Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance co-director Brian Taylor is set to write and direct a live action adaptation of the iconic video game Twisted Metal. Sony Pictures has offered Taylor a 7-figure deal to head up the film.

Like the game, the film will revolve around an underground event that pits a number of combatants in a fight to the death. They are outfitted in armored weaponized cars that are pimped out with heavy weaponry that includes missiles and machine guns. Each character is set to have their own specialty weapons and style similar to the game. The sole survivor will get any wish granted.

It is rumored that the film will include such signature contestant characters as Sweet Tooth, a homicidal clown who drives an ice cream truck, and Doll Face, a young woman who is trapped behind a porcelain mask and who drives an 18-wheeler.

This is the first project that Taylor will helm solo. He has always teamed with Mark Neveldine on such films as the Crank series. There have been two so far, and they are talking about making a third, in 3D, as well as a possible future Ghost Rider. The team will continue to write and direct films together.

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It’s a close race as to which comic book adaptation I despise most. Daredevil and Elektra are right up there with the worst comic book movies ever made, but in many ways the first Ghost Rider movie is just as bad.

Fortunately, at least from what we’ve seen so far, it looks like Directors Neveldine and Taylor have realized the problems with the first one. With their version of things and their crack at a sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, they’ve taken things in a new direction — as in they’re actually trying to make it good.

Judge for yourself as Sony has released a new tailer for the film today and we’ve got it for you. In this one, we get a bit more of the story and, of course, lots of Nic Cage doing his “acting” thing.

Although, I don’t dislike him as much as our own Matt Raub does. In fact, he’s been good in some movies. Watch Adaptation if you don’t believe me. Plus, his middle name is Kim, so he’s also had that to deal with.

Check out the new Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance trailer after the break. Look for it in theaters on February 17 of 2012.

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• Michel Gondry got tired of the studios taking too long for the expected remake, so he decided to make his own low-budget remake of Taxi Driver. Here’s the trailer.

• Fans may have hated Nic Cage’s original Ghost Rider film, but with Crank’s Neveldine and Taylor on the sequel, and this trailer looking amazing, we can’t help but get excited.

• Dario Argento has earned the respect of horror and crime fans everywhere, but even he can’t expect us to ignore the putridness of this trailer for Dracula 3D. What was he thinking?

• A brand new fan trailer with giant robots has hit the web, and this time it only cost $150. The difference? It looks better than some multi-million dollar pictures.

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If you’re like us (and we know you are) it’s pretty unlikely you thought the first Ghost Rider movie was any good. To be honest, we thought it kinda sucked.

However, that hasn’t stopped Nic Cage and company from trying to make another one. In fact, judging from the clip we have for you today from the movie (which was shown at last night’s Scream Awards) they succeeded.

Of course, the burning question is did they just succeeded in making another movie or did this one actually turn out to be good? We’ve already seen the first trailer for the film which, reluctantly, we think made it look potentially ok.

This new clip shows Cage as Johnny Blaze and his brand new bike which, due to his hellified condition, gets turned into a flaming bike from hell. Yeah, that’s kinda cool.

Take a look after the jump and let us know what you think. See Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in theaters on February 17th, 2012.

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At New York Comic Con, we were able to get a booth tour from Capcom which got us some hands on time with three of their much anticipated titles. The first of which was the upcoming rerelease of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Back at Comic Con in San Diego, after announcing the first set of new characters being added to the game, there was a massive leak which revealed the full roster. Now, Capcom has gone official with all but a few of these characters and had them available for us to play as at the Con.

We demoed the game on a traditional controller for the XBox 360. As there was an all day tournament going on, the wait for even press to play using the fight sticks was outrageous and considering most households would use a regular controller anyway, we felt like this would give us a good idea of what to expect from the game. Focusing our teams on the newer characters, we had to learn on the fly just what kind of play styles to use with them.

Vergil was the most reminiscent of Dante from the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 focusing on using his sword for a majority of his attacks. Firebrand from Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins ended up being surprisingly fun to play with as we didn’t really have any idea what to expect from him. Nova and Ghost Rider felt like the badasses we expected them to be but sadly Rocket Raccoon was not an option for us yet.

The most surprisingly fun character was Phoenix Wright. The best character comparison we could make was him being like Dan from Street Fighter. His attacks may look horribly wimpy as he throws paperwork at opponents but he is perfect for luring opponents into a false sense of security.

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Award shows are all the rage these days. When people get burned out on the big three, the Oscars, Emmy’s, Golden Globes, they turn to more fun and entertaining (albeit less important ones) award shows. One of the more fun ones is definitely Spike’s annual Scream Awards.

Starting off celebrating the world of horror, the award show has since become a haven for all things pop culture and geeky, giving awards to the likes of Frank Miller or Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd for Back to the Future. This year, two modern icons are finally getting some love.

Two-time Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr. will attend to accept SCREAM’s prestigious Hero Award. With wildly successful films like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Iron Man,” Downey has captivated fans and critics alike with his daring and iconic interpretations of some of cinema’s most beloved characters.

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We all remember the taste that was left in our mouth the moment we first heard Nicolas Cage would be playing our favorite damned motorcyclist from Hell, Johnny Blaze in 2007′s Ghost Rider, and that feeling didn’t go away after walking out of the theater.

With that said, it’s hard to believe that the new trailer for the sequel looks halfway decent, but you may want to start believing. Directed by Neveldine & Taylor, the guys that brought you the Crank films and the good parts of Jonah Hex, and a story written by Dark Knight’s David Goyer, the film looks like it may be the bad ass we were missing back in ’07. Here’s the overly detailed synopsis.

In the successor to the worldwide hit Ghost Rider, Johnny – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

You may be thinking to yourself “a sequel with a kid sidekick? Pass!”, but after looking at the style Neveldine and Taylor are best known for, you can only imagine what insane ideas they can bring to a character and universe like this. One hint? Fire piss.

Take a look after the jump and let us know what you think. See Spirit of Vengeance in theaters on February 17th.

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There’s nothing better than a legitimate geek girl who loves nothing more than reading comics in bed, but us guys know that those are a pretty rare breed. So what’s the best of both worlds? Marvel’s got your back with a brand new line of women’s pajamas that are sure to be a hit for any geek, male or female.

This line includes the classic “faux costume” look drawn on some pretty skimpy pajamas so that you can dress your girl (or dress yourself) as such characters as Ghost Rider, Emma Frost, Spider-Girl, She Hulk, and Captain America.

So with the holiday season approaches in the coming months, you may want to dog ear the page over at Spencer’s so that you can pick them up for yourself or your very lucky lady friend so that you can finally finish off all those roleplaying scenarios of “the demise of She Hulk”?

Body paint not included. Check out the full-sized images after the jump.

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Today, Marvel.com revealed the next iteration of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with the stereotypical Capcom naming motif with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game will feature six new characters from each of the companies as well as the much requested Spectator Mode during online matches and the correction of various balancing issues.

The Marvel roster is going to be beefed up with heavy hitter Ghost Rider and fan favorite, Hawkeye. Not Ronin, not Bullseye dressed as Hawkeye, not the Young Avenger Hawkeye chick. But Clint Barton, the real Hawkeye. (Although I probably just accidently named off all three of the alternate costumes.) Capcom will be adding Marvel vs. Capcom’s most requested legacy character Strider as well as series newcomer Firebrand, the little red demon thing from Ghost ‘n Goblins.

Additionally, some screens have leaked online featuring both the character artwork and screen shots of the remaining eight unrevealed characters. Here are what we have found across the internet.

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Even with E3 and Apple’s WWDC in full swing this week, we haven’t forgotten other cool things that arrive this week. That’s right comic book fans, it’s that time of the week again. New comics time!

New comics are out today from our friends at Marvel and, as always, we’ve got some we’re really interested in reading. Among the new ones coming out, we’re looking forward to Deadpool #38, New Avengers #13, Wolverine #10, Ice Age: Alpha #1 and yes, even Ghost Rider #0.1. Hey, we’re willing to give it a shot.

As with most weeks, new comics out on Wednesday (that’s today!), so hit your nearest comic book store for best selection as many people may thing today is new comic book day this week.

Don’t know where your nearest comic store is? Use this handy guide to find one.

Comics On-Sale:

15-LOVE #1
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #655 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #656 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #657 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #658 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #659 2ND PRINTING VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/GHOST RIDER: MOTORSTORM #1
ANITA BLAKE: CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED – THE INGENUE #4
ANNIHILATORS #4

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Unfortunately, I’ve never been much of a fan of Marvel’s Ghost Rider. Even if I had tried to give the character a chance, which I did, any interest I had in it was effectively destroyed by Nicholas Cage’s portrayal of him in the Ghost Rider movie.

Although, as bad as Cage is, we can’t lay all the blame at his feet. The film’s writing and direction, both curtesy of Mark Steven Johnson (who also did Elektra and Daredevil, which should tell you something) are also to blame.

Given all that, it makes sense that Marvel is trying to reboot the character, at least in comics, with the upcoming release of Ghost Rider 0.1. According to Marvel, this comic will be “a bold new beginning for Ghost Rider amidst the chaos of Fear Itself.”

But wait, there’s more: “From the newly exclusive creative team of writer Rob Williams and artist Matthew Clark, Johnny Blaze has finally found a way to defeat the demon within and undo his pact for power. But can he allow himself to ‘Give Up The Ghost’? Find out in this special POINT ONE issue as Vengeance rides in a new direction and scorches the Marvel Universe like never before.”

Yes, I’m still a bit skeptical. But looking at these new images and reading a bit about the story of this comic, I gotta say I’m inclined to give this character, and this book, a second chance. See, Nicholas Cage can’t destroy everything.

Check out the preview images after the jump. The brand new Ghost Rider 0.1 hits comic store shelves on June 8th.

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You know you can judge the merit of a film by the fact that it has 3D in it’s title. As if that gimmick alone is enough to draw an audience. Well that’s exactly what they’re doing over at Lionsgate with their newest schlocky film, Drive Angry 3D, starring the ever-talented Nic Cage.

The premise of the film is so original, it made the suits at Marvel’s heads spin. Get this: Nic Cage is a badass who escapes from hell to punish the gangsters that killed his wife and baby. Along the way, the Devil’s right hand man (played by William Fichtner) heads to Earth as well to find and bring back this escaped soul. So far the only major difference we can see between this film and Ghost Rider is that this flick replaces a motorcycle with a muscle car. Big change.

Cage is joined by Hollywood’s next big thing, Amber Heard, as they take down a ganglord and his army of thugs. The script comes from the guys who brought us Jason X (the one in space) and Dracula 2000. The new trailer is slightly redeeming, because it gives the film a bit of a Grindhouse look, which could make it all worthwhile in the end.

Check it out after the jump, and catch Drive Angry 3D in theaters February 25th.

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This week on The Flickcast Matt and Chris return from a week off with way more energy and sense of purpose. Or, they do their best and just try to get through the show by bringing you even more interesting and exciting topics for discussion.

Some of these topics include Batman: The Dark Knight Rises casting rumors, Captain America photos, TV programs getting canceled, potential Superman casting, The Walking Dead, Matt’s love for all things Nic Cage and much more. The team also made some picks this week including Matt’s pick of the movie Hellboy and Chris’ pick of season one of the original The Bionic Woman starring Lindsay Wagner.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.

Podcast: Download

If you are one of the dozens of people who sat through the entirety of Nic Cage’s Ghostrider back in 2007, here’s a statement you probably never made afterwards. “I loved that film, I really wish we got more Nic Cage.” If you were crazy enough to actually think that, then this bit of news is for you.

It’s been announced that Cage wants a bit more meat this time around, and will be portraying a bit more than just a stunt man with a curse. Co-director Brian Taylor recently sat down with Collider for the full scoop.

Zarathos is the spirit of vengeance that inhabits john blaze when he becomes ghost rider.  unlike the 1st movie, where the rider was stiffly acted out by a various stunt guys, nic will be playing all the ghost rider stuff himself – and we are creating a whole physical language for the demon that is different from the human blaze.

Taylor comes from the team of Neveldine/Taylor, who most people know as the madmen who brought us the Crank films. If you’re saying “there’s no way these guys can make a campy comic book film NOT awesome”, just remember that they wrote the first script for Jonah Hex.

This sequel puts Cage’s Blaze in Eastern Europe, fighting to hide his curse, when he is recruited by a sect to take down the devil. Let’s see just how Cage does when the crew actually sets his skull on fire.

Even though, for whatever reasons, the Ghost Rider movie wasn’t, shall we say, very good, that hasn’t stopped people from moving forward with plans for another one. Nor has it stopped Marvel from continuing to feature the character in comic book form which, as you will see from this preview for the upcoming comic book Shadowland: Ghost Rider #1, is a pretty cool way to do it.

Written by Rob Williams with art by Clayton Crain the “red-hot comic blockbuster of the summer, Shadowland, continues.” In the book, the spirit of Vengeance makes his debut after being summoned by the Kingpin. In an attempt to change the tides of war, Ghost Rider must travel to Japan and take on the unrelenting might of the secret ninja organization known as The Hand.

So let’s get this straight: Ghost Rider goes to Japan to take on Ninjas? Sounds pretty awesome to me.

Can’t wait until this book goes on sale which, by the way, is on September 15th. In the meantime, check out some preview pages for it after the jump.

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