Superman is a symbol for hope. Even the "S" on his chest is the Kryptonian symbol for hope. While impervious on the outside, he still has many human emotional sensibilities. This funny comic by Zach Weinersmith has Jimmy Olsen asking Clark Kent questions that cause an introspective Superman to show his dark side, and the cost of staying sane. The humor is pretty dark, but if you're like me, it will be good for a chuckle.
Gotham premiered on Monday to strong ratings, which makes it unlikely that Fox will let them build up an intricate mystery and then cancel it after eight episodes. (I miss you, Reunion! And New Amsterdam!) Eight million of you watched it, so what did you think? I’ll tell you what series star Ben McKenzie thinks, Actually, I will let him speak for himself. He did a conference call with reporters recently, and here are some of the highlights.
On whether his work as Bruce Wayne on Batman: Year One had helped him prepare for the role:
"Hmm… I don’t know! I’d like to think so! I’ve always been a fan of Year One, even before I did the voice of Bruce/Batman for it. And so, it was an opportunity to re-read it, as an adult, and look more closely at it in terms of how to interpret it on screen… just my voice, not my body. So, I would say, it definitely pulled me in a little bit closer. And then, when Gotham came about and Geoff Johns sent me a bunch of literature, including Gotham Central, and Long Halloween, and the like… I think it certainly helps to understand what this is all coming out of; and what this is all coming out of, of course, is the comics, that have evolved wildly over 75 years. I think you pick certain sort of reference points, at least stylistically, and then you need to go out and do what you would do on any other job, which is work on the script and work with the director and your fellow actors to bring the scenes to life, playing your beats, playing your objective, not really doing anything different than you would do in any other job except that you know there is a certain heightened style to it."
He also said:
“One of the initial challenges is to not let the mythology overwhelm what is, at the end of the day, just an acting gig. It’s a great acting gig, a little bit more public than others, but, at the end of the day, it’s just a part that you play and you have to treat it like any others.”
On the stunt work involved in filming Gotham:
"I try to handle as much as I can, as much as I feel comfortable with. We have a great stunt team, lead by Norman Douglas our stunt coordinators. I do as much as I can. Stunts and action are a big part of the show. That being said, it’s all coming from a central aesthetic, the world that we’re portraying as being more swift and brutal than it is operatic and grandiose. You know, if Jim is in a fight, he wants to get it over with as quickly as possible and take out whoever he has to take out as swiftly and efficiently as possible. It’s more of a kind of brutal, military fashion than it is a kung fu style, or sort of acrobatic style. There hasn’t been a lot of wire work or things like that. We may get to that point, but I would prefer that this guy is portrayed for what Bruno, Danny and I agree he is, which is an old school hero, which is, you know: just a man! Completely fallible, who can’t jump up a building or fly through the air; he has to use what he’s got and he has to occasionally lose. I think that grounds him into more of a sense of reality and I think this is what we’re aiming for. That being said, each episode, the fight scenes get more and more complicated, so we may end up there anyways."
And on why Detective Jim Gordon isn’t rocking the luxurious Commissioner Gordon 'stache:
"I had lengthy conversations with Bruno and Danny about everything else; lengthy, lengthy conversations about all sorts of things! And then, as soon as it hit the Internet that I was doing it, -chuckle- it seems like all anyone wanted to talk about was whether I had a mustache or not. And I thought about ringing Bruno and being like 'Hmmm… One last thing…' We just literally NEVER talked about it. And then I brought it up to him and he was like 'No, that would look ridiculous on you! We’re not doing that!' It’s 20 years before he can grow into the maturity and wisdom that it takes to sport a mustache and that’s the line we’re sticking to. Maybe 20 years from now, the mustache will feel, you know, EARNED! -chuckle- I can grow it, for the record, I can grow the mustache! If you think that I can’t, you should watch Junebug. I’m not afraid of the mustache, I just don’t feel it’s appropriate for the age."
You can read more of the transcript over at Batman News. Gotham airs Monday nights on Fox.
Over the years we’ve featured several pieces from illustrator and painter Daniel Danger. Danger has showcased his unmistakable style in posters for Star Wars and Cowboys & Aliens and for Mondo’s Ben Affleck and Game of Thrones print series. He works primarily in darker shades. Looking at his work is almost like walking into a room with no lights, you can’t see much at first, but as your eyes adjust these surprising details start to emerge. Here are just some of his incredible pieces that we found over at The Art of Animation.
The sci-fi thriller Predestination teams Ethan Hawke back up with directors Michael and Peter Spierig. They all worked together on the vampire movie Daybreakers. Predestination is kind of like Steven Spielberg's Minority Report as Hawke plays a law-enforcement agent who stops crimes before they happen. He is pursuing a criminal who has escaped capture from him over and over again for years. It looks like a decently entertaining flick, so I'll give it a shot.
The film chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent (Hawke) sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to ensure the continuation of his law enforcement career for all eternity. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
The movie is set to be released in the U.S. something in 2015.
