Oh, Gawd, no--please somebody tell me this is a joke posted by some crackhead prankster! From chud.com we get:
WILL KEANU REEVES BE STRETCHING HIMSELF FOR THE WACHOWSKI BROS?
By Devin Faraci
A reader by the name of Ballack writes in from Berlin (one of my favorite cities in the world!) saying that Joel Silver was on German radio recently talking about Ninja Assassin, the James McTeigue-directed, Wachowski-produced martial arts movie. Ballack claims that Silver also spilled the beans on what the Wachowskis would be directing to follow-up Speed Racer - Plastic Man.
You'll remember that a pre-Matrix Bros W wrote a Plastic Man script, which Ballack claims Silver said would be the basis for this new film. Our scooper also reports that Silver said they want the movie to have a global release at the end of 2009.
And if that's not a big enough story, Ballack further claims that Silver says that Keanu Reeves will be playing Eels O'Brien (the real name of Plastic Man). Apparently this is the start of a new love period between Reeves and the Wachowskis, as Silver (via Ballack) said that the brothers want to work with him on all their future projects.
Is any of this true? I've made a bunch of phone calls to representatives for the Brothers Wachowski and Keanu Reeves, and I've gotten 'no comment' and 'let me look into that' (which is publicist talk for 'Talk to you never'), so take every single word in this story with a massive grain of salt.
I love Plastic Man and I think he'd be a great character in a movie, but just because Keanu Reeves's acting is plastic that does not mean he is qualified for the part! The role has always had Jim Carrey's name, face, and personality stamped all over it. And it's EEL O'Brien, not EELS. This just ruins my day. . .
Say what you will about this entire reboot but you have to admit that Ray Stevenson has the gritty look of Frank Castle down. I'm sold whether this film comes out in theatres or straight to DVD. Punisher's just an awesome character. B-)
I dunno Rogue; I know you really want this to be good, but with that pronounced forehead and eyes sunk in shadow, he looks more like Frankenstein than Frank Castle to me. I also don't care for the way the skull is softly airbrushed, almost like they don't want you to notice its there. 8-)
As for the WB/DC summit news that TonyDP had posted earlier, please forgive me if I elect not to get too excited about this info for now.
The WB suits are sitting on a gravy train of superheroes that could bring in ridiculous loot for them and they seem not to care. They're not fanboys. X-(
If we get a big budget Green Lantern or The Flash film out of this little pow-wow, I'll consider myself very fortunate.
Pretty much my feeling as well. Every comment I read comes from a suit and has buzzwords like "franchise", "exploit" and "property" - hardly the kind of endorsement to give you a warm fuzzy feeling that they get it and can do the characters justice.
What DC needs is an evangelist at WB, somebody with passion for these characters who will nurture them and get them into the hands of the right creative people. Marvel has done a much better job in that regard.
I love Plastic Man and I think he'd be a great character in a movie, but just because Keanu Reeves's acting is plastic that does not mean he is qualified for the part! The role has always had Jim Carrey's name, face, and personality stamped all over it. And it's EEL O'Brien, not EELS. This just ruins my day. . .
I wouldn't go on suicide watch just yet HB. After the way they ended the Matrix trilogy, the Wackowskis have become pariahs with the critics and filmgoers. Given that just about everything the Wackowskis have touched since the Matrix has been a critical and box office dud (Speed Racer has cost WB millions) I think they'll be hard pressed to get this all the way to the silver screen.
Oh, Gawd, no--please somebody tell me this is a joke posted by some crackhead prankster! From chud.com we get:
WILL KEANU REEVES BE STRETCHING HIMSELF FOR THE WACHOWSKI BROS?
By Devin Faraci
A reader by the name of Ballack writes in from Berlin (one of my favorite cities in the world!) saying that Joel Silver was on German radio recently talking about Ninja Assassin, the James McTeigue-directed, Wachowski-produced martial arts movie. Ballack claims that Silver also spilled the beans on what the Wachowskis would be directing to follow-up Speed Racer - Plastic Man.
You'll remember that a pre-Matrix Bros W wrote a Plastic Man script, which Ballack claims Silver said would be the basis for this new film. Our scooper also reports that Silver said they want the movie to have a global release at the end of 2009.
And if that's not a big enough story, Ballack further claims that Silver says that Keanu Reeves will be playing Eels O'Brien (the real name of Plastic Man). Apparently this is the start of a new love period between Reeves and the Wachowskis, as Silver (via Ballack) said that the brothers want to work with him on all their future projects.
Is any of this true? I've made a bunch of phone calls to representatives for the Brothers Wachowski and Keanu Reeves, and I've gotten 'no comment' and 'let me look into that' (which is publicist talk for 'Talk to you never'), so take every single word in this story with a massive grain of salt.
