Quantcast
Channel: GeekTyrant – Geek Movie and Entertainment News
Viewing all 53000 articles
Browse latest View live

GHOSTBUSTERS Star Kristen Wiig Reacts to the Controversy Surrounding The Movie

0
0

The moment director Paul Feig cast women in the new Ghostbusters movie, some fans of the first two films lost their sh*t and started complaining like crazy about how the movie would be ruined simply because women are in the lead roles now. They aren't playing gender-swapped versions of the characters that appeared in the original — it's not like Melissa McCarthy is playing Venkman this time around — but despite the fact that this movie has a great cast, a good director, and not even one second of new footage has been released, there's still a large contingent of fans who have been very vocal about hating the very concept of this new movie. (Feig eventually got sick of it and WENT OFF on Twitter.)

One of the many awesome people involved with this film is Kristen Wiig, who is having a heck of a year after appearing in The Martian, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Welcome to Me, and more. In an interview with the L.A. Times, the actress was asked if she'd ever experienced working on a movie with so much controversy around it, and this was her reply:

No. And the fact there was so much controversy because we were women was surprising to me. Some people said some really not nice things about the fact that there were women. It didn't make me mad, it just really bummed me out. We're really honoring those movies.

I don't blame her. The reaction from many so-called "fans" of this franchise has been very disheartening to watch. I know there are plenty of people who are excited about the movie and many who are at the very least willing to see some footage before they start irrationally hating on it, but that angry mob mentality sadly seems to get the most attention. We'll find out whether the new version of Ghostbusters was worth all of this scorn (spoiler alert: it absolutely was not, even if the movie ends up being terrible) when it hits theaters on July 15th, 2016.


Preview: SILK #1 - A Quest For Family

0
0

Silk is on a quest to find her missing family in her new series post Secret Wars, but the first arc seems to be more about finding out just how far she will go to accomplish that, and who she will ultimately become. The new book sees Cindy Moon joining forces with the Black Cat, and possibly becoming a wanted woman. How we get there is still to be revealed, but writer Robbie Thompson and artist Stacey Lee promise to make the journey a worthwhile one.

Of all the characters in the Spider-family, Silk is the one I'm most unfamiliar with, but the premise here is one that is likely to get me to give it a go. Check out the preview of issue #1, and you can buy the full issue when it releases on 11/11/15.

Silk_1_Shim_Hip-Hop_Variant.jpg
Silk_1_Preview_1.jpg
Silk_1_Preview_2.jpg
Silk_1_Preview_3.jpg

Jared Leto Opens Up About SUICIDE SQUAD's Joker For The First Time

0
0

Earlier today, a couple of new photos surfaced of Jared Leto as The Joker in Suicide Squad. Now we have an interview with the actor in which he opens up about the character for the first time. Throughout the entire shoot, Leto never broke character. Hell, he was so deep into it that his co-star Will Smith said he's never actually met Leto.

When Empire Magazine got a hold of the actor for the interview, the first thing Leto said was, "I was just thinking that the Joker would probably just say, 'Fuck you,' and hang up." He went on to explain what it was like for him playing the character:

"There was definitely a period of...detachment. I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn't imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games. But at the same time it was very painful, like giving birth out of my prick hole."

During the interview, the actor revealed that while he played the character he listened to 1920s gospel music and read literature on shamans. He then offered his unique take on the classic villain:

"I always get the sense that The Joker may be much older than people think. It's something different. If you don't break rules, you're not going to strike new ground. I think I'll be cooling down for the rest of my life."

That's actually pretty fascinating. I do like that fact that he was looking to break rules and think outside of the box to give the fans of the character something new, fresh and different. Suicide Squad producer Charles Roven then talked about the villain's sense of style, saying it was inspired by Mexican cartels. He went on to say that this version of The Joker is also "More social...a very successful and smart businessman besides being a sociopath." 

Director David Ayer also shared his thoughts on Leto's take on the villain and describes him as being scary:

"The Joker is the third rail of comic book movies. There's a power to that character, and by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other millions of things that went into it, we've cooked up something transcendent. He's scary."

