We’ve all seen artsy and nonsensical commercials for designer products — commercials that leave you thinking, “what the hell does that have to do with perfume?” Well, Frank Miller may soon leave us with those exact thoughts. He’s directing a commercial for Gucci Guilty, a new fragrance for women. Miller hasn’t worked on a flick since production of The Spirit back in 2008, but Miller’s new project definitely has a cinematic punch to it.
Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Across the Universe) plays what seems to be the typical Frank Miller female role — a femme fatale (though you can’t expect too much character development in a commercial). Chris Evans (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Captain America) plays her tall, dark, and handsome male counterpart. The monochrome look and noir theme are distinctly Miller’s style, similar to Sin City or The Spirit. The commercial will feature music by the Friendly Fires, and will premier during the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12.
Frank Miller would be one of my last choices to assign the task of pitching a product to women, since his perception of women seems a bit skewed. Still, news of the commercial has peaked nearly everyone’s curiosity, and it looks like an edgy and provocative short film. Miller has scored points in the advertising department for sure. Check out the teaser for this fragrance advertisement:
Go ahead, name them all. X-Men. The Uncanny X-Men. The Astonishing X-Men. X-Force. X-Factor. X-Babies. X-Patriots. X-Gets the Square. Did I forget any? Probably. But guess what? Wolverine’s in all of them.
So, wouldn’t you know it, we found yet another Marvel reboot. I guess with all the Iron Man 2: Electric Underoo money they banked over the summer, and all the hype on the upcoming Thor, Captain America, and Avengers flicks… the ‘House of Ideas’ is starting to use ideas found in the crawl space. Enter this lil’ mashup. No Xeric Grant required.
Just to prove that it can be done like we said it could be, we figured we’d do what the convention hasn’t and make video of some of the heavily attended panels available to you for viewing.
First on our list, Marvel’s Kevin Feige, Kenneth Branagh, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, give you an
inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe– and you’ll see the first video of the Avengers assembled, as they’re joined by Joe Johnston, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johannsen, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, and Joss Whedon. Enjoy.
Newly-installed Avengers director Joss Whedon took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to make the much-applauded formal announcement of who will be playing Marvel’s mightiest heroes.
Returning Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and Clark Gregg, will be reprising their roles as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Agent Phil Coulson respectively, alongside Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America (in The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger both), Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and the newly cast Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk.
It’s certainly an accomplished cast, despite the apparent lack of the Wasp, and the star power coming off Bleeding Cool‘s photo is almost tangible.
“I’ve had a dream all my life, and it was not this good,” Whedon said at the panel. “This cast is more than I could ever dream of working with, and I am going to blow it.”
The 22nd annual Eisner Awards, the
“Oscars” of the comics industry, will be given out at a gala
ceremony at the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront. This year’s special
theme is “Comics Fiesta.” The masters of ceremony are Bongo Comics’
Bill Morrison and voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain,
Futurama). Presenters include writer/actor Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911, Balls
of Fury), comedian/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Family Guy, MadTV, and Free Enterprise),
actor/comics creator Thomas Jane, and lots of cast members from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World; nominees C. Tyler, Laurie Sandell, Peter
Bagge, and James Robinson; and Comic-Con special guests Berkeley Breathed,
Chris Claremont, Milo Manara, Jillian Tamaki, and James Sturm. Other
prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising
Newcomer Award, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, the Bill Finger Award
for Achievement in Comic Book Writing, and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics
Retailer Award.
We’re going to try and keep this as close to real time as possible, with commentary where appropriate. We’ll include the list of nominees below and boldface the winners.
11:48 PM (all times Eastern Daylight, even though it is neither Eastern nor Daylight): Annnnnd here we go…
11:49 PM: Morbo has welcomed the puny humans to the ceremony!
11:55 PM: Denis Kitchen, the executor of Will Eisner’s literary estate, has just announced that Will’s master work A Contract With God is going to be adapted into a film.
12:03 PM: …but did they have to announce it on the Sabbath?
12:05 AM: And the first winner of the evening… Best Publication for Kids:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel).
12:08 AM: Best Publication for Teens: Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
12:11: Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O’Malley (Oni) takes Best Humor Publication, with the award presented to O’Malley by the cast of the film.
12:18: A flurry…
Best Cover Artist: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC) Best Lettering: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon) Best Digital Comic: Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com/
12:38: And another fast flurry…
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella
Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna
Park (Vertigo) Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC) Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
12:47: Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com) Well done, sir.
12:52: Best Comics-Related Book:The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
12:53: Best Publication Design: Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
12:57: If Harvey wins an Eisner this year, does that mean Eisner will win a Harvey?
12:59: Best Anthology: Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image). Presented by Thomas Jane and his popgun, so to speak.
1:04: A twofer for Scott Dunbier and IDW:
Best
Archival Collection Project – Comic Strips: Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW) Best Archival Collection/ Project – Comic Books: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
1:12: More rapid fire, international division…
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second) Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
1:20: The Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award goes to The Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
1:26: The one and only Sergio Aragonés is up to present the Hall of Fame inductions of Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana. Both are tremendous choices, just for teaching alone.
1:33: More wonderful choices– Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Mort Weisinger, and Mike Kaluta– wait, Mike Kaluta? I didn’t know he’d died…
1:57: Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
2:00: Best Writer/Artist: David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
2:04: Best Writer/Artist, Non-Fiction: Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
2:08: Best Short Story: “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)
2:11: To no one’s surprise… Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
2:13: Best Adaptation from Another Work: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) because dammit, Asterios Polyp shouldn’t win everything.
2:17: The 2010 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award goes to Marian Churchland:
2:24: Playing catch-up because I went looking for Marion’s art…
Best Reality-Based Work: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly) Best Graphic Album-Reprint: Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC) Best Graphic Album-New: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
2:29: And Dave Gibbons is the final presenter of the night, and the final awards are:
Best New Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
2:32: Best Limited Series or Story Arc: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
2:34: Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Nikki Finke reports
that Oni Press and its film-production arm Closed on Mondays
Entertainment have announced a first-look deal with CBS Television
Studios to develop the publisher’s comics for TV. Oni already has a lot of buzz this weekend thanks to that Scott Pilgrim movie. But on the other hand, last year’s big Oni property was Whiteout…
DC’s Geoff Johns mentioned that work has begun on a Suicide Squad video game. Johns said the game, which is being developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will be “hardcore violent.” No word yet if it will tie into the Suicide Squad big-screen adaptation announced in February 2009, or if it will tie in with Amanda Waller’s appearances in Smallville or next summer’s Green Lantern film. John Ostrander, the writer most associated with the Squad, is lost in Pennsylvania this weekend and couldn’t be reached for comment.
There are now official movie sites for both Thor and Captain America, although they’re pretty much placeholders at this point.
Spinoff Online reports that Kurt Busiek’s Astro City has been optioned for a feature film. I’m expecting something like Superman as directed by Robert Altman.
Byran Lee O’Malley’s popular Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series came to an end earlier this week with the release of the final volume, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour. The series has been basking in popularity for quite some time now, especially since word of Universal’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie got out. In fact, the Scott Pilgrim Comic Con panel was all about the upcoming movie.
There were thirteen members of the panel, plus the moderator: director Edgar Wright, creator O’Malley, Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Kieren Caulken, Ellen Wong, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Mark Webber, Allison Phil, Brandon Routh, Satya Bhabba, Mae Whitman… and Schwartzman’s amazing mustache. There were surprise appearances by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who both starred in Wright’s action-comedy Hot Fuzz. They are not in the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie, but the audience loved their presence all the same. Oh, and Cera sported a Captain America suit– an obvious homage to Chris Evans, who is off filming Captain America.
The cast discussed how they spent months training for fight scenes, and how some had to learn to play musical instruments. Wright spoke of filming in Toronto, the setting of Scott Pilgrim and home to members of the cast and crew. He also announced that the movie will be in 2D, to which he added, “How do you feel about watching a film with sunglasses on?”
There was talk of Ubisoft’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World video game. The game has a retro style, similar to old school 8-bit games. If you haven’t noticed, there are many tie-ins to video games throughout the film. Sound effects from Tekken, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Zelda can be heard; Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) mentions “getting a life” as he snatches a floating 8-bit sprite version of his face from the air; a tag line for the film was “This summer it’s on like Donkey Kong.”
After introductions, discussions and Q&A, Wright jumped off stage and led hundreds of fans with 1Up buttons to the Balboa Theater for a special screening of the movie. Fans fortunate enough to posses the buttons excitedly marched with Wright to the theater, while the rest will have to wait for August 13, when the film will appear in theaters– unless you catch the showings tomorrow and Saturday.
UPDATED 10:25 7/23: Video, as expected, has started to leak out. Here’s the cast coming on stage from an… interesting angle.
Paramount Pictures has released these images featuring concept art for 2011’s Thor, opening May 6, 2011 and Captain America: First Avenger, which follows on July 22. No doubt more movie imagery will be release during the course of Comic-Con International which opens tonight.
Watch out. That’s The Mighty Thor’s hammer coming straight for your mightily bespectacled head.
The march of the 3-D movies continues trampling the
Multiplexes. Movies are being retrofitted left and right so they can have 3-D scenes. Movies that were shot in 2-D, that were meant to be seen in 2-D, will be released in 3-D and up-priced to 12 or 15 bucks; more, if you’re going to
IMAX. And they’re building a lot of IMAX theaters. A whole lot.
So we’ve got the Thor movie, already filmed, being retrofitted. And the Captain America movie will be in 3-D. Yeah, that’s just what they’re going to need to make The Red Skull look dangerous.
I understand we’re just a couple years away from an
amazing new teevee set that will make today’s 3-D tubes look like wallpaper.
We’ll see, but until then I can’t tell you how pleased I am to hear that
director Christopher Nolan is shooting the next Batman movie in 2-D… unless, the producer tells me, the studio demands it. Humph. We’ll see.
If time is the fourth dimension, then I want a 4-D movie
to take me back in time when movies were entertainment and art and not simply “me-too” gimmicks. As Roger Ebert brilliantly states, “3-D is a waste of a perfectly good dimension… It is suicidal. It adds nothing essential to the
movie-going experience.”
Okay. My position on the future of 3-D, like Roger’s, is spelled out.
Yesterday, BOOM! Studios joined the growing number of companies to add the rank of Chief Creative Officer to their mastheads. Mark Waid, the publisher’s Editor-in-Chief was named CCO with Matt Gagnon promoted to Editor-in-Chief. Marvel also formalized C.B. Cebulski’s talent scout role by naming him Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development of Marvel
Entertainment.
In both cases, the emphasis has been placed on creative and talent issues, which acknowledges the shifting playing field for the top publishers. To fuel the growing number of titles released in America, talent from all corners of the world and the creative community has to be scouted, groomed, and put to work.
Recently, DC Entertainment named Geoff Johns its first CCO followed by Marvel upping Joe Quesada to the same title. IDW most recently named Chris Ryall their own CCO.
At San Diego’s Comic-Con International, opening tomorrow, the expectation is that more talent exclusives will be signed, another acknowledgment of the increased competition.
ComicMix congratulates all three men on their new assignments.
We’ve all seen artsy and nonsensical commercials for designer products — commercials that leave you thinking, “what the hell does that have to do with perfume?” Well, Frank Miller may soon leave us with those exact thoughts. He’s directing a commercial for Gucci Guilty, a new fragrance for women. Miller hasn’t worked on a flick since production of The Spirit back in 2008, but Miller’s new project definitely has a cinematic punch to it. 
The 22nd annual Eisner Awards, the
1:20: The Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award goes to 
Collecting a bunch of quick hits between panels:
Yesterday, BOOM! Studios joined the growing number of companies to add the rank of Chief Creative Officer to their mastheads. Mark Waid, the publisher’s Editor-in-Chief was named CCO with Matt Gagnon promoted to Editor-in-Chief. Marvel also formalized C.B. Cebulski’s talent scout role by naming him Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development of Marvel