I love Plastic Man and I think he'd be a great character in a movie, but just because Keanu Reeves's acting is plastic that does not mean he is qualified for the part! The role has always had Jim Carrey's name, face, and personality stamped all over it. And it's EEL O'Brien, not EELS. This just ruins my day. . .
==================================
I hope this is a rumor,too.I've been a Plastic Man fan for most of my life, and while I'd like to see a live-action movie about Plas,I'm not at all sure it'd work if an actor who didn't seem suitable, plays Eel O'Brian/Plastic Man.Perhaps this is unfair but I'm not at all convinced that Keanu Reeves is right actor to play Jack Cole's stretchable sleuth.Conversely, based upon his fantastic turn as The Mask, Jim Carrey definitely is the actor to play Plastic Man .Casting Carrey seems like the most logical decision any filmmaker could make with this particular character.
In fairness to the Wachowski Bros,I thought their V-For Vendetta was an excellent adaptation of what-- at first glance-- appeared to be an almost impossible to film comic book, and was certainly faithful enough to the source material,with only minor alterations.Haven't seen the movie yet, but from what I saw of the Speed Racer movie's trailer,it resembled the original cartoon as much as possible.Hopefully their Plastic Man movie will be something to look forward to, rather than something to dread.
Of course,comic book and comic strip characters don't really need motion pictures to somehow validate their exisence--but it would be great if more care was taken in the making of these films;from the producers to the directors, to the quality of the screenplays, and to the choice of all of the actors involved(especially those playing the lead roles).How difficult can this really be?
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I dunno Rogue; I know you really want this to be good, but with that pronounced forehead and eyes sunk in shadow, he looks more like Frankenstein than Frank Castle to me. I also don't care for the way the skull is softly airbrushed, almost like they don't want you to notice its there. 8-)
You're just trying to kill my high aren't you? )
Hopefully you and Spec will check it out or, worst case scenario, rent it and enjoy it despite of.
As for the Plastic Man news, I'm a huge fan of the Jack Cole comics but I have to confess that I'm not jumping for joy over the possibility of this becoming live-action in theatres. It just doesn't spell franchise to me but I'd go and see it...more than once if it's good.
I want the WB to focus on more viable characters with franchise in mind. Plastic Man equals one-shot comedy and nothing more. Pretty much the same with Ray Dibny/Elongated Man as well.
If this is a go, keep Keanu Reeves away from the title role; this is more Jim Carrey's territory. Reeves would be the worst bit of casting since Matthew Broderick played Inspector Gadget... 8-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited July 2008
Here's a promo poster for DC's next animated movie feature WONDER WOMAN which comes out in 2009.
Perhaps if this is successful enough in its format, it'll re-stoke the WB fires for a big budget, live action film once again?
What do you think of the style? B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Here's a promo poster for DC's next animated movie feature WONDER WOMAN which comes out in 2009.
Perhaps if this is successful enough in its format, it'll re-stoke the WB fires for a big budget, live action film once again?
What do you think of the style? B-)
The style is OK I guess, evoking the classic Bruce Timm lines. Her nose doesn't look right in that shot though.
I don't know Rogue, with the exception of seeing the divine Lynda Carter in action, I was never a big WW fan and an animated film really doesn't hold much interest for me. I really don't know anything about the plot or villain and maybe when I see some clips from the show it might get me more interested.
They also need to tweak the character. The cold, distant WW from the recent comics and even the JLA / JLU cartoons just isn't that interesting and could never hold your interest for a 75 minute film.
Wasn't there supposed to be a preview of WW on the Gotham Knight DVD? If yes, how does it look?
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Wasn't there supposed to be a preview of WW on the Gotham Knight DVD? If yes, how does it look?
Well they basically showed storyboard art and spoke with Timm, Russell and the other actors involved. The storyboard sequence showed promise...at least it wasn't Anime so guess how I feel?
Alfred Molina is also lending his voice skills so I'm pretty interested in it.
You are right about WW though; I just purchased Wonder Woman Season One on DVD last week and outside of Lynda Carter's curves and charm, she's a hard character to sell. The artwork in her current comics look great but I just cannot warm to her demeanor.
But to be fair, I would love to see one of DC's female superheroes get a shot at the spotlight. Whether it's WW, Black Canary or Zatanna.
The trick is balancing a hot chick that can kick major butt BUT stay ladylike at the same time. I thought that Timm pulled that off well with WW in the JLU animated series during its run.
He also made her sort of a Batman groupie.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Glad you said that HB, I thought it was just me. She does look like she was on the receiving end of a few shots to the proboscis from that angle.
I think that the animators were TRYING to make her look more Grecian with the nose thing there; it's just a guess so I'm not sure. I wouldn't have done that personally but what do they care of my approach anyway... )
My biggest critique on that poster was the straight line across her butt. It should've been more curved to give the illusion that she had one.
