Because we want to keep things fresh, we’ve decided to bring you an edition of The Pull List by guest reviewer Dave Press today. Keep it here tomorrow for another guest reviewer! –Ed

EX MACHINA #45
Rating: 7.5

My favorite series of the last couple of years is beginning to wind down and I’m getting quite sad about it. This issue picks up where we left off with New York City Mayor Mitchell Hundred discussing the effects of the previous arc and how Village Voice reporter Suzanne Padilla may be on to the White Box.

Our Mayor who can talk and control machines created The White Box around his election night.  Padilla was convinced that it helped elect Hundred as Mayor.  What happened was the White Box went off and implanted itself in Padilla’s brain, in a similar manner that the device that gave Hundred his powers.

Ex Machina is essentially The West Wing mixed in with some super heroics and tracks a retired super hero during his first and only term as New York City mayor. With five issues left, Padilla possessed by the White Box, she is slowly picking off members of Hundred’s cabinet.  Who knows what she has planned or for that matter Vaughan.

The question we have now is what will Vaughan be doing after Ex Machina concludes? He’s left the writer’s room for Lost and his spec script, Roundtable, is a modern day re-imagining of the Arthur legend.  To say the least his life as a writer is expanding and if he has any time for comics now post-Ex Machina I’ll be quite pleased.

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For those that have played it, they know that Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the best comic book video games ever made. It is without a doubt the best Batman title and to some arguably the best comic book game ever. With so many players trying to take in all the content they could as fast as they could, Warner Bros.

Interactive Entertainment and Eidos wanted to throw one more bone to their faithful players with the “Insane Night” map pack, a free two pack of challenge maps coming today to XBox Marketplace, the Playstation Netowrk and soon to the Games for Windows Live Marketplace.

The first map, “Totally Insane”, is a FreeFlow Combat map set in Arkham’s secure records facility where players must defend themselves from wave after wave of insane escaping inmates. Of course instead of being content with escaping the asylum, the inmates each decide to take a stab at being the one who took down the Batman instead of running for the hills.

After seeing some of the brutal combat that happens in Arkham Asylum, it only makes sense that these waves of attacks would have to be insane to want to take on the Dark Knight in hand to hand combat.

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With DC Comics rebranding itself as DC Entertainment recently, many anticipated a slew of movie announcements and the like to emerge after the deed was done. One such update we hoped for was what plans the company had for Superman. Many hoped the franchise would get a reboot, or at the very least a sequel to Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns.  It should be noted at this point that while Superman Returns faced lackluster reviews, I for one liked it. Well, an update actually did come, and the news isn’t good.

DC Entertainment’s Diane Nelson told MTV:

“We actually don’t have any current plans for Superman,” said Nelson when asked if the new environment (and the recent legal decision regarding the character) made a “Superman” movie more or less likely in the near future… We’ve obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it’s a key part of the family, but we don’t have current plans behind Superman,” she said.

No current plans? Nelson, and DC collectively, have to be aware of the recent lawsuit they lost which means they could lose all control over Superman by 2013 if they don’t do something with the property, right? Sure, this could be media spin and development is, in fact, underway. But what if it’s not?

If a project doesn’t start shooting by early 2010, it seems unlikely DC will able to bring a new Superman film to the big screen in time to satisfy their contract. Even more unsettling is the possibility that DC could lose the Superman rights in their entirety and the new Disney/Marvel giant could scoop them up. Welcome to “Bizarro World.”

The title is a bit of a mouthful, the premise is something we’ve seen this year, and there aren’t any recognizable names in the film, yet I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is looking more and more like the sleeper comedy of the year. Based on what one could only call a “testimony” by writer Tucker Max about his exploits during his best friend’s bachelor party, this movie may just get that title.

Matt Czuchry gets the inglorious honor of playing the main character, Tucker Max, as a loudmouth, womanizing player — which pretty much describes Max. Czuchry is probably best known for his role as Logan Huntzberger, the rebel boyfriend on Gilmore Girls, which he played for five years. Alongside Matt is Jesse Bradford, who is probably best known for his roles in films such as Hackers, Bring it On and Swimf@n.

For now, check out the brand new red band trailer after the jump. But be forewarned: There’s a reason why it’s a red band trailer and not a green band trailer. It’s definitely NSFW. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell hits theaters September 25.

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Fans of The Soup rejoice! This week alone, we not only get punchy host Joel McHale on the E! clip show, but also in theaters alongside Matt Damon in The Informant and on the very first episode of NBC’s Community. Thankfully, the show looks like it has potential to stick around for quite some time, playing partner to other NBC hits like The Office and 30 Rock.

For those who plan on catching the premier tonight, here’s a little about the show. Community is about Jeff Winger, a lawyer with the gift of gab who gets disbarred when it’s revealed his license to practice law is all but real. He is then forced to attend community college, where he feels completely out of place among what he thinks are the old, young, and useless. Winger then meets fellow classmate Britta (Gillian Jacobs), who he becomes smitten with, a decides to give the community experience a try.

The show brings together great names like Chevy Chase, John Oliver, Joel McHale and the writer/creator of the show, Dan Harmon. You might not recognize that last one but Harmon has been a prominent name in the internet comedy community for years now. He started off writing the failed pilot Heat Vision and Jack directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson, which was about a traveling astronaut and his talking motorcycle. Harmon then moved on to the internet with cult web series such as Laser Fart, as well as co-creating The Sarah Silverman Program for Comedy Central.

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There was a lot of concern from fans about J.J. Abrams reboot (Yes, I realize he doesn’t want to call it that but if the shoe fits…) of Star Trek.  Trekkies/Trekkers take this content very seriously making it a daunting task to appease those loyalist while making a film accessible to regular movie-goers. Fortunately, Abrams pulled it off and the new Star Trek universe was met with excitement and anticipation for future films.

Speaking to the L.A. Times, Abrams talked about what avenue the second film would take and how it would get back to the roots of the original series:

“The ambition for a sequel to ‘Star Trek’ is to make a movie that’s worthy of the audience and not just another movie, you know, just a second movie that feels tacked on. The first movie was so concerned with just setting up the characters — their meeting each and galvanizing that family — that in many ways a sequel will have a very different mission. it needs to do what [the late 'Trek' creator Gene] Roddenberry did so well, which is allegory. It needs to tell a story that has connection to what is familiar and what is relevant.”

There’s a significant importance in that mention of allegory. The best stories are the ones viewers can relate to and is what made the the new Battlestar Galactica TV series so successful. In fact, you were so drawn into that world you nearly forget it took place in space. If Abrams can capture that same formula for subsequent Star Trek films it would be a huge win for him. If anyone can do it Abrams certainly can, especially considering his track record of character driven shows like Lost and Fringe. Now with Star Trek on the right path, the only thing I’d like to know now is what Slusho is an allegory for?

Mention the word “reboot” or “remake” to anyone and you’ll probably face a dissatisfied sigh.  Hollywood’s movie recycling program in the last few years has left everyone with reboot/remake fatigue.  However, once in a while a project comes along that peaks collective interest. The upcoming A-Team remake is one such film.

And now, the new A-Team adds two more names to its roster. Jessica Biel (Blade: Trinity, Stealth) will appear as an ex-love interest to Lt. Templeton “Face” Peck, played by Bradley Cooper, while District 9‘s Sharlto Copley will be playing H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdoch. While Biel’s involvement is pretty standard fair (Don’t get me wrong, I like her) it’s Copley’s inclusion that is a great casting choice. While a relative unknown, Copley gained a lot of attention with his performance in District 9 (If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?). I anticipate a brilliant performance after seeing D9.

Rounding out the rest of the team is Liam Neeson as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracas. Departing from the campy ’80′s TV series, this iteration of the special forces team wrongfully convicted of a crime, will be of a more serious tone. Who knows, maybe some of the bullets will actually hit their mark this time around. Given that Smokin’ Aces’ Joe Carnahan is directing, there’s probably a very good chance a lot of things are going to get shot up in this movie.

The A-Team is set to hit theaters next June.

Veteran comedian and character actor Henry Gibson passed away earlier this week after a brief battle with cancer. He was 73.

Most fans of classic television remember Gibson from the days of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In from 1968-1971. After that, Gibson became quite prominent in the world of TV character acting. He went on to such other shows as Love, American Style and others in both TV and film. Most remember Gibson as playing the billionaire antagonist in 1996′s Bio-Dome starring Paulie Shore and William Baldwin.

His most recent work was on the ABC comedy Boston Legal as recurring character Judge Clarence Brown. Gibson worked as the straight man to both William Shatner and James Spader in 25 episodes from the start of the show in 2004 to the finale in 2008.

After the jump, take a look at one of Gibson’s most recent work in a humorous scene opposite William Shatner in an episode of Boston Legal. Gibson is survived by his three sons and two grandchildren.

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Though the announcement of DC Entertainment last week has turned a few heads in the world of comics and film, the plan for DC’s animated DVD features has stayed strong since the first release of Superman: Doomsday back in 2007. It looks like the next film for DC’s animation department looks to be taking a different direction, as they take on a Crisis on Multiple Earths storyline.

The next film in the works is based on the Jeph Loeb Superman/Batman: Public Enemies story arc, which hits DVD shelves September 29th. On the DVD is a special feature showing the details of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. From a Warner Bros. press release:

Warner Home Video will distribute in Spring 2010 (finalizing date soon)

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Robots can be a pretty scary thing, but not nearly as scary as Bruce Willis when he has something to prove. We all remember Die Hard. That seems to be the fight card for next week’s release of Surrogates: Bruce Willis vs. Robots. Who wouldn’t want to see John McClain fight Optimus Prime? Same concept.

There’s a brand new international trailer out for the film, that shows a few more scenes, and gives us a deeper look into a world where humans control their robot counterparts from the comfort of their own home…until something goes terribly wrong.

Check out the new trailer after the jump, and enjoy Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, James Francis Ginty, Boris Kodjoe, and Ving Rhames in theaters nationally on September 25th for Surrogates.

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Keeping up with the huge metal and rock theme in today’s video games, who’s to say you can’t combine the epic theme of a Lord of the Rings type game with names like Ozzy Osbourne and Jack Black? Well, with Brutal Legend, you can, and now you can even play the demo of the game before everybody else!

We’ve got a few demos to give away, and we want you to have them. ALL you have to do is keep an eye on our Twitter updates, because you’re going to need to @reply to us. Two random @replies will get themselves a free copy of the demo to download EARLY before everyone else gets it.

Also, if you don’t get chosen today, you can pre-order the game at Gamestop this Friday (9/17) to get access to the demo. The demo will be released officially to the rest of the world starting next Thursday for Xbox Live Gold members and on October 1st for Xbox Live Silver and PSN members. Be sure to also pick up your copy of Brutal Legend on “Rocktober” 13th! Stay Brutal!!

Very rarely does the internet critic community throw around phrases like “scariest movie ever” or “looks amazing”, but those seem to be used a lot when talking about the newest film, Paranormal Activity. It’s said to have the same feel as The Blair Witch Project, just updated for today’s jaded audiences.

Much like Blair Witch, the cast and crew have done next to nothing else prior to this film. Writer/director Oren Peli has only worked on this film, which makes the general audience question whether this is a Hollywood film, or a real, documented haunting.

The story follows a typical suburban middle-class husband and wife who start to notice spooky things happening around their new house. They decide to document a few nights using a video camera, and the audience gets to watch as the haunting continues.

Check out the new trailer for the film after the jump, which opens up in select theaters September 25, and moving to different cities every week from there. For a complete schedule, check out their official website.

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