dreams) and as such still cannot come close to competing with the Pixar magic machine. But comes closer than any other animated film yet Fu Panda almost made it to conjuring the worlds of unrelenting fun and dazzling beauty that, up till now, has been Pixar exclusive domain.

GRADE: A

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cast: The voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T., Benjamin Bratt

Actress Megan Fox, left, and writer Diablo Cody pose at the premiere of Fox Searchlight's "Juno" at the Village Theater in Los Angeles, California in 2007. Fox stars in "Jennifer's Body" -- screenplay by Cody. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Jennifer's Body," the second screenplay from Diablo Cody following her Oscar-winning debut smash "Juno," is so chock full of her quirky trademarks, it almost plays like a parody of something she'd write.

The self-consciously clever dialogue, the gratuitous pop-culture references, the made-up phrases intended to convey a specific high school ethos -- they're all there. Even though fembot Megan Fox is an excellent fit to spit out these witty quips, it's all so familiar, it makes you wonder whether Cody has any other weapons in her arsenal.

Part of the allure of the Showtime series Cody created, "The United States of Tara" -- beyond the versatility of its fabulous star, Toni Collette -- is the humor she finds in everyday suburbia, the reality and the absurdity. And that's actually the best part of "Jennifer's Body," too.

Never mind that it's a mash-up of horror flick and teen comedy: When her characters are talking about regular stuff like toxic female friendships, awkward adolescent sex and high-school dances, it's funny in a relatable way. It's when Cody tries too hard to dazzle us that she loses her footing; meanwhile, director Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight," ''Aeon Flux") struggles in her own way to find the right tone amid these two divergent genres.

The result: "Jennifer's Body" is never scary and it's only sporadically amusing.

Fox is a great choice, though, to play Jennifer, the queen bee who longs to flee the small town of Devil's Kettle. Here, the "Transformers" star gets to show what she can do when given the chance to speak, and not just run from angry, shape-shifting trucks in a tight denim miniskirt. Granted, playing a sexy, popular cheerleader probably wasn't a huge stretch for her, but hey -- it works.

One night, after attending a concert by her favorite band that goes disastrously awry, Jennifer seems ... different. This is immediately obvious to her childhood best friend, the nerdy Needy (Amanda Seyfried, rendered vaguely mousy beneath glasses and stringy hair). But eventually the whole town realizes something is wrong when boys' bodies start turning up bloodied and eviscerated.

Jennifer, meanwhile, is more radiant and confident than ever -- and strangely indifferent to the campus-wide catharsis in which everyone else is wallowing, a group-think phenomenon that was parodied so well in "Heathers" and the recent "World's Greatest Dad."

Trouble is, we all know what the deal is. There's no mystery to engage us, no real frights to jolt us, just a waiting game until the rest of the town catches onto Jennifer's homicidal tendencies. The explanation of what's gotten into Jennifer, courtesy of the band's lead singer (Adam Brody in eye liner), provides a good little dig at the posers who populate indie rock.

Seyfried, with her petite frame and big eyes, is a great choice to play an unlikely heroine who finds unexpected inner strength. The interaction Needy has with her shy, sweet boyfriend (Chip Simmons) helps provide the film with some substance. But then the much-hyped make-out session between Needy and Jennifer comes out of nowhere, feels wedged-in and provides no insight on the intensity of high-school girls' relationships, as Cody has said she intended.

Instead, like the rest of the movie, it's just not as hot as it could have been.

"Jennifer's Body," a 20th Century Fox release, runs 100 minutes. Two stars out of four.

It's going down tomorrow Saturday Sept. 19 from 10 a.m to 7 p.m.

I spoke with long-time Geoffrey's Comics customer Alex "Lex" Tibbs (22 years!) and he tells me it's gonna be 25 percent off trade paperbacks, 31 percent off cards, 50 percent off of back issues, 31 percent off toys and statues, 30 percent off the Overstreet Guide price on Silver age and Golden age comics and ... 50 percent off DVDs.... whew!

Or you could, uh, just click here and get a better look at the Newsletter ad.

For more information:

Geoffrey's Comics
15900 Crenshaw Blvd.
Gardena, CA. 90250
(310) 538-3198

DOLORES BARCLAY
AP Arts Editor

"The Lost Symbol" (Doubleday, 509 pages, $29.95), by Dan Brown: Could 1514 A.D. be just an important date in the age of Leonardo, Machiavelli and Copernicus? Is Eight Franklin Square just the address of another nondescript building in northwest Washington, D.C.?

Neither are what they seem in Dan Brown's new thriller, "The Lost Symbol," released Tuesday, a roaring ride filled with the hairpin plot turns and twisty roads that made "The Da Vinci Code" one of the most popular books of all time.

As with "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons," don't expect pages of inspired prose or even an unpredictable ending. Instead, just ride it out and have fun with a caper filled with puzzles, grids, symbols, pyramids and a secret that can bestow "unfathomable power."

Robert Langdon -- Brown's alter ego and the Harvard professor of symbology who first appeared in "Angels & Demons" and led readers on a dangerous romp through Paris in "The Da Vinci Code" -- is invited at the last minute by his friend Peter Solomon (secretary of the Smithsonian) to give a speech at the National Statuary Hall.

