Author: Scott Alminiana

I'm a geek who steals peaches in a can that were put there by a man in a factory downtown!

Check Out The Trailer For ‘Robot & Frank’

by Scott Alminiana

Check out the new trailer for Robot & Frank. The film was a hit at Sundance, winning the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize. It stars Frank Langella, Liv Tyler, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon and Peter Sarsgaard as the voice of Robot.

Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

Robot & Frank is directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher D. Ford. It opens  in limited release August 24th.

HBO Wants You To Watch Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ Pilot For Free!

by Scott Alminiana

HBO is doing everything in their power to promote the hell out of Aaron Sorkin’s return to TV…oh wait, it’s not TV, it’s HBO. Starting today, they are offering the pilot episode of The Newsroom for free on HBO.com, Youtube, DailyMotion, and TV.com. They will also offer it as a free podcast on iTunes.

I watched it last night and absolutely loved it. I’m a big Sorkin fan, so I was naturally bound to enjoy it. Some people will find the show to be a tad preachy in parts, but it’s worth checking out. The show is excellently cast and Jeff Daniels is fantastic.

The show stars Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Dev Patel, Alison Pill, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston. The pilot was directed by Greg Mottola, director of Superbad, Adventureland, and Paul. There’s also a cameo (voice) appearance by a certain actor in the pilot. See if you can figure out who.

Click the image below to watch the full pilot episode.

Geekscape Comics: First Look At ‘Batman:Earth One’

by Scott Alminiana

Check out these preview pages from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s upcoming graphic novel Batman: Earth One. Much like J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis’ Superman: Earth One, it re-imagines the Dark Knight’s origin for a new age.

“Gary and I are tackling BATMAN from the beginning, before he knows what he’s doing and with a very different ultimate goal in mind,” said Johns. “He’s never left Gotham. And our Gotham and the people in it are very gray. Our heroes unlikely. Our villains hidden. Our story is only beginning with volume one.”

“It’s essentially the first piece of the jigsaw,” said Frank. “He’s not the Batman people know, but he might be one day. He’s certainly not yet a superhero. The fun is to watch him piece the persona together drawing on his experiences and the influences of those around him and, at this stage, the idea of becoming a ‘superhero’ hasn’t even entered his head.”

Batman: Earth One is available for pre-order on Amazon, and hits shelves on July 10th.

San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Special Firefly 10th Anniversary Panel Announced

by Scott Alminiana

Here’s some great news for all you Browncoats out there! There will be a special Firefly panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 in celebration of the  tenth anniversary of the short-lived but much loved show from Joss Whedon.

Executive producer Tim Minear confirmed the panel on his Facebook page, but for now no other details have been announced.

You can be gorram sure that as soon as we have more information on this that you will be the first to know.

They are  leaves on the wind – watch how the Browncoats soar to this panel!

Source: sdccblog

By The Power Of Greyskull! A Castle Grayskull Business Card Holder!

by Scott Alminiana

By the power of Grayskull! Quick, someone make me some business cards so I have an excuse to buy this! Icon Heroes has this amazing highly detailed Castle Grayskull business card holder as well as an equally amazing He-Man Power Sword letter opener (sold separately, of course). No price is listed for the Castle Grayskull card holder, but the Power Sword will be selling at Comic-Con for $20,  courtesy of Action Figure Xpress at booth #3345. What do you geeks think? Like, love it, gotta own it? Lets us know

What Happens When A Pixar Illustrator Turns R-Rated Movies Into A Kid’s Book?!

by Scott Alminiana

Pixar illustrator Josh Cooley made a collection of R-rated movie scenes in the style of a kid’s book and named it Movies R Fun. Sadly the book is sold out, but you can buy prints of the scenes here. Can you name all the movies these are from? I know I can. Enjoy!

‘Machete Kills’ Gets A President And Set Pics!

by Scott Alminiana

Machete Kills is currently in production and news is pouring in.  Yesterday, Robert Rodriguez tweeted this:

It’s the POTUS who recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico to take down an arms dealer, played by Mel Gibson, who wants to launch a weapon into space.