Suicide Squad will be released on August 5th, 2016, and it sounds like Leto's Joker really is going to be a sight to behold. To catch up on any previously released Suicide Squad news, rumors, and speculation, click here.

Via: CBM

Photos: Beyoncé Dressed Up as X-MEN's Storm For Superhero-Themed Birthday Party

0
0

Normally, I don't really care about celebrities dressing up as superheroes for Halloween. But this is Beyoncé we're talking about here, people. And she rocked the hell out of this Storm costume at Ciara's 30th birthday party last night. This was too good not to share with you guys. It's almost enough to make you forget about Halle Berry's version of the character altogether. Check out some pics below:

The Squad Was Thick..... @Valgabond @KellyRowland @LaLa @Beyonce @AngieBeyince @SerenaWilliams #TheBestSurpriseBirthdayPartyEver

A photo posted by Ciara (@ciara) on

Super She'ros #itsmybday me @lala @beyonce @kellyrowland happy bday to me & @ciara

A photo posted by Angie Beyince (@angiebeyince) on

Via: USA Today

Dan Borth is Trying to Bring Darth Maul Game Back to Life

Disney Animation's ZOOTOPIA Reveals New Characters and Cast Members

0
0
disney-animations-zootopia-reveals-new-characters-and-casts-more-actors1

Disney's upcoming animated film Zootopia looks like it's going to a ridiculously funny and entertaining film. I got to see some footage from it at D23 this past summer, and I thought the stuff that the studio shared was great. 

The voice cast for the film originally included Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Shakira. Now, thanks to USA Today, we have some information on the rest of the voice cast and the characters that they will be playing. We even have images and information for each of those characters. But first, here's the synopsis:

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.
zootopia-01.jpg
zootopia-02.jpg
zootopia-03.jpg
zootopia-06.jpg
zootopia-07.jpg
zootopia-04.jpg
zootopia-05.jpg
zootopia-09.jpg
zootopia-11.jpg
zootopia-12.jpg

Here is the list of new cast members and characters that they play in the movie:

  • Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) - A cape buffalo who is the head of the Zootopia Police Department.
  • Mrs. Otterton (Octavia Spencer) - An otter who reaches out to the police to help her find her missing husband.
  • Leodore Lionheart (J.K. Simmons) - A lion who is the mayor of Zootopia.
  • Assistant Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate) - A sheep we don't know much about yet.
  • Duke Weaselton (Alan Tudyk) - Described as “a small-time weasel crook with a big-time mouth.” 
  • Yax the Yak (Tommy Chong) - Described as and enlightened and laid-back character.
  • Benjamin Clawhauser (Nate Torrence) - A cheetah receptionist at the Zootopia Police Department that enjoys eating donuts.
  • Flash (Raymond Persi) - A hilariously slow moving and talking sloth who works at the DMV a.k.a. the Department of Mammal Vehicles.
  • Bonnie Hopps (Bonnie Hunt) - Judy’s mom
  • Stu (Don Lake) - Judy’s dad who is a carrot farmer.

Zootopia was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, with Jared Bush serving as co-director. It hits theaters on March 4th, 2016. For more information on the film, click here.

STAR WARS Fan Transforms Ukrainian Statue of Lenin into Darth Vader

0
0

Statues with ties to communism are being taken down all across the Ukraine, but artist Alexander Milov had a better idea: what if, instead of tearing down a statue of communist leader Vladimir Lenin, he transformed it into a likeness of iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader? His request was approved and he made it happen, also turning the statue into a Wi-Fi hotspot for good measure. Going from Lenin to a guy who destroyed an entire planet (RIP, Alderaan) seems like a lateral move, but at least the statue looks cool.

