Articles by chris-ullrich
Wed Mar 12, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Marvel Comics Unveils 'Secret Invasion' Covers
The 'Secret Invasion' begins . . . with three new covers!
Even with all the hype and recent discussion of Marvel's grammar skills, like it or not, the "Secret Invasion" is coming from Marvel Comics. Another example of this inevitable occurrence was revealed today by Marvel with the release of cover art for the first issue of the Secret Invasion comic book series.
However, Marvel didn't just release one cover by artist Gabrielle Dell’Otto, featuring some of Marvel's heroes who may or may not be Skrulls, they also unveiled two pretty-cool variant covers for the first issue as well. One of the variants, by Civil War veteran artist Steve McNiven, features some of your favorite Marvel heroes being squeezed by the claws of a giant Skrull.
The other variant cover is by series penciler Leinil Yu and showcases Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and other heroes standing in defiance of the invasion and ready to kick some Skrull butt.
Check out larger pics of all three covers after the jump.
Secret Invasion #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Leinil Yu, is set to hit your local comic shop on April 2nd.
Continue reading Marvel Comics Unveils 'Secret Invasion' Covers ›
Wed Mar 12, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Exclusive 'Lost Boys 2: The Tribe' Trailer Released
There will be blood . . . And the two Coreys!
Previously, I brought you the first pic and an interview about the upcoming direct-to-DVD sequel to one of the cult-favorite films of the '80s: The Lost Boys. And now over at MTV, they've released the exclusive new trailer for the sequel, known as Lost Boys 2: The Tribe, for your viewing pleasure.
And as if that wasn't enough, along with the trailer they've also got an interview with Edgar Frog himself, Corey Feldman, where he discusses, among other things, the new film's story, its characters and how the sequel fits in with the original timeline. He also talks about how his character has evolved since the first film and how important it was for the sequel to stay true to the original and not disappoint hardcore fans.
Finally, he reveals that Corey Haim is, in fact, in the new movie and talks a bit about their strained relationship. The trailer itself features what you would expect from a movie like this: action, motorcycles, attractive young people in danger, blood, gore and vampires, vampires, vampires. Surprisingly, after watching it a couple times, the movie doesn't seem as cheesy as I thought it would. In fact, it looks pretty good.
Lost Boys 2: The Tribe hits DVD store shelves in July.
Wed Mar 12, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Sam Raimi and Paramount Lock Up 'Monster Zoo'
There be monsters!
Variety is reporting today that Paramount Pictures has acquired the live-action feature film rights to the as-yet unpublished Douglas TenNapel graphic novel Monster Zoo for producer Sam Raimi and his Buckaroo Entertainment company.
At this point, Raimi is not expected to direct the project, which is also being produced by Josh Donen and Ellen Goldsmith Vein. Monster Zoo, which is set to be published by Image Comics in the spring, tells the story of an ancient artifact that is found and transported to a zoo in the United States. There, the idol's spirit awakens and starts to mutate the zoo's animals and turn them evil.
Once this begins, a group of teenagers must band together to try to stop the evil monsters from destroying the world.
No word yet on who will be adapting the graphic novel for the screen or directing. But when there is, we'll bring it to you.
Tue Mar 11, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Paramount Snaps Up 'Harbinger' Comic Book Series
Newsflash: Brett Ratner loves superheroes
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the Valiant comic book series Harbinger, which will be made into a live-action feature. The feature, which is being developed as a possible vehicle for director Brett Ratner, will be produced by Alexandra Milchan, Jay Stern and Ratner and may go under the MTV Films banner.
Harbinger, created in the '90s by Jim Shooter, was a hit when it was first released and concerns humans with extraordinary powers and abilities that can be unlocked by so-called "Omega" harbingers. One of these humans, teenager Pete Stancheck (aka "Sting"), is able to realize this potential under the instructiion of his mentor, Toyo Harada.
But once Harada starts down an evil path and Pete learns it was his mentor who was responsible for a friend's death, Pete is determined to bring his former teacher to justice. So, with the help of friends Kris, Zephyr, Flamingo and Torque, Pete begins his quest to take down Harada and the evil Harbinger Foundation.
