Doomsday

At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, fans were given their first glimpse of the apocalyptic sci-fi film from Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Descent), Doomsday.

The film is deeply inspired by Mad Max, Escape From New York, Heart of Darkness and The Warriors, all good films to be influenced by.

Allow me to take a time out to say that if you have not seen Dog Soldiers or Descent… make the time. They are both excellent films that will get you excited about sci-fi/horror movies.

Sounding more like a film out of the 80’s (but what new film doesn’t?), the story takes place decades after a deadly virus called The Reaper kills off almost all of Scotland, forcing the world to wall it off. The survivors are all scrambling for a cure when they’re not busy killing each other for scraps.

Veteran baddie Malcolm McDowell plays an overlord living inside the safety of his grand castle, cure in hand.

The film sports numerous street fights, extravagant car chases and knights in armor… wait for it… in the future.

The film will be released next May, so… bookmark this one.

Suggested viewing:

Mad Max (Special Edition)
The Warriors (The Ultimate Director’s Cut)
Dog Soldiers
The Descent (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Iron Man videogame preview

At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, there was nothing but talk about Marvel Comics’ comeback kid, Iron Man.

The good people at Sega were good enough to give us a sneak peek at the upcoming movie video game tie-in.

First Look Interview

Developer Walkthru

The game is due out next year for PS3 and XBox 360.

First image of the Incredible Hulk

The first appearance of the CGI Hulk design from the upcoming Zak Penn Incredible Hulk film premiered at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con.

Check it out here

Frank Miller’s 300

After Sin City, the entire process of ‘adapting’ a comic book for the big screen turned a major corner. No longer are filmmakers forced to cast Kim Basinger, Nicole Kidman or Claudia Schiffer as a last minute love interest, or shoe-horn in some absurd soundtrack. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez realized that if you worked with the right material, all of what you need to make a blockbuster film is directly in front of you. In the case of Sin City, several comic books were adapted into straight interpretations onto the movie screen as interlinking short stories.

To be fair, we’re not talking about just any comic book creator here. Aside from Darwyn Cooke, Frank Miller is what I think of as the rightful heir of Will Eisner (for those not in the know, Eisner is responsible for the Citizen Kane of comic books, The Spirit).

Frank Miller has shown in his career that he understands pacing, emotion and action in comic book form so well that the reader can close his eyes and actually see and hear the comic book inside of his head. His early work on Spider-Man and Daredevil are groundbreaking in their complexity and beauty. His later more refined comics such as Ronin and Sin City show a more confident artist sculpting an entire universe straight out of his head.

He took characters that had, for the most part, become safe and stagnant (Daredevil being the best example, a man dressed entirely in red almost disappeared in the page he was so dull), dug his fingers into what made them what they were and created an incredible new vision.

His Dark Knight Returns series is remembered not because of the timely references or for telling the ‘last Batman story,’ but because it made everyone from the jaded comic book fan to Rolling Stone Magazine love Batman. Enjoying a comic was no longer a solitary joy, it was now a ’scream it from the rooftops’ affair.

With 300, director Zack Snyder and executive producer Frank Miller adapted the mini-series into a stunning and breath taking work of art that is more of a moving painting than anything else. Perhaps Frank Miller’s most high-art comic book project with longtime collaborator, painter Lynn Varley, it is ironic that the story is at the same time so simple. 300 Spartans hold off the entire Persian army with a simple yet airtight strategy. Done. The film builds on the comic book in places but more or less uses what is on the page.

The dialog, something that is very sparse in the source material, is a kind of mock-Shakespearean that I associate with early Stan Lee comics. Full of juicy lines dripping with imagery and intention, lovers of theater should be filling the seats to see this movie.

The treatment of violence is very inspired from Frank Miller’s ’splattering’ effects in the comics. Every stab, slash and bash of a Persian and Spartan results in the same computer generated blood effect, yet it retains it’s impact rather than dulling as the film goes on. Everyone is talking about Gerard Butler, the Scots lead playing Leonidas. Never has an actor demanded so much attention on the screen and deserved it. It’s been a long time since an actor this good has been in a movie. Reminiscent of Heston and Olivier, I am anxious to see what is next in line for him.

