Tagged: Sci-Fi

SDCC Interview: Producer Gale Anne Hurd Talks ‘Punisher: War Zone’

SDCC Interview: Producer Gale Anne Hurd Talks ‘Punisher: War Zone’

  • News
  • July 25, 2008

Producer Gale Anne Hurd has been involved with some of the most successful and exciting sci-fi and action films of all time. From the original Terminator through Aliens, Terminator 2, Armageddon and the recent Hulk, Hurd continues to deliver successful, entertaining and action-packed films over and over again. And her career is showing no signs of slowing down.

Recently, Hurd is readying yet another comic book adaptation for the big screen — a new new film called Punisher: War Zone which is, of course, based on the very popular Punisher comic. I caught up with Hurd at the San Diego Comic-Con to talk a bit about the new film, its dark, violent nature and why she thought a woman was the perfect choice to direct it.

COMICMIX: Hi Gale, thanks for talking to me. Let’s get right to it. Is Punisher: War Zone a sequel, a reboot or. . . ?

GALE ANNE HURD: its a reboot. We wanted to really go back to the origin but this isn’t an origin story in the way that we did it with hulk and take the origin of the punisher from the comic and we have that set up in flashbacks. So in the film we have Frank Castle set up on his mission of vengeance to punish the guilty.

iIs very much a MAX series. It’s a pedal to the metal, violent, tough hard-core film and it takes place in New York. We knew the heavy-duty fans were disappointed that the earlier film took place in Tampa.

For this movie we wanted to go back to the essence of the character, the locations, the other characters and the world and make it much closer to the comics.

CMix: Was it difficult decision to go back and reboot the franchise? Why did you do it? Did the first film not do well?

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Interview: Jane Espenson on “Buffy” and “Battlestar Galactica”

Interview: Jane Espenson on “Buffy” and “Battlestar Galactica”

  • News
  • July 23, 2008

Writer and producer Jane Espenson has written, or co-written, episodes of some of the most popular and successful TV shows in recent memory. From her first writing work on Star Trek: The Next Generation through stints on the hugely popular Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel, to one of the most celebrated series currently on TV, Battlestar Galactica, Espenson’s career is certainly one which fans of quality writing, humor and storytelling can appreciate.

In addition to her continued professional writing accomplishments, Espenson also finds time to offer inspiration to fledgling writers by providing advice on the craft of writing, breaking into the businesss and what makes a good spec script via her personal website. Recently, I caught up with Espenson to talk about, among other things, how writers can break into "the business," her love of sci-fi and fantasy, and what episodes of Buffy are her favorites.

COMICMIX: Jane, thanks for taking the time to talk with me. For those who may not know, can you talk a bit about your background? Did you always know you wanted to write?

JANE ESPENSON: I grew up in a small town in the Midwest where I watched a heck of a lot of television — good and bad.  For every M*A*S*H, there’s an Enos. You don’t remember Enos?  The Dukes of Hazzard spin-off?  Well, I was watching. I always knew I wanted to write for television. 

I read an article once about spec M*A*S*H scripts that were submitted to the show, and I wrote one myself. I wrote "PUT COMMERCIAL HERE" after every scene. I never sent it to anyone. It’s just as well.
 
CMix: Were there any particular writers you admired when you were growing up? Anyone influence your work today?

JE: I didn’t notice the names of individual television writers back then, although all those shows certainly influenced me.  My mother introduced me to the books of Jane Austen, which I love.  Austen had that wonderful observational sense of humor rooted in character.  I’d love to think that influenced me. 

But I’m most strongly affected by the writers I’ve worked with and for.  So much of this job is about seamlessly emulating the "voice" of the show’s creator, that I’ve spent years mastering how to write like Joss Whedon and Ron Moore.

There are worse influences to have!
 
CMix: How did you first break into the business? Was there someone who gave you your first break?

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Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #11 – Turn Left

Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #11 – Turn Left

The hit BBC series Doctor Who is now in its fourth season on the Sci-Fi Channel, and since we’re all big fans here at ComicMix, we’ve decided to kick off an episode-by-episode analysis of the reinvigorated science-fiction classic.

Every week, I’ll do my best to go through the most recent episode with a fine-tooth comb (or whatever the "sonic screwdriver" equivalent might be) and call out the highlights, low points, continuity checks and storyline hints I can find to keep in mind for future episodes. I’ll post the review each Monday, so you have ample time to check out the episode once it airs each Friday at 9 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel before I spoil anything.

Missed a week? Check out the "Doctor Who in Review" archive or check out any of the past editions of this column via the links at the end of this article.

Keep in mind, I’m going to assume readers have already watched the episode when I put fingers to keyboard and come up with the roundup of important plot points. In other words, SPOILER ALERT!

Let’s begin now, shall we?

Season Four, Episode #11: "Turn Left"

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Work Starts on ‘Wanted’ Sequel

  • News
  • July 18, 2008

Word from Variety is that a sequel to the Wanted film is already under development, with producer Marc Platt and director Timur Bekmambetov at work on the property.

And word is he has another couple comics properties in the works. From Variety:

Proceeding at quicker pace is "Wanted 2," though Platt acknowledged that the creative team is still working on the challenge of continuing the story after most of the principal characters — including Angelina Jolie — ended the original in no position for an encore. But the film was designed as a potential franchise, Langley said, and it is still performing strongly after grossing $192.6 million worldwide. The intention is to get James McAvoy back into gunslinging mode. ...

That duo also is teamed with Bekmambetov on a Universal adaptation of the Christian Gossett sci-fi graphic novel "The Red Star," which has a script draft by Matthew Sand.

Platt, who just received a contract extension from Universal Pictures, also is reported to be attached to the Scott Pilgrim movie.

Interview: Greg Weisman Talks ‘Gargoyles’

Interview: Greg Weisman Talks ‘Gargoyles’

  • News
  • July 17, 2008

When I was younger, there was a Disney cartoon that my friends and I loved and which impressed our parents with its maturity and layered story-telling. The series was called Gargoyles, and it told the story of a clan of warrior creatures from 10th Century Scotland who are brought to modern-day New York City via magical manipulation. Led by the noble gargoyle Goliath, the creatures find themselves to be strangers in a strange land, forced to hide while trying to find their new place in the 20th century. Soon enough, they wind up becoming superheroes, protecting the same humans who either fear them or don’t believe they exist.

Although the series lasted only two seasons (followed by the short-lived Goliath Chronicles series, which is considered apocryphal), its fan base remains extremely loyal — so much so, in fact, that a convention for Gargoyles fans, called the Gathering of the Gargoyles, has been held each year for more than a decade now. In recent years, we’ve seen much of the television series finally released on DVD, and Slave Labor Graphics has begun publishing an ongoing Gargoyles comic book series and spin-off miniseries, Bad Guys, headed up by series creator Greg Weisman and picking up where season 2 left off.

I spoke with Weisman (who also serves as story editor for the new Spectacular Spider-Man animated series) during the most recent Gathering of the Gargoyles event, and we chatted about the clan of winged Scottish warriors that he created so long ago and what the future holds for them. 

COMICMIX: So, we’re at the 12th annual Gathering of the Gargoyles convention. You have the new comic book series from SLG and the Bad Guys spin-off coming out now. You’re even talking about future spin-offs. All of this says there’s a decent fan base. So what’s happening that we still only have the first 26 episodes of season 2 on DVD?

GREG WEISMAN: Well, there’s a lot of turnover at Buena Vista Home Entertainment. You’ll have people there who are interested in the project and then you’ll have new people come in who aren’t so much. The ugly truth of it is that Season One sold very well, and the Season Two, Vol. 1 DVD did not sell so well. Even if, ultimately, it sold as well as the first season, we sort of lost Disney’s attention. So we need to get their attention all over again, and the best way to do that is by making sure that we continue to sell the DVDs that exist, show them that the comics are selling well. Gargoyles is SLG’s best-selling comic.

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Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #10 – Midnight

Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #10 – Midnight

The hit BBC series Doctor Who is now in its fourth season on the Sci-Fi Channel, and since we’re all big fans here at ComicMix, we’ve decided to kick off an episode-by-episode analysis of the reinvigorated science-fiction classic.

Every week, I’ll do my best to go through the most recent episode with a fine-tooth comb (or whatever the "sonic screwdriver" equivalent might be) and call out the highlights, low points, continuity checks and storyline hints I can find to keep in mind for future episodes. I’ll post the review each Monday, so you have ample time to check out the episode once it airs each Friday at 9 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel before I spoil anything.

Missed a week? Check out the "Doctor Who in Review" archive or check out any of the past editions of this column via the links at the end of this article.

Keep in mind, I’m going to assume readers have already watched the episode when I put fingers to keyboard and come up with the roundup of important plot points. In other words, SPOILER ALERT!

Let’s begin now, shall we?

Season Four, Episode #10: "Midnight"

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Interview: Jon Rosenberg on the ‘Goats’ Book Deal

Interview: Jon Rosenberg on the ‘Goats’ Book Deal

  • News
  • July 11, 2008

When I spoke with Goats creator Jon Rosenberg a month ago, he hinted at big things in store for his long-running webcomic that may or may not involve lasers, contracts and lawn care professionals.

Well, the news broke today, and despite a conspicuous absence of lasers and lawn care, there is indeed a contract at the heart of Rosenberg’s big announcement. Rosenberg tells ComicMix that Random House imprint Villard will be publishing collections of the color strips of the series (everything from late-2003 until the current storyline) in a set of 150-page volumes. He expects to have the first volume ready for San Diego’s Comic-Con International next year, with two more volumes following in six-month intervals.

From the official press release:

Villard Books will publish the recently completed Goats story arc, The Infinite Pendergast Cycle, as a trilogy —in the style of the great sci-fi sagas Goats so affectionately parodies. Each trade paperback volume will be full color and published at six-month intervals. The first volume, Goats: Infinite Typewriters, set for July 2009, will include newly revised and created material intended to introduce new readers to the colossal and complex Goats universe—and set up the audience for the rest of the epic. Book 1 will cover material published on the Goats website from December 2003 to January 2006. The second book, Goats: The Corndog Imperative, scheduled for a November 2009 release, covers January 06 to March 2007. And the third book, Goats: Showcase Showdown, due out in April 2010, covers March 07 to April 08.

I spoke with Rosenberg about the publishing deal and what it means for one of the ‘Net’s longest-running webcomics.

COMICMIX: So how did this deal come about, Jon? Who approached who?

JON ROSENBERG: My agent, Judy Hansen, made everything happen. I called her up one day and she said, "Hold on, I’m going to call up Random House and get you a book deal." And I waited on hold for a bit and when she got back on, it was all taken care of.

I’m beginning to suspect that Judy has some supernatural abilities, it has been an amazing education watching her bend reality to her will as she works.

CMix: What can you tell us about the specifics of the deal? Do you receive anything on a per-book basis, or was this a flat-rate arrangement?

JR: This is a standard book-type deal as far as I understand, with a royalty rate and an advance paid on those royalties and that sort of thing. It’s a nice deal, I’m not going to retire early on it or anything but I’m quite happy with the terms.

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ComicMix TV: ‘Hellboy II’ and the Guillermo Del Toro Interview

ComicMix TV: ‘Hellboy II’ and the Guillermo Del Toro Interview

Guillermo del Toro has made his mark in the comic book and sci-fi/fantasy world with his work on both Hellboy films, writing and directing Marvel’s Blade II, and possibly now joining in on future projects such as Doctor Strange and The Hobbit. See what Guillermo has to say about his favorite comics, the evolution of characters in the new film, and even a little Pan’s Labyrinth homage in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which hits theaters this Friday, July 11.

 

 

Missed one of our Hellboy II: The Golden Army interviews this week? Here are links to all of the recent ComicMix TV interviews with the Hellboy II cast and crew:

The Flash Added To The DC Comics Network

The Flash Added To The DC Comics Network

It wasn’t that long ago we told you that Xbox LIVE added a DC Comics Network channel to its lineup of videos for download on the Xbox 360 gaming console. Well, they’re not wasting any time adding more programming. They’ve added The Flash to the lineup of superhero television shows.

1990’s The Flash, starring John Wesley Shipp, was one of those shows that never got the recognition it should have. It was caught in an unfortunate network struggle for Thursday night between The Cosby Show and The Simpsons. Taking a cue from Tim Burton’ first Batman movie, it was playful but took itself seriously. Comics author Howard Chaykin was on board as one of the program’s writers so the show maintained the right shout-outs to appease comic fans. Amanda Pays perfected the hot, brainy scientist helping Barry Allen with his mysterious powers. And let’s face it, that suit looked cool moving at super-speed.

All that quality was expensive, though, so CBS canceled it after one season when it failed to become a runaway hit. But the show lived on in reruns on the SCI-FI Channel and on DVD.

Visit the official page to see some great previews of each episode — especially episode #12, if you want to see Mark Hamill hamming it up as the Trickster.

Keep ’em coming boys. Maybe you’ll be the ones that will finally distribute episodes of the Adam West Batman series from the ’60s.

Review: ‘The Invisible Man: Season 1’

Review: ‘The Invisible Man: Season 1’

It’s something every single sci-fi geek has wondered at some point, possibly while concocting fiendishly devious plans: what if I could turn invisible?

Of course, all the way back to H.G. Wells’ classic novel, The Invisible Man, we have been told time and time again that this power would basically screw us over. I mean, in that novel, the main character found himself permanently invisible, went insane and then became a maddened killer before he was put down like a dog in the street. This idea of how much it would suck to be permanently unseen has been told time and time again, including the 1950s [[[Invisible Man]]] television series and the Chevy Chase adaptation of Memoirs of an Invisible Man. Heck, the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four has control over her abilities and yet even she gets shafted since she has to deal with the fact that she’s overshadowed by her less powerful teammates.

In 2000, the Sci-Fi Channel began a live-action television series in which writer/creator Matt Greenberg gave us a whole new twist on the familiar story. Sadly, the show was cancelled and only enjoyed two seasons. But this year, the first season was finally released on DVD — and there’s a good reason to pick it up.

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