As the Tweeks recover from their whirlwind Comic Con 2014, here’s a recap of their adventures at the San Diego Convention Center. There was a lot of fan girl apparel, comic books, and toys purchased, as well as many interviews conducted. Keep a look out for more coverage on their hometown Con.
Written and directed by legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather franchise, Apocalypse Now) as an homage to his lifelong love of the horror genre, the terrifying Gothic horror experience TWIXT arrives on Blu-ray and DVD July 23 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. A film festival favorite, the visually compelling film starring Val Kilmer, Elle Fanning and Bruce Dern has been screened to rave reviews at prestigious festivals including Toronto Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, San Diego Comic-Con, and the European Union Film Festival, among others.
TWIXT follows Hall Baltimore (Kilmer), a writer on a book tour who uncovers a disturbing murder that could be source material for his next novel. But as Hall investigates the killing, he finds himself confronted by chilling nightmares, including the ghost of a young girl (Fanning). As he uncovers more horrifying revelations, Hall discovers that the story has more to do with his own life than he could ever have imagined.
The TWIXT Blu-ray and DVD includes an exclusive forty minute documentary on the making of the film by Gia Coppola.
ComicMix has two copies to give away and all we need you to do is answer the question below by 11:59 p.m., Monday, July 22. The decision of our staff will be final. Open only to US and Canadian readers. In order to win your very own copy of Twixt on Blu-ray, simply answer the following question:
Which actor portrays Hal Baltimore in the film?
Way, way back in the day, when Harry S. Truman was president and that thing in the living room, that teevee set that daddy brought home, well, we watched whatever was on. I mean, it’s not like there were a lot of choices. In St. Louis we had no more than three channels, and back then, it might have been one or even two fewer. So you watched teevee, sometimes because there was a program you wanted too see, sometimes because, well…you wanted to watch teevee. You twisted the knob and whatever was on that wobbly, blurry, staticky screen is what you saw.
Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges, was sometimes what was on and what I watched. I thought it was okay – not a favorite, but okay. I couldn’t have seen it much because it debuted in 1958, which was my first year at the university, and you know what freshman college is: a new world, new friends, new disciplines, new activities and, oh yeah, there was this cute little brunette, senior at Xavier High, who was claiming my attention.
Later, watching one of the great movie westerns, I saw the same Lloyd Bridges have a dustup with Gary Cooper as the clock hands in the marshal’s office ticked closer and closer to High Noon.
I might have seen an issue or two of the Sea Hunt comic book. But maybe not, By then, I thought comics were a relic of my childhood, and if I ever did see a Sea Hunt, I probably didn’t read it.
Later still, in a northern California spa, I passed a guy standing at the checkout desk who, I was later told, was Beau Bridges, Lloyd’s oldest son. Oldest, but not only: Beau has a younger brother, Jeff.
Jeff is, like his brother and father, an actor. By any reasonable criteria, he is a movie star, but I think of him as actor and only incidentally star. There is something to be said for going into the family business, and I’m glad Jeff chose to do so.
I’ve never met Jeff Bridges, probably never will. But I do feel some connection with Jeff. Actually, two connections.
Jeff starred in a movie titled Eight Million Ways to Die, adapted, loosely, from the novel of the same title. Not a great flick, despite being directed by the excellent Hal Ashby. The novel’s author, my old friend Lawrence Block, once remarked that it was strange, how they made a movie with the same title as his book…Eight Million Ways to Die is connection one. I know the author of the original story.
Then I saw and liked a bunch of other Jeff Bridges performances, not the least of which was the remake of True Grit. Dad was in a cowboy show and now son was in one, too. Call this the circle of life, cinematic edition.
Connection two: Iron Man. The first movie incarnation of the Marvel Comics armored do-gooder, starring Robert Downey Jr. and – wait for it – Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, the flick’s main villain and – now hold your breath – my creation. I introduced stinker Obadiah into Iron Man continuity over 20 years ago and pretty much forgot him. No reason to remember him, really. But sometimes the universe smiles and so Stane is resurrected by one of my favorite actors and life is good.
You may be asking: What’s all his got to do with anything? Okay, I’ll tell you: the preceding 572 words are a lead-in to this week’s –
REC0MMENDED READING: The Dude and the Zen Master, by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman.
Happy to be of service.
FRIDAY MORNING: Martha Thomases and That Game
Dark Horse Comics has released their pulpy offerings coming in January 2013. Comic book shops and bookstores are pre-ordering these titles now to be in store in January. If you want your local shop to carry these titles, please let them know now.
THE UNAUTHORIZED TARZAN HC & LTD. ED. HC
Joe Gill (W), Sam J. Glanzman (P/I), Bill Montes (P), and Ernie Bache (I)
A classic run of Tarzan comics, reprinted for the first time! In the 1960s, believing Tarzan to have fallen into the public domain, Charlton Comics enlisted Joe Gill (Flash Gordon, House of Mystery) and Sam Glanzman (Hercules, Our Army at War) to create a new comics version of the Lord of the Jungle. Only four issues were produced before Charlton was forced to end the series, and much of the original print runs were destroyed. Collects Chalton’s Jungle Tales of Tarzan #1–#4. Includes never-before-seen Tarzan comic strips by Glanzman and historical essays by Roger Broughton!
112 pages, $29.99 (limited edition, signed, $59.99), in stores on March 20.
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1
Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover)
Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters–taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Jan. 16.
THE CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOLUME 23: WELL OF SOULS TP
Jim Owsley (Christopher Priest) (W), John Buscema (P), Ernie Chan (P/I), Bob Camp (I), George Roussos (C), and Steven Mellor (C)
Conan and his companions pursue a grand treasure through lands beset by civil war, murderous cults, and demonic horrors. And while the mighty Cimmerian will–and does!–spit in the very face of death itself, he and his comrades discover that not all treasures are of gold and precious gems. Collects Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian #174–#181 and Conan the Barbarian Annual #10.
232 pages, $18.99, in stores on March 20.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #12
Brian Wood (W), Declan Shalvey (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Massimo Carnevale (Cover)
Unable to obtain a cure for the deadly illness afflicting Belit and the crew of the Tigress, Conan feels the fear of loss for the first time. With no hope and a broken heart, the Cimmerian is horrified at how appealing he finds Belit’s order to abandon the ship and his queen! The haunting conclusion of “The Death”!
32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Jan. 16.
CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOLUME 4 HC
Dick Wood (W), Lev Gleason (W), Rudy Palais (A), Charles Biro (A), Bob Q. Siegel (A), Richard “Dick” Briefer (A), R. W. Hall (A), Art Gates (A), Art Mann (A), and Alan Mandel (A)
Crime Does Not Pay–the true-crime comic that enjoyed massive circulation throughout the forties and fifties–was a hit with readers. Issues #34-#37 of this visceral, provocative series are now collected into one fine, head-walloping hardcover.
264 pages, $49.99, in stores on March 13.
CRIMINAL MACABRE: FINAL NIGHT–THE 30 DAYS OF NIGHT CROSSOVER #2
Steve Niles (W), Christopher Mitten (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Justin Erickson (Cover)
Cal has always wanted the Feds to focus on vampires, and now they are, one in particular–Eben Olemaun, now on a quest to bring mankind to its knees. But the FBI is up to more than tracking down Eben. Will Cal and Alice figure it out before it kills them both?
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Jan. 30.
NUMBER 13 #2
Robert Love (W/A/Cover), David Walker (W), Dana Shukartsi (I), and Brennan Wagner (C)
Number 13 struggles to regain his memory and the purpose of his existence, while the manipulative Mother Goose seeks to control his power. She’s not prepared for the forces of the Professor, Number 13’s sinister creator. No one is safe in the battle to control Number 13–a battle that will determine the fate of a future world.
