Tagged: Kick Ass

Millar to Ebert: ‘Kick-Ass Will Knock Your Jaw Off’

Millar to Ebert: ‘Kick-Ass Will Knock Your Jaw Off’

With the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo coming soon to the shores of Lake Michigan, it seems that the con has been given it’s first scandal. In a back-and-forth flame war posted yesterday on his message board, Kick-Ass writer Mark Millar got into a little wordy wrestling match, when fans started discussing the film’s upcoming premiere in the Second City.

A board member with the handle “Wanted2Vmt” posted, “Can’t wait to see this film flop at C2E2.  Who’s gonna see it when they can see Gaiman, a real writer, instead?” Mark Millar, known well for his Scottish rage, was quick to fire back, inciting a war of words with his would-be fans.

“There’s not a way Kick-Ass won’t take over the con in Chicago. Gaiman is a sissy fairy who writes for emo-goths anyways. Let those black boot wearing ninny’s go listen to their goblin king whine about his wee shiters… The rest of the real people will be having their asses kicked by our movie!”

As more fans chimed in, Millar kept firing insults left and right towards those who criticized his work. And when one fan quoted famous Chicago movie critic Roger Ebert’s review of Wanted, it set the Scottsman to a nova-like rage. The quote, “Wanted,… is a film entirely lacking in two organs I always appreciate
in a movie: a heart and a mind. It is mindless, heartless,
preposterous. By the end of the film, we can’t even believe the values
the plot seems to believe, since the plot is deceived right along with
us.”

Minutes later, Millar fired out a salvo of his own:

“First off all, that fat bastard wouldn’t know a good movie if it up and bit him in the goolies. He wrote “Valley of the Dolls” for f#@! sake!” Millar quipped. “And if Ebert can wheel his arse into a theater to see Kick-Ass I promise it’ll knock his jaw clean off!”

Roger Ebert, as shown in his recent Esquire exposé, had bones in his jaw removed due to cancer four years ago. While the cancer has stopped Ebert’s ability to speak, it’s only strengthened his desire to write. And as word traveled fast over the internet, it seemed Mr. Millar’s rants reached the north shore home of Mr. Ebert. Choosing his words wisely, Roger fired back a single post on his own blog close to the end of day:

“It seems without even trying, my mouth and I are at the end of a promised ‘arse kicking’ at the boot of comic book writer Mark Millar. Millar and artist J.G. Jones were the creators of the characters in 2008’s Wanted. Had the writer chosen to actually read my review instead of the pulled quote by one ‘Ben the Obiwomble” … he would have found that I rather liked his creation. Was it mindless? Certainly. But it reveled in it’s mindlessness. Not to jab an angry bear over this matter, but did Millar not think his teflon hide might be scratched a bit for trying to sell his fans on “the Loom of Destiny”? It seems without any reason, Mr. Millar is ready for me to turn a thumb down at his next film before it even comes out. By the looks of the trailers for Kick-Ass, I’m already preparing my suspension of disbelief to super-human like levels, ready to accept pre-teen samurai’s and ski-masked adolescents easily defeating shotgun toting thugs with ease. As far as Mr. Millar’s promise that my surgically removed jaw may be installed once again, if only to be blown off by seeing the film, I simply ask him to take the time to read my entire forthcoming review before firing his words off like so many a curved bullet.”

Millar’s final post of the day was near incomprehensible… demanding something to the effect of  a challenge to Ebert in a round of “Whiskey-Eyes”.

Akira Director(s) Set, and More!

Akira Director(s) Set, and More!

Howdy ya’ll. Seems I left the ole’ computer on, whilst I was doing my dishes… and wouldn’t you know it? While I was elbow deep in last night’s meatloaf pan, a smattering of windows were sitting on my desktop, collecting dust. Dust be damned! Being that I’m the generous sort, how about I share em’ all with you:

Thanks goes out to ICv2, Superherohype, iO9, and the comic-nerd-geek-bloggosphere for the assist!