Set pics from Machete Kills have also been showing up on Twitter, courtesy of Jessica Alba:

Machete Kills is being directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen. Machete Kills his way into theaters in 2013.

 

(Possible) Casting News For ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

by Scott Alminiana

Castings news for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has slowly been rolling in for sometime now (here and here) and now it looks as if we have some more to report. The Playlist is reporting that sources close to the movie have told them that Alice in Wonderland star Mia Wasikowska and  model/actress Zoe Aggeliki are names currently being discussed to play the role of Johanna Mason.

Johanna Mason is tribute from District 7, who is sarcastic and mean-spirited. She was also a previous winner of The Hunger Games.

Mia Wasikowska is most notably known for playing Alice in Tim Burton’s god aweful re-imagining/re-make or whatever the hell it was supposed to be. Zoe Aggeliki is a name I had never heard of until hearing the casting news. She will be seen alongside Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges in R.I.P.D. as well as Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters.

Whether or not this “source’s” info proves to be true you can bet that we will find out sooner rather than later. Filming begins this fall with I am Legend director Francis Lawrence is set to direct. Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth are set to reprise their roles.  The Quarter Quell begins in theaters  November 22, 2013.

 

Mia Wasikowska (top left) and Zoe Aggeliki (bottom right)

‘Celeste And Jesse Forever’ Starring Andy Samberg And Rashida Jones Gets A Trailer

by Scott Alminiana

Check out the first trailer for Celeste and Jesse Forever staring Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

A divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people.

The film co-stars Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts, Eric Christian Olsen and Ari Graynor. It opens August 3, 2012.

Geekscape Comic Reviews: ‘Before Watchmen: Comedian #1’

by Scott Alminiana

Before Watchmen: Comedian is the third mini-series in the Before Watchmen line to be released and was a title that I wasn’t too interested in reading. Sure, it had the killer combo of Brian Azzarello writing with J.G. Jones on art, but the Comedian is just a character that I could give two shits about. Well I’m glad to report that my skepticism so far seems to have been for nothing. Issue one is the first one of these series that actually feels like a true companion piece to Watchmen.

This isn’t the same Comedian that we first met at the start of Watchmen, sure he’s still an arrogant son of a bitch and , but he actually seems like a man who believes in something. I don’t want to say what that ‘something’ is because it is an integral part of this first issue. Azzarello has crafted an entertaining story and while issue one is a good read it is just the tip of the iceberg and I’m sure it will only get better from here. I’m doing my best here to not give away any spoilers so I’ll keep the story recap short and oh so sweet. Issue one finds Eddie Blake in the 1960’s as he serves his country as a cape and it focuses on his close friendship with an old service buddy of his. By issues end we start to see the change in the Comedian that will eventually lead him to the man we all know and hate.

Brian Azzarello isn’t the only person who deserves praise for his on this issue. J.G. Jones delivers some truly great art here, but is that really a shocker? I’ve been a fan of his since I first read Wanted, but his delivering a book on schedule has been an issue in the past (Final Crisis *hint hint*) and that was my main concern when it was announced that he would be drawing this mini-series. The quality of his work was never in question and so far it still isn’t. Alex Sinclair does a great job coloring Jones’ art. He helps further establish the tone and feeling of the book, bathing characters in shadows when it’s called for, but never overdoing it. Sinclair compliments Jones nicely and both men help Azzarello deliver a book that’s far better than it possibly has any right to be. Who would have thought a mini-series about the Comedian could actually be worth a damn? Not this guy, that’s for damn sure.

Yes, I was very skeptical of this title when I picked it up, but after a solid first issue I am now looking forward to the next one. They have done a fine job of peaking my interest in this pseudo-origin tale of the Comedian. If the rest of the series is as good as this issue then I think we are all in for a treat. Check this book out, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Score: 4/5

Artist J.G. Jones even manages to make two characters talking look cool

Teaser Trailer For Pixar’s ‘Monsters University’

by Scott Alminiana

Mike and Sulley are back! The first teaser trailer for the sequel/prequel Monsters University is here

A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at the University of Fear — when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.

The voice-cast includes Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Ken Jeong, and Kelsey Grammer. Monsters University comes out June 21, 2013.

20th Century Fox To Bring ‘Sesame Street’ To The Big Screen!

by Scott Alminiana

The Hollywood Reporter broke the exclusive news that 20th Century Fox has picked up the movie rights and are planning to make a Sesame Street movie!  You read that right! Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus (my favorite), Groover, Bert & Ernie, and the rest of the gang are coming to a theater near you. You had better get ready to find your way back to Sesame Street because sunny days are here again.

Joey Mazzarino, who is a long-time writer for the show, has been chosen to write the script. It will be produced by 21 Laps Entertainment, Michael Aguilar, Mark Gordon and Guymon Casady. Sesame Workshop, the makers of the show, will also be involved in the movie as well as getting a producer credit.

With The Muppets sequel in the works, as well as a Fraggle Rock movie also in development, it’s a good time to be a Jim Henson fan. Now if only someone could tell me how to get to Sesame Street…

UPDATE: New Panels Added To San Diego Comic-Con 2012 TV Lineup

by Scott Alminiana

Last week I posted the TV panel lineup for San Diego Comic-Con 2012 and there were a few people wondering where staples of Comic-Con past like True Blood were. Well, good news…more panels have been added. When/if more panels are announced you can we sure Geekscape will keep you posted.

THURSDAY, JULY 12

• Holliston (FearNet): Cast members from the network’s first original scripted series will join executive producers. 8:30-9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 13

• Game of Thrones (HBO): Cast and creators TBD. Hall H.

• Spartacus (Starz): Stars Liam McIntyre and Manu Bennett will join showrunner Steven S. DeKnight for its final trip to Comic-Con heading into its last season. Room 6BCF, 5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 14

• Grimm (NBC): Stars David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz and Bree Turner join EPs Jim Kouf, David Greenwalt, Norberto Barba, Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner. Room 6 A

• True Blood (HBO): Cast and creators TBD. Ballroom 20.

 

New Trailer For Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘The Master’

by Scott Alminiana

Here’s a new trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie The Master.

A 1950s-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as “the Master” whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. It opens in limited release on October 12th.

First Picture Of Angelina Jolie From Walt Disney’s ‘Maleficent’

by Scott Alminiana

Production  has begun on Maleficent, Walt Disney Studios untold story of the classic villainess from Sleeping Beauty. Angelina Jolie is playing the villainess and we have your first look at her…

The film co-stars Sharlto Copley (District 9), Elle Fanning (Super 8), Miranda Richardson (The Hours), and Juno Temple (Atonement). Robert Stromberg, making his directorial debut, is a two-time Oscar-winning production designer (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland). Maleficent opens in 2D and 3D on March 14, 2014.

Source: Deadline

Geekscape Comics: Preview For ‘Saga #4’

by Scott Alminiana

Brain K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga is still in its infancy but it’s already one of the best things to hit stands in quite sometime. Each issue has been crazier than that last and issue #4 looks to continue that trend. Courtesy of CBR, we’ve present you with a preview of the latest issue. If you’re not reading Saga you should be. Issue #4 hits stands on June 20th.

Controversy Surrounding ‘Game Of Thrones’ And George W. Bush!

by Scott Alminiana

Has anyone heard about the controversy currently surrounding Game of Thrones? Apparently in Episode 10 of Season one there is a scene featuring the decapitated head of former President George W. Bush. The controversy first started when series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss pointed out the prop during the commentary track for the episode on the DVD box set. W’s head is one of many in a scene that shows numerous heads mounted on spikes.

