Hiatus

Wow - it has been a long time. Nearly a year! And the last review I have on here is from 2009? I realized the other day that I never get on a computer any more (or rarely) unless I'm at work. I do everything on iPhone - surfing, email, Twitter, Facebook. And Blogger still doesn't have an iPhone app? I downloaded Blogpress a long time ago and used that for a while, but I do (did) so much on this blog that I couldn't do with an app that I rarely updated this one.

That being said, I still want to keep this updated as a database of comic movies. So, I'm going to start back up with the reviews, and use this blog to keep track of the great comic book and superhero projects coming out in 2011.

Maybe I'll be a bit more consistent :)

Previews and Pop Culture, April 2010

Bringing you the highlights of comics solicited for June as they relate to pop culture.

Movies

Ghostbusters Holiday Special: Con-Volution! (one-shot, IDW)

The Ghostbusters take on a comic book convention.

Jurassic Park #1 (IDW)

Takes up the story 13 years after the original story.

Predators #1-4 (mini, Dark Horse)

Prequel to Robert Rodriguez's Predators movie.

TV

Darkwing Duck #1: The Duck Knight Returns (mini, Boom!)

Darkwing Duck makes a comeback.

Fringe: Tales from the Fringe #1 (mini, Wildstorm / DC)

6-issue mini based on the show.

Phineas and Ferb Early Comic Reader #1: Nothing But Trouble (Disney Press)

Good excuse to buy a comic for my kids...

Books

Dracula #1 and 2 (mini, Marvel Comics)

Based on Bram Stoker's novel, these comics have been colored for the first time. They were inked by comics legend Dick Giordano (who recently passed at the age of 77).

Other

Rock N' Roll Comics #1: Joan Jett & The Runaways (one-shot, Bluewater Productions)

Unauthorized Biography

Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper #1 (IDW)

Adaptation of Robert Bloch's story, originally published in Weird Tales in 1943.

Superheroes at Taco Bell!

Snagged this 3D Batman and Wonder Woman at Taco Bell tonight. Get 'em free with kids meals or $1.50 each. They come with 3D poster and 3D glasses.

Barb Wire (1996)

based on a comic book

[5/10]

Ah...the comic book Bad Girls of the 1990s. Lady Death, Witchblade, Shi, Purgatori, Barb Wire. Good times.

In the 1996 film attempt to cash in on Bad Girl popularity, Pamela Anderson Lee is Barb Wire, a "different kind of mercenary." The year is 2017, after the second American Civil War, the US is run by a fascist regime, and there's one free city left in the States: Steel Harbor. That's what the opening text tells us. And that's what Barb Wire narrates almost word-for-word nearly 10 minutes later after she does an erotic dance going undercover for one of her jobs.

Like a lot comics of the 90s, Barb Wire is more style than substance. The acting is wooden. The dialogue sounds like it was written by a bad writer who's just watched too many action films. Maybe I'm romancing them, but this film makes Arnold's 80s movies look like Oscar-deserving cinema.

Pamela even picked up a tagline for herself in this film. Arnold has "I'll be back" and now Pamela has "Don't call me 'Babe'."

But, there is something about the spectacle. And I've always been drawn to the dystopian future. The action's almost fun in places, and the technology is at least a little interesting.

Barb Wire is based on the Dark Horse comic, from their Comics Greatest World imprint. In 2008, Dark Horse collected the entire Barb Wire run in one of their popular Omnibuses.

Notable cast. The cast is a veritable who's who of random comic book roles.

Pamela Anderson Lee played Invisible Girl in Superhero Movie, and voiced Stripperella in Stan Lee's famed cartoon of the same name.

Barb's foil, Alexander Willis, is played Xander Berkeley. Berkely began his comic-book-related roles back in The Incredible Hulk in 1982. Most recently he played Detective Gigante in Kick-Ass (that's out today!). Voice work in animated roles include The Tick, Superman: TAS, Spawn, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Spider-Man (2003), Teen Titans, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Clint Howard (Schmitz) is one of those character actors whose face you recognize, but whose name you don't. He's been in Heroes, Super Capers, The Rocketeer, and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto.

Udo Kier (Curly) is similarly familiar. You've seen him in Blade and you've heard him in Justice League and The Batman.

Tommy Lister was in The Dark Knight, as well as Super Capers.

Temuera Morrison (Axel) was in Blueberry and will be Abin Sur in the upcoming Green Lantern film.

Jack Noseworthy (Charlie) played Strickland in Surrogates.

Addendum: How could I forget character actor Nicholas Worth (creepy Ruben who picks up Barb Wire), from Darkman and Swamp Thing? 

See it if you rate your actions films by how well they balance the trifecta: violence, nudity, and adult language.

Don't see it if you like your comic book films to have more substance than style.