Mark Millar Wants To Make You Famous (By Making You A Bad Guy)

Mark Millar Wants To Make You Famous (By Making You A Bad Guy)

Scottish super-scribe Mark Millar has teamed up once again with Dynamic Forces to auction off a piece of comicdom. Just as he had auctioned off the name of the titular hero before on his creator-owned / Marvel published Kick-Ass, Millar again gave fans the opportunity (last week) to lend their name to his newly penned Nemesis‘ heroic main character via auction. With $8,400 raised and donated to his brothers school (a school for handicapped children, who are raising money to purchase a new school bus), Mark wants to help finish the job he’s started with another auction. This time though, the name won’t be for a hero… it’ll be for the secret identity of the title character from Nemesis, that being the book’s titular ‘first’ super villain!

Millar is both excited at the prospect of raising more money for his brother’s school, and truly appreciative at the outpouring of the fans’ hard earned cash.

“Can I just say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the
first auction,” said Mark Millar. “The kids and staff at my brother’s
school were delighted and the $8,400 raised means a quarter of their
target has been reached already. I had chosen a good secret identity
for Nemesis himself, but it seems almost selfish not to auction this
now too and possibly reach the halfway line the kids need for this bus.
I’m amazed how much cash was raised the first time around, but am
hoping the auction to name the TITLE character raises even more. Dave
Lizewski loves the fact he’s the lead in the Kick-Ass comic, movie and
upcoming video-game and I’m hoping whoever wins this new auction is
equally delighted. A huge thanks to them for finding the cash in these
difficult times.”

Be sure to dig deep, and bid on your chance by visiting the auction.

‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ Book 4 in October… and a movie!

‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ Book 4 in October… and a movie!

First the good news: Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams Books, is set to release the fourth book in Jeff Kinney’s Harvey Award-winning series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, on October 12, 2009 (October 13 in Canada).  To support the release of the book, a Diary of a Wimpy Kid ice cream truck will be visiting over forty libraries across the US throughout the month of August. For details check out www.wimpykid.com.

Now the better news: There’s going to be a movie version. Fox 2000’s big screen version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid will star Zachary
Gordon (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Brothers Bloom) as
middle schooler Greg Heffley, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass, (500) Days of Summer) is
expected to also be in the film as a girl in his class who is all clad
in black and has a wry sense of humor.  Rachael Harris (The Hangover, more VH1 “I Love the…” specials than you can count)
has been cast as Gordon’s mom.

#SDCC: Is McLovin ready to ‘Kick-Ass’?

#SDCC: Is McLovin ready to ‘Kick-Ass’?

Who kicks more ass? McLovin’, or the Red Mist?

“There’s a reason why [Nicolas] Cage ain’t here…” So said Christopher Mintz-Plasse, co-star of Mark Millar’s comic-to-screen adaptation of Kick-Ass, brought to us at the San Diego Comic-Con in that room of rooms… Hall D! Director Matthew Vaughn presented alongside special guest Mark Millar, the aforementioned Mr. Mintz-Plasse (formerly McLovin’ of Superbad Fame…), as well as John Romita Jr., the comic book artist who brings Kick-Ass to life every month(ish) via Marvel’s ICON line.

Showing off Avid-fresh clips to a rabid audience, Vaughn was ensuring a final product that would bring a genuine adaptation that followed the comic to the letter, or in this case… the panels. “We are a genuine comic book adaptation with comic book authors involved
in the production of the movie… It’s really important to me that fans
of the comic like the film. I’ll be more upset if fans of the comic
hate the movie than anybody else.” Vaughn told MTV’s Splash Page blog prior to the screening.