Actor Dominic West (McNulty from HBO’s the Wire) delivers a creepy and slimy performance that stayed with me after seeing the film. After watching his performance as the oblivious McNulty for years I was not ready to see him so devious.

The pro-war message has been dragged in the media so much that even as a comic book fan it was the first thing I heard about it and it kept me from seeing the film until it hit the discount theaters. It’s a distraction to look for this, because while the film is all about warfare and the glory of dying for freedom, I cannot see a pro war message in the film as it relates to the current world situation.

After the din of the film’s success died down, I have since read that Frank Miller completely supports the war effort and feels that the attack on the World Trade Center waked a sleeping giant just as President Bush had, but thankfully that message did not impact me as viewer. I’m not saying that to open a debate, just that I’m reluctant to see a movie that reminds me of the real life horrors of the world as it goes to Hell in a handbasket… though Children of Men is perhaps the most amazing movie I’ve seen since Blade Runner.

Finally out on DVD tomorrow, I cannot recommend this DVD enough. Much like Sin City, I’m looking forward to viewing the extra features to see what the making of the picture was like. I also encourage readers to pick up the bargain priced hardcover edition of 300. A gorgeous work of art, it operates as a coffee table book as well (due to its unique shape and size) and could turn you into a fan of Frank Miller… and perhaps other great comics as well.

Will Eisner would like that, and I’m sure it would make grim-faced Frank Miller crack a grin as well.

Suggested viewing/reading:

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
300
Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man HC
Eisner/Miller

Doctor Who returns to comic books

After a long absence from the medium, Doctor Who is making a return to comic books in a big way.

Published as a comic strip in Doctor Who Weekly/Monthly throughout the 80’s, the Doctor Who comics have seen some of the biggest names in comics, including Alan Moore, Walt Simonson, Paul Neary, Dave Gibbons and even Grant Morrison.

Marvel Comics released a short-lived color reprint series that collected the strips into 24 page issues in the direct market format (read ‘expensive $1.75 comic versus 75 cent X-Men).

The series bridged the popular Tom Baker/Peter Davison stories of the 80’s before getting the axe but it was a valiant effort. Several collections have been released by Panini Books of fan favorite comic strips including Tom Baker’s Dragon’s Claw and Peter Davison’s Tides of Time.

The new IDW series announced this weekend at the San Diego Comic Con (vicious drinking game, this) will be written by one of the new series bullpen Gary Russel and drawn by Nick Roche, recently off of “Transformers: Devastation” and “Transformers: Beast Wars.”TV producer Russel T Davies will oversee the entire project.

All three men are incredibly excited. Gary Russell counts dashing Pertwee and brave Davison as being among his favorite Doctors… after the current Doctor, David Tennant, ofcourse and is a big fan of Marvel Horror comics Nexus and Astro City. All good things.

The stories star Doctor #10 and Martha Jones and therefore take place somewhere during season three before Freema left the TARDIS after giving the Doctor her mobile (easily the weirdest break-up ever) .

The image below suggests an appearance from Rose, but I imagine it was just Roche noodling about… but you never know.

Suggested reading:

Dragon’s Claw (Doctor Who)
Doctor Who: The Tides of Time
The Maltese Penguin (Doctor Who)
Mark of Mandragora: A Doctor Who Graphic Novel

New Frontier Batman announced

After a special preview showing of the Superman/Doomsday film at the San Diego Comic Con (new drinking game, everybody) Jeremey Sisto of Six Feet Under was announced as the voice actor of the Dark Knight himself, the Batman in the upcoming direct to DVD animated film version of DC The New Frontier.

Batman the Animated Series creator Bruce Timm noticed the awkward murmur at the announcement and immediately stood up to bat for Jeremy… if you’ll pardon the saying.

Bruce Timm commented, “I see you guys are a little unsure about Jeremy Sisto as Batman. Everybody else got a big clap and as soon as Jeremy’s name came on you went, ‘Huh?’. I’m going to make a prediction right this minute… when you guys see this movie and hear what he sounds like as Batman, you guys are going to lose your sh*t.”

