KING OF THE OUTBACK COMES OUT SWINGING FROM FIGHT CARD!
Growing up in the 1960s, I first heard “Shazam” from the lips of Gomer Pyle, USMC and only later learned it had something to do with a defunct character, Captain Marvel. When I then saw ads in the comics for a Saturday morning series called Shazzan, I was confused, thinking it was somehow connected. Nope, the CBS series created by the great Alex Toth and produced by Hanna-Barbera and had the following narration:
“Inside a cave off the coast of Maine, Chuck (Jerry Dexter) and Nancy (Janet Waldo) find a mysterious chest containing the halves of a strange ring. When joined, the ring forms the word “Shazzan!” and with this magical command, they are transported back to the fabled land of the Arabian Nights. Here they meet their Genie, Shazzan (Barney Phillips). Shazzan presents them with Kaboobie (Don Messick), a magical flying camel. Shazzan will serve them whenever they call, but he cannot return them home until they deliver the ring to its rightful owner. And thus begins their incredible journey.”
Adding an extra “ho” to the Jolly Green Giant’s “ho ho ho”, the 60-foot tall Shazzan was a jovial genie, calling the kids “little masters” and never tired at saving them with regularity. The series ran from September 9, 1967 and ended on Saturday, September 6, 1969 and featured two escapades per thirty minutes and achieved just enough popularity to be repeated as part of countless series in the 1970s and 1980s before finding a home on cable. The complete 36 episode series has been collected for the first time thanks to the tireless folk at Warner Archive.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYMeVDMi_tk[/youtube] (more…)
Thirteen episodes of sorcery and swordplay, dragons and demons, bewitchings and betrayals comes to a head this Friday when the fourth season of MERLIN culminates in an exhilarating season finale entitled “The Sword in the Stone, Part 2,” premiering March 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
only on Syfy.
For cast members Colin Morgan (merlin), Bradley James (Arthur) and Katie McGrath (Morgana), the fourth season has been filled with memorable moments for both the actors and viewers. (more…)
It used to be, Tom Hanks was the everyman who took us into one film after another, giving us a chance to experience the mundane to the fantastic. That role in many ways has been ceded to George Clooney, who displays in one film after another, a charismatic vulnerability that makes you root for him regardless of the circumstances. He brings that empathy to Matt King, the lead figure in The Descendants, out this week from 20th Century Home Entertainment.
Yeah, we all now he was nominated for Best Actor but if you haven’t seen the film; you can watch the video and see the actor lose himself in the character. King is married, with two teen children, and has his world rocked, first by the wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) getting sick and then learning she has been having an affair. While she lingers in the hospital, he goes in search of Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard), his daughters — Alex (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller) — in tow. Kaui Hart Hemmings’ acclaimed novel is well adapted by director Alexander Payne. (more…)
One brave warrior, touched by the gods, must overcome all odds to save mankind from a merciless and powerful tyrant when IMMORTALS comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 6th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, the home entertainment release is chock-full of must-see bonus features including an alternate beginning, two alternate endings, deleted scenes and an amazing graphic novel, creating the ultimate viewing experience.
From the producers of 300, Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, IMMORTALS explodes off the screen with action-packed battles, mythological adventure and an all-star cast including: Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies), John Hurt (Hellboy) and Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2). In this epic tale of vengeance and destiny, power-mad King Hyperion (Rourke) threatens to destroy all of humanity on his maniacal quest to obtain the ultimate weapon – the legendary Epirus Bow that gives the power to unleash war on both Heaven and Earth. But Theseus (Cavill), a heroic young villager chosen by the gods, rises up to stop Hyperion’s brutal rampage. With supernatural help from the beautiful oracle Phaedra (Pinto), Theseus embraces his destiny and leads a fierce band of warriors in a desperate fight for the future of mankind.
The story for Immortals centers on the heroism of Theseus, a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the evil King Hyperion. In celebration of the release of IMMORTALS on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Triple Play and DVD on March 6, we will revisit other heroes in Greek mythology that you may (or may not) be familiar with, including Hercules and Odysseus, among others.
HERCULES
According to Greek mythology, Hercules is the son of the Zeus, the King of all the Gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman, thereby making him a mortal God. The goddess Hera, Zeus’ wife, hated Hercules because Hercules’ birth was out of Zeus’ infidelity to her. Much of Hercules’ adventures have been written about but none as much as the Labors of Hercules, which vary in number depending on the source. Hercules was sent on these labors by the Oracle of Delphi to make amends over killing his wife and children during a fit of madness sent by Hera.
ODYSSEUS
Odysseus is the Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and Iliad. Odysseus was best known for successfully leading the Greeks into victory against the Trojans with his idea of the Trojan Horse, which is depicted in the Iliad. The Odyssey tells the story of his ten-year journey to get home to Ithaca post the Trojan War to reclaim his place as the rightful king. The epic describes his adventures, including his encounters with Calypso, the Sirens and the six-headed monster Scylla, amongst others.
OEDIPUS
Oedipus was the Greek king of Thebes, best known for fulfilling a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, bringing disaster to his family and his city. The myth is the basis of neurologist Sigmund Freud’s theory, the Oedipus complex, which states the desire of a male child’s exclusive love for his mother, thereby stemming jealousy towards the father.
ACHILLES
Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War and was a central character in Homer’s Iliad. He was said to be a great warrior whose only vulnerability physically was his heel, which ultimately lead to his death when his heel was struck by an arrow during battle. Because of that, the term Achille’s heel has come to mean a person’s primary weakness.
PERSEUS
Perseus was a son of Zeus and was known in Greek mythology for the different monsters he defeated, including beheading Medusa, the snake-haired maiden who turned those who looked her in the eyes into stone. He married Andromeda, a princess who had been punished by Poseidon for her mother’s bragging that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids. Perseus saved her imminent death by rescuing her from a rock that she was chained to as a sacrifice to a sea monster.
Just as one mysterious character departs, another enters as MERLIN welcomes its newest addition – Agravaine, chief adviser to the King. Played by acclaimed actor Nathaniel Parker, the character provides yet another potential snake in Camelot’s grass for Arthur and Merlin as they fend off Morgana’s attack in the epic conclusion of the season-opening, two-part episode entitled “The Darkest Hour, Part 2.” The episode premieres this Friday, January 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.
The magic of MERLIN continues to cast a spell over audiences: Last Friday’s fourth-season premiere of MERLIN attracted the biggest-ever first-episode audience in its Syfy history, with viewership 29% higher for Season 4 than Season 3. Episodes from all three previous seasons are available on iTunes, and Season 3 will be released January 17 on DVD.
In “The Darkest Hour, Part 2” the kingdom of Camelot is on the brink of collapse as Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera) races back to Camelot with the dying Merlin, the Dorocha continue their siege on the kingdom, Arthur considers an unthinkable sacrifice … and Morgana waits to strike. (more…)
Director Uwe Boll is no stranger to video games or controversy but remains indefatigable and is back next week with In the Name of the King: Two Worlds, his sequel to the 2006 film he made based on the Dungeon Siege video games. The new film, his twenty-fifth, stars action hero Dolph Lundgren and is a direct-to-video release from Twentieth Century Home Entertainment.
The German –born Boll spoke exclusively with ComicMix to talk about the film and his approach, which ignores his critics, many of whom cite him as the worst director working today. In turn, Boll has challenged them to box, to see who is the better person but our conversation was far from combative.
ComicMix: This is your first sole directorial work. Any reason why?
Uwe Boll: In the past, I was more a producer, such as with Alone in the Dark. Normally I’m the director, producer,, and sometimes the writer. I think it came to an opportunity to get the financing completely through Canada; so I said, “Absolutely, let’s go for it.”
CMix: Why a sequel to a dormant video game?
Boll: I liked the Bloodrayne film series, and I don’t always do sequels. I liked the first movie a lot, and while I didn’t have the financing to make a big sequel, I came up with a time traveling idea for a brand new story. It brings a little humor to the story and with a guy like Dolph, with his bone dry humor; he’s very intelligent, not a guy who can have long speeches. He’s more a character from the present, and I have all these kinds of things, sending him back to the medieval time, he can wander around asking, “Where is the toilet, can I drink this water?”
It’s an interesting new storyline, not just “let’s make a second part but only cheaper”. It’s better to be completely new, and I am actually happy with the movie. It has a lot of humor; it’s quick and entertaining. (more…)