He jets down to D.C. in a Falcon 2000EX and dashes into the hall only to find it empty. A call to Solomon's office puts Langdon in touch with the person who set up the ruse -- a bald, tattooed massive baddie named Mal'akh, who has kidnapped Solomon and left his severed right hand (decorated with tiny tats and a Masonic ring) on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda.

"Langdon tried to process this. 'What do you want from me?'

"'It's simple. You have been given access to something quite ancient. And tonight, you will share it with me.'"

The page almost ripples with a cartoonish heh, heh, heh.

Unlike the demented passion of the almost comical albino monk in "The Da Vinci Code," Mal'akh is a more insidious evil with a bulging ego that helps him slip easily through the watchdogs of Homeland Security and keep the plot rolling for more than 400 pages. What might unnerve some readers is that he's able to get past these keepers of safety with only a little makeup to cover his tattoos and costumes that should make even a rookie cop a little suspicious.

The sought-after secret is cloaked in the mysteries of the Masons: Langdon must hunt for a Masonic pyramid that holds the code to an ancient power. His search takes him on a D.C. tour, to the Capitol, the Washington National Cathedral, the Botanic Garden, the Washington Monument and the Library of Congress.

"The Lost Symbol," which has an announced first printing of 5 million copies, is not the first thriller to weave the Masons into a plot -- Brown did so in "Angels & Demons" and Brad Meltzer has Masonic references in "Book of Fate." But Brown was clever nonetheless in choosing the Masonic Order to center his book. It's a fraternal society steeped in history, mystery and ritual, one that has claimed as members some of history's most influential men: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Mozart and Teddy Roosevelt, among others.

Brown spent time in Washington and at a Masonic museum in Alexandria, Va., to help in the writing of his novel. His interpretation of Mason lore folds seamlessly into the plot.

"Beneath the inscription, Mal'akh now saw something that stunned him. The capstone seemed to be glowing. In disbelief, he stared at the faintly radiant text and realized that the legend was literally true: The Masonic pyramid transforms itself to reveal its secret to the worthy."

Solomon comes from a family of Masons. His sister, Katherine, is a scientist whose lab is housed in a massive pod in a huge warehouse outside Washington that stores the bulk of the Smithsonian's holdings. Her work in noetics -- sciences that explore the mind and how it relates to the physical world -- will likely cause a surge in the study of this arcane area. "Human thought can literally transform the physical world," Brown writes.

Katherine, of course, teams up with Langdon to save Peter and solve the puzzle. She provides Langdon with a female foil and intellectual sparring partner. They make a terrific team, trading clues with ease like an old married couple.

Brown has the usual potpourri of weird and fumbling bureaucrats, including a strident CIA gnome named Sato, who heads the Office of Security, and proudly wears the scars of throat cancer.

And Brown charges to the end of the tale at a breathless pace that only crawls when he feeds us too much Masonic history or tries to seduce us to the mysteries of noetics. The ending does not startle: It's almost predictable. But the journey is very cool.

"Heroes" returns next week on NBC and Comic Book Resources posted a few video clips from the two-hour season opener coming up Monday Sept. 21.

I was impressed with last season's finale which had PETER (guy who mimics powers) actually outsmarting the deadly SYLAR (Psycho-multi-powered-serial-killer-dude) and defeating him.  In the above clip, courtesy of NBC, Peter gets to go hand to hand with a mysterious character called "Edgar" (He's fast, martial-artsy and played by actor Ray Park).

Looks like fun -- but is it TIVO-worthy fun?  Check out this clip and others at CBR.

The two-hour season four Volume 5 premiere airs Sept. 21 on NBC at 8 p.m.


Related posts

Heroes Watch: The 'Heroes' Comic-Con schedule

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tyler Perry has a good thing going at the box office, with his latest comedy, "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," opening at No. 1 with $23.4 million.

Of the eight films Perry has made as writer, director and frequent co-star, five of them have debuted at the top spot.

Among the other new releases this weekend, the animated "9'' came in at No. 2 with $10.7 million. Since its opening last Wednesday -- on 9-9-09 -- it's made just over $15 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself," Lionsgate, $23,446,785, 2,255 locations, $10,398 average, $23,446,785, one week.

2. "9," Focus Features, $10,740,446, 1,661 locations, $6,466 average, $15,160,926, one week.

3. "Inglourious Basterds," Weinstein Co., $6,140,617, 3,215 locations, $1,910 average, $103,903,469, four weeks.

4. "All About Steve," Fox, $5,638,243, 2,265 locations, $2,489 average, $21,650,628, two weeks.

5. "The Final Destination," Warner Bros., $5,522,377, 2,732 locations, $2,021 average, $58,280,235, three weeks.

6. "Sorority Row," Summit, $5,059,802, 2,665 locations, $1,899 average, $5,059,802, one week.

7. "Whiteout," Warner Bros., $4,915,104, 2,745 locations, $1,791 average, $4,915,104, one week.

8. "District 9," Sony, $3,538,769, 2,560 locations, $1,382 average, $108,456,233, five weeks.

9. "Gamer," Lionsgate, $3,293,055, 2,502 locations, $1,316 average, $16,261,653, two weeks.

10. "Julie & Julia," Sony, $3,156,316, 2,343 locations, $1,347 average, $85,216,398, six weeks.

11. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," Paramount, $2,455,620, 2,120 locations, $1,158 average, $144,200,266, six weeks.

12. "The Time Traveler's Wife," Warner Bros., $2,307,017, 2,228 locations, $1,035 average, $59,035,745, five weeks.

13. "Extract," Miramax, $2,163,337, 1,614 locations, $1,340 average, $8,601,746, two weeks.

14. "Halloween II," Weinstein Co., $2,114,486, 2,350 locations, $900 average, $30,094,379, three weeks.

15. "Shorts," Warner Bros., $1,211,156, 1,701 locations, $712 average, $19,716,511, four weeks.

16. "(500) Days of Summer," Fox Searchlight, $1,174,165, 790 locations, $1,486 average, $30,001,366, nine weeks.

17. "G-Force," Disney, $1,015,865, 965 locations, $1,053 average, $116,715,916, eight weeks.

18. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Warner Bros., $908,482, 744 locations, $1,221 average, $298,844,700, nine weeks.

19. "The Hangover," Warner Bros., $709,225, 564 locations, $1,257 average, $273,136,280, 15 weeks.

20. "The September Issue," Roadside Attractions, $693,862, 111 locations, $6,251 average, $1,266,000, three weeks.

 

Over at the LA Times blog Hero Complex Jevon Phillips reminds us that while the Kanye West fiasco may be the talk of the MTV Video Awards, "Twilight" fans should know that the latest trailer for "New Moon" ran that night as well.

Check it out above.

Live-action comic book-based films like "The Dark Knight," have ruled the day but animated movies featuring a few other famous super people have held their own.

On Sept. 29 the latest offering from DC Entertainment "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" hits the stores, the interwebs and your cable/satellite service via On Demand.

No you smarties, it isn't about a team-up with Chuck D or Flavor Flav.  It's about Lex Luthor becoming president of the United States and Superman and Batman being cast as the bad guys.

Just like some of the other films released from Marvel and DC over the last few years, Public Enemies looks like it won't pull any punches -- literally.  Watch the clip above from MTV Splashpage and check out Superman saying a big, fat hello to the Kryptonite-powered super villain Metallo.

Is it me or are the animated superhero comic book flicks a little bit more fun than the live-action ones?  

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

TORONTO (AP) -- You would think doubling a film's chances for an Academy Award nomination would thrill everyone in Hollywood, where an Oscar is the highest form of ego-stroking in a town of big egos.

Yet attitudes among stars, filmmakers and executives range from cautious optimism to harsh disagreement over the big change at next March's Oscars: 10 best-picture nominees instead of the usual five.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is experimenting with the expanded slate as Oscar organizers hope to stoke more interest in the awards show and spread the prestige around to different kinds of films.

It's not without precedent. From 1931 to 1943, the academy generally had 10 best-picture contenders, and as many as 12 some years.

Since then, though, it's been only five. Many in Hollywood wonder if doubling the field will cheapen the honor of scoring a nomination for the biggest prize in show business.

"I think it's terrible. My knee-jerk reaction is that it's a really bad idea. We'll see, but I think 10 just dilutes it too much," said Matt Damon, an Oscar winner for the "Good Will Hunting" screenplay he wrote with buddy Ben Affleck.

This month's Toronto, Venice and Telluride fests traditionally mark the start of awards season, as studios begin trotting out their big guns for the Oscars. Such recent festival premieres as "Crash," ''No Country for Old Men" and "Slumdog Millionaire" have gone on to win best picture.

"Generally, the five films that get nominated, people will make time to see those movies," said Damon, who stars in Steven Soderbergh's Toronto International Film Festival entry, "The Informant!" ''Whereas 10, it just seems like, what aren't they nominating?"

"I hope it doesn't devalue the nomination. Because to be nominated for best film is obviously an incredible honor," said Peter Jackson, whose "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" swept the 2003 Oscars. If it's the same honor with double the number of nominees, I'm not sure. I don't know. I guess time will tell."

Academy officials say they would not mind seeing the occasional documentary or foreign-language film score a best-picture nomination. But the switch to 10 nominees mainly springs from Oscar planners' efforts to popularize the show amid generally declining TV ratings over the last 25 years, as smaller, sober dramas have come to dominate instead of big studio productions.

Lighter films occasionally sneak in -- the road-trip romp "Little Miss Sunshine" or the pregnancy comedy "Juno." Yet the best-picture lineup most often fills up with broody films such as last year's "The Reader," ''Frost/Nixon" and "Milk" -- critical but not commercial triumphs.

"It used to be actually that very big box-office movies tended to be the ones that win," said Chris Weitz, director of this fall's vampire sequel "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and a 2002 Oscar nominee for the "About a Boy" screenplay. "Studios are now spending money on things they see as giant blockbusters rather than necessarily spending a lot of money on big historical epics that might do well at the Oscars."

The best ratings in recent times have come when huge hits such as "Titanic" or "The Return of The King" won best picture.

With 10 nominees last year, the acclaimed Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" likely would have been in the running, potentially giving general movie-goers more reason to watch the show.

"We're trying to do something that will make the award no different than it is now, but give people the chance to somehow be involved more in the awards," said Tom Sherak, academy president. "We said, 'Wouldn't it be great if by doing this, a comedy got nominated? Wouldn't it be great if a populist movie got nominated?'"