HBO was quick to offer an apology:  We were deeply dismayed to see this and find it unacceptable, disrespectful and in very bad taste. We made this clear to the executive producers of the series who apologized immediately for this inadvertent careless mistake.  We are sorry this happened and will have it removed from any future DVD production. 

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss then issued their own apology for the incident: We use a lot of prosthetic body parts on the show: heads, arms, etc. We can’t afford to have these all made from scratch, especially in scenes where we need a lot of them, so we rent them in bulk. After the scene was already shot, someone pointed out that one of the heads looked like George W. Bush. In the DVD commentary, we mentioned this, though we should not have. We meant no disrespect to the former President and apologize if anything we said or did suggested otherwise.

It would seem that HBO didn’t think these apologies were enough and have now issued another statement, “We were deeply dismayed to see this and find it unacceptable, disrespectful and in very bad taste,” “We made this clear to the executive producers of the series who apologized immediately for this careless mistake. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms and have halted all future shipments of the DVDs, removed it from our digital platforms and will edit the scene for all future airings on any distribution domestic or international.”

The episode has now been pulled from rotation as well as iTunes, HBO Go and all other digital platforms and all shipments of the DVD box set have been stopped.

I guess I can see what all the fuss is about, but common it’s a prop and it’s barely noticeable (or is is) in the scene. Sure, Benioff and Weiss asked for trouble when they pointed it out, but I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I think HBO is over-reacting just a little here. Guess I should go pick up a copy the box set before they all disappear.

Source: Deadline

Geekscape Movie Reviews: “Beasts Of The Southern Wild”

by Scott Alminiana

Beasts of The Southern Wild is the film that has taken both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals by storm. It won the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Excellence in Cinematography Award at Sundance and won the Camera d’Or (Best First Film) at Cannes. After seeing this film it’s easy to see why it’s been winning these awards and why it’s the talk of the town. It is truly an original film and unlike anything I’ve seen in quite sometime. It poetic and mystifying all in one. I’ll be honest, up until a few weeks ago it was a movie I had never heard of, but then I saw the trailer for it and I was hooked. Now I’ve seen the film and I’ve been ranting about it to anyone who will listen.

It tells the tale of six-year-old Hushpuppy (newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis), who lives with her father Wink (another newcomer Dwight Henry) in The Bathtub, a bayou community that is cut off from the rest of the world by a levee. Young Hushpuppy believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe but when a hurricane devastates the world she knows she will do everything in her power to save her sickly father and their sinking home.

The film is told from the vantage-point of Hushpuppy and we experience everything from her perspective. Her world is not our world but we get to become part of it through her eyes and it’s quite a sight to be seen. Young Quvenzhané Wallis, who was only six when this was made gives an amazing performance, especially considering the fact that she had absolutely zero acting experience prior to this film. Her performance as Hushpuppy is what drives this film, she is the soul of this. Director Benh Zeitlin said that “she’s the moral backbone (in the film), even though everyone else is older. She always does the right thing, and never wavers” and that it was Quvenzhané’s “incredibly strong sense of right and wrong” that she brought to the character. A quality that wasn’t there prior to her being cast. “She is really wise beyond her years and really fearless and strong in this way. When I saw I sorta knew that was the character and that’s who she was gonna be.”

Dwight Henry is equally incredible in his role as Wink, Hushpuppy’s tough yet loving father. Mr. Henry as it turns out, runs a bakery in Louisiana that was across the street from where auditions were being held. He met the casting agents when they asked if they could pass out flyers in his bakery and they asked him if he wanted to audition. So, he sent in an audition tape and everyone was taken by him, but when they tried to reach him they found it nearly impossible to find him. As it turns out, this was due to the fact that they were trying to reach him in the afternoon, but being a baker he worked midnight to noon and was asleep when they were trying to get a hold of him. Once he was cast in the role, Zeitlin would discuss the character with Henry from 2am -5am as he baked. They would discuss his character and shape Wink into a character that more closely embodied Henry’s fearlessness and perseverance in the face of difficult circumstances. These are traits that really come out when you watch the film. Wink is a harsh character and his relationship with Hushpuppy is at times difficult to watch but as the film progresses you realize that there is a reasoning for the way he acts towards his daughter. He does what he must to teach his daughter how fend for herself and how to survive in a world without her father.