Sculptor Alexander Milov recently gave a statue of Soviet founding father Vladimir Lenin in Odessa, Ukraine, a makeover. Look familiar? usat.ly/1Wc6viS (Photo: Volodymyr Shuvayev, AFP/Getty Images) #starwars #darthvader #force #stormtroopers

A photo posted by USA TODAY (@usatoday) on

" I AM YOUR FATHER"🔝❤️ Tutto è nato dalla recente ordinanza imposta in tutta l’Ucraina di rimuovere ogni riferimento comunista dai monumenti e dalle strade del paese. Tutto è nato dalla recente ordinanza imposta in tutta l’Ucraina di rimuovere ogni riferimento comunista dai monumenti e dalle strade del paese. Quindi, si sarebbe potuto abbattere la statua di Lenin che svetta in una delle piazze di Odessa, ma per fortuna l’arte ci ha messo lo zampino. Lo scultore Alexander Milov ha infatti sostituito (o meglio ricoperto) la statua del leader comunista con quella di un altezzoso Darth Vader, oscuro braccio destro dell’Imperatore nella saga di Star Wars. L’iniziativa non potrà che attrarre più turisti di un vecchio Lenin baffuto. Siamo molto felici che la febbre da Star Wars (manca poco più di un mese all’uscita de Il Risveglio della Forza) abbia contagiato anche i paesi dell’Est. Quindi, si sarebbe potuto abbattere la statua di Lenin che svetta in una delle piazze di Odessa, ma per fortuna l’arte ci ha messo lo zampino. Lo scultore Alexander Milov ha infatti sostituito (o meglio ricoperto) la statua del leader comunista con quella di un altezzoso Darth Vader, oscuro braccio destro dell’Imperatore nella saga di Star Wars. L’iniziativa non potrà che attrarre più turisti di un vecchio Lenin baffuto. Siamo molto felici che la febbre da Star Wars (manca poco più di un mese all’uscita de Il Risveglio della Forza) abbia contagiato anche i paesi dell’Est. #darthvader #starwars #powerofimagination #ucraina #alexandermilov #picoftheday #statue #instagood #instagram #instalike #like4like #likes #likesforlikes #followme #follow #follow4follow #today #news #art #beauty #dictator #lenin #ukraine #arte #Change #revolution #iamyourfather #easteurope #liberty

A photo posted by @johnnymarci on

Via: LaughingSquid

New York Police Union Calls For Boycott of Quentin Tarantino's Movies

0
0

Quentin Tarantino has not had the career he's had by playing it safe, and the Oscar-winning writer/director has once again garnered some controversy — though this time, it wasn't something in one of his films that caused it, but something the man himself said.

Over the weekend, Tarantino attended a protest against police brutality in New York City, where he briefly addressed the crowd before giving his remaining time to the families of people killed by police officers:

"I am a human being with a conscience. When I see murder, I cannot standby. I have to call the murdered the murdered, and I have to call the murderers the murderers."

Patrick Lynch, the head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, released a statement to THR, part of which reads:

"It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too. The police officers that Quentin Tarantino calls ‘murderers’ aren’t living in one of his depraved big-screen fantasies — they’re risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to protect communities from real crime and mayhem," Lynch said, adding, "It’s time for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s films."

Check out video of Tarantino's speech below. His new movie, The Hateful Eight, opens in select theaters on Christmas Day.

Via: Vanity Fair


Cool Fan-Made Opening Title Sequence For CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

0
0

While we impatiently wait for Marvel to officially release the first footage of Captain America: Civil War online, we have an impressive fan-made opening title sequence for the film to keep the hype alive. It wonderfully captures the superheroes in the story and their allegiances. 

The video was created by YouTube user Mighty Raccoon, and it has a cool artistic style that was inspired by the some of the end-credit sequences we've previously seen in Marvel movies. 

Via: CBM

Frank Marshall Says They Won't Recast INDIANA JONES: "We're Not Doing The Bond Thing"

0
0

There has been a lot of talk about the future of the Indiana Jones franchise, and basically, the only thing we know for certain is this: Kathleen Kennedy and Disney are going to make another movie. That's inevitable. Pretty much everything else is just rumor or in the very, very early stages of planning, so all that talk about Chris Pratt playing a new version of Indy is, at this stage, not even being discussed by the people directly involved with the film.