That idea also could backfire if Oscar voters nominate 10 sober little dramas instead of five, giving audiences at home no more reason to watch. Oscar attention often translates to better box office and DVD sales, though, so distributors of those sober little dramas don't mind the expanded best-picture category.

Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, said that if there had been 10 nominees last year, the company's critical darlings "Rachel Getting Married" and "Frozen River" might have made the cut, potentially broadening their audience.

"The more films that are going to be seen by more people the better. It gives more shots for my pictures to get in there," Barker said. "It might double the chance for high-quality films to get in."

Most in Hollywood have a wait-and-see attitude about the best-picture change, and Sherak said if 10 nominees don't work, the academy can always switch back to five.

"If I have the amazing fortune to be nominated, then I think it's a good idea," joked Jason Reitman, who directed George Clooney in the Toronto premiere "Up in the Air," the filmmaker's follow-up to his 2007 best-picture nominee "Juno."

The success of the academy's experiment depends on what movies actually get nominated, Reitman said.

If a film that's "wonderful but goes unseen" finds a wider audience because of a best-picture spot, the change will be worthwhile, Reitman said. Not so, he said, "if 'Saw VI' takes the 10th spot."

For this year at least, awards watchers will have to extend their list of candidates to include more films -- perhaps even audience favorites like the animated comedy "Up" or the sci-fi tale "Star Trek."

"The thing that could be very, very, very exciting is if it breaks the kind of lethargy that's easy to fall into with the academy, when you have the same five or six films that are mentioned at these times. You kind of know it's usually between two of the five," said Quentin Tarantino, an Oscar winner for his "Pulp Fiction" screenplay who has the World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds" up for awards consideration this year.

"There's rarely a ringer. There's rarely a 'Juno' in there. It usually is these good, serious movies battling it out in the serious movie competition, as opposed to the movies-for-all competition."


File photo: director Peter Jackson holds the Oscar he won for best director for his work on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the 76th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)

I'm sorry I missed this but Metropolis Comics has their "9-9-9" back issue sale going on.  Starting from Sept. 9 all back issues were 10 percent off. The prices drop 10 percent more each day until Sept. 17.  There are some exceptions --  from the bulletin:

On the 9th, all back issues (excluding the variants wall behind the cash register area) are 10% off.  On the 10th, 20% off.  On the 11th, 30% off.  And so on.  That's right.  That means on the 17th, all back issues in the top bins are 90% OFF.

Remember this is for back issues and not the new release stuff.  Complete 9-9-9 sale info here.

That 90 percent part sounds really nice, but you have to figure some of the items you may want will be gone by the time those back issues hit 50 percent.  It may mean I'll have to get over there sooner rather than later.

For more information:

Metropolis Comics
16509 Bellflower Blvd.
Bellflower, CA. 90706
(562) 263-0277


Above: Editor (and busy artist) Bill Morrison (left) and artist Tone Rodriguez sketch for Simpsons Comics fans at Metropolis Comics in July. (Robert Meeks/Press-Telegram) 

FILE - In This undated file photo originally provided by Disney, Johnny Depp portrays Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." (AP Photo/Disney, Stephen Vaughn, file)

SANDY COHEN
AP Entertainment Writer

ANAHEIM, California (AP) -- Johnny Depp, Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Tim Burton, Nicolas Cage and the Muppets are all set to appear in upcoming Disney films, and they came to the Anaheim Convention Center to tell fans in person.

They joined Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook on Friday at the D23 Expo, Disney's answer to Comic-Con, for a presentation on the studio's forthcoming film slate.

Depp was welcomed with raucous applause as he sailed onstage in a pirate ship dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow. He staggered about and embraced Cook, who announced that "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" would be released in the summer of 2011. Depp will also play Tonto in a big-screen adaptation of "The Lone Ranger," Cook said.

Cyrus performed her hit "The Climb" and discussed her role in "The Last Song" -- a part Cook said was written just for her.

Travolta, along with wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Blue, presented their forthcoming flick, "Old Dogs," set for release in November. All three appear in the film, which also stars Robin Williams.

"I always appreciate the audience's love for me," Travolta said in his first public appearance since the death of his son, Jett, in January.

"I hope they love 'Old Dogs' and much as we do, because I've got my baby in it," Travolta continued, referring to his daughter's film debut.

"We'll sign (her) a 25-picture deal," Cook said.

Burton showed footage from his 3-D take on "Alice in Wonderland," which stars Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.

"I've always loved the imagery" of the Lewis Carroll story, Burton said, and the opportunity to tell it in 3-D seemed "trippy and great."

Cook announced another Burton-Disney project: The studio will release a feature-length version of Burton's animated short film, "Frankenweenie."

Cage came to unveil the trailer for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," an adventure film based on "Fantasia" set for release next summer.

"To me, 'Fantasia' is the most beautiful movie ever made," Cage said.

He also agreed on the spot to appear in another "National Treasure" film.

A cast of 24 Muppets performed "Rainbow Connection" aboard an old-fashioned steamboat as Cook announced that a new Muppet movie would be coming "very soon."

"It's called 'The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made,'" he quipped.

The D23 star-power didn't stop there.