Other angles on the dvd look better though. Here's a link to the extra:
Okay...I'd love to get that film Men In Black'ed from my subconscious...
It's a guilty pleasure, like you with The Punisher. You have Dolph, I have Halle. Of the two, I think I'm getting the better deal. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Halle doing a scene where she asks God to talk to her...naked.
My biggest critique on that poster was the straight line across her butt. It should've been more curved to give the illusion that she had one.
I noticed that too, but refrained from commenting as I feared people might question why I was fixating on a cartoon character's butt. ;%
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
It's a guilty pleasure, like you with The Punisher. You have Dolph, I have Halle. Of the two, I think I'm getting the better deal. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Halle doing a scene where she asks God to talk to her...naked. :v
) ) )
You and my son would have to fight over Halle, Tony. Afterall he had accidently seen Swordfish which in turn cemented his fetish for years to come. ) ) )
Ask my wife what her reaction was when he asked for a Swordfish/Berry poster one Christmas... :v
I noticed that too, but refrained from commenting as I feared people might question why I was fixating on a cartoon character's butt. ;%
Well in my case, I'm an artist so female derriers are something that I pay attention to. One of the fringe benefits of art school with all of the female models I guess.
But it's quite alright to pervert up the figure in a cartoon, my friend. Sex sells...even in comics.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Normally I'd worry about a grown man who spends this much time with a gigantic toy collection, but in this case I'm glad he does! The business of the rapture had me ROTFLMAO!*
"The Awesomeness of the Dark Knight"? That sounds familiar. Tell me Rogue, did you have the guy who does these at gunpoint when he did this one? )
Now that was a classic, possibly the best yet, starring a veritable cast of thousands (OK, it was only 8 or 9.) I don't think the Marvel faithful will appreciate it as much though.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
"The Awesomeness of the Dark Knight"? That sounds familiar. Tell me Rogue, did you have the guy who does these at gunpoint when he did this one? )
Now that was a classic, possibly the best yet, starring a veritable cast of thousands (OK, it was only 8 or 9.) I don't think the Marvel faithful will appreciate it as much though.
Unless JustSomeRandomGuy occasionally visits this site and happened to see my sig, it wasn't me. )
This guy's work deserves the Adult Swim treatment. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
The release of The Dark Knight pretty much marks the end of the 2008 summer of superhero movies. And now might be a good time for some thoughts on what worked and what didn't. In no particular order...
Hellboy II
Overshadowed by the release of TDK, but still taking in a healthy box office. It had a relatively modest budget of $85 million so it should reach profitability and probably won over some new fans. I'm sure New Line was expecting a decent box office return and even more solid home video sales (which is where the first movie really shined) and they should be satisfied (but probably not ecstatic) with its performance.
The Incredible Hulk
Probably the biggest disappointment in terms of expected box-office. For all their work, Marvel and Universal couldn't even equal the grosses of the 2003 film. Some will be quick to blame the earlier film for this one's lackluster performance but we must also consider that maybe the average moviegoer just doesn't find the Hulk a sufficiently appealing character. At this point, I have to wonder if Marvel has any faith in doing another standalone Hulk movie; I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him again for a while unless the home video sales really skyrocket.
Batman: The Dark Knight
Even if the film nosedives in box office from here on out (which is very unlikely) it will probably still earn more than its predecessor. It has already set all kinds of attendance records and if nothing else it shows that Batman is still a very viable box office commodity. Given how dark the second film went, it will be interesting to see where they go with this one.
Iron Man
Unquestionably the biggest surprise of the summer. I don't think anyone thought that a second-tier character had so much potential or would resonate with moviegoing audiences on such a level. Even Indiana Jones hasn't been able to unseat it yet as the top grossing domestic movie and it will be interesting to see if Batman has the legs to out-gross it in the weeks to come. Probably the only true bona-fide new franchise to debut this year.
Wanted
I haven't seen the movie and am not familiar with the comic. I understand the film took a lot of liberties with the source material so I'd be curious what other people thought about this one. It had a healthy box office and there is already talk of a sequel but I take Angeline Jolie out of the equation and I wonder how successful this one can be going forward.
Speed Racer
A pretty entertaining film in my opinion but also an unmitigated box office disaster. WB lost big on this one and I wonder if they will continue to have faith in the Wachowskis going forward.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
The release of The Dark Knight pretty much marks the end of the 2008 summer of superhero movies. And now might be a good time for some thoughts on what worked and what didn't. In no particular order...
Hellboy II
I haven't seen this one yet but from friends and my students, I've gotten mixed reviews. What I have heard the most though is the overuse of CGI & the slapstick undertones they decided to go with in hopes of lightening up the character/movie for broader audiences. The first film's tone was pretty spot-on. Also, Universal was dumb in moving up the release date just one week before TDK debuted. Dumb.
