Matte Havoc

Gina Carano kicks ass and takes names in Haywire!

2012-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

She's hot and badass! Check out the following clip which contains the first five minutes or so of Steven Soderbergh's new film Haywire (2011) starring mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano. This should draw in every heterosexual male in the universe to see the movie. It may sound sexist, but it is true. As a warning you will need to insert your birthday to prove you are over eighteen years of age to watch the clip (psst, just change the birth year back eighteen years).

TV Documentary... The American West of John Ford (1971)

2011-12-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure, here is a 1971 made for television documentary encapsulates the career of Western film director John Ford. The documentary film contains clips from his work and interviews with his colleagues, including John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda and Andy Devine.

2011: A year worth of movies in six and a half minutes

2011-12-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

The official teaser poster for The Dark Knight Rises

2011-12-10T14:28:00.001-08:00

SPOILER ALERT: To the best of my knowledge there is only one villain in Gotham City to successfully kill Bruce Wayne. The villain will be appearing in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, which will be released in the summer of 2012. Therefore, I would like to present to you the official teaser poster for the movie...

1980s Flashback, Hard Copy reports missing Swedish teen

2011-12-07T13:51:00.001-08:00

Hmm, this little gem is an Easter Egg to promote an upcoming movie. Some of you will guess the movie this video is promoting. I will give you a hint, it's part of a book series that was already made into a movie trilogy over in Europe.

Start Planning Ahead for Free Comic Book Day 2012

2011-12-02T18:47:00.001-08:00

Right from the start I need to admit that I am not a hardcore comic book fan. Those out there who are dedicated fans of the medium are allowed to belittle me to their heart’s content, but it would be pointless to waste your energy on me. For those of you who are reading this article right now might not even care about comic books. No matter where you stand in the range of love or hating comic books I would like to share with you the annual tradition known as Free Comic Book Day which began around ten years ago as a way to pull in new readers who may not have given the entertainment form a second thought, or even a first glance at all. The annual event is scheduled every year on the first Saturday of May, which in 2012 will land on May 5th (a.k.a Cinco de Mayo). Here is a promotional video to highlight the event and what it means to the participants.

For those of you who have read the articles from Matte Havoc over the last summer may know of my interest in the comic book world. It was the first full weekend that I have ever attended the San Diego Comic-Con and it was an intriguing experience for me. I would like to recommend everyone to participate in the event next May by visiting their local comic book shop and spend a few minutes or a few hours supporting a local business.

If you ever happen to be in the San Diego area and would like to check out the local comic book scene, then I would recommend stopping by my favorite store: Southern California Comics. Check out the map that has been embedded below for directions on how to get to the store. They have a warehouse jam packed with wall to wall comics, including an entire discounted comics room where you can stack up on common issues for a dollar each (or twelve issues for ten bucks).

View Larger Map

Screening Schedule: "The Dark Knight Rises" IMAX Prologue

2011-12-02T13:39:00.001-08:00

For those of you out there who are like me when it comes to enjoying Batman stories and Christopher Nolan movies there is an opportunity knocking on our front door for the holiday season. Mark your calendars to reserve some time on December 16, 2011 to go and watch Mission: Impossible, Ghost Protocol on an IMAX screen, which will serve as a vehicle to present a six minute (estimated) prologue from the upcoming Batman movie titled The Dark Knight Rises. The new movie will not be released in its entirety until the summer of 2012, but this prologue segment should offer us an idea of how the movie will look on the IMAX screen next year. I watched The Dark Knight on a mini-IMAX screen (read more about what I am talking about by clicking here) during its initial release in 2009. List below is a list of movie theaters through North America that will be tagging the prologue on to the front of the Mission: Impossible IMAX movie. If there is a location near you, then it might be worth a trip to see the teaser video. This is a limited release, so you might have to travel quite a ways if you do not live in a metro area that has a theater playing the footage. The closest movie theater from my home base is 71.4 miles away and I am considering the option of saving my gas money by waiting until the entire movie is released next summer.

METRO AREA	CITY	THEATER NAME
Austin, TX	Austin	IMAX Theater Austin
Boston, MA	Natick	Jordan’s IMAX
Boston, MA	Reading	IMAX 3D Theatre in Reading
Calgary, AB	Calgary	Scotiabank Theatre Chinook 16
Chantilly, VA	Chantilly	Udvar-Hazy Center IMAX
Chicago, IL	Chicago	Navy Pier IMAX Theatre
Des Moines, IA	Des Moines	SCI IMAX Dome Theater
Detroit, MI	Dearborn	Henry Ford IMAX
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton	Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton
Harrisburg, PA	Harrisburg	Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts
Houston, TX	Houston	Houston Marque Stadium 22 + IMAX
Indianapolis, IN	Indianapolis	White River IMAX
Los Angeles, CA	Irvine	Irvine Spectrum 20 + IMAX
Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles	RAVE 18 + IMAX
Los Angeles, CA	Ontario	Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX
Los Angeles, CA	Universal City	Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX
Madison, WI	Fitchburg	Star 18 Fitchburg with IMAX
Miami, FL	Fort Lauderdale	AutoNation IMAX
Minneapolis, MN	Apple Valley	Great Clips IMAX
Montreal, QC	Montreal	Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal
Nashville,TN	Nashville	Opry Mills Stadium 20 + IMAX
New York, NY	New York	Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX
New York, NY	West Nyack	Palisades IMAX
Omaha, NE	Council Bluffs	Star Cinema 16 with IMAX
Orlando, FL	Orlando	Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX
Ottawa, ON	Gloucester	Silvercity Gloucester + IMAX
Palm Springs, CA	Cathedral City	Desert IMAX Theatre
Philadelphia, PA	Atlantic City	IMAX and the Tropicana
Philadelphia, PA	Philadelphia	Tuttleman IMAX Franklin Institute
Phoenix, AZ	Tempe	Arizona Mills 25 with IMAX
Providence, RI	Providence	Providence Place 16 with IMAX
Quebec City, QC	Quebec City	IMAX Le Theatre At Quebec
Sacramento, CA	Sacramento	Esquire IMAX
San Antonio, TX	San Antonio	IMAX at RiverCenter
San Francisco, CA	San Francisco	Metreon 16 with IMAX & ETX
Seattle, WA	Seattle	Boeing IMAX Pacific Science Center
Tampa, FL	Tampa	Museum of Science and Industry
Toronto, ON	Mississauga	Coliseum 12 Mississauga + IMAX
Toronto, ON	Toronto	Scotiabank Theatre Toronto + IMAX
Toronto, ON	Woodbridge-Vaughan	Colossus 18 Woodbridge + IMAX
Vancouver, BC	Langley	Colossus Langley + IMAX
Vancouver, BC	Richmond	Silvercity Riverport 18 + IMAX

SOURCES: Screen Rant and Film School Rejects.

MGM working on bringing "Where's Waldo?" to the movies

2011-12-01T15:33:00.001-08:00

Do you remember the animated character Waldo from the children’s book series Where’s Waldo? He is the elusive character you would have to search for in an oversized hand drawn picture filled with people, buildings, animals and other variations of distractions to deter finding Waldo in a moment’s notice. For the most part I am familiar with the participatory process of the book series as I have looked through a large number of the drawings in search of finding Waldo hidden among the large crowds of fellow cartoon characters. It would be safe to say the primary purpose of the books would be to pull the viewer into staring at a still drawing for a long period of time to find a microscopic sized red and white striped sweatshirt.

Within the first week of November the word was released to the public of the interest MGM holds in converting the “Where’s Waldo?” property into a feature length movie. I am sure there is some way it would be plausible to create a character story for Waldo that would explain how and why he would frequently appear as a single figure lost in a large crowd of people at various locations such as carnivals, swap meets, conventions, and amusement parks. I would imagine the original concept of staring at a still photo for a lengthy period of time until you find Waldo would be completely debunked by the constantly moving visuals that pass by your eyes at a constant rate of twenty-four still images per second.

The film will be produced by Classic Media on the behalf of MGM who will distribute the final product to the movie theaters throughout the country. This week the screenwriter for the movie has been secured to pen the storyline, which ties back to the concern that I have previously brought up. How will the writer approach the subject matter? Todd Berger is the hired writer to work on adapting the material into the world movie making. He is a man of all different production hats, including his work as an actor and director. As a culmination of all the different production jobs that he listed on his resume, I am sure he would be able to find a way to adapt a non-movie product into the proper format needed to fill ninety minutes or so of theater screen time. This should be interesting to see what the final product will look like.

SOURCES: The Hollywood Reporter and Slash Film.

The Chronicles of Riddick 3 back in production!

2011-11-30T15:56:00.001-08:00

Buried deep within all the posts that have been written for Matte Havoc there is a blurb or two that clearly states that I am a fan of the Riddick franchise. If you are unfamiliar with the character name, then you might want to head over to the nearest movie rental facility to check out a copy of Pitch Black (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), or The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004). The third title, Dark Fury, is direct to video animated film that serves as a bridge in the stories between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. It does not really count as a third installment of sorts, but more like a half sibling or a Cliff Notes movie that exists as a method to help explain the continuity of the Riddick universe. Over the last couple of years, but prominently for the last year alone, actor Vin Diesel and movie director David Twohy have been publicly vocal about the promises of creating and distributing an official third installment to the series, which has left me a bit excited to see it come to fruition.

Back in September there was an intentional leak of concept art for the third movie, which includes the Riddick drawing at the top of this posted article. For the last couple of months I assumed Vin Diesel and Twohy were still working in the pre-production phase for the movie by working on the production design and the script. However, I was unaware they had actually started the production process. In the last week there was news of the production being temporarily shut down as a result of running out of funding. This was the first piece of information that I heard in regards to the crew actually start shooting the movie. It was a bittersweet announcement, because they actually began the process of creating the movie, but had to shut down when the money ran out. It was just another hurdle to slow down the process of filmmaking.

Jumping ahead by a couple of days to the new announcement that the production has found a new source of funding and will resume the filming the movie immediately. Hurray! A placeholder page has already been created on the IMDb website for the move, but the release date is still up in the air. I would not be surprised if the final cut does not arrive in the movie theaters until sometime in 2013, because I would imagine there will have to be a lot of computer generated effects to be created for the final cut. Well, I am looking forward to watching the movie whenever it might be release to the public.

The Bryans are bringing back The Munsters!

2011-11-30T15:25:00.001-08:00

According to the news website Deadline Hollywood, two veteran entertainment producers, Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer, will be joining together for a new project of adapting the original 1960s television series The Munsters into an “imaginative reinvention” for the modern day audience. Bryan Fuller has written a pilot script for the new series and NBC placed an order for it to be produced by Universal Television.

Instead of the original thirty minute, single camera sitcom format closely associated with the original series, the newly created adaptation will be an hour long drama show (probably shot in a single camera production style). Bryan Singer is in the midst of working on a contractual deal with NBC to direct and serve as an executive producer of the pilot episode. I would imagine Singer would be moving over to just the executive producer role for the possibility of future episodes that would be placed on order by NBC.

The new series might not add up to anything more than a summer filler product or a mid-season replacement. By looking at the majority of Fuller’s previous television projects I would have to take a guess that the newly revised Munsters family will be nothing more than a temporary program filler to entertain the television watching audience until a new batch of The Office episodes arrive at the start of the fall season.

Director and producer Bryan Singer is not a stranger to television. He has several television credits to his name, which includes serving as an executive producer for House, M.D. (2004-present), which he also directed the pilot episode in addition to another first season episode for the show. The other television heavyweight has garnered success as a producer, writer, and creator of several television shows in the last ten years or so. Bryan Fuller is closely associated with the instant cult classic series Dead Like Me (2003), Wonderfalls (2004), Pushing Daisies (2007-2009), and Heroes (2006-2009).

The LAMBs in the Director's Chair #21: John Carpenter

2011-11-29T16:05:00.001-08:00

For those who are unfamiliar with the series The LAMBs in the Director's Chair might want to check out the on going event over at the Large Association of Movie Blogs website to catch up on the game. The somewhat monthly series is comprised of a collection of bloggers who contribute their writings and reflections upon the career of a pre-selected a film director. The focal point of this particular installment will be a stepping stone from the usual mainstream that a lot of movie theater attendees are adjusted to these days. Long time film director David Lynch has been known for distributing material with a very weird perspective on life, but he is a wiz at doing it so well that it invokes an emotional response every time. Would that not be the intention of art and filmmaking: an emotional and/or intellectual response to its material? In addition, he also knows how to tweak the soundtrack for the film in such a way that could blow the woofers right of the speaker cabinets (that would be a positive thing in this instance) in order to design a particular mood setting for the story of the film. The following installment of the series was posted on October 31, 2011 over on the LAMB website. A horror movie marathon is the most fitting activity for a lot of people when the Halloween holiday rolls around every year. However, there are not very many horror film directors who would closely associate with the annual holiday like John Carpenter. It was with his iconic film franchise, Halloween, which spawned an iconic character in the world of American horror cinema: Michael Myers. In the twenty-first edition of The LAMBs in the Director’s Chair series, the LAMB writers have submitted a collection of reviews and editorials covering the films directed by John Carpenter, which includes a couple of a reviews for Halloween (1978). Enjoy the reading adventure!

Editorials, Highlights and Miscellaneous Files
Exiled from Contentment
To The Escape Hatch

REVIEWS for Halloween (1978)
Lord of the Films
Film Forager
Defiant Success
French Toast Sunday
The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World

REVIEWS for In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
Cinematic Catharsis
Spooky Bloggery
Forced Viewing
Radiator Heaven

REVIEWS for They Live (1988)
Wide Screen World
Radiator Heaven

REVIEWS for The Fog (1980)
Cinematic Catharsis
Forced Viewing
Radiator Heaven

REVIEWS for Escape from New York (1981)
Film Forager
Radiator Heaven

REVIEW for Dark Star (1974)
Film Forager

REVIEW for Vampires (1998)
Radiator Heaven

REVIEWS for The Thing (1982)
Defiant Success
Commentary Track
Forced Viewing (reviewed by Jori)
Forced Viewing (reviewed by Lackey)
Forced Viewing (reviewed by Drudgeon)
Silver Emulsion
To The Escape Hatch

REVIEWS for The Ward (2010)
Filmophilia
Forced Viewing
Silver Emulsion

REVIEWS for Masters of Horror: Pro-Life
Forced Viewing
Silver Emulsion

REVIEWS for Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
Forced Viewing
Silver Emulsion

REVIEWS for Prince of Darkness (1987)
Forced Viewing
Radiator Heaven

REVIEW for Christine (1983)
Forced Viewing

REVIEW for Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Radiator Heaven

Sizzle Reel: [the films of] Christopher Nolan

2011-11-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

Low on paper? Order from Dunder Mifflin!

2011-11-28T15:02:00.001-08:00

Now the hardcore fans of The Office television sitcom can prove their dedication by ordering and using actual Dunder Mifflin paper products! It is the truth, I kid you not. The office supply web store Quill.com has garnered a licensing agreement with NBC Universal to sell cartons of Dunder Mifflin paper through their website for the affordable price of $34.99 for each case. The news was discovered via The Wrap news website and you can now order your own box of paper by visiting this link to the product page.

After seven years on television, which is a feat in itself these days with cancel happy TV executives, it surprising how it took this long for an office supply company to score a licensing agreement with NBC to connect fans of The Office with an actual product that is nothing more than a fictitious prop up to this point. It is the equivalent of the red stapler from Office Space or maybe the hatch from Lost. NBC Universal has agreed upon a contract with Quill Lincolnshire, Inc. to receive six percent of the profits earn from the sales of the product on Quill.com over the next two years. I would assume the contract could be renewed at the end of the two years if the product continues to sell in large quantities and if the television show continues to produce and broadcast new episodes for the next several years.

Anne (Hathaway) Getting Married

2011-11-28T11:39:00.001-08:00

No! No, no, no! There goes my chance. Sigh.

Anne Hathaway is engaged to her boyfriend of three years, Adam Shulman, 30, whom she started dating just after her Italian ex-beau Raffaello Follieri was convicted of defrauding clients out of millions of dollars and sentenced to four years in prison. Hathaway's rep Stephen Huvane confirmed the engagement to USA Today. Adam Shulman is an actor who appeared on the 2005 TV series American Dreams.

How does this Adam guy hook up with an established actress like Anne Hathaway? Was it a cheesy pick up line at the bar? Does anyone want to place a bet on how long this Hollywood engagement and marriage will last?

Film director Ken Russell passed away (1927–2011)

2011-11-28T10:44:00.001-08:00

Ken Russell, the British director whose daring and sometimes outrageous films often tested the patience of audiences and critics, has died at age 84. Russell died in a hospital on Sunday following a series of strokes, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday. One of Russell’s biggest successes came in 1969 with Women in Love, based on the book by D.H. Lawrence, which earned Academy Award nominations for the director and for writer Larry Kramer, and an Oscar for the star, Glenda Jackson. Music played a central role in many of Russell’s films including The Music Lovers in 1970, and Lisztomania and Tommy in 1975. “My father died peacefully,” Verney-Elliott said. “He had had a series of strokes. He died with a smile on his face." (excerpt)

There is only two of Ken Russell's movies that I have watched so far: Tommy (1975) and Altered States (1980). I could tell between the two movies that Ken Russell was not a fan of keeping his work with a minimalism amount of presentation. It was a big presentation within both films. Between the two of them I would list Altered States as my favorite film, while I considered Tommy to be an average musical film. I usually would lean over to enjoying a movie filled with dark thematic elements over a musical film based upon the works of a famous rock band who I never really listened to before. He was marked as a controversial director by presenting human sexuality and other hot topics in the movies with a different and strong perspective that led the audience into uncomfortable territory of the movie watching experience. For more information about Russell's career I would recommend starting with the collection of links that are available on the Film Studies for Free blog.

Out of Tradition: Remember, Remember!

2011-11-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

The LAMBs in the Director's Chair #17

2011-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Starring... David Lynch

For those who are unfamiliar with the series The LAMBs in the Director's Chair might want to check out the on going event over at the Large Association of Movie Blogs website to catch up on the game. The somewhat monthly series is comprised of a collection of bloggers who contribute their writings and reflections upon the career of a pre-selected a film director. The focal point of this particular installment will be a stepping stone from the usual mainstream that a lot of movie theater attendees are adjusted to these days. Long time film director David Lynch has been known for distributing material with a very weird perspective on life, but he is a wiz at doing it so well that it invokes an emotional response every time. Would that not be the intention of art and filmmaking: an emotional and/or intellectual response to its material? In addition, he also knows how to tweak the soundtrack for the film in such a way that could blow the woofers right of the speaker cabinets (that would be a positive thing in this instance) in order to design a particular mood setting for the story of the film.

Career Editorial
The Entertainment Junkie
Jack L. film reviews
Flix Chatter
The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World
Online Inquirer
Matte Havoc

Reviews of Mulholland Drive (2001)
Defiant Success
Surrender to the Void

Reviews of Blue Velvet (1986)
Defiant Success
In It For The Kills
Surrender to the Void
Bill's Movie Emporium
Radiator Heaven
Magic Lanter Film Blog

Reviews of Eraserhead (1977)
Playground of Doom
Movies and Songs 365
Forced Viewing [review by Drudgeon]
Surrender to the Void
Bill's Movie Emporium
Radiator Heaven

Reviews of Dune (1984)
Film Forager
Radiator Heaven

Reviews of Elephant Man (1980)
Big Thoughts from a Small Mind
Surrender to the Void
Bill's Movie Emporium
Foolish Blatherings
1001 Plus

Reviews of Wild At Heart (1990)
Matte Havoc
Surrender to the Void
Radiator Heaven
Online Inquirer

Review of Lost Highway (1997)
Surrender to the Void

Reviews of Inland Empire (2006)
Surrender to the Void
Online Inquirer
Matte Havoc

Review of Twin Peaks (1990-91)
Radiator Heaven

Reviews of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Radiator Heaven
Online Inquirer

Movie of the Day... Lady Frankenstein (1971)

2011-10-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

The first time that I had ever heard of Lady Frankenstein (1971) was when the movie played for a broadcast of Elvira's Movie Macabre in 2010 and 2011. What caught me off guard was that the movie was played for basic television broadcast and there was nudity in it! Hey now! Of course, the shots were blurred out in order to meet FCC regulations, but in this cut of the film the entire movie is available as an uncensored version. You have been forewarned. {insert the most devious of evil laughs here}

Anyway, here is the synopsis of the movie:

When Dr. Frankenstein is killed by a monster he created, his daughter and his lab assistant Marshall continue his experiments. The two fall in love and attempt to transplant Marshall's brain in to the muscular body of a retarded servant Stephen, in order to prolong the aging Marshall's life. Meanwhile, the first monster seeks revenge on the grave robbers who sold the body parts used in its creation to Dr. Frankenstein. Soon it comes after Marshall and the doctor's daughter.

Movie of the Day... Slashed Dreams / Sunburst (1975)

2011-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a feature length film from the 1970s that I would like to share with you. It is featured in its entirety for your viewing enjoyment. Here is a synopsis of the movie:

A pair of college students go on a trip up to the mountains to look for a friend who dropped out of school to find personal fulfillment apart from the norms of American society. Along the way, the couple is warned of dangerous terrain and unfriendly local residents who are not worth the trouble of finding a lost friend.

The film stars Robert Englund in the role of the lost friend before he become a household name as the terrifying boogeyman Freddy Krueger. He does not appear in the movie until the third act, but it is a sure thing that you will see him. It would be difficult to miss him.

