Tagged: Star Wars

Superman The Complete Anthology

It’s interesting to watch how time and again, writers, artists, moviemakers, and studio executives struggle to find ways to adapt the very first comic book super-hero. Superman was something readers (and rival publishers) had never seen before, and he served as the template for the heroic fantasy that followed these last seven decades. When you have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, you need visionaries to bring the character from the printed page to other media. Robert Maxwell figured out how to do that with the popular radio serial. In fact, Maxwell came up with various characters and concepts that seeped into the comics, a symbiosis that made both stronger.

I was given to considering Superman in his many forms when the eight-disc Superman The Complete Anthology Blu-ray set arrived for review. Warner Home Video has taken all the previous versions and spruced them up a bit, added some new features, and placed them in a handsome box. Despite the uneven content, this is a must-have for fans.

When the Fleischer brothers got a chance to animate the Man of Steel, they set the standard that all other animators have emulated or strived to match. It certainly raised the bar when Superman came to the movie serials, with Kirk Allyn looking the part but the low budget and low-tech kept his feats to the above-average, not super-human. Things got somewhat better with the George Reeve television series of the 1950s, imprinting the archetype on two generations of television watchers and comics readers. Again, Maxwell receives credit for his serious translation to the half hour demands of syndicated television before he left and it got dumbed down in subsequent seasons. (more…)

Spy Cars Like Us

Spy Cars Like Us

Cars 2, revving up for release later this month, has sent us this cool new featurette:

[youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw38YDxv6vA[/youtube][/youtube]

Here are the rest of the film’s details:

U.S. Release Date: June 24, 2011

Voice Talent: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Thomas Kretschmann, Guido Quaroni, Lloyd Sherr, Paul Dooley, John Ratzenberger, Jenifer Lewis, Michael Wallis, Katherine Helmond, John Turturro, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard, Bruce Campbell, Michel Michelis, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, Lewis Hamilton, David Hobbs

Director: John Lasseter

Co-Director: Brad Lewis

Producer: Denise Ream

Story By: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis and Dan Fogelman

Screenplay By: Ben Queen

Composer: Michael Giacchino

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

 

 

 

John Lasseter returns to the driver’s seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning “Cars.” “Cars 2” is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film “Ratatouille,” and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, “Up”; visual effects executive producer, “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

· John Lasseter made his feature film directing debut with “Toy Story” in 1995. He has since directed such Disney•Pixar classics as “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2” and “Cars” and served as executive producer of all other Pixar films to date. He is currently the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering.

 

· “Cars 2” is the 12th feature-length animated film from Pixar Animation Studios (its first 11 have earned $6.5 billion at the global box office). Pixar, which has earned 29 Academy Awards® and seven Golden Globes®, celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2011.

 

· “Cars” originally released on June 9, 2006, and grossed nearly $462 million worldwide. It was nominated for two Oscars® and one Golden Globe®, winning the first ever Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.

 

When star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix, Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

National Cartoonist Society Winners Announced

The annual National Cartoonist Society annual awards were awarded Saturday night. The prestigious Reuben Award for cartoonist of the year went to Richard Thompson for the newspaper strip Cul de Sac. Jill Thompson was selected as best comic book artist for Beasts of Burton, beating out Stan Sakai and Chris Samnee, and Joyce Farmer and her Special Exits took home the prize for graphic novel, beating out Daryn Cooke and James Strum.

Jeff Parker and Steve Kelley were designated best newspaper comic strip cartoonists for Dustin, Mike Lester took the book illustration award for The Butt Book, and Glenn McCoy won the newspaper panel cartoon award for The Flying McCoys. Other prize winners included Michael McParlane for newspaper illustration, Gary McCoy for gag cartoons, Jim Benton for greeting cards, Anton Emdin for magazine illustration, Gary Varvel for editorial cartooning, Dave Whamond for advertising illustration, Dave Filoni for television animation (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and Nicolas Marlet for feature animation (How to Train Your Dragon).

The NCS 65th annual awards dinner was held in Boston over the past several days. The artwork (above) was contributed by Mad Magazine’s Tom Richmond.

 

Justice League Season 2 Comes to Blu-ray

Our affection for the animated adaptation of Justice League of America is second to none. It’s one reason we raved about the Complete Series collection which came out last holiday season. Now we’re jealous since each season is being released on Blu-ray for even better definition heroics. Here’s the formal release for the July offering:

BURBANK, CA (May 25, 2011) – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and their DC Comics super hero comrades burst onto the scene in dazzling high definition as Justice League: Season 2 arrives on Blu-ray™ for the first time. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the series’ 26-episode second season will be distributed on Blu-ray™ by Warner Home Video on July 26, 2011 for $39.99 SRP. Order due date is June 21,2011.

 

Amping up the action, intrigue and epic storylines from its successful first season, Justice League: Season 2 crossed new boundaries in its portrayal of the greatest fighting force in the universe. Comprised of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl, the Justice League wages war with their own personal demons and internal issues of mistrust and insecurity, all the while battling a most heinous collection of villains led by Darkseid, Brainiac, Solomon Grundy, Amazo, Joker, Vandal Savage and more.

Justice League Season 2 was produced by Bruce Timm and James Tucker. The core voice cast features George Newbern (Superman), Kevin Conroy (Batman), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman), Michael Rosenbaum (Flash), Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern) Carl Lumbly (Martian Manhunter) and Maria Canals Barrera (Hawkgirl).

The guest cast includes many topline actors from film and television, most notably Mark Hamill (Star Wars) as Joker, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (The F.B.I.) as Alfred, Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Felix Faust, Powers Boothe (Deadwood, 24) as Gorilla Grodd, Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) as both Clayface and Orion, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Lobo, Dennis Haysbert (24, The Unit) as Kilowog, Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan) as Metamorpho, Eric Roberts (Runaway Train) as Mongul and Robert Picardo (Stargate) as Amazo. (more…)

Young Justice Brings First 4 Episodes to DVD in July

Warner Home Video picked the wrong day to tell eager comic book fans about Young Justice being released on DVD since the fun news was eclipsed by the Star wars on Blu-ray announcement. Still, the excellent series, airing on the Cartoon Network, will have volume one of the debut season available in mid-July. The following is the complete press release:

BURBANK, CA (May 4, 2011) – The newest Warner Bros. Animation–produced hit series on Cartoon Network finally arrives on DVD as Warner Home Video (WHV) unleashes its secret weapon with Young Justice Season 1 Volume 1. These DC Universe teenage super heroes have quickly proven to be a hit as the favorite show among boys 9-14. With non-stop action, Young Justice Season 1 Volume 1 comes to DVD for the first time on July 19, 2011.

In Young Justice, being a teenager means proving yourself over and over — to peers, parents, teachers, mentors and, ultimately, to yourself. But what if you’re not just a normal teenager? What if you’re a teenage super hero? How much harder will it be to prove yourself in a world of super powers, super villains and super secrets? Are you ready to come of age in such a world? Are you ready for life or death rites of passage? Are you ready to join the ranks of the great heroes and prove you’re worthy of the Justice League? That’s exactly what the members of Young Justice — Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis — will find out: whether they have what it takes to be a proven hero. (more…)

Star Wars on Blu-ray Details Unveiled

20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment took advantage of yesterday’s International Star Wars Day to formally announce the details surrounding this September’s Blu-ray debut of the original Star Wars trilogy along with the more recent trilogy. The six films are accompanied by three discs of extras totaling a stellar 40 hours of material – some new, some old.

Here’s the formal release with the details. Begin saving for this event, although let me caution you that the original versions of the trilogy won’t be here. George Lucas has previously indicated the film is in no shape for high definition conversion.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 4th, 2011) – Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family – when Star Wars: The Complete Saga comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments – in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

The comprehensive collection also features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI will also be available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.

Fans will get an exclusive first look at some of the collection’s extensive special features at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International – which marks Lucasfilm’s 35th anniversary as a Comic-Con presence. In 1976, the fledgling film company was looking for innovative, grass-roots ways to promote its underdog release, a film no one expected to succeed – a space opera known (at the time) only as Star Wars. One of the first film companies to reach out directly to core audiences by way of fan conventions, Lucasfilm will return to the venue to showcase the full evolution of the epic story with a special first look at Star Wars: The Complete Saga. (more…)

Mayday, Mayday! It’s The Wilhelm Scream Compendium!

Mayday, Mayday! It’s The Wilhelm Scream Compendium!

Cover of "Distant Drums"

Distant Drums, a film almost forgotten except for one scream

The Wilhelm Scream is a film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games. The scream is often used when someone gets shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from an explosion.

The sound is named for Private Wilhelm, a character in The Charge at Feather River, a 1953 western where the character was shot with an arrow. The scream shows up in hundreds of films– see (or rather hear) what we mean.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf8aBFTVNEU[/youtube]

Review: Black Swan

We have fallen in love with Natalie Portman again and again. Beginning with her debut in [[[The Professional]]], we have seen her take on a wide variety of dramatic roles that demonstrates a young woman with acting gifts. Even in the wretched [[[Star Wars]]] trilogy, she brought a gravity to Princess Amidala that went far beyond the meager scripts.  All of this seems to have prepared her for the Academy Award winning rile in [[[Black Swan]]]. At 29, she has achieved a level of depth in her work that few peers can match.

Most of her work, such as roles in Closer, Cold Mountain, and even V for Vendetta, show a somber side to Portman, almost as cold and controlled as her Nina in this film, now out on disc from 20th Century Home Entertainment. The Darren Aronofsky-directed film is a visual treat and the psycho-sexual assault on the sense that one comes to expect from him.

Nina is a technically-perfect but emotionally cold ballerina who wins the role of the Swan Queen. Much of the film chronicles Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassell) and his attempts to unlock Nina’s emotions. He does this by seducing her by degrees and telling her to seduce herself. Nina, though, can’t let go, largely because she has been raised by Erica (Barbara Hershey), who stopped dancing when she gave birth to Nina and has lived through her ever since. Nina has had issues in the past that manifest themselves anew as the pressure mounts in the weeks leading up to her premier performance.

She sees threats, she watches her body change in unimaginable ways, and even has a real or imaginary one-night stand with her perceived rival, Lilly (Mila Kunis). Her descent into madness or elevation to a higher plane of existence is masterfully portrayed by Aronofsky.

Portman makes this her signature role and despite the current kerfuffle over how much of the dancing she actually did, that’s secondary to the character she brought to life. Dancing doubles have been a fact of filmmaking for decades and this is just another tempest in a teapot. Jennifer Beals made us believe in [[[Flashdance]]] as Portman does here and that’s really what matters.

The movie looks fabulous in high definition with strong sound, which fits the subject matter. You might notice a grainy quality to some of the film that you may not have noticed on the silver screen. That has to do with Aronofsky’s choice to shoot the movie by blending 16mm Arriflex cameras and two Canon 1080p video-capable DSLRs.  It all meshes quite well, adding to the unusual feel of the story.

The Blu-ray disc is packed with several extras, beginning with “Black Swan Metamorphosis” (48:50) is the detailed production process. Bringing the dancers and characters to life is carefully explained during the three-parts, complete with plenty of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. You also get “Ten Years in the Making”, a shorter piece on the lengthy development process as told by director and star; along with a useless look at Ballet (2:33), Production Design (4:00). Star and directed each get roughly three minute profiles and short snippets on “Preparing for the Role” and “Dancing with the Camera”. There are also five cast profiles; all culled from featurettes that originally ran on Fox Movie Channel.

The harrowing viewing experience that is at turns titillating, exciting, terrifying, and moving, shows moviemaking at its finest. An original concept, well-handled, can entertain and enlighten. This one is well worth your time and attention whether or not you like ballet.

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