The Incredible Hulk
Probably the biggest disappointment in terms of expected box-office. For all their work, Marvel and Universal couldn't even equal the grosses of the 2003 film. Some will be quick to blame the earlier film for this one's lackluster performance but we must also consider that maybe the average moviegoer just doesn't find the Hulk a sufficiently appealing character. At this point, I have to wonder if Marvel has any faith in doing another standalone Hulk movie; I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him again for a while unless the home video sales really skyrocket.
After seeing this three times, I finally accepted that people just weren't excited for the new Hulk movie.
It's a shame because it was really good but Marvel deserves some blame with this. Pushing advertising for it in the eleventh hour, just doesn't work especially when Iron Man had been pimped for an entire year before it came out.
I'm getting the dvd as soon as it comes out but don't expect astronomical sales with it...well not enough to ok a sequel.
Batman: The Dark Knight
Even if the film nosedives in box office from here on out (which is very unlikely) it will probably still earn more than its predecessor. It has already set all kinds of attendance records and if nothing else it shows that Batman is still a very viable box office commodity. Given how dark the second film went, it will be interesting to see where they go with this one.
Part 3s always frighten me...yet I'd love to see how/if Nolan can top himself.
Iron Man
Unquestionably the biggest surprise of the summer. I don't think anyone thought that a second-tier character had so much potential or would resonate with moviegoing audiences on such a level. Even Indiana Jones hasn't been able to unseat it yet as the top grossing domestic movie and it will be interesting to see if Batman has the legs to out-gross it in the weeks to come. Probably the only true bona-fide new franchise to debut this year.
Iron Man's never been second tier'ed. ?:)
You had to have never heard of him to think that this one was going to be a surprise. I knew it was going to be a hit and I have my misgivings for the comic character...
Wanted
I haven't seen the movie and am not familiar with the comic.
Haven't seen the movie yet either but I have the comics.
Speed Racer
A pretty entertaining film in my opinion but also an unmitigated box office disaster. WB lost big on this one and I wonder if they will continue to have faith in the Wachowskis going forward.
This has to have been the fastest exit from theatres ever. I'm talking after ONE week. I heard that the dvd will be a three-disc?
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I don't think anyone thought that a second-tier character had so much potential or would resonate with moviegoing audiences on such a level.
Iron Man's never been second tier'ed. ?:)
Always seemed second tier to me as well. His solo series is weak and for the most part unmemorable. Only in the Avengers has he been with the big boys.
I also think the armor has a lot to do with the successes of the film, lets be honest here for the most part superhero costumes in the movies have been average at best and comical at worst.
Iron Man does not have that problem, so I think that helps explain the appeal and the movie received almost universal praise during it's run.
I also think the armor has a lot to do with the successes of the film, lets be honest here for the most part superhero costumes in the movies have been average at best and comical at worst.
Iron Man does not have that problem, so I think that helps explain the appeal and the movie received almost universal praise during it's run.
Don't forget that the Transformers craze hasn't died down yet. His armor is closely associated with that type of stuff.
I've always considered him pretty major just behind Spider-man, Hulk & Captain America... ?:)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I haven't seen this one yet but from friends and my students, I've gotten mixed reviews. What I have heard the most though is the overuse of CGI & the slapstick undertones they decided to go with in hopes of lightening up the character/movie for broader audiences. The first film's tone was pretty spot-on. Also, Universal was dumb in moving up the release date just one week before TDK debuted. Dumb.
There are some dark moments, but overall Hellboy II is definitely lighter in tone than the first, even though the stakes are much higher. The film does make a lot of use of CGI but given the subject matter and the budget DelToro had, I think that was really his only avenue. It's a fun film but it does take some liberties with its story relative to the book based on what I know of the character. As to the release date, it's been a very blockbuster heavy summer and I don't really know how much better this one would have done if they' pushed it back to the fall or winter. Bottom line though, I found it entertaining, earnest and worth the money spent on the tickets. I was lukewarm to the first one, but enjoyed this second installment significantly more.
After seeing this three times, I finally accepted that people just weren't excited for the new Hulk movie. Oh Crap!
I've come to the conclusion that he just isn't a popular enough character. He doesn't have the charisma of a Batman or Iron Man nor can the average person relate to him ala Spiderman. He's just a very unsavory creature, a reluctant hero who wants to be left alone and at the end of the day, maybe that's just not the best recipe for a blockbuster movie franchise.
It's a shame because it was really good but Marvel deserves some blame with this. Pushing advertising for it in the eleventh hour, just doesn't work especially when Iron Man had been pimped for an entire year before it came out.
They did wait a little too long, and those early teasers and trailers were pretty bad. In fairness to Marvel, I've read that they worked on the FX until the last minute so they were somewhat stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I liked the film as well; unfortunately, I only got to see it once as my brother and I could never get our schedules sufficiently freed up to see it again. I'll be buying both Hulk movies just as soon as they come out on BluRay.