Ken Burns on funding, politics, and journalism

2011-10-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Embedded below is an interesting video interview with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. The topics covered in the interview include public funding, political beliefs, and the disappearance of balanced journalism. I would like to briefly add a side note that Ken Burns is a self-proclaimed Democrat and the interviewer, Nick Gillespie, is a conservative Libertarian. The two of them face off on several different political talking points within the interview. Here is the information that has been pulled from the video description...

"In a perfect world," says legendary filmmaker Ken Burns, "we'd want government support [for the arts] and a lot more of it."

Burns' new PBS documentary, Prohibition, was made with his longtime collaborator Lynn Novick and explores the causes, failures, and legacy of the nation's "Noble Experiment" in banning alcohol in the early 20th century. His previous works on topics such as the Civil War, baseball, and jazz were critical and commercial successes, helping to revitalize the documentary form and start rich conversations about race, history, and politics.

The Prohibition documentary will likely do the same. "There were all these factions, left and right, black and white, that were for [banning alcohol].... It [is] too easy to dismiss it as purely a retrograde, conservative attempt back to some good old days that never existed. It was a much more complicated dynamic." Indeed, the documentary stresses the role of Progressive legislators in pushing the 18th Amendment.

"The telling of history need not be Castor Oil, the dry recitation of dates, facts, and events" says Burns, who rejects doctrinaire activism in his art despite calling himself a "Democrat for life."

Burns says the proliferation of cheap production and distribution technologies for creative expression is a cause for optimisim but worries about audience fragmentation. "When I grew up, there were four or five channels and people basically shared a common canon of knowledge....Now people can seek their own self-satisfying sources of knowledge [which] is hugely dangerous."

Despite the immense popular appeal of his work, Burns is no fan of "the market" when it comes to making films. While Bank of America is one of the major funders of his current documentary, he says that in a non-public-television setting the company would have likely exerted editorial pressure on his product. Corporate money and commerical outlets even on niche cable channels come with too many strings and compromises attached, says Burns. He notes that highly praised documentarians such as Errol Morris "work a great deal of time doing commerical work on the side, which I don't have the time or the luxury or the talent to do."

A Major Announcement and Apology from Netflix

2011-09-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Included below is the entire transcription of an apology letter from Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings with some interesting words to share with the Netflix customers. At one point he refers to a Welcome Video which has been embedded on this page at the very end of the letter.

I messed up. I owe everyone an explanation.

It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming, and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. I’ll try to explain how this happened.

For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn't make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us) because they are afraid to hurt their initial business. Eventually these companies realize their error of not focusing enough on the new thing, and then the company fights desperately and hopelessly to recover. Companies rarely die from moving too fast, and they frequently die from moving too slowly.

When Netflix is evolving rapidly, however, I need to be extra-communicative. This is the key thing I got wrong.

In hindsight, I slid into arrogance based upon past success. We have done very well for a long time by steadily improving our service, without doing much CEO communication. Inside Netflix I say, “Actions speak louder than words,” and we should just keep improving our service.

But now I see that given the huge changes we have been recently making, I should have personally given a full justification to our members of why we are separating DVD and streaming, and charging for both. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do.

So here is what we are doing and why:

Many members love our DVD service, as I do, because nearly every movie ever made is published on DVD, plus lots of TV series. We want to advertise the breadth of our incredible DVD offering so that as many people as possible know it still exists, and it is a great option for those who want the huge and comprehensive selection on DVD. DVD by mail may not last forever, but we want it to last as long as possible.

I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We feel we need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolve, without having to maintain compatibility with our DVD by mail service.

So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are becoming two quite different businesses, with very different cost structures, different benefits that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently. It’s hard for me to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary and best: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”.

We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.

Qwikster will be the same website and DVD service that everyone is used to. It is just a new name, and DVD members will go to qwikster.com to access their DVD queues and choose movies. One improvement we will make at launch is to add a video games upgrade option, similar to our upgrade option for Blu-ray, for those who want to rent Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Members have been asking for video games for many years, and now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done. Other improvements will follow. Another advantage of separate websites is simplicity for our members. Each website will be focused on just one thing (DVDs or streaming) and will be even easier to use. A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated. So if you subscribe to both services, and if you need to change your credit card or email address, you would need to do it in two places. Similarly, if you rate or review a movie on Qwikster, it doesn’t show up on Netflix, and vice-versa.

There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). Members who subscribe to both services will have two entries on their credit card statements, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as the current charges.

Andy Rendich, who has been working on our DVD service for 12 years, and leading it for the last 4 years, will be the CEO of Qwikster. Andy and I made a short welcome video.** (You’ll probably say we should avoid going into movie making after watching it.) We will let you know in a few weeks when the Qwikster.com website is up and ready. It is merely a renamed version of the Netflix DVD website, but with the addition of video games. You won’t have to do anything special if you subscribe to our DVD by mail service.

For me the Netflix red envelope has always been a source of joy. The new envelope is still that distinctive red, but now it will have a Qwikster logo. I know that logo will grow on me over time, but still, it is hard. I imagine it will be the same for many of you. We’ll also return to marketing our DVD by mail service, with its amazing selection, now with the Qwikster brand.

Some members will likely feel that we shouldn’t split the businesses, and that we shouldn’t rename our DVD by mail service. Our view is with this split of the businesses, we will be better at streaming, and we will be better at DVD by mail. It is possible we are moving too fast – it is hard to say. But going forward, Qwikster will continue to run the best DVD by mail service ever, throughout the United States. Netflix will offer the best streaming service for TV shows and movies, hopefully on a global basis. The additional streaming content we have coming in the next few months is substantial, and we are always working to improve our service further.

I want to acknowledge and thank our many members that stuck with us, and to apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated them thoughtlessly.

Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will work hard to regain your trust. We know it will not be overnight. Actions speak louder than words. But words help people to understand actions.

Respectfully yours,
Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO, Netflix

NASCAR Ken Block Thrashes Universal Studios Backlot

2011-08-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

From the video description: DC Shoes and Ken Block present Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial. GYM4 surpasses the high-production style of Gymkhana TWO with even more spectacular effects shot in the backlots of Universal Studios, California. Filmed over the course of five days, director Ben Conrad (Zombieland and 30 Seconds or Less) and his team at Logan deliver a Hollywood caliber production complete with pyrotechnics, massive stunts and a series of unbelievable tricks. Featuring robotic sharks, deranged zombies, and a hilarious cameo by the Epic Meal Time guys, Ken Block and his Hybrid FunctionHoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.) bring the magic of Hollywood and gymkhana together.

Knights of Badassdom Comic-Con 2011 Discussion Panel

2011-08-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the video for the entire discussion panel with the cast and the movie director for the yet to be signed LARP action film Knights of Badassdom. This video includes the question and answer section where I was the last person who was able to ask a question for the panel. The video is about 98% uncut and uncensored. There are a couple of small sections removed from the video that includes the copyrighted material from the movie itself (i.e. the presentation of the movie trailer and a film clip or two).

River Tam versus Cameron Phillips, Who Would Win?

2011-08-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

For a couple of years now there has been a question that I was hoping to receive an official answers. This might be as close to an official answer as I will ever hear. My question is who would win a face-off battle: River Tam from the Firefly television series or Cameron Phillips from The Sarah Connor Chronicles television series? While attending San Diego Comic-Con 2011 the opportunity presented itself to ask the actress who played both roles. Although she was prompted to an answer by the audience members, who I was one of the vocal participants, she went with a semi-official answer. The first embedded video is a recording of the giant projection screen where you could see a good shot of Summer Glau answering the question, and the second video is a wide shot from behind the Q&A microphone located in the audience. [EDITED TO ADD: The cell phone footage has been updated to a high definition capture. Awesome!] As a bonus element the second video also includes the question and answer session with Comic-Con internet sensation Bob Stencil.

Primary Video of the Question and Answer

Bonus Video Guest Starring Bob Stencil

For more articles and media items related to the Matte Havoc press coverage of Comic-Con visit the designated convention section here: San Diego Comic-Con.

Ronald Reagan, Hollywood, and the Political Arena

2011-08-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

VIDEO SYNOPSIS: At Freedom Fest this last July, Reason Magazine's Matt Welch spoke with Marc Eliot, author of Reagan: The Hollywood Years. The book chronicles Ronald Reagan's journey from sportscaster to actor to union president to politician. Unlike critics who make sport of Reagan's Hollywood output (Bedtime for Bonzo, anyone?), Eliot documents how backlot politics helped transform the once-proud "New Deal Democrat" into the embodiment of Goldwater conservatism. His tenure as head of the Screen Actors Guild was punctuated by episodes such as the time when he received death threats by one of Al Capone's henchmen over a union dispute and his starring role in the negotiations that led to actors receiving residuals. And while Reagan's film career ultimately petered out, he was for a time among the highest-paid contract actors of his day. Shot by Jim Epstein and Zach Weissmueller, edited by Anthony L. Fisher. Held each July in Las Vegas, Freedom Fest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason TV spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks.

J.J. Abrams asks "What's in the Box?"

2011-08-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Film director J.J. Abrams was invited to do a TED conference presentation. During his speech he talks about his grandfather as an inspiration in his life among many other topics.

VIDEO SYNOPSIS: J.J. Abrams traces his love for the unseen mystery, a passion that is evident in his films and television shows, including Cloverfield, Lost and Alias, back to its magical beginnings. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10.

New Photos of Costumes for Bane and Catwoman

2011-08-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

The character of Bane first appeared in the Batman films as a sidekick henchman for Poison Ivy in the movie Batman & Robin (1997). I have not met a single person who truthfully enjoyed that movie above all the others in the history of Batman movies, therefore allowing plenty of room for the return of the villains from that movie to be offered a second chance at a proper treatment in a new movie installment. Christopher Nolan has proven to offer a bit of justice by bringing in Joker for The Dark Knight (2008) allowing the audience to really see how insane the character can be portrayed. I am hoping he will offer an equal amount of opportunity for the character of Bane to demonstrate his true colors. Here are a few photos of actor Tom Hardy in the role of Bane as he straddles above the ceiling of a military tumbler. The costume may not be exactly like the comic book drawings, but with the jagged tooth face mask proves the character may be utilizing powerful venom that provides his superhuman strength. In the comics the venom is injected through a tube tied into the back of his heard, but in these photos there might be a chance that he inhales through an aerosol gas of some kind.

The return of Catwoman who has not been in a decent movie since Batman Returns (1992) and has officially arrived in a Christopher Nolan adaptation of the Batman universe for the new film The Dark Knight Rises. This time around Catwoman will be portrayed by Anne Hathaway (holla!) and the photos of the cat suit just arrived online in the last couple of days. The photos that have been embedded below show Anne Hathaway in the full body outfit as well as her stuntwoman in the outfit while riding a custom made bike. I am rather disappointed in the costume when I glance at the Anne’s full length photograph since the outfit appears to be a lackluster ensemble. It is just so bland and uninteresting, but I sure do hope it will appear different on the big screen when she is in full motion.

While the production crew is filming in Pittsburgh, PA there was a local resident who snapped a couple of video clips of the camouflage painted tumbler. It appears to be the same vehicle seen in a couple of the photographs of Bane.

The Tumbler Vehicle in Full Camouflage Design

Dinner with Jean Reno, Kristen Bell, and Craig Ferguson

2011-08-06T02:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite films of the 1990s would be Luc Besson’s cult classic action film Leon: The Professional (1994) starring French actor Jean Reno alongside rookie actress Natalie Portman in her feature film debut. It was exciting news for me when I heard Jean Reno would appear on five consecutive episodes of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson when the talk show heads to Paris, France for the first week of August 2011. Embedded below is all five video clips from the show when Craig Ferguson sat down for a meal with actors Luc Besson and Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall).

PART ONE: August 1, 2011

PART TWO: August 2, 2011

PART THREE: August 3, 2011

PART FOUR: August 4, 2011

PART FIVE: August 5, 2011

San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Recap

2011-07-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

This section of the website has been reserved for the selection of postings, internet links, articles, journal entries, photos and videos covering the topic of the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 convention. The collection of over 145 photographs taken by DJ Heinlein (Matte Havoc) will be uploaded to the website soon and will be embedded on this page. In the meantime a keyword link has been attached to the Press Coverage banner in the upper right hand corner so that you could peruse through all the individual articles and press releases that have been published on the website. There were a large number of press releases sent out by the companies and organizations in attendance at the convention, but the list of press releases was whittled down to the items that caught the eye of a Matte Havoc editor and post online. The 2011 Comic-Con was the first full weekend of experiencing as much as possible at the convention for the Matte Havoc staff. There was a ton of fun experience while the convention lasted even if was at the cost of minimal sleep and being hit hard with a head cold at the end of the trip.

A Personal Highlight of the Entire SDCC 2011 Trip

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Videos

To get the ball rolling on the fresh material from this year I have discovered and uploaded two videos from the convention this year. One of the videos is an interview with the executive producer for several Batman movies: Michael Uslan. The other video is several elements of the Cirque du Soleil stunt that was performed along the side of Petco Park stadium where the Padres play all their home baseball games.

SDCC Journal Entry: July 20, 2011

It is Wednesday afternoon and my mind is racing through all the possibilities of how my trip to Comic-Con 2011 will play out for me. This will mark the first full convention trip for me and I am not completely sure what to expect. I attended a Sunday afternoon trip to Comic-Con last year, but it did not offer a complete rendering of the hot water that I possibly landed in this year. The most obvious elements I can expect would be the overabundance of people, most all of them will be fan boys and fan girls, swarming downtown San Diego like never before. Word on the street is the lack of deodorant being used by some of the fan boys. Shall I make a killer sized profit this year by selling nose plugs to everyone? As hilariously awesome of an idea it might be I would not have a sellers permit on hand if a cop stops to ask me a few questions about the validity of my business. I am kidding, SDPD! There will be no illegal activity that I will be involved in this year. Two of the nagging concerns that I keep thinking about during my preparations for the convention would be the schedule and ensuring that I do not miss any events that I would like to see. I do have a work shift scheduled on Thursday evening and Sunday morning which would limit my options to the discussion panels and any other special events that are slated during those time slots. In addition, while I am at the convention I know there will be a lot of events going on, but I will not be able to attend every single one that I would find interesting. Some of the events that will happen this year are discussion panels, autograph signings, parties, and a few other happenings that are not widely publicized. The best approach for me would be to attend the events that would fit into my schedule and not sweat over missing the small stuff. There will always be next year for more opportunity to attend more convention events. Good times!

SDCC Journal Entry: July 21, 2011

Wow, what a first day at Comic-Con 2011. It was a half-day event for me, because I was scheduled to work at my paying job on Thursday evening. My arrival to the convention center around 9:00 AM offered enough time to pick up my convention badge and begin organizing any last minute plans for the next several hours. One of the first activities I had to face was reorganizing the free magazines and oversized shwag bag they gave me alongside the messenger bag and camera tote that I already brought into the convention center with me. The process of cramming of rearranging all that material took a good fifteen minutes or so. Upon a reasonable success of cramming the shwag bag into the messenger bag I was off to the races in taking a few photographs here and there of the cosplayers who were loitering around waiting for the exhibition hall to open at 9:30 AM.

Once the doors were open I moved rapidly through the exhibition hall taking as many pictures as I could manage of the comic themed props, cosplayers, booths, and whatever else struck my fancy before I moved along to the first panel discussion of the morning. It was a featured panel with Felicia Day, Doug Jones, and a couple members of the production staff of a new web series adaptation of the Dragon Age video game. I first heard about Felicia from her work on The Guild, a personal favorite web series, and she appears to be the epitomic image of the sexy geek girl. Doug is a recognizable actor when he is wearing tons of special effects makeup such as noted in films like Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Legion. He is an extremely nice guy in person, which I was extremely fortunate enough to talk with him for a couple of minutes after the conclusion of the panel.

The only other discussion panel that I was able to attend was for the animated adaptation of Napoleon Dynamite for the FOX television network. The entire primary cast from the film arrived for the discussion panel to promote the film and it was a standing room only event. Everyone had a great time during the hour long panel and I was able to ask a couple of questions to Tina Majorino, one of the questions left her with her jaw hanging open as if she was experiencing an epiphany. Yes, I am just that good with my questions. I had asked her if the character she portrays in the film, Deb, would ever consider working for a Got Milk advertising campaign. If you have ever seen the movie you would know the connection between the dairy product and her character.

It would be nice to go into greater detail about the day, but I am in a rush at the moment to attend to other matters. There will be photographs that will be published online as soon as I gain a bit of time to peruse through the photographs to select the best ones to share with you all. Hopefully, I will be able to offer a meaty review on Friday after I plan on spending the majority of the entire day at the convention.

SDCC Journal Entry: July 22, 2011

The time is nearly 12:45 AM on Saturday morning. I had a full day at Comic-Con on Friday leaving me running a bit low on brain power. I promised there will be a more in depth review of the weekend sometime between Monday and Wednesday after I have finished recuperating from the convention. A quick recap of the events and activities for today includes visiting two separate panel discussions with Dave Gibbons (illustrator for Watchmen), the first one was about his career and the second one was about the new lineup of Dark Horse comics, specifically the Dark Horse Presents series. Veteran artist and creator Jim Steranko made an unannounced appearance at the Dark Horse panel to present the remastered edition of his popular story Red Tide. The panels they showed the crowd were utterly fantastic. In addition, I was attending a small scale panel with Michael Uslan who is an executive director for multiple Batman movies, including the Christopher Nolan trilogy. To wind up the day I attending the world premiere of the new animated feature length film Batman: Year One which will not be released to the public until the middle of October of this year. The movie was very entertaining and I would highly recommend it to you when it arrives on DVD and Blu-ray. The material is based upon the graphic novel by Frank Miller and has garnered a strong fan base already. The time has arrived for me to wrap up for the evening. My legs are sore from all the walking and standing around in long lines that I need to spend the next several hours trying to recover from the day. In several hours from now I will be heading right back down the line to downtown San Diego for round three of Comic-Con.

SDCC Journal Entry: July 23, 2011

During the third day of Comic-Con 2011 it was reserved for non-stop celebrity panels including my first visit to the infamous Hall H where I sat for three consecutive panels without having to wait in line. The panels included an appearance by Francis Ford Coppola to promote his new Gothic horror film TWIXT, which is the first time since Bram Stoker’s Dracula that he has directed a film in the Gothic horror genre. He spent a large portion of his time promoting an interactive technology which he was demonstrating on what appeared to be an Apple iPad tablet. It allowed him to rearrange the individual sections of a ten minute preview clip of his film right on spot without having to use a digital linear editing system. The technology was a cool idea, but Coppola still needs a few more dress rehearsals with the computer program before going on his wish list thirty day tour with it for his new film. He was joined by Val Kilmer who spent the majority of the hour quietly sitting behind a pair of sunglasses, which I wondered how late he must have been up the night before. After the panel was over I stuck around for the Relativity Media panel featuring the cast and director for the new action film The Immortals. The trailer and preview clip they showed was filled with blood, guts, and a lot of well-choreographed fighting maneuvers. Sitting through the panel was rather boring for me since the cast of the film were offering rather bland answers to the questions that were asked. The director of the film Tarsem Singh, was the only animated person on the panel entertaining enough to listen to. Finally the third discussion panel begins where I get to see actress Summer Glau in person, I am a huge River Tam fan. She was on the discussion panel for the comedy film Knights of Badassdom. During this panel I was able to meet the Comic-Con unofficial mascot Bob Stencil (look his videos up online) in addition to the opportunity of asking Summer a question. I asked which one of her characters would win a face off battle. With a bit of prodding for me as well as others in the crowd she said River would win the battle. The perfect answer I wanted to hear! In the other panels that I attended today I was able to watch the pilot episode for the new CW 2011 fall show The Secret Circle and the pilot episode for the new ABC show Person of Interest which was very entertaining to watch. I also caught the last ten or fifteen minutes of Joss Whedon’s discussion panel before the cast of The Guild appeared on stage for their hour long time slot. Both panels were interesting and fun to sit in the audience for. I would like to offer more details about the day, but I will be writing a broader overview of the entire weekend by next Wednesday or so.

SDCC Journal Entry: July 24, 2011

The last day of Comic-Con is the shortest day of the entire week, discounting the preview night from the mix. I have spent the majority of the day wandering the exhibit hall checking out the various booths that are spread throughout the entire floor. Originally I had planned for an entire list of panels that I would run from one to another as I had done for the majority of the previous days, but then I reconsidered the idea since I had not really checked out every last row and aisle of the floor to see all the exhibitors who have arrived for the convention this year. One of the booths that were at the top of my list was the one where my local comic books shop had settled down for the weekend. It was awesome to see that one of the store employees had dressed up as an Oompa Loompa with an amazing amount of detail attention to her costume. Pictures of the convention will be posted later when I have more time to shuffle through the couple hundred pictures to pull up the quality shots and have them uploaded to the internet. The crew of the comic books store had brought in boxes of the collectible items to entice the hardcore collectors to buy from them, which is a completely logical plan for a comic book convention. Although I did not buy any comic book issues from them today there will always be another day when I can drive up the street to visit the store all year round. However, I will admit to buying the movie Suck (2009) on Blu-ray, which has been reviewed on Matte Havoc recently. I discovered a three for one special at the exhibit booth for Elvira’s merchandise. If it was not for the occasional viewing of Elvira’s Movie Macabre the film would not have appeared on my radar for a while. Along with the Blu-ray copy I was able to purchase an Elvira double feature DVD containing Night of the Living Dead and I Eat Your Skin. With the purchase of an Elvira disc I was able to receive a free Elvira t-shirt as a promotional item. In total I received three movies and a t-shirt for the price of one new Blu-ray movie (depending on where you buy your movies). In addition, I also purchased two prints from an illustrator by the name of Bill Pulkovski who caught my eye with his artistic rendition of Harley Quinn from the Batman universe. Hopefully, I will see him again next year with a fresh supply of new material. Oh, did I mention that I discovered Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis sitting at an autograph booth together? Yes, I am a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan that would recognize these two actors hanging around a comic book convention. I also found Danica McKellar, also known as Winnie Cooper, signing autographs at the Cartoon Network booth for her new cartoon series. I will be posting more Comic-Con related articles over the next day or two in order to allow my brain to recover from the long weekend. I will continue jotting done notes whenever I can so that I may forget anything if it is even possible.