Marvel and IDW on the iPhone

Surfing apps this afternoon (after my friggin' laptop crashed) and I came across Marvel's app. I'm sure the comics will look cooler on the iPad, but this'll have to do for now. A little more looking and I found that IDW has their own app, too. Cool.

Comic Book Publishers on Twitter

If you're on Twitter, I've been working on a list of comic book publishers. It's not exhaustive, obviously, but it's a start:

Jim's Comic Book Publishers Twitter List 

Previews and Pop Culture

Just a few items of interest in the March Previews...

Boondock Saints in Nomine Patris #1
Written by the original creator of The Boondock Saints, Troy Duffy
12-Gauge Comics

I saw The Boondock Saints for the first time a couple of weeks ago - amazing film! I hear Boondock Saints II doesn't live up to the original, but what sequel does? 


Bram Stoker's Death Ship #1
IDW
Interesting premise - a ship sails from Transylvania and the crew begins to fall victim to the evil creature lying in the ship's hold during daylight hours. 


Fame: Lady Gaga
Bluewater Productions
Seriously? 


James Patterson's Witch & Wizard #1 
IDW
Has anyone read this book? Is it any good? 


Muppet King Arther (Hardcover) 
Boom! Studios
I need to check out this muppet series.



Addendum.
Duh! How could I forget (especially since I ordered it):


Rock & Roll Comics: The Pink Floyd Experience
Bluewater Productions 
Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band. I'm looking forward to reading this.  

Comic Book Movies on Sale at Target

Comic book movie sale at Target.

Superman I-IV complete set for $9.99.

Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin complete set for $9.99.

And Greatest American Hero Seasons 1-2 pack for $19.99.

Batman: Brave and the Bold - Plastic Man toy!

I think this is the next thing I'll pick up when I have a little money to spend. A stretchy Plastic Man toy from Batman: The Brave and the Bold.




Check out my mad filmmaking skills (stills shot with an iPhone; stop motion created with iMovie 08).

Also found a few other cool toys from the show (these were all at Target).

Amanda Waller

Did you know there was an Amanda Waller action figure?

Surrogates (2009) mini review

based on a comic book

[9/10]

The world has changed. When surrogates were invented (robot-selves that you control with your mind), it allowed people to keep themselves safe from the dangers of the outside world. While their robot selves can go out and and face anything imaginable, they're controllers can remain safe at home. If your surrogate is damaged or destroyed, you can just get a new one.

At least until now.

A surrogate has been killed, and its controller died in the process.

Now that the first homicide has been committed in several years, FBI Agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis, Unbreakable, Sin City) has to find who is doing it and how.

Surrogates was a completely engaging movie. I never actually read all the bad reviews, but I've noticed thy haven't been very kind - I'm not sure why. The movie didn't have a lot of the problems that can plague science fiction - poorly developed story, bad acting, worse writing. Just the opposite - Surrogates is well-written, with a good, solid story - it has everything that a well-made drama consists of. I very nearly scored it an 8/10, but had to give it the extra point, when my wife and I spent the ride home from the movie discussing the motives of the characters, the story, and the philosophy of the movie. I love movies that make you think. See Surrogates if you get a chance.

The movie also stars James Cromwell (Spider-Man 3), Ving Rhames (Aquaman pilot), Jack Noseworthy (Barb Wire), Helena Mattsson (upcoming Iron Man 2).


See it if you like thoughtful science fiction that makes you think and ponder what it means to be human.

Don't see it if heavy action science fiction with lots of lasers and explosions is more your style.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Afte watching Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, I've now seen all of the DC animated movies other than Green Lantern: First Flight. And except for Batman: Gotham Knight, I think Public Enemies is the best of the lot. Superman: Doomsday was a bit of disappointment. I enjoyed Final Frontier and Wonder Woman, but not as much as Superman/Batman. Unfortunately, I don't have the benefit of having read Jeph Loeb's original Public Enemies comic to make a comparison, but the movie itself is a lot of fun. A variety of characters, many of whom you don't expect, and some creative dialogue (it's always good when you laugh out loud) make this definitely worth seeing. I'm sure some hardcore fans might question motives of certain characters (would Starfire really be on Luthor's payroll?) but I don't know some of these heroes well enough to think too hard about it. See it if you get the chance.

Superhero Tweet of the Week

"If I was invulnerable...I think every once and a while I'd get hit by a car and be like....DUDE COME ON, THESE ARE NEW KACKIS!! "

@MyNameisRazzle

What? Who? Pop Candy!

Dang - haven't spent any time here and I want to get back in the groove.

So, a couple of cool things I came across today.

I love Pop Candy.

Whitney Matheson always has some nice superhero-flavored pieces to share.

Geekologie asks, What if Superheroes Had Beards?


Bearded: Batman by ~Vanjamrgan on deviantART

Good stuff...

Also, The Maxx is coming to DVD. (Woo!)

Finally, the creepy weird "Pale Force" superhero cartoons. I couldn't get through them - but you may...

Surrogates

Finally seeing it tonight!