Feb 02 2010
Art book imprint Abrams announced today that it will publish The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis by Matt Groening. The book will be published under the Abrams ComicArts imprint. The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis is slated to be released in April of 2010.
Abrams senior vice prez and publisher Steve Tager explains, "Abrams ComicArts is already known for spotlighting the work of comics legends, such as Jack Kirby and Harvey Kurtzman. We're thrilled to add Matt Groening to this list of important artists and writers, and to bring another piece of pop-culture history to our list."
"Matt and his team will put the comic in ComicArts," says Charles Kochman. "Having the Simpsons and Futurama characters on our list will expand the audience for our titles, and give fans an affordable and unique reading experience. The format, design, production values, and overall package of The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis will continue to distinguish Abrams ComicArts titles in the market."
The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis was originally published in 2002 and 2005 as two two-part comic book miniseries (Futurama/Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis and The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis II). These four hard-to-find comics will be presented together for the first time in a hardcover collection and packaged with a bonus facsimile reprint of the Eisner Award-winning issue of Simpsons Comics #1, first published in 1993. The book also contains an introduction by Matt Groening; supplementary material, including preliminary sketches and character designs; and an exclusive pin-up gallery featuring 16 superstar comics artists, including Michael Allred, Sergio Aragonés, Kyle Baker, Geof Darrow, Peter Kuper, Alex Ross, and Bernie Wrightson.
Jan 24 2010
(Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth at SAG Awards ceremony Saturday. AP photo)
Best fanboy/fangirl line of the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony Saturday night was from Eli Roth, who spoke for the best ensemble winners from "Inglourious Basterds," in which he played The Bear Jew.
Roth is an actor who has also directed horror films such as the "Hostel" franchise. He said it didn't matter where you were from to director Quentin Tarantino; if he thought a person was right for the part, he or she got the part.
"A year ago we all sat down in Berlin and we read through the script," Roth said. "We all sat
around and we saw that Quentin had pulled together actors from Ireland and from
Austria and from France and from Newton, Massachusetts, and from Germany and from
New York and from the Fangoria Convention, and pulled together such a wonderful,
wonderful cast. We all felt it was really something special. So it was an honor
to be a part of it, Quentin."
Tarantino gave the role of a lifetime to multilingual Christoph Waltz, who has been waltzing away with every pre-Oscar best supporting actor award. He's brilliant as a paricularly despicable but particularly fascinating Nazi.
Jan 20 2010
Oh what a tangled ... no, won't say it. I will say that Marc Webb -- yes, Webb -- director of the Golden Globe nominated "(500) Days of Summer," will direct the fourth Spider-Man film, due in 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced recently that Sam Raimi, along with star Tobey Maguire, were out as James Vanderbilt's script is about Peter Parker in high school, leading up to the bite that made him "Spider-Man."
Funny, I thought the first film covered that territory. Anyway ...
The choice of Webb might fuel speculation that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, his star in "(500) Days of Summer," could take over for Maguire.
In a statement, Webb said, "This is a dream come true and I couldn't be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity. Sam Raimi's virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over' from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I'm here because there's an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man."
Webb also has several MTV VMAs, including 2009's Best Director award for Green Day's "21 Guns,"
Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, "I'm excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can't wait to see what Marc comes up with next."
Jan 18 2010
What do you think about "Avatar" and James Cameron being crowned the king of the Golden Globes last night? -- a victory for geeks or a sad
day for thoughtful, grown-up movies ("Up in the Air," "The Hurt Locker,"
"Inglourious Basterds")? Both?
I could see Cameron as director; sometimes
they separate a pic from director like they did with our Rob Marshall
and "Chicago," giving the director nod to Roman Polanski for "The Pianist."
I mean, think about it: The two top films, (albeit picked by fewer than a hundred critics in the Hollywood Foreign Press), were "Avatar" and "The Hangover."
I suppose that's a huge victory for popular culture, when the most popular films at the box office are rewarded.
There are a lot of people smiling and a lot of people who predict the Oscar race going "Huh?" this morning.
Jan 11 2010
Spider-Man is scheduled to return to movie theaters in 2012 but there'll be a new Peter Parker under the mask. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they are moving forward with the film -- which was originally expected to open next year -- but that there would be a new cast and a new face at the helm.
So, so long Tobey Maguire (who suffered back problems and was almost a no-show on "Spider-Man 3") and director Sam Raimi.
Now, who to you see as the next Spidey?
The new movie will be based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on Peter Parker in high school.
Jan 10 2010
(Above: Don't let the sign fool you -- that's Zachary Levi with Yvonne Strahovski at the "Chuck" panel at Comic-Con last July.)
You have to accept the outright silly and the frat-boy humor with the adventure and romance if you want to appreciate "Chuck." I keep reading critics' reviews that say the NBC show would be better off it focused on the spy-comedy-romance and drop the goofball guy stuff at the Buy More.
Nonsense, I say. The Buy More guys -- Morgan, Lester and Jeff -- put us in Chuck's other world, where he gets to be the voice of reason and "the handler," so to speak, of a bunch of well-meaning screw-ups. He lives his other world as the accidental spy who's being handled by the beautiful Sarah and militaristic Casey, so this gives us a chance to see Chuck in his natural element. And it feeds into "Chuck" creators Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz's need to relive their frat boy days.