Wink and Hushpuppy in their boat made of junk

Enough credit can’t be given to Benh Zeitlin, director and co-writer on the film. Here he has crafted a truly remarkable film that makes you connect with these characters and their strength and fierceness despite the harshness of the world around them. He gets phenomenal performances out of the cast. He has also crafted a place that is so incredibly new yet hauntingly familiar at the same time. This is a director’s movie for sure and he can hear his voice coming through in the form of Hushpuppy throughout.  He takes us on a journey in the film and has fashioned something strange and wonderful. It’s almost as if you’re reading a poem when you see this. That sentiment may sound incredibly hokie and sure it sort of is, but that’s honestly the way I felt as I watched this piece of art.

This is a film that’s as far from the Hollywood standard as you can get. It certainly won’t appeal to everyone who sees it, but it is something that I strong urge everyone to see and experience it for yourself. In a summer that’s littered with the likes of Battleship and Rock of Ages, I think you owe it to yourselves to see a movie that has something original to say and isn’t just thrown together to make a quick buck. See this movie, I can’t urge you enough.

Beasts of The Southern Wild opens in limited release on June 27.

Score: 4.5/5

 

 


Check Out The Latest Poster For ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’

by Scott Alminiana

With the release of The Amazing Spider-Man only a few weeks away, the marketing is in full swing (pun intended). We’ve recently shown you a new clip, and a new featurette and now we bring you a brand new poster for the movie.

The Amazing Spider-Man swings into theaters in 2D and 3D on July 3rd.

Source: Latino Review

‘Splinter Cell’ Coming Soon To A Theater Near You?

by Scott Alminiana

Deadline is reporting that Ubisoft is engaged in discussions with studios to bring Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to the big screen. First it was Warner Bros. that was in talks with Ubisoft, but now it would seem that Paramount is the front runner for the project.

Paramount seems like a natural fit for the Tom Clancy endorsed game due to the studio having previously adapted his books (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and Sum of All Fears) into films. The studio is currently in the process of rebooting the Jack Ryan franchise with Chris Pine and Thor director Kenneth Branagh attached to direct.

I’d like to see a movie version of Splinter Cell work but movies based on video games have a bad track record in Hollywood. Has there ever truely been a decent video game movie made? I thought Mortal Kombat was the best thing ever when I was a kid, but I was 11 and had terrible taste.

So what do you think, would you see a Splinter Cell movie? Who do you think would make a good Sam Fisher?

The San Diego Comic-Con 2012 TV Lineup Is Here!

by Scott Alminiana

Comic-Con 2012 is fast approaching (28 days and counting) and info for it is starting to pour in. Yesterday we gave you a sneak peek at some of the Sideshow Collectibles that Marvel will be selling.

Today, we give you a look at the TV lineup for Comic-Con. Times and locations are still to come so make sure to check back and we’ll keep you updated.

THURSDAY, JULY 12

• MAD (Cartoon Network): Producers Kevin Shinick and Mark Marek in attendance. Room 6DE

• Nikita (The CW): Stars Maggie Q, Shane West and Lyndsy Fonseca join executive producer Craig Silverstein. Room 6BCF

FRIDAY, JULY 13

• Arrow (The CW): Stars including Stephen Amell join producers for a special pilot screening and discussion.Ballroom 20

• Aqua Something You Know Whatever / Squidbillies(Adult Swim): Creators Dave Willis and Jim Fortier will participate. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 2-2:45 p.m.

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Panelists TBD. Hall H

• Bob’s Burgers (Fox): The first of many series from the “Animation Domination” block, the panel and Q&A will feature H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal.