According to the article, after directing X-Men: The Last Stand, Ratner was looking for a superhero franchise to start from scratch and found it with Harbinger. Producer Milchan was also very pleased to find Harbinger and be able to bring it to Ratner:
"The movie is in the vein of a young 'Blade Runner,' as this 17-year- old gifted kid helps other kids tap into these parts of their brains," Milchan said.
No word yet on potential casting for the film or a start date. But when there is, we'll bring it to you.
Tue Mar 11, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
'Hulk' Teaser Trailer Released
A little smash now, a lot of smash later...
Even though tomorrow is technically the day when the first trailer for The Incredible Hulk will be released, it appears as if someone at Universal is getting a little antsy. Why? Well, a few bits and pieces of the trailer are already posted over at MTV's website.
This sneak-peek doesn't reveal too much and mostly shows Ed Norton's Bruce Banner in therapy, discussing some of his anger issues. It also has a few shots of soldiers running, a humvee smashing through a barricade and Banner's eyes turning green which, of course, signals an appearance by everyone's favorite green goliath.
Check it out:
Tue Mar 11, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Video: Darwyn Cooke Draws Wonder Woman
With great talent comes . . . great art
On a really good day, I'm occasionally able to draw something that actually resembles a human shape, but that doesn't make me an artist. I'm reminded of this when I see footage like this recent video of artist Darwyn Cooke from MegaCon.
The video, shot by Adam and posted over at the Drawn! website, shows Cooke working on a drawing of Wonder Woman, one of the characters featured in his critically praised New Frontier miniseries and its recent animated adaptation.
Mon Mar 10, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Paramount Announces New 'Indiana Jones' DVDs
Adventure has three new DVDs!
Even though Paramount already released a superb DVD box set of the Indiana Jones Trilogy back in 2003, they're doing it again. This time around, the new DVD releases of the classic trilogy will be available individually instead of as an exclusive box-set like before and will be released on May 13th -- just in time to whet your appetite for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's opening on May 25th.
These "Special Edition" DVDs, as they are being called, boast new features and exclusives not found in the earlier box-set releases. According to Paramount, some of these features and exclusives include interviews, discussions and new documentaries about the making of the three films that give audiences a new insight and appreciation for these classic films.
Examples include:
Sat Mar 8, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Marvel Comics 'Who Do You Trust?' - The Video
Trust no one - especially the Skrulls
Sure, there's probably been a few too many images hitting the 'Net of late featuring your favorite Marvel characters looking like Skrulls. But even though they're pushing the point a bit, Marvel and this upcoming story arc still have my attention -- a fact I'm sure they're cheering about over at Marvel HQ.
Marvel continued peeling back the layers of their "big event" onion (and abusing the "who/whom" grammar rules) this week with a new "Who Do You Trust" video posted on Marvel.com. Instead of Skrullified images of Marvel heroes, this time around we've got a grainy, "Blair Witch"-style video of what appears to be someone (probably an intern, since they won't let him turn on the lights) going through a whole lot of trouble to see those very same photos Marvel's been sending to anyone with a valid email account -- as well as an unidentified dossier and a recording of someone reiterating the point that some of Marvel's heroes just aren't what they appear to be.
The "Secret Invasion" continues!
Fri Mar 7, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
'Doctor Who' Videogame On the Way
The best game with 'Doctor' in the title since 'Dr. Mario'?
Hot on the heals of our other various videogame announcements and some recent spoilers concerning a certain Time Lord and a show that's popular here at ComicMix, word now comes from the site Videogaming247 that a videogame based on the hugely popular Doctor Who BBC television series is on the way.
According to the site, video game producer Edios confirmed the game is in active development and is being made for various gaming platforms including the PC, Sony PS2 and the Nintendo DS.
When asked to confirm the game was, in fact, in development, an unnamed rep for Edios said:
“That is correct. We haven’t announced a release date at the moment. It’s not too far away. We should be showing it to [press] quite soon.”
Well, there you go. Even though details are still mostly unknown right now, it doesn't seem like eager fans will have to wait too long to know more about the game -- and that's great for them.