Here's a fun supercut for The Walking Dead described as a "symphony of walker killing." There are around 97 kills included in the video, and it's set to the Can-Can from Orphée aux Enfers by Jacques Offenbach. The video sure brought back some good memories of watching this fantastically horrific series.
Via: io9
Throughout his eight seasons on Saturday Night Live, comedian Bill Hader did countless spot-on impersonations of celebrities and politicians. Hader was recently on Conan to promote his new film Skeleton Twins, and during the interview, the master impressionist revealed that he and his former SNL castmates all do impressions of each other. Hader proceeded to explain his go-to moves for imitating Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis.
American Psycho screenwriter Guinevere Turner will adapt the 1971 book about Charles Manson, The Family, for a feature film being developed by Roxwell Films. It tells the story of Manson's life leading up to the 1969 murders of at least nine people including Sharon Tate. The writer had this to say in a statement:
“It’s exciting to explore the psychology of the young women who followed Manson. What makes a 19-year-old in 1968 follow a man to the extreme of killing innocent people for him? We all know how it ends — people die and people go to jail — but how did it get to that?”
The movie will be directed by Jonas Akerlund, who has directed concert films for musicians such as Madonna and U2. This will be his first feature film, and this is what he had to say about it:
“This has long been a subject that I felt we could make into a compelling and captivating film in hopes of satisfying a country’s need to know more. … This is a tale that must be told, and we venture to create an engrossing film that accurately captures the cultural intrigue that still lingers today.”
The story behind Manson is fascinating and it should make for an interesting film. They got a talented writer to help develop it
In August of 1969, during two bloody evenings of paranoid, psychedelic savagery, Charles Manson and his dystopic communal family helped to wreck the dreams of the Love Generation. At least nine people were murdered, among them Sharon Tate, the young, beautiful, pregnant, actress and wife of Roman Polanski. Ed Sanders' unnerving and detailed look at the horror dealt by Manson and his followers is a classic of the true-crime genre. The Family was originally published in 1971 and remains the most meticulously researched account of the most notorious murders of the 1960s. Using firsthand accounts from some of the family's infamous members, including the wizard himself, Sanders examines not only the origins and legacy of Manson and his family, but also the mysteries that persist. Completely revised and updated, this edition features 25 harrowing black and white photos from the investigation.
There are a ton of villains in the Marvel universe. Some are more awesome than others. IGN released a video breakdown listing who they think are the top 25 Marvel villains. It's a decent list, but there are really no surprises. It seems like they went went with the most popular. I'm a bigger fan of Marvel than I am of DC, but I will admit that I think the DC universe has slightly better villains than Marvel.
While looking for something else on my hard drive I found this drawing of some Hipster Heroes. #whatever pic.twitter.com/XyLs9B7r50
— J.Bone (@gobukan) September 25, 2014The other day when I was doing intrepid research for this post here, I came across this other J. Bone illustration that I liked almost as much. This one is called "Hipster Heroes," and it features Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman tricked out in hipster garb, and oh my gosh, Batman would be the most insufferable hipster ever. Seriously. The worst. And I cannot even imagine a hipster Superman. He’s too earnest. Wonder Woman would probably still be cool, though. Again, if you like this art, check out J. Bone’s Twitter or tumblr.
Liam Neeson has once again teamed up with Seth MacFarlane, this time for the writer-director's upcoming film Ted 2. The two previously worked together on A Million Ways to Die in the West in which Neeson played the evil villain. MacFarlane revealed the news himself on Twitter saying:
"Yesterday Liam Neeson, today Morgan Freeman. Not a bad week for #Ted2."
There's no word on how big of a part he'll play, but it might just be a cameo role since it sounds like he one shot for one day. But you never know, he could always come back for more shooting. I do hope that Neeson's part is more comedic than the last one.
Freeman has a decent sized role in the film though as a civil rights lawyer who takes Ted on as a client. Mark Wahlberg is reprising his role, and the leading lady playing opposite him is being played by Amanda Seyfried. Mila Kunis is also expected to make an appearance.
Ted 2 hits the big screen June 26th, 2015.
If you live in Hong Kong and you're a fan of McDonalds and the Justice League superheroes, then you're in luck! They are going to be rolling out a series of Justice League superhero meals, and they've revealed the first one, which is for Batman.
This is the Batman Diner Double Beef burger, and it comes with Squeezy Cheesy Fries. Oh yeah… you heard that right… Squeezy Cheesy Fries. That burger looks nasty. I don't have a problem with egg on a burger, but I don't know about those sauces and onions.
I'm curious to see what the other Justice League meals will look like. Would you try this Batman burger?
Via: Geekology
FX Released three more unsettling teasers for American Horror Story: Freak Show. We have "Tweaked Clown," "Trapeze," and "Back To Back." I've alway enjoyed the little promos for this series. They're intriguing and effective.
The story begins in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of curiosities has just arrived to town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike.This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.
The freak show begins on October 8th!
