Random Movie Thoughts 2004

Here are some random thoughts on Movies Coming Out This Year...

• "Alien vs Predator" could be like when the two baddest guys in school fought... it wasn't pretty but ya just had to go watch.
  
  
• "Catwoman" starring Halle Berry should have been a winner. The buzz on it is terrible and looking at her outfit you can see why.
  
  
• "The Stepford Wives" doesn't do much for me, but then again neither did the original. Maybe it will surprise me but I'm not counting on it.
  
  
• M. Knight Shyamalan's "The Village" is getting a mixed reception so far, but it's still early and Shyamalan's past track record is excellent. I hoping for really good things.
  
  
• "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of..." -- I've yet to see the others, so this one is below my radar.
  
  
• "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" is the movie I'm most anticipating at this point. [Well, except for "Shade"... and "The Chronicles of Riddick"]. This could be the surprise hit of the season.
  
  
• "Collateral" teams Michael Mann and Tom Cruise. This should be excellent, but the story doesn't thrill me... or maybe it's the casting of Jamie Fox.
  
  
• "I, Robot" has potential... Will Smith in a movie based on an Issac Assimov story directed by Alex ["Dark City" and "The Crow"] Proyas? Yeah, count me in.
  
  
• "Kill Bill, Volume 2" is said to be more like the Tarantino of old. I'll be there hoping that's true.
  
  
• "Troy" is hoping to live up to "Gladiator" [not to mention Homer's "The IIiad"] and Brad Pitt is leading the way. Ya just gotta support the gladiator revivial. ; )
  
  
• "Ladykillers" teams the Cohen Brothers and Tom Hanks. This one looks strange. Well, what'd ya expect?
  
  
• "The Chronicles of Riddick" is the movie I'm most anticipating at this point [Well, except for "Shade"... and "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"]. Hmmm... where have you heard that before.
  
  
• "The Incredibles" is from Brad ["The Iron Giant"] Bird and Pixar. You just know it's going to be fun.
  
  
• "Starsky and Hutch" looks like fun, but I bet I'll wait for a rental.
  
  
• "Spider-Man 2" looks to be the box office champ. The buzz is even better than the first.
  
  
• "The Manchurian Candidate" is an updating of the cold war thriller and stars Denzel Washington and Meryl Strepp. When was the last time I was looking forward to a Meryl Streep movie?
  
  
• "Shrek 2" - I guess I should see the first one first.
  
  
• "Alexander" -[Ya just gotta support the gladiator revivial. ; ) ] and this one stars Colin Farrell and is directed by Oliver Stone!
  
  
• "King Arthur" - remember what I said about gladiator movies? Well, this one isn't one!
  
  
• "Dawn of the Dead" is a retelling of the George Romero classic. I'll be there, but still wonder why Romero isn't doing another...
  
  
• "Hellboy" is the movie I'm most anticipating at this point [Well, except for "Shade"... and "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow".. and... aw... nevermind...]
  
  
• "Van Helsing" will be out soon. It has sooo much potential.... but then again so did Halle Berry in "Catwoman."
  

The Rock Can Walk

Ok, I admit it. I was wrong.

I thought that The Rock starring in a remake of "Walking Tall" was a bad idea.

The Rock was, pardon the expression, on a roll.

Think about it... great reviews for his small role in "The Mummy Returns." Then a prequel about his character "The Scorpion King." And then The Rock totally wows everyone with the very good and very underrated "The Rundown."

But The Rock starring as a backwater sheriff who carries a two-by-four to fight Southern Mobsters?

No way that could work. Right? Wrong.

The trailer looks good and they've updated and changed the story to fit The Rock. And with his charisma, I think it'll work.

Check out the trailer and let me know...

... am I wrong?

Hellboy & The Goon Team Up

If someone asked you to name some great team-ups you might think of Abbott and Costello... Batman and Robin... Bogie and Bacall... Hellboy and The Goon...

Wait a minute! Hellboy and The Goon?

But hey've never teamed up... Oh yeah, you guessed it fanboy...

Hellboy and The Goon are teaming up in Goon #7 which ships in June from Dark Horse Comics. Click [HERE] for full details.

Now how cool is that?

Cool enough that I'd call my local comic shop and reserve a copy or two now

Even Another New Dawn

If you're excited about the re-make of "Dawn of the Dead, you're really going to love this...