32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Jan. 23.
R.I.P.D.: CITY OF THE DAMNED #3
Peter Lenkov (W), Jeremy Barlow (W), Tony Parker (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Dave Wilkins (Cover)
For newly recruited R.I.P.D. officer Roy Pulsipher and his senior Puritan partner Crispin Mather, the train that awaits them is their only hope of reaching the City and saving Creation, but climbing aboard means also aligning with a dark enemy and renouncing their very beliefs . . . forcing a choice that could doom their souls forever! Prequel to the upcoming feature film starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges!
32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Jan. 30.
R.I.P.D. VOLUME 1 2ND EDITION TP
Peter Lenkov (W), Lucas Marangon (P), Randy Emberlin (I), Dave Nestelle (C), and Dave Wilkins (Cover)
Welcome to the Rest In Peace Department–the devoted, yet dead, officers of divine law enforcement. Nick Cruz was gunned down in the line of duty at the height of his personal and professional life. Now he’s traded a hundred years of service to the R.I.P.D. in exchange for a shot at solving his own murder. Collects the original four-issue miniseries.
104 pages, $12.99, in stores on March 20.
For a full listing of Dark Horse’s January Releases, visit them at www.darkhorse.com.
Some eagerly anticipated Blu-ray debuts are making noise by hosting limited screenings in theaters. First up is the Coen Brothers’ now classic The Big Lebowski. The DVD comes out on August 16 and that day there will be a screening at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. that will include a special Q & A with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore and T Bone Burnett, as well as a screening of the film and other festivities. Not only will the Blu-ray be out that day but it also is the debut of Jeff Bridges’ self-titled album.
Tickets are now on sale on Ticketmaster.
A few weeks later, on August 31, Universal Studios will release their Al Pacino hit, Scarface, for a one night run at more than 475 theaters across the country. The showing will be a t7:30 local time from coast to coast and is being presented by NCM Fathom and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Fans who attend this special event will also get an exclusive look at a 20-minute special feature that showcases interviews with popular filmmakers and talent expressing how this epic feature redefined the gangster genre, leaving an enduring influence on cinema.
Tickets for the Scarface Special Event are available at participating theater box offices and online. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The Scarface Special Event will appear in more than 475 select movie theaters across the country via the new digital cinema projection systems.
The newly restored print will make its appearance on disc September 6. For a limited time only, the Scarface Special Limited Edition Blu-ray comes with collectible SteelBookTM packaging, 10 exclusive art cards, a digital copy of the film and a DVD of the original 1932 Scarface.
Lois Lowry’s classic young adult novel The Giver is headed for the big screen courtesy of actor Jeff Bridges’ persistence. According to Variety, Bridges has wanted to adapt the 1993 science fiction book about a world that has been rendered average and bland.
Bridges and Nikki Silver have reacquired the rights to the novel and have hired Vadim Perelman (The House of Sand and Fog) to write the screen adaptation and nearly got to direct a version in 2006. No other hires have been announced but Bridges is now at an age where he could make a convincing title character.
The Giver is the keeper of memory, of experiences good and bad, for a society that strives for a moderate approach to all things. When young Jonas is selected as the next Giver, he forges a relationship with the far older man and both recognize that the world they inhabit is far from ideal.
Lowry won the Newbery Medal for the novel which remains a high school staple. It has appeared on many best book lists and has endured as a classic example of a dystopian society. When Bridges’ daughter read the book for school, he became intrigued and imagined it for a vehicle for his father, the great Lloyd Bridges.
Lowry loosely connected Gathering Blue and Messenger into an overall trilogy that remains a popular offering bookstores and libraries.
Someone had to go first.