Robert Zemeckis offered a behind-the-scenes look at his upcoming 3-D version of "A Christmas Carol," which features Jim Carrey playing eight different parts. Next, Zemeckis will write and direct a 3-D adaptation of the Beatles' 1968 classic animated film "Yellow Submarine," Cook said.

Jerry Bruckheimer presented a preview of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," due next year. He will also helm "The Lone Ranger" production, Cook said.

Guillermo del Toro appeared on video from New Zealand to talk about his partnership with Disney on its new brand, Disney Double Dare You, which will release scary animated fare.

"We hope you take the dare," he said.

The first all-things-Disney convention runs through Sunday. The event's name signifies creator Walt Disney's 1923 move to Hollywood.

In this image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Alex O'Loughlin, left, and Kate Beckinsale are shown in a scene from "Whiteout." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)

JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer

It's Kate Beckinsale on Ice.

In the new cold-blooded suspense flick "Whiteout," the actress plays Carrie Stetko, a U.S. Marshall posted at a remote base in Antarctica. Yes, the movies have returned to our southernmost continent: "Whiteout" follows in the webbed footsteps of "March of the Penguins" and Werner Herzog, who traveled there for last year's "Encounters at the End of the World."

This time, there's nary a penguin in sight (though even amid all that cold, the movie still finds a way to squeeze in a steamy, gratuitous shower scene).

Laughably, a subtitle informs the audience early on with that Antarctica is "the coldest, most isolated land mass." Never mind that the film was actually shot in Canada.

Soon enough, Antarctica has -- as one character proclaims -- its first murder, which is followed by another, setting off some jurisdictional confusion. Somehow, the United Nations gets involved, immediately dispatching an investigator (Gabriel Macht).

Stetko and her friend, Doc (Tom Skerritt), are eager to end their stay in Antarctica, but the explosion of violence comes just as winter is about to set in, meaning the last planes are about to leave.

The murders -- one victim is found in the middle of nowhere, frozen to the ice -- also set off flashbacks for Setko. As a drug investigator in Miami, she was betrayed by her partner and nearly killed. This has, understandably enough, given her some trust issues.

The root of the murders has to do with loot from a newly discovered Soviet plane that crashed in 1957 in the middle of the Cold War. (Presumably, the plane's pilots had taken that term literally.)

There's much that's unbelievable about "Whiteout," but nothing more so than the idea that someone can fight in minus-65 degree cold without anything to cover the face. Also, Stetko's parka looks more fashionable than functional.

But despite such flaws, "Whiteout" succeeds as a half-brained but intriguing whodunit. It's not a fraction of "Fargo," but its solid-enough performances and cool mood give it a noirish pulse.

The story's thin cliches come from a graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber. Director Dominic Sena ("Swordfish") keeps the style from being too flashy and cinematographer Chris Soos has fun with the dark, wintery landscapes and flashlight beams.

The film benefits from the novelty of its setting -- the eery emptiness and isolated science labs that can be reached only by plane. Basic movement is difficult -- especially so when an ice pick-wielding lunatic is chasing you.

Beckinsale has shown flashes in films like "The Last Days of Disco," ''Laurel Canyon" and "Snow Angels," but her blockbuster efforts such as "Underworld" and "Whiteout" feel like desperate grabs for above-the-line stardom.

Surely by now, she's earned the right to avoid unnecessary shower scenes.

But, baby, it's cold outside.

I know I've run a trailer before but this one is more comprehensive and gives you some idea of what you may see.

"Whiteout" is based on writer Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber's comic book about a U.S. marshal played by Kate Beckinsale who has to deal with a murder only days before a dismal winter falls.  Considering the horrific weather conditions these characters have to deal with while trying to survive a killer, the concept seems to be geared for a cinematic treatment.

The movie co-stars Gabriel Macht ("The Spirit") and Alex O'Loughlin ("Moonlight") and opens Friday.

If you check out "Whiteout" this weekend and dig it, maybe you should also rent "Cliffhanger" starring Sylvester Stallone.  Yeah, that's no mistake -- I mean it. 

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Despite their roughhewn appearance, the resourceful rag dolls in "9'' obviously were crafted with great love and care, both by the scientist who made them in the film and the mastermind behind them in real life, director Shane Acker.

If only as much complex thought had gone into the script.

The animation is so breathtaking in its originality, so weird and wondrous in its detail, you wish there were more meat to the screenplay from Pamela Pettler, who previously wrote "Monster House."

Based on Acker's animated short of the same name, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2006, "9'' follows a group of creatures who represent the last vestige of humanity in a post-apocalyptic world. It's set in the future after a war between mankind and machines but eerily resembles Europe after World War II, with its sepia tones blanketing the decimated surroundings in danger and fear. (Parents, don't be fooled: It may look like a cute and clever cartoon, but "9'' is genuinely frightening.)

9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) awakens to find no people are left, but there are a few others like him: tiny, fabric dolls stitched together coarsely but sturdily, with lenses for eyes. (As in "WALL-E," the eyes convey a lot more emotion than you might imagine.) It's easy to see why Tim Burton was drawn to "9'' and wanted to help get it made as a producer, along with "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov: the mixture of darkness and whimsy, the childlike and the fantastic, is reminiscent of Burton's signature aesthetic. And yet, Acker has a vision all his own.

