We talked about this movie on the most recent episode of The Flickcast and both Matt and I thought it looked pretty interesting. The movie in question is Neill Blomkamp’s debut feature film District 9. The film, which was also written by Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, tells the story of a race of aliens living among humans in South Africa. Of course, the alien’s motives are somewhat of a mystery and as often happens in these type of movies, things are not always what they seem and don’t go as expected.
Previously, both Matt and I had seen a trailer for this film where the alien’s face was obscured with pixelization. Now, thanks to the folks at Film School Rejects and YouTube, the “uncensored” trailer for District 9 is now online. Plus, courtesy of Yahoo Movies we also have the new poster to show you as well. Check out the trailer below and a bigger version of the poster after the jump. District 9 opens on August 14th.
Sometimes, in the case of movies like Batman Begins, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Star Trek, you can understand why it was necessary to make them and/or reboot the franchises. But then there’s those movies that make you wonder why, or how, they ever got made. In this case I’m talking about the big screen adaptation of TV’s Land of The Lost featuring Wil Farrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel.
I’m a fan of the original show and I’m not sure why this time around the filmmakers thought it would be a good idea to make it a comedy. The film would have been better served if it had been done more seriously as it was in the original series. It could still have humor (which is a big thing for me and comes up in my review of Star Trek earlier today) and it could still have action, suspense and cool looking Sleestaks.
Love it or hate it, this movie is coming out later this year . Until then, over at Rope of Silicon they have some new photos from the film as well as a new trailer curtesy of Universal Pictures. Whatever your opinion, these new pics and trailer do peak my curiousity and actually make me somewhat interested to see the movie. I know, I’m as surprised as you are. Watch the trailer below and check out more photos after the jump.
Unless you live under a rock, on an island with no power, or don’t care, you are aware that there’s an 11th feature film out today based on Gene Roddenberry’s venerable creation Star Trek. In this reboot version, director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and the rest of the team have managed to take a relatively tired franchise and inject it not only with new life, but with a new found sense of purpose as well. This purpose? To entertain, have fun and maybe even teach us a little something along the way. On all counts this film succeeds admirably.
One of the advertising tag lines for this new Star Trek reads “This is not your father’s Star Trek.” That pretty much sums up how this particular film fits into the established Star Trek universe. As in, it doesn’t. But that’s okay because this movie delivers and makes you almost forget the past and embrace this new, shiny reality for all its worth — lens flares and all. In short, this new, improved Star Trek works — and works well.
Not only is Star Trek entertaining, which it most certainly is, its great fun and satisfying on many levels and in ways few movies are these days. For long time fans of the Star Trek franchise such as myself (I started with the original series), we get to see our favorite, and very familiar, characters as they develop the friendships and relationships that will sustain them and help propel them into the future. The characters are introduced and evolve in familiar, yet new and unique, ways throughout the film as we are taken on a journey and spun off in new directions that offer endless story possibilities.
I was a bit concerned how they were going to get away with some of the obvious changes made to the established history of Star Trek. Fortunately, the method chosen works, even though it rests fundamentally on a somewhat tired time travel conceit. Still, even with that, which is explained just enough and in a very “Trek” way, you forgive the film its little flaws because in the end, its fast paced, action-oriented, humorous, exciting style engulf you and help you forget, and forgive, the film’s problems.
Is Star Trek a perfect film? No, of course not. With stories that turn on a plot contrivance with so many possible problems like time travel, this movie has a few holes large enough to fly a starship through. Does that matter? Not at all. The movie is going along with such pacing, energy and exuberance that you barely notice and just enjoy the ride.
Normally, the biggest hits of the summer arrive closer to late June or even July, when all the kids are out of school and nerdy fandads and fanmoms can take the family to the theater as many times as possible. Last year, that rule was trumped by a little film called Iron Man, which surpassed most movie and comic fans’ wildest dreams when it came to the gold and red hero.
This year, so far, that award easily goes to J.J. Abrams for his ability to take a once dead franchise and completely revitalize it for both a brand new audience, while not alienating the legions of pointy-eared fanboys. Star Trek is easily this year’s Iron Man in more than just being a pleasant surprise, but also tone. There is conflict in the film. But overall, there is a positive tone that runs through the entire film that made us believe that this crew could overcome any conflict or foe, no matter how much of a no-win scenario it may seem to be.