And what a screening it was. Scenes including Nicholas Cage’s Big Daddy shooting his little girl, Chloe Moretz, begarbed in a bulletproof vest. A Paris Hilton joke warmed the crowd. And what of the titular hero? Aaron Johnson plays ‘Dave’, who in clips presented at the con, showed off the straight from panel to screen costume (no leather upgrades ala X-men here.), as well as comic-worthy violence. Tasers to a thug’s forehead? Check. Hit-Girl slicing and dicing bad guys enough to shame Beatrix Kiddo? Check. And McLovin’ as the hot-rodding Red Mist? Double check. The fans in attendance ate it up? How much? They demanded a reshowing of the trailer, and they got it.

But this begs to be asked… obviously Vaughn knew what to say and show the rabid comic fans in attendance, but Millar isn’t squeaky clean when it comes to his adaptations on film… lest we forget the curved bullets of amazing aptitude in Wanted: Not Quite the Comic circa 2008.

Look for ‘Kick-Ass’ at the tail end (sorry) of this year.

ComicMix Radio: Evil Dead The Final Answer

ComicMix Radio: Evil Dead The Final Answer

We wind up our exclusive interview with Bruce Campbell by posting the question Bruce gets almost daly – what’s next for Evil Dead?  He cuts to that with a chainsaw here plus:

  • Lost gets a premiere date
  • Rudolph goes digital
  • When is the next Kick Ass coming? 

Bruce says Press the Button, nube!
 


 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via iTunes - ComicMix or RSS!

 

‘Kick-Ass,’ ‘G.I. Joe’ Set Pictures

‘Kick-Ass,’ ‘G.I. Joe’ Set Pictures

Set new photos from Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass have come online. Slash Film has the scoop, revealing the best headshot to date of Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, also known as teen vigilante Kick-Ass. There have been better photos of him, which Slash Film also has.

It’s also the first look at Christopher Mintz-Plasse as another young crime fighter, Red Mist. Mintz-Plasses is better known to the general public as Superbad‘s McLovin. He’s also starring in David Wain’s upcoming Role Models as an avid LARPer.

Kick-Ass, based on Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.’s limited series of the same name, is currently filming in Toronto and is slated for a 2009 release.

Meanwhile, HISS Tank has gotten their hands on a slew of potential photos from the set of G.I. Joe. The pictures reveal what looks to be mute ninja Snake-Eyes’ motorcycle in the film. Evidence for this includes the two samurai swords sheathed in the back of the cycle, as well as the red insignia commonly found on the ninja’s costume.

G.I. Joe, directed by Stephen Sommers, comes from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods. It’s scheduled for release on August 7, 2009.

Millar and Harris Talk ‘War Heroes’ and Kirkman

Millar and Harris Talk ‘War Heroes’ and Kirkman

Laura Hudson (Publisher’s Weekly, Comic Foundry Magazine) interviewed writer Mark Millar and artist Tony Harris at Midtown Comics.

Along with discussing their new series, they also shared their thoughts on Robert Kirkman’s recent video concerning creators pursuing original characters.

MILLAR: "To me, it just seemed exciting, the idea of doing a no-holds barred super-hero war comic. I touched on a lot of this stuff in The Ultimates 1 and 2. And a lof of theses ideas I was going to bring in to The Ultimates 3 but we thought, we’re never getting away with this … We just thought, why not just go out and do our own thing? And he same thing happened with Wanted … That started off life as a proposal for DC Comics … We took risks that we wouldn’t have done with company-owned characters … Our time’s finite. We’ll always own Kick-Ass. We’ll always own Wanted … I do think there are a couple of good reasons for working at Marvel and DC. Kick-Ass would not sell … if we weren’t the Ultimates guy or the Civil War guy."

Go to Laura Hudson’s own blog to check out the full video interviews.

ComicMix Radio: Delay For Watchmen?

ComicMix Radio: Delay For Watchmen?

That’s the downside to today’s "good news/bad news" scenario. The upside? The Banana Splits are back in a big way, plus:

  • Kick Ass moves closer to film
  • Twilight moves up the schedule
  • We rundown the new comics and DVDs and this time, step out on the limb for our own ComicMix Radio Best Bets

Yes we even play The Banana Splits theme and you can be singing along if you just Press the Button


 

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