To celebrate the launch of True Blood: The Complete Fifth Seasonon DVD/Blu-ray with HBO Select, HBO Home Entertainment is inviting fans to Fill In The Blood for a chance to be part of a DVD virtual signing with stars Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) and Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam De Beaufort)!
Beginning this past Monday and ending Friday, the True Blood Twitter feed (@TrueBloodHBO) is hosting the “Psalms of Lilith” contest. Each day fans will be asked to fill in the missing words from a Psalm of Lilith (#fillintheblood) and the top ten submissions for each Psalm will win an autographed copy of the release. All of the winners will be announced the day after their tweet. The official micro-site for the contest is: www.fillintheblood.com.
At 12pm PST/3 pm EST on Tuesday May 21st, the title’s street date, Moyer and Bauer van Straten will participate in a virtual signing live from Bill Compton’s mansion on the True Blood set, during which they may read the winning tweets, sign DVD copies and answer submitted questions from fans (which can be submitted by any follower on @TrueBloodHBO). The signing will stream live on a True Blood branded Ustream channel (link to view will be provided on www.fillintheblood.com ). Winners will also receive a copy of their winning tweet on an old-world styled parchment as a keepsake, along with other prizes.
Now you see Me is an intriguing, showy looking film opening on May 31, opposite After Earth. The story pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen”, a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists. “The Four Horsemen” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.To entice you, Summit has released the first four minutes of the film along with other clips and cool looking one-sheets.
Additionally, Summit recently announced their Now You See Me “Diamond Heist Challenge.”
In this magical challenge, all thirteen diamond playing cards – from the Ace through the King – have been hidden in various places online, from various websites to social media platforms, even in the New York Times crossword puzzle from Friday, May 3 (your first hint!). Like the characters in the film, players will have to look closely to uncover the mystery. Discover the hidden diamonds and join the ranks of the world’s greatest illusionists!
Once each of the thirteen diamond playing cards are found, participants can unlock exclusive video content featuring the stars of NOW YOU SEE ME utilizing Blippar, the image-recognition phone app. Each of the thirteen images, whenBlipped, will unveil a unique video.
Here is how to Blipp:
1) Download the free Blippar app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.
2) Open the app, point your phone at the image and have it fill your screen.
3) Watch the image come to life and view the exclusive video.
Red 2 is coming this summer and it’s promising to look as much fun as the first one was. Summit is releasing this sequel, based on the WildStorm graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner in late July with the full cast returning (although Ernest Bognine is sadly no longer with us). Instead, we get the addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones, which is just fine with us. The new one-sheet was released today.
I won’t lie — I usually find it cute when my sons and my husband geek out over Superman or Batman. But there are times when the antics wear thin. Like when my 3-year-old refuses to wear his glasses because “Wolverine doesn’t wear glasses.” Or when he chases our cat around the house, fists flying, screaming, “BATMAN!”
Now the journal PLoS One has published a study to inspire hope in mothers like me: Scientists said Wednesday that experiencing a Superman-like power of flight, in a virtual reality simulation, made people more helpful. In real life!
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.
Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University is directed by Dan Scanlon (Cars, Mater and the Ghostlight, Tracy), produced by Kori Rae (Up, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc.) and features music from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 3). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in 3D in select theaters.
Mike Wazowski’s (voice of Billy Crystal) lifelong dreams of becoming a Scarer are derailed during his first semester at Monsters University when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), and their out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program.l 2013.
Sequart Research & Literacy Organization has their two newest books listed in the current PREVIEWS catalog adding to their impressive collection of literary essays examining the key comics and creators over the last 30 years.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: EXAMINING MATT MURDOCK AND DAREDEVIL
This anthology of analytical essays covers an array of topics that span the character’s 50-year career. The book explores Daredevil’s troubled love life, dissects his relationship with the likes of Foggy Nelson and Spider-Man, and highlights classic runs from some of comics’ top creators. This is a book no Daredevil fan should be without! (Also, the book sports a foreword by longtime Daredevil editor Ralph Macchio.)