The thing that makes this film so unique and impressive is how it reboots the franchise while adhering to the continuity of the original Star Trek series and films. The best part? This is explained in two scenes but done in such a “Trek” way that it doesn’t lose the audience and we’re ready to move on to the next exciting scene. The writing team of Orci and Kurtzman, who wrote both Transformers films, were able to utilize things like alternate universes in a franchise where things like that are under intense scrutiny by fans and still pull it off.
This is part two of this week’s Pull List, check out part one here!
Deadpool #10 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 8.0 What’s the one way to make an already funny book like Deadpool even more entertaining? Pair him up with an individual who–while may not be as funny–has a more twisted view of the world. That’s what happens in this issue as Norman Osborn decides to send in one of his heavy hitters, Hawkeye a.k.a. Bullseye, to take on the ‘Merc with the Mouth’. The interesting thing is that Bullseye is pretty funny himself, in a very sick kind of way. The back and forth between the two makes the interaction feel something like the Odd Couple on acid. Surprisingly, Bullseye isn’t present through most of the issue, but instead Daniel Way takes the reader through one of Deadpool’s lowest paying and comical hits before letting the two psychopaths cross… um, paths. What follows are some greatly choreographed and intelligently put together action panels that rival most well done action movies.
If you’re one of the millions of people that are going to be heading to your local multiplex over the next few days to see J.J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise, you may be a hardcore fan who needs no assistance understanding the complexities of the Trek universe. For the rest of you, over at io9 they’ve put together a pretty comprehensive guide to all the best Star Trek resources available on the Internets.
From the “official” Star Trek website to general information through a beginner’s guide, episode guides, reviews, toys, fan fiction and even costumes, this guide points you in the right direction (or directions) for all your Star Trek information needs. In fact, even though I’m a huge fan of Star Trek, have been since the original series and consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the shows and their history, I still found a few new resources to enhance my knowledge and understanding of the show and the phenomenon that is Star Trek.
The brand new Star Trek opens today in the US and everywhere else in the universe tomorrow.
Over at People.com, they’ve gotten their hands on two more photos from the set of Iron Man 2. Last time there was only one photo of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark in his lab surrounded by the various incarnations of the armor. This time around, the pics are a bit different and show Downey, Jr. seemingly taking a break from filming and the film’s crew working at one of Los Angeles’ landmark locations.
If you’ve ever been on a film set for any length of time, its not surprising to see a photo of Downey, Jr. taking a rest. There’s lots of downtime while making a film. Plus, working in that armor all day has got to be a bit tiring, so he probably needed a break.
Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson and hits theaters May 7, 2010.
This is part one of this week’s Pull List, check back tomorrow for part two. Check out last week’s Pull List here and here!
Pull of the Week:
Irredeemable #2 – Boom! – $3.99
Score: 8.5 After hearing all the buzz about this series, I went back and picked up the first issue as well as this week’s new release with issue #2. This issue picks up with Kaidan, a former teammate of the fallen hero, The Plutonian, on the search for any information regarding just who the new rogue used to be or what may be his weakness. Kaiden’s journey takes her to the ruins of Sky City, a place she and the Plutonian used to protect together, which is now just a scrap heap left in the Plutonian’s wake. Her journey takes her to a woman who was once the Plutonian’s girlfriend and in hearing the girl’s tale, Kaidan must also look back on her own experiences with someone she once considered a friend in order to see what may have caused him to snap.
Writer Mark Waid does a great job of overlapping super hero action on a gritty detective story. While the book has many of the standard super hero conventions that seemingly parody characters like Superman, such as his utterly laughable “secret” identity and the ability to fly to space in back in mere moments, the Plutonian is as far from the Man of Steel as they come. Something has really snapped in this former hero, as witnessed by his actions in the first issue to one of his former teammates the Hornet, as well as the Hornet’s wife and baby. And while the actions of the Plutonian are gruesome in their own right, the scariest part about him are the moments left unseen and without description. Leaving only the aftermath as evidence, the reader is only given a small peek in to the obviously broken psyche of the man who was once considered his world’s greatest hero. Peter Krause does a great job illustrating the story in a style that resembles Dynamite’s The Boys. The two books actually share a lot in common with their takes on the super hero genre.
Over at MTV’s Movie’s Blog, they’ve got some brand new one-sheet promo posters for the upcoming sequel to Transformers called, of course, Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen. I’m not going to lie to you, these posters look pretty darn cool and depict some of your favorite Transformers, including Optimus Prime, the ever-faithful Bumblebee and the evil Starscream, in all their updated, ILM enhanced cinematic glory.
What more can I say, these are great images and this movie, based on what we’ve seen so far, looks to be even bigger, badder and louder than the first one. If you’re a fan of this kind of movie, love the Transformers and thoroughly enjoyed the first go-around, you should be psyched for the sequel. I know I am. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters on June 24th, 2009.
On the left is a smaller version of the Optimus Prime poster. You can see bigger versions of all three posters after the jump.
Last Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. In case you’re not familiar, on this day — the first Saturday in May — comic book stores give away comic books for free to anyone who comes into their stores. Not all comics are free, however, and you should always check with your local comic shop to see what they will be giving away.
That said, the most recent Free Comic Book Day was a big success and our own John Cale was out there checking out all the free comics to bring you his picks of the best . Your local comic shop probably still has copies of these books so head on over and check ‘em out.
Blackest Night #0 – DC – Free
Score: 9.0
Everything said about how good Geoff Johns and his ability as a writer rings true in DC’s offering for this year’s free comic book day. Along with penciller Ivan Reis, Johns takes the reader to a very solemn moment in the DC history. Batman is dead. Having sacrificed himself during “Final Crisis”, Batman’s unmarked grave site is visited by two heroes that Johns has become renowned for the rebirth of, the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and the Flash, Barry Allen. Though short in length, the issue provides a deep insight into Hal’s frame of mind as he discusses with Barry the death of Batman, something close to home for both men since he was a friend to them and both men had also been dead at one point as well.
They look to other heroes lost and, despite the comic book cliché’ of people returning from the dead, show just what the loss of heroes like Batman, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter means to their world. Likely because they are Johns’ favorite characters to write for, the interaction between Hal and Barry is perfect. One tries to be supportive and uplifting as the other is trying to deal with the gravity of the situation.
As the title implies, the issue ties directly in to the upcoming crossover from DC this summer with the same name. The second half of the issue acts half as advertisement for upcoming DC books and trades written by Johns as well as a introduction of the different color Lanterns. For those not familiar with the mythology behind the Lanterns (such as the new readers targeted by the Free Comic Book Day promotion), the pages explain the emotion, history, powers and weaknesses of each of the eight ring colors as well as showing some of the members. Kept the most secretive is the Black Hand and the Black Lantern Corp, with many of its members unknown but looking to be characters of DC’s past that will rise from the dead.
On a personal note, in this issue Johns was able to do something not many writers have been able to do. Bring a mostly Marvel reader in to a DC story that he feels invested in. In this single issue, Johns is able to pull on the reader’s heart strings as he brings out emotions from iconic characters that the reader doesn’t need to know the detailed histories of to feel like they are part of the experience. Johns’ ability to make the reader understand that Hal and Barry feel the same way they do when they know Batman is really dead is a powerful example of just how valuable a medium comic books really are. Seeing Batman killed on a movie screen is passive but to turn through pages that resemble a subtle eulogy help the reader be involved in the actual experience. All that said, in the coming months, expect “Blackest Night” and its tie-ins to become a part of this pull list.
The Avengers – Marvel – Free
Score: 8.0
Not to be outshone by rival DC’s tie in to their summer blockbuster crossover, Marvel comes out swinging with “The Avengers” and the first confrontation between the New Avengers team and Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers. As opposed to giving throwaway stories with no implications to the Marvel and DC Universes, both companies gave stories that both new and existing readers could share in the experience of that would actually matter down the line. With writer Brian Michael Bendis telling the story through the point of view of Spider-Man, the New Avengers team gathers to help the god of thunder, Thor, take on Ymir, a elemental frost giant. Bendis’ decision to tell the story through the perspective of Marvel’s common man, Spider-Man, also gave an added level of comfort to new readers as he often feels out of place among and observing many super heroes, despite being one himself.
Inevitably, Norman’s team of Avengers shows up with intentions of defeating the giant themselves and taking the registration skipping New Avengers in to custody in the process. As always Jim Chueng does a fantastic job drawing these avengers characters he has become quite familiar with, including a classic look at Venom who momentarily reverts back to his old form from the current media friendly Spider-Man he poses as.
The great part of the issue is that it is a tease of bigger things to come. There is just enough of a taste for the reader to know that ultimately at some point, these two teams will be colliding, head to head, with gloves off. Bendis knows he has much more story to tell in the mean time but he has already started turning up the pressure between the two entities. The only fault in the book lies between some of the interactions of the opposing teams. Despite the grave situation they are a part of, some of Norman’s Dark Avengers seem almost neutered to how they’d behave, specifically Daken and Venom.
Regardless, the issue is great to introduce the sheer volume of characters to new readers that and gives them insight in to the current state of the Marvel world in the coming months should they continue their readership. Likewise, the issue is great fan service to long reading fans of the Avengers franchise.
Last week on The Flickcast, Chris and Matt had to go it alone and discuss topics such as Predator and Robert Rodriguez news, blockbusters like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Star Trek, the fate of TV shows like Dollhouse, Lost and Sons of Anarchy and lots more.
This week, Christina is back and the trio hits the ground running with discussions on the box office success and relative merits of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the latest G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra trailer, the upcoming District 9, produced by Peter Jackson, the appeal of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, renewals for some of the team’s favorite shows like Southland and Heroes, J.J. Abrams taking on an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower and the potential box office for Star Trek’s opening weekend.
Plus, the team makes more cool picks this week including one of Matt’s favorite TV shows, Party Down from Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd, Christina’s pick of the very funny Hot Fuzz featuring Simon Pegg of this Friday’s Star Trek and Chris’ picks of the comic book Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and the movie The Player, directed by Robert Altman, written by Michael Tolkin and starring Tim Robbins.
As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques or offers of sponsorship, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter or via email. Thanks for listening.
These days, it’s sometimes tough picking out good comic books to read. But here at The Flickcast, we care about what you read, and only want you reading good things. So, with that in mind, I give you our new feature: Dave’s weekly comic book recommendations.
My first recommendation is Atomic Robo And The Shadow Beyond Time #1. This Eisner nominated series written by Brian Clevinger and drawn by Scott Wegener is a Hellboy-like series about a robot created by Nicola Tesla and is published by Red 5 Comics. (If this post was published earlier this week you could probably expect a lame Star Wars pun here). The first volume of this series featured a secret mission Robo went on for the US Government in 1938, and how it influenced a mission 60 years later.
The second volume, involved Robo and his crew fighting off Sci-Fi weaponry being used by an elite group of Nazis on the Italian coast during World War 2. This new issue, the start of the third volume, begins in 1928 with Robo being interrupted from studying for a physics exam by none other than H.P. Lovecraft while they investigate the Tunguska Incident. You can read all about it at Atomic-Robo.com.
My second recommendation is The Flash: Rebirth #2. DC is banking a lot on the talents Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver who brought back the silver age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. With Barry Allen, they are trying to bring this character to the modern age. I like the CSI element that is going on here, but I’m mostly interested in how they bring back a character that has been dead for almost 25 years and not make it seem like fan-service.
We talked about this movie on the most recent episode of The Flickcast and both Matt and I thought it looked pretty interesting. The movie in question is Neill Blomkamp’s debut feature film District 9. The film, which was also written by Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, tells the story of a race of aliens living among humans in South Africa. Of course, the alien’s motives are somewhat of a mystery and as often happens in these type of movies, things are not always what they seem and don’t go as expected.
Sometimes, in the case of movies like Batman Begins, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Star Trek, you can understand why it was necessary to make them and/or reboot the franchises. But then there’s those movies that make you wonder why, or how, they ever got made. In this case I’m talking about the big screen adaptation of TV’s Land of The Lost featuring Wil Farrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel.
Unless you live under a rock, on an island with no power, or don’t care, you are aware that there’s an 11th feature film out today based on Gene Roddenberry’s venerable creation Star Trek. In this reboot version, director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and the rest of the team have managed to take a relatively tired franchise and inject it not only with new life, but with a new found sense of purpose as well. This purpose? To entertain, have fun and maybe even teach us a little something along the way. On all counts this film succeeds admirably.
Normally, the biggest hits of the summer arrive closer to late June or even July, when all the kids are out of school and nerdy fandads and fanmoms can take the family to the theater as many times as possible. Last year, that rule was trumped by a little film called Iron Man, which surpassed most movie and comic fans’ wildest dreams when it came to the gold and red hero.
What’s the one way to make an already funny book like Deadpool even more entertaining? Pair him up with an individual who–while may not be as funny–has a more twisted view of the world. That’s what happens in this issue as Norman Osborn decides to send in one of his heavy hitters, Hawkeye a.k.a. Bullseye, to take on the ‘Merc with the Mouth’. The interesting thing is that Bullseye is pretty funny himself, in a very sick kind of way. The back and forth between the two makes the interaction feel something like the Odd Couple on acid. Surprisingly, Bullseye isn’t present through most of the issue, but instead Daniel Way takes the reader through one of Deadpool’s lowest paying and comical hits before letting the two psychopaths cross… um, paths. What follows are some greatly choreographed and intelligently put together action panels that rival most well done action movies.
If you’re one of the millions of people that are going to be heading to your local multiplex over the next few days to see J.J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise, you may be a hardcore fan who needs no assistance understanding the complexities of the Trek universe. For the rest of you, over at io9 they’ve put together a 
Over at People.com, they’ve gotten their hands on 
After hearing all the buzz about this series, I went back and picked up the first issue as well as this week’s new release with issue #2. This issue picks up with Kaidan, a former teammate of the fallen hero, The Plutonian, on the search for any information regarding just who the new rogue used to be or what may be his weakness. Kaiden’s journey takes her to the ruins of Sky City, a place she and the Plutonian used to protect together, which is now just a scrap heap left in the Plutonian’s wake. Her journey takes her to a woman who was once the Plutonian’s girlfriend and in hearing the girl’s tale, Kaidan must also look back on her own experiences with someone she once considered a friend in order to see what may have caused him to snap.
Over at MTV’s Movie’s Blog, they’ve got some 
Everything said about how good Geoff Johns and his ability as a writer rings true in DC’s offering for this year’s free comic book day. Along with penciller Ivan Reis, Johns takes the reader to a very solemn moment in the DC history. Batman is dead. Having sacrificed himself during “Final Crisis”, Batman’s unmarked grave site is visited by two heroes that Johns has become renowned for the rebirth of, the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and the Flash, Barry Allen. Though short in length, the issue provides a deep insight into Hal’s frame of mind as he discusses with Barry the death of Batman, something close to home for both men since he was a friend to them and both men had also been dead at one point as well.
Not to be outshone by rival DC’s tie in to their summer blockbuster crossover, Marvel comes out swinging with “The Avengers” and the first confrontation between the New Avengers team and Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers. As opposed to giving throwaway stories with no implications to the Marvel and DC Universes, both companies gave stories that both new and existing readers could share in the experience of that would actually matter down the line. With writer Brian Michael Bendis telling the story through the point of view of Spider-Man, the New Avengers team gathers to help the god of thunder, Thor, take on Ymir, a elemental frost giant. Bendis’ decision to tell the story through the perspective of Marvel’s common man, Spider-Man, also gave an added level of comfort to new readers as he often feels out of place among and observing many super heroes, despite being one himself.
from Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd, Christina’s pick of the very funny 
featuring Simon Pegg of this Friday’s Star Trek and Chris’ picks of the comic book 
by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and the movie 
, directed by Robert Altman, written by Michael Tolkin and starring Tim Robbins.
My first recommendation is 
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