From the lips of the man who has worked with Kevin Conroy as THE voice actor for the animated Batman in all of his cartoon incarnations since 1990, this carries a lot of weight.

But I still ain’t buyin’ it.

Iron Man mach 1 armor pic

Premiered with great aplomb at the San Diego Comic Con, Robert Downey Jr., John Favreau and Stan Winston posed with the Mach One Iron Man armor from the upcoming film.

 

As fans of the comic can tell you, a wounded inventor Tony Stark found himself behind enemy lines and ordered to create weapons for the North Korean army. In an effort to escape and slow a piece of shrapnel that was nearing his heart, he and another captured scientist fashioned a makeshift one-man tank that became Iron Man.

 

As the chest unit kept Stark alive, it also repelled attackers and provided a message that free men would never bow to a tyrant as Iron Man destroyed the entire enemy camp and made his way back to the US.

 

Seen here, Tony Stark (as played by Downey Jr.), seems much more casual about the situation.

 

Torchwood co-starring Spike?

The BBC recently announced that Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star James Marsters (Spike) will be joining the Torchwood crew for the premiere episode of Season Two. The series enjoyed record high viewing figures on BBC3 last year and will be making the big move to BBC2 in 2008.

The entire crew of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Gwen (Eve Myles), Owen (Burn Gorman), Tosh (Naoko Mori) and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) will be returning to combat alien menaces but are joined by Freema Agyeman, Martha Jones from Doctor Who Season 3. Freema will be reprising her role as she assists Captain Jack and his team in some of the wildest adventures that are (if the first season is anything to go by) more adult in nature than its sister program Doctor Who.

The writers of the thirteen part season have been announced (there are some very welcome names in there!) and the list includes Chris Chibnall , Catherine Tregenna, Helen Raynor, James Moran, Joseph Lidster, Peter J Hammond (creator of Sapphire and Steel), JC Wilsher and Matt Jones.Torchwood Season Two begins early 2008.

BBC America will be screening Torchwood Season One shortly.

Jerry Jerry and The Sons of Rhythm Orchestra

Writhing and jumping on stage as if he’s on fire, Gerry Woods has been freaking out audiences with his near evangelical performances since 1982. A mad mixture of rockabilly, gospel and R&B, the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra hail from Edmonton, but have a second home in Montreal.

Their claim to fame, The Battle Hymn of the Apartment is a record full of lyrics that are at times drunkenly self-righteous (‘You got yer right hand, you got yer left hand… you got yer prayin’ hands!!’) and somberly sincere (‘Hurtin’ her don’t make you a man’). Still a band that rates a full house and continues to earn its keep in the concert circuit in Edmonton, Jerry Jerry is planning a massive reunion of the original band members to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

The band also made the unusual appearance in an issue of Matt Wagner’s series Grendel. In the penultimate issue of the Eppy Thatcher story (also known as ‘God and the Devil’) Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra play on as Eppy and Pope Innocent duel over the assembled crowd of parishioners.

Lead singer Woods made an easy cartoon figure drawn by John K Snyder III, full of be-bop movements and Elvis-like emotive stances.

Reading the issue as a teenager bored with traditional music, I was determined to find out just who this guy was. Only years later, thanks to the Internet, did I discover their sound after finding a copy of ‘Battle Hymn of the Apartment.’

Now I pass on the good word to you, dear reader.

Suggested listening/reading:

Battle Hymn of the Apartment
The Art of Grendel

Doctor Who Season 4 Rumors

While production of the Christmas Special continues, rumors are starting to come through for the fourth season of BBC Wales’ Doctor Who.

The first rumor is for an episode title, ‘Planet of the Ood.’ You may remember the Ood from the excellent two-parter from Season Two ‘The Impossible Planet’/'The Satan Pit.’ A gentle telepathic race enslaved by the Human Empire, the Ood have a lot of potential as a new alien race… moreso than the Judoon and Slitheen in any case.

The second rumor is that Steven Moffat is returning for Season Four with a two-parter.

So far, Moffatt is the best writer to emerge from the new series. He won over fans with the most innovative and exciting story of the first season ‘The Empty Child’/'The Doctor Dances,’ brought us the moving and intelligent story that first allowed actor David Tennant to shine in his role as the Doctor in ‘The Girl in The Fireplace’ for Season Two and the incredible ‘Blink’ for Season Three.

The rumor goes on to say that Moffat’s script is going to be a Cybermen two-parter. While I adore Moffat’s writing and trust that he could very well make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, I hope that we get a ‘proper’ Cybermen story rather than the ropey ‘parallel world’ Cybermen introduced in the ‘Rise of the Cybermen’/'The Age of Steel’ story two years ago.

It’s a magnificent opportunity to utilize the ‘Spare Parts’ audio adventure that was initially the source material for the 2005 two-parter before it became a tale about Jackie Tyler’s birthday and Mickey’s gran.

Moffat has stated that he is a longtime fan of the classic 1968 Troughton story, Tomb of the Cybermen. To me, this is a good sign since it was is one of the better Cybermen stories and used the ‘monsters’ well.

The 2002 audio adventure ‘Spare Parts’ starring Peter Davison was the first attempt at an ‘origin’ story for the Cybermen.

Written by classic series and Virgin author Marc Platt (Lungbarrow, Ghostlight), the adventure tells the tale of the Cyber race in its infancy, and the terror that waits to strike upon the universe.

A fan favorite and one of the few times a writer has attempted to make sense of the convoluted history of the metal menaces, ‘Spare Parts’ stands out as the ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ for Cybermen.

With director Graeme Harper (Caves of Androzani, Doomsday, 42) confirmed for 5 stories next year, we can all cross our fingers that the two will get to work together and give David Tennant another chance to give a top notch performance before he leaves the program.

Producer Russell T Davies has been treating the new series like a series of checks in his greatest hits log so far (Regeneration, Daleks, Cybermen, Daleks Vs. Cybermen, the Master), leading me to think that there is one big opportunity that he cannot miss out on… the multiple Doctor story.

The Classic Series had three multiple Doctor tales, Three Doctors in 1973 featuring William Hartnell’s last appearance on the program, The Five Doctors in 1983 which showed that the Third Doctor Jon Pertwee could take the role back on at a moment’s notice and The Two Doctors in 1985 pairing up Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton shortly before Pat passed on.

Of all of these tales, The Two Doctors functioned the best. A cracking story by Robert Holmes, some good character opportunities for both Troughton and Baker and some great guest star action with Jaqueline Pierce (Sevalan from Blake’s 7). While too long in parts and mis-using the Sontarans, it’s still one of Colin Baker’s better stories and the two Doctors do seem to shine on the screen together. And you can see how happy Colin Baker is to be rid of that performance killing coat.

If Russ gets his chance, I wager that actor Paul McGann may be donning his wig once more to play the role against Tennant. I think that the two actors would provide excellent foils for each other and since McGann’s Doctor is such an excellent example of the ‘classic series’ Doctor (the proper English gentlemen), it would be a nice to see the two interact.

It’s obvious that actor Chris Eccleston who refuses to even talk about his time on Doctor Who will never be returning to the program, which is a shame. But with Doctor #9 out of the running for a possible guest-spot and the other actors looking so unlike themselves from their time on the program, it only leaves McGann and also provides the opportunity to wrap up the ‘Time War’ story begun in Season X1 way back when… though I’d like to see Peter Davison return to the part. He did say that he should have been older to play the role better, after all.

While not official, many fans believe that McGann’s Doctor fought in the Time War which pitted the Daleks against the Timelords in a winner-takes-all war for space and time. McGann’s Doctor turning up on the program could connect some of those missing pieces of the story, leaving a clean slate for the next production team who will take over in 2008/2009.

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more in the coming months and I’ll report the news just as soon as I hear it.

Suggested viewing/listening:

Doctor Who – The Complete Second Series
Doctor Who: Spare Parts (Big Finish Audio Drama)
Doctor Who: Cybermen
Doctor Who and the Cybermen
Doctor Who – The Two Doctors (Episode 141)
Doctor Who – The Three Doctors
Doctor Who – The Five Doctors (Episode 130)
Doctor Who – The Tomb of the Cybermen