They admit as much in the extras on the season 2 six-disc set. The girl fight between Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and her former high school rival, played winningly by Nicole Richie, is set in a locker room and shower because, well, you know, what guy wouldn't want to watch a cat fight in a shower?
Does that make me cringe? Sure. Was it one of the best fight scenes on TV and fitting amid a show that has two Emmys for its stunts? Definitely.
The spy world of "Chuck" posits that the CIA and NSA are willing to partner to protect the secret-filled Intersect computer, which happens to be downloaded into the mind of a Nerd Herder, an IT guy at a big-box store named Chuck Bartowski, played endearingly by Zachary Levi. For all he craziness, you have to like to Chuck, believe that he'd be a great friend, brother and brother-in-law, that you want to be in his orbit even though he's just a regular guy who happens to have a computer stuck in his brain. The bad guys are a combo of "Get Smart" and "James Bond" villains, and belong to organizations with names like "Fulcrum" and "The Ring."
Among my favorite moments of television in 2009 were parts of the "Chuck" finale, which featured two weddings and a performance by a two of those Buy More guys as Jeffster. The show almost didn't come back, though, and it took one of the few successful fan campaigns to persuade NBC to put it back on the schedule, first for a 13-episode season, and now 19.
"Chuck," for all of it's adventure and romance, is one of those shows a network exec must think of as: devoted fan base; not enough in the ratings department. It's been matched on Mondays with the declining "Heroes," too, which hasn't been a big help.
But thanks to fans who lobbied NBC and bought a gazillion sandwiches from Subway, one of the show's chief sponsors, "Chuck" gets a third chance, starting tonight, 9-11, before moving to it's regular time slot at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Best of luck, "Chuck."
Jan 08 2010
A Detective Comics #27 that marked the first appearance of Batman is expected to bring in $300,000 or more when it is auctioned by Heritage Auction Galleries in its Feb. 25 Signature Comics & Comic Art Auction, it will set two important marks:
The auction house believes it will "become the single most valuable comic ever offered at public auction. Though it's being sold with no reserve and no minimum bid, it's expected to bring at least $300,000. The current record for a comic sold at auction stands at $317,000, for a copy of Action Comics #1, sold last year."
Better yet, the press release put forth this intriguing notion: "The other question the auction will settle, at least for the time being, is one of the great debates of Pop Culture: Who is worth more today, Batman or Superman?"
Heritage has not disclosed the source of the comic other than to note it comes from a collector who assembled his collection in the 1960s and 1970s. It was bought for $160 back then.
Jan 06 2010
Left the monologue on NBC. The people love "Inglorious Basterds." Cool. I love Queen Latifah's gowns. So far, black, white, black.
I'm interested to see if anyone other than Taylor Lautner has a chance for favorite breakout move actor, in a category that includes Zachary Quinto. No, no chance. It's Team Jacob all the way.
Taylor Lautner was born on the same day and year as my son, so I find all of the screaming for him a little creepy.
OK, this time I'm really switching the channel.
Jan 06 2010
George Lopez dropped the Tiger bomb. I just wish it had been funny. He couldn't ruin Sandra Bullock's moment, though. It's her night. She ... oh, geez, she joked about sleeping with Tiger Woods, too.
She produced Lopez's sitcom, so there's a great relationship there. I love that "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side" star acknowledged that she and Nicole Kidman are wearing their hair the same way. And that she's sitting beside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Fun!
Here come the action stars. Hugh Jackman -- big upset. No wonder he's there. I like his short haircut. He may be Wolverine, but I like him better as a song and dance man. Oh, he's not bad as Wolverine, either.
OK. I can switch over to Jay Leno now -- Hugh Jackman's the guest there tonight, taped earlier, obvious. This will be my first visit to Jay Leno's prime-time takeover. Sigh. I'll forgive him for just one night. Or just this one guest.
I turned it on and the first joke is a Tiger joke. Strange symmetry.
Jan 06 2010
Watching the People's Choice Awards and so nice to see the people get it right -- that's because their TV choices agree with mine so far, and I'm a people, too.
Nice to see Steve Carell recognized instead of Alec Baldwin for once among comedy actors and good for Alyson Hannigan, but best for "The Big Bang Theory." Someone must be watching and willing to vote for one of my favorite group of TV show nerds. Steve Carell's "That's what she said" speech was so bad and so good at the same time. (I hope the kids weren't watching and asking questions.)
It hasn't all been, "Yeah, way to go!" though. The gross and disturbing "Paranormal Activity" skit that saw Cloris Leachman as a dominatrix ... well, enough said. Queen Latifah, so gorgeous and classy as host, shouldn't have been subjected to such an indignity. Also, I turned the sound down when Mariah Carey accepted her award. She wasn't singing, and after her rambling speech and bizarre behavior at the Palm Springs Film Festival just a day ago, well . . . oh, Carrie Underwood beat out Taylor Swift for an award. Didn't think that would be possible.
Did you see Kate Walsh teeter down the runway in her high heels and Underwood trip in hers? 'Nuff said on that.
OK. What's the deal with "House"? I mean, doesn't anyone watch "Lost"? Hugh Laurie is a wonderful actor, yada yada yada.
Now I have to take time out to regroup.
More Posts
Next page »