Weekend Reading: Ajax, Tintin, Chaykin & Barreto
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Movies, Reviews, Television,
It’s not just the weekend, it’s a long holiday weekend into a whole new year. Have a happy one with a few links to read.
Beau Smith writes a wonderful tribute to his friend and frequent collaborator, Eduardo Barreto.
If you’re tracking the future of digital comics, Appy Entertainment’s Paul O’Connor has an interview with the guy behind Operation Ajax, Daniel Burwen.
The writer Lance Mannion goes to see Tintin. There have been lots of reviews over the internets already, but I’m partial to this one. “In fact, The Adventures of Tintin [is] as good an Indiana Jones movie as Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. In parts, it’s as thrilling and new as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Throughout, it’s much better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and a reminder that as great as the young Harrison Ford was what made the movies was the spirit of adventure that infused them, and that spirit was a boy’s (and girl’s) spirit.”
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Ajax, Tintin, Chaykin & Barreto
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Top 10 Changes In Planet Of The Apes
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies,
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As everyone knows by now, 20th Century Fox has rebooted their nearly-50-year-old Planet Of The Apes franchise with a brand new movie: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.
It monkeys around with Ape continuity, and while respectful to a lot of the original Ape lore, the movie does make some changes to modernize it for a contemporary audience.
We’ve put together a list of the Top 10 of those changes.
10. Sacred Scrolls now on iPad
9. Forbidden Zone is the name of a strip club
8. Hasslein’s Curve used to measure Freida Pinto
Click to continue reading Top 10 Changes In Planet Of The Apes
Q&A: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Interviews, Movies,
Writer Rich Handley knows more about Planet Of The Apes than any three of you combined.
As the editor/compiler of two massive reference books - Timeline Of The Planet Of The Apes and Lexicon Of The Planet Of The Apes - he’s delved into the nerd minutiae of the movies, comics, TV shows and animated cartoons like Cornelius digging in the Forbidden Zone.
And we are all better people for it - because the only way to prevent the Apes from taking over, is to keep talking about it and disrupt the timeline.
On the occasion of the release of the new Apes extravaganza, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, I went right to the source to ask Rich a few questions about continuity, apes and more.
Note to all: This interview might contain some spoilers (you think?), so you are forewarned.
TOM MASON: So, reboot or prequel?
Click to continue reading Q&A: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Weekend Reading: Kirby, Ditko, Cowboys & Aliens And Marvel Comics
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Movies, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics,
I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the Kirby family lost its claim in court to the copyright to characters Jack Kirby created. As usual, Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter has the best analysis.
Now let’s see what else is out there.
Cowboys: Deadline continues to do the number-crunching on this week’s comic book-inspired film, Cowboys & Aliens. The early results show an under-performer.
Blood: And over at Bleeding Cool, Rich Johnston looks at the long journey getting Cowboys & Aliens from concept to screen.
Ditko: Tom McLean at Bags & Boards doesn’t post as often as he should, but when he does, it’s worth reading. His latest is a review of Blake Bell’s Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko from Fantagraphics. This is a beautiful snip: “Could Ditko be a first-generation fanboy, an 83-year-old whose life was spent obsessing first over comics and later over a juvenile political philosophy that only makes sense within a self-imposed bubble?”
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Kirby, Ditko, Cowboys & Aliens And Marvel Comics
Quote Of The Day: Cowboys & Aliens
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies,
"One can only hope [Cowboys & Aliens] is the happy start to a long line of Hollywood films that settle ancient, legendary rivalries: Centaurs & Gangsters; Zombies & Boxers; Pterodactyls & Frisbees; Demons & the cast of '80s sitcom Full House (who may be on the same side)."
-- Chris Lackner, Postmedia News
(Make sure to check out other notable quotes.)
[Artwork: Daniel Craig, from Cowboys & Aliens]
Read More 
| Postmedia News
Top 10 Surprises in Green Lantern
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, DC Comics,
Admit it, ever since Warner Bros. announced the possibility that Jack Black was going to take DC Comics Green Lantern and give it that Nacho Libre feel, you've wanted to see a green man fly.
I did too, but I was a little surprised by what was in the film once Jack dropped out and muscular heartthrob Ryan Reynolds jumped into the CG tights. Here then are the Top 10 Surprises awaiting you in Green Lantern.
10. Due to product placement deal, Green Lantern now referred to as “Coleman Green Lantern”
9. Green makes everyone's ass look big
8. Oa has a Starbucks and a McDonald's
7. Next Green Lantern chosen by internet vote
6. Did anyone tell Hal that most of his new friends are CGI?
Click to continue reading Top 10 Surprises in Green Lantern
Captain America Movie Poster
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Marvel Comics,
I don't collect movie posters, but I could easily make this one my first.
[Artwork: Captain America movie poster, © Marvel Comics]
Read More | Cap Poster
Top 10 Observations From X-Men: First Class
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,
We’ve all seen Marvel Comics’ X-Men First Class by now, right?
And if you haven’t, then you’re hardly a fan worthy of our time. Go. Now. See it.
Despite the film’s soft opening, you can bet they’ll make more. I saw it, will no doubt see it again.
As you watch the film, maybe you’ll have some of the same thoughts that I did. I walked away with 10 observations about the movie - see if they match your own:
10. January Jones will be getting offers from Playboy (now) and Wizard World (5 years from now)
9. Sequel: X-Men: Gym Class
8. Finally! We can talk about something other than DC Comics’ reboot
7. You say Magneto, I say tomato
Click to continue reading Top 10 Observations From X-Men: First Class
Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies,
I like the Tintin books by Herge. They’re good, goofy fun built on crazy characters, wild coincidences and non-stop action.
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a Tintin movie coming out: The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. It’s due at Christmas in the US (October in the UK) and the newest trailer has just been released.
The trailer looks a lot like Raiders of Herge’s Ark but it also looks like it might be fun, too. It has that dead-eyed Uncanny Valley look to it that you'll find in other mo-cap features like Polar Express.
But I'm still willing to give it a shot in the theater because of the people behind the software.
It’s co-written by Stephen Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who and the new Sherlock Holmes series at the BBC).
The other co-writers are Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and Joe Cornish (who co-wrote the new Ant Man movie and directed the upcoming Attack The Block).
Tintin’s director is Steven Spielberg, who still has Geek Cred and certainly knows how to make a good adventure movie.
Click to continue reading Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn
Read More | Tintin Trailer
Top 10 Surprises in Thor
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,
Have you seen the new Thor movie yet? And if not, why not?
Of the summer's four big comic book movies - Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America and X-Men: First Class – it's the one with the distinguished pedigree (Kenneth Branagh! Sir Anthony Hopkins! Natalie Portman!) and one of the least likely super-hero movies besides Ant-Man or Metamorpho.
Curiosity alone makes it worth $10.
Having said all that, there were still a number of things about Thor that surprised me. Here's my Top 10.
10. It's not just his hammer that's called Mjolnir
9. Cameo by Stan Lee Media
8. His real name is "Sore"; he has a speech impediment
7. Shout out to Kirby; that's Kirby Carruthers, the assistant lighting director
6. Natalie Portman should be in every movie. Just sayin'.
Click to continue reading Top 10 Surprises in Thor
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