Producer Frank Marshall — who's produced or exec produced every Indiana Jones movie thus far — spoke with Total Film (via Den of Geek) and was asked about the possibility of Pratt taking over the franchise. Here's his response:

“There are a lot of rumours,” Marshall admitted. “We haven’t even sat down to talk about Indy yet… at some point we’ll sit down. But there’s a bunch of people who could probably take the baton.”

But the most interesting comment he made actually seems to contradict the whole "passing of the baton" thing: Marshall also said that the filmmakers are "not doing the Bond thing where we’re going to call somebody else Indiana Jones…we have to figure this out.”

So...Indiana Jones 5 is probably going to happen with Harrison Ford returning (Spielberg even mentioned it briefly the other day), but Marshall's comments indicate that they aren't interested in having someone else take over the character. So what happens when Ford is eventually finished wearing the fedora? It seems doubtful that Shia LaBeouf would reprise his role as Mutt Williams from The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and take over (the dude seems little whacked out these days, and he publicly bashed the last movie, so he's probably out of the picture), so Indy 5 would likely need to introduce another young adventurer for Ford to "pass the baton" to if they don't want to recast the role.

But then, why would future movies still be called Indiana Jones and the [Insert Cool Phrase Here] if Jones himself isn't a part of them? That wouldn't make sense, and without the Indiana Jones name in the title, Disney/Lucasfilm loses the all-important name recognition that sells tickets. Maybe Marshall just meant they wouldn't recast the role for Indy 5, but maybe they're OK with doing that for any movie that happens after that? Debate amongst yourselves in the comments.

The Bottle Boys and Beatboxer Thor Mikkelsen Recreate Disney Songs in an Original Way

0
0

Kids just love Disney songs, don’t they? But some adults love them too. Think of “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” (The Aristocats), “Hakuna Matata” (The Lion King), “You Can Fly” (Peter Pan), and so on...I can go on listing them forever. There are various interpretations of the songs out there, both contemporary and old, with some being good and others not so good. Pop, rock, metal, rap: experimental versions of Disney songs exist in each of these genres. But just today I came across rather extraordinary variant of some of the most well-known Disney songs.

The Bottle Boys, a band from Denmark, teamed up with the famous beatboxer Thor (what a cool name) Mikkelsen in order to perform three Disney songs in their own unique way. And in case you are wondering what makes their performances so unique, well…the guys prefer bottles instead of musical instruments (or voices) to recreate a song. (We've actually written about them before, but I'm just now hearing about them.)

"For each of the songs we’re playing we’ve chosen a different musical style – turning the songs upside down. So starting out quite calm and true to the original, we give the chorus of “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas a drum and bass vibe which suits it quite well, we find. :) We then pay homage to “The Silly Song” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in an old school hip hop version – the movie being the first Disney feature film from back in 1937 we found this an obvious choice. “Let It Go” from Frozen has been requested a lot by you guys and here it finally comes. We’ve given the song a house/dubstep treatment which was great fun to play! And Thor just kills it! Hope you like it as much as we do!"

So go ahead, check out what they have to show you and see if you can recognize the songs from Pocahontas, Snow White, and Frozen.

In case you don't remember them, here are the originals!

Source: Bottle Boys

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Christina Applegate Will Play BAD MOMS in New Comedy

0
0

Not long ago, Paramount had a comedy in development called Bad Moms with Leslie Mann lined up to star and Judd Apatow set to produce. The Hangover writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote the script and were going to direct, but a scheduling conflict took Mann and Apatow out of the project. Lucas and Moore are still on board, but now Deadline reports that the movie (which is going to get a new title) has been picked up by STX Entertainment and has three new leading ladies: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Christina Applegate. Here's the synopsis:

Like most modern mothers, Amy takes care of everyone but herself. Her life is perfect: a happy marriage, overachieving kids, a beautiful home, and 365 good-hair days a year. She bakes for the school bake sale and chairs every committee – all the while holding down a career. And, she makes it all look easy. But just under the surface, Amy is at her breaking point — too over-worked, over-committed, and over-exhausted to take one more demand from anyone. Why work so hard for so little appreciation? What would happen if she did what she wanted for a change? Fed up, Amy joins forces with two other over-stressed moms, leading them on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities, going on a wild un-mom like binge of freedom, fun and self-indulgence — accidentally landing on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn and her blindly devoted clique of ‘perfect’ moms.