For me, if I had a choice, I would actually prefer a game based on a different BBC Sci-Fi show. A show that I actually like quite a bit: Torchwood. With all the innuendo, sex, aliens and action, that would be a cool game. Anyone else fancy a game of Torchwood?
Fri Mar 7, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
First 'Hulk' Trailer to Premiere Next Week
Hulk Smash on March 12th!
This news is not quite as good as actually getting to see the new The Incredible Hulk trailer today. However, at least there's now an actual date you will see the trailer. According to an official release from Universal, that date is March 12th.
Here's the pertinant details from that very press release:
The first teaser trailer for hotly anticipated summer superhero epic "The Incredible Hulk" will have its exclusive broadcast debut in a simultaneous "roadblock" on seven networks on Wednesday, March 12. This first opportunity to see material from the motion picture will be aired at approximately 9:56 p.m. EDT/6:56 p.m. PDT on MTV, MTVU, MTV2, VH1, Spike TV, Nick at Nite and CMT.
Not only will you get to see the trailer on all those TV stations, it will be posted on MTV.com afterward. It will also begin showing on March 14th in front of Neil Marshall's Doomsday -- which, in spite of its "borrowing" liberally from Escape from New York and Road Warrior, actually looks kinda cool.
For those of you not familiar with the story of this latest theatrical incarnation of the Hulk, it concerns scientist Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) who desperately searches for a cure to the Gamma radiation that's poisoned him. On the run and in hiding, he's pursued by the sinister General Ross (William Hurt) who wants to capture him and exploit the power of the Hulk for his own purposes.
But all bets are off when an even bigger threat appears: the evil and destructive Abomination (Tim Roth). Now, Banner must decide if his own life is worth saving or if he should unleash the Hulk, fight the Abomination, and save the world.
The Incredible Hulk hits theaters on June 13th.
Fri Mar 7, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
New 'Wanted' Trailer and Pics Hit the Web
When comic book movies go bad?
When I first heard about the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Mark Miller's Wanted, I was, as I usually am in these situations, skeptical. Hollywood's treatment of comic books has ranged greatly over the years and produced some seriously bad movies such as Daredevil, Ghost Rider and The League of Extrordinary Gentlemen.
However, to be fair, Hollywood also gets it right sometimes, like they did with Sin City, Batman Begins and X-Men. So, when I heard about the Wanted movie I was hopeful that this one could potentially join the ranks of "good" films -- that is, until I saw the first trailer. And now, there's another one -- which doesn't really make things any better.
I'm not sure what movie they think they're making, but it isn't Wanted -- at least not the one that I read. Instead, we're treated to what appears to be your standard action fare including guns, babes, car chases and explosions galore. Don't get me wrong, I like all those things -- especially babes that take on the form of Angelina Jolie.
What I don't like is Hollywood buying the rights to a comic book just to use the title and not making a movie actually based, in some part, on that comic book. Sure, Wanted might have things about it that may be difficult to adapt for the movies -- like an interesting bad guy made out of a certain waste material -- but still, those are the things that made Wanted interesting, unique and fun in the first place.
In the alternate reality where I run everything, this kind of thing wouldn't happen. Sadly, we don't live in that world and instead have to deal with things like this. Well, enough of my ranting, head on over to MySpace if you want to see the new trailer and stills from the movie supposedly based on the Wanted comic book. Enjoy.
Fri Mar 7, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
'Captain America' Tops Rolling Stone's 10 Best List
'Captain America' is the decider!
As I've said before, I'm a fan of lists. I'm particularly interested in lists of favorite, must-read comic books or must-see movies and TV shows because, in some cases, I discover something new that I have never heard of before. I also sometimes see things on a list that make me wonder why they're on the list at all.
So, it was with some great interest that I read Rolling Stone's list of the "Top 10: Best in TV, the Web, Books and Beyond." Sure, comics were relegated to the "beyond" category but still, they were represented. Not only that, but one of my all-time favorite characters and titles, Captain America, topped the list at number one.
The magazine was particularly impressed with the latest Captain America storyline, calling it "a metaphor for the effects of the Bush Presidency." This was due in large part to the recent storyline where Cap is killed and "a new, more morally compromised character has taken over the stars-and-stripes uniform" in the persona of Cap's former sidekick Bucky -- who is now a gun-toting killer.