Steve Niles [30 Days of Night] and Chee [Wake the Dead] are teaming up for a three issue comic adaptation of the original "Dawn of the Dead" to bel be released in April.

Niles says the only liberties that he's taking will be where the film makers were hampered by budget constraints.

Niles said that when he was asked about doing the adaptation, there was no trepidation. "I'm so excited that I've been asked to do this. This was such an important movie in my life."

If you're a fan of Niles' comics and novels, then you know that's true... and will serve to make the adaptation even better. You can read the complete interview here... and remember to watch for the the "Dawn of the Dead" mini-series to start in April.

A New Dawn

One of my all-time favorite movies is George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead."

In fact I enjoyed all his "... of the Dead" series ["Dawn of the Dead" "Day of the Dead"], including the remake of "Night of the Living Dead" that he didn't direct.

While none were near the classic level of the first, they were all still a lot of fun.

That's why I'm looking forward to the "Dawn of the Dead" remake starring Ving Rhames. The trailer was pretty cool and the poster is as well. And I'm thinking that while it may not be a classic, I'll bet it's a lot of fun.

Charlie Hustle Deserves a Shot

Pete Rose should be given an opportunity to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose holds 19 Major League records, including the All-time Major League records for most career hits - 4,256 and most games played - 3,562.

Why is Rose not in? Because as a manager he gambled on baseball. Although he never bet against his team and never threw a game, gamblling on baseball when you're a player or manager is against the rules.

Did Rose deserve to be punished? Yes, and he has been.

Rose's book, My Prison Without Bars, details just how much he's been punished.

As a manager, Rose broke the rules and perhaps the ban should be for life... but, the records that he set were as a player and it is because of these records that he deserves the opportunity to be voted into the Hall of Fame.

That's That About That

If you like The Sopranos, The Godfather, or Wiseguy, then you probably should check out ABC's new drama, Line of Fire.

It's on Tuesday nights at 10pm and follows the lives of FBI agents and the underworld criminals they have sworn to take down.

Line of Fire has an interesting structure in that it shows how the mobsters' lives parallel those of the agents after them. The show is well written, well directed and well cast. I've watched every episode since the first and it just keeps getting better.

"And that's that about that."

Til Ink Dries Do Us Part

Seems that Britney Spears and her new husband, Jason Alexander, have already decided to call it quits.

That's right! It's being reported that all the annulment papers had been signed by both Spears and Alexander and are expected to be filed when the courts open today.

So much for until Death Do Us Part... this one didn't even last until the ink had dried on the marriage contract!

Waiting for Mackey

The 3rd season of one of the best shows on tv, The Shield, won't premiere until March!

Man, that really stinks. Especially when you consider that most series started their new seasons last September. At least the second season will be out on dvd this month.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have the series take the time needed to keep up the consistantly high quality. And when March rolls around, I'll be there every Tuesday night at 10 watching Vic Mackey and the rest of the Strike Force.

Britney Off the Market

The crying that you hear is from single guys around the world...Britney Spears married her childhood friend, Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas strip early yesterday.

While I'm sure Seinfield jokes will abound, the fact that Britney got married is not.

And that somehow seems as surprising as "The Crocodile Hunter" holding his one month old in his arm as he went in to feed a huge croc.

Crock Hunter is Like Mike

Remember all the flack that Michael Jackson got when he held his baby over the balcony? Well, Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin may be in for more of the same.

On January 1st, "The Crocodile Hunter" held his one month old in his arm as he went in to feed a huge croc.

A lot of people are outraged -- and rightly so. Irwin even received a warning from child-care authorities.

Talk about stupid. It's one thing to put yourself in potentially dangerous situations - but it's indefensible to do the same to children.

"Must See" DVD

Alright, since we've looked at the theatrical releases for 2004, why not take a look at dvds coming out in January?

The collector's edition for Alien Resurrection finally makes its premiere and will find a home in my collection. I'll also be picking up The Wind and the Lion with a director's commentary by John Millius and down the road I'll add The Shield's second season, Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Since I didn't catch them on their theatrical releases, I'll rent Out of Time, Open Range and House of the Dead before deciding if they'll make their way into my collection.

January 2004 looks to be a good month for dvd collectors... and who knows what the other 11 months will add? You will if you keep reading the ZONE!