CURING THE POSTMODERN BLUES: READING GRANT MORRISON AND CHRIS WESTON’S THE FILTH IN THE 21ST CENTURY
This book explores The Filth’s many themes as well as its relationship to Morrison’s The Invisibles and the 1999 film The Matrix. The book also includes exclusive interviews with Morrison, Weston, and inker Gary Erskine, plus exclusive art from Weston (including one panel that DC Comics censored – here uncensored and in print for the first time!).
Filmmaker Kyle Kuchta has released the official trailer for his forthcoming horror convention documentary Fantasm.
Fantasm analyzes the tight-knit community that attends horror conventions in an exploration of how the genre brings fans together. “Fantasm was filmed over six conventions, and I felt myself growing closer and closer to the genre that we all love so much,” says Kuchta. “It means a lot to be able to share that love with people, and that’s what Fantasm is all about.”
In addition to a variety of devoted fans, Fantasm features insight from popular horror actors and filmmakers, including Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Tom Atkins (Escape from New York), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger) and more.
With production complete, Kuchta is currently focused on editing Fantasm. The documentary will be submitted to film festivals in the fall, with an official premiere to be announced. An abridged version of the film will screen for free at Syracuse University’s Shemin Auditorium as part of the school’s Class of 2013 Film Showcase on May 4th.
In the late 1960s and early 70s, few actors stood as tall in their heroic roles as Ron Ely.
From television’s Tarzan to the big screen’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Ely’s 6-foot-4-inch muscular frame made the scenery cower when he stepped before a camera.
The 74-year-old actor stands just as tall today, commanding audiences with his tales of those golden days of pulp fiction on film. Warner Archive Collection has brought Ely’s best-loved roles back into the
spotlight, making the classic titles available on DVD and through its new live-streaming service, Warner Archive Instant.
Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (the
aforementioned Mr. Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated, articulate jungle adventurer as seen in the Tarzan films of Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Also carried over from the big screen was young actor Manuel Padilla (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River), now playing the jungle lord’s kid sidekick alongside Cheetah, the simian one.
Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure packed books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hit the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one. Ely plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).
Once reluctant to embrace his cult hero status, Ely has joined Warner Archive Collection at two major events over the past six months – at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles, and WonderCon in Anaheim – to celebrate those cherished productions of 40-plus years ago.
In addition to Ely’s starring roles, Warner Archive Collection is now offering a number of classic films and television series representative of the pulp heroes of yesteryear. Included amongst those productions are the Tarzan Collections (the most recent featuring films of the 1960s: Tarzan Goes to India, Tarzan’s Three Challenges, Tarzan and The Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River, Tarzan and the Jungle Boy) and Bomba The Jungle Boy, Volume One.
The
Bomba release includes six of these rare films, which were released from 1949-51. Monogram pictures made an inspired choice when it opted to adapt the Stratemeyer Syndicate’s (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift) series of books with Bomba the Jungle Boy and paired it up with Tarzan’s own now grown “Boy,” Johnny Sheffield. Under the leadership of newbie producer Walter Mirisch, the series skillfully blends stock photography, imaginative scripts and teen romance to deliver A-list fun on a B-list budget (and proving to be a smash hit for the studio). Fellow former child-star Peggy Ann Garner
provides for Bomba’s jungle distraction in the inaugural installment, while other guests of note to be found in the first six films in the series include Allene Roberts, Donald Woods, Paul Guilfoyle, Sue
England, Woody Strode, and Donna Martell. Silent-to-TV-era journeyman Ford Beebe directs all six.
But back to Mr. Ely, who took some time in conjunction with his appearance at WonderCon over Easter weekend to answer a few questions. Heed the words of Tarzan …
QUESTION: What are you impressions of pulp heroes?