I've always considered him pretty major just behind Spider-man, Hulk & Captain America... ?:)
Iron Man was my favorite Marvel book and while I personally don't consider him "second-tier", based on sales of his book relative to other Marvel titles I don't think he's been anywhere near the top of the Marvel heap for a long time. Also, in terms of name recognition to general audiences I don't think he was nearly as familiar as Spiderman or even the Hulk. Of course, the success of the movie has probably changed all that.
Also, I really don't see much of a connection between Iron Man and Transformers. Beyond a very general familiarity in terms of hardware (and even that's a stretch) the characters really couldn't be more different.
I think a lot of the success of the movie lies in a very smart script (notwithstanding that somewhat lackluster final confrontation), some good performances by some very magnetic actors, and the really cool suit of armor.
Looking forward to the sequel but also very apprehensive as to whether they can or cannot recapture that synergy.
BTW, Iron Man has been officially announced for a September 30 release on DVD and BluRay.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
edited July 2008
I think TDK will beat IM in overall gross---and DVD sales. I love them both, and I couldn't be happier that IM has been so well served by his debut film, but Batman is Batman, and Ledger IS the Joker, so...TDK is the film of the year...both on the big screen and on disc, I think, with IM a close second.*
Just saw the first Hellboy on DVD a couple of days ago, and didn't care much for it at all...so I'm hoping my boys forget about HB2, and I can just Netflix it for them when it comes out 8-)
I share Tony's disappointment that IH didn't do better; I certainly think it deserved to do better than it did. He'll be a solid member of The Avengers film...but I wonder if Norton can be lured back? I hope so, as I really enjoyed his performance.
* Prediction based upon nothing at all, except 'gut instinct,' and prone to miscalculation
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited July 2008
Sorry that you have no interest in Hellboy, Loeff. Not sure yet about the sequel but the first film is really good for a cult hero.
My son bought me the 3-disc Collector's set for Father's Day this year and it's quite enjoyable IMO.
Hope that you reconsider another view or two to let it sink in?
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I'm praying that this is the final nail in Singer's Superman coffin:
Bryan Singer Signing On To New Warner Bros. Superhero Movie??
Bryan Singer, director of the first two “X-Men” movies and “Superman Returns,” is in talks to produce Warner Bros.’ big screen superhero project “Capeshooters.”
The Hollywood Reporter describes the premise:
J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani will write the screenplay, which follows two down-on-their-luck slackers who specialize in shooting videos of superheroes. They find themselves on the run when they uncover evidence that a legendary superhero actually is evil.
Lavin and Damiani were producers on last year's very short-lived Fox reality series "Anchorwoman."
"Capeshooters" is based on a not-yet-published graphic novel by Rob Liefeld ("Youngblood").
Sorry that you have no interest in Hellboy, Loeff. Not sure yet about the sequel but the first film is really good for a cult hero.
I shudder to think what a 'really bad' one would look like I never read the book, but I'd heard such great things, for years, and my three-letter review, based on the film alone, would have to be: WTF? Clearly, it has a wide audience...but then, so does rap music [sound of retching] 'Nuff said.
Maybe I just couldn't buy into the universe they created; I found myself dozing off in the middle of the second act. Clearly my comic fanboy grasp has its limits; must be the grey hair.
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I have plenty of gray hair myself, Loeffs, but I love both Hellboy movies. Maybe it's the literary critic in me, but I think the idea of a red demon from hell who wants to do good is genius (it's like Catholicism vs. Calvinism--can Good Works get us into heaven, or are we predestined for damnation?). Besides, HB (and I don't mean myself) is just such a fun character: beer-swilling, cigar-chomping, one-liner spouting, cat-loving, you name it! Oh, well, to each his own.
Vox clamantis in deserto
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
edited July 2008
To each his own, indeed. It's a pity such deep philosophical questions couldn't have been better served. I never cared much for Mignola's artwork, generally speaking (a bit too quirky for my tastes). Thankfully (for him), he's never really needed my support with this character...
As long as I don't get stuck hauling the boys to the sequel
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Comments
WILL KEANU REEVES BE STRETCHING HIMSELF FOR THE WACHOWSKI BROS?
By Devin Faraci
A reader by the name of Ballack writes in from Berlin (one of my favorite cities in the world!) saying that Joel Silver was on German radio recently talking about Ninja Assassin, the James McTeigue-directed, Wachowski-produced martial arts movie. Ballack claims that Silver also spilled the beans on what the Wachowskis would be directing to follow-up Speed Racer - Plastic Man.
You'll remember that a pre-Matrix Bros W wrote a Plastic Man script, which Ballack claims Silver said would be the basis for this new film. Our scooper also reports that Silver said they want the movie to have a global release at the end of 2009.
And if that's not a big enough story, Ballack further claims that Silver says that Keanu Reeves will be playing Eels O'Brien (the real name of Plastic Man). Apparently this is the start of a new love period between Reeves and the Wachowskis, as Silver (via Ballack) said that the brothers want to work with him on all their future projects.
Is any of this true? I've made a bunch of phone calls to representatives for the Brothers Wachowski and Keanu Reeves, and I've gotten 'no comment' and 'let me look into that' (which is publicist talk for 'Talk to you never'), so take every single word in this story with a massive grain of salt.
I love Plastic Man and I think he'd be a great character in a movie, but just because Keanu Reeves's acting is plastic that does not mean he is qualified for the part! The role has always had Jim Carrey's name, face, and personality stamped all over it. And it's EEL O'Brien, not EELS. This just ruins my day. . .
I dunno Rogue; I know you really want this to be good, but with that pronounced forehead and eyes sunk in shadow, he looks more like Frankenstein than Frank Castle to me. I also don't care for the way the skull is softly airbrushed, almost like they don't want you to notice its there. 8-)
Pretty much my feeling as well. Every comment I read comes from a suit and has buzzwords like "franchise", "exploit" and "property" - hardly the kind of endorsement to give you a warm fuzzy feeling that they get it and can do the characters justice.
What DC needs is an evangelist at WB, somebody with passion for these characters who will nurture them and get them into the hands of the right creative people. Marvel has done a much better job in that regard.
I wouldn't go on suicide watch just yet HB. After the way they ended the Matrix trilogy, the Wackowskis have become pariahs with the critics and filmgoers. Given that just about everything the Wackowskis have touched since the Matrix has been a critical and box office dud (Speed Racer has cost WB millions) I think they'll be hard pressed to get this all the way to the silver screen.
==================================
I hope this is a rumor,too.I've been a Plastic Man fan for most of my life, and while I'd like to see a live-action movie about Plas,I'm not at all sure it'd work if an actor who didn't seem suitable, plays Eel O'Brian/Plastic Man.Perhaps this is unfair but I'm not at all convinced that Keanu Reeves is right actor to play Jack Cole's stretchable sleuth.Conversely, based upon his fantastic turn as The Mask, Jim Carrey definitely is the actor to play Plastic Man .Casting Carrey seems like the most logical decision any filmmaker could make with this particular character.
In fairness to the Wachowski Bros,I thought their V-For Vendetta was an excellent adaptation of what-- at first glance-- appeared to be an almost impossible to film comic book, and was certainly faithful enough to the source material,with only minor alterations.Haven't seen the movie yet, but from what I saw of the Speed Racer movie's trailer,it resembled the original cartoon as much as possible.Hopefully their Plastic Man movie will be something to look forward to, rather than something to dread.
Of course,comic book and comic strip characters don't really need motion pictures to somehow validate their exisence--but it would be great if more care was taken in the making of these films;from the producers to the directors, to the quality of the screenplays, and to the choice of all of the actors involved(especially those playing the lead roles).How difficult can this really be?
You're just trying to kill my high aren't you?
Hopefully you and Spec will check it out or, worst case scenario, rent it and enjoy it despite of.
As for the Plastic Man news, I'm a huge fan of the Jack Cole comics but I have to confess that I'm not jumping for joy over the possibility of this becoming live-action in theatres. It just doesn't spell franchise to me but I'd go and see it...more than once if it's good.
I want the WB to focus on more viable characters with franchise in mind. Plastic Man equals one-shot comedy and nothing more. Pretty much the same with Ray Dibny/Elongated Man as well.
If this is a go, keep Keanu Reeves away from the title role; this is more Jim Carrey's territory. Reeves would be the worst bit of casting since Matthew Broderick played Inspector Gadget... 8-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Perhaps if this is successful enough in its format, it'll re-stoke the WB fires for a big budget, live action film once again?
What do you think of the style? B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
The style is OK I guess, evoking the classic Bruce Timm lines. Her nose doesn't look right in that shot though.
I don't know Rogue, with the exception of seeing the divine Lynda Carter in action, I was never a big WW fan and an animated film really doesn't hold much interest for me. I really don't know anything about the plot or villain and maybe when I see some clips from the show it might get me more interested.
They also need to tweak the character. The cold, distant WW from the recent comics and even the JLA / JLU cartoons just isn't that interesting and could never hold your interest for a 75 minute film.
Wasn't there supposed to be a preview of WW on the Gotham Knight DVD? If yes, how does it look?
Well they basically showed storyboard art and spoke with Timm, Russell and the other actors involved. The storyboard sequence showed promise...at least it wasn't Anime so guess how I feel?
Alfred Molina is also lending his voice skills so I'm pretty interested in it.
You are right about WW though; I just purchased Wonder Woman Season One on DVD last week and outside of Lynda Carter's curves and charm, she's a hard character to sell. The artwork in her current comics look great but I just cannot warm to her demeanor.
But to be fair, I would love to see one of DC's female superheroes get a shot at the spotlight. Whether it's WW, Black Canary or Zatanna.
The trick is balancing a hot chick that can kick major butt BUT stay ladylike at the same time. I thought that Timm pulled that off well with WW in the JLU animated series during its run.
He also made her sort of a Batman groupie.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Well, we'll always have Catwoman.
Glad you said that HB, I thought it was just me. She does look like she was on the receiving end of a few shots to the proboscis from that angle.
Okay...I'd love to get that film Men In Black'ed from my subconscious...
I think that the animators were TRYING to make her look more Grecian with the nose thing there; it's just a guess so I'm not sure. I wouldn't have done that personally but what do they care of my approach anyway...
My biggest critique on that poster was the straight line across her butt. It should've been more curved to give the illusion that she had one.
Other angles on the dvd look better though. Here's a link to the extra:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Wz8Q1UIAVQ
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
It's a guilty pleasure, like you with The Punisher. You have Dolph, I have Halle. Of the two, I think I'm getting the better deal. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Halle doing a scene where she asks God to talk to her...naked.
I noticed that too, but refrained from commenting as I feared people might question why I was fixating on a cartoon character's butt. ;%
You and my son would have to fight over Halle, Tony. Afterall he had accidently seen Swordfish which in turn cemented his fetish for years to come.
Ask my wife what her reaction was when he asked for a Swordfish/Berry poster one Christmas... :v
Well in my case, I'm an artist so female derriers are something that I pay attention to. One of the fringe benefits of art school with all of the female models I guess.
But it's quite alright to pervert up the figure in a cartoon, my friend. Sex sells...even in comics.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
My son would appreciate that terminology.
I think I'm going to have a DD daughter-in-law at the rate he's going, Spec.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Sweet, and we know what DD stands for
One of his funniest so far!
Here's the link to Marvel vs. DC:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cDxgNjMTPIs
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
*Whoa--did I actually use Netspeak?
"The Awesomeness of the Dark Knight"? That sounds familiar. Tell me Rogue, did you have the guy who does these at gunpoint when he did this one?
Now that was a classic, possibly the best yet, starring a veritable cast of thousands (OK, it was only 8 or 9.) I don't think the Marvel faithful will appreciate it as much though.
Unless JustSomeRandomGuy occasionally visits this site and happened to see my sig, it wasn't me.
This guy's work deserves the Adult Swim treatment. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Hellboy II
Overshadowed by the release of TDK, but still taking in a healthy box office. It had a relatively modest budget of $85 million so it should reach profitability and probably won over some new fans. I'm sure New Line was expecting a decent box office return and even more solid home video sales (which is where the first movie really shined) and they should be satisfied (but probably not ecstatic) with its performance.
The Incredible Hulk
Probably the biggest disappointment in terms of expected box-office. For all their work, Marvel and Universal couldn't even equal the grosses of the 2003 film. Some will be quick to blame the earlier film for this one's lackluster performance but we must also consider that maybe the average moviegoer just doesn't find the Hulk a sufficiently appealing character. At this point, I have to wonder if Marvel has any faith in doing another standalone Hulk movie; I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him again for a while unless the home video sales really skyrocket.
Batman: The Dark Knight
Even if the film nosedives in box office from here on out (which is very unlikely) it will probably still earn more than its predecessor. It has already set all kinds of attendance records and if nothing else it shows that Batman is still a very viable box office commodity. Given how dark the second film went, it will be interesting to see where they go with this one.
Iron Man
Unquestionably the biggest surprise of the summer. I don't think anyone thought that a second-tier character had so much potential or would resonate with moviegoing audiences on such a level. Even Indiana Jones hasn't been able to unseat it yet as the top grossing domestic movie and it will be interesting to see if Batman has the legs to out-gross it in the weeks to come. Probably the only true bona-fide new franchise to debut this year.
Wanted
I haven't seen the movie and am not familiar with the comic. I understand the film took a lot of liberties with the source material so I'd be curious what other people thought about this one. It had a healthy box office and there is already talk of a sequel but I take Angeline Jolie out of the equation and I wonder how successful this one can be going forward.
Speed Racer
A pretty entertaining film in my opinion but also an unmitigated box office disaster. WB lost big on this one and I wonder if they will continue to have faith in the Wachowskis going forward.
I haven't seen this one yet but from friends and my students, I've gotten mixed reviews. What I have heard the most though is the overuse of CGI & the slapstick undertones they decided to go with in hopes of lightening up the character/movie for broader audiences. The first film's tone was pretty spot-on. Also, Universal was dumb in moving up the release date just one week before TDK debuted. Dumb.
After seeing this three times, I finally accepted that people just weren't excited for the new Hulk movie.
It's a shame because it was really good but Marvel deserves some blame with this. Pushing advertising for it in the eleventh hour, just doesn't work especially when Iron Man had been pimped for an entire year before it came out.
I'm getting the dvd as soon as it comes out but don't expect astronomical sales with it...well not enough to ok a sequel.
Part 3s always frighten me...yet I'd love to see how/if Nolan can top himself.
Iron Man's never been second tier'ed. ?:)
You had to have never heard of him to think that this one was going to be a surprise. I knew it was going to be a hit and I have my misgivings for the comic character...
Haven't seen the movie yet either but I have the comics.
This has to have been the fastest exit from theatres ever. I'm talking after ONE week. I heard that the dvd will be a three-disc?
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I also think the armor has a lot to do with the successes of the film, lets be honest here for the most part superhero costumes in the movies have been average at best and comical at worst.
Iron Man does not have that problem, so I think that helps explain the appeal and the movie received almost universal praise during it's run.
Don't forget that the Transformers craze hasn't died down yet. His armor is closely associated with that type of stuff.
I've always considered him pretty major just behind Spider-man, Hulk & Captain America... ?:)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
There are some dark moments, but overall Hellboy II is definitely lighter in tone than the first, even though the stakes are much higher. The film does make a lot of use of CGI but given the subject matter and the budget DelToro had, I think that was really his only avenue. It's a fun film but it does take some liberties with its story relative to the book based on what I know of the character. As to the release date, it's been a very blockbuster heavy summer and I don't really know how much better this one would have done if they' pushed it back to the fall or winter. Bottom line though, I found it entertaining, earnest and worth the money spent on the tickets. I was lukewarm to the first one, but enjoyed this second installment significantly more.
I've come to the conclusion that he just isn't a popular enough character. He doesn't have the charisma of a Batman or Iron Man nor can the average person relate to him ala Spiderman. He's just a very unsavory creature, a reluctant hero who wants to be left alone and at the end of the day, maybe that's just not the best recipe for a blockbuster movie franchise.
They did wait a little too long, and those early teasers and trailers were pretty bad. In fairness to Marvel, I've read that they worked on the FX until the last minute so they were somewhat stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I liked the film as well; unfortunately, I only got to see it once as my brother and I could never get our schedules sufficiently freed up to see it again. I'll be buying both Hulk movies just as soon as they come out on BluRay.
Iron Man was my favorite Marvel book and while I personally don't consider him "second-tier", based on sales of his book relative to other Marvel titles I don't think he's been anywhere near the top of the Marvel heap for a long time. Also, in terms of name recognition to general audiences I don't think he was nearly as familiar as Spiderman or even the Hulk. Of course, the success of the movie has probably changed all that.
Also, I really don't see much of a connection between Iron Man and Transformers. Beyond a very general familiarity in terms of hardware (and even that's a stretch) the characters really couldn't be more different.
I think a lot of the success of the movie lies in a very smart script (notwithstanding that somewhat lackluster final confrontation), some good performances by some very magnetic actors, and the really cool suit of armor.
Looking forward to the sequel but also very apprehensive as to whether they can or cannot recapture that synergy.
BTW, Iron Man has been officially announced for a September 30 release on DVD and BluRay.
Just saw the first Hellboy on DVD a couple of days ago, and didn't care much for it at all...so I'm hoping my boys forget about HB2, and I can just Netflix it for them when it comes out 8-)
I share Tony's disappointment that IH didn't do better; I certainly think it deserved to do better than it did. He'll be a solid member of The Avengers film...but I wonder if Norton can be lured back? I hope so, as I really enjoyed his performance.
* Prediction based upon nothing at all, except 'gut instinct,' and prone to miscalculation
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
My son bought me the 3-disc Collector's set for Father's Day this year and it's quite enjoyable IMO.
Hope that you reconsider another view or two to let it sink in?
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Bryan Singer Signing On To New Warner Bros. Superhero Movie??
Bryan Singer, director of the first two “X-Men” movies and “Superman Returns,” is in talks to produce Warner Bros.’ big screen superhero project “Capeshooters.”
The Hollywood Reporter describes the premise:
J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani will write the screenplay, which follows two down-on-their-luck slackers who specialize in shooting videos of superheroes. They find themselves on the run when they uncover evidence that a legendary superhero actually is evil.
Lavin and Damiani were producers on last year's very short-lived Fox reality series "Anchorwoman."
"Capeshooters" is based on a not-yet-published graphic novel by Rob Liefeld ("Youngblood").
The story goes more into detail here.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i78def930c52edb059e4816c907fb2d65
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I shudder to think what a 'really bad' one would look like
Maybe I just couldn't buy into the universe they created; I found myself dozing off in the middle of the second act. Clearly my comic fanboy grasp has its limits; must be the grey hair.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
As long as I don't get stuck hauling the boys to the sequel
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM