The Flickcast

First Image of the ‘New Moon’ Volturi

Posted on July 30, 2009

Since last week’s Comic-Con in San Diego, many of the millions of Twilight fans have been anxious to get a glimpse at what the members of the New Moon panel got to see in the legendary Hall H. Most of that footage probably won’t be leaked online for some time, but one thing we do get is an image of the illustrious vampire clan, the Volturi, from the new film.

The Volturi, according to Twlight lore, is one of the oldest vampire clans, operating from the city of Volterra, Italy, eating people and hunting werewolves whenever they choose. In New Moon, Edward rushes to the clan for a solution, which is when we get the first appearance of the dark group. Don’t expect to see much of them, as the Volturi have a more prominent role in Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the series. Check out the image in full after the jump.

The Pull List Comic Reviews: ‘Thunderbolts’, ‘War of Kings: Ascension’ and “Blackest Night: Tales from the Corps’

Posted on July 30, 2009

After a hectic week at Comic-Con, I return home for… more comics. It was a lighter week in Pulls which is a good thing after the Con ravaged most of our bank accounts. It was a Marvel and DC heavy week, with the notable exception being Bad Kids Go to Hell #2, which was reviewed yesterday in advance. But for now, on to the rest of this week with the Pull of the Week.

1248836443_cvr Pull of the Week:

Thunderbolts #134 – Marvel – $2.99

Score: 8.0

Something has been missing in the Thunderbolts since the “Dark Reign” started. As great a job as Andy Diggle has done with the series and the new team, it just felt like not all the pieces were where they should be. This issue is the first to feel like those pieces are coming back on the table as former Thunderbolts make their return to the series. Thunderbolts #134 joins former criminals and T-Bolts Fixer and Mach IV as they work on creating an updated M.A.C.H. suit when they are visited by Songbird who comes to them looking for help as she knows she is the target of Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts team.

Meanwhile, the further mistrust of the Thunderbolts is shown between a confrontation between the Headsman and Mr. X, possibly two of the most lackluster character names in Marvel. The theme of a team of lunatics who can’t trust each other for various reasons becomes increasingly evident in this issue. To further it, the big secret revealed at the end of the last issue is explored further that the leader of Norman’s team, the Black Widow II, is actually working for Nick Fury, though his intentions of having a mole within the Thunderbolts hasn’t been revealed yet. Widow reports to her team that they are off to hunt down a Thunderbolt which inevitably leads to the team placing an attack on Songbird before a somewhat shocking reveal at the end of the issue.

What works so well in this issue is the return of characters that are actually likable. People like Songbird, there is something about the hot girl with the pink hair who has a bad girl past that make her an attractive character. The return appearances from Fixer and Mach IV add to that feel good emotion from the book as they were the people associated with Songbird at her height when she was the leader of the Thunderbolts. It looks like Diggle’s entire run could be seen as a redemption of Songbird. She has been beaten after being under Norman’s leadership when she was teamed with the likes of Venom and Bullseye and then further dragged across the gravel by almost being killed by her former teammates.

Trailer for EA’s ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ Game

Posted on July 30, 2009

GIJOERCx360SCRNduke_gungho3
We cover a lot of video games from publisher Activision here at The Flickcast. Of course, there’s also many other companies producing or distributing cool video games that we’re fans of. One such company is the powerhouse Electronic Arts. They make a lot of games and we try to play them all. They also produce games based on movies and one such game is the upcoming G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra, based on the movie of the same name.

I got a chance to take a look at the game and its trailer during the recent E3 event in Los Angeles. And now, thanks to the the magic of the Internets, I can bring that trailer to you right here. In the trailer you can see that the game tries to capture all the action, explosions, gunplay and spirit of the movie and, if this trailer is any indication, seems to do a pretty good job at it. Games based on movies have gotten a lot better lately and this one looks like its no exception.

The game hits store shelves on August 8 and the movie on August 7. Check out the trailer after the Jump.

‘Dark Reign’ Brings Big Changes to ‘Punisher’

Posted on July 30, 2009

Punisher_08_RestInPiecesVariant-small Things are never going to be the same for the Punisher. That may be true but it also seems to apply to a lot of characters in comics these days. Still, I guess change is inevitable and sometimes, even necessary. So, I’ll try not to complain too much.

Confused about what I’m talking about? Fortunately, I don’t have to try and explain and will instead leave it to the very capable hands of the Marvel PR machine. Here’s all the info from the official press release.

And, as always, check after the jump for the full-sized cover art.

Dark Reign The List brings the most dramatic changes ever to Punisher! Dark Wolverine faces off against Frank Castle and the Punisher’s (after)life is altered forever! Beginning with Punisher #8, don’t miss four special Rest In Pieces Variants, all clues to the startling changes ahead for the Punisher!

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SDCC: ‘Splosion Man Interview with Michael Wilford

Posted on July 29, 2009

959210_07012009_790screen002 At San Diego Comic Con, there were tons of chances to sit down and talk with the creators of tons of new titles coming out for PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation. I was given the opportunity to talk with Michael Wilford, CEO of TwistedPixel, the creators of The Maw and ‘Splosion Man which are both available for XBox Live Arcade. A review of ‘Splosion Man will be coming later this week as well as exclusive video of Michael Wilford playing through the first level of the game with us and giving developer commentary as he progresses through the level.

John Carle: John Carle from the Flickcast standing here with Mike Wilford who is the CEO and Producer on ‘Splosion Man which is one of the XBox Live Summer of Arcade featured titles. If you could just tell us a little bit about the game and the ideas behind it, like where it came from.

Michael Wilford: Yea, you bet. The main premise of the game is we tried to make the most crazy, nonsensical, hilarious, off the wall game you’ve probably ever seen. It’s really simple to play. It’s about a character named ‘Splosion Man. He’s made out of ‘splosion and he just runs around and all you do is ‘splode. Every face button does the same thing. It’s kind of like a jump but it blows up everything around you. You can do a triple jump in the air and bounce off walls. It’s really simple to play but we end up throwing a lot of stuff at you and it gets really challenging later.

JC: What was the inspiration behind the character?

New ‘Pandorum’ Trailer

Posted on July 29, 2009

Pandorum

One of the great things about Comic-Con is all the cool trailers for movies you might not have heard of that get released. One such movie is the horror/sci-fi action film Pandourm. In case you’re not familiar with the film it concerns two astronauts who wake to find themselves drifting through space and with no memory of who they are.

They believe that they must be the only ones aboard the spacecraft, but can hear sounds coming from its center. Exploring the spacecraft, the astronauts start to learn that a terrible event has occurred on board which might affect the survival of the entire human race. Damn, isn’t that always the way it is?

Pandorum, which features Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster and Cung Le, hits theaters on September 18th. Check out the full trailer after the jump.

Dave’s Weekly Comic Book Recommendations

Posted on July 29, 2009

surrogates_flesn_and_bone_cover_sm_lg It looks like Comic Con broke this week’s comics, because there is a whole LOT of nothing to read this week.

Sure, I suppose you could find reason to get Detective Comics #855, because it was (quite honestly) the best book to come out last month. I don’t think you’ll get a better schooling in comic book design sense than reading this book.

Then there is the new trade paperback of the Eisner-award winning Best New Series Invincible Iron Man: World’s Most Wanted, but if you know what’s good for you you already have these single issues. Also, congrats to Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca on their win for that series.

Really, however, you should just buy The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone, which is a prequel to the original series, that the movie (starring Bruce Willis) is based on. Don’t know anything about this comic or movie? Check out our coverage.

Though if you really think about it and are willing to try new things, there’s probably something this week for you. If you want to see for yourself Midtown Comics has a great listing of what comes out this week. As always we care about what you read, so let us know what you liked/didn’t like from this week’s or any week’s comics in the comments.

Happy reading!

Interview: Director Fred Dekker of ‘Night of the Creeps’ & ‘Monster Squad’

Posted on July 29, 2009

fred-dekker The 1980s were an amazing time for horror cinema. From the rise of Troma Films to the uncanny popularity of the slasher film, the genre was certainly made into a whole new beast in that decade. One director was able to help move the world of monsters and creatures into the public eye with 1986’s Night of the Creeps.

The film was able to turn horror and scifi on it’s side and add some comedy for flavor. At the time it may have been forgotten rather quickly, but then it was resurrected by a swarm of fans calling it a “cult classic”. Not looking back on Creeps, Dekker moved on to other projects, some of which include 1987’s Monster Squad and a handful of episodes of Tales From the Crypt.

Now, the fans have spoken once again, and Night of the Creeps‘ popularity has warranted it’s first release on DVD and Hi-Def Blu-Ray this October. The DVD is packed with features, deleted scenes, trivia, and commentary from the director himself. We got a chance to talk about the surprising success and DVD release of Night of the Creeps with Dekker himself, and you can check out the video interview after the jump. Creeps hits DVD shelves October 20th.

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