To those who know me, my love for the [[[Guitar Hero]]] series is no secret. Music rhythm games have come a long way since the series began on Playstation 2 five years ago. And while this may be the fifth numerical title in as many years, the series has actually spawned 12 titles (with the 13th, [[[Guitar Hero: Van Halen]]] out this December), and because of this, has faltered in quality over the past few iterations.
However, Guitar Hero 5
After expressing interest in directing everything from the an adaptation of Valiant’s Harbinger to a feature film based on Guitar Hero, director Brett Ratner has finally chosen his next projects.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rater is about to sign a deal to direct a new Conan the Barbarian film. The film will be co-produced by Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate Films. Conan was the subject of two films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1980s and has been a frequent candidate for additional features ever since but the rights went from studio to studio with no traction. John Milius, who cowrote the first film with Oliver Stone, has had a much admired King Conan script in development for years now.
Fans of Axel Foley can rest assured that the fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop series is still likely to hit the cameras first for Paramount Pictures. Screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (Wanted) have been working on a script as the studio tries to get everything lined up to meet the next hole in Eddie Murphy’s schedule.
Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly (Sahara) have written a screenplay that was intriguing enough to get Ratner to commit but now the duo is working on a polish based on Ratner’s notes. The story is inspired by the original Weird Tales stories of Robert E. Howard and none of the pastiches and interpretations that have followed in prose and comic books. It’s said to be a tale that introduces audiences to who Conan is and sets the stage for the inevitable sequels.
Lionsgate intends to release the $85 million film in 2010 the same year Paramount hopes to release BHC 4.
Better start your 2009 Christmas letter to Santa now because you’re going to want The Beatles video game.
MTV has managed something unique: getting the rights to turn the fab four into a video game in an age when you cannot download their music catalogue.
Apple Corps, EMI Music, Harrisongs and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have, according to Variety, signed a deal allowing MTV to work with Harmonix on the game. The announcement occurred Thursday in London. Harmonix, known for Rock Band, has been granted permission to us 45 songs from the Beatles’ playlist from EMI.
Everyone made certain to stress that this game will be apart from Rock Band and no Beatles music will be heard there or even Activision’s Guitar Hero.
"The game is in development," said Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones. "We don’t want to talk about how it will turn out a year from now. We’re in the process of creating the game."
Yes, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono Lennon have all been made aware of this development and have been apprised as to the design, layout and rollout of the game. This was the culmination of a 17 month process and the contracts were finally signed four weeks back.
Giles Martin, son of legendary Beatles’ producer George, will be overseeing the music for the game and stressed, "We are trying to present the songs as they were played, adhering to the (original) mix."
Does the game announcement mean the influential music from 1962-1969 will finally be made available in mp3 format?
It’s "the biggest puzzle and so illogical that the Beatles music is not available for use on MP3 players," Martin Bandier, chairman-CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, told Variety. "Maybe the fact that this deal is done will offer an impetus to Apple and EMI" to finalize a deal, he added.
The article noted that with this deal in place, Led Zeppelin remains the final major musical act to eschew lending their songs for commercial exploitation.
Brett Ratner has unsheathed his cinematic broadsword to impale the tender teat of the much beloved barbarian, Conan.
Ain’t It Cool News reports that "it appears to be official that Brett Ratner is directing [Conan]." According to the Web site, the film’s scribe Howard McCain (Outlander) "had some big plans for how to structure the film," drawing inspirations from the original Robert Howard stories rather than the John Milius directed Conan the Barbarian.
"I could tell the material was in the right hands," says AICN’s Moriarty of McCain after the two met earlier this year. But with the news of Ratner’s involvement, Moriarty describes his excitement level as falling "through the floor."
"Oh, Brett… why do you want to hurt me? Why do you want to make this movie?" writes Moriarty. "Please, please, please tell me it’s because you have a genuine passion for the material and not just because it’s a start date and a financing package that’s ready to go. Please tell me that you really care about the character and its history, and not that it’s just ‘Hey, I recognize that name.’"
Ratner is also attached to direct God of War, Playboy, Hong Kong Phooey, Beverly Hills Cop, Guitar Hero, Denver the Last Dinosaur, Captain Planet and a remake of X-Men: The Last Stand. Okay, those last three are fake, but let’s get serious for a moment. Brett Ratner directing God of War? Okay, fine. The property hasn’t been around long enough to be seriously offensive. Playboy, Guitar Hero? Screw it, go bananas, video games and sexy women sound right up your alley.
But Conan? Good freaking gravy. It’s bad enough that Ratner’s poised to spread his film feces all over Axel Foley’s face, now we have to watch the director hack away at what should be a truly incredible movie. Honestly, how does Ratner have all this time to ruin our childhood memories? He’s attached to direct six different movies right now. For reemphasis, let’s quote the late Heath Ledger’s Joker: "Six!"
Clearly Ratner has perfected cloning technology. The world will soon be swarming with millions of his Rat-creatures, sucking out man brains like so much fruit punch and repopulating the human race with his genetically mutated army.
Either that, or Ratner’s a Highlander and has been consuming other Highlanders’ powers for centuries, in which case all we need to do is collectively chop off his head. With the unified rage of the fan community, that might not be so hard to pull off.
Feel free to commiserate and plan your battle strategies in the comments field below.
Gaming website Kotaku recently reported that Stan Bush wanted his song “The Touch” from the classic, animated Transformers: The Movie in Guitar Hero or Rock Band music videogames. We couldn’t agree more. It’s a rockin’ song that we’d love to play on our fake plastic instruments with our friends.
But why stop with one Transformers song? ComicMix is all about “all types of fantastic media, from comic books television and movies to video games and more.” So Activision and EA, we humbly submit… Scratch that. We demand you make a ComicMix edition of your games for the nerdcore rocker audience.