At this point it's unclear which actress will play which role, but I can easily see Bell or Applegate playing Gwendolyn; Kunis would probably be more at home playing the over-worked mom than an older version of a Mean Girl (not to mention the former two women are blondes, which is often Hollywood shorthand for either bimbos or bitches in broad comedies...sorry blondes).

Anyone looking forward to this one?

Someone Discovered a Map of Middle Earth Annotated By J.R.R. Tolkien

0
0

In Blackwell's Rare Books in Oxford, England, someone discovered an old map of Middle Earth in a copy of The Lord of the Rings that was annotated by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The book once belonged to illustrator Pauline Baynes, who worked closely with Tolkien to create the well-known map of the fictional area, and this annotated copy — which Blackwell's is calling "perhaps the finest piece of Tolkien ephemera to emerge in the last 20 years" — provides some insight into the author's collaborative process.

Here are a couple of pictures of the map, which looks to be an early version of the Baynes' 1970 map at the top of this article:

Tolkien's notes (written in green ink) reveal that Hobbiton resides on the same latitudinal line as Oxford, and that the city of Ravenna, Italy was the inspiration for Minas Tirith. Other cities listed include Jerusalem, Belgrade, and Cyprus. The map is on sale at Blackwell's for £60,000 ($92,118).

Source: The Guardian

Common Will Face Off Against Keanu Reeves as Villain of JOHN WICK 2

0
0

John Wick 2 has just found its big bad.

According to THR, actor/rapper (and recent Oscar-winner) Common is set to play the film's "chief villain, a head of security for a female crime lord." That raises some interesting questions (namely, who is this female crime lord and which actress will ultimately play her?), but any more information is frustratingly hard to come by at this point. With production set to begin this week, we'll hopefully know more soon. Reeves had some intriguing things to say about the sequel recently, but didn't offer many concrete details about the movie's plot.

The original John Wick was co-directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, but the sequel will only be helmed by Stahelski. Star Keanu Reeves is coming back ("yeah, I'm thinkin' [he's] back") to reprise the title role of an assassin who dove back into the underworld to get revenge on a gangster's son who murdered his dog. Meanwhile, Common will play a mysterious role in Warner Bros.' upcoming Suicide Squad film next summer.

Thrilling New Promo for THE X-FILES - "It Has a Monster In It"

0
0

A new promo spot for The X-Files premiered last night during Gotham, and it's loaded with all kinds of riveting new footage that shows us what we can expect to see in these six upcoming episodes! If you're excited for this revival, this spot is sure to you even more pumped up. 

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles as Agents Mulder and Scully in the series, and it returns to Fox with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, January 24th, 2016. The premiere will then continue on Monday, January 25th. To catch up on all of the previous news and trailers for The X-Files revival, click here

Just aired! Did you see this during Gotham?!

Posted by The X-Files on Monday, October 26, 2015
Thirteen years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of THE X-FILES will be a thrilling, six-episode event series helmed by creator/executive producer Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-inhabiting their roles as iconic FBI Agents FOX MULDER and DANA SCULLY. This marks the momentous return of the Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning pop culture phenomenon, which remains one of the longest-running sci-fi series in network television history. Production on THE X-FILES event series is set to begin in summer 2015.

Watch Vin Diesel Play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

0
0

Vin Diesel has made it very clear in previous interviews that he is a huge fan of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The guy apparently plays it a lot, and now you can watch him in action. We have a video for you to watch of him sitting down with members of Geek and Sundry and Nerdist playing the game. D&D is a role-playing game that I was never introduced to when I was growing up. I did get hooked on Magic: The Gathering for a long time, though. 