The dolls have numbers on their backs signifying who they are and the order in which they were created. They include 1 (Christopher Plummer), the priestly, rigid leader; 2 (Martin Landau), an aging but feisty inventor; 5 (John C. Reilly), who's loyal but afraid of everything; and 7 (Jennifer Connelly), a brave and butt-kicking warrior. Appropriately, Crispin Glover provides the voice of the group's misfit artist, 6. There are also 3 and 4, mute twins who are experts on history, and the brutish 8 (Fred Tatasciore), who looks like the Michelin Man and serves as 1's enforcer.

From there, "9'' follows an episodic, almost video game-like format. The curious 9 picks up an ornate piece of metal, sticks it in a corresponding hole and inadvertently jump-starts a villainous contraption composed of a giant red eye at the center and myriad metal tentacles. He and the other dolls must then scurry for their lives -- even though they don't yet know the whole story of their purpose on this planet -- as a series of equally menacing monsters tries to pick them off, one by one.

About halfway in, you realize how thin this expanded story really is, even though it's always dazzling to watch. It's intense and nearly relentless, except for a brief respite in which "9'' pays a lovely homage to "The Wizard of Oz."

Acker isn't taking us over the rainbow, but he has brought us someplace daring and new, and he makes you anxious to see what other destinations he has in mind.

"9," a Focus Features release, is rated PG-13 for violence and scary images. Running time: 79 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Film directors John Lasseter and George Lucas arrive for the presentation of the Golden Lion for life-time achievements at the 66th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press Writer

VENICE, Italy (AP) -- The Venice Film Festival's red carpet was festooned with balloons on Sunday to mark the lifetime achievement award for director and producer John Lasseter and his crew of Pixar directors.

They were rewarded for their work creating a new generation of childhood memories populated with Nemo, Woody and Sulley. It is the first time in festival history that the award honors not just one filmmaker but an entire studio.

Pixar, founded in 1986 and based in northern California, pioneered digital computer animation and has made 10 feature films to date, four of which have won Oscars since the animation category was introduced in 2001.

"We really set out to deeply entertain an audience, not just children but adults as well," Lasseter told reporters Sunday.

Lasseter said he was "tremendously honored" that the festival chose to give the award to the team of five Pixar directors, including Brad Bird ("Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles"), Pete Docter ("Up" and "Monsters Inc."), Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E"), and Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 3"). Lasseter directed the first two "Toy Story" movies and "Cars."

"Filmmaking and animation is one of the most collaborative art forms there is in the world, and it is never more collaborative than it is at Pixar," Lasseter said.

Lasseter posed with life-size Carl and Russell, the stars of Pixar's latest runaway hit "Up" on a red carpet imprinted with the Italian logos for Pixar's hits, "The Incredibles," ''Up," ''Finding Nemo" and the upcoming "Toy Story 3," before receiving the Golden Lion from George Lucas, who helped launch Pixar.

"I think anybody else when they sell a company and the company goes on to be very successful, they would feel like they missed out," Lasseter said. "George Lucas is so proud of us and we are so thankful to him. He is a true visionary."

To mark the occasion, the festival premiered 3D versions of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," which are set for theatrical release in the U.S. later in the fall. Children given a rare invite to the festival usually reserved for adults grabbed up free kites and posed next to a life-size model of Woody made out of Legos. Some came dressed as scouts, in homage to Russell.

Pixar merged with Disney three years ago, making Lasseter chief creative for both Pixar and Disney animation, where he is reintroducing hand-drawn animation.

"I felt like if there is a studio in the world who should be doing the highest quality hand-drawn animation, it is the studio that started it all, Disney," Lasseter said.

A few minutes of the first project, "The Princess and the Frog," was screening Sunday evening at Venice, marking the first time it will be seen outside of Pixar, Lasseter said.

An upcoming Pixar film breaks the studio mold of male characters as the central protagonist after its successful string of beloved male figures, from Nemo to Woody to Lightning McQueen. Lasseter said "The Bear and the Bow" is Pixar's first fairy tale, a mother-daughter story set in Scotland and directed by filmmaker Brenda Chapman.

"We believe very strongly in having really strong female characters," Lasseter said, then explaining why it hasn't happened yet: "I mean you are looking at a bunch of guys up here."

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Fear has trumped romance at the box office over Labor Day weekend.

The Warner Bros. fright flick "The Final Destination" remained the No. 1 movie for the second-straight weekend with $12.4 million for the first three days of the long holiday weekend. "The Final Destination" raised its 10-day total to $47.6 million.

It came in ahead of Sandra Bullock's romantic comedy "All About Steve," a 20th Century Fox release which debuted in second-place with $11.2 million from Friday to Sunday. Bullock plays a woman who sets out on the road in pursuit of her soul mate.

Among other new movies, Lionsgate's action tale "Gamer" debuted at No. 4 with $9 million. The movie stars Gerard Butler in a thriller about real humans controlled by players in lethal games.

Opening at No. 10 with $4.2 million was Miramax's comedy "Extract," starring Jason Bateman as a businessman whose personal life heats up just as he's trying to sell his flavor-extract company to General Mills.

Studios will release estimates for the four-day weekend on Monday.


Image above from "The Final Destination" courtesy Warner Bros.