As computers were getting faster and significantly more sophisticated, some producer was going to be the first to have computers handle the special effects in a movie. As it turns out, Walt Disney, which pioneered feature-length animation, took the plunge in 1982 with [[[Tron]]]. The film, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, and David Warner, was visually stunning in its day as you felt immersed in the emerging video game world. The mediocre story took a backseat to the imaginative light cycle races and glowing disc battles. Audiences were intrigued, just enough to rake in $33 million at the box office for a $17 million production so it almost made money using the math of the time.
Flashfoward 28 years and as computers have taken control over special effects in all media, the time struck many as right to go back and revisit the world of Tron. Disney moved cautiously, wanting to retain the original look and feel then enhance it. When the test footage was shown at Comic-Con International in 2009, they knew there was a potential blockbuster on their hands. The green light was flashed and production began in earnest.
Disney is once more leading the way, releasing this week a five-disc combo package that contains not only the Blu-ray debut of Tron, but the 3-D Blu-ray release of [[[Tron: Legacy]]] plus offering the movie on Blu-ray, standard DVD, and also a digital copy. Five discs offering something for everyone.
The official TRON: Legacy Facebook page has launched a fun new app as you the visitor can “Get on the Grid”.
You can actually insert yourself into the TRON VFX Test Footage by uploading your photo to battle Clu in a light cycle race on the grid! Share with your friends and publish the clip in your feed!
The movie opens December 17 and stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen.
Tron: Legacy hits theaters everywhere in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D on December 17, 2010 and this afternoon they unveiled their final one-sheet.
The eagerly-anticipated film features Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, from the screenplay by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, the movie is the sequel to the Disney cult hit from the early 1980s and one of the first films to use computer-enhancements for the visual effects.
Here’s the official synopsis: Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy® Award-winning electronic music duo Daft Punk.
Notes:
Producer Steven Lisberger co-wrote and directed the original Tron (1982).
Jeff Bridges, winner of both the Oscar® and Golden Globe® for his role in Crazy Heart, reprises the role of Kevin Flynn, which he originated in Tron (1982).
Bruce Boxleitner reprises the roles of Alan Bradley and Tron, which he originated in Tron (1982).
Tron: Legacy forges a new frontier in filmmaking with its avant-garde, cutting-edge technology—set to blow away today’s audiences. Among the film’s firsts: it is the first 3D movie to integrate a fully digital head and body based upon an existing actor, creating the younger version of Jeff Bridges’ character; it’s the first movie to make extensive use of self-illuminated costumes; it’s the first movie to create molded costumes using digital sculpture exclusively, creating molds directly from computer files using CNC (Computer Numerical Cutting) technology; it’s the first 3D movie shot with 35mm lenses and full-35mm chip cameras; and it’s the first movie to record uncompressed HD Video to Hard Drive.
The world of Tron: Legacy has an exciting, pulsing vibe that sets its lifestyle apart from any other on or off the planet. From electric light suits to state-of-the-art hair and makeup, elements of the trend-setting world of Tron: Legacy are showing up on fashion runways, and companies such as Hurley, adidas, Oakley and Burton are featuring Tron: Legacy-inspired lines targeted for the young male consumer in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products.
Slash Film is reporting that Disney continues to toy with the name for their sequel to Tron. For months now, the project has been known not as Tron 2 or Tron 2.0 but as Tr2n. Now, defying all reason, it may be altered to TRZ.
The news comes from Production Weekly although the studio has yet to officially name the project or provide a release date despite teaser images being made available since the summer.
The industry newsletter has the following synopsis “After being transported into the surreal landscape of a mainframe computer to destroy an intruder, a programmer finds himself allied with the leader of a rebellion against a corrupt cyber-entity.”
Jeff Bridges reprises his role as a programmer named Flynn with Karl Urban and John Hurt also said to be part of the cast. The new film has been written by Adam Horowitz (Lost) and Edward Kitsis (Lost) with Joseph Kosinski making his directorial debut. A 2011 release date is anticipated given the effects-heavy work required.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
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