I’ve seen D&D portrayed in movies and TV shows, but I’ve never watched an actual game being played. This video is really the first time I’ve ever seen it, and it looks like a lot of fun. Diesel sure has a good time! They really did a good job of setting the mood for the game, and of course Diesel is playing as the Witch Hunter.

This was obviously done as a way to help promote his new movie The Last Witch Hunter, which ended up being a fun flick. 

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn Grow Up to Be Criminals in BAND OF ROBBERS Trailer

0
0

I’ve got a trailer here you need to watch for a film called Band of Robbers, an intriguing take on Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The story reimagines the characters as if they had grown up in modern times and is set in present day with Tom and Huck as grown up adults living as criminals. 

The movie screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival and I’ve read great things about it. It looks like a great crime comedy that audiences will enjoy. It seems to have a Wes Anderson kind of feel to it, which is a good thing. If you’re a fan of Anderson’s work, that is.

Mark Twain’s young heroes Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn spring vividly back to life, this time as modern-day grown men. When Huck is released from prison he hopes to leave his criminal past behind. But his lifelong friend and corrupt cop, Tom, has other plans, having formed the Band of Robbers, a group of misfits dedicated to locating the hidden treasure that eluded the boys in childhood.
Twain aficionados will find myriad references to their beloved characters, but the film stands on its own as a story about two well-intentioned heroes refusing to bid their childhoods goodbye. Charming and hilarious, the Nee brothers make a winning directorial team in this old-fashioned Boys’ Own yarn thrown headlong into the present day.

The movie was directed by Adam and Aaron Nee, and it stars Kyle Gallner as Huck, Adam Nee as Finn, Stephen Lang as Injun Joe, and Supergirl‘s Melissa Benoist as Becky Thatcher. Gravitas Ventures will release Band of Robbers in select theaters and VOD on January 15th, 2016.

TRICK 'R TREAT: DAYS OF THE DEAD - A Sitdown with Todd Casey and Zach Shields

0
0

I recently had the chance to sit down with two of the talented writers (director Michael Dougherty was also a writer on the film) behind the upcoming film Krampus, Todd Casey and Zach Shields. Along with Dougherty they are also part of the team responsible for the four part collection of short stories set in the Trick 'r Treat universe, titled Days Of The Dead. While the original film has an extensive cult following, Days Of The Dead also serves as a little taste of what could possibly be a full-fledged film return to Sam's spooky little world.

GT's Matt Mueller: One of the most noticeable things about all four stories is that at their core is an unexpected sentimentality. It is something I didn’t necessarily expect, but ultimately was a pleasant surprise. There is a lot of heartbreak and pain in these stories, but also a rather big splash of hope, in the form of Halloween magic. How was the process of coming up with the stories that ultimately made the cut here, and what was the theme that you ultimately went with? Hope... revenge... karma comes back around? Or something different altogether?

Todd Casey:  We love magic, and, in a way, we were acknowledging how lucky we are to not get burned alive for it. Each story features people who are persecuted for who they are or what they believe, beginning with pagans in Celtic Ireland where Samhain originated. The horror story there isn't the existence of witches, it's the people who burn them alive. Halloween, in this story, was started by people who know what it is to be oppressed and that gives them a kingship with all those who suffer similarly after them. There is a suggestion that the spirits (and monsters) beyond the veil are sympathetic towards the misunderstood, the exploited, and the persecuted.  Those spirits allow for the hope as dole out (often-lethal) karma. 

MM: Just like the original movie, I love how the stories somehow link together, whether it be just through Sam, or (don’t want to spoil) how certain characters are worked into later stories. Were you excited to get to work in this universe after coming off of Krampus? What did you enjoy the most about working with Sam and the lore established in this universe?

TC: I first met Mike when I was working at Cartoon Network. We brought him in for a general meeting based off his animated short "Season's Greetings," which was the first appearance of Sam and my first insight into how Mike's mind works. I'd never imagined I'd participate in expanding that mythology, but ten-ish years later, here we are. There's a sense of balance and supernatural lawfulness in the TrT universe that I loved exploring. Sam lives by a code, and I like that about him. There's something classically mythological about one's ability to bargain with their potential executioner.  

MM: He is so adorable yet so lethal. Also, just curious, but does Krampus occupy the same universe as Sam? Never really thought about it until now.

Zach Shields: Maybe. 

MM: That would definitely be an interesting party to be at with those two at the punchbowl.

"Seed" is a hell of a way to start the book off. Within several pages I was already invested in Thomas and Brigid. A Lot of great moments in this story, and probably my favorite story overall, including the lovely artwork by Fiona Staples. A wonderful tale of someone’s perspective being changed by someone willing to tell them how things really are. What was the inspiration behind "Seed"?

TC: We kicked around the idea of doing a story during the Salem witch trials, but decided to roll our timeline back even further to 17th century Ireland and the origins of Halloween itself. A romance between the misunderstood and the misled emerged as we concocted the story. The seed itself became symbolic of the immortality of an idea - which in this case, is a belief system that cannot be stamped out. Pumpkins rise from the dead through their seeds, which is emblematic of Halloween's promise that there is life beyond death. It's like one of those, metaphor-type things...

MM: Part of what makes the stories in this volume (including "Seed") so effective is the fantastic art on display. Every style fits the story being told so perfectly, especially Stuart Sayger’s art on "Echoes." Did you get to work with the art team a great deal in putting this together?

TC: I did not, but I enjoyed the hell of out seeing those pages come to life. 

ZS: We picked the artists involved because we are fans of theirs, so we wanted to give them the creative space to interpret the scripts as they saw them. Basically, we gave them scripts, they gave us art, and then we all got happy. It wasn’t too involved beyond that. 

MM: Hey, sometimes it really just doesn't need to be that complicated, haha. 

"Corn Maiden" was another hard hitting story, and yet another poignant tale of people fearing what they don’t relate to, and ultimately horrible things have happened in this world as a result of that type of rush to judgement. You touched on this earlier a bit, but is that something the team was attempting to get across here as well, or did I just board the “read way too much into that” express, haha?

TC: No, that's definitely on purpose. And there's hope in the idea that there are forces out there who will balance the scales. The persecuted can find allies in some pretty dark places.  

Also it should be said just how fantastic Stephen Byrne’s art is here. Everything is so vibrant, especially when the focus is on the tribe.

TC: He draws so beautifully, which somehow makes the scenes of violence so much more shocking. You really don't see it coming, which is a fun trick. 

MM: The tale does take a much darker turn than expected, and you are right, the art is phenomenal, and the warmth in the pencils and colors makes what happens hit even harder. 

"Echoes" is probably the trippiest story out of all four, and Sayger’s art is a big part of that. Even without that, though, you are still unsure of what he is actually seeing and what is in his mind. It isn’t 'til towards the end that you are for sure or not in that regard. Did you go into this project knowing you wanted to tell a noir private eye type story? Are you fans of the genre?

TC: Yes and yes. Some of us live in Echo Park, which has played host to scenes in Chinatown and LA Confidential, so when we decided on noir, it made sense as both homage and hometown pride. Echo Park also worked as a location because it was once a haven for Hollywood socialists, which earned it the nickname "Red Hill." That allowed us to do a noir story, but to also keep our theme of fear mongering/persecution through the Red Scare, which is going on in the background of all this. 

MM: The final story, "Monster Mash," has such a bold look, and is a bit more lighthearted (until towards the end that is) than the rest. This is probably due to the artwork, but I got a very Where The Wild Things Are vibe. The monsters are all frightening in their own ways, but somehow you don’t see them as threatening necessarily. That probably has to do with the two boys' attitudes toward the whole ordeal. Why did you ultimately choose this as your final story?

TC: Chronology is the short answer. We checked in with Halloween during all these different eras and wanted to end on the era where we — children of the 80s — grew to love it. We thought it would be fun to show what Halloween is like from the POV of the monsters hitting the streets to mess with people. "Fun" being the key word because it could easily turn into a grisly evening spent watching some kind of ape-goblin skin people. There's definitely an audience for that, but it felt incongruous with the other stories, and it made sense to see these two kids get wrapped up in the bacchanalia. Their motivations are more innocent, so the ways they take advantage of the situation are more tempered (until the end that is).  