• Brickleberry (Comedy Central): Not on the Comedy Central lineup until September, the cartoon most notably features the vocal talent of familiar network faces Tosh and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Kaitlin Olson.

• Bones (Fox): EPs Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan join stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, who had to pull out last year, to talk about the pregnancy-sidelined seventh season and the upcoming run of the primetime procedural.

• Black Dynamite (Adult Swim): Executive producer Carl Jones will join Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson,Kym Whitley, Byron Minns,Debra Wilson, Orlando Jones and Cedric Yarbourgh. Moderated by Gary Anthony Williams. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 4-4:45 p.m.

• Childrens Hospital (Adult Swim): Star/executive producer Rob Corddry and executive producer Jonathan Stern join stars Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler and Ken Marino. Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom

• Cult (The CW): Stars Matt Davis, Jessica Lucas, Alona Tal and Robert Knepper join executive producer Rockne S. O’Bannon. Room 6BCF

• NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle::) (Adult Swim): Creator and star Paul Scheer, executive producer Jonathan Stern,and co-executive producer Curtis Gwinn join stars Martin Starr, Rebecca Romijn,Brandon Johnson and June Diane Raphael. Rob Corddry moderates. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, noon-12:45 p.m.

• Robot Chicken/Robot Chicken DC Comics Special (Adult Swim): Co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Matthew Beans and star Breckin Meyer will participate alongside DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns to preview the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 3-3:45p.m.

• 666 Park Avenue (ABC): Stars Terry O’Quinn, Rachael Taylor and Dave Annable join executive producers David Wilcox and Matthew Miller. Room 6BCF

• The Venture Bros.(Adult Swim): Creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer will discuss their original series and answer fan questions. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 11-11:45 a.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 14

• Family Guy (Fox): The Comic-Con regulars will come with a sneak peek of the upcoming season and an always tweet-worthy Q&A with Seth MacFarlane.

• The Following (Fox): Stars Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy join executive producers Kevin Williamson and Marcos Siega. Room 6BCF

• Futurama (Comedy Central): The cast of the revived toon, including Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche will all be in attendance. Futurama-themed attire is encouraged — and will be rewarded.

• Glee (Fox): Stars Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz and Naya Rivera will join executive producer Brad Falchuk. Indigo Room at the Hilton, 6-7 p.m.

• Person of Interest (CBS): Stars and creators TBD. Room 6BCF

• Revolution (NBC): Stars Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito and Tracy Spiridakos join creator/executive producer Eric Kripke and director/co-executive producer Jon Favreau.Room 6BCF

• The Simpsons (Fox): 500 episodes into its record-breaking run, the Sunday stalwart returns to SDCC with a substantial tease of the upcoming installment of is annual “Treehouse of Horror” episode.

• The Vampire Diaries (The CW): Stars Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder and more join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. Ballroom 20

SUNDAY, JULY 15

• The Cleveland Show (Fox): Aiming for some sort of record, MacFarlane joins his third panel of the weekend with a screening of the Family Guy spinoff’s fourth-season premiere.

• DC Nation (Cartoon Network): Panelists TBD. Room 6BCF

• Fringe (Fox): Stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and John Noble join the show’s executive producers for the panel. Hall H

• Sons of Anarchy (FX): Wrapping up the weekend is the always-entertaining series creator Kurt Sutter, who’s will be joined by castmembers Charlie Hunnam,Katey Sagal,Ron Perlman,Maggie Siff,Kim Coates,Mark Boone Junior,Tommy Flanagan,Theo Rossi,Ryan Hurst andDayton Callie for a discussion of the world of the FX series.

• Supernatural (The CW): Stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, joined by recurring guest stars Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark A. Sheppard, as well as new executive producer Jeremy Carver and consulting producer Ben Edlund. Hall H

 Source: THR

Geekscape Comics: First Look At ‘Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1’

by Scott Alminiana

Here’s a sneak peek at Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1, which hits stores tomorrow. It’s written by Darwyn Cooke with art by Amanda Conner. Hopefully it’s less boring than Before Watchmen: Minutemen. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know what you think.

