SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

RANDOM STUFF

A new Hobbit poster and scroll focusing on the dwarves:

A first look at Kelly Hu as China White in Arrow:

Together with a new poster released by the CW:

The legend that is Bruce Timm has been busy over on Twitter with some sketches:

HISHE have been at it again:

NEWSWEEK

First look at Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine (Source: Newsarama)

Dredd fizzles in the US (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

Frank Millers Justice League? (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Who producer will negotiate with Peter Jackson (Source: SFX)

Fox's shortlist of helmers for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Source: Deadline)

Rian Johnson also wants to direct Who (Source: Digital Spy)

Mark Millar going to be 20th Century Fox's Marvel movies guru (Source: Latino Review)

Freeman joins The Worlds End (Source: IGN)

Webb returning for Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Source: Variety)

Introducing the West family (Source: DC Comics blog)

HOT TUESDAYS

Miss Wales 2012
(Sophie Moulds)

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

NEWSWEEK

DC December 2012 solicitations (Source: IGN)

Peter Jackson wants to direct an episode of Doctor Who (Source: SFX)

Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers 2 (Source: Cosmic Book News)

Amy Adams talks Man of Steel co-stars (Source: Latino Review)

Look at the Nu-Robocop (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Midnight, Mass in development... again (Source: Deadline)

Amazing Spider-Man to "end" with issue #700 (Source: Digital Spy)

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman going to be separate from those in Justice League (Source: Batman on Film)

Ultimate Cap's decision (Source: Newsarama)

Gunn confirms he will direct Guardians of the Galaxy (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

Director may pull out of Apes sequel (Source: IGN)

Manimal to be remade into movie (Source: Hollywood Reporter)

Planet Hulk movie? (Source: MTV)

SFX speaks to Glen A Larson about Manimal movie (Source: SFX)

The Dark Knight Rises DVD/Blu Ray release date (Source: Batman News)

Jeff Winger's Dad cast (Source: Digital Spy)

Bale & Ledger pics from The Dark Knight (Source: Imgur)

Black Zero in Man of Steel? (Source: Bleeding Cool)

New Looney Tunes movie has a writer (Source: Hollywodd Reporter)

QUICKIES

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - First off, Kevin James is affable and Jessica Biel is sexy as Hell. But... Biel is bad in this movie and her role is nothing more than cliche romantic cannon fodder, the script is not funny and borderline homophobic (even when it tries to be pro-gay) and Rob Schneider is in it. Once again an Adam Sandler movie that fails be to any kind of funny. Final Rating: 1/5

Joe Versus the Volcano - The first of the Hanks/Ryan trilogy and the most enjoyable. The leads have always had a likable chemistry with each other that really shines here as they spend a lot of screen time together (ableit with Ryan in three roles). The script is strong for what essentially is romantic comedy, and is darker than you'd expect if you only watched Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. Hanks, before he got into the more dramatic role, is ever charming and Ryan is her usual level of kooky, though the two sisters she plays come offer rather similar despite supposedly having differing personalities. An enjoyable romantic comedy. Final Rating: 3.5/5

Wonder Woman - This, Bros. Warner, is how to make a Wonder Woman movie. Whilst the studio have tried for years to get a live action Wonder Woman movie off the ground, Bruce Timm et al have come in an knocked it outta the park. It is a suitably epic retelling of the Wonder Woman origin with well cast voice roles, particularly Fillion and Molina, and lively direction. Final Rating: 4/5

Following on from his "The Dark Knight Rises" mondo poster, Jock has now given us one for the Dredd flick:

(Source: Robot 6 @ CBR)

A ways ago (well, Monday) I posted some cool 1980's cartoons theme tunes. Following on from that, here are some cool 80's live action series themes:

The 1980's was also the decade that gave us the fifth, sixth and seventh Doctors, which heavily embraced the sysnthesised stylings of the period:

And, on the Sci-fi note, this was also the decade that saw the triumphant return of Star Trek to the small screen:

HOT TUESDAYS

Tiffani Amber Thiessen

All day on Twitter (@KAD_Rocks) the theme has been classic 80's cartoon theme lyrics. So, to carry on that theme (well, not exactly the same theme), here are 10 cool cartoon themes from the 80's:

And, this being the 80's, the violent movies/characters of the decade naturally got their own cartoon series...

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

NEWSWEEK

Lobo plot? (Source: Its on the Grid)

Reis replaces Lee on Justice League (Source: Newsarama)

Gay, Male Vampire Slayer joins Buffy Season 9 (Source: CBR)

Transf4mers news (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Whedon talks S.H.I.E.L.D TV (Source: Latino Review)

Thor 2 set pics (Source: AICN)

Ted and Bourne sequels? (Source: IGN)

Whedon on the failed Wonder Woman pilot (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

CW orders a new monster high school drama from Chuck, Twilight and American Psycho trio (Source: SFX)

Whedon talks Avengers 2 (Source: Digital Spy)

Amy Adams talks Man of Steel (Source: Collider)

Rucka and Williams III were originally set for Wonder Woman: Earth One (Source: Robot 6 @ CBR)

Justice League to battle Atlantis (Source: USA Today)

Pacific Rim to be converted to 3D against del Toro's wishes (Source: Variety)

James Cameron on Jurassic Park (Source: Empire Online)

Marvelman returning in January? (Source: Comic Book Movie)

Skyfall one sheet and character banners (Source: Latino Review)

JGL on possibilty of appearing in Justice League movie (Source: Superman Supersite)

DREDD

To be honest, beyond the Stallone Judge Dredd movie and the crossovers with Batman, I have no real knowledge of Joseph Dredd. I've always felt the want to delve into that world but when I picked up 2000AD it was always part way through a story and seemed inaccessible to me. Thanks to what little knowledge of the character I had, the trailers, cool ass posters and photo's from Dredd 3D my interest in this movie was piqued, it looked different to the 90's sanitised version (which even without really knowing the character I knew was wrong).

First off, the film has been marketed as "3D" in as much as it seems to be part of the title. But, as ever, the 3D adds nothing beyond a visceral thrill of blood, bullets and explosions escaping out of the screen toward you. 

Visually this movie is quite nice. Pete Travis and his cohorts create a grimy world of tomorrow that is the perfect environment for all the characters (Judges, criminals and citizens) to exist in. Mega City One is never given the visual look of a city like Gotham, the spacing between the high rise tower blocks act as gravestones making it seem more like a cemetery for the ruins of the "Old World". Filming it in South Africa seems to have added an almost perceptible heat to the look of the film. Whilst it has a narrative purpose, however, the slow motion does get tedious (as slo-mo has the habit of doing in almost all movies).

The script of the movie is its major weakness. That's not to say it is bad, far from it. The problem comes down to the pacing/plotting, though this may be down to the running time that has been imposed on it. At 96 minutes the film is brisk and in certain places you have to get from A to C through B relatively quickly, relying too much in places on Anderson's psychic powers and never really fleshing out the antagonists role beyond the need for there to be one. Some of the dialogue is also a bit off, which in certain places may actually be more to do with the delivery of the lines by the actors. 

Karl Urban, in a lot of ways, has the toughest job. He has to carry the movie and deliver a performance whilst being hampered by the fact he (true to the comics) is never seen without his helmet. Urban, however, delivers a fine performance. His Dredd is almost the living embodiment of anger, Dirty Harry without the humanity.

Olivia Thrilby acts as the audience gateway into this world. Thirlby perfectly captures the struggle in Anderson between being a Judge whilst holding onto her "humanity". Lena Headey, meanwhile, turns in a fine performance in a largely forgettable, by the numbers, villain role.

Dredd feels like an old school, ultra violent actionner in the Paul Verhoeven mold and, because it is an 18, the filmmakers do not hold back. It is a hugely enjoyable movie that will hopefully find the audience it deserves and that a sequel is commissioned so that the audience can further explore this world in the future.

Final Rating: 3/5

HOT TUESDAYS

Kayden Kross

CASTING WONDER WOMAN

With the news breaking that CW are in the process of putting together a new Wonder Woman TV series, tentatively titled "Amazon", thoughts automatically turn to who will portray Diana.

Whilst rumour -- as that all this very much is at the moment -- has it that this will be a Smallville style take on Wonder Woman it would stand to reason that they will be looking for relatively young actresses (Tom Welling was 26 when Smallville first aired...) to play the role. However, in this blog we will be looking at some actresses who could be suitable for a small screen version of the Amazing Amazon regardless of their ages.

Missy Peregrym

Lyndsy Fonseca

Jaimie Alexander

Janet Montgomery

Yvonne Strahovski

Erica Cerra

Serinda Swan

Adrianne Palicki

The downside to a lot of these picks are that the women are too short to play an Amazon, but if they can make Tom Cruise look tall on screen...

The Robot Chicken DC Special airs in the US at midnight, but  has got the following clip from the special:

This clip was amusing, and I love the Star Wars Special these guys put together. I look forward to seeing this episode.

SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

NEWSWEEK

Hobbit details (Source: Bleeding Cool)

Guy Pearce on Iron Man 3 and Daredevil (Source: Spinoff @ CBR)

TDKR crosses the worldwide $1b line (Source: Digital Spy)

Overnight ratings for Season 7 premiere of Dr Who (Source: SFX)

Robin Williams returning to the world of Sitcoms (Source: AICN)

Charlie Sheen was almost Spider-Man (Source: IGN)

Henry Cavill talks Man of Steel (Source: Cineplex)

Jim Carrey to appear in Kick Ass 2? (Source: Deadline)

First look at Rila Fukushima as Yukio in The Wolverine (Source: Comic Book Movie)

Michael Emerson to be Joker (Source: CBR)

Gaiman hints at second Dr Who episode (Source: Digital Spy)

Behind the scenes Kick-Ass 2 pic (Source: Latino Review)

CW developing Wonder Woman TV series (Source: Vulture)

Dr Strange rumoured for Thor sequel (Source: Comicbook.com)

Is this the name of the new Trek film? (Source: Bleeding Cool)

John Carpenters Hallowe'en to return to cinemas (Source: Official Hallowe'en Facebook page)

Catwoman #0 gets a new cover (Source: DC Comics)

THE DISCUSSION

From: Kris

To: Ross

Subject:

Brett Ratner rumoured for the Justice League movie - Please, God, no!

and Batman to reboot from Justice League - Called it.

Oh, ABC orders a Joss Whedon S.H.I.E.L.D pilot.

----

From: Ross

To: Kris

Subject:

SHIELD show - I'll be surprised if Fury/Jackson features highly. They may get him in the pilot to sell it. Makes you wonder why they killed off Agent Coulson... Or did they???

Batman reboot - You did indeed call it.

Brett Ratner - I wondered when his name would come up.

----

From: Kris

To: Ross

Subject:

Coulson appears in the Marvel "Ultimate Spider-Man" toon so it possible. Maybe Cobie Smulders'll split her time between HIMYM and this. Maybe they'll just use S.H.I.E.L.D agents from the comics...

Now, I'm not a fan of Ratner at all (I think he is a workman like director) but I will say that his X-Men film suffered mainly due to the speed of which it was put into production and the fact it was dire at script level. However, as a fan, I don't want him anywhere near the Justice League. Nor Bay or McG for that matter. The WB need to make a bold choice like Marvel did with Whedon. Reckon it would've gone to Snyder if not for Man of Steel.

Of two minds about the Justice League Bat reboot. On the plus side, it'll move the Bat away from the Dark Knight trilogy to give the next cycle of flicks a chance. I don't like the idea of the Bat in a shared superhero movie universe (also reeks of copycatting Marvel). Chances seem to be we'll see Man of Steel tie into Justice League.

----

From: Ross

To: Kris

Subject:

I think Batman, in his current darkest-black mood, would be a tough fit for JLA so a lighter tone may be needed. I think it'll be a tough one to pull off as things stand; the key DC characters of Batman and Superman are so established in their own rights with such different visual tones whereas the Marvel team, on screen at least, were largely not known prior to the build up to Avengers, and the overall visual-mood and style seems to have been set with Iron Man's first outing. A lighter, more colourful world and mood (I mean in personality too; he'll have to speak more as a character surely) will be required for Batman so that he can fit with Flash, Green Lantern, etc.

Snyder seems the obvious choice.

So it's official: Looper is the best film of the year!! Okay, maybe it isn't official yet, but Empire have given it a full five-star rating.

----

From: Kris

To: Ross

Subject:

Batman could work if they use the version from the Morrison JLA run. Basically, a blend of Sherlock and Bond with House's attitude/personality. As for Supes, assuming Man of Steel does lead in (no guarantee given the Nolan connection), and is a hit, that is going to be the iteration of the character fresh in the movie goers mind.

The thing about the Justice League is they have the (brilliant) animated series and direct to DVD movies to use as blueprints (they should also use the JLA era comics too) to work out the tone that is needed to integrate all the characters together. The major hurdle is the fact that the League is made up of more powerful, superpower reliant, characters than the Avengers. Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash and J'onn J'onzz are going to be costly FX wise.

It did help Marvel that there were no pre-conceived notions on the majority of the characters that helped build to the Avengers (though I'd say Hulk's past helped him more than his films) and I believe the reverse will happen when the WB spin out characters like Flash.

Empire gave 5 stars to The Artist (the actual best film of the year), The Raid, The Dark Knight Rises...

----

From: Ross

To: Kris

Subject:

In Empire's DVD/Blu Ray review of Avengers (Assemble) they've upped the rating from four to five stars (extras and special features are judged separately).

----

From: Kris

To: Ross

Subject:

Not sure it is a five star movie. Agree with the original four stars.