Mondo has released this fantastic piece of poster art paying tribute to the first vampire film, Nosferatu. The illustration was created by William Stout, and it's available to purchase right here. The screenprint size is 24"x36", and it comes in an edition of 275.
Birdman has an insanely talented cast and a lot of good buzz surrounding it. If you are not already sold on the movie, watch the mind-trip that is the trailer. Michael Keaton's career lost a lot of its luster after doing Batman, but he's slowly found his way into more interesting work. Birdman could be his "comeback" film.
We have nine images from Indiewire and a new poster Vulture, via Screen Rant. The poster has a very arthouse feel to it, with all the actor's names being pushed. To me the poster is boring. I really wish they had a design that had the feeling the trailer does.
Storyline: A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.
Birdman lands in theaters October 7th (USA).
LAIKA's stop-motion animated film The Boxtrolls came out this weekend, and to celebrate the studio released a new featurette for the movie. It gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous and detailed work that goes into making a movie like this. It's amazing to see how big the beautiful handmade sets are and how well-crafted each of the characters are. Stop-motion animation is a very long, hard, and tedious process, but LAIKA has perfected the art, and you get to see them in action in the video below.
I took my kids to go see the movie yesterday, and it was incredibly charming. My kids enjoyed it as well. If you haven't seen it yet, you might want to check it out if you have the time.
Here are a couple new illustrations by artist Dave Rapoza. The piece above features a team-up of Batman, Wolverine, and Spider-Man all pumped up and jumping into battle to kick some ass. I also included an intense portrait of Batman that he whipped up below.
Director Tim Burton is preparing to go into production on his next film, which is an adaptation of the Ransom Riggs novel, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Eva Green (300: Rise of an Empire, Sin City 2) is already set to play the title character, and now the director is looking to cast Ender's Game star Asa Butterfield as the other lead.
The news comes from The Wrap, who says, "Butterfield has not received an official offer yet, insiders say one is expected to materialize soon, as he's Burton's choice for the coveted role."
The story follows a teenager who must help protect a group of orphans with special powers from creatures out to get them.
If Butterfield gets the part, he would play 16-year-old Jacob Portman, "who seeks the truth about his grandfather's past after he's murdered by a 'hollow,' a vicious creature that Jacob had thought to be imaginary. He quickly meets a young girl named Emma who can control fire, and via a time loop, she introduces him to Miss Peregrine and a group of peculiar children with special abilities, including super strength and invisibility."
Green is playing Miss Peregrine, who serves as the guardian of the group, but it's Jacob that holds the key to their survival.
Butterfield is a very talented young actor who also starred in Martin Scorsese's amazing film Hugo. This would be a great project for him to work on, and he has definitely got that certain look that Burton likes to use in his movies. The movie has a release date of March 4th, 2016.
Check out this amusing comic strip from Dorkly called "Video Games from the Skeletons' Point View." It features a couple of concerned skeletons who go out of their way to help a friend in the most violently unexpected way. Enjoy!
Last week a rumor hit that the writer and director of Star Trek 3, Roberto Orci, wanted William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy to appear together in the film. Orci wouldn't confirm or deny the rumors in a couple of tweets he sent out. Shatner responded at the time that he didn't know anything about the rumor, and that no one had contacted him.
It looks like that all changed though. Shatner revealed at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con that he actually had been contacted, and it was J.J. Abrams who made the call. According to Shatner, Abrams said,
“I’m calling because the director of Star Trek, the next movie, has had an idea where you might be involved, so I’m calling to find out whether you would be interested.”
Shatner says he responded,
“It depends on what you do with the character, but I would be delighted.”
So if they actually make this work, it looks like we'll see Shatner in the next Star Trek movie, which will make fans extremely happy. Of course, Abrams told Shatner that he couldn’t say anything to anybody, and Shatner agreed not to even tell his wife. And of course, once it leaked, Shatner didn't have to keep his mouth shut anymore. Shatner went on to say,
“It’s all over the Internet that the director had held an interview and said they want Shatner and Nimoy to be in the next movie. I’ll bet you J.J.’s frothing at the mouth at this point. So the news is out that they have an idea that they want Leonard and myself…they might want Leonard and myself in it. But I would love to do it. But how do you get me fifty years later into the movie? I mean how do you rationalize it. I know it’s science fiction, but even I couldn’t come up with an idea. So that’s the news on that.”
I will be great to see Shatner and Nimoy up on the big screen together again, and I can't wait to see what they have planned for them.
Marvel has already teased a fight sequence between Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor and Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But a couple of fans are currently in the process of developing their own short film that will feature a battle between the two superhero characters.
Anthony McGrath and Mark Cushley are the creative team behind a short film that will include Tony Stark in his Hulkbuster armor battling The Hulk. They've released some very cool test footage from the project along with some concept art created by Paul Dolan.
This is a very impressive tease to something incredibly awesome that is about to be released. I'm wicked excited about seeing the finished product. I also included a previous animated short they did featuring Iron Man and his Mark Z armor.