Geekscape Comics: First Look at ‘American Vampire: Lord Of Nightmares #1’

by Scott Alminiana

Here’s a preview of American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #1 by Scott Snyder with art by Dustin Nguyen. Issue #1 hits shelves this Wednesday, June 13:

Here’s Vertigo’s solicition for the miniseries: Hot on the heels of last year’s award-winning AMERICAN VAMPIRE miniseries, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, we return to postwar Europe and the vampire-hunting agency known as The Vassals of the Morning Star! Agent Felicia Book has had a dark life, filled with tragedy, but she has finally found peace, raising her adoptive son, Gus. But when the Vassals return for help tracking the most powerful vampire of all time, she soon learns nothing can prepare her for the threat inside The Coffin…

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Prometheus’ (A Different Opinion)

by Scott Alminiana

*Warning: This review contains spoilers to the movie*

Prometheus has landed and it’s landed with a thud. Ridley Scott’s return to sci-fi was something I was doing celebratory back-flips over (not really, I’d hurt myself if I’d have actually tried a back-flip) and this was  a movie I have been looking forward to for quite sometime. As far as I’m concerned this movie is a steaming pile of Bantha fodder.

I’m not going to give a detailed synopsis of the movie due to the fact that anyone who has seen the trailers has pretty much seen the movie already. Basically the store breaks down as such, scientists (and I use that term very loosely) discover “an invitation” from the stars and go looking for the answer to the creation of man. They land on a mysterious planet and bad things happen, the end. For a detailed synopsis of the movie as well as different opinion on it check out Matt Landsman’s review.

People have been referring to this as a “thinking man’s movie” and that’s a statement I completely disagree with. Trust me, I’ve thought about this movie a lot over the last few days and despite the basic premise the rest of the movie is not thought out at all. The basic premise of ‘man looking for his maker’ is a cool idea but the presentation fails in almost every way possible.

Screen-writers Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof ask two big questions in the movie, “who created us” and “why do our creators hate us.” Yet they only answer the first question with a very simple “because they could.” Dammit Lindelof, that’s about as in-depth and thought-provoking of an answer as the one you gave for “what is the island.” There is absolutely zero character development in this movie and it says something about a movie when the most interesting and thought out character is an emotionless android.

Michael Fastbender’s David, who is the aforementioned android, easily steals this movie and aside from the visuals, is the best part of it. But what about the other characters? Well, the Prometheus is said to have a crew of seventeen and yet out of those we only (sorta) get to know five of them, not that we really get to know any of these people. These are supposed to be scientists and yet none of them, save for Noomi Rapace’s character Elizabeth Shaw, seems to care about the most important discovery in human history. Hell, one of the characters (I’m not even sure if he even has a name) is said to be a geologist and it seems like he could give two shits about the geology of this mysterious planet he’s on. If this is a “thinking man’s movie” shouldn’t I want to know what the characters think about the most important discovery in the history of man and shouldn’t I care about them in some way? Yet, when people start dying horrifically I could not care less nor could I probably tell you who they even were. They might as well have been red shirts from Star Trek.

The rest of the cast is made up of the likes of Charlize Theron, who plays Meredith Vickers, representative for the  Weyland Corp and an uptight bitch. That’s pretty much the extent of her role here. Logan Marshall-Green plays Shaw’s boyfriend/fellow scientist Charlie Holloway, we only know they are an item because they have sex about half-way through the movie (see, told you there’d be spoilers). His character doesn’t do much other than pout and get drunk when they get to the planet and then bang Shaw, I don’t think he actually performs any science in the entire movie (aside from the science of sex that is). Then there’s Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland, who is caked in prosthetics and bad make up. Why they cast him in this I’m not really sure, they could have just cast an actual old man and we would have ended up with the same results minus the bad make up. These are all cliched characters that we’ve seen plