Stan Lee, Green Hornet, Thor, Iron Man vs Batman and Action Comics 891 review on Planet 46 Comics Podcast
Stan Lee talks Boom!, and a wrap-up of Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Thor and Avengers news from Comic-Con. Reviews of Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #4, Uncanny X-Men, and Action Comics 891.
Piranha Blu-ray review
Obviously inspired by the success of “Jaws,” the Roger Corman-produced “Piranha” (1978) follows a sleepy Texas village that finds itself under attack from hordes of mutant piranha. The film is directed by Joe Dante (“Innerspace,” “Gremlins”), and you’ll see some actors from later Dante projects appearing in this film.
After two teen backpackers disappear in the woods, Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies), a “skip tracer,” is sent to investigate their disappearance. She questions the sullen rural sot Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman) who, despite not liking her very much, agrees to help her track the missing teens. They break into a hidden military base upstream, where they find clues to the disappearance — and accidentally drain the pool on base holding the mutated piranha, who were responsible for the teens’ demise.
Working with Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy), the lead project scientist on the deadly piranha project who stayed behind on the abandoned base, they try to warn the town of the danger to come. And when Grogan discovers the piranha have the ability to swim upstream, endangering both a new aquatic park and his daughter’s summer camp, the stakes get even higher.
Written by John Sayles (“Eight Men Out”) in his feature film debut, the dialogue veers from the campily witty to the flat-out goofy.
The acting is over the top, which actually fits nicely with the overall presentation of the material.
While there’s no mistaking the kind of entertainment this is, “Piranha” revels in its B-grade status, while making some wry commentary along the way. It’s almost impossible not to be entertained in some way by this film.
Blu-ray extras include audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, bloopers, trailers and deleted scenes.
— Matthew Price
Marvel reveals animated Avengers trailer
Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk will be featured in the new animated Avengers cartoon, which will air on Disney XD this fall. “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” unlike the previous “Avengers” series, “United We Stand,” isn’t shying away from using the core Avengers characters. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
Smallville Season 10 Comic-Con trailer goes online
If you missed the Comic-Con trailer for “Smallville,” it’s now shown up online. Tom Welling as Clark Kent, the return of Jonathan Schneider as Pa Kent, the appearance of a costume, a Lionel Luthor cameo? Are you intrigued? What do you think about the trailer? What do you want to see in Season 10? You can check out more photos from Comic-Con at Smallville’s official Facebook page.
- Matt Price
Rifftrax Reefer Madness coming to theaters on Aug. 19
This trailer, shown at Comic-Con, promotes the upcoming “Reefer Madness” Rifftrax live event taking place at theaters throughout the country (and three in Oklahoma) on Aug. 19. There will be an encore presentation on Aug. 24.
The former “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ stars Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett will reunite on the big screen to live-riff the 1936 cult classic that warns of the dangers of marijuana. Audiences will also receive free digital items after the event.
Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“Reefer Madness is bizarre, paranoid and hilarious, everything we like in a movie,” said Michael J. Nelson, RiffTrax creator and former host of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000, in a news release. “I’ve seen it a hundred times and I still find it funny—and I’ve never even smoked pot!”
Oklahoma theaters participating include:
AMC Quail Springs 24
2501 W MEMORIAL RD
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73134
405-755-2466
Tinseltown USA
6001 N MARTIN LUTHER KING AVE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73111
405-424-0461
Spotlight 14
1100 N INTERSTATE DR
NORMAN, OK 73072
405-579-0923
Cinemark Tulsa 17 with IMAX
10802 E 71ST ST
TULSA, OK 74133
918-250-1956
Fans also have the chance to hear their own joke used in the live event. Fans can submit a riff for the available clips at www.RiffTrax.com/contest through Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. One winner for each clip will be chosen by the RiffTrax team, and each winner will receive a “RiffTrax Swag Bag” and an on-screen credit in the event.
Veronica Belmont, left, with the Rifftrax crew of Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy at Comic-Con. (Photo by Annette Price.)
“As fans have seen in our Fathom events before, the RiffTrax guys are comedic geniuses and seeing them improvise this so effectively live on 40-foot screens is astounding,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom, in the release. “With its legendary camp, Reefer Madness is the perfect platform for Michael, Kevin and Bill to create yet another hilarious experience for fans in theatres.”
- Matt Price
Green Hornet, Stan Lee and other Comic-Con 2010 highlights [video]
Shot by Annette Price, edited by Kyle Roberts, the above video includes highlights from Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego. See Stan Lee at the Boom! press conference announcing his new series, the Green Hornet’s car and Green Hornette Mandy Dollar, costumes from the show floor, Scott Pilgrim displays and much more!
- Matt Price
Seth Rogen poses with the Black Beauty car at Comic-Con International 2010.