It's an interesting way to think about it, I suppose. Although, I kinda expect Rolling Stone to find the political angle on most anything, so its not much of a surprise they went that way. Plus, they did also pick the abyssmal Quarterlife and the inane Project Runway as some of the other "Top 10."
Even though I think they made a good choice with Captain America, adding those other two to a list of the supposed "best" makes me question the entire thing. Given that, if you're still curious to see if your tastes fit in with Rolling Stone's, check out the list right here.
Thu Mar 6, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Marvel and Facebook Team-Up
With great power comes . . . social networking!
First, Marvel launched its online comics subscription service last November where you could read over 3000 comics online. Now, the company is dipping another virtual toe in the Internet's waters and has joined with social networking site Facebook to launch a new digital comics application.
This new application, according to Marvel:
...immerses fans in the world of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, the home of the greatest collection of Marvel Comics ever assembled online. This new application page will serve as a hub to the Marvel Universe on Facebook.
Among the cool things this application will allow you to do is check out the entire collection of comics at Marvel's Digital Comics site and read synopsies of the titles. You will also be able to pick and choose favorites, offer lists of "must reads" to other Facebook users and share comments.
John Dokes, VP of Online Operations and Marketing at Marvel, had this to say about the new venture:
“Facebook is an extraordinary outlet to communicate with and entertain Marvel fans,” said John Dokes, Vice President, Online Operations and Marketing, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. “This clearly extends our Internet reach and familiarizes a new fan base with all of the cool things happening with Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and Marvel.com.”
The decision to go the Facebook route as opposed to MySpace, where several comic publishers such as Dark Horse Comics have already begun publishing content, is an interesting move. While MySpace is still the king of social networking sites, Facebook is quickly becoming the place where people go after they get tired of MySpace and its often painful to read custom homepages. So is this move by Marvel incredible foresight or a clever gamble?
Check out the new Marvel Facebook application right here.
Wed Mar 5, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
New 'X-Files 2' Set Photos Hit the 'Net
Mulder and Scully, sitting in a tree...
In what will surely have X-Files fans reacting with a huge range of emotions including excitement, fear, anger and shock, new photos posted today from the set of X-Files 2 reveal that somewhere during the film Mulder and Scully will finally express affection for each other the old-fashioned way: with a kiss.
These new photos, posted at the X-Files News site were taken in Vancouver while the cast and crew were busy working on the film. Including the aforementioned kiss, there are also shots of David Duchovny giving his co-star Gillian Anderson a big hug after the kiss scene and Writer/Director Chris Carter leading the cheers of the crew after calling cut on what was probably a monumental moment in X-Files history.
To be honest, I was expecting something like this from the new film. At some point you can't tease fans anymore or they will start to resent it. Eventually, you have to let them see what they really want to see and have been hoping for all these years: the believer and the skeptic together at last.
X-Files 2 hits theaters on July 25th.
Wed Mar 5, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich
Alternate 'I Am Legend' Movie Ending Leaked Online
I am the legendary alternative ending
Say what you will about the film I am Legend. You're either a huge fan of the Richard Matheson novella and you hated the movie or you love Will Smith and he can do no wrong -- or maybe, like me, you're somewhere in the middle. I've always loved the Matheson story and I also liked the movie. Well, at least until the third act and the ending, which didn't work for me at all.
Well, once again, thanks to the power of the Internets (via SlashFilm), we can now experience an alternative ending for the film not shown in theaters. This ending, certainly a more upbeat one, was most-likely shown during its original test screenings before release. It probably didin't test well with audiences, for whatever reason, so the ending shown in theaters was used instead.
If you haven't seen the film already, you might not want to watch this as it will certainly contain spoilers. If you have seen the movie and were let down by the third act as I was, then this ending might be the one you were hoping for all along.
Either way, enjoy.
UPDATE: It looks like this one is being taken down faster than anyone can post it. We'll try to find a more stable version of the video, but in the meantime I've provided a quick synopsis of what was in the video in the comments thread for this article. - RM
UPDATE: Looks like some enterprising person has posted the ending here. Get it while its hot.