Must-See Movies 2004

As the first day of 2004 winds down I find myself looking at what new movies the year will bring.

January has three potentially fun movies Torque, Mindhunters and The Butterfly Effect. None of these are on my "must-see" list, but all look like an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

In February there's only two movies that may draw me out, and they are Kill Bill Vol. 2 and The Passion of Christ. It's pretty strange that these would open in the same month and that they'd both make my list, since they're on opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm really hoping for great things for Mel Gibson and The Passion.

Dawn of the Dead, and The Ladykillers will fight it out in March. My nod, at this point is to see the zombies first.

Shade is set to open sometime in the Spring and you just know I'll be there on opening day! The buzz has been very positive on this one, so I hope that its given an opportunity to live up to the hype.

Hellboy premieres the first week of April and I plan to see it that weekend. Another movie based on a comic, The Punisher, opens later that month, but the buzz on it isn't nearly as good... still one can hope. The Alamo might be a winner... at least it has a better chance than the real folks who fought there. Themovie to beat in April, at least at this point, is probably Man on Fire. The buzz on this one is, pardon the expression, hot.

May gets us ready for the big summer films, so it's approrpriate that both Van Helsing and Troy open. Both of these could be huge. As could The Day After Tomorrow.

June has just one must-see movie for me and that is The Riddick Chronicles. Oh, how I hope this lives up to Pitch Black!

July has the fireworks and Spider-Man Two [which by all accounts is even much better than the first!], I, Robot, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Village. Spider-Man 2 should bust all kinds of box office records.

August has the title match of the century [at least until Rocky returns to the ring] with Aliens vs Predator. Blade: Trinity opens and I'm hoping for it to be more like Blade 2 than Blade.

There's no definite release date yet for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, but I can tell you that I plan to see it the opening weekend whenever it premieres.

Things really slow down in September -- there's nothing at this point on my list!

October is only a little better with Michael Mann and Tom Cruise teaming up for Collateral.

Things pick up again with two movies in November. Oliver Stone directs Colin Farrell in Alexander. Brad Bird's The Incredibles also premieres.

December finds Oceans Twelve, The Aviator, and Meet the Fockers all competing for our viewing dollars.

With all of these movies coming out... I'd better get some rest. It looks to be a busy year.

You Are About to Enter the Nyuk, Nyuk ZONE

I have always loved New Year's Eve.

For the last few years, I've made it a point to tune in to the SciFi channel's Twilight Zone Marathon. It's a great way to pass the time while visiting with friends and family or even as background "noise" while doing other things. Plus, it's fun to re-watch classics like "Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?" - "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and "To Serve Man."

This year I'll be flipping over to AMC part of the time though. They're running a 3 Stooges Marathon! Check out "Cash and Carry" - "Dizzy Detectives" - "Disorder in the Court" or any of the shorts that AMC is running.

Have a safe and happy New Year and let's hope that YOUR evening doesn't turn into something out of a Twilight Zone episode or a Three Stooges' short!

Do I Have Your Confidence

I finally got a chance to see "Confidence" which is directed by James Foley and stars Edward Burns, Rachael Weisz, Morris Chestnut, Luis Guzmán, DustinHoffman, Andy Garcia, and Robert Forrester.

"Confidence" is the story of some mid-level grifters who accidently rip-off a mobster. When they discover their mistake, he's already on to them. Their only hope is to get him his money back by pulling off a major scam under the watchful eye of the police, the mobster, and a special agent hot on their trail.

Doug Jung's excellent script is full of twists and everything in this movie worked for me; the direction, the acting, the music, the cinematography... everything. Special mention should be given to Dustin Hoffman -- he's just perfect in his role as the mobster who was swindled and Rachael Weisz -- she's perfect for her role as well and has never looked more attractive.

You ought to check out this film. It's really good. Trust me, I wouldn't con you.

"Confidence" rates an A

Art of Hellboy

As most of you know, I'm a big fan of Mike Mignola's Hellboy. The comics, novels and short stories [including the spinoffs] and even the calendar are all above average to excellent each time out.

Despite Big Beatty's complaints about Hellboy's voice, I'm really looking forward to the movie as well. Mignola has had a hand in almost every aspect of getting it to the big screen. Guillermo del Toro ["Blade II," which I loved] is directing and he and Mignola seem in sync. They've got Ron Perlman [their first choice] as Hellboy...

So what could make the anticipation for "Hellboy" the movie even greater?

How 'bout a Hellboy: the Art of the Movie hardback for less than eighteen bucks?

Did You Know...

Did you know...

,,, German poet Heinrich Heine left everything to his wife in 1856 on the condition that she remarried, "so that there will be at least one man to regret my death"

... Elvis Presley once entered an Elvis Presley lookalike contest but came third

... "Come, come - why, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..." -was what American Civil War general John Sedgwick said just before he was shot

... The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the US

.. You'd know all of these things and more just by reading this interesting article!

Christmas Eve Thoughts

As the hour quickly approaches for ole Saint Nick to arrive, I want to tell you a few things before I hustle off to sleep with dreams of what the morning will bring.

JoBlo has the first official pic for "The Riddick Chronicles." I'm really hoping that this one lives up to my expectations.

There aren't many foods that I dislike... except for beets and fruitcake. You can imagine my surprise that anyone likes fruitcake... but why in the world would Jay Leno want to eat a piece that was 125 years old?

Comic artists and comic companies usually send out the coolest Christmas cards.

Neil Vokes has a cool project coming out next year. You can find out about it from the ground floor by clicking [HERE].

Christmas will be upon us in less than an hour. I hope this message finds all ZONErs happy and healthy and surrounded by loved ones. I hope that each of you gets what you most desire or at the very least avoids getting what you don't want.

best,

Craig

Goon or Bust

I've been a fan of Eric Powell and his creation "The Goon" since Eric first started self-publishing it a few years ago.

I talked it up as each issue came out... and again when Eric put out each Goon trade paperback... and again when Dark Horse picked up the series. Well, I'm talking it up again since Dark Horse is providing a free on-line preview of The Goon! Check it out, and if you've never picked up an issue, you'll see what you've been missing [and what I've been yapping about all these years]!

And by the way, isn't that the coolest Goon bust?

Village Lacks Buzz

M Night Shyamalan has a great batting average. He's written and directed three major films ["The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," and "Signs"] and most fans really like at least two of them.

That's why I'm not too concerned that the buzz on his next movie, "The Village" hasn't been all that great.

The trailer's on-line now. Watch it and see what you think.

Mindhunters

Renny Harlin is one of those directors that fans either love or hate. Val Kilmer seems to get a similar reaction from fans for his acting.

Combine the two of them and throw in LL Cool J, Christian Slater, and a screenpay about eight FBI profilers stranded on an island with a serial killer... And we end up with a movie called "Manhunters" ... one that fans will either love or hate. [And for the record... I don't love the poster, but did enjoy the trailer!]

Riddick... Uneasy Feelings

"The Riddick Chronicles" trailer is now up and I've got mixed emotions about it. There's some cool stuff with Diesel as Riddick, the design and look of the film works, but... the tone has changed big time from "Pitch Black." This could be a good thing since Twohy and Diesel are taking the character into a larger universe... still, I feel a bit uneasy... probably because I loved "Pitch Black" so much.

Denzel is on Fire

"Man on Fire" looks to be a winner. Denzel Washington stars as an ex-government operative who reluctantly agrees to bodyguard a child. When she's abducted, his rage is unleashed on those responsible...

Works for me... especially since the screenplay was written by Brian Helgeland ["Mystic River," "Payback," "L.A. Confidential"], directed by Tony Scott ["Revenge," "The Last Boy Scout," "True Romance"] and co-stars Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.

Keep An Eye Out

Every now and again a movie will sneak up on me.

I just discovered the "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". Check out the trailer and I'll bet you'll agree - this movie looks to be a cross between the old Fleischer Superman cartoons, The Iron Giant, The Shadow, The Rocketeer and all of those old movie serials that Bill Black loves!

The movie is written and directed by Kerry Conran [the name's new to me] and stars Jude Law as the Sky Captain, Gwyneth Paltrow as reporter Polly Perkins, Angelina Jolie as the eyepatch wearing Capt. Franky Cook, and Giovanni Ribisi as Dex.

I'm, let's hope Angelina Jolie will excuse the phrase, keeping my eye out for more info on the film and will post it as I get it!

That Kind of Scary

Most of the you regular ZONE readers know that I love a good MONSTER movie. Obviously the key to a great monster movie is, well, a great monster. The really cool monsters are the ones that scare the crap out of ya before they actually get their paws, claws, or mitts on you.

The creatures from "The Lord of the Rings" movies are that kind of scary.

Maxim Goes to the Movies

If you love movies, then you owe it to yourself to try and find tthe latest issue of Maxim Goes to the Movies, which is on newstands now. I picked up a copy and enjoyed nearly every article in it! It features a nice interview with Billy Bob Thorton, a sneak peak at "Spider-Man 2," pieces on the new "Starsky and Hutch," "Big Fish," "Paycheck," "The Alamo," interviews with Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino about "Kill Bill Volume II;" "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," a Michael Madsen interview, a long "Hellboy" preview, and so much more. Why are you still reading this? Go out and get the magazine... you won't believe how good it is!

Sleeping With the Champ

Chuck Wepner has received a bit of press lately since he filed a lawsuit against Sylvester Stallone for a percentage of the profits made off of the "Rocky" movies. While the lawsuit is laughable, it's not as funny as this true story...

Wepner fought Ali in 1975. Before the fight Wepner, known as the "Bayonne Bleeder" told his wife. "Go out and buy some expensive lingerie because after the fight you'll be sleeping with the Champion of the World!" Ali won the fight. A bloodied Wepner walked back to his dressing room...

... where his wife asked, "So, do I go to Ali's room or does he come to mine!"

Fairplay Works

The season finale of Survivor is on tonight. Although I normally watch Alias, I'll pass on it to find out who gets the million bucks.

I really don't care who wins this one. If I had to guess I'd say it'll be Darrah. After Ruppert got booted few weeks ago I said, anyone but "Johnny Fairplay." The guy is so annoying. Yet, the more I thought about it and watched him work... although he's still very irritating, he has played the game well. He's not the smartest or the strongest, but has been the best at working others. To think that he planned to pull the "grandma's dead" scam long before he went to the islands... well, maybe he does deserve the million bucks.

Meet Ben Templesmith

If you're a regular reader of my ZONE posts, then you know I'm a huge Steve Niles fan. I first discovered Niles through his novels and then his comics. Niles' classic 30 Days of Night is being prepped for the big screen.

Since I've talked so much about Steve Niles, I think it's time I give some time to Ben Templesmith the artist who helped make 30 Days such a runaway hit. Templesmith has an interview here and his personal website here. If you enjoy them you should give his comics a try!

QT Has a Plan

Michael Madsen is one of those under-rated actors who makes a movie better every time he shows up. For nearly a decade fans have been hoping that Madsen, Quentin Tarantino and John Travolta would get together and make "The Vega Brothers" based on their characters from "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction."

As the years passed the project seemed doomed to never happen. In this interview Madsen says that Tarantino has a plan to make it work...

Riddick Returns!

One of the movies coming out next year, that I'm really looking forward to, is "The Riddick Chronicles." This sequel to "Pitch Black" [a movie that I loved] reteams Rob Cohen and Vin Diesel.

Riddick is a role that Diesel was born to play and I have high hopes for the proposed trilogy. Unfortunately the movie doesn't open until next year... still there's the trailer coming out Monday and several cool things happening before the movie is released!

Mad At You

The last issue of MAD magazine that I bought featured a Frank Frazetta cover for the parady of Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone.

In other words it's been years.

That'll probably all change in January when Mad #438 hits the stands. It features the work of Arthur Adams, Michael Allred, John Byrne, J. Scott Campbell, Dave Gibbons, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, and John Romita, Jr. Here's a link to more info.

You may not buy it, but you'd be, uh... mad not to at least give it a look!

Meet Rick Remender

Rick Remender.

You know, the award winning animator who created Swingtown. He worked on the classic Iron Giant. Titan AE. The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.Still not sure? OK, maybe if I list some of his comic work. The Avengers. The Terminator. Doll and Creature. Black Heart Billy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ok.

Granted, Rick Remender is not a household name. But he should be. The guy has a gazillion cool ideas. He writes. He draws. He animates. The dude is a natural born creator. Rick is pencilling and Big Beatty is inking a 48 page Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book and I gotta tell ya, the art is amazing. It's black and white with really sweet tones thrown in. I've never bought a Turtles book before. Ever. But I may have to break down and get this bad boy.

But back to Rick. Check out his website. The new school design rocks. Plan to spend a while. Be sure to check out his Swingtown animations, his sketchbook [I want to see more of The Last Days of American Crime], heck order a book or two if the spirit grabs ya, and drop him a line and tell him I sent ya!

Meet Bill Black

Bill Black has been publishing comics since 1969. He's outlasted every other independent comic company and is still going at it. Want to know how Bill got to where he is today? Then check out this interview!

Bill has is best known for writing and drawing his own creations but has also published the work of big name artists such as Mike Zeck, Dave Dorman, Dick Ayers, Erik Larsen, George Perez, Greg Horn, Jerry Ordway, Pat Broderick, Paul Gulacy and Wm. Michael Kaluta to name just a few. Bill even gave Big Beatty his first professional job in comics...
...and believe it or not Beatty pencilled, Jerry Ordway inked and I scripted a story which appeared in the comic to the left!

Meet Tim Bradstreet

If you like moody, photo-realistic art then you owe it to yourself to check out the work of Tim Bradstreet.

I first discovered Tim's work when he was inking Tim Truman's Dragon Chiang. It wasn't long after that that Bradstreet was doing his own stuff. Really cool black and white pinups, covers for just about everyone and giving us glimpses of his Red Sky Diaries.

Want to know more about Tim Bradstreet? Then check out this interview [HERE] and his web site [HERE].

It Was 40 Years Ago Today...

Forty years ago today... I was five years and one month old and President Kennedy was assassinated. Like everyone old enough to remember, I know exactly where I was when I first learned of it.

I was in a grocery store in Miami with my grandfather. He and my grandma had taken me with them on vacaction to Florida. It's probably the one vacation that I can tell you specifically where I was on a given day.

I remember a man saying that the President had been shot and all of the adults looking scared. I'd never seen that before and it caused me some concern. My grandfather assured me things would be ok, but I remember us hurrying back to the hotel. I was only five years old but I followed the details as they became clear. President Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald while visiting Dallas, Texas. Oswald acted alone and was caught after killing a police officer named Tippett. Oswald in turn was killed [in a police station of all places] by Jack Ruby. I remember adults saying that Ruby should be given a medal for killing Oswald and that he saved the country even more grief.

It wasn't until I was older that I began to learn that maybe there was more to the Kennedy Assassination than we had been led to believe. I read the Warren Commission Report. I watched and read every related item that I could get my hands on. As the years have passed I have continued to read and search out new information. I hope that someday we will definitively know exactly what happened.

But as each year passes, I find the only thing that I am truly sure of in relation to the Kennedy Assassination is where I was when I first heard of it.

Rupert Bounced

It just had to happen. Rupert was voted off Survivor.

Rupert was just too strong... too smart. I can't say blame them. If Rupert stuck around much longer he would have probably won it all.
Now Burton hopes to go to the finals with Jon. At first glance this seems a wise move. Since Jon irritates everyone, Burton's a cinch to win, right?

Not necessarily. Once the judges learn that Burton set up the ousting of Rupert [coupled with the fact that Burton was already kicked off once] and Jon might win the million bucks. And you know Rupert will be on the jury!

Britney Bares No More

MSNBC Entertainment reporter Jeannette Walls posted an item that says Playboy has offered Britney Spears a seven-figure deal to pose nude in their magazine. Britney's camp had no comment and Playboy didn't have much to say either. But then again if it happens, a picture will be worth well more than 1,000 words!

Everybody Loves Walking Dead

On Sunday I told you about Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's comic "The Walking Dead."

Seems I wasn't the only one who liked it. Despite printing nearly twice what was ordered, both issue #1 and issue #2 are nearly sold out! And advance orders for #3 are even higher than for #2!

Still not convinced? Check out this interview with Robert Kirkman and then check out the comic!

Risso Rocks

Eduardo Risso is a genius. His work on 100 Bullets is astounding. What makes Risso even more unique is that although he's been honored with the top awards the industry has to offer, and he's admired by fans and pros alike, he continues to work on the regular monthly title 100 Bullets. There've been six trade paperback compilations and I highly recommend them all! [ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX]

Risso and Azzerello have recently teamed to produce a six issue arc of Batman. The first issue is #620 and is on stands now. The first printing sold out from the publisher, but you may find a few still around. It's great stuff, so it'd be worth your effort to find a copy. In the meantime, here's an interview with Risso to tide you over until Batman 621 comes in!

Sleepy Time for Riggs

I'm a huge fan of the Lethal Weapon series. Part of the joy has to be that Richard Donner has returned to direct Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in each of the entries. The fact that Richard Donner has expressed interest in one more movie to "put the franchise to bed properly" has me hoping!

All-Star Survivor

Survivor is "must-see tv" at the Zablo house. The whole family sits down to watch [and cheer or boo] the antics as players compete for a million bucks. You can imagine how excited we'll be when an All-Star line-up goes head to head next season!

Ain't It Cool News posted that CBS announced the all-star version of “Survivor,” featuring players from previous competitions, will launch right after the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Although it wasn't yet announced who will compete I'm hoping to see Rupert, Richard Hatch and Rudy trying to become the sole survivor!

Sale Starts Here

Tim Sale didn't become a professional comic book artist until he was 29 years old. That's pretty old to just be entering the profession.

The cool thing is that Tim didn't give up on his dream and now he is one of most in-demand artists around, able to pick and choose the projects that HE wants to do.

Tim doesn't have a website, but HERE's a link to a recent interview. Tim talks about his influences, his art and what he plans to do next. Tim has worked on all of the classic characters. Batman. Daredevil. Wolverine. Spider-Man. Superman. The Hulk. He's even drawn a really cool on-line Matrix story.

Pretty impressive for such a late bloomer, eh?

The Walking Dead!

I love a good end of the world, small band of survivors fighting to survive against all odds story. You know, like Stephen King's The Stand... "28 days later" and the clasic "Night of the Living Dead."

Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's comic "The Walking Dead" can now join the list! I'm not kidding. It's really that good. Don't believe me? Then check out this review. And this one. Better yet, read it yourself. I did and I've added it to my monthly must buy list.

I really wasn't familiar with Robert Kirkman before reading "The Walking Dead." If you're like me and want to know more about him, you can check out this interview. If you want to know a bit more about Tony Moore, here's a link to his site.

I'd like to hang around and tell you more about "The Walking Dead" but I think I'll go back and re-read it again.

It's really THAT good!

Tampa Con & More

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Big John Beatty and I will be motoring down to Tampa for Tim Gordon's Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention. Big Beatty is a guest but before I get to that...

Saturday night Beatty and I are going to attend a little get together put on by Randy Martin. Randy is an avid art collector whose theme happens to be Edward Scissorshands. How cool is that? John Higashi will be there with his Star Wars theme [which includes are from just about anyone who is ANYONE. How many collections do you know that feature Drew Struzan originals [note the "s" as in many]? John Dell and other artists will be attending as well. It's going to be a lot of fun.

The next day is Tampa Con. John is a guest [which makes me a guest of a guest, I suppose]. Other real guests include MARTY NODELL [creator of the original GREEN LANTERN], ETHAN VAN SCIVER [X-Men], ALEX SAVIUK [Spider-Man], JIM FERN [Scion, Wolverine], AUSTIN JANOWSKY [Superman], DICK KULPA [artist and publisher of CRACKED], MARK and STEPHANIE HEIKE and others.

If you happen to be in the area, stop in and say, "Hi." I'll be the guy in the StalloneZone shirt angeling for more Stallone sketches!

Hellboy Will Be Cool

I'm really looking forward to the "Hellboy" movie. I've been talking up the comics for years and I really think that the movie is going to be a cool adaptation.

Don't believe me? The check out these cool Hellboy pics posted at mysan.de.

Cool & Fun

I'll bet that the new "Punisher" movie does pretty well at the box office. I say this for two reasons:

1] The Punisher is a pretty cool character and

2] the trailer makes it look like the movie will be fun.

So yeah, I think that it'll do well even though the guy playing the Punisher doesn't look like the "bad mofo" I've come to know and love. Mike Zeck's Punisher... now that's the real Punisher!

What Does The Day After Tomorrow Hold?

I just saw the coolest trailer for "The Day After Tomorrow." I don't know anything about the movie other than what I just saw, but it's enough to make me want to know more!

Interview & Transporter Too

One of my favorite movies last year was the very under-rated The Transporter starring Jason Stratham. It had a cool soundtrack and just the right mix of action and comedy. It's made a great addition to my dvd collection and everyone that I'veshown it to has really liked it.

I'm happy to say that CHUD.com posted an interview with Jason Stratham and that he and director, Corey Yuen are returning for The Transporter 2!