MM: Well guys, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, truly appreciate it!

Hope you enjoyed our chat, and you can catch a synopsis of Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead below. I will also have a review of the volume soon. 

Thanks to Legendary for the chance to have a great discussion. Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead is in stores now. 

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Trick 'r Treat Days of the Dead
From the twisted imagination of Trick ‘r Treat creator Michael Dougherty (director of the upcoming Krampus and Trick ‘r Treat 2 and screenwriter of X-Men 2 and Superman Returns) alongside a top-notch team of creators including writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields (Krampus), Marc Andreyko (Batwoman) and artists Fiona Staples (Saga), Stephen Byrne (Buffy/Angel), Stuart Sayger (Bram Stoker’s Death Ship) and Zid (Son of Merlin) comes this 4-part collection that paves the way for the Trick ‘r Treat film sequel.   
Days of the Dead takes readers on a journey through Halloween history with 4 chilling new Trick ‘r Treat tales. Discover old-world lovers whose romance takes a chilling turn and Western pioneers who discover the dark side of the frontier. Travel to 1950s Los Angeles for a tale of pure horror noir and into the heart of small-town America to see some pranksters taught a lesson they'll never forget.
Across centuries of Halloween horror, wherever fear lies, Sam will be waiting…

THE WALKING DEAD Season 6 Ep. 4 Promo and Sneak Peek - “Here’s Not Here”

0
0

The last episode of The Walking Dead was so freakin’ shocking, and it made me very upset. I won’t say who, but one of the characters in the series seems to have been killed off on the show. I’m still kind of shocked, and I don’t want to believe that this character died. I have a theory that he could somehow still be alive, and I’ve posted that SPOILER theory below the videos in case you’re interested.

Next week’s episode is called “Here’s Not Here,” and we have a promo spot and sneak peek clip from it that focuses on the character Morgan. The episode itself centers on Morgan as he must face his demons on his journey from King County to Alexandria.

As for my theory… SPOILERS ahead!

Glenn can’t freakin’ die! Not like that! I believe that the guy who shot himself in front of him landed on top of Glenn in the fall, and that’s who the zombies were tearing apart. Glenn was just screaming out of pure terror. I have no idea how he could get out of that if that’s what did happen, but he is a resourceful and smart dude, and he still has the stuff he needs to set fire to something. If he really does turn out to be dead, though… I don’t even want to think about. Do you think Glenn is dead? Do you have any theories on how he could survive that maddness? 

Preview - Spider-Woman #1

0
0

Spider-Woman is back! Not only that, but both Ben Urich and Porcupine are still along for the ride, as is the creative team of writer Dennis Hopeless and artist Javier Rodriguez. The gang is all here, but not without some new additions, namely the little one that Jessica Drew will be having in about 9 months.

The challenge and responsibility of having and raising a child is immense, as is the (theoretical) job of being a superhero. Smash them together and you have a tremendous mountain to climb, but Jessica Drew seems to be up for the challenge, and I can't wait to see how she does it. I've openly admitted how much I love Spider-Woman's most recent run, and the fact that the same creative team is in tow just makes me giddy. I don't foresee the baby being just a throwaway angle here, and the supporting cast is just fantastic. 

Spider-Woman_1_Cover.jpg
Spider-Woman_1_Preview_1.jpg
Spider-Woman_1_Preview_2.jpg
Spider-Woman_1_Preview_3.jpg

You can catch a preview of issue #1 above, and glimpse of the launch variants below. Spider-Woman #1 releases on November 18.

Spider_Woman_1_Christopher_Action_Figure_Variant.jpg
Spider_Woman_1_Oum_Variant.jpg
Spider-Woman_1_Bustos_Hip-Hop_Variant.jpg
Spider-Woman_1_Cosplay_Variant.jpg
Viewing all 53000 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images