RON ELY: When I was a kid, we had radio, we had Saturday morning serials, and we had comic books. It wasn’t like today – we had a limited array of things, but those things especially appealed to kids. I loved comic books, and I read a lot of them. Archie, Superman, Captain Marvel – those types.
Part and parcel of being a kid back then was to latch onto larger than life heroes. It wasn’t until we became adults that our hero image became more adult and humanized with flaws. Back then, they had no flaws – our heroes were the biggest, the baddest, and the most honorable. All those principles set in motion everything that followed suit for me.
Doc Savage was one of the most successful series of books – the character was one of the triumvirate of great action heroes, along with Tarzan and Superman. Those three really set the standard for pulp
heroes. It’s interesting that Warner Archive has all three of them – they’re like a superhero factory. I can’t think of anybody that can compare.
QUESTION: As a kid, who were your heroes?
ELY: I grew up in Amarillo, Texas, so my heroes were cut from the same cloth that I saw all around me. Cowboys like John Wayne and Bob Mitchum. One of the joys of getting into this business was that I
actually got to know some of my heroes. Those western, heroic characters occupied my interests in film more than any others. I loved the comic book and pulp heroes, but for me, you couldn’t beat John
Wayne.
QUESTION: What does it mean to you to be a hero?
ELY: It’s sort of a funny thing being called a hero, because it’s not something I wanted to do. But it just kept coming for me. I don’t really understand why, but I appreciate it because I think it might
have grown out of my sticking to the solid, basic principles I learned growing up. Those important characteristics tend to exist more in the superhero characters than other flawed adult characters. I always enjoyed playing the flawless characters because, whereas some folks find them corny, I appreciate the morals, the lessons, and all those things that superheroes are designed to be and represent.
QUESTION: What has prompted you to come out of your shell a bit and embrace the fans and the fan conventions?
ELY: I used to hate being around the fans – I avoided it like the plague. I enjoyed the anonymity. That’s why I pretty well dropped off the face of the Earth for quite a long time. But getting back out into the public again has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I can imagine. Those fans are diehard. They hang on, they don’t let go. They believe in Doc and Tarzan – they believe in them in a way that makes you want to know more about them.
It was surprising to me to find out the fans are still there, to discover the fan base is so enormous. It surprised to see younger people in that mix who weren’t around when I made Tarzan. It’s a kick for me. I enjoy seeing those people and hearing what they have to say. They embrace these characters for the right reasons. It’s not a character like in Die Hard – characters like Doc Savage, Tarzan and Superman are more pure superheroes. There’s a special group of characters, and a special group of people that remain true to those characters as fans.
While there has been a lot of justifiable excitement over the May and June movies, we’re also seeing hints from later releases that proclaim the fun will not relent, as it usually does.
Red 2, based on the WildStorm comic by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, is one of those films, opening July 19 and Summit Entertainment has released new one-sheets for the retired secret agents, their friends, and foes. The film is being directed by Dean Parisot, working from a script by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber.
Returning to active duty are Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren while Mary-Louise Parker is back for the fun. Joining the crew this time around are Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Byung Hun Lee, Brian Cox, and Neal McDounough.
In Red 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing, next-generation lethal device that can change the balance of world power. To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the technologically advanced super weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world-and stay alive in the process.
As the clock counts down to the May explosion of genre releases, additional clips are rolling out. For example, with a week to go, we get one more glimpse from Iron Man 3:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/OQVWPINgICY[/youtube]
Meantime, two weeks later is Star Trek Into Darkness and here’s an extended moment already teased in the trailers:
And here’s the final Monsters University trailer ahead of its June release.
To celebrate the launch of True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD/Blu-ray with HBO Select, HBO Home Entertainment is inviting fans to Fill In The Blood for a chance to be part of a DVD virtual signing with stars Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) and Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam De Beaufort)!
Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure packed books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hit the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one. Ely plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).