War of the Supermen 0 available via comixology
DC Comics has released “War of the Supermen” No. 0, this year’s Free Comic Book Day book, on the comiXology platform. It’s available via iPhone or iPad, or on comixology’s Web browser.
Written by James Robinson and Oklahoma-born Sterling Gates, the War of the Supermen found Superman caught between the New Kryptonian troops of General Zod and the forces of earth as each side sought the other’s destruction.
Description from DC Comics: A war is coming, and all that stands between Earth and 100,000 vengeful supermen is one Superman! The conflict between Superman and General Zod erupts into all-out war in this series that will shatter the worlds of Superman, Supergirl and the entire DC Universe! After this, there’s no turning back…
“War of the Supermen” was a great conclusion to the “New Krypton” saga, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend doing so.
- Matt Price
Comic-Con trailer for Thor online
Via Trailer Addict, a look at the Comic-Con trailer for Marvel’s “Thor” movie, starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Anthony Hopkins. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh. EDIT: Looks like it’s been pulled down — but for now you can find it by clicking here.
Chris Hemsworth at Comic-Con (AP)
Comic-Con International 2010: An event of gods and monsters
Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, signs for a fan at Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Photo by Annette Price)
WORD BALLOONS
SAN DIEGO — Every year, Comic-Con: International is a window to a new world of gods and monsters — and this year was perhaps even more so.
While the convention was marred by an on-site stabbing incident, the parade of conventiongoers was overall friendly and outgoing. San Diego itself seemed more enamored of Comic-Con this year. With the convention having the option to move in the near future, downtown businesses seemed to be more welcoming to fans, perhaps realizing the value of the 126,000-plus attendees. For instance, an upscale hotel restaurant had tweaked its interior by covering its framed artwork with superhero posters, and clerks at the downtown grocery hot spot were wearing comic-book shirts to show support for the event.
Marvel Comics debuted its latest god, Thor, the god of thunder, who will be played by Chris Hemsworth in both the “Thor” movie and the superhero team-up film “The Avengers.”
And Marvel also has a new monster: Mark Ruffalo was announced as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, for the “Avengers” film, replacing Edward Norton in the role. Also set for “The Avengers” is Chris Evans as Captain America; he’ll star in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” which fans also got a brief glimpse of in a Comic-Con panel. Assembling all these “Avengers” will be Joss Whedon (“Serenity”), who was confirmed as the film’s director.
Con-goers got their first look at Ryan Reynolds as the emerald space warrior Green Lantern; Reynolds received an ovation for his recitation of the oath of the Green Lantern Corps for a young fan.
“In brightest day, in blackest night; no evil shall escape my sight,” Reynolds said to feverish crowd cheers. “Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power! Green Lantern’s light!”
Another green hero, the Green Hornet, was on hand, as Seth Rogen promoted his film based on the former radio hero, also known as Britt Reid, in a Comic-Con panel. A nearby former factory was reworked into “Britt Reid’s Garage,” where con-goers received rides in Black Beauty, the Green Hornet’s famous car.
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” Michael Cera’s comedy/drama about a 20-something slacker who discovers he must battle his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes, was a Comic-Con hit, with multiple screenings delivering good buzz. The sixth and final volume of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, “Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour,” went to a second printing over the weekend, after selling 100,000 copies in its first week of release.
Proving that Comic-Con is still about comics, Stan Lee announced he was working on three new titles with Boom! Studios (see sidebar), as well as new projects with Archie Comics and Viz.
Geoff Johns of DC Entertainment announced that Wally West, the popular Flash of the 1980s and 1990s, would again star in an ongoing series, tentatively titled “Flash: Speedforce.”
Grant Morrison will write a new “Batman” title, called “Batman, Inc.,” starring Bruce Wayne.
John Constantine, who stars in the “Hellblazer” comic and was the focus of the “Constantine” film, will attempt to get married in an upcoming issue of the series.
IDW announced new comics from the popular 1980s series “The Rocketeer,” which will be worked on by an array of all-star talent. “John Byrne’s Next Men,” a 1990s science-fiction series, will also return from IDW.
Jonathan Hickman (“Fantastic Four”) will write “Ultimate Thor” for Marvel, and Mark Waid (“Irredeemable”) will write a Captain America miniseries called “Man Out of Time.”
In television news, Bruce Campbell excited fans by announcing a prequel TV movie for his “Burn Notice” character, Sam Axe. And DC’s Johns announced that superheroes Booster Gold and Blue Beetle would guest-star in the final season of “Smallville.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Blue Beetle footage officially hits the Internet
The footage shown at the DC Nation and other panels for a proposed Blue Beetle live-action series is now available on the internet. Perhaps coincidentally, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold will appear on the final
season of “Smallville.” Is this a new push for the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle? Might he return in comics soon?
Would you like to see a new Blue Beetle TV or comics series? Share your thoughts in the comments!
- Matt Price