Our setlist is below. Yeah, we know it’s heavy on Superman. But rockers love the Last Son of Krypton. Send the royalty checks to our offshore PayPal account.
· “Superman” by 3 Doors Down
· “Spider-Man” by The Ramones
· “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult
· “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues” by The Spin Doctors
· “Catch Me Now I’m Falling (This Is Captain America Calling)” by The Kinks
· “Thundercats Intro”
· “I Am Superman” by R.E.M.
· “Buffy Theme” by Nerf Herder
· “Star Wars Imperial March (Leviathan Remix)” by Rage Against the Machine
· “Batdance” by Prince
· TMNT II “Ninja Rap” by Vanilla Ice
· “Crank Dat/Superman” by Soulja Boy
· “Flash” by Queen
It goes without saying, we want reader suggestions in the comments below.
In an interview with IESB, 20th Century Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman spoke about the possibility of rebooting their Daredevil franchise.
"A Daredevil, to use your words, reboot, is something we are thinking very seriously about," Rothman tells the site, though he adds that "[in] the movie business, nothing [happens] soon."
Fox still retains all the rights to the Daredevil franchise, Rothman claims, and thinks that audiences will be receptive to a relaunch if made to a high standard. Further, Iron Man cemented the fact that a second tier hero done well can make a lot of money.
Asked if a new Daredevil would match the dark tone of The Dark Knight, Rothman wasn’t sure that such a tone was the key to that film’s success.
"[Daredevil] needs a visionary at the level that Chris Nolan [director of The Dark Knight] was," Rothman states. "It needs a director, honestly, who has a genuine vision. What we wouldn’t do is just do it for the sake of doing it. Right?"
Not necessarily. Bryan Singer, director of X-Men and X2: X-Men United, went over to Warner Bros. to helm Superman Returns. Fox later signed Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) to replace Singer, but Vaughn also left the project due to creative differences. Rather than wait for Singer to become available again, Fox rushed X-Men: The Last Stand into production with Brett Ratner (rumored Guitar Hero adaptation) behind the wheel. In addition, James Marsden, who played Cyclops in the series, was given an extremely limited (and some might add insulting) role due to his decision to participate in Singer’s Superman Returns. In June 2005, Ain’t It Cool News ran a scathing review of the film’s script and included an open letter to Rothman pleading for him to take his time on the film. X-Men: The Last Stand opened less than a year later to lukewarm reviews.
The Mark Steven Johnson directed Daredevil did not fare nearly as well. The film, starring Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner and Michael Clarke Duncan, was panned by critics and fans alike. Released in 2003, the Man Without Fear graced the screen again briefly in the Elektra spinoff, also starring Jennifer Garner. That movie, too, didn’t fare well with the public.
Daredevil – The Director’s Cut was released on Blu-ray last Tuesday. Reviews of the cut call it "a better film, 30 minutes longer than the original." Could it be true? Buy the Blu-ray and find out!
Anyway, who would you like to see takeover the Daredevil franchise? How ’bout a Ben Affleck-directed Casey Affleck-starring reboot? Sound off on your ideas below!
God of War fans have been clamoring for a film adaptation of the hit video game for years now. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to see the God-hunting warmonger Kratos ripping off Medusa’s head on the big screen? If that’s something that might interest you, then get ready, because that movie is on the way.
UGO has the exclusive that Brett Ratner is set to direct God of War. That’s right, the Rush Hour guy. Same dude who drove X-Men: The Last Stand straight into the box office — or straight into the ground, depending on who you talk to.
Though Ratner did confirm his involvement to UGO, no official announcement has been made regarding the project. In their exclusive video, Ratner mentions his upcoming projects in stride.
"[I’m working on] a few movies, waiting for scripts and greenlights to come in," Ratner says. "A few good things… Playboy, Beverly Hills Cop, [and] God of War. Some really cool movies." Ratner’s had his name attached to most genre-related films and some oddities such as Guitar Hero. He’s said to be developing Valiant’s Harbinger as his first super-hero franchise to call his own. Ratner is also attached as producer on numerous projects including the big screen adaptation of the animated series Hong Kong Phooey.
Fans of the franchise and Ratner’s detractors will likely be up in arms over this announcement. Still, the director knows how to shoot action sequences, which will be a lot more important to a God of War flick than yielding Oscar-worthy performances. Not to say that this film will be any good, but anything that distracts Ratner from working on Beverly Hills Cop is a-OK by us.
God of War focuses on Kratos, a Spartan warrior who pledges servitude to Ares, the God of War. In order to make him a better warrior, Ares deceives Kratos into slaughtering his own wife and child. Kratos is cursed to have the ashes of his wife and child stain his skin, making him look like a ghost warrior. Now, armed with the Blades of Chaos, Kratos vows to avenge his family by killing the God of War.
Marvel celebrates a record breaking Jeph Loeb series, while we point out some key comics that will probably be flying off the shelves this week a, plus:
And we even point you to a great new online "time waster". All that on a Tuesday and you just need to Press the Button!
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Brett Ratner is no stranger to bringing pop culture icons to the screen. After all, he directed the third X-Men film and is attached to bringing Valiant’s Harbinger to the screen. He’s even handling the big screen adaptation of the video game God of War. But…Guitar Hero?
Ratner told MTV News, "I would love to do a Guitar Hero movie, if Activision would ever let me. I’m trying to convince them. It could be about a kid from a small town who dreams of being a rock star and he wins the Guitar Hero competition."
Ah, something unpredictable and surprising.
Meantime, the newest iteration of the global phenomena, Guitar Hero: World Tour, complete with microphone and drum kit, will be unleashed this fall in the $200 price category.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
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