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Photographs

The photos taken by Matte Havoc photographer and writer, DJ Heinlein, can be seen here with the embedded slideshow or visit the online Picassa photo album.

SDCC11: Nathan Fillion, the Castle Panel A Huge Success

2011-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

It was one of the more popular discussion panels of the year and the success could be attributed to actor Nathan Fillion who has been an ideal example of a Comic-Con crowd pleaser. The panel had brought in such a huge crowd that the line to get into the event was wrapped through the hallways and out the exit doors and down to the street level (the meeting hall is on the second floor of the convention center). I did not get an exact number of the size of the crowd who showed up for the event and how many of them had been turned away, but I did bear witness to the mass movement of bodies being herded into the meeting hall before the start of the panel discussion. It would be equally interchangeable to refer to the moment as witnessing the progression of a herd of farm animals being shuffled from one farm to another or as a lengthy sized freight train pummeling through the convention hallways without any immediate signs of slowing down. It was a lot of people herding through the hallways near 6BC where the panel was scheduled to take place. I was on my way to the discussion panel for DC Comics: Designing the New 52 which was scheduled for the room next door right around the same start time as the discussion panel for Castle. For several moments during the hour of the panel that I was sitting in for I could hear rumbling noises and explosions emanating from the speaker system in 6BC followed by screaming cheers and applause. Apparently they were having a large amount of fun in the Castle discussion panel. Therefore, I stumbled across a blog post from the San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog website that posted the entire panel online in high definition video and cut down into four parts for the ease of streaming the video without clogging up your internet networking. Embedded below for your viewing pleasure is all four parts of the panel with minimal editing. The preview clips from the show had to be removed for the purposes of avoiding copyright infringement and to lessen the risk of a spoiler alert. The one thing from this panel that gave me the biggest laugh was the quote about "seedy telegrams" followed by a suave dance move or two. Now I can see why actor Nathan Fillion is a popular figure with the audiences at these types of events.

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New Comic-Con section is up with the photos

2011-07-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Visit this page... http://www.mattehavoc.com/p/san-diego-comic-con.html ...It will be the centerpiece for the writings, videos, and photographs from San Diego Comic-Con 2011.

Michael Uslan visits San Diego to discuss Batman stories

2011-07-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

He is the executive producer for several Batman films and holds a life long passion for all elements in the Batman universe. Michael Uslan visited San Diego for the annual San Diego Comic-Con to talk about his life long battle to preserve the gritty world of Gotham City and all its dark secrets.

The time has arrived for the last day of SDCC 2011

2011-07-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

The third day of Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

The second day of SDCC 2011 has come and gone!

2011-07-23T00:41:00.000-07:00

The first day of San Diego Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Real Life Superheroes

2011-07-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following content is an official press release from a non-affiliated organization. The material has been posted on the Matte Havoc website for the primary intention of benefiting the reader with information about Comic-Con 2011.

=========================================================

Real Life Superheroes to Distribute Packs of Hope to Help the Homeless of San Diego During San Diego Comic-Con 2011

Over 30 Men and Women Will Take The Lead In Making A Difference For Those

In Need Through This Community Outreach Program: H.O.P.E. 2011

SAN DIEGO, CA With San Diego Comic-Con as the backdrop, thirty-two men and women who are commonly referred to as Real Life Super Heroes (RLSH) will take to the streets and help the homeless through H.O.P.E. (Homeless Outreach Program Effect) 2011 - an event organized to provide assistance to those in need.

At 11 A.M. on Saturday July 23rd, these 32 “heroes” will gather at 16th Street at the Garfield High School parking lot to begin the distribution of over 200 backpacks full of life essentials to people living on the streets. These Packs of Hope will contain donated items including:

1 Bottle Sunscreen
1 Roll Toilet Paper
1 Flashlight (crank recharge)
1 Emergency Rain Poncho
1 Pair Sunglasses
1 Baseball Hat
1 Toothbrush
1 Tube of Toothpaste
5 Razors
1 Can Shaving Cream
3 Pair Socks
1 T-shirt
1 Sleeping Bag
1 Comb
1 Mini First Aid Kit
1 Stick Deodorant
1 Metal Drink Bottle

In addition, a mobile “food shelf “ will be on site to help people in the area who may need food, but have little or no money to pay for it.

“This will hopefully be the first in a series of events to be carried out every summer in San Diego,” said RazorHawk, the organizer and one of the RLSH from Minnesota who comes to San Diego Comic-Con annually. “Our goal is to have a number of similar outreach events happening throughout the country with the other RLSH Chapters at the same time we are doing this in San Diego and thus, creating a national event.”

The history of the H.O.P.E. event began during San Diego Comic-Con 2010 when a team of seven RLSH was brought together by a San Diego local hero, Mr. Xtreme, to distribute food and water to homeless people in this neighborhood. This small group of seven has now grown almost five fold and will continue this mission of serving the needy once again during this year’s Comic-Con.

The inaugural H.O.P.E. 2010 event is featured in the award winning HBO documentary Superheroes: A film by Michael Barnett which will also be screening at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival on July 23 and will have its world broadcast premiere on HBO on August 8, 2011.

“We hope that by doing this event we will bring the issue of homelessness to the attention of as many people as possible,” adds RazorHawk. “And hopefully through our efforts, we will be helping some of these good people in bad situations to exist a little more comfortably. I am a firm believer in Deeds Not Words!”

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Guillermo del Toro's "The Strain"

2011-07-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

=========================================================

Visionary director Guillermo del Toro unleashed his
New York Times bestselling novel series, The Strain, in comics!

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Fans, media and industry professionals mobbed the Dark Horse booth at Comic-Con this evening for a chance to catch a glimpse of Dark Horse’s fall line-up, including the upcoming comic adaptation of The Strain, created by visionary director, Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan.

When a Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and goes dark on the runway, the Center for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders. Only an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem suspects a darker purpose behind the event -- an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness.

Adapting the first novel from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain Trilogy, this horrifying first chapter, told in eight issues, deals with an outbreak of diabolical proportions that puts a terrifying twist on the vampire genre.

"When discussing The Strain, Chuck and I agreed on one thing regarding any possible adaptation: It should not start until after we were done with the last book in the trilogy and we would only entertain a medium that would allow us to expand the world and the characters we had created,” said co-creator, Guillermo del Toro. "Working with Dark Horse, David Lapham and Mike Huddleston provides us with the chance of expanding it further. A dream come true!"

“The chance to work with del Toro on any project was just too good to pass up” said writer, David Lapham. “But the fact that this is a vicious horror project, that I'm teamed with a great artist, and been given a great amount of creative freedom to interpret the novel has made this a dream project.”

Adapted by writer David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Kull), with art by Mike Huddleston (MK Ultra), the chilling first issue arrives on sale on December 14.

Orchid Stems from Dark Horse Comics!

A class struggle from the mind of Tom Morello!

MILWAUKIE, OR -- Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Dark Horse Comics brings you a brand new project from the creative mind of Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman).

A free exclusive music track from Tom Morello will be available with purchase of each issue to serve as a soundtrack to the story! Morello’s new album under the name of The Nightwatchman, entitled World Wide Rebel Songs, is due out August 30, 2011, from New West Records.

Orchid is an epic fantasy story set in a dystopian future infused with Morello’s worldview and the politics of terror. Part Suicide Girl, part Joan of Arc, Orchid is the tale of a 16-year-old street prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her. When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are now ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Welcome to the world of Orchid.

Orchid features a variant cover by the well-known and influential street artist Shepard Fairey, with interior art by Scott Hepburn (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic). Orchid is on sale October 12, 2011.

About Tom Morello
Tom Morello is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act, The Nightwatchman. Tom is also the cofounder of the nonprofit organization Axis of Justice. The Harvard educated guitarist was ranked #26 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and has sold over 30 million records.

Best Selling Author P.C. Cast Brings Her

House of Night Series to Dark Horse!

SAN DIEGO, CA -- The Dark Horse booth was overrun with fans, media and industry professionals tonight, as Dark Horse unveiled three new titles with three new creators. P.C. Cast and her daughter, Kristin Cast, may be new names to the comics world, but to genre fiction fans, they are the beloved co-authors of the incredibly successful series of novels set in the world of House of Night. Now the Casts bring these high school aged vampires to comics with all new stories, tying in directly to the existing series!

Until recently, Zoey Redbird was an average high-school student worrying about grades, boys, and breakouts. But priorities have a way of changing when you are marked as a vampyre, enroll in the vampyre academy House of Night, and have to figure out a whole new social hierarchy, affinities for elemental magic, and physiological changes that make you crave blood.

In this series, taking place between scenes from Betrayed (the second book in the wildly popular House of Night series, which has sold millions of copies internationally), Zoey is in desperate need of guidance as she prepares to take over the elite student group known as the Dark Daughters. Surrounded by her group of devoted friends, Zoey turns to The Fledgling Handbook, a historical vampyre tome, in hopes of better understanding this big, new world of vampyrism.

“Watching my characters and their world come to life with the fabulous team at Dark Horse has been fulfilling and fun” said author, P.C. Cast. “Fans are gonna love these comics!”

The comic will be co-written by Kent Dallan, with art by Joelle Jones (Troublemaker). House of Night is the second new title in Dark Horse’s fall line-up, arriving in stores on November 9th! Check out the exclusive reveal trailer here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVMSEPl3gZA

It was the night before the San Diego Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Cowboys and Aliens: Five Themed Postcards for Free

2011-07-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Do you like free stuff? I am usually game for receiving free stuff and cool prizes. Universal Studios is sponsoring a cool idea that many people have abandoned a long time ago. I am referring to the practice of sending a telegram from one person to another. A more recent example of this practice would be mailing a postcard to a friend or family member, but even that would be on the brink of extinction. As a way to promote the new film Cowboys and Aliens everyone will be able to send out five free “telegrams” via snail mail just like you would send out a postcard. The promotion is co-sponsored by Universal and the website Telegram Stop leaving you with nothing more than the requirement to think of a creative message to type up along with a list of five recipients to send the telegrams to. Telegram Stop usually charges $5.95 for a single telegram including the cost of postage. The telegram will arrive in the recipient’s mailbox within four to eight business days and you could send by registered post for an additional $19.50. However, the promotional telegrams for Cowboys and Aliens can be sent to five people for free (Universal will probably be covering all of the costs) as long as you use the promotional code CA2011. I am guessing you will still be charged for the option of using registered post, but I doubt it will be necessary for sending out fun postcards to your friends. If you would like to check it out for yourself, then head on over to telegramstop.com/cowboysandaliens for more information.

Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer

2011-07-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Steve Martin once said "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!" I would like to apply the same feeling to the teaser trailer that has just been released. The new Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer is here!

Within the trailer you hear the voice of Ra's al Ghul (played by Liam Neeson), you see and hear Bruce Wayne / Batman (played by Christian Bale) and also get a very good look at the character of Bane (played by Tom Hardy). I am pumped up and excited to see this film!

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: The Guild cast discussion panel

2011-07-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

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Season Five of Felicia Day’s The Guild Debuts July 26

Hit web series will appear at Comic-Con with a panel on Saturday July 23 at 4 PM

Los Angeles, CA (July 15, 2011) – Season five of The Guild will return to Xbox LIVE on the Zune video Marketplace and MSN Video on Tuesday, July 26, sponsored by Microsoft and Sprint. Picking up where season four left off, season five takes the Guild members out from behind their computers and throws them into the real world like the show has never seen before, with new locations, guest stars, celebrity cameos and more! The Guild stars writer and creator Felicia Day (Eureka, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog) as Codex, a lovable geek gamer addicted to an online role-playing game. Season five follows the characters of The Guild as they travel to a gaming convention called MEGAGAME-O-RAMACON. “Conventions like San Diego Comic-Con and Penny Arcade Expo have been a part of our experience promoting The Guild and connecting with fans,” says Felicia Day. “I wanted to bring that unique experience of a going to a con to the screen.” In addition to regular cast members Vincent Caso, Jeff Lewis, Amy Okuda, Sandeep Parikh and Robin Thorsen, season five will feature recognizable guest stars from the science fiction and genre community as well as over 200 extras.

The Guild will appear for the fourth consecutive year at San Diego Comic-Con with daily signings at booth #4201 and a panel at 4 PM Saturday, July 23 in the Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom, Comic-Con's second-largest venue. The panel will include a preview of season five and Q&A with the cast.

About The Guild
The Guild is an award-winning independent comedy web series about a group of online gamers created by and starring Felicia Day, now with over 100 million views. The show is available for free on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE, MSN, Zune.net and The Guild website. Launched in 2007 and funded initially by the show’s fans, The Guild has since been sponsored by Microsoft and Sprint. Previous seasons of the show are also available on YouTube, DVD, iTunes, Netflix and Hulu. For more information visit the website for the show at www.watchtheguild.com.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: After Dark Films and SEGA

2011-07-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

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Going All Out: After Dark Films Celebrates

Its 5th Year At San Diego Comic-Con

After Dark Films Brings in Action Packed Talent and Partners

With SEGA’s Rise of Nightmares™ at This Years SDCC

Los Angeles, CA — In celebration of After Dark Films 5th year at San Diego Comic-Con, ADF is pleased to announce several promotions and signings in anticipation for the high volume turnout of its loyal fans. Visitors of the After Dark Films booth, #4035, will have the opportunity to treat themselves to:

Signings from Major Cast Members of Our Upcoming Films...

James Frain (Tron: LEGACY, True Blood) of Transit: Thursday, July 21 @ 2 PM
Roger Cross (X2, The Chronicles of Riddick, 24) of Re-Kill: Friday, July 22 @ 2 PM
Cung Le (Pandorum, MME Worldwide) of Dragon Eyes: Saturday, July 23 @ 2 PM

SEGA will be showcasing Rise of Nightmares™ debut gameplay trailers and distributing promotional materials in preparation for the game's September 6, 2011 release date. Rise of Nightmares on Kinect™ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft features over-the-top horror themes, buckets of blood, and copious amounts of gore. Players will immerse themselves in a unique videogame that allows them to perform a variety of intuitive motions in order to guide their character through one night of terror. Along the way players will be able to use weapons such as: chainsaws, scythes, and brass knuckles to decimate the undead - sure to be one of the most talked about horror games to date. http://www.sega.com/riseofnightmares

After Dark Films' upcoming Action film titles will be announced and exclusive never before seen trailers will be shown at the After Dark booth #4035. After Dark Films has teamed up with Silver Pictures and Joel Silver himself, the top name in action films worldwide, to launch a new cutting edge brand of 5 action films with the next generation of Action stars (including Wes Chatham, Sean Faris, Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, James Frain, Cung Lee) and cameos from some of the classic stars of the genre (Jim Caveizel, John Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Neal McDonough). 4 of the 5 films are in post production now and will hit theatres next year.

After Dark Films is also pleased to announce the launch of their "Dragon Eyes" Facebook page, dedicated specifically to the upcoming action packed film. Go to http://www.facebook.com/dragoneyesthemovie to follow the latest developments.

Win an iPad 2 Contest Click ‘Like’ on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/afterdarkfilms and enter to win! After Dark Films will give one lucky winner an iPad 2.

Promotional Item Giveaways ADF will be handing out thousands of FREE promotional items, including zombie masks, temporary tattoos, DVDs and many other prizes each day.

About After Dark Films:
After Dark Films, an Independent motion picture studio, was formed in 2006 by director/filmmaker Courtney Solomon and Hong Kong based real estate magnate Allan Zeman. After Dark Films’ first motion picture film release was An American Haunting (2006) starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. Co-founder and CEO Courtney Solomon wrote, produced, and directed this film under the newly formed After Dark Films banner. After the release of An American Haunting, partners Solomon and Zeman formed a multiyear marketing and distribution deal for Horrorfest “8 Films To Die For" between After Dark Films and Lionsgate Entertainment, with After Dark handling theatrical marketing and releases and Lionsgate handling the distribution of all ancillary forms of media (Home Video, Pay TV, Pay Per View). After Dark Films released Horrorfest 4 in theaters on January 29, 2010. Building on the success of Horrorfest, After Dark released the first eight originally produced horror films in January 2011 under the moniker After Dark Originals. Its second slate of eight more originally produced films, After Dark Originals 2, is currently being shot and produced in Louisiana.

About SEGA of America, Inc.:
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Film and Television Composers

2011-07-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

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Top Film and Television Composers To Speak

At Comic-Con International: San Diego

Award-winning music talents Nathan Barr, Ramin Djawadi, Robert Duncan, Danny Jacob,

James Levine, Edward Rogers, and Christopher Young to speak to fans at the

San Diego Hilton Bayfront as part of Comic Con 2011

San Diego, CA – Back by popular demand, the second annual Behind the Music with CW3PR: Composing Horror to Animation and Everything in Between will be held at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Seven legendary composers in film and television are slated to speak for the program from 6 to 7 pm on Saturday, July 23 in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd.

Together, Nathan Barr (HBO’s “True Blood”), Ramin Djawadi (HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Paramount Pictures' “Iron Man”), Robert Duncan (ABC’s “Castle,” WB’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Danny Jacob (Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb”), James Levine (FOX’s “Glee,” TNT’s “The Closer”), Edward Rogers (Syfy’s “Warehouse 13”), and Christopher Young (Columbia Pictures' “Spider-Man 3,” New World Pictures’ “Hellraiser”) will discuss their pivotal roles in some of today’s top film and TV projects.

This year’s panel will focus on the different creative processes required for composing music in a wide variety of genres and platforms. Panelists will also discuss expanding music to ancillary projects such as motion comics, video games and more that boost some of Hollywood’s largest growing franchises.

Attendees will receive exclusive giveaways and be the first to view and hear some surprise sneak peeks from upcoming projects. A fan-led Q&A will follow.

The panel will be moderated by film and television composer Hélène Muddiman.

About The Panelists...

Nathan Barr can currently be heard on one of HBO’s hottest shows True Blood. Having written and performed the music for all four seasons of this show, he has come a long way since working as an assistant to world-renowned composer Hans Zimmer. Barr has since composed original music for film and television. Film credits include: IFC Films' The Ledge, Lionsgate’s The Last Exorcism, and Stonebrook Entertainment’s Open House.

Ramin Djawadi received a Grammy nomination for Paramount Pictures’ Iron Man, as well as Emmy nominations for ABC’s Flashforward for “Outstanding Music Composition For A Series,” and FOX’s Prison Break for “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music." Djawadi is currently scoring the original music for HBO’s Game of Thrones and A&E’s Breakout Kings. He recently completed MGM’s Red Dawn, and is also working on Zoom Entertainment and Silver Screen Studios’ The Camel Wars and DreamWorks’ Fright Night. He has collaborated with Hans Zimmer, co-composing and producing the score for Universal Pictures’ Thunderbirds, as well as collaborating on both Columbia Pictures’ Something's Gotta Give and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Batman Begins.

Robert Duncan is a Canadian composer of film and TV, currently scoring music for ABC’s Castle, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. Other credits include: Foundation Feature’s The Entitled; FOX’s The Chicago Code; FX’s Terriers; ABC’s The Gates; FOX’s Lie To Me; CBS’ The Unit; the WB’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and FOX’s Tru Calling.

Danny Jacob is a three-time Emmy-nominated composer and producer of more than 300 original songs for the Disney Channel’s mega-hit animated series, Phineas and Ferb. Influenced by his life-long experience as a world-class guitar player, Jacob bridges the worlds of score and song. As a featured guitarist, he has performed on DreamWorks’ Shrek, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Picture; the Emmy-winning Bette Midler HBO Concert Diva Las Vegas; and Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin’s “Heaven Help Us,” which won the Grammy for Best Duet. Other credits include: Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, Disney Channel’s The Emperor's New School, and Kids’ WB’s Jackie Chan's Adventures.

James Levine is a film and television composer currently scoring original music for FOX’s hit series, Glee. He has won two BMI awards, and his credits include: TNT’s The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles; FX’s NIP/TUCK; CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles; FX’s Damgaes; and Paramount Pictures’ The Weather Man. Levine has also provided additional music for DreamWorks’ Madagascar and Touchstone Pictures’ Pearl Harbor.

Edward Rogers is an Emmy-nominated composer for film, television and videogames. Prior to scoring original music for the Syfy network’s hit series, Warehouse 13, for which he received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music,” Rogers also brought the gritty streets of New York to life with his underscore for ABC’s award-winning series, NYPD Blue, for six years. He continued his collaboration with producer Steven Bochco on FX’s acclaimed series, Over There.

Christopher Young is one of the foremost talents in film music today. A Golden Globe-nominated composer, he has scored an impressive number of features in virtually every genre, all with strikingly original music. New World Pictures’ spine-tingling Hellraiser showcases the composer’s seminal upbringing in horror; the new-techno sound of Warner Bros.’ Swordfish displays his versatility; the resonant, genuine Celtic sounds of Miramax Films The Shipping News display his attention to detail; and the heart-pounding rhythms of Columbia Pictures’ Spiderman 3 are all evidence of his willingness to experiment. These scores are among the nearly 100 films that embody the work of this prolific composer.

Hélène Muddiman (Moderator) is a British film and television composer who recently scored ITV2’s The Only Way to Essex, a British award-winning reality show based in Essex, Southeast England. Muddiman is currently composing original music for Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet 2 with composer John Powell who scored for Shrek and Happy Feet. She has provided music for the entertainment industry since she was 18 years old, and has written in a wide variety of musical styles for film, television, radio and multi-media advertisements. Muddiman has also worked on E4’s Skins for which she won the World Soundtrack Award.

Movie of the Day -- 'War of the Robots' (1978)

2011-07-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Imagine you have been sanctioned to produce a low budget science fiction film during the late 1970s. Your knowledge of the Star Wars franchise is completely non-existent and you have a general idea about Gene Roddenberry’s television show Star Trek. Would you consider producing a film about a star ship manned by Earthlings who stumble across a planet filled with robots serving as figures of slave labor? There is a production crew over in Italy who produced such a film, which was released in 1978. The production sets were simplified renditions of what the future may hold for space travel, but the production budget did not skimp a dime on the special effects makeup. The film is entertaining enough to pass the Saturday afternoon lull in your weekend, so I would like to present to you in its entirety the cheese ball sticky goodness of War of the Robots (1978).

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Batman's 45th Anniversary

2011-07-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

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The HUB TV Network Unveils 2011 San Diego Comic-Con

Schedule Including Three Panels and Aquabats Concert

Behind-the-Scenes Look at Popular Series “Transformers Prime”; Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar to Appear In 45th Anniversary Tribute To Live-Action TV Series “Batman”; Sneak Peek at Fall Original Series “The Aquabats Super Show!” Aquabats To Rock Out For Kids and Parents with Special Concert At House of Blues on Saturday, July 23rd.

The Hub television network, a destination for kids and their families, returns to San Diego Comic-Con, July 21-24 in unprecedented fashion with the ultimate fan experience -- a lineup of events that includes panel sessions featuring a 45th anniversary tribute to the classic live-action “Batman” series, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Daytime Emmy® Award-winning “Transformers Prime” and a sneak-peek at the eagerly anticipated upcoming fall live-action and animated series “The Aquabats Super Show!”

Additionally, The Aquabats will showcase their extraordinarily unique musical talents in a concert at the House of Blues on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. PT, blending live-action comedy with animation segments sprinkled throughout in what promises to be a ridiculously fun concert for kids of all ages. Tickets can be purchased in advance directly through the House of Blues at: http://www.houseofblues.com/tickets/eventdetail.php?eventid=68470

Photos and exclusive behind-the-scenes video from Comic-Con 2011 will be posted to The Hub’s Facebook page throughout the duration of the convention at http://www.facebook.com/#!/hubtvnetwork while live coverage of the panels and concert can be followed on Twitter at Twitter.com/hubtvnetwork.

Below is the complete schedule for The Hub’s San Diego Comic-Con 2011 panels:

Thursday, July 21. The Making of ‘Transformers Prime’ (3:30 p.m., Room 24ABC)
Executive Producer Roberto Orci, whose credits include the films Cowboys and Aliens, Star Trek, and the TV series “Fringe,” and “Hawaii Five-O,” will join Executive Producer Jeff Kline and the show’s Dave Hartman, Duane Capizzi, Jose Lopez, Therese Trujillo, Vinton Heuck and Mike Vogel (Hasbro Studios) to discuss the creative process behind the show nominated for six Daytime Emmy Awards (including two Emmy Award wins). Featuring a first-season highlights clip and a sneak peek at exciting footage from an upcoming episode, the panel will discuss all aspects of the show, including character and set development, design, and the Emmy-nominated writing of this epic series that have made this show a fan-favorite. Following the discussion, fans will engage in a Q&A with the panelists. Produced by Hasbro Studios, “Transformers Prime” (Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET on The Hub) continues the legendary battle between arch rivals Optimus Prime and Megatron who once again face-off in their epic rivalry for control of the Earth. The half-hour animated series features iconic characters of the franchise as well as introduces new human characters to the action series that has helped to redefine Transformers for a whole new generation of fans.

Friday, July 22. 45th Anniversary of the Original Batman Series (6:00 p.m., Room 23ABC)
Holy Comic-Con panel, Batman! The three stars of the iconic 1960s TV series “Batman” are coming to the San Diego Comic-Con for the very first time. Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin) and Julie Newmar (Catwoman) reunite to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the landmark television series presented on The Hub TV network Mondays-Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. ET. The cast will share memories from the show that made camp cool, as well as introduce and discuss their favorite scenes followed by an audience Q&A. When it premiered on ABC television in January 1966, Batman became something of a phenomenon. Rarely had a television series vaulted to the top of the ratings as quickly, or established an audience so broadly based and intensely loyal. Today the adventures of the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder are more popular than ever allowing new generations to discover the classic series.

Friday, July 22. The Aquabats Super Show! (8:30 p.m., Room 5AB)
The Aquabats continue their never-ending quest to right wrongs, destroy boredom and seek justice for all as they invade their first-ever Comic-Con panel! The greatest crime-fighting force ever assembled -- MC Bat Commander, Crash McLarson, Jimmy the Robot, Ricky Fitness and Eagle Bones Falconhawk -- will share with their legions of fans information about their long awaited new series from the creator of “Yo Gabba Gabba” coming this fall to The Hub TV network. Following a Q&A with the audience, panel attendees will have a chance to win tickets to the special Aquabats concert at the House of Blues on Saturday night. Produced by FremantleMedia Enterprises and The Magic Store, “The Aquabats Super Show!” will feature a hybrid of concert footage, live-action skits and animation, as The Aquabats battle evil with music and superhero powers unlike any seen before.

THE HUB is a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) and Hasbro, Inc., (NASDAQ: HAS) with a goal of entertaining, enlightening, empowering and educating children and their families. The cable and satellite television network features original programming as well as content from Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming; from Hasbro's rich portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built during the past 90 years; and from leading third-party producers worldwide. The Hub lineup includes animated and live-action series, specials and game shows, and the network extends its content through a robust and engaging online presence, www.hubworld.com. The Hub rebranded from Discovery Kids on October 10, 2010, and reaches approximately 62 million US households. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

PRESS RELEASE: Cirque du Soleil Visits Comic-Con

2011-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

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KÀ by Cirque du Soleil to Present Gravity-Defying Stunt

For Opening Night of Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego, CA

An Unprecedented Display of 3-D Projection and Live Performance Will

Transform a Brick Wall Into the Site of an Epic Battle Between Good and Evil

WHO: The resident production of KÀ by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand in Las Vegas will make their first ever appearance at Comic-Con with a free public performance on the opening night of Comic-Con.

WHAT: A display of dazzling 3-D projections created especially for Comic-Con will tell the adventurous tale of KÀ by turning the façade of PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, into an interactive performance space combining projections and live acrobatics. The audience will get a bird’s-eye view of a fierce battle pitting the Imperial Twins of KÀ and their allies against an enemy warrior tribe as the scene plays out on the surface of a 90-foot high vertical stage. The event is free and open to all Comic-Con attendees.

KÀ is a gravity-defying production featuring an innovative blend of high-flying feats, puppetry, projections and martial arts. KÀ unfolds on a custom-built, colossal, 360-degree rotating stage which forms the backdrop for this cinematic journey of aerial adventure and perpendicular acrobatics. For more information and video, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/comiccon.

WHEN: Thursday, July 21, 2011. 8:00 PM (Sunset)... Final Countdown to performance begins on outside of PETCO Park. 9:30 PM... Performance from KÀ by Cirque du Soleil (time is approximate, please arrive by 9:00 pm).

WHERE: Performance will take place on the outside of PETCO Park on Tony Gwynn Drive The KÀ performance area faces the Convention Center and is adjacent to the Omni Hotel

PRESS RELEASE: Giveaway $500 in Digital D.H. Comics

2011-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

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SDCC 2011: $500 Digital Giveaway

Every Day, the Dark Horse Way!

July 15, MILWAUKIE, OR — If you thought you were only walking away from Comic-Con International with a bunch of swag, then you were way off! Every day of San Diego Comic-Con (Thursday through Sunday), Dark Horse Comics will be giving one avid fan $500 in digital comics from Dark Horse Digital at booth #2615! Here’s the scoop:

From 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., raffle tickets will be handed out at the Dark Horse booth. At 10 a.m. sharp, one lucky winner will be drawn at the Dark Horse booth. That’s four chances to win $500 in Dark Horse Digital comics!

See you at booth #2615, 9:30 a.m.!

Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has grown to become the third-largest comics publisher in the United States and is acclaimed internationally for the quality and diversity of its line. Now, in 2011, the company that revolutionized the comic industry proudly presents its groundbreaking digital-publishing program, Dark Horse Digital.

Having launched with hundreds of titles, Dark Horse Digital offers its most popular titles at an unprecedented value, while providing the highest-quality reading experience possible. Single-issue comics are priced as low as just $0.99, and there is also an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues. Additionally, DH Digital’s “bundles” group together story arcs spanning multiple issues into affordable packages, allowing readers to get the three or four issues that comprise a complete narrative, starting at just $3.99 and up. And through cloud-based technology, Digital Store purchases can be read and enjoyed on your laptop, desktop, mobile browser, and Dark Horse Bookshelf app, available now on iTunes.

To get started, simply log on to Digital.DarkHorse.com or download the app to create an account, and begin building your collection today.

Review of the Gothic musical 'Suck' (2009)

2011-07-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

There is one particular b-movie in existence that I really enjoyed watching. Initially, the intention of watching this film was driven by personal curiosity more than anything else. However, by the time the end credits started to roll across my television screen I realized that I actually enjoyed watching the movie. The experience of viewing any b-movie would be a gamble for the audience; the response will be a “love it” or “hate it” with a narrow window of middle ground usually reserved for blasé disregard for the entire production. In my own experience of watching b-movies and cult films there seems to be some sort of a rift in the rating system that I would use to define my reaction. On the lower end of the rating system where the film would produce a negative response there is a broad range that can be defined as the extremity of hating the film up to the mediocre level of disinterest in the film. Then the rift would magically begin like a galactic black hole eating away at the rating system that would not show any form of a measurable interest in the film until I arrive at the “love it” level of interest. In this area of measurable response to a film would usually be reserved for such a response as “it was good” or “a movie worth renting, but not owning on DVD”. Those types of responses appear to be missing in action when I watch niche films like cult classics and b-movies. However, I have found a modern day movie that jumps over the rift in the system and land right into the realm of loving it. The movie I am referring to is Suck (2009). It is a rock-and-roll musical filled with vampires, several cameo appearances from music legends such as Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper, and a limited budget for special visual effects. The film was never released theatrically as far as I am aware of, but it appears to be making as a straight to home video release. One of the elements in the movie that intrigued me the most was the integration of archive film footage of Malcolm McDowell from the 1973 film O, Lucky Man! which was digitally layered in with footage shot directly for this film. The layering of the old footage with the new footage is so pristine and clean that I would believe they photographed McDowell's grandson as a younger version of his character, but it is him and only him in every shot. Embedded below is the scene from the film that I am specifically referring to here. There is a single shot in particular where I know it had to be a body double that was standing in for McDowell, but the rest of the material is so pristine and well integrated into the scene that it throws me for a loop while watching it.

Without the necessity of breaking a sweat this film would easily be categorically placed as a campy movie waiting to evolve into a cult classic film. It will never achieve the same dedicated following as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), but I would promise you there will be a few dedicated fans out there who will be watching Suck as often as possible. My personal enjoyment of the film would encourage me to purchase a copy of it for the movie library at home. The entire story would suitable for an audience who enjoys Gothic material, musicals, and vampire stories. The gore factor is rather bland in comparison to most horror movies released around the same time, but it is definitely a couple of levels darker than the Twilight saga. I doubt the average teenager who enjoys rooting for Team Edward would be thrilled to watch this movie. If they want a love story with immortal characters then this film should be skipped over.

One of the earliest exposures to this film that I recall would be the advertisements, such as this one, promoting the sale of the DVD and Blu-ray discs. The commercials were frequently playing during the commercial breaks of the 2010-2011 season of Elvira’s Movie Macabre which I would periodically watch in passing. Shortly after see the commercial a couple of times I remember standing in line behind an early twenty-something year old woman at Target when I noticed that she was going to purchase a copy of the movie. I had not yet watched the movie at the time, but I remember thinking to myself about the reasons why she would want to buy a copy of the movie. I did not think it would be worth the money, but my opinion has since changed. It is worth slapping down a few bucks for a copy of it, but that would be my own personal tastes in entertainment that would qualify the purchase value. You might consider the value to be pointless.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: "Dorothy of Oz" Discussion Panel

2011-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

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Sir Patrick Stewart To Join Various Cast and

Crew on Comic-Con's "Dorothy of Oz" Panel

Actor Patrick Stewart will make his first San Diego Comic-Con appearance to

discuss Summertime Entertainment’s future animated film; First footage and

music to be debuted at Saturday, July 23rd panel in Hall H

San Diego, Calif., July 15, 2011 – Actor Patrick Stewart is set to join various cast and crew of Dorothy of Oz for the animated musical’s big Comic-Con debut. A long time Comic-Con fan favorite for his revered work in the Sci-Fi world via “Star Trek: the Next Generation” and the “X-Men” film franchise, this marks Stewart’s first public appearance at the original San Diego Con.

During the panel “Further Over the Rainbow: A First Look at Dorothy of Oz,” approximately 6,500 lucky fans will have a chance to be the first to see a first reveal of footage and clips, and exclusive cast out-takes from the 2012 film starring Lea Michele (Dorothy), Martin Short (The Jester), Jim Belushi (Lion), Dan Aykroyd (Scarecrow), Kelsey Grammer (The Tin Man), Megan Hilty (China Princess), Hugh Dancy (Marshall Mallow), Oliver Platt (Wiser the Owl), and Patrick Stewart (Tugg). The panel will be moderated by “Access Hollywood’s” Scott Mantz. The event will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, July 23 at San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H.

Broadway and television actress Megan Hilty, Dorothy of Oz’s China Princess, also known for starring in the "Wicked" musical and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming NBC series "Smash!", is also scheduled to perform an exclusive song from the animated musical.

She and Stewart – who voices “Tugg,” a wise old tree and who is a new character in the further book adaptations of the classic Oz franchise – will join other cast and crew from the film including Roger Baum, author and creator of “Dorothy of Oz;” composer Deborah Lurie; producers Bonne Radford and Ryan Carroll, and some other surprise special guests. Together, they will all discuss the making of the film produced by Summertime Entertainment. An audience Q&A will follow the presentation.

ABOUT THE DISCUSSION PANEL

ROGER BAUM is the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, the original creator of the popular and beloved fairy tales, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The film is based on Roger Stanton Baum's adventure books that are a continuation of the Oz franchise. A former banker and stockbroker, Baum is now a full-time children's author and has written, "The Oz Odyssey," "The Oz Odyssey II," "Dorothy of Oz," "Candy Cane: An Oz Christmas Tale, "Toto in Candy Land of Oz," and many others.

RYAN CARROLL co-founded Summertime Entertainment with his brother Roland Carroll, and both are serving as producers on Dorothy of Oz. Previous to founding Summertime Entertainment, Carroll independently produced numerous films released by various distributors including MGM and United Artists, which played at festivals such as Sundance and Slamdance. Carroll began his career in the entertainment industry at the world-famous Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University.

MEGAN HILTY made her Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked. Hilty went on to perform that role in the National Tour and in Los Angeles. Hilty then starred in Two by Two, as part of the Reprise Series in Los Angeles, opposite Jason Alexander, Steve Webber and Faith Prince. Among her television credits are: FOX’S Bones; TNT’s The Closer; ABC’s Desperate Housewives; CBS’ CSI; ABC’s Ugly Betty; ABC’s Eli Stone; and Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zach & Cody. Hilty’s voice can be heard on Disney Channel’s two series, The Secret Life of Magic Ghourd and Phineas & Ferb; Nick at Nite’s Glen Martin DDS; FOX’s American Dad; and as the singing Snow White in DreamWorks’ Shrek the Third. Next, her voice will be heard in Disney’s Tinker Bell & The Pixie Hollow Games. Hilty will next be seen on NBC’s new show Smash!

DEBORAH LURIE was recently added to score the animated film. Her most recent projects include: Walt Disney Pictures and Rickshaw Production’s Prom; Paramount’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never; Relativity Media’s Dear John; Focus Features’ 9. Also an orchestrator, arranger and producer of pop, rock and theater music, Lurie has worked frequently with Danny Elfman, composing additional music for Universal Pictures’ Wanted; Columbia Pictures’ Spiderman 3; and the IMAX film Deep Sea: 3D as well as arranging / orchestrating for Warner Bros.’ Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Walt Disney Pictures’ Alice in Wonderland.

PATRICK STEWART has appeared in countless iconic roles including Captain Jean-Luc Picard on CBS’ Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men. His vocal talents can be heard on FOX’s series Family Guy and American Dad, and in animated films such as DreamWorks’ Prince of Egypt and Paramount Pictures’ Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Stewart is currently performing in “The Merchant of Venice,” in the UK. A Tony, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee, Stewart will lend his experienced character voice to round out the “Oz” cast.

SCOTT MANTZ (Moderator) is the resident film critic and film segment producer for Access Hollywood. He has his own movie page on AccessHollywood.com, where the show highlights his latest in-depth reviews, blogs and weekly box office reports. Mantz can be seen every weekend on the show’s “MovieMantz Weekend Review.” He has been a guest correspondent on Bravo TV’s 13 Scary Movie Moments and 30 Even Scarier Movie Moments, as well as A&E’s popular Biography series for specials on Tom Cruise and Robert De Niro.

Other surprise guests to be revealed at panel.

For more information, visit www.dorothyofoz.com

About Summertime Entertainment: Founded by the Carroll Brothers, Summertime Entertainment is a multi-media company specializing in family-friendly entertainment for film, television, digital, mobile, and other trans-media platforms. Currently, Summertime Entertainment is in production on a new franchise of epic proportions — the re-vitalization of the indelible and beloved Oz world originally created by L. Frank Baum and carried on through the creative mind of his great grandson Roger Stanton Baum. Through various forms of digital worlds, online communities and a brand new stereoscopic, 3D-animated feature film, Oz will soon be brought back to life in literally new dimensions, for a whole new generation to love and cherish.

About Dorothy of Oz: Dorothy of Oz is an animated feature film based on the adventure books by Roger Stanton Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum. The Roger Stanton Baum books are a continuation of one of the world's most popular and beloved fairy tales, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Produced with state-of-the-art computer graphics and the latest 3-D stereoscopic techniques for animation, Dorothy of Oz, the latest chapter in the Oz legacy, will be entertaining to a whole new generation of fans!

In Dorothy of Oz, Dorothy returns to Kansas to find it devastated by the tornado that had whisked her away to Oz. The home to which she has been so desperate to return was severely damaged, and the townspeople are packing and moving out. But shortly after arriving in Kansas, Dorothy is magically transported back to Oz.

She finds out that Oz is in trouble, and the people there need her help. Dorothy’s old friends – the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the formerly Cowardly Lion – have disappeared and Oz is in a state of decay. As Dorothy journeys to find her friends, she encounters a number of new companions and problems including a man made of marshmallows who can’t think for himself, a china doll princess whose bossiness is a cover for her fragility, and a tugboat with as many personalities as he has pieces. Dorothy must help this odd group band together against a new villain – a wicked Jester who thinks all of Oz should be under his control.

PRESS RELEASE: Detecting Deviants in the Dark Knight

2011-07-15T03:15:00.000-07:00

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Forensic Psychiatrists and FBI Supervisory

Special Agent Profile Comic Book Serial Killers

Upcoming Panel at Comic-Con International 2011 Applies Real-Life

Forensic Psychiatry and Behavioral Profiling to Serial Killers in the Batman

Universe to Enhance Accurate Understanding of Serial Murder

Los Angeles, CA, July 2011 – For the first time at Comic-Con International, forensic
psychiatrists and an FBI profiler will analyze the behavior of some of the most prolific murderers among Batman’s rogues’ gallery. The panel of behavioral experts will present Detecting Deviants in the Dark Night: Profiling Gotham City’s Serial Killers on Thursday, June 21st, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in Room 8 of the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

At Comic-Con International 2009 and WonderCon 2010, Broadcast Thought outlined aspects of real-life forensic psychiatry and applied it to various characters at Arkham Asylum, the infamous institution for the “criminally insane” in the Batman comics. At Comic-Con 2010 and WonderCon 2011, the three forensic psychiatrists examined the effects of psychological trauma on the development of the hero and villain.

Now, H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D.,
return to Comic-Con and team up with Mark E. Safarik, M.S., V.S.M., FBI Ret., Supervisory Special Agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit, to apply cutting-edge forensic psychiatric knowledge and law enforcement perspectives to notorious Batman villains including the Joker, Mr. Zsasz, Alberto “Holiday” Falcone, Onomatopoeia, Abbatoir, James Gordon, Jr., and others. To enhance the accurate understanding of real-world serial murder, the panelists will expose the personality constructs, motivations, and criminal styles of these fascinating characters.

During the panel, Broadcast Thought and Mark Safarik will explore how violent criminals who plague Gotham would be examined and profiled in real life. Learn whether these villains are actually serial murderers. Understand what characteristics and patterns define serial murder. What role, if any, does mental illness play in the development of serial murderers? How does law enforcement detect these deviants in the dark night? Could Batman, the Dark Night Detective himself, apply these same principles to solve Gotham’s most gruesome murders? The audience will enter into the minds of murderers as they explore the concept of psychopathy, apply techniques of behavioral analysis (“profiling”) to characters and their crimes, and compare Batman villains to actual serial murderers. Detecting Deviants in the Dark Night: Profiling Gotham City’s Serial Killers takes place at Comic-Con 2011 on Thursday, July 21st, 2011, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., in Room 8 of the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California. Drs. Bender, Kambam, and Pozios, along with Mr. Safarik, will be available for interviews before and after the panel.

About Broadcast Thought: Broadcast Thought is comprised of H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., three physicians specializing in forensic, child and adolescent, and adult psychiatry. These psychiatrists are both medical professionals and fans of film, television, comic books, and other popular media. Broadcast Thought provides expert consultation to the media and entertainment industries. Through "Accuracy in Entertainment and Entertainment in Accuracy," Broadcast Thought adds new dimensions to portrayals of mental illness, evolves perceptions of mental health matters, and advances popular media in innovative directions. Broadcast Thought’s Comic-Con and WonderCon appearances have drawn capacity crowds, and their approach has been featured on AOLNews.com, ABCNews.com, Entertainment Weekly’s “PopWatch” Blog, Discover’s "Science Not Fiction" Blog, and both the Comic News Insider and Crazy Sexy Geeks podcasts.

About Mark Safarik: Mark E. Safarik, M.S., V.S.M., (FBI Ret.), is a former Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI’s famed Behavioral Analysis Unit. Mr. Safarik is Executive Director of Forensic Behavioral Services, Inc. He has appeared as an expert on Dateline, Court TV, Forensic Files, and The Discovery Channel, and is currently a consultant to CSI: Las Vegas and Bones. Mr. Safarik currently stars in his own new television series, Killer Instinct, based on high profile murder cases from his career. The series, produced by NBC, premieres in September on Sleuth network.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Knights of Badassdom panel

2011-07-15T01:16:00.000-07:00

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"Knights of Badassdom" To Hold

Court at San Diego Comic-Con

Ryan Kwanten, Summer Glau, Peter Dinklage to Attend

The highly anticipated independent film Knights of Badassdom will be coming to San Diego Comic Con 2011. The film will be in Hall H on Saturday, July 23 at 2:15 PM.

The Knights of Badassdom panel will include a Comic-Con exclusive trailer and a panel discussion and a Q&A with stars Ryan Kwanten (HBO’s True Blood, Red Hill), Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones, Station Agent), Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity, The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Danny Pudi (NBC’s Community), Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Laywer, Adventureland), and director Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2).

In this humorous fantasy adventure from IndieVest Pictures, Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is a heavy metal rocker who’s just gone through a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Beth (Margarita Levieva). His concerned roommates (Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage) kidnap him to their LARP (Live Action Role Playing) gathering, where he enters a realm of fantasy escapism in which pretend knights, elves, and barbarians clash with foam weaponry on a mock battlefield. When Joe’s “sorcerer” roommate (Zahn) inadvertently summons a deadly succubus that takes Beth’s seductive form, bloody reality crashes down upon their fantasy world. Once LARPers start to turn up dead, the make-believe wizards and warriors must become the real life heroes they have been pretending to be in order to conquer the evil that has been unleashed.

Follow Knights of Badassdom:
Facebook... http://www.facebook.com/knightsofbadassdom
Twitter... @badassdom_movie

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: ICv2 Adds Panel Speakers

2011-07-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

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ICv2 Adds Speakers for Conference

on Comics, Media, and Digital

San Diego – ICv2 has added major new panelists and moderators to the roster of speakers at the ICv2 Conference on Comics, Media, and Digital, being held in association with Comic-Con International in San Diego. This event will bring together the numbers, the thought leaders, and the people that make a difference in a discussion of the present and future of comics, media, and digital.

Here are the recent additions to the speaker roster for the Conference:

For the discussion of “Selling Comics in Hollywood—State of the Market,” ICv2 has added Anne Thompson, a veteran Hollywood journalist who’s had stints at Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and L.A. Weekly. She’ll be moderating the discussion between previously announced panelists: agent Scott Agostoni; Nick Harris, Co-head of Media Rights, International Creative Management; and Rick Jacobs, Producer and Manager, Circle of Confusion.
To the panel discussion on “Digital Comics and Transmedia Properties,” ICv2 has added DC Entertainment for Warner Bros. Executive Vice President John Rood and Panelfly CEO Ed Lang to the panelists. Comic editor, journalist, and commentator Heidi MacDonald (The Beat) will moderate this discussion among Rood, Lang, and the previously announced panelists: IDW CEO Ted Adams; Viz Media SVP Alvin Lu, iVerse CEO Michael Murphey, and Dark Horse Entertainment CEO Mike Richardson.
And to the discussion on the future of comics, “Comics, Paper and Digital, at Comic-Con 2013,” ICv2 has added DC SVP Bob Wayne and GeekChicDaily CEO Peter Levin to the panelists. Publishers Weekly Senior News Editor Calvin Reid, who’s played pivotal roles in the coverage of both graphic novels and digital books, will moderate this discussion between Wayne, Levin, and the previously announced panelists: ComicsPro President Joe Field, Diamond VP Bill Schanes, comiXology CEO David Steinberger and comic writer and editor Mark Waid.
ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp will also present the ICv2 White Paper on the state of the comics market, paper and digital, at the Conference

The ICv2 Conference on Comics, Media, and Digital has also added Comic Book Resources as a Media Sponsor, joining three other companies that are supporting the Conference. The Media Sponsors are:

Publisher's Weekly: Publishers Weekly is the leading publication serving all segments involved in the creation, production, marketing and sale of the written word in book, audio, video and electronic formats. It is the prime source of comprehensive news and provides unique industry data including an annotated bestseller list, hot deals and retail news.

Comic Book Resources: Comic Book Resources is the premier lifestyle and entertainment resource for comic entertainment news, appealing to collectors, publishers, retailers and film makers, covering comics, film, television, video games and more.

Heidi MacDonald's The Beat: The Beat, now in its seventh year, is dedicated to providing the timeliest and most pertinent news and information about comics, the people who make them, the readers who love them and the world that shapes them.

Media and Entertainment Technologies: M&E Tech is a leading editorial based publication serving the technology supply and development chain for capture, creation, distribution and consumption of electronic media and entertainment products.

Additional Information:
For more information on the ICv2 Comics, Media, and Digital Conference, including information for press interested in attending, click here. For more information on the speakers and panelists at the ICv2 Comics, Media, and Digital Conference, click here. For registration information, click here.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: 20th Century Home Entertainment

2011-07-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

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Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Returns

to Comic-Con with Thrills, Chills and The Force!

Outstanding Line-Up Of Blu-ray and DVD Releases Featuring Blood,
Bunnies, Babes and Even Bruce Campbell On Display in San Diego

Join a Band of Rebels and Get a First Look at the Star Wars Saga on Blu-ray at Booth #3528

WHAT: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has something for everyone at San Diego Comic-Con. Along with previously announced signings and panels with numerous fan favorites, Fox will bring additional fun to the downtown area including:

For the first time, witness some of the exciting features from the more than 40 hours of bonus material on the upcoming Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray and experience one of the Saga’s most iconic moments from a unique, in-universe vantage point. This and additional surprises can be found at booth #3528.
“Burn Notice” star Bruce Campbell and creator Matt Nix will offer fans an exclusive sneak peak of the July 26 Blu-ray and DVD release of “Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe” featuring a full panel on Thursday, July 21 at 10:00am in Ballroom 20. Campbell will then be signing autographs in Fox booth #4313 shortly after the panel.
Pose for pictures with Frank the Bunny as he hands out exclusive buttons on the streets of San Diego tied to the Donnie Darko: 10th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, available everywhere July 26. Four limited edition collectible buttons were designed for Comic-Con; find Frank on the streets to get yours!
Three Finger will make sure convention goers don’t make a “wrong turn” downtown as the iconic character will be stationed at roadblocks all over the city, taking pictures with fans in celebration of the October 25 Blu-ray and DVD release of Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings.
Fans will have a chance to buy advance copies of anticipated Blu-ray / DVD releases at the Fox booth #4313 including: “Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe,” Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, and Donnie Darko: 10th Anniversary Edition. There will also be an opportunity to pre-order some highly anticipated titles including Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray, Wrong Turn 4, Archer: Season Two and Futurama: Volume Six. After Comic-Con fans can go to foxconnect.com to purchase all titles available at the convention.

WHERE: Booth #4313... Twentieth Century Fox and Booth #3528... Star Wars Blu-ray Experience. Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 20 to Sunday, July 24, 2011.

PRESS RELEASE: Domo Creator Makes Rare Appearance

2011-07-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

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CREATOR OF POP CULTURE PHENOM DOMO MAKES

RARE APPEARANCE AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

"Spotlight on Tsuneo Goda" and Autograph Signing Held on July 23

July 7, MILWAUKIE, OR — Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto! Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce the first of its creator lineup for San Diego Comic-Con 2011! Tsuneo Goda, creator of beloved NHK mascot turned cultural icon Domo, will make an exclusive appearance at the largest comic book and popular arts convention in the world on Saturday, July 23rd.

“Spotlight on Tsuneo Goda,” to be held at 1:30pm in Room 5AB, will feature the creator discussing the birth of Domo, Domo’s presence in Japan and Goda’s expertise in puppet animation. Following the discussion, Goda will be on hand to sign Dark Horse Comics’ exclusive Domo Qee figure at the Dark Horse booth #2615 at 3:30pm.

Beginning his career directing television commercials, Goda soon found success with animation when he developed Domo for Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Domo’s unique look and personality quickly catapulted the character into one of the Internet’s biggest sensations. As the reigning poster child for personalized, user-generated content, Domo has found a home within the online community with hundreds of thousands of fan-made images, websites and videos posted to websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Flickr, among others.

Now more than a decade later, the lovable fuzzy brown creature’s cult status continues to grow with product flying off retail shelves as well as a popular Facebook game called “Planet Domo” available at http://apps.facebook.com/planetdomo.

In addition to Domo, Goda’s other work includes the film Komaneko, which is highly praised at film festivals around the world, and PLUG, the New World, a project with Nissan Motors. He is also a prominent illustrator of children’s books.

About Dark Horse Comics
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of licensed comics material.

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Dark Horse Comics

2011-07-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

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SDCC 2011: DARK HORSE COMICS SWAG!

STOP BY BOOTH #2615 FOR A WHOLE TON OF AWESOME!

July 14, MILWAUKIE, OR—Oh yes, it’s Comic-Con season, and that means it’s time for... Stuff We Always Get! AKA: SWAG

When you make your way to the Dark Horse Comics booth at San Diego Comic-Con, expect nothing but the best in treatment and appreciation from the comic publisher with the most!

You will find...

Buffy, The Goon, and Mass Effect trifolds complete with paper dolls
Conan, Domo, Buffy, Angel & Faith, The Guild, Clamp, The Goon, Star Wars, B.P.R.D., and Criminal Macabre buttons
A Drifters/Gate 7 flip poster
The ever-popular Hellboy mask
A picture of yourself in your favorite comic(s) at our Deluxe Green Screen wall
Falling Skies pins at the Falling Skies Green Screen event (see schedule)
And tons of free comics and more!

We can’t even begin to tell you about the free stuff we’ll have at all our panels!

Exclusive Knight Errant print at the Star Wars panel
Miniprint of Steranko’s Dark Horse Presents #3 ultravariant cover at the DHP panel
Limited print of our reveal wall at the Reveal panel
Limited Conan poster at the Rose McGowan signing
Limited print of an exclusive new project at the Menton3 / Reynolds panel

There’s even an exclusive Goon temporary tattoo with any purchase from the Dark Horse store on site at San Diego Comic-Con. Oh, and Friday, July 22, at 4 p.m., we’ll have an exclusive ticket giveaway to the screening of Gantz 2 in collaboration with New People. Make sure you stop by! See you at the booth. Try and collect all the SWAG!

SDCC PRESS RELEASE: Four DC Comics Portfolios

2011-07-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

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DC COMICS UNVEILS 2,080 AVAILABLE COPIES
OF "THE NEW 52" FOR COMIC-CON ATTENDEES

DC Comics – The New 52 has been the talk of the industry. If waiting for its arrival is driving you crazy, then we’ve got something pretty cool to hold you over. Today we’re announcing limited edition portfolios featuring DC Comics: The New 52 Covers will be available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con from DC Direct and Graphitti Designs. On Thursday through Sunday a different portfolio volume containing 13 covers will go on sale each day in the Graphitti Designs booth for $39.95. These portfolios will provide fans and attendees with something special to have their favorite DC Comics writer and artist to sign at Comic-Con. Only 520 copies of each volume will be available per day – be sure to get your copy before they sell out so you can collect all four!

SET ONE	SET TWO	SET THREE	SET FOUR
Justice League Action Comics Animal Man Batgirl Batwing Detective Comics Green Arrow Hawk & Dove Justice League Int'l Men of War O.M.A.C Static Shock StormWatch Swamp Thing	Batman and Robin Batwoman Deathstroke Demon Knights Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE Green Lantern Grifter Legion Lost Mister Terrific Red Lanterns Resurrection Man Suicide Squad Superboy	Batman Birds of Prey Blue Beetle Captain Atom Catwoman DC Universe Presents Green Lantern Corps Legion of Super-Heroes Nightwing Red Hood and the Outlaws Supergirl Wonder Woman	All-Star Western Aquaman Batman: The Dark Knight Blackhawks The Flash The Fury of Firestorm Green Lantern: The New Guardians I, Vampire Justice League Dark Superman Teen Titans The Savage Hawkman Voodoo

PRESS RELEASE: Original BTTF DeLorean on Exhibition

2011-07-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

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ORIGINAL SCREEN USED DELOREAN TIME MACHINE

FROM BACK TO THE FUTURE III ON EXHIBITION

There were several DeLorean cars used during the three

Back to the Future movies, so where are they all?

Los Angeles, CA – July 14, 2011 – Where are all the real DeLorean Time Machines that were used in the Back to the Future movies? Sadly, some of them no longer exist and others are in need of extensive work. Of the seven cars used over the three movies, only three original cars are thought to still exist. Presented by Profiles in History, the famed auction house that represented the Debbie Reynolds Collection this summer, one of those screen used DeLoreans will be at Comic-Con 2011 for public viewing in conjunction with Team Fox benefitting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The main goal is to give fans the opportunity to see and be photographed in the car. For a $20 donation to the Foundation you can be photographed in the DeLorean with all proceeds going to Team Fox.

Profiles in History is proud to present the original DeLorean Time Machine driven by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future III. It will be presented at booth 1605, along with several original artifacts from all three Back to the Future movies with the hopes of creating a Back To The Future "museum" experience. Along with the Time Machine will be original costumes, the Tales From Space comic, Doc's burned toy Cadillac, Clock Tower cables, Gray's Almanac, the Doc Brown committed/commended newspapers, a full set of all five types of hoverboards, and other rarely seen pieces of cinematic history.

The Time Machine has been in private hands for the past 8 years, and was recently featured on the Hollywood Treasure television show hosted by Joe Maddalena. Joe and his staff will be at the booth in person to greet fans, and share these rare pieces of history. In conjunction with Team Fox, this is a rare opportunity to get your pictures taken with the original Time Machine.

The Time Machine will be available for viewing during advertised Comic-Con show hours, and will be in a future Profiles in History auction later this year, with a portion of the proceeds going to Team Fox benefitting The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Previously it could be seen at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation
As the world's largest private funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding almost $251 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.

About Joe Maddalena and Profiles in History
Founded in 1985 by Joseph Maddalena, Profiles in History is the nation's leading dealer in guaranteed-authentic original historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts. Born into a family of antiques dealers in Rhode Island, Joseph "Joe" Maddalena learned early on how to turn his passion of collecting historical autographs into a career. Needing to support himself, Joe turned to his hobby of buying and selling historical documents as a potential way to earn revenue. On weekends he scoured old Hollywood bookstores for letters and rare books. Upon graduation from Pepperdine, Joe pursued his passion to become a full-time dealer of historical documents, and opened his first office in 1985. A lifetime member of the Manuscript Society, Joe is widely recognized as the nation's leading authority on entertainment memorabilia and historical documents. Profiles in History has held some of the most prestigious and successful auctions of Hollywood memorabilia, establishing itself as the world’s largest auctioneer of original Hollywood memorabilia. With an extensive network of dealers, collectors, and institutions, they are proud to play an important role in the preservation of motion picture history. Profiles in History recently broke several world records with the sale of Marilyn Monroe's Subway Dress from The Seven Year Itch, for $5.52 Million. It was a part of the Debbie Reynolds Collection and part two of the auction will be on December 3. Prior Profiles in History Hollywood auctions highlights include the "Cowardly Lion" costume from The Wizard of Oz ($805,000); a full-scale model T-800 Endoskeleton from Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($488,750); Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds” dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ($356,500); Luke Skywalker’s light saber from Star Wars ($240,000); Margaret Hamilton’s “Wicked Witch” hat from The Wizard Of Oz ($230,000); and The Invisible Man 1933 one-sheet movie poster ($230,000).

Profiles in History’s location in Calabasas Hills, CA– virtually a stone’s throw away from every major Hollywood studio – ensures a constant flow of fantastic and rare collectibles. With an extensive network of dealers, collectors, and institutions, they are proud to play an important role in the preservation of motion picture history. www.profilesinhistory.com

Joe Maddalena is also the host of Hollywood Treasure, a half hour show for the Syfy Channel, which follows him as he navigates his way through the intricate world of collecting showbiz and pop culture memorabilia, the second season currently airs on Wednesday nights.

PRESS RELEASE: World Premiere of "Sushi Girl"

2011-07-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

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World Premiere of “Sushi Girl” Trailer

A Feast For the Senses at July 22nd Comic-Con Panel

Assembly Line, LLC and Level Up Productions Bring Their Dark Crime Thriller “Sushi Girl” and Legendary Cast Led by Mark Hamill, Noah Hathaway and Tony Todd To San Diego

(LOS ANGELES, CA—July 12th, 2011) Revenge is a dish best served cold. “Sushi Girl,” truly a diabolical treat, stars a virtual who’s-who of cult icons in filmmaker Kern Saxton’s directorial feature film debut: Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Noah Hathaway (The NeverEnding Story), Tony Todd (Candyman), Andy Mackenzie (Shoot ‘Em Up), James Duval (Donnie Darko), David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight), Michael Biehn (The Terminator), Danny Trejo (Machete), Sonny Chiba (Kill Bill Vol. 1), Cortney Palm (Superbad), and Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse).

Directly following the world premiere of the film’s trailer, “Sushi Girl” cast (Hamill, Hathaway, Todd, Mackenzie, Duval, Dastmalchian, Palm and Chiba) will participate in a Q&A at their Comic-Con Panel on Friday, July 22nd at the San Diego Convention Center in Room 25ABC from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Director, writer, and producer Kern Saxton (Deader Living Through Chemistry), producers Neal Fischer (Shotgun Diaries) and Suren M. Seron (Forever Plaid), and writer / producer Destin Pfaff (Millionaire Matchmaker) will accompany the cast. The film will also have a booth located at Exhibit table J5 in the Exhibit Hall in front of concession stand B.

“Sushi Girl” follows Fish (Hathaway) on his first night of freedom after having spent the last six years in jail keeping his mouth shut not only about the robbery he helped commit, but about his co-conspirators as well. The four men he protected celebrate his freedom with a lavish dinner, comprised of an array of sushi—served off the naked body of a beautiful young woman. The sushi girl appears catatonic, trained to ignore everything in the room—even as things become more dangerous.

Learn more about “Sushi Girl” by visiting the website: http://www.sushigirlmovie.com/

Follow the film on Twitter at @SushiGirlMovie for updates as well as the latest whereabouts of the cast and their Comic-Con Sushi Truck for meet and greet opportunities.

PRESS RELEASE: Can DIY Filmmaking Replace Hollywood?

2011-07-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

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LLOYD KAUFMAN TO SPEAK AT
THE TROMA PANEL AT COMIC-CON 2011

Sell Your Own Comic Con 2011
Mr. Kaufman Is Available For Interviews

July 13, 2011 - Troma Entertainment, Inc. is proud to announce that Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and Creator of the Toxic Avenger, will speak at the Troma Panel at Comic-Con 2011, titled "Can DIY Filmmaking Replace Hollywood? Selling Your Own Damn Movie Without Selling Your Soul!" The Troma Panel will be taking place at 9PM on Saturday, July 23rd in Room 9 of the San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Drive.

Kaufman will be joined on the panel by leading film directors who have also been influenced by his films. Panelists will include Brian Taylor (Co-Director: "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"), Steven Paul (Producer: "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance", Spielberg's upcoming "Ghost In The Shell"), actor Lance Henriksen ("Aliens", "Terminator"), Adam Green (Dir: Hatchet II), Scott Mckinlay (Dir: Creep Van) and New York State Film Commissioner Pat Kaufman. Eisner Award-winner Mimi Cruz of Night Flight Comics will moderate the discussion, where Lloyd Kaufman, Creator of the Toxic Avenger, will offer the secrets of self-distribution to today's indie filmmakers. During the Troma Panel, there will be a raffle for limited San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive numbered special editions of Mr. Kaufman's new best-selling book "Sell Your Own Damn Movie!" as well as DVDs and Blu-Rays of his film "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead." Additional Troma merchandise will be available at the Troma Booth, Booth # 4017.

Established in 1974 by Yale friends Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, Troma Entertainment is one of the longest running independent movie studios in United States' history and one of the best-known names in the industry. World famous for movie classics like Kaufman's The Toxic Avenger, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, Class of Nuke'em High, Mother's Day, and Tromeo and Juliet, Troma's seminal films are now being remade as big budget mainstream productions by the likes of Brett Ratner, Richard Saperstein, Akiva Goldsman, and Steven Pink. Among today's stars whose early work can be found in Troma's 800+ film library are Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Jenna Fischer, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Costner, Fergie, Vincent D'Onofrio and Samuel L. Jackson.

SDCC 2011: Dark Horse Presents

2011-07-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

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DARK HORSE PRESENTS: THE SDCC 2011 PANEL
THE ONLY PANEL YOU NEED TO SEE!

(July 13, MILWAUKIE, OR) At 2 PM, Friday, July 22, stop by room 25ABC for a powerhouse panel featuring the creative minds behind Dark Horse Presents!

As Dark Horse celebrates its twenty-fifth year of publishing, we are proud to reintroduce the title that started it all: the game-changing anthology Dark Horse Presents. Known for featuring the industry’s top talent and launching some of the most successful titles in comics history, Dark Horse Presents was, is, and will continue to be a highly fertile breeding ground for new characters, concepts, and more!

Join us for a look at what makes this book so important to the comics medium with Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson, as well as a cast of top talent past and present, including...

Jim Steranko (Red Tide)
Eric Powell (The Goon)
Carla Speed McNeil (Finder)
Sanford Greene (Deadpool)
And more!

Attendees can expect a fun and interactive experience, as well as live drawing, Q&A teasers, and more! Also, panel attendees will receive a Dave Gibbons minicomic exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con! Friday, July 22, at 2 p.m. Room 25ABC. Be there.

About Dark Horse Comics
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, and comics legend Will Eisner, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton, Trigun, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of licensed comics material.

Warner Bros. sponsors Comic-Con 2011 Tote Bags

2011-07-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

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Dynamic Duo: Warner Bros. Entertainment and Comic-Con Reteam to Distribute Official Bag of Comic-Con International: San Diego -- And This Year, It Converts Into A Backpack!

Every Fan Attending Comic-Con Receives a Collectible Bag Designed by the Studio, Highlighting One of the Following 10 Titles: "The Big Bang Theory," "Fringe," "Supernatural," "The Vampire Diaries," "Green Lantern: The Animated Series," "The Looney Tunes Show," "ThunderCats," "Batman: Arkham City," "LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7" and "Justice League"

BURBANK, Calif. (July 12, 2011) -- The dynamic duo of Warner Bros. Entertainment and Comic-Con have renewed their powerful alliance for 2011, and the Studio will once again serve as sponsor of the Comic-Con International: San Diego Official Bag.

More than 130,000 of the signature, over sized (24"x28") bags — dubbed the Con's "ubiquitous accessory" by Entertainment Weekly — have been produced, and every fan attending Comic-Con will receive one upon checking in throughout the five days of the convention, including Preview Night.
For the first time, the 2011 edition of the bag converts into a backpack, making it as cool as ever — and even more functional! (And, yes, the protective poster tube remains intact.)
To download images of all 10 bags, as well as the official Comic-Con 2011 artwork side of the bags, please click here: www.thewb.com/comiccon/officialbags2011
Designed by Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing, each double-sided bag features all-new Comic-Con 2011 official artwork on one side, with the other side featuring a design highlighting one of 10 different titles, including live- action and animated television series, video games and comic books from Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment.
The featured titles are "The Big Bang Theory," "Fringe," "Supernatural," "The Vampire Diaries," "Green Lantern: The Animated Series," "The Looney Tunes Show," "ThunderCats," "Batman: Arkham City," "LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7" and "Justice League."
For continuing info on the Studio's plans at Comic-Con, please visit www.thewb.com/comiccon and follow us on Twitter @TheWBdotcom (hashtag #WBSDCC). For official information about Comic-Con 2011, visit www.comic-con.org and follow Comic-Con on Twitter @Comic_Con.

More About Warner Bros. Comic-Con Bags.
Created annually since 2006 by the Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing unit specifically for Comic-Con, the highly sought-after totes provide devoted fans with a handy carrying case for all the merchandise they take away from the Con -- and serve as mobile billboards for a selection of the Studio's key Comic-Con titles.

NETFLIX: Higher Prices and More Subscription Options

2011-07-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

There is a new press release from the Netflix administration that was sent out early Tuesday morning. My feelings and thoughts about the news that I have read in the announcement are rather mixed between positive and negative reactions. In a brief summary here is what the Netflix management has decided to enact as soon as possible: Raise prices on current membership plans, but offer a wider variety of options with the membership plans. My own personal subscription service includes one DVD/Blu-Ray disc checked out at a time with unlimited rentals per month plus full access to the online streaming library with no restrictions. Prior to the increase in monthly charges I was paying a hair over $13 per month including the added price of California state sales tax. Now with the price adjustment I will be paying an estimated amount of $19.55 per month. Bob Barker tells me that is a difference of six and a half dollars per month. Hmm, it is interesting to ponder over (not really). I would like to keep my current subscription plan, because it is suitable to my home video watching desires. It is also the lowest Unlimited DVD and Streaming packages available even with the newly available packages that are added to the list of Netflix services.

What is the biggest difference with the added services in comparison to the old list of offerings? There is now a hard separation between the streaming services and the disc rental services. When the company had added the online streaming to their repertoire it was a feature that was added to all of their subscription plans without any question of whether the customer would use the feature or not. The absolutely cheapest plans was one disc at a time with a maximum of two disc rentals per month along with ceiling cap of two hours of online streaming. The service that I currently subscribe to would be the unlimited version of that plan: one disc at a time with streaming capabilities plus the Blu-ray discs a la carte. For those who are unaware of the Blu-ray option, the company adds a two-dollar surcharge to add Blu-ray access as an a la carte service, which means that subscribers of the option will receive a Blu-ray disc if it is available for a selected movie.

With the new array of subscription options the customers will now have an available choice to select the monthly options of receiving just the DVD discs or just the online streaming as an option with a discounted rate in comparison to the option of selecting one of the options that would offer both services within the same plan. This might be useful for those people who plan on going through lengthy periods of time without internet service. They could subscribe to the DVD discs only plan and then stock pile their disc queue up to the maximum limit of 500 titles. As they finish watching one title and drop it in the mailbox for a return trip back to the Netflix warehouse the next title on their queue will be sent out to the subscriber. It is an ideal electronic version of the single file line that many of us learned in elementary school. The subscriber will not be required to access the account unless he or she would like to add new titles to the queue or rearrange the order of the movie titles that have already been added.

On the flip side to the DVD only practice is the online streaming only subscription plan which would be ideal for the customers who are online more often than not or would like to forego the headaches of dealing with the slow process of snail mail delivery. There may be some people who are world travelers, always on the go, with access to a portable device that allows access to online activity. These people will be able to stream online movies from Netflix while sitting at the airport or at a coffeehouse without having to carrying around a DVD disc with them. Sure thing that a DVD is a lightweight product, but the person may not have access to a portable device that is capable of playing a DVD or Blu-ray disc. Having a smart phone or iPad can still gain access to Netflix despite the lack of a DVD drive.

With all that being over abundantly summarized (conflicting statement, I know) it will be my decision to stick with my current subscription plan for another month or two before arriving at a conclusion of altering to a lower or higher grade service plan. Will the new price adjustment be worth sticking around with the current subscription plan? My immediate reaction would be an implied no. However, it is still the lowest grade service plan that allows unlimited disc rentals and online streaming per month. I tend to utilize both features on a consistent and regular basis. Over the course of the next month or two I will be weighing the option of downgrading to one of the lower options such as the disc only plan or the online streaming only plan. It would be a matter of deciding which plan would be the most useful for my viewing habits.

Not all movies in the Netflix library are available in the online streaming library, so I would be inclined to lean toward the disc rental service. However, watching a marathon of television episodes that are available in the streaming library will blow the disc rental service right out the water. Receiving one disc at a time when I want to experience a television show marathon is a restraining experience when the average television show will contain up to four episodes per disc. It is something for me to consider alongside the price factor. Oh, the joys of living in a free market environment, because I could always switch over to the Blockbuster service. Ha, ha, ha! Ya, right.

Comic-Con 2011: Sunday Program Schedule

2011-07-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Awesome sauce! The program schedule for the final day of Comic-Con 2011 has been posted online for us to add a bit of closure to what could be a very busy weekend for a lot of convention attendees. I have already spent a bit of time creating a rough draft of my itinerary for the weekend, which I have published individual articles on Matte Havoc for each day of the convention on the various panels that I am interested in attending. If you would like to see which panels I have listed on a “To Do” list, then you can visit any of the posted articles for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday or view my Comic-Con schedule profile that lists the entire weekend on a single page. Usually the last day of the convention has been referred to as Family / Kid Day because there are so many panels available with an emphasis on children, kids, and young adult topics in addition to the lighter numbers in attendance (in comparison with the previous three and a half days). It is fine by me for the most part, since the first time that I had ever attended Comic-Con was on Sunday of last year’s convention. I survived the day and did not mind the families wandering the hallways among the other convention attendees. This list is a rough itinerary highlighting the events that I may or may not be able to attend; it will depend on how fast I move between panels and if there is any room left for seating another person. Below is the list of panels that are schedule for Sunday, July 24th, that I would be interested in attending. Good times!

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Watchmen: Twenty-Five Years Later
The first issue of Watchmen appeared in comic book stores in June 1986, and its shockwaves are still reverberating. The landmark series' artist Dave Gibbons, colorist John Higgins, and editor Len Wein discuss its legacy with moderator Douglas Wolk.

One-on-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion (Firefly) and the cast of Castle offer a lively discussion about their popular ABC crime-solving series. If you at last year's panel, you'll remember the fun and surprises. Enjoy a sneak peek into season four and walk away with Double Rainbow!

Comic-Con How-To: Establishing Shots: Environments in Visual Storytelling
This lecture focuses on environments and layout in visual storytelling to enhance the overall experience of animation, comics, film, or gaming. Professor Elvin Hernandez will view and study environments as characters within the storytelling structure and how they relate to the action being played throughout the scene. Elements of perspective, line weight, and texture will be touched upon as well. Elvin Hernandez is a faculty member of the Animation Department within the Art Institute of Washington, DC. He is a freelance comic book artist and illustrator, mostly working with Kaiser Studio Productions, and is working on a book for Focal Press, which concentrates on background and layout design.

PW: What Comes After the Graphic Novel?
With Borders's bankruptcy shaking the publishing world and the health of brick-and-mortar stores everywhere being watched anxiously, the world of comics publishing is entering a new world of tablets, websites and, yes, good old comics shops. Join PW Comics World co-editor Heidi MacDonald in a discussion with publishing professionals as they take a look at what's next on the horizon. Participants include Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency; Portlyn Freeman, co-owner, Brave New World Comics; Jeff Webber, eBooks director, IDW; and Terry Nantier, NBM publisher.

Comics Arts Conference Session #15: The Comic Book Project: Creativity, Comics, and Academic Success in the Imperial Valley
Over the past three years, students in grades K-12 from Imperial County, California, have been creating comics in their social studies, science, English, and math classrooms as part of a U.S. Department of Education grant. They are using the Comic Book Project to boost academic skills, test scores, and individual success. This presentation features the work of participating students alongside demos from students, teachers, and coordinators. Lori Campos (Imperial County Office of Education), Anthony Arevalo (Imperial County Office of Education), Imperial County student Hallie Campos, and Shaila Mulholland (San Diego State University) will introduce the process and products of this unique educational model and provide tools and strategies for replication in any other school. Michael Bitz (Center for Educational Pathways), founder of the Comic Book Project, will be present to introduce the program and describe the successes and challenges of comics in school classrooms.

Designing the New Fifty-two
What does it take to remake a universe? There are new stories, new characters, and especially new designs! DC's Co-Publisher Jim Lee, VP - Art and Design Mark Chiarello, exclusive artist Cully Hamner, and others discuss their visual approach to reshaping the DC Universe!

DC Comics: The New Fifty-two
DC Comics explodes in September with 52 new number one issues and one panel is not enough to cover it! With a "DC Comics - The New 52" panel each day, there's sure to be something for everyone! Join DC Comics Group Editors Matt Idelson and Mike Marts for an up-close look at this unprecedented wave of new series, from the first-ever re-launches of Action Comics and Batman titles to the latest thrills from comics' cutting-edge! Join Matt, Mike and some of the industry's top writers and artists as we make history together.

Full-Time Creative Work on a Part-Time Schedule
Learn the secret to using part-time collaboration to achieve full-time results! No matter which industry (comics, illustration, movies, design, animation, costuming/cosplay), breaking into today's media is a full-time job, even if you have only part-time hours to accomplish it. Topher Davila (art director, GeekdomWear.com), Aleister Gilgrim (Disney Publishing Digital Media), Mario Martinez (co-creator, TomatoTV.net), Kevin Flessing (TomatoTV.net), Ron Coleman (molecular geneticist and writer), Jonelle Cobb (creative director, GeekdomWear.com), Jody Patterson (main contributor, RatBoxProductions.net), and Tara Strand (actor, Harley Quinn, and co-founder, Gotham Public Works) talk about how they successfully juggle time between the creative and business sides and discuss the process, pitfalls, and potential of part-time collaboration from their experiences in illustration, writing, design, animation, and costuming and cosplay. Whether you're a hobbyist or looking to go pro, if you struggle with deadlines, need help finding collaborators, or simply want to know how to get your foot in the door, this panel is not to be missed!

Comic-Con 2011: Saturday Program Schedule

2011-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

The program schedule for Saturday, July 23rd, has been released this morning and I am completely overwhelmed. I feel like I am in an AM/PM convenience store television commercial, such as in this linked video, where there is “too much good stuff” at my disposal. Friday and Saturday is the pinnacle of the convention every year, but there are so many good discussion panels slated for Saturday that I am not going to be able to make it to every single one that interests me. I do have an online profile of the list of events that I would like to attend, which you can visit by clicking this link. I will make an attempt at keeping the entire weekend worth of plans updated as much as possible, including the idea of revising the list down to the panels that I must absolutely visit. There are two panels that are very high on my list of priorities, but I am not sure if I would be able to squeeze in to see them due to a possibility of being in high demand. The panels for Knights of Badassdom and The Guild will be extremely fun to attend, so I will see what will happen in my fight to gain access for a seat to these two. For those out there who are fellow watchers of The Guild and will be attending the convention this year will want to visit booth #4201 where the cast will be meeting fans and signing autographs. There booth schedule is posted on their website if you would like to plan ahead. As the Kool-Aid pitcher would say: Oh, ya!

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Comic-Con Film School 103: Working with Actors and a Crew
Day 3 of our course on micro-budget moviemaking deals with how to direct actors, organize a crew, and keep them all happy without anybody making a dime. Panelists for the class include Valerie Perez (producer/star of the Paula Peril series), Vera Vanguard (writer/producer of Goth Girl), Jack Conway (writer/producer of Fear News), Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica), and actors Susan Smythe, Brian Stevenson, Kat Steel, and Brad Upton.

From Buddha to Batman: Deepak Chopra and Grant Morrison Discuss The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes
Five years ago, New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned spiritual guru Deepak Chopra joined legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Supergods) at Comic-Con to discuss the role superheroes play in the social fabric. What started as a thought-provoking panel discussion has since become a profound new teaching manual for discovering the superhero within -- Chopra's new book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes. Now Chopra and Morrison are back to elaborate on what the superhero archetype means for us today. Joined by Deepak's son Gotham Chopra (founder of Liquid Comics) and moderated by Chris Carle (editorial director of IGN Entertainment), the discussion will cover the seven essential laws that govern the realm of superheroes and the cultural importance of superheros -- why they matter, why they will always be with us, and what they tell us about who we are and what we may yet become. Question and Answer session to follow.

Motion Picture and Television Production Designers
In collaboration with a highly skilled art department, the production designer lays out the designs that will guide a small army of decorators, carpenters, sculptors, painters, and artisans of all sorts, to bring into existence those fantastic worlds that fire everyone's imagination. Panelists include moderator John Muto (Terminator 2:3D), Cece DeStefano (Alias), Jim Bissell (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), Edward Thomas (Torchwood, Dr. Who), and Greg Melton (The Walking Dead).

DC Comics: The New Fifty-Two
DC Comics explodes in September with fifty-two new number one issues and one panel is not enough to cover it! With a "DC Comics: The New 52" panel each day there is sure to be something for everyone! Join Dan DiDio, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher, Bob Harras, DC's Editor-in-Chief, and DC Comics Executive Editor, Eddie Berganza, for an up-close look at this unprecedented wave of new series, from the first-ever re-launches of Action Comics and Batman titles to the latest thrills from comics' cutting-edge!

TWIXT: Francis Ford Coppola and Dan Deacon
Legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and acclaimed musician Dan Deacon present sequences from Coppola's latest film, TWIXT, and involve the audience in a dress rehearsal of the completely unique and innovative way they plan on performing it. Plus a question and answer session to follow.

DC: The Dark and The Edge
From the shadowy corners of the new DC Universe comes a startling array of new series featuring some of comics' top creators! Join DC Editor Pat McCallum and get acquainted with new DC titles from The Dark and The Edge, including Swamp Thing, written by Scott Snyder, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and Animal Man, written by Jeff Lemire, Deathstroke, written by Kyle Higgins, Demon Knights and Stormwatch, written by Paul Cornell, I, Vampire, written by Josh Fialkov, Suicide Squad, written by Adam Glass, Swamp Thing, drawn by Francesco Francavilla, All Star Western drawn by Moritat, and more!

Knights of Badassdom discussion panel
In this humorous fantasy adventure from IndieVest Pictures, Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is a heavy metal rocker who's just gone through a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Beth (Margarita Levieva). His concerned roommates (Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage) kidnap him to their LARP (Live Action Role Playing) gathering, where he enters a realm of fantasy escapism in which pretend knights, elves, and barbarians clash with foam weaponry on a mock battlefield. When Joe's "sorcerer" roommate (Zahn) inadvertently summons a deadly succubus that takes Beth's seductive form, bloody reality crashes down on their fantasy world. Once LARPers start to turn up dead, the make-believe wizards and warriors must become the real-life heroes they have been pretending to be in order to conquer the evil that has been unleashed. The panel will include a Comic-Con exclusive trailer and a discussion / Question and Answer session with stars Ryan Kwanten (HBO's True Blood, Red Hill), Peter Dinklage (HBO's Game of Thrones, Station Agent), Steve Zahn, pending availability (HBO's Tremé, Saving Silverman), Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity, The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Danny Pudi (NBC's Community), Jimmi Simpson, pending availability (A&E's Breakout Kings, Date Night), Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer, Adventureland). and director Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2). Knights of Badassdom will be released in Spring 2012.

The Art of the Graphic Novel
Andrew Farago (curator, Cartoon Art Museum) talks with graphic novelists Chester Brown (Paying for It), Seymour Chwast (Dante's Divine Comedy), Eric Drooker (Blood Song), Joyce Farmer (Special Exits, A Memoir), Joëlle Jones (Troublemaker), Jason Shiga (Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not)), and Craig Thompson (Habibi) about their work in the genre that has elevated comics to mainstream bookstores all over the world.

The Write Stuff III: Writing for Genre Television and Beyond
Meet the writers and producers who make genre entertainment what it is today, and get an incredible insider look from the scribes behind some of today's hottest genre shows as they share their candid thoughts on how to make the series we love (and sometimes loathe). Find out the secrets to getting TV shows made and how to break in and break out in today's highly competitive broadcast environment -- and why network executives actually care about what you write on message boards. No canned speeches and press releases here; get the straight scoop from television's most talented writers and producers, including Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman, Lost), Ashley E. Miller (Fringe, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Alphas, The Gates, Riverworld), Steve Kriozere (NCIS, Femme Fatales), Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: The Series), Gabrielle Stanton (The Vampire Chronicles, Haven), Jose Molina (Firefly, Terra Nova), Amy Berg (Eureka, Leverage), and Mark A. Altman (Femme Fatales, Castle). Moderated by Jeff Goldsmith (The Q&A With Jeff Goldsmith) hosts.

The Guild Season 5: Convention Timez!
In their upcoming season five, the lauded web series breaks out from behind the computers and takes the cast on a fun-filled road trip to a fan convention. Writer and producer Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Eureka, The Guild), producer Kim Evey, director Sean Becker, and the cast of The Guild offer a discussion and Question and Answer, along with the debut of never-before-seen content, announcements, and other surprises!

The Secret Circle Screening and Question and Answer
The coven is coming to Comic-Con! The Secret Circle series stars Britt Robertson (Scream 4), Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Phoebe Tonkin (H20: Just Add Water), and Natasha Henstridge (Species) join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries), Andrew Miller (Nothing) and Richard Hatem (Supernatural) for a screening of the pilot and Question and Answer session. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when the new girl in town, Cassie Blake, learns that she is part of a circle of young witches living in Chance Harbor, Washington. As Cassie discovers her abilities and adjusts to her new surroundings, she uncovers some of the town's dark secrets...which may be tied to the death of her parents. Mystery, romance and danger await. From Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Secret Circle premieres this fall on Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

Nikita Screening and Question and Answer session
Nikita returns to Comic-Con with series stars Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible 3), Shane West (ER), Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), and executive producer Craig Silverstein (Bones) for its latest mission: to unveil an exclusive video presentation and reveal classified information from the highly anticipated second season that finds Nikita and Michael on the run with a black box containing the government's darkest secrets. Leading the hunt for them is Alex and she knows all of Nikita's tricks. What will the Comic-Con question and answer session reveal? From Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Nikita airs Fridays at 8/7c on The CW. Nikita: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 30.

Person of Interest Pilot Screening and Question and Answer session
A peerless creative team is behind this new white-knuckle action series including creator and executive producer Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) and showrunner and executive producer Greg Plageman (Cold Case) about an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who partners with a mysterious billionaire to prevent violent crimes in New York City. Join these producers plus stars Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line), Michael Emerson (Lost), and Taraji P. Henson (Academy Award nominee, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) for an inside look at one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall season, including an exclusive screening of the pilot episode and Question and Answer. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Person of Interest will air Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster
Who are the talented artists Hollywood has tapped for the creation of some of the best movie posters in recent history? Leslie Combemale (film art expert and owner, ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery) moderates a panel of artists who have worked on hundreds of movie posters and movie campaigns, including Andrea Alvin (Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Pinocchio poster artist, wife and artistic partner of late cinema art legend John Alvin), Matthew Peak (Nightmare on Elm Street poster artist, son of famed movie poster artist Bob Peak), Steve Chorney (Labyrinth, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Star Trek), James Goodridge (Inglorious Basterds, Harry Potter), and Lawrence Noble (The Empire Strikes Back 10th Anniversary, Time After Time, Flash Gordon). They will relay stories of the creation of some well-recognized and most appreciated movie posters, discuss the current atmosphere of the world of cinema art, and offer suggestions for artists who wish to take up the craft. This panel will include a short Question and Answer session.

Comic-Con 2011: Friday Program Schedule

2011-07-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the program schedule for the first day of Comic-Con 2011 was released to the general public. Following up with that is the release of the program schedule for the second day of the convention. This afternoon I delved into the schedule for Friday, July 22, 2011 when I am hoping to spend the entire day at the convention. It will be a packed day of panel discussions, sneak previews, and endless amounts of wandering around the exhibition hall to have a look at the various booths filled with comic book and entertainment paraphernalia. You can visit my schedule profile by clicking this link where I will attempt to keep the entire weekend worth of plans updated as much as possible. As the case was for the post yesterday, I have listed below all the discussion panels and exhibitions that sound extremely intriguing to me. I will not be able to attend all of the panels, because some of them overlap in the schedule time slots or run back to back without being physically close enough to each other for me to feasibly transition between the panels without a good sprint across the convention center. There are a few hour long gaps in between a couple of the panels which I will be utilizing as recuperation time to catch my breath and wander through the exhibit hall to scope out the hot geek women and the comic book store booths.

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Comic-Con Film School 102: Production
Day two of this four-day course on micro-budget movie-making focuses on the specifics of production, from shooting techniques, to lighting on the cheap, to crew positions you need (and don't need), to costuming, props, and set decorating for as little money as possible. Panelists for the class include Valerie Perez (producer/star of the Paula Peril series), Vera Vanguard (writer/producer of Goth Girl), Edward G. Negron (director of Safehouse), Jack Conway (writer/producer of Fear News), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).

Spotlight on illustrator / artist David Finch
One of the most popular artists working in comics today, Comic-Con special guest David Finch is currently writing and drawing Batman: The Dark Knight. In this spotlight panel, Finch discusses his career in comics and what's coming up for both him and the Dark Knight.

Spotlight on illustrator / artist Tony DeZuniga
Comic-Con special guest Tony DeZuniga is one of the comics medium's most prolific artists. His memorable work includes numerous books for Marvel and DC, and he's especially known for his work on both Conan (for Marvel) and Jonah Hex for DC, defining the scarred western character from almost the very beginning. DeZuniga will talk about his long career in comics and what he's up to today with fellow artist and Comic-Con special guest Gerry Alanguilan.

AMC's The Walking Dead
Stars Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The Pacific), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints), Steven Yeun (The Big Bang Theory), Jeffrey DeMunn (The Green Mile); series creator/writer/director/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption); executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator); executive producer Robert Kirkman (creator/writer of The Walking Dead comic book series); and makeup artist and consulting producer Greg Nicotero discuss the success of season one of AMC's series The Walking Dead and reveal what to look forward to in season two, which will air on AMC this fall. Join the panelists for a one-on-one Question and Answer session and an official sneak preview of season two.

DC Comics: The New 52
The DC Universe explodes in September with fifty-two new number-one issues, and one panel is not enough to cover it! With a "DC Comics: The New 52" panel each day, there's sure to be something for everyone! Bob Harras, DC's editor-in-chief, and DCU executive editor Eddie Berganza offer an up-close look at this unprecedented wave of new series, from the first-ever relaunches of Action Comics and Batman titles to the latest thrills from comics' cutting edge!

Comic-Con How-To: Filmmaking by the Seat of Your Pants
The creators of the Internet viral hit Blackstar Warrior show how they pulled off the impossible, with no time and no money, but canny organizational skills and a love of professional filmmaking. Producer and director Matt Haley most recently illustrated the Badass book series for HarperCollins and the forthcoming How to Win a Fight from Penguin/Gotham. Writer David Walker is the author of Darius Logan: Super Justice Force, co-authored the book Reflections On Blaxploitation, and directed such films as Black Santa's Revenge.

Spotlight on artist superstar Dave Gibbons
Comic-Con special guest Dave Gibbons is the artist behind one of the most popular graphic novels and comics stories ever, Watchmen. Here is the A to Z of Dave Gibbons: everything you ever wanted to know about Dave's life in comics in an interactive format where the audience calls the shots.

Legendary Pictures: Preproduction Preview
Legendary Pictures holds its first-ever Comic-Con panel and shares an early look at some of the movies on the company's upcoming film slate. Fans will be able to access Legendary's plans, garner sneak peeks at their movies in preproduction, and hear from filmmakers and cast members from the upcoming Pacific Rim, Seventh Son, Paradise Lost, and Mass Effect. Panel participants include Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, Guillermo del Toro, Ben Barnes, Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Alicia Vikander, Alex Proyas, Sergei Bodrov, Travis Beacham, Mark Protosevich, and Casey Hudson.

Comics Arts Conference Session #7: Focus on David Lloyd
Comic-Con special guest David Lloyd (V for Vendetta, Kickback) discusses the nature of sequential art and the methods of its production, considering his own methods, and how those methods have changed over time, as well as the creation of comics more generally in various genres and national and historical traditions. He will also look at the teaching of sequential art, both to practitioners and to audiences, discussing his time at the London Cartoon Centre and the Cartoon Classroom project. Kathleen McClancy (Wake Forest University) moderates.

Dark Horse Presents
As Dark Horse celebrates its 25th year of publishing, the company is proud to reintroduce the title that started it all: the game-changing anthology Dark Horse Presents. Known for featuring the industry's top talent and launching some of the most successful titles in comics history, Dark Horse Presents was, is, and will continue to be a highly fertile breeding ground for new characters, concepts, and more. Find out what makes this book so important to the comics medium, with Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson as well as a cast of top talent past and present, including Eric Powell (The Goon), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Sanford Greene (Deadpool), and more! Panel attendees will receive a Dave Gibbons minicomic exclusive to Comic-Con.

Eureka discussion panel
Small town. Big panel. Syfy's smash hit Eureka is back at Comic-Con. Colin Ferguson (Jack Carter), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo), and guest star Felicia Day (Dr. Holly Martin) join executive producers Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller for a chat about the big secrets of America's smartest little town. Moderated by guest star Wil Wheaton (Dr. Isaac Parrish; Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: Next Generation).

Entertainment Weekly Presents...Totally LOST: One Year Later
EW's Lost gurus Jeff "Doc" Jensen and Dan "Dan" Snierson wax nostalgic about the past, perhaps with a surprise guest or two, and discuss how they're "moving on" in the wake of Lost's departure from the air a year ago. The duo will look to the future by previewing promising TV obsessions.

The Boy Who Loved Batman
Dreams can come true, but some of them can bloody your knuckles. That's an apt description of what it took film producer Michael Uslan to fulfill his dream of making a dark and gritty Batman movie in 1989. Join Uslan, executive producer of Batman, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, as he tells columnist Tony Panaccio of the lifelong odyssey that led him to launch one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

Independent Filmmakers Postproduction Panel Discussion
You may know Avid as the company that makes the tools used to create your favorite feature films, TV shows, and music: Media Composer and Pro Tools. In a crazy (yet practical) twist, the folks at Avid have decided to make a movie of their own. The result: Agent MX Z3RO, a 15-minute indie movie that's meant to be a fun throwback to the '70s "shoot-em-up" action spy genre -- think Eastwood meets Connery. Why'd they do it? Mainly because it's difficult to secure demo material that they can use -- without restriction -- to teach filmmakers and postproduction pros the same tools and workflows used across the industry to help them succeed. Meet the director/writer, producer/writer, film editor, and sound supervisor who created the film. Join the discussion about the challenges facing indie filmmakers. and get some information about the tools and tips that can make your project look and sound the best it can be and ultimately more successful.

Motion Picture and Television Illustrators
Nowadays a movie starts with an idea expressed in words or images. The men and women who turn these ideas into worlds of visual reality, be it a distant world of pure imagination or an earthly hovel, are the storyboard artists and illustrators. Panelists who will discuss their craft and answer questions include moderator Hank Mayo (Ghostbusters 2), Tim Burgard (Thor), Ricardo Delgado (John Carter of Mars), Robin Richesson (I Am Number Four), and Josh Nizzi (Transformers 3).

The Hub... Batman: 45th Anniversary of the Original Series
Holy Comic-Con Panel, Batman! For the first time ever, three stars of the iconic 1960s TV series are together at Comic-Con: Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), and Julie Newmar (Catwoman) team up to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the landmark television series now airing on The Hub TV Network. The cast will share memories from the show and introduce and discuss their favorite scenes, followed by an audience Q&A. Bang! Pow! Woosh!

geekEd: Bringing Geek Back to Higher Education
A panel of college professionals, including Alex Belisario (UC Santa Cruz), Alfred Day (Semester at Sea), Ryan McRae (CSU San Marcos), Tyler Miller (Fresno State), and Emily Sandoval (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), discuss how geek culture and college life can enhance one another. Learn how colleges can reach out to geeks, how geeks can use their identities to increase college success, and what partnerships are being formed between colleges and pop culture. If you are an industry or marketing professional, work at college, go to college, or desire to do any of those, this panel is for you!

Comic-Con 2011: Thursday Program Schedule

2011-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

It is two weeks away and I am already receiving a number of promotional e-mails for several discussion panels and display booths that will be set up for Comic-Con 2011. The angst is starting to build up in the comic geek world just as if we are children again waiting around on Christmas Eve to open up the holiday presents. This morning around 11 AM in San Diego time the Comic-Con administration released to the general public the program schedule for the preview night and the first full day of the convention. Here is a direct link to their program page where you can also follow along to the updates for the schedule of events. I have already started planning the list of discussion panels that I am interested in attended, but am unsure how many of these panels I will actually make it to attending. I have already created a profile on the Comic-Con website, which you can visit by clicking here, where I am going to build a list of events that I am considering as strong possibilities to add to my itinerary. Here is my wish list for the first day of the convention:

Comic-Con Film School 101: Preproduction and Screenwriting
Comic-Con Film School is back for another four-day, nuts and bolts class on how to make a movie for very little money using available video technology and desktop post-production software. Whether you're shooting your first cyberpunk short or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts aliens, this course will take you from script to final product so that you too can enter your own movie into the CCI-IFF. This first class covers the specifics of preproduction on the cheap, including screenwriting, casting, scheduling, location scouting, crewing-up, and getting equipment for nothing. Panelists for the class include Valerie Perez (producer/star of the Paula Peril series), Jack Conway (writer/producer of Fear News), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).

The Evolution of Web Series: The Guild to Dragon Age
Writer/actor Felicia Day (The Guild), actor Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth), Dragon Age: Redemption director Peter Winther (Leverage), and Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah discuss the secrets to The Guild's success and what happens when you take that winning formula to the dark fantasy video game universe, Dragon Age, for the upcoming web series Redemption.

Focus on Rick Baker
The multi-Oscar winning master of makeup effects will take us on an overview of his remarkable career with a special emphasis on his work with director Barry Sonnenfeld on Men In Black 1 & 2, as well as a first look at some of his creatures and makeup for the upcoming Men In Black 3. Appearing on stage: Rick Baker in conversation with Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex.

Ringer television show for the CW network
Sarah Michelle Gellar makes her highly anticipated television return in the gripping new thriller Ringer, as a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin -- only to learn that her sister's seemingly idyllic life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she's trying to leave behind. Be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek at the new series about family secrets and stolen identities, followed by a panel discussion with series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), Nestor Carbonell (Lost, The Dark Knight), Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected), executive producer Pam Veasey (CSI:NY), and co-executive producers Nicole Snyder (Supernatural) and Eric Charmelo (Supernatural).

Napoleon Dynamite television show for the FOX network
Original cast members from the hit indie film including Jon Heder, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Diedrich Bader and executive producer Mike Scully (The Simpsons) present a new series following your favorite awkward teenager like you've never seen him before -- animated! Join us for a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage of the newest member of FOX's Animation Domination lineup and a "sweet" Question and Answer session.

What an excellent day for an exorcism.

2011-06-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

A very creative and well produced satirical spoof of The Exorcist (1973) that serves no other purpose other than to sell you a product.

Review of the comedy film 'Adventureland' (2009)

2011-05-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

In a metaphorical game of black jack I would like to label the term “nostalgia” as a face card. You know the face cards as the Jack, Queen, and King. The value of a face card is pretty high, but if it is incorrectly played then you will lose the hand. My viewpoint of storytelling can borrow upon the metaphorical premise by playing the Nostalgia Card in order to draw the audience into the story so powerfully that a Dyson vacuum will be jealous. However, if the card is played wrong, then the storyteller will lose the hand. Every human being is emotionally attached to the concept of nostalgia. It is very common among the human race for an individual to enjoy walking down memory lane by reliving our fondest memories of yesteryear. By sitting down for a viewing of a film or by reading a book in which the encapsulated story occurs during the same era as our childhood we may become vulnerable to the opportunity of conjuring up personal memories or feelings that will carry us back into the world of reminiscence. The fictional stories in the movies and books serve as a conduit, a reminder and most definitely as a catalyst in provoking our own personal memories and feelings of a bygone era in our life. The art of nostalgic provocation in a fictional story is an art form and can be an utter failure if it does not connect with the audience very well.

The film Adventureland (2009) is just as I described a moment ago. It is designed to be an extension of the nostalgia card that will make an attempt at pulling upon your emotions leaving you with a sense of longing for the years of youthfulness and fun summer jobs. It was a success for a viewer such as me who was drawn into the more simplified lifestyle of my youth that I had projected upon the storyline within the film. Yes, we were all young once, but not all of us held down a summer job at a local amusement park. I did. Not everyone had a summer job during their youth. I had a couple of part time jobs scattered through my teen years that carried over into the summer season. Just reflecting back upon those years I recall a few treasured memories that I will carry with me for years to come. The movie seems to encapsulate this sensation of emotions and memories that are often referred to as a moment of nostalgic recalling.

For those who have not seen the film yet may not know the specific information about the film in which I am implicating within my short live trip down memory lane. Adventureland is a hybrid genre film that alternates between being a romantic comedy and dramatic story. The primary character, James Brennan (played by Jesse Eisenberg) recently graduated from college with a degree in literature. The year is 1987 and he is looking forward to a summer trip to Europe before returning to the fall semester where he will begin a graduate program in journalism. However, his plan is completely foiled by the financial constraints his parents are suffering through. It was his primary means of paying for the European trip and they are unable to foot the bill. Therefore he picks up a summer job at Adventureland to compensate for the cost of a higher education and an expensive trip to several foreign countries.

In my mind the boundaries of youth is usually inclusive to the span of childhood up through the teenage years, but not so far to include the college years. I would imagine most people would seclude their college years as a separate entity if they were fortunate enough to attend college. However, the boundaries are a bit askew for this film as the college years are shifted over to cross breed with the teenage practice of holding down a summer job. Now that I think about it a little more it would not be that uncommon for college students to spend their summers with a summer job. Regardless of any form of deviation between the separation of being a teenager and a college student, we will still be able to recall these times in our life as nothing more than youthful memories. That is how I perceive the notion of the story within this movie. Have I lost you at all? I hope not.

Adventureland is an entertaining film with a light-hearted storyline. The entire story is reliant upon the emotional connection with the characters and the environment and time in which it is set. I have enjoyed watching the film and consider it to be a worthwhile second and third viewing. I know it may not be a quality cup of tea for everyone, but it has a fair share of entertaining merits for those who do look for a new dramatic film to watch. It may be labeled as a romantic comedy, of sorts, but I cannot quite fit it into that category. There is a romantic relationship that evolves and grows through the entire story, but it just does not have the romantic comedy vibe to me. Regardless of how the genre is perceived by the other viewers, I believe this movie is entertaining as it currently stands in my mind: a nostalgic story of youth.

The LAMBs in the Director's Chair #9... Sidney Lumet

2011-04-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

May you rest in peace, Sidney Lumet. He is a classic movie director that will be remembered by a large number of movie lovers. April 9, 2011, he passed away at the age of 86 due to complications associated with lymphoma. As a tribute to his work I have included an installment of The LAMBs in the Director's Chair that focused upon his career as a director. For those who are unfamiliar with the Director's Chair series, I offer the following description. For those who are already familiar with the series may skip ahead to the linked articles.

What is The Director's Chair feature, exactly? It is a collaborative effort of material that concentrates upon a single film director. The material is released on a loosely structured timetable, with the content of each installment written by a group of movie adoring blog writers. The mission statement for the series requests every participating writer to submit an article, or a collection of articles and movie reviews, containing a direct correlation to the career of a movie director. Each individual installment has a predetermined candidate as the center point for the writers to produce and submit their material. The ongoing series is referred to as The LAMBs in the Director’s Chair. The desired intention is to release a new installment of the series every six weeks. As previously stated, the timetable for the publication of every installment is loosely structured. Therefore, the gap in between the appearance of every chapter can range between three weeks and two months. The variance depends upon a wide range of influences, including the consideration of major holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah that would slow down the submissions process. It would be a shame to have everyone work through the holidays.

The original publication of every installment is divided up into three parts and published on the website for The Large Association of Movie Blogs (the acronym would be The LAMBs) over the course of a three-day window. Upon the publication of the third and final section there will be a posting on Matte Havoc that will include the entire list of written material which has been contributed for the installment. Think of it as an Index or Table of Contents, of sorts, for each installment. For quick reference of the material that is currently available on this site just follow the keyword link: Directors Chair. Listed below is one of the recent installments of the series with all three days worth of material included in a single page.

====================================================================================

The Director's Chair #9... Sidney Lumet

Review of Q and A (1990)
Radiator Heaven

Review of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
John Likes Movies

Review of Running on Empty (1988)
Radiator Heaven

Review of Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
John Likes Movies

Overview of Sidney Lumet's Career
Dave's Movie Reviews

One film review that is published on Dave’s Movie Reviews that was not directly linked in the overview page is Equus (1977). Here is a link to the wandering movie review.

Review for Equus (1977)
Dave's Movie Reviews

In case you are not satisfied with all of the horsing around (pun intended) there is another review of the film available over at the Film Forager website.

Review for Equus (1977)
Film Forager

After covering the film yesterday it may be worthwhile for a second visit to the movie Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

Review for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Blog Cabins

Just as I had promised to everyone at the end of the article yesterday, I would direct your attention to a review for a film that will make you “mad as hell.”

Review for Network (1976)
Le Mot du Cinephiliaque

What did you say? I bet that review did not make you mad as hell. How about sitting in a room with twelve angry men as a substitute?

Review for 12 Angry Men (1957)
Cinema Sights

Review for Serpico (1973)
Foolish Blatherings
Forget the Popcorn

Review for The Wiz (1978)
Foolish Blatherings

Review for Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Cinema Sights

EDITORIAL: Lumet is good, but not great.
Big Thoughts from a Small Mind

Did you say there is a comic book price cap?

2011-04-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Nothing would proclaim my lack of attentiveness by admitting that I am four months overdue with an entertainment news article. Like the title of the article suggests, I discovered this morning there is price cap on comic books that has been instated in January of 2011 by comic book publishing power house DC Comics. Here is the press release directly from their website:

Beginning January 2011, DC Comics will implement a line-wide pricing adjustment, lowering the prices of all standard length 32-page ongoing comic book titles currently priced at $3.99 to $2.99. "This announcement reaffirms DC Comics' commitment to both our core fans and to comic book store retailers," said Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher. "For the long term health of the industry, we are willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form."

"As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they'd collected for years," said Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publisher. "We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point."

It can be good news for comic book fans who love reading every issue they can grab, but the high prices can be difficult on everyone’s wallet when the issues are printed and distributed in monthly increments like a magazine subscription. For those non-comic book readers out there I would ask if you would be willing to pay more than $2.99 for every monthly issue of your favorite magazine if they kept the issue length at 32-pages instead of a hundred or so pages. It can add up rather quickly. Let me do the math out loud here. A comic book series is traditionally published with one issue per month leaving us with twelve issues a year. At the price of $2.99 per issue that would add up to $35.88 per year. If the series ran for a long period of time like the Detective Comics have been running than you will be astounded at the new price tag.

The most current issue of Detective Comics would be issue #876. It is set to be released to the public later this month on April 27th. There are several more issues in the series that are slated for publication and public release over the next few months, so do not expect it to stop anytime soon. Imagine buying 876 issues at the price tag of $2.99 each. The total comes to $2,619.24 in chump change. Try slapping that price tag down on the counter with your piggy bank money!

Review of the science-fiction comedy film 'Paul' (2011)

2011-04-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

Let me begin with a checklist of the basics in building a modern day science-fiction comedy film. If it becomes a cult classic among geeks and nerds alike then success has been obtained. To place at the top of the list would be a protagonist geek (or maybe a pair of geeky friends) who can be completely associative with all the nerds and geeks who are in the audience. Immediately following the first place spot of an ideal, yet socially inept, geek hero would be to place him (or her) and the best friend in a road trip that would lead the characters from one geek haven to another in order to form a traditional arch of narrative storytelling. This will allow the geeky audience to vicariously live their unique nerd style fantasies through the fictional characters.

In order to connect the dots from one elemental pit stop to another within the story there must be several comedic references to a variety of the pop-culture variety, but a deep rooted foundation in the sub-genre of the science-fiction and comic book entertainment This will open up a door of acceptance for the geeks to willingly connect with the characters as if there is a bond that is being created between them. The group is sharing a moment of friendship with each other with the use of comedic relations commonly referred to as the Inside Joke. It would not be the same experience for everyone if the average 2011 comedy film had omitted all forms of vulgarity from its final cut, therefore blocking the opportunity of any non-geek or nerd from enjoy the movie. It would be downright rude to shun any jock, cheerleader, or theater diva from attending a screen of the film. Therefore, there are vulgar jokes included in the film as many members of the younger generation enjoy a good dirty joke.

The science-fiction comedy film Paul (2011) includes everything that I have mentioned already. Two thirty-something year old best friends head out to the San Diego Comic Con to keep in touch with their inner geek and comic nerd identity. Once the convention is over the pair head out for a road trip throughout the American west to visit as many terrestrial landmarks as they possibly could visit. What they were not expecting was to meet an actual extra terrestrial being named Paul.

The vast majority of the dirty jokes are derived in a conversation involving Paul and it is no surprise he is voiced by actor Seth Rogen who has appeared in several vulgar comedies of recent years. Nothing against him as a person or as an actor, but he does have a string of R-rated comedy films in his wake.

Aside from the vulgarity and the numerous amounts of pop culture geekiness, the story is entertaining for a contemporary road trip film. Personally, I enjoyed the (not always subtle) references to other iconic films such as Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The cameo appearances by Steven Spielberg (voice only) and Sigourney Weaver served their purpose for the film, but not the best cameo appearance that I have ever seen in recent movies. Ahem, refer to my review for Zombieland, if necessary. It was almost painfully obvious that Spielberg’s voice cameo was nothing more than a tool from the director and writer to help the audience connect the dots from one movie reference joke to another in the briefest amount of time. His conversation with alien life form is about the storyline for E.T. as Paul (the alien) is sitting in a large warehouse filled with an endless supply of wooden crates that strongly resembles the closing scene for Raiders of the Lost Ark will help the audience draw a connection between multiple Spielberg films.

After leaving the movie theater when the film was over I began thinking about the worthwhile value of paying for the viewing of the film. Is it worth paying for the cost of a movie theater ticket or waiting until it is released on DVD so that I can rent the movie for a cheaper price? My conclusion would be to rent the movie when it is released for home viewing.

Body Double versus Natalie Portman

2011-03-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

There has been a brewing argument over the last few weeks between ballet dancer Sarah Lane against a few key members of the production staff for the film Black Swan (2010). It is an age old cat fight in the school yard, but it does pose an interesting question about film production. Here is the entire situation in a brief summary. Director Darren Aronofsky wants to make a movie about a ballerina. He hires actress Natalie Portman to portray the dancer, Benjamin Millepied to choreograph the dance numbers, and professional ballet dancer Sarah Lane to be Natalie's body double for the extremely difficult dance numbers. After the Natalie Portman won an Oscar award for her performance in the film Sarah started complaining publicly of an unfair acknowledgement. According to Sarah's mathematical formula of physical contributions she had appeared in ninety-five percent of the full body camera shots with Natalie's face digitally inserted in the shot during post-production. If you watch the Visual Effects reel over on YouTube (click here to watch) then you will see what I am referring to here.

Other members of the film crew have been refuting Sarah's claims marking them to be nothing more than pure grade bologna. It has finally arrived to the level of elementary school counting by the director of the film and his trusty editor! I am not joking, because embedded below is a quote from Aronofsky sent out as press release via the film's distributor, Fox Searchlight. I have retrieved this quote from the Entertainment Weekly website.

Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. Twenty-eight are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math that’s eighty percent Natalie Portman. What about duration? The shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second. There are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement. Even so, if we were judging by time over ninety percent would be Natalie Portman. And to be clear Natalie did dance on pointe in pointe shoes. If you look at the final shot of the opening prologue, which lasts eighty-five seconds, and was danced completely by Natalie, she exits the scene on pointe. That is completely her without any digital magic. I am responding to this to put this to rest and to defend my actor. Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance. And I don’t want anyone to think that’s not her they are watching. It is.

Reading the development of this story over the last few weeks has sparked a question about the utilization of special effects in the movies. Has it really boiled down to playground fighting between performers if they feel unfairly acknowledged with their performance? If the answer is yes, then how come the musical orchestra is not given more credit for supply the soundtrack for the film? Or maybe the makeup artists do not get enough public praise for making the actors looking amazing or horrifically scary on the film screen as the story would call for? Just throwing it out there for thought.

Visit the Matte Havoc YouTube Channel

2011-03-07T23:39:00.001-08:00

I am looking for a nice collection of new subscribers to enlist over at the Matte Havoc channel on YouTube. If you have not visited the channel yet, then visit this link to view a few of the full length feature films and celebrity interviews that have been posted on the channel for your viewing pleasure.

The LAMBs in the Director's Chair #14

2011-03-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

What is The Director's Chair feature, exactly? It is a collaborative effort of material that concentrates upon a single film director. The material is released on a loosely structured timetable, with the content of each installment written by a group of movie adoring blog writers. The mission statement for the series requests every participating writer to submit an article, or a collection of articles and movie reviews, containing a direct correlation to the career of a movie director. Each individual installment has a predetermined candidate as the center point for the writers to produce and submit their material. The ongoing series is referred to as The LAMBs in the Director’s Chair. The desired intention is to release a new installment of the series every six weeks. As previously stated, the timetable for the publication of every installment is loosely structured. Therefore, the gap in between the appearance of every chapter can range between three weeks and two months. The variance depends upon a wide range of influences, including the consideration of major holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah that would slow down the submissions process. It would be a shame to have everyone work through the holidays.

The original publication of every installment is divided up into three parts and published on the website for The Large Association of Movie Blogs (the acronym would be The LAMBs) over the course of a three-day window. Upon the publication of the third and final section there will be a posting on Matte Havoc that will include the entire list of written material which has been contributed for the installment. Think of it as an Index or Table of Contents, of sorts, for each installment. For quick reference of the material that is currently available on this site just follow the keyword link: Directors Chair. Listed below is one of the recent installments of the series with all three days worth of material included in a single page.

=======================================================================================

The Director's Chair #14... Terry Gilliam

For those who were not aware of his American nationality, I will enlighten you that Terry Gilliam was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 22, 1940. I begin with this simple introduction to debunk any notion or myth that he is British born. This correlation is often based upon the animation and directing work he did for the Monty Python comedy troupe during the early portion of his career. Because of his background in animation and illustration he has proven to be an extremely visual guy. His eccentric character of a personality is further displayed in some of the animated works that he has produced. Working for Mad Magazine and the English television show Do Not Adjust Your Set may be further evidence of his unique perspective on storytelling. In the first day of a three day series we will be having a broad look at his career with a couple of editorials in addition to one particular website article that dares you to state your preference on Gilliam’s earlier works versus his later works.

EARLY WORKS VERSUS LATER WORKS
Big Thoughts from a Small Mind

CAREER EDITORIALS

REVIEWS FOR Time Bandits (1981)

REVIEW FOR The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

REVIEWS FOR The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

One of my favorite films from the 1980s would be Terry Gilliam’s retro-future fantasy film Brazil (1985). Inspired by the song Aquarela do Brasil written by Ary Barroso the story centers around the character Sam Lowry, who is a notorious day dreamer and underachiever with the skills to excel at his work. Today we will be looking at a couple of reviews for the film in addition to a couple of the most famous Monty Python movies that Gilliam has been involved in co-directing.

REVIEWS FOR Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

REVIEWS FOR Brazil (1985)

REVIEW FOR Life of Brian (1979)
Cinema Sights

REVIEW FOR The Brothers Grimm (2005)
The Film Cynics

REVIEWS FOR Tideland (2005)

It would be fitting to allow Terry Gilliam to directly explain the approach he takes when creating a new film or story to tell his audience:

I never wanted to make naturalistic films. I’ve always liked the idea that film is an artifice, and that this is admitted right from the start. So we create a world that isn’t true to a realistic naturalistic world, but is truthful. That is the main thing. I think it also comes from being a cartoonist. I’ve always abstracted. Cartoons always push toward the grotesque. You twist, you bend, you shape. Brazil is that way.

The quote has been pulled from an interview with The Believer Magazine that had occurred at the 2002 Telluride Film Festival. The transcript for the entire interview can be read on the magazine's website.

REVIEWS FOR 12 Monkeys (1995)

REVIEWS FOR The Fisher King (1991)

REVIEWS FOR Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

REVIEW FOR The Meaning of Life (1983)
Bill's Movie Emporium

The Director’s Chair is an ongoing series hosted on The Large Association of Movie Blogs. Each installment is published on the site as a three-day event filled with contributions from several movie blog writers from around the world. To continue following each new series installment make sure to check the LAMBs site for updates or Matte Havoc for the recap of every event.

Recovering from the 83rd Academy Awards Ceremony

2011-02-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

This was the year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tried to reconnect with a younger generation. The event organizers ended up landing in a pile of mixed results. Everyone has an opinion on how it all went down on Sunday night, and it is obvious we will not all agree on which elements worked and which elements failed miserably. During the progression of the 2011 Oscar awards ceremony there were two young co-hosts serving as the master of ceremonies. One of them, Anne Hathaway, is the youngest woman ever to host (or even co-host) the ceremony. At a fairly young and green age of twenty-eight years old she has officially lowered the age limitations for woman presenters for large scale award ceremonies, particularly for the Oscar awards. Her co-host, James Franco, is not that much older than she is by weighing in at the ripe old age of thirty-two years old.

More than anything else I think it was a thinly veiled publicity stunt to be pulling in a pair of young co-hosts for the Academy Awards ceremony just because the younger generation will be drawn in like a moth to a flame and help boost the television ratings and draw interest into viewing the Oscar awards. You can bet your bottom dollar that the younger viewers will relate to Anne and James more than they could possibly relate to any other middle-aged host (ahem, Steve and Alec) who could possibly by viewed as a father figure. Gasp! How drastically horrendous it would be for the younger audience to even consider watching an entire three hour award ceremony that was hosted by their dad. That would be so uncool of those teenagers to pull such a stunt for a fashionable stunt that was so last year.

My own personal reflection upon the ceremony has left me with a mixed bag of opinions about the execution of the entire ceremony. There were several elements that I thought were terrific. Some of the online postmortem articles that I read so far have ripped apart the same elements of the show that I enjoyed watching. There are also several elements in the show that appeared to be half-baked ideas or were executed poorly. The most clearly defined example of a half-baked idea that was poorly executed would be the horrendously produced auto-tuned rendition of the movies that were released in 2010. Shivers are running down my spine right now as I am recalling the memory of sitting through the entire montage. It was such a bad experience of witnessing the unsightly integration of a relatively prestigious awards ceremony with an extremely lame pop culture phenomenon that should have been smoldered into the ground forever.

One of the most treasured elements that I have enjoyed about the ceremony was mixing together the young and the old. There were several reported concerns of having Kirk Douglas appear on stage to present the award for best supporting actress. The most common theme that I derived was that he appeared to have one foot in the grave and could croak at any second. Personally, I think it was the highlight of the entire evening in terms of bringing in the older generation of filmmakers to participate in the ceremony. Despite the difficulty of living his life as a stroke victim he appears to be so full of energy for someone of his age and physically disabilities. He has not lost any sense of humor and vitality in life. I only hope that I could have his attitude and humorous outlook on life when I grow old. Kirk Douglas is an acting and producing legend that should never be disrespected. He is Spartacus!

The downside to the attempt of bridging the generational gap was the poor execution of trying to turn the awards ceremony into a history lesson. I assume the ceremony producers actually considered it a good idea to be presenting historical facts about previous Oscar ceremonies as if it were a history lesson. Do the producers not realize that the younger generation is at their wit’s end in dealing with educational lectures? If the target demographic is teenagers and twenty-something year olds then you will be trying to offer an Oscar themed history lesson to a bunch of people who are suffering through their high school and college years. The last thing these people would want to sit through would be a surprise lecture about Gone With the Wind serving as the recipient of the first Best Picture of the year award or that the earlier ceremonies were held at the Roosevelt Hotel that rests on the corner of Hollywood and North Orange Drive, which is almost a complete catty corner location from the Kodak Theatre and the Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

There is one thing about the show in which my reaction has been a little bit mixed between the good and the bad. Upon the immediate arrival of Anne and James as they were walking out to the front of the stage my very first thought was the wonderment on why James was holding his smart phone out. There was a brief tossup in trying to figure out if his was holding a small video recorder or a smart phone. Eventually I discovered he was carrying his phone with him throughout the show so that he can send message, pictures, and video clips of the inner workings of the show out to the general public via his Twitter page. The positive response that I have to this distracting moment of dubious public relations on behalf of the Academy would be the intention of trying to keep the younger generation involved in the ceremony by the method of technological interactivity. The negative response would be that I have too much experience grounded in the old school world of merely watching the program itself without necessarily having to immediately interact with the people on the screen as the ceremony is broadcasting live throughout the world.

In continuation of the subject about the opening of the show there was the montage that reminded me of something Billy Crystal would participate in during his time as the Oscar host. The practice of placing the ceremonial host or co-hosts into various movies including the nominees for the Best Picture category is something of an old hat that will rarely grow old. The intention would be to enact a comedic farce, but there is a risk of poor execution and the humor will fall flat on its face. I thought the opening montage was humorous for what it’s worth, but not belly laugh hilarious. There is the instant cult classic outtake of Anne and James satirically dance around a carnival rig a la Grease style and anyone can look up the video on the Oscars YouTube page, but it was a scene that was not included in the final montage. The entire concept of the hosting duo traveling through Alec Baldwin’s dreams to find the perfect method at hosting the Oscars ceremony is rather dull, but it is one of the easiest ways to produce a methodical way of continuity between each spoof scene. The cameo appearance from Morgan Freeman as Alec’s dream world narrator did offer one of the biggest laughs for the entire sequence. I was just hoping to hear him say anything similar to “And, so, Andy Dufresne narrowly escaped the dream world of Inception…”

The biggest cringe worth element of the entire broadcast would be everything that happens on the Red Carpet prior to the start of the awards ceremony. The last couple of years I have noticed a lot of minor details that annoy me, but it is only because of my background of working in television broadcasting that would add fuel to the fire. The interviews on the Red Carpet are blatantly awkward in several ways as some of the interviewers are more enthralled with asking the one question that has been tattooed on their brain: Who you are wearing? It is the one question that I do not want to be asked, because frankly I do not care about fashion at an awards ceremony for recognition in the industry of filmmaking. If the outfit that the actor is wearing has no direct connection to the process of the movie he or she has starred in recently, then I will honestly not give an iota worth of interest in who designed the outfit or the name of the jeweler who create the million dollar necklace being worn. In addition to the awkwardly executed question and answer segments I considered the transition from one Red Carpet location to another comes to a grinding halt as the broadcast crew is making every attempt at playing the game of catch up. I could almost hear the crew in the background scream “Oh, crap! The reporter finished his interview earlier than planned, hot punch the next reporter’s camera online.”

How about I suggest a little piece of advice for the broadcast next year? How about the producers completely obliterate the three and a half hour long bore fest known as the “Red Carpet Who Are You Wearing” pre-show? If you need to replace the contest of that particular time slot then how about replace the Red Carpet hoopla with the entire Technical Awards ceremony where all the technology geeks get their recognition and awards for creating all the cool gadgets and gizmos that actually help the filmmaking process? Shocking, I know! Broadcasting an award ceremony for filmmaking gadgetry right along with an award ceremony for filmmaking artistry is a brilliant idea that should be implemented immediately! All the boring fashion questions can be posted online with all those Oscar host tweets and streaming video websites where the fashion fanatics can find out all the exciting information about who is wearing what outfits designed by Calvin Klein.

Everyone has been chatting about the unofficial theme of the ceremony for this year. In with the new and out with the old. I would not be surprise if the public relations department for the Academy would deny such a statement, but it is the topic of conversation at every cinephile water cooler in every office and internet site around town. The Academy should not be completely squandered of all good intent, since they did bring in Kirk Douglas, Billy Crystal, and a computer engineered holographic Bob Hope to participate in their fair share of ceremonial presentation. The audio track for the Bob Hope hologram needed a bit more tweaking in order to produce a smoother transition between the archive audio track and the dubbed in speech that was recorded by an impersonator, but the gist of the performance was intriguing for me to watch. Also, it was also very nice to see Jean-Luc Godard, Eli Wallach, Kevin Brownlow, and Francis Ford Coppola all honored with special awards at the ceremony. Each one of them have contribute something unique to the industry and have left a lasting impression upon the rich history of cinema and the preservation of the films that are produced by filmmakers every year.

New movie section on the site!

2011-02-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may note have seen the new Featured Films tab toward the top of the Matte Havoc website might want to check it out sometime. The new section is a reserved location for the purpose of featuring a variety of classic films; each one will be available in its entirety. The main intention of embedding the films here for your enjoyment is to allow everyone the opportunity to view into the past and observe the types of movies that were produced by the previous generations of filmmakers. Hopefully, the selection of films that will be available in this section will be a window of enlightenment for you, which should allow an opportunity to view all films with a new and different perspective. The movies will be pulled from the library of selected films that are available on the Matte Havoc YouTube channel.

Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards

2011-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

For those of us who were not awake at 5:40 AM in California time on Tuesday, January 25th may want to have a peak at the following list of Oscar nominees. Yes, it is true that the 83rd annual Academy Awards ceremony is just around the corner. The list of nominees are announced every year during the early morning hour in order to allow the media (and bloggers) to spread the exciting news throughout the entire world. In order to alleviate a headache of typing up a description of all the nominations I just took the easy route and copied the entire list over in the following list that should be easy to skim over. For a more thorough review of the nominations I would recommend checking out the running feature over at The LAMBs site: The LAMBs Devour the Oscars.

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature Film

“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Art Direction

“Alice in Wonderland” Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception” Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King's Speech” Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit” Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Cinematography

“Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
“Inception” Wally Pfister
“The King's Speech” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” Roger Deakins

Costume Design

“Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King's Speech” Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” Sandy Powell
“True Grit” Mary Zophres

Directing

“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Documentary (Feature)

“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Documentary (Short Subject)

“Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
“Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
“Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Film Editing

“Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” Pamela Martin
“The King's Speech” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” Jon Harris
“The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Foreign Language Film

“Biutiful” Mexico
“Dogtooth” Greece
“In a Better World” Denmark
“Incendies” Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Makeup (Special Effects)

“Barney's Version” Adrien Morot
“The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Music (Original Score)

“How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
“Inception” Hans Zimmer
“The King's Speech” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)

“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best Picture

“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

“Day and Night” Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let's Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois

Short Film (Live Action)

“The Confession” Tanel Toom
“The Crush” Michael Creagh
“God of Love” Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Sound Editing

“Inception” Richard King
“Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Mixing

“Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King's Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Visual Effects

“Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter's Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
“Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
“The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

The American West of John Ford (1971)

2011-01-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

For some odd reason, which I do not have an immediate explanation for you, I will be continuing into another article about the career of film director John Ford. In the previous article that was published yesterday I posted a documentary film he directed for the United States military to distribute information about the country's early involvement in the Korean War. Ultimately the material can be viewed in retrospect as a propaganda film. For today there is a new video I would like to share with you where the camera was turned around marking John Ford as the subject of the documentary instead of serving as its director. Within the fifty-two minute documentary film there are several clips that were captured behind-the-scenes of his western films in addition to a few interviews with the actors that he directed over the years of his career. There are several recognizable names in the list, including: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda and Andy Devine. I hope you enjoy the film.

John Ford: This Is Korea! (1951)

2011-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

These days there are not very many people who are aware that western film director John Ford had contributed a large amount of his time to producing and directing propaganda films for the American military. He would work with the Marines, the Army, and the Navy to produce documentaries about the foreign wars that America was involved in. Watching these films that he produced are nothing short of the exuberance of looking through a portal that taps into the historical events of our past. I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of these films since they are produced in association with the American military who may not want a negative slant to make the organization look bad. Therefore the movies should be enjoyed like watching a collection of home videos, but view them with a skeptical approach. Embedded below is one of his documentary films. It is titled This Is Korea! and it concentrates upon the early history of the Korean War. It runs about fifty-minutes in length so make sure you have the next hour blocked out to watch it.