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Ego Talks, A Chat with Kurt Russell

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 sees the return of the universe’s favorite band of intergalactic misfits. Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, the movie’s thrilling storyline follows the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians – Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket – must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.

To celebrate the in-home release of the blockbuster sequel digitally on HD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Disney Movies Anywhere this weel, and physically on 4K Ultra HD™ Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on August 22, we catch up with Kurt Russell – who plays Ego – to find out more on the making of the action-packed Marvel movie…

How did you become involved with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?

I was doing publicity for The Hateful Eight and suddenly people were asking me, “Are you going to do Guardians of the Galaxy 2?” At the same time, my phone was going off the hook about it. I knew of Guardians of the Galaxy but I hadn’t seen it and I hadn’t been approached about the sequel officially. What was different was this was the first time I was being told by everyone how great it would be. “It’s going to be fantastic,” they would say. “The role is Peter Quill’s father and Chris Pratt is the guy who plays Peter Quill. You’re perfect for it.”

But you hadn’t been approached to appear in the movie at that point?

No. I remember thinking, “Oh, this sounds really good and interesting.” But at that point, I needed to see the first movie. As soon as I saw Chris [Pratt] kicking those Orloni—those space rats at the start of the first movie—I started to really like him and I started to quickly understand the tone of the movie and what Chris was bringing to the role. And it somehow connected to movies I had done in the past—in particular, Jack Burton in “Big Trouble in Little China.”

 

Were there other motivations behind your attraction to the role of Ego?

As soon as I read the screenplay, I understood why they were coming to me. But I was concerned that it would ultimately be disappointing to the fans since Peter’s father turns out to be the bad guy. It was fun, and it was right—people loved the first movie and they were excited about me playing Peter Quill’s father—but they didn’t know that I was going to play a character so horrible that Peter has to kill me. I thought, “That’s kind of great, but I just hope that does not wreck the whole experience of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.’”

Did you voice your concerns to the director?

That’s exactly what I did. I talked to [director] James Gunn for a very short period of time. It was a quick, succinct and not very in-depth conversation—but I took a leap of faith. I said to him, “I want to do this. I want to play all the different aspects of this character, but we have to get the audience to a place where they want Peter to kill his father. That is the challenge.” It’s such a good twist. I think it’s great. It’s like a Greek tragedy.

How have audiences reacted to the twist?

The reaction was fantastic. You could literally hear the air collectively coming out of the audience when my character blithely talks about Peter’s mother and when he says the line, “It broke my heart to put that tumor in her head.” I’ve listened to a number of audiences now, and it’s incredible to hear their response. I remember rehearsing with Chris and James, and I literally turned around in character and said, “Now I know that sounds bad …,” and James, Chris and I cracked up and James said, “We have to do that!” And I thought to myself, these guys are bold and confident. It was a great feeling.

Is it a bittersweet feeling to be killed off in your first Marvel movie?

Here’s the thing … years ago, I avoided doing sequels. I won’t go into which movies they were, but they were some pretty big ones. I would be asked to sign three picture deals and I would always say, “No, I’m not going to do that because that’s not what I want to do. I don’t want to be locked in.” My agents were frustrated with me a few times because they were big movies—but I said, “I’m sorry, guys. I just don’t want to do that.” That created the opportunity for me to do many different characters in many different genres across the board, and I am satisfied I did it that way. But I looked at this movie, at this time, and I thought, “This character is awesome! Imagine what you could do with this guy?” Besides, the landscape is a lot different now than it was then.

When you look back at the making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, what is the one moment on set that stands out the most for you?

I had a really great time working with James Gunn. I really did. He is terrific. And I had a great time working with everybody. But my times with Chris Pratt were especially fun because he’s not afraid to try anything at all. And neither am I. We had a ball together.

Which scenes did you enjoy working on the most?

The “Brandy” scene certainly stands out for me. The scene where I’m talking in time to the music, telling Peter how we are the sailors in the song and how that’s the greatest song ever written on the planet earth. It walks that perfect line of, “Are you serious? Are you kidding me? That’s so ridiculously fabulous.” And yet there will be those who will agree with that sentiment. “Yes! Finally, somebody has said ‘Brandy’ is the greatest song ever written.” In fact, I’ve already run into some of those people. It completely walks that line, and I just love that. I loved that day. We had a great time.

Do any other scenes stand out for you?

I also had a great time shooting the fight scene between Chris and myself. I’m very comfortable with that stuff and I’ve done a lot of it in my life—and it was fun to show him a trick or two. He’s such a sweetheart. Shooting those two scenes stand out in my mind—but I think the “Brandy” scene will always stay with me.

David Hasselhoff was a fun addition to the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. What do you think of his cameo in the movie?

