Articles by robert-greenberger
Mon Dec 29, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Review: 'The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Vol. 1'
When Milton Caniff broke away from Terry and the Pirates to create (and own) Steve Canyon, he began an odyssey that lasted from January 13, 1947 until his death and the strip faded with him on June 4, 1988. Along the way, he populated the strip with friends, family and enemies, bringing a serialized melodrama to the newspapers while also supporting the armed forces. Canyon was an ex-WW II pilot who re-enlisted when America entered the Korean conflict. He never left the service from that point, which allowed Caniff to send our hero around the world multiple times.
While the strip was popular with readers, and respected by fellow cartoonists, it didn’t spawn the usual assortment of merchandise. Few today recall there was even a short-lived television series that aired on NBC from 1958-1959. In all, there were 34 episodes which began with Canyon as a traveling nomad until halfway through the season when he became commanding officer at Big Thunder Air Force Base. At $48,000 per episode, it was the most expensive show from the three networks and its middling ratings didn’t justify renewal. After rerunning on ABC in 1960, it vanished.
Fans of Caniff have worked with the estate to lovingly restore the series and has begun releasing the series on DVD. Three volumes, collecting all 34 episodes, are expected with the first being released a few weeks back.
Dean Fredericks stars as Canyon and resembles his print counterpart, playing the role with a deadpan, serious demeanor. As happened in the 1950s, our television stars are flawless role models who always know best. None of the rich supporting cast made it to the series, which left the show all the poorer. In fact, the show seriously lacked supporting characters to play off Canyon which also made the show feel thin.
Continue reading Review: 'The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Vol. 1' ›
Mon Dec 29, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
NBM Collects 'Bringing up Father'
Latest Addition to Forever Nuts Line
In May 2009, NBM Publishing brings back one of the 20th century’s great comic strips. George McManus’ Bringing Up Father is the third and latest in NBM’s Forever Nuts series of classic screwball strips. In 1913, McManus started a comic strip about Jiggs and Maggie, a lower-class couple who came into money. “While the snobbish Maggie and beautiful daughter Nora (referred to various times as Katy and Mamie in the strip's early days) constantly try to ‘bring up’ Father to his new social position,” comics expert Clark Holloway has said, “Jiggs can think of nothing finer than sitting down at Dinty Moore's restaurant to finish off several dishes of corned beef and cabbage, followed by a night out with the boys from the old neighborhood. The clash of wills that ensued often resulted in flying rolling-pins, smashed crockery, and broken vases, all aimed in the general direction of Jiggs's skull.“ McManus’ Bringing Up Father became the 20th century’s second longest running strip. It ran from January 12, 1913 until its end on May 28, 2000.
Now, Forever Nuts presents all the dailies of this classic comic strip’s first two years, many of which have not been reprinted since they first appeared nearly a century ago. Discover why McManus became known as one of the greats in the field.
George McManus’ Bringing Up Father will be a jacketed hardcover, 11” x 6” inches,with black-and-white interior art -- the same handsome format as the previous FOREVER NUTS books, Mutt and Jeff and Happy Hooligan.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Review: 'Twilight Zone' Graphic Novels
Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone remains one of the brightest spots of television history. The teleplays were inventive, occasionally funny, often thrilling and always thought-provoking. In thirty minutes, he managed to tell a story with relatable characters and situations then twist things and entertain you through surprise.
Most attempts to revisit the zone have met with mixed results. There was the prose magazine that was quite good but the 1980s revival, not so much. And of course, there was the cursed feature film version which was all right, but not worth losing Vic Morrow for.
The latest people to visit are the students at the Savannah College of Art & Design. The faculty there has licensed from the estate of famed TV writer Rod Serling the rights to adapt the original scripts. The school then partnered with Walker & Co. to release eight graphic novels between now and 2009. The first four are currently out,, adapted by Mark Kneece, who has written for DC Comics and elsewhere. The art, lettering and coloring are handled by the student body, one team per book.
They wisely led off with “Walking Distance”, the most personal of Serling’s scripts, inspired by growing up in Binghamton, NY. A man mysteriously finds himself transported back to the days of his childhood and he seeks out his younger self to warn him of the perils of being an office drone. Things happen and lessons are learned.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
'City Hunter' Becomes a TV Series
Korea Publisher Teams with Fox TV
KBS TV, a South Korean network has reported that SSD has signed an agreement with Fox TV Studios to co-produce and distribute a live action TV series based on Tsukasa Hojo’s City Hunter manga. ICv2 reports the 13-episode first season of City Hunter will be written in English like a and translated for worldwide distribution.
The series is about Ryo Saeba, known as a “sweeper”, who tries to eliminate crime from Tokyo. He’s aided by Kaori Makimura, a young woman who tries to handle his business affairs. He’s hired by people who scrawl XYZ on Shinjuku Station’s blackboard.
Korean actor Chung Woo-sung has already been signed to play the lead and SSD, a Korean production entity, hopes to populate the series with “many famous Hollywood stars.” The Korean network notes Chung Woo-sung will be the first Asian actor to play the lead in a domestic drama. Many other series have had Asians as supporting layers or part of an ensemble. Production begins in the first half of 2009, shooting in Tokyo and Seoul.
Japan’s Shonen Jump was home to City Hunter from 1985-1991, and spawned four anime series, three TV specials, two OVAs, an anime feature, and a 1992 live action Hong Kong movie starring Jackie Chan. In America, it was serialized in Gutsoon!’s Raijin Comics through volume five only.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
'Star Trek' Locks at Year's End
JJ Abrams Posts Thanks
Director JJ Abrams posted a brief note on the Star Trek movie’s Facebook page, thanking the fans.
“We're just making final tweaks to the movie -- we should be totally locked next week. Then we're going to flash-freeze it so it's totally fresh for you in May. I can't wait for you to see the movie. The cast is awesome. The action and effects pushed the stunt team and ILM beyond their limits. I'm so grateful to this cast and crew -- and to all of you for your interest and patience. We'll continue to update this page with new info and exclusives, so check back when you think of it. In the meantime, have a happy, healthy, fun holiday!”
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
'The Spirit' Tanks at Box Office
Lionsgate 0 for 2 This Season
The Spirit earned a mere $6.5 million during the three day holiday weekend, good for just ninth place on the top ten. Based on numbers from Box Office Mojo, the Lionsgate film earned an average of $2595 per screen compared with the number one film’s $10.632.
Marley & Me, like The Spirit, earned lackluster reviews but given an adorable dog and Jennifer Aniston, the movie was essentially critic proof and just the kind of warm, cuddly feel-good film audiences have been craving since the economic downturn began this fall. The movie exceed expectations by about $10 million and took in $37 million. It also broke the previous Christmas Day record, talking in $14.7 million.
In comparison, Frank Miller’s interpretation of Will Eisner’s classic character met with horrified reviews from those familiar with the source material and poor reviews from everyone else. Even factoring in Christmas Day, the film earned a mere $10,352,000 and is considered the second straight misfire for Lionsgate, which also flopped with Punisher War Zone at the beginning of the month. It already left theaters by Christmas Eve and was not tracked in the top 50 films. Since its opening, the $35 million production earned only $8,050,977 domestically.
Adam Sandler’s comedy Bedtime Stories took second place, earning $28.1 million while Aniston’s ex, Brad Pitt, saw his Curious Case of Benjamin Button grab the third slot with an opening weekend gross of $27 million, exceeding expectations. The latter film is already appearing on 10 Best lists and has earned multiple awards nominations.
Fourth place went to Valkyrie which, despite mixed reviews, also exceeded expectations with $21.5 million in ticket sales. Yes Man fell from first place to fifth in just one week, taking in an addition $16.5 million and a 10 day gross of $49.6 million.
Will Smith’s charm may prove more of a draw than expected as his Seven Pounds saw it drop a mere 9.8% and it took in another $13.4 million, raising its two week total to $39 million. The Tale of Despereaux also saw a slight dip from its opening weekend, a mere 7.3% slide and earned an addition $9.368,000. Keanu Reeve’s The Day the Earth Stood Still, dropped 20% and took in just $7.9 million, good for $63,615,000 after three weeks.
Twilight is slowing down gently but with $167 million, it has more than earned a tidy profit for Summit Entertainment.
Disney’s rollout of sleeper hit Slumdog Millionaire continues to grow and has earned $19,661,000 as it widens its reach while continuing to hit top 10 lists.
A lot of the other serious fare continues to perform in limited release and will more than likely dominate the charts in January as the platform release patterns grow.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Comic Strips Seek New Life Lines
NY Times Report on Digital Initiatives
As 2008 winds down, the future looms large and one of the murkiest predictions regards the future of newspapers. With people increasingly getting their news from the Internet, newspapers seem to serve readers with advertising circulars, classifieds and the comics. As various papers struggle with declining advertising revenue, they have shrunk newsrooms, dropped pages, reduced their size and trimmed features. Newspapers that carried two or three pages of comic strips are half that size and it gets harder for new cartoonists to gain a toehold.
Today’s New York Times takes a look at the future of the comic strip as it reaches beyond newsprint to reach audiences. The article quotes Pearls Before Swine’s Stephan Pastis as saying, “Newspapers are declining. For a syndicated cartoonist, that’s like finally making it to the major leagues and being told the stadiums are all closing, so there’s no place to play.”
The article went on to cover United Feature Syndicate’s increased emphasis on free archives of their strips at Comics.com and Universal Press Syndicate’s Uclick mobile phone option. As for the cartoonists themselves, the Times says they’re searching for survival by posting their works on the web at sites such as Comic Genesis and Webcomics Nation.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Hulu Hosts 'Howard the Duck'
Adaptation Available for Free
Looking for something to do before school or work begins again? Well, Hulu has just added the reviled Howard the Duck to its list of free feature films. The live-action Universal film, starring Tom Robbins, Lea Thompson, and eight different guys in an expensive duck suit, was considered one of the worst films of the year when it was released in 1986 and remains one of the most awful adaptations from a comic book.
What is astonishing is that the film was produced by George Lucas from a script by the able Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz (American Graffiti). Lucas spent $10 million to make the film which earned a meager $16 million while making Howard’s creator Steve Gerber weep.
Sun Dec 28, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Eisner Awards Now Accepting Submissions for 2009
SAN DIEGO -- Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts event in the United States, announced today that submissions are now being accepted for consideration by the judges for the 2009 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards. Publishers wanting to submit entries should send one copy each of the comics or books they wish to nominate and include a cover letter indicating what is being submitted and in what categories. There are no entry fees for any submissions.
Categories include best single issue, best short story, best continuing comic book series (at least two issues must have been published in 2008), best limited comic book series (at least half of the series must have been published in 2008), best new series, best publication for kids, best publication for teens, best humor publication, best anthology, best digital comic, best graphic album—new material, best graphic album—reprint, best reality-based work, best archival collection, best U.S. edition of foreign material, best writer, best writer/artist, best penciller/inker (individual or team), best painter (interior art), best lettering, best coloring, best comics-related book, best comics journalism periodical or website, and best publication design. The judges may add, delete, or combine categories at their discretion. The cover letter should include both a mailing address and an e-mail address.
Creators can submit materials for consideration if: (a) their publisher is no longer in business; (b) their publisher is unlikely to have participated in the nomination process; or (c) they have severed connections with the publisher or have similar reasons for believing that their publisher is unlikely to consider nominating them or their work.
Continue reading Eisner Awards Now Accepting Submissions for 2009 ›
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Paul W. S. Anderson at Work on 'Resident Evil 4'
Writer at Work on Screenplay
Paul W.S. Anderson updated IGN on the status of Resident Evil IV. "I'm writing a script right now. The script side is happening," Anderson confirmed. He wrote and directed the initial film in the cycle, plus scripted the two sequels.
“Everyone at [game developer] Capcom has had their input into the idea and they're all very excited. I don't want to tell you what it is but it's very exciting,” he added. "Once again we're doing it completely with the blessing of the videogame company. We got a lot of flack [on the sequels] for, 'Why isn't the movie set in the mansion just exactly like the very first videogame?' That's just not progression for me. As the Resident Evil videogames themselves have developed in leaps and bounds -- it's like when we did the last movie people were like, 'Resident Evil doesn't take place in the desert. What the (expletive) is this?' Well, where does Resident Evil take place? Does it take place in Raccoon City exclusively? Well, I don't think so because the game has been in Antarctica, in Raccoon City, now it's in Africa."
Anderson wrote and directed the first installment and wrote and produced its two sequels. He also directed this summer’s remake of Death Race for Universal.
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
First Look: 'Women in Trouble'
Women in Trouble. The very title catches your eye and automatically steers you to the B-List Exploitation movies that Sybil Danning made famous in the 1970s and 1980s. But, this is a new film with a B+/A- cast complete with Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), Connie Britton (Spin City), Marley Shelton (Eleventh Hour), Cameron Richardson (12 Miles of Bar Road), Garcelle Beauvais (NYPD Blue), Caitlin Keats (Kill Bill Vol. 2), Paul Cassell (Brothers & Sisters), and Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls).
The film has been written and directed by Snakes on a Plane’s Sebastian Gutierrez. The official synopsis says, ‘A serpentine day in the life of ten seemingly disparate women: a porn star, a flight attendant, a psychiatrist, a masseuse, a bartender, a pair of call girls, etc. All of them with one crucial thing in common. Trouble.”
Gugino headlines as a porn actress, Elektra Luxxx, and Luxxx has begun a blog, talking about the film and its characters.
The film held a poster contest over at worth1000 and we show you the winning one-sheet although the Gato Negro Production lacks a distributor and release date. At that site, they expand on the premise by saying, “This is a sexy, sophisticated comedy that tracks one day in the lives of ten different women: a porn star, a psychiatrist, a flight attendant, a housewife, a masseuse, two call girls, etc... The stories interconnect. The tone is playful, smart and witty -- funny, but not broad or slapstick. It is racy without being exploitative. It celebrates women. In essence, it’s a women’s picture that men will enjoy. The picture, starring several well known actors and actresses (age range 25-40), will be on the festival circuit; the poster will be used as a main selling tool. This is not a 'safe' studio picture, this is a crowd pleasing indie movie -- so be bold!”
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Sylvester Stallone Wants Sandra Bullock as an 'Expendable'
Adventure Film due in 2010
Sylvester Stallone is assembling an all-star cast for his latest adventure film, The Expendables. Already he lined up Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker and Randy Couture as the team of mercenaries hired to dethrone a dictator. The film has been written and will be directed by Stallone with production slated to begin in March for a 2010 release. While Lionsgate will distribute in the UK, no word on who will release this in the states.
Jo Blo reports that Stallone is trying to entice his Demolition Man co-star Sandra Bullock to join in on the fun. She would play “a government agent (paired up with Whitaker) on the hunt for Stallone's crew of hired guns. Delicious.”
Moviehole unearthed character breakdowns from the flick, including verification/speculation as to which actors are in the roles. The site says the film has been described as "Clear and Present Danger on acid.”
Here’s a few of the roles still being cast :
Agent Diane Lickson – C.I.A agent, based out of Langley. She’s determined to find out the identities of the hired-contractors (Stallone, Statham, Lundgren etc) but the only video footage they have of the guys is grainy and unwatchable so the facial recognition software is useless. Her colleague, agent Will ‘Willy’ Sands (Forest Whitaker), whose been out of the field for about seven years, is called in to assist her. He’s convinced the team of mercenaries is lead by someone he’s had a previous run-in with.
Church – The man that hires the ‘Expendables’ (run by ‘Barney’ and ‘Christmas’, assumingly the characters played by Stallone and Statham, respectively) to go after General Garza (who essentially runs his own island – described as a human rights graveyard). He’s an older bloke, and has a connection to the young man who Garza has apparently assassinated. This is personal, in other words. He wants Garza killed and his island burnt down. Five million dollars does the trick. (The rumor is, the role was written with Arnold Schwarzenegger in mind).
Continue reading Sylvester Stallone Wants Sandra Bullock as an 'Expendable' ›
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Review: 'Ghost Town'
There is something seemingly irresistible to combining romance with ghost stories. Since the talkies began, moviemakers have told stories of lost-loves as either romantic comedies or dramas. Every few years you get one that works on every level and becomes a popular classic such as Ghost. When they don’t work, you get City of Angels.
Ghost Town, the first significant romance since that latter film, falls somewhere in between. Co-written and directed by David Koepp, this is a creative stretch for a man best known for his work on Indiana Jones and War of the Worlds. His premise, co-written with John Knapps, is a good one. Dentist Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) goes in for a routine colonoscopy but insists on general anesthesia and during the procedure he died for seven minutes before being revived. Upon leaving the hospital, Pincus suddenly can see the ghosts who still walk the streets of Manhattan, ghosts with unfinished business.
Pincus, someone who generally has withdrawn from human contact after a disastrous romance gone bad years earlier, is suddenly besieged by the spirits begging for his help. The only one who successfully gets through to him is Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), who lived in the apartment directly below Pincus and is worried about his wife, Gwen (Tea Leoni), about to marry another man. The budding antagonistic relationship between spirit and misanthrope forms the spine of the film as Pincus slowly learns to re-engage with the world.
Gervais, as usual, is a delight to watch being uncomfortable in his body and dealing with others. Kinnear treads a fine line between being sympathetic and unlikeable (his character, after all, cheated on Gwen). And Leoni softens at all the right times but her character doesn’t feel full formed and three-dimensional.
That’s the problem with the film. There are lots of little bits to like but so much of this becomes predictable so you can see what happens long before it unfolds on the screen. The ghosts who all want his help have way-too-easily solved problems although one who has a surprising connection to Pincus offers a nice touch.
Koepp brings on the Greek ghost chorus to make Pincus feel overwhelmed or guilty or for cheap laughs. Then they vanish for long stretches so we can focus on Pincus and Gwen. These people seem so desperate, you ask yourself why did they back off and let just Frank get through to the dentist? Questions like that rob the film of its ability to become truly entertaining. It’s a fine date flick and certainly plays well on television but it’s eminently dispensable.
The single disc, on sale today, comes with a handful of perfunctory extras including commentary, a Making Of, and a set of bloopers that shows how much fun everyone had making the film. It also shows how hard Gervais has to work to pull off his deadpan persona.
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Tyrese Gibson Wants you to Call
Still Hopeful About Playing Luke Cage
Tyrese Gibson, starring in next summer’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen sequel, spoke with Movieweb about that film plus his reported interest in starring as Marvel’s Luke Cage in a feature.
In the new film, due out June 26, he returns as Sergeant Epps. “My character has been upgraded to Master Sergeant Epps,” he said with price. “I am the top dog in the air force. I am a master sergeant. I am bringing on way more air strikes. Michael Bay really beefed up my presence in this sequel. I was really happy about that. Just being on the set with all of my cast members really made me feel like we'd created a family union. I think we created something that is really special. The fans out there really showed up and made us feel appreciated for what we did. It felt good to be working on something that the world is waiting to see.
“What I love the most? I can purposely say this. I have never done nothing in my life, or been a part of anything in my life, where I feel like ever man, woman, and child in the world is going to see something that I've been in. And it's a lot of pressure. It is something...I don't know. It's just a lot of pressure. It's like someone telling you that, while it might be a messed up comparison, a tsunami is going to hit in seven months. And you can see the tsunami before it comes. How do you prepare for that? That's how I look at Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It is just so big, and just so gargantuan. It is just really amazing. I am glad to be a part of it. Michael Bay is amazing. Spielberg, Shia, Josh, Megan. Also, you guys should be looking out for Matthew Marsden. He is a British actor. He was the head of the UK forces that are tied into the film. It is going to be pretty crazy. I want to leave you with this fan hotline number, because I am so hands on. I communicate with my fans directly. I have a number, and it's free. I am not making any money on it. Nor are the fans charged for calling. The phone number is (818) 287-8968. It is just full throttle communications with the fans. They can reach out and make whatever suggestions they want to make. Or whatever. I am always looking to better myself in all areas.
As for Cage, Gibson remains optimistic. “I am hoping to be a part of it,” he said. “I met with Avi Arad a while ago about the project. Right now they are just starting to tweak the script. I will definitely be the first one to put my eyes on it. And we will figure out what happens after that.”
Sat Dec 27, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger
Bruce Boxleitner Returns to 'Tron 2.0'
Bruce Boxleitner will return to the computerized world of Tron, reprising his role of Alan Bradley in Tron 2.0, according to Coming Soon. He’ll be reunited with Jeff Bridges in the sequel to the 1982 Disney picture. The film also will star Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett in the film due in 2011
Plot details remain murky but it is known that Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley will return to the world to fight the Master Control Program. In the original, Boxleitner was the title character, a colorful adventure hero.