Nothing's perfect in its maiden voyage even if we love the effort.  "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" comes to mind.

So motion comics have a little ground to cover before we determine if it's going to be "I dig this" or "ugh, I never want to see this again!"  While motion comics have been around in many forms for a couple years, these semi-animated projects are the new cold pool of water companies and creators are trying to get fans to jump into.

On cue to bully you into this digital entertainment transition, Marvel Comics teams with iTunes and puts writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev on "Spider-Woman: Agent of Sword."  Check out the interview above with Maleev.

Yeah, this Spider-Woman project is my new obsession. And if you're mad about me picking on the first "Star Trek" flick we can take that up another time.

In the pool of Marvel Comics' 5,000 or so characters there's going to be a few that were created for reasons that may have been really good at the time -- Like basing a new villain on societal ills and/or just making the publishing deadline (I'm leaning more toward the looming deadline).

You and I have known about these characters for awhile but do we sit around the comic book store and talk about them?  No, not so much.

However, upon greater scrutiny after the Disney-Marvel deal earlier this week, Time Magazine has discovered that many of these characters are not necessarily bad ... just odd. 

Well, some were really bad too.  I'm not hating on Howard the Duck or Lockjaw of the Inhumans, but Hellcow...?

See the collection of the "oddest" over at TIME.COM.


Pictured above, courtesy of Marvel Comics, the Hellacious HELLCOW.

Yeah, this movie is a little on the "The Running Man"side of the Force but I expect Gerard Butler ("300") to be better than Arnold Schwarzenegger at emoting while he wreaks havoc on the fools who try to control him.

In Lionsgate Films' "Gamer" video game players control real people as they fight deadly missions in hopes of winning freedom from death row. It stars Butler and Michael C. Hall ("Dexter").
 
"Gamer" opens today.

SAMANTHA CRITCHELL
AP Fashion Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Tim Gunn is taking his fight against fashion crimes from the workrooms of "Project Runway" to the pages of a comic book. And, wow, does he get to wear a power suit.

The "Loaded Gunn" story line -- to save an exhibit of extraordinary superhero clothes from a cadre of villains -- is part of a book that reintroduces a group of Marvel's high-fashion "Models Inc." comic characters from the 1960s.

"It's a little 'America's Next Top Model' -- without Tyra (Banks) -- and a little 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,'" says Marvel editor Charlie Beckerman.

The Gunn project evolved on a whim, but it turned out Gunn was a childhood comic fan and a good sport, Beckerman says.

Gunn says the experience has been "the most bizarre thing."

"It's exciting and exhilarating, but bizarre. When they came to me, I said, 'I'm about to turn 56 years old. Are they crazy?' But it kept revealing itself in layers and next thing, I'm wearing the 'Iron Man' suit. I was dumbstruck."

Personally, Gunn says he always fancied himself more of a Batman type, but he's pleased with the result.


"Most superheroes are fighting the same thing -- good vs. evil -- but who's taking on crimes against fashion? Me!"

The biggest offense, hands down: clothes that don't fit properly, Gunn says. And, if he had the truly incredible power to remove one item from closets all around the world, no question it would be Crocs.

"It's the No. 1 fashion crime item -- and I see it a lot," Gunn says.

Click here to see pages from the first issue.

Fresh off directing the soon-to-be-released "Sherlock Holmes," Guy Ritchie ("Snatch") is reported to be taking the helm of a movie based DC Comics' alien anti-hero LOBO.

Lobo is a virtually invulnerable bounty hunter who has had very few qualms about taking out his opponents (some who deserved it) in his comics appearances.  How violent will they let this film get when big audiences representing various age groups are desired by the studios? 

Maybe Ritchie will get to call the shots on the type of film he wants to make?

... Yeah, right.

Anyway, I expect one thing out of Ritchie -- he'll make this project a visual fun house complete with all the aliens, space travel and creative action sequences one should expect in a Lobo movie.

In totally unrelated comics 'n movies speculation: Jon Favreau is reported to be kicking the tires of "Cowboys & Aliens."  I guess the comics to movies train aint stopping no time soon.

JENNIFER KAY
Associated Press Writer

"The Child Thief," (Eos. 480 pages. $26.99) by Brom: Peter Pan lurks in Brooklyn, not ye olde London, in Brom's "The Child Thief."

This retelling of J. M. Barrie's original story emphasizes Peter's luring of children to join his band of Devils in Avalon (the group formerly known as the Lost Boys in a more mythologically jumbled Neverland).

"The Child Thief" follows two illustrated horror novels by Brom, an artist whose gothic images have filled comics, films and role-playing video games such as "World of Warcraft." His illustrations introduce each chapter and, unfortunately, they contain more drama, character and interesting details than the novel itself.

Brom drapes the Peter Pan story in utter darkness. An adolescent Peter trolls present-day Brooklyn for runaways, defends them from bullies and lures them to his magical island where he promises endless playtime. In reality, he's trying to bolster his child army for an epic battle with the Flesh-Eaters, who threaten the island's existence. One runaway, Nick, believes he's the only recruit to catch on to Peter's tricks.

But the original "Peter Pan" was already dark. Barrie didn't hide Peter's fickleness, ruthlessness or malice, nor Wendy's misgivings about her hero. It's an adventure, not a baby's fairy tale; step beyond the nursery and you may fall, but you also may fly.

"The Child Thief" shows Peter for the selfish trickster that he is, but it fails to show us any adventure. It's overlong and too reliant on physically describing all the festering deformities that plague Brom's pirates. It manages to be gory and bleak without really being unsettling. The epic battle turns out to be another disappointing installment in the clash between Christianity and older beliefs.

The original story continues to thrill because it's all about seduction and the subtle things to fear in a charming boy who never grows up. By focusing only on Peter's darker qualities, "The Child Thief" becomes the shadow caught in the nursery window -- limp without the boy himself.

Based on the first arc of "Astonishing X-Men," the newest series featuring the worlds most popular "gifted children," this Marvel motion comic features the work of writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday.

I'm enthusiastic about this choice for a motion-story.  Whedon not only allowed the mutants to confront the hottest storyline issues in the series (Anyone want a cure for being a mutant?), he also made it possible for audiences to get reacquainted with the characters and their personal conflicts.

The animation aspect of this trailer is a little bit of a problem for me.

I watched the first part of the new "Spider-Woman" motion comic and found it to be subtle and exciting in its use of motion, moody backgrounds, sound effects and actor dialogue.  This X-Men project is obviously more animated.  More Bending limbs.  More moving mouths.  I'm not sure if I like it yet. 

This may only be my issue because I liked the Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev "Spider-Woman" so much.  Motion comics are going to be a little different and every style will not thrill every audience.

Well, if I didn't ruin it for you, enjoy the trailer courtesy of Comic Book Resources.

Don't get ticked yet that you're getting too much Disney/Marvel coverage.  This $4 billion Marvel Entertainment Inc. acquisition by Disney is going to be the talk for months... no, scratch that... years!

The G4 TV analysis tosses out a possible future without a "Thor" movie (not a big enough following) and other Marvel property films could end up a little more PG and less PG-13.  But hey, it's all speculation until it happens.

The one thing industry watchers sort of agree on is that the publishing side of Marvel Comics should be OK.  But what do you think?

FILE - In this March 21, 2006 file photo, comic book creator Stan Lee stands beside some of his drawings in the Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The Walt Disney Co. on Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 said it 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. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)

JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Iron Man, Captain America and Thor may be nearly invincible, but they can also be bought.

In acquiring Marvel Entertainment Inc. for about $4 billion, Walt Disney Co. inherits a bevy of comic book characters whose history is almost dramatic enough to deserve a prequel of its own. And what could be a better ending than Hulk moving in with Donald Duck?

Marvel Comics, now a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Inc., was founded in 1939, a year after Disney released one of its biggest hits: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

Even Stan Lee, who would become an integral figure in Marvel's history and arguably its most public face, was a fan.

"The first expensive book I bought by saving my pennies was called 'The Art of Walt Disney,'" Lee said in an interview Monday. "I loved their cartoons: 'Pinocchio' and 'Bambi' and 'Snow White' -- all of them."

The first issue of Marvel Comics, released by Timely Publications, was published in October 1939 and included a now-classic character, the Human Torch. The issue sold for 10 cents.

The company's founder was Martin Goodman, a former salesman. A few years later, he hired a young office assistant named Stanley Lieber, who would eventually write under the name Stan Lee.

World War II changed the comic business as Lee and others were sent to battle. Afterward, superheroes weren't as in demand. Humor and romance replaced tales of good vs. evil. Captain America was out; Archie was in.

But the '60s were a creative heyday for Marvel. It published hundreds of comic books with superhero stories, including the introduction of the Fantastic Four. Lee created many of the characters, along with designers such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

Among them: Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Hulk and Thor. And, of course, there were the villains, too: the Green Goblin, Doctor Doom, Magneto and others.

With more serious, detailed storytelling, Marvel seized the comic book energy from DC Comics, which over the years has birthed Batman, Superman and many others. (DC has its own corporate owner: Warner Bros., since 1969.)

Marvel was sold in 1986 to New World Entertainment, and soon thereafter, was sold again to investor Ronald Perelman. He took it public in 1991, but bankruptcy followed. Marvel's current chief executive, Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter, snatched Marvel assets out of bankruptcy in 1998, outmaneuvering Perelman and investor Carl Icahn.

Marvel's commercial boom arrived in the '90s and the '00s, when the rights to its famous characters became highly profitable in video games, merchandising and blockbuster movie adaptations. Marvel Studios was formed to co-produce films with other studios.

There were also lawsuits that fought over the complicated web of ownership, including one filed by Lee, who successfully sued Marvel in 2002 for a piece of revenue from movies and merchandising.

The 86-year-old Lee, though, remains affiliated with Marvel and holds the title of "chairman emeritus." His company, Pow! Entertainment, has its own deal with Disney that gives the studio the first look at new projects. Pow! has three films in the works with Disney.

Perhaps because Lee has always worked as a collaborator, he harbors no ill feelings about seeing his characters shipped from one corporation to another.

"Luckily for me, once I stopped writing the stories, the people who took over were so good and so talented themselves," Lee said. "The people who are making the movies and the people who are putting them on video games are doing such a good job that I don't really feel I've lost control. I feel like I've handed control over to people who are perfectly qualified at what they do. They're making me look better than ever."