That was actually my suggestion to James Gunn. I said, “I think Ego should turn into David Hasselhoff when Peter shoots me and I get very angry … and when I say, ‘Who in the hell do you think you are? I tried to be everything you wanted me to be.’” I said, “At that point, I should turn into David Hasselhoff as that is the father that Peter Quill created in his mind and at that point—angry as I am—I am still kind of trying to win him over. You need to get David Hasselhoff here.” I’m glad it worked out and that David did it. It’s perfect.

The Law Is A Ass

Bob Ingersoll: The Law Is A Ass #417

HE’S NOT RUNNING A LOKI CAMPAIGN

It wasn’t funny the first time, okay?

The recent mini-series Vote Loki had the Asgardian god running for President. The series was a political satire with Loki running on the platform that he would lie to America’s face and they would love it. Here’s what followed.

Nisa Contreras, a reporter for the Daily Bugle, attempted to uncover information to discredit Loki. However, every time that she did – Loki’s followers were brainwashed cult members or Loki orchestrated political unrest in Latveria– her efforts backfired. Information which would have torpedoed any other candidate’s chances didn’t discrediting Loki, it made him more popular. The same joke was in issue 2 and repeated in issue 3.

Fortunately for Vote Loki, political satire doesn’t have to be funny. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is political satire and it’s about as funny as a Pauly Shore movie. Every Pauly Shore movie. Combined.

If you’ve been paying attention, you probably gathered that I didn’t find Vote Loki very funny; mostly because the joke Vote Loki kept repeating wasn’t funny the first time; the first time being when I actually lived said joke last year. But, I’m not here to offer my critique of humor. After all, my column isn’t called “The Laugh Is a Ass.” So you’re probably wondering where’s the law in all of this.

It’s here. In Vote Loki #1, J. Jonah Jameson asked Loki how he could run for President. After all, Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution says, “No person except a natural born citizen… shall be eligible to the office of President.” Loki explained that as a mythical figure he was a “manifestation of stories… I have lived and died hundreds of times, retelling some version of the story of what is Loki.” Loki further explained that the current version of his back story was that he was born to an American couple in Accident, Maryland and that Odin then “quickly took me from them to ‘put the baby in its rightful place in Asgard.’ ” So he was a natural-born citizen and eligible to run for President.

Even if we believe this preposterous claim that basically allows Loki to alter his back story to suit his needs – a talent as useful for comic-book editors infatuated with retcons as it is for politicians who have something to hide; which is just about all of them – Loki’s new back story doesn’t help him as much as he thinks.

First there’s the question of whether Loki is still an American Citizen? Remember, he’s served as the ruler of Asgard on a few occasions. Usually by usurping the throne while Odin was in the Odinsleep or some other convenient plot device, but Loki has ruled Asgard.

Article 8, Section 1481 of The United States Code spells out several ways in which a citizen of the United States can lose his citizenship. Subsection (a)(4) of the code says a citizen shall “lose his nationality by voluntarily… accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years if he has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state.” So Loki’s stints as ruler of Asgard may be enough, under the United States Code, to say Loki lost his citizenship. And if he’s not a citizen of the United States, he can’t run for President.

There is a complication to this argument, the case of Afroyim v. Rusk  which we’ve talked about before. In that case, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled the Constitution does not grant Congress the authority to strip a person of his citizenship through a legislative act. Congress has the right to confer citizenship not take it away. The only way a citizen can lose citizenship is if the citizen voluntarily renounces it.

Some might argue that by voluntarily accepting the rulership of a foreign realm, an act Loki knew would result in him being expatriated, he also implicitly renounced his American citizenship. Doing something you know will cost you your citizenship is the same as saying you don’t want it. Others, including the Afroyim case, seem to disagree. The issue isn’t completely settled.

If the United States Code’s dictates cannot strip citizenship unless the citizen both accepts the foreign post and says he or she is renouncing his or her citizenship, Loki’s still a citizen. Loki didn’t even know he was an American Citizen until recently so he wouldn’t have known that he had any citizenship to renounce. Loki could still run for President.

Except that he couldn’t.

Even if Loki is still a natural-born citizen of the United States, he is not eligible to run for President. Jonah Jameson’s question concentrated on the first half of the paragraph in Article II Section 1 of the Constitution which sets out the necessary qualifications to be President. J.J.J. didn’t read far enough. After the paragraph gets done talking about natural-born citizens, it adds, “neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained the age of thirty five years [at several millennia, I think Loki’s more than meets that requirement] and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.” [Emphasis added] (By the way, that Y in Years was capitalized in the original. What can I say, English usage was different back in the days when they made the letter S look like the letter F.)

We’ll skip over the attained the age part. Loki’s millennia old, he just lies about his age. He’s more than old enough to be President. But fourteen years a resident? Now we’ve got him!

Remember in Loki’s new continuity he may have been born in the USA but he didn’t stay long. Odin “quickly came” and took the baby Loki up to Asgard. Since then Loki’s spent time in Asgard, he’s been banished to Hades, he’s been imprisoned in an Asgardian tree. He has, in fact, been banished to lots of places, and imprisoned in lots of other places.

Loki has spent some time on Earth and in America, frequently fighting Thor. But there were other stays in America; like when he was a member of the Young Avengers. That trip to America only lasted 15 issues; less than a month and one-half real-world time and probably only a fraction of that time in Marvel Universe time.

So, yes, Loki has spent some time on Earth, but is it enough time? Is it fourteen years? The entire modern Marvel universe beginning with Fantastic Four #1– Marvel may be forbidden from publishing the book but we can still talk about it – has only been ten years. Maybe a few more. Let’s say it’s been as much as fourteen years. But Loki – whichever version of the myth has come out to play this month – has not spent most of that time on Earth, let alone in the United States. So he hasn’t lived in the United States for 14 years and isn’t eligible to be President.

I wish someone from Earth 616 had come to me and talked out their Loki problem. I could have told them that if they just read a little farther in the Constitution they could have found the clause dictating that Loki couldn’t run for President. I couldn’t do anything to prevent the circus that was last year’s presidential election process here on our Earth. But it’s nice to think that, had they but asked, I could have helped the Marvel Universe avoid their own version of the Cirque du Soiled.

Martha Thomases: Obesity and Honesty

Roxane Gay’s new book, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body is a knock-out of a book. It kept me glued to my couch for a long weekend. I finished reading it about ten days ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

Does it have anything to do with comics? Well, Gay wrote a mini-series for Marvel. Beyond that, if you want to know more, you’ll have to keep reading.

In addition to being an accomplished author and journalist, Roxane Gay is, in her own words, a morbidly obese woman of color. Hunger is about what happened to her, how she got this way, and what it’s like to live the way she lives. It’s incredibly honest, so much so that I couldn’t look away, even as I squirmed in recognition.

I am not morbidly obese. Sure, I could drop twenty or thirty pounds to look more like the mannequins in the department stores, but I can pass. I am not a woman of color. As a Jew, my people have a history of persecution, but I can pass. Unlike Gay, I was not gang-raped when I was twelve years old. Because I have these privileges, I could sneer at her with my societally-approved advantages, but I can’t. I feel my own version of what she feels, and I went through my own version of what she went through.

Gay started to overeat because she wanted to make herself unattractive to men so she wouldn’t get attacked again. She knew that a woman who is overweight is considered to be ugly – and an ugly woman is invisible. By building a wall around herself, she would be safe.

Her descriptions of her experiences are harrowing. Strangers in the supermarket take away food from her shopping cart. People complain to airlines about having to sit next to her, even if she pays for two seats. Instead of taking her ideas seriously, critics comment on her looks. Everything about her life, good or bad, is dismissed by those who only see her size.

And then there are the people who think they are helping her. The people who tell her that maybe she doesn’t really want dessert. The people who suggest exercise. I can assure you that every woman in Western society who is larger than a Size 0 knows about diet and exercise.

Still, reading about her pain, the Jewish mother in me did want to lean in and offer Gay some advice. She talks about regularly starting (and giving up on) a diet-and-exercise plan, and my first suggestion is to uncouple those two things. Various eating systems have made me feel variously better and worse, but if I didn’t exercise, I would go mad. I don’t do work because I expect it to make me a fashion model or an Olympic athlete but because it keeps me sane. Working up a sweat on a regular basis burns up a lot of my hostility. My resting pulse is 48. I can’t claim I’m never angry or never hating, but it doesn’t burn me up inside.

Except I know that she is a different person than I am, and what works for me as a coping system might not work for her. I’ll try to shut up about that now.

Women obsess about our appearances because society consistently tells us that it is our most important duty. My mother used to beg me to lose weight, starting when I was twelve (5’ 3” and 113 pounds), telling me that “boys don’t like fat girls.” Even now, at 64 years of age, when I know that my life is about more than boys liking me, those thoughts won’t go away.

My mom (and Roxane’s) were only trying to teach their daughters how to get ahead. To succeed, we were told, a woman must be thin and fit and beautiful. That was difficult enough. Today, when society pays at least lip service to the idea of diversity, we are supposed to be not only thin and fit and beautiful but also, if we are not, to pretend that it doesn’t matter (even though it does).

It gets even more difficult at menopause. Not only can we no longer bear children, the only true purpose for the female life, and the reason we must be attractive to men, but biology conspires to make us more fat.

We can’t win.

I would like to be like Faith, the Valiant superhero who is large. She wears a skin-tight white costume that does nothing to conceal her size. She is strong and she can fly and she has an interesting life and, in her current incarnation, spends no time at all thinking about her looks or what she eats or how many calories she burns off.

Sure, she also catches bad guys and saves the world, but that’s not why she’s my hero.

Shout! Releases Guardians in September

Defenders of the world, unite! Brace yourselves for non-stop action and edge-of-your-seat thrills with a massive werebear, a man who can move mountains, a martial artist and a blademaster.  Alone, they are freaks. Together, they’re the Guardians. An ultra-stylish, high-octane superhero actioner by Sarik Andreasyan (American Heist), GUARDIANS makes its DVD debut as a Walmart exclusive on September 5, 2017 from Shout! Factory.  The Blu-ray (with digital download) will be available everywhere December 5, 2017.  Delivering a visceral thrill-ride that movie fans will highly enjoy, GUARDIANS DVD and Blu-ray™ boast English and Russian audio tracks, insightful bonus content and more!

Movie synopsis

During the Cold War, the secret organization “Patriot” created an elite squad of superheroes to defend the Soviet republic from threats far beyond the capabilities of mortal men. For years, these heroes hid in the shadows… but now, four must emerge to defend their homeland from a menace unlike any other they have faced before: the diabolical, power-hungry scientist Kuratov.

Wonder Woman Lassos a September DVD Date

Burbank, CA, August 10, 2017 – Celebrate the wonder when Wonder Woman arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. Gal Gadot returns as the DC Super Hero in the epic action adventure from director Patty Jenkins (Monster, The Killing).

The Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, and Blu-ray Combo Pack will include an all-new bonus scene never before seen in theaters.

Wonder Woman will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray for $44.95, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The Ultra HD Blu-ray features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc also featuring the theatrical version. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition and hi-definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack will include a digital version of the movie with UltraViolet.  Fans can also own Wonder Woman via purchase from digital retailers beginning August 29.

Additionally, all of the special features, including an all-new bonus scene, interviews with filmmakers, featurettes, and extended scenes, can be experienced in an entirely new, dynamic and immersive manner on tablets and mobile phones using the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App, available for both iOS and Android devices. When purchased digitally and redeemed on UltraViolet, the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App allows users to watch the movie and simultaneously experience synchronized content related to any scene, simply by rotating their device. Synchronized content is presented on the same screen while the movie is playing, thus enabling users to quickly learn more about any scene, such as actor biographies, scene locations, fun trivia, or image galleries. Also, users can share movie clips with friends on social media and experience other immersive content. The Movies All Access app is available for download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

The Blu-ray discs of Wonder Woman will feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

SYNOPSIS

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior.  Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

Joining Gadot in the international cast are Chris Pine (the Star Trek films), Robin Wright (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, House of Cards), Danny Huston (Clash of the Titans, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), David Thewlis (the Harry Potter films, The Theory of Everything), Connie Nielsen (The Following, Gladiator), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), Ewen Bremner (Exodus: Gods and Kings, Snowpiercer), Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead, Better Things), Lisa Loven Kongsli (upcoming Ashes in the Snow), Eugene Brave Rock (Hell on Wheels) and Saïd Taghmaoui (American Hustle).

The film was produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder and Richard Suckle, with Stephen Jones, Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, Wesley Coller and Rebecca Steel Roven serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures, an Atlas Entertainment/Cruel and Unusual production, Wonder Woman. The film is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive content.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

Wonder Woman Ultra HD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and Blu-ray Combo Pack contain the following special features:

  • Epilogue: Etta’s Mission – Etta Candy gets the boys back together for a secret mission that could impact humanity’s future.
  • Crafting the Wonder – Wonder Woman finally comes to life in her first, breathtaking solo film. Explore the journey to create an adventure worthy of DC’s greatest warrior.
  • A Director’s Vision: Themyscira: The Hidden Island
  • A Director’s Vision: Beach Battle
  • A Director’s Vision: A Photograph Through Time
  • A Director’s Vision: Diana in the Modern World
  • A Director’s Vision: Wonder Woman at War
    • Join director Patty Jenkins as she takes you on an exclusive journey through “Wonder Woman’s” most pivotal and exciting moments
  • Warriors of Wonder Woman – Witness the creation of the Amazon army as the women of “Wonder Woman” transform emotionally and physically into the world’s most powerful and heroic warriors.
  • The Trinity – Filmmakers and comic book creators explore the legend of Wonder Woman and how she stands shoulder to shoulder with Superman and Batman to create the pillars of the DC Universe.
  • The Wonder Behind the Camera – Meet the women behind the wonder as they welcome a group of aspiring filmmakers on set for an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
  • Finding the Wonder Woman Within – Feel the power of Wonder Woman as award-winning poets and inspiring public figures reveal the impact and importance of DC’s greatest heroine.
  • Extended Scenes
  • Blooper Reel

Wonder Woman Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:

  • Crafting the Wonder
  • A Director’s Vision: Themyscira: The Hidden Island
  • A Director’s Vision: Beach Battle
  • A Director’s Vision: A Photograph Through Time
  • A Director’s Vision: Diana in the Modern World
  • A Director’s Vision: Wonder Woman at War
  • Warriors of Wonder Woman –
  • The Trinity
  • The Wonder Behind the Camera
  • Finding the Wonder Woman Within
  • Extended Scenes
  • Blooper Reel

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

On August 29, Wonder Woman will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers. On September 19, Wonder Woman will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

ABOUT DIGITAL

*With digital, fans can watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. The digital movie is included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. Consumers can instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services like CinemaNow, Flixster Video, Vudu and more. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a  digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.

BASICS

PRODUCT                           SRP

Ultra HD Blu-ray              $44.95
3D Blu-ray Combo Pack  $44.95
Blu-ray                                $35.99
DVD Amaray (WS)            $28.98
Standard Street Date: September 19, 2017
EST Street Date: August 29, 2017
DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Canadian French
BD Subtitles: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
Running Time: 141 minutes
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive content.
DOLBY ATMOS   DLBY/DGTL   [CC]

Chris Pratt talks Making Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 sees the return of the universe’s favorite band of intergalactic misfits. Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, the movie’s thrilling storyline follows the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians – Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and Bradley Cooper as Rocket – must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.

To celebrate the in-home release of the blockbuster sequel digitally on HD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Disney Movies Anywhere this week, and physically on 4K Ultra HD™ Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on August 22, we catch up with Chris Pratt – who plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord – to find out more on the making of the action-packed Marvel movie…

The in-home release of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is packed with exclusive bonus material, including four deleted scenes. What do you think of the deleted action?

Whenever I watch deleted scenes, I think they are really interesting – but it’s always abundantly clear why the scene is not in the movie. Very rarely have I seen a deleted scene where I’ve thought, ‘You know what? If this scene was in the movie, the movie would be better.’ It’s always fun to see them, though. As a collaborator – as one of the guys who worked on this movie – you certainly feel these phantom limb pains for scenes that you expected to see that have been cut. You think, ‘Oh, man… I really would have liked to have seen that scene.’

Which of the deleted scenes from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 stands out the most for you?

There’s a scene with a statue that was cut from the movie, and I know exactly why the scene doesn’t work in the movie. Originally, Quill was going to be really excited to go and see Ego. That was in the script – but it wasn’t until we did additional photography that we determined Quill would be a little cynical about it and that Gamora would have to change his mind. We adjusted a few things to deepen the story in additional photography, and the scene with the statue didn’t work.

What can you tease about the deleted scene with the statue?

What can I tease? Well, Ego built the statue for us. It was essentially of Peter Quill as Star-Lord; he is larger than life and all the other Guardians are really, really small. Quill looks at it and says, “It’s perfect!” It’s a fun, funny scene – but then we developed the story and it didn’t work. It’s exciting to know that audiences will finally be able to see it now.

Peter Quill is an iconic Marvel superhero. What makes a good hero?

A good hero is unselfish. A good hero has a willingness to sacrifice one’s own self, own health and own happiness for the benefit of others. A good hero is somebody who, without complaint, puts on a uniform and goes to work to protect a country, to protect a street, to coach kids.

Directing Chris Pratt

Who is your biggest hero?

Man, I’ve got a lot of heroes. My biggest hero is probably my brother, Cully. He’s a law enforcement officer and he was a big part of raising me in my household. He always protected me and nurtured me. He always made me feel really confident in myself. I credit so much of my life to his nurturing as a brother.

That’s amazing…

It’s true. I got really lucky. I have a great family. I have a great sister, a great mom and a great dad – but specifically my brother. He’s a big hero to me.

What other heroes are in your life?

I also love the men and women in the armed services. I have a couple of friends who are spec operators [in the special operations forces] who have been through hell and back – but they would never brag about it. They are quiet professionals who have made countless sacrifices for a cause they believe in.

As a child, Peter Quill’s hero was David Hasselhoff. Who was your biggest hero when you were growing up?

Sylvester Stallone was my idol back then. I loved Rambo. I had a Rambo knife. I had his survival kit. I loved Rambo, man. I loved First Blood. I told him that behind the stage of the theater at the premiere in Los Angeles. I got that fan moment out of the way.

Didn’t you get to work with Sylvester Stallone on the set of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2?

Personally, I didn’t have any scenes with Sly – but it’s been a real pleasure to meet him. I had a really surreal moment backstage at the premiere, which is where I met him for the very first time. I did that thing that everyone inevitably does, which is you have a fan moment with somebody. You swear you’re never going to do that – but I think the only way to be really authentic is to address the fact that you’re a fan. Immediately afterwards, you try to quickly move beyond that. You try to swiftly move into a working relationship of two peers, two collaborators, two artists or two actors; two people who can look at each other as equals. Not that I look at myself as Sly’s equal.

How difficult is it to work with your idols?

When you have an interaction with somebody as a fan, you put them into a category – but I don’t want to be considered somebody’s fan when I’m working with them. I can be a fan of their work – but it’s important to me to get that out of the way as quickly as possible in order to try and build an authentic relationship based on mutual respect. That’s how I deal with it.

Another icon in the movie is David Hasselhoff. What was it like to have ‘The Hoff’ on the set of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2?

Man, it was awesome. It was really cool! To be honest, it was pretty surreal to have him on set – but he was really gracious and nice. He was happy to be there, but we were all just as thrilled that it all worked out. It was great.

How does David Hasselhoff compare to Ego as a father?

It turns out that Ego is not Quill’s Hasselhoff – but in the grand scheme of things, I don’t think anyone can ever really be the Hasselhoff. It’s really hard for anyone to live up to the expectations we build around people when we long for them. Whether it’s a girlfriend, an absent father or an idol, we often build up these people in our heads and it becomes impossible for anyone to live up to them – let alone an egocentric planet hell-bent on the destruction of the universe.

Music is integral to the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies. What does music mean to you?

You’re right… Music is a huge part of this movie. It’s funny because I feel like music and light are two things that have a profound effect on me – but I often fail to manipulate either to make a situation better. My wife will come home and she will adjust the lighting – and I’ll look around and say, “This room is so much better. Why didn’t I think to do that?” For me, it’s the same with music. I sometimes forget to play music. Someone will play a song and I’ll go, “I love this song. Why wasn’t I playing anything?”

What music do you rate?

My go-to is country music – and I like it, but I’m not a great DJ or anything like that. I’m a fan of music and I love music, but I’m not somebody who has an intimate connection with music in that way.

If you could add any song to the Awesome Mixtape #2, what would it be?

I really like the idea of adding [Kenny Loggins’] Highway To The Danger Zone to the Mixtape. I feel like Peter Quill would’ve been a fan of Top Gun. And as a pilot, I feel like he’d pump himself up to that song. I’ve pictured the scene a couple times – but I think it’s perhaps too ‘movie iconic’. Maybe it will make it into the third movie? I think that could be cool.

Gag Reel

At the end of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, there is a fun scene with Teen Groot. Take us behind the scenes and explain what that was like to shoot?

I thought that scene was really cool. It was very different and original. I love the idea of adolescent Groot being a little jerk. I don’t remember if it was written into the script as a post-credits scene or if it was something we improvised together, but it was interesting to work on. There was an actor on set playing out Groot’s movements; I believe it was Sean Gunn, but I’m not sure. That scene felt like a glimpse into the future. Possibly.

Dennis O’Neil: Deadlines and Ducks

My old friend Danny Fingeroth has nothing to do with the subject of this column, at least I don’t think he has, but we are at the beginning and, you never know maybe some absolutely brilliant idea will occur any second now, an idea with Danny’s name graven on it in fiery letters as big as the cosmos, in which case, I guess, that’s what’d I’d write about.

Hey idea, I’m waiting.

Okay, to hell with you, idea.

And onward. I wanted to get in touch with Mr. Fingeroth because he often knows things I don’t and I wanted to fact-check myself on an assignment that I blew (I think) but I don’t care to scramble names/dates and such. We are, by thunder, in the truth telling business here, citizens (and therefore are not qualified for a job in politics. We’ll live with it.) The immediate problem here is, I want to telephone Danny and people don’t always instantly answer emails and so communication by computer is iffy, leaving the alternative of the phone. But I’ve misplaced Danny’s Rolodex card. Just like me!

Do we have a topic yet, or are we just blathering?

Okay, if the cupboard is bare open the pantry.

What I was hoping to get confirmed by the encyclopedic Mr. F was an article being prepared by another magazine, the ancient kind made of paper and ink (though I do think it has a web presence and don’t I wish that Dan was here to confirm that?!) The editor of this publication was seeking anecdotal information about deadlines and, having been dueling with deadlines on and off since I was a wet-behind-the-ears journalist back in southeast Missouri I thought, sure, I can knock out volumes of copy – both pro and con – about deadlines, so clear the way to the computer!

But I didn’t. One reason might be that, as a general policy, we don’t sling mud in this venue and the ripest of my deadline tales would entail doing just that. Sure, I could and would omit proper nouns or use pseudonyms but my readers are extremely astute and would effortlessly see through such a paltry stratagem and probably think less of me for trying to perpetrate it. And the most egregious deadline flaunters, well…I’m sure others have stories, too, and don’t need mine.

Not that I myself am completely innocent in this matter. I once thought I was and mentioned this in a conversation with the late and beloved Archie Goodwin who was my editor at the time. Archie gently rectified me. I was, indeed, a chronic deadline misser. I always got assignments done in time to keep their dates with the presses, but I was not as prompt as, living in a fool’s paradise, I believed I was. I was, in short, a dumb cluck.

And here we are almost 500 words into whatever this is and still no topic. Feh! And cluck cluck cluck!

 

 

 

Mike Gold: My Timey-Wimey Toddlin’ Town

Well, last Sunday my pal John Ostrander did a lovely and quite informative column around his inability to come up with a topic. And tomorrow, my pal Denny O’Neil has an equally interesting column addressing the same basic issue. So, damn, I’d look pretty lame if I pulled the same stunt today, wouldn’t I?

Yeah, I know. I should be used to that.

So, instead of impressing you with my astonishing ability to wax on for 591 words about how there’s an echo chamber between my ears – it’s August; there’s supposed to be an echo chamber between my ears… or, at least, the Attica! chant – I’m going to write up a couple of paragraphs about a comic book show I’ll be doing in 15 days. Stream of consciousness, to paraphrase Kris Kristofferson, means you have nothing left to lose.

Danny Fingeroth, who’s name will magically reappear in Denny’s column tomorrow, finally found the one way to get me out to Chicago’s Wizard World show August 24 – 27. No, it’s not the availability of that wondrous delight, the Italian beef sammich. I get back to Chicago three or four times a year, so that’s not quite a deal maker.

No, Danny suggested we do a panel about America’s first mammoth Doctor Who convention, held as part of the Chicago Comicon (since sold to Wizard World) way back in 1982. Larry Charet, who, along with Bob Weinberg and me, were sponsors of the Comicon back then and Doctor Who had pretty much just taken a serious hold among American geekdom. We massively underestimated the number of folks who would be interested in attending… by… well… a lot. We made the Chicago Fire Department nervous, which, historically, is a dick move. We made the American Nazi Party nervous as well, but you’ll have to attend our panel in order to find out why.

I believe this was one of the first, if not the first, Doctor Who show that attracted the attention of a 15-year old named John Barrowman, who had been living in nearby Joliet Illinois at the time. John also will be a guest at Wizard World, so hopefully, I’ll be able to find out. Not that we’re taking credit for inspiring the man who became Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and on Torchwood… but, with him no longer part of Arrow (at least for the time being), maybe the good folks at BBC-Wales can get him back to the timey-wimey stuff.

Of course, going home for Wizard World puts me back in the neighborhood of a hell of a lot of friends, as well as a gaggle of good folks that I haven’t pissed off for a while. Writers, artists, retailers, media folks, actors, broadcasters – it’s a fun place to be. And I’ve always had a great time at Wizard World Chicago, even though it’s actually in Rosemont Illinois, a town sandwiched in between the City of Chicago and the Airport of O’Hare. If you go there, check out Rosemont’s water tower and, if there are children around, try not to laugh out loud.

A month later, I’ll be at the Baltimore Comic-Con, one of my favorites. A damn good show run by damn good people.

That’s the reason we started these big comic book shows. Friendship, seeing people from all over the planet and making rude and obnoxious comments about the high price of stabbed comic books.

At least, we think those are comic books in there. Outside of the cover… who knows?

Box Office Democracy: The Dark Tower

I wonder if it bothers Stephen King that his 54 novels and 200 short stories have produced exactly one great movie.  (Two if you count The Shining, and you probably shouldn’t, considering the very public feud between author and director.)  We have the greatest pulp author of a generation, perhaps of all time, and he just keeps sending his ideas off to Hollywood to die.  I don’t mean to turn the man in to too much of a martyr; he keeps cashing the checks, so he knows what this is.  But to see The Dark Tower, the sprawling thirty year epic he wrote threading through so much of his work, turn in to a pale reflection on the silver screen must sting worse than most.  The Dark Tower is probably the best attempt we’ll ever see to turn a 4,000 page story in to a 90 minute movie, but also maybe no one should ever try that again.  There just isn’t room for any nuance.

I’ve never read any of the Dark Tower novels and I’ve never felt particularly tempted.  I understand that this movie is a sequel of sorts to the books and also that it tries to tell a fair bit of the overarching plot of the novels in this 95 minute movie.  I don’t understand how both of those things can be true but there’s no possible way this is a reasonable adaptation of eight Stephen King novels, that man writes a dense book.  I appreciate that this isn’t anything like the Peter Jackson Hobbit movies and they didn’t turn this in to an endless stream of movies with endless amounts of exposition until I feel like I’ve been ground to dirt.  The Dark Tower, for all of its other faults, has a sense of tempo that is lost with books by directors that make movies like an overly defensive book report needing to prove they did the reading.  I always felt The Dark Tower wanted to get to the next scene and wanted to be entertaining.  It didn’t always succeed but it was trying.

Of course, I can’t tell you anything about what this movie was about.  There’s the eponymous tower and it’s good that it’s there but some bad guys who are basically all Vincent D’Onofrio from Men In Black are trying to use psychic children to destroy the tower.  The first half of the movie has a fairly compelling plot about family and trust but that just completely falls away.  It ends up just being a boy (Tom Taylor) hanging out with The Gunslinger (Idris Elba) in a barren dessert world that looks an awful lot like a studio backlot but according to the credits was South Africa.  Occasionally an evil sorcerer (Matthew McConaughey) will turn up and make everything interesting but they try to keep him as far away from the action as they can.  Probably because it’s all building to a confrontation that takes less than three minutes.

Matthew McConaughey seems like he was basically born to play a slick Stephen King villain.  He has the honeyed way of American speaking that I always tried to do in my head when someone was trying to talk someone in to giving up their soul for a trinket or whatever.  He’s playing a rather generic villain here, I presume because the intricacies of licensing made The Man in Black a little smaller than his literary equivalent (I don’t know how I know so much about this character despite never reading the books but here we are).  He shows up to be menacing and he backs up his bluster by being very mean to his subordinates and characters who are no longer useful.  He’s like a Saturday morning cartoon villain that can actually kill people.

Idris Elba is a talented actor given no chance to act.  The Gunslinger is every gruff hero you’ve ever seen in anything ever.  He doesn’t want to form emotional attachments and he doesn’t want to talk about why that is.  He’s very good at shooting things and there’s solid work given to showcasing that talent but it’s a waste of Idris Elba.  All they needed from Elba was a look and while he looks amazing (he’s a handsome man) there’s no there there.

I’ve seen something like 250 movies since I started reviewing them in 2012 and I’ve learned a little bit about good movies and a lot about bad movies.  The Dark Tower is a bad movie but it’s a great bad movie.  It isn’t excruciating to watch, it has the sense to be short, and there’s always something to pay attention to even if the story is bland nonsense.  They put a giant amusement park sign that said “Pennywise” and I was on edge for a whole scene that had literally no other content.  The Dark Tower is the kind of bad movie that you can walk out of feeling refreshed, remarking to yourself that it “wasn’t really as bad as people said” and while it might not be true it feels better than the movies where you can’t wait for the lights to come up.

Joe Corallo: Robots vs. Princesses vs. Kickstarter

I know I’ve been talking a lot about Kickstarter projects lately. Some have reached their goal, like Unmasked Volume 2. Some still need your support, like The Meatspace Omnibus. This week, I’m discussing a Kickstarter project from Todd Matthy, who’s learned a lot since his last Kickstarter.

I met Todd some years ago and picked up his self-published comic, Wicked Game, drawn by co-creator Roderic Rodriguez back in 2014. Since then, I’ve seen Todd at many local conventions working on other self-published projects.

For the last couple of years his focus has been on Robots vs. Princesses, a comic with art by Nicolas Chapuis and letters by Sean Rinehart. It’s a very “what you see is what you get” kind of title. The premise is that there are princesses banning together against robots. Specifically, Princess Zara wants to find a baby dragon, but on her quest runs into a robot. Now she and the other surrounding princesses have to defend themselves against the encroaching robot army.

It’s a mash-up of fairy tale story telling with giant robot anime. Todd is particularly passionate about this project as he’s an elementary school teacher who wants more comics that are accessible to younger audiences while still being interesting to adults.

Todd Matthy got a write up for Robots vs. Princesses in Bleeding Cool back in 2015 and got praise from comics professionals like Mark Waid and Kristen Gudsnuk. After getting some pages done, alternate covers from artists including Sean Von Gorman, and getting another MoCCA Fest under his belt, Todd went to Kickstarter in May of 2016 to fund the four issues that make up Robots vs. Princesses. The goal was $18,362. Unfortunately, that campaign ended with $2,875 raised ­– which meant that it could not move forward.

However… that was not the end of Robots vs. Princesses.

Anyone who’s done a Kickstarter that’s come up short, or gotten a rejection from a publisher knows that it can be discouraging. And just because you do everything right doesn’t mean you’re going to get what you want. Over the past year, Todd has gone to more shows, has made more progress with the comic, started a newsletter to build his up his base, and reworked the rest of his strategy going forward.

On July 25th, Todd took to Kickstarter once again for Robots vs. Princesses. This time the goal is more modest. Instead of trying to fund all four issues, this campaign is just looking to fund the first issue. The goal is down to $2,500 for the first issue. Seeing as the first attempt made over $2,500 this was a good goal and a safe bet. That safe bet has paid off spectacularly with this Kickstarter already about 75% of its goal with over two weeks left.

Not every comic Kickstarter is a big success. Not every comic gets picked up right away. Todd Matthy could have easily packed it in and called it a day after not getting funded in his first attempt like countless other creators have in the past. He didn’t. He sucked it up, took the time to reorganize and roll out a different strategy and it’s working. Patience is something that is required for anyone that wants to break into comics and it’s a trait that Todd possesses. Go check out his Kickstarter and see what an elementary school teacher is doing to make a passion project come to life for young readers.

Tune in next week when I (hopefully) am able to shamelessly plug a project that I’ll be involved in. Same Bat time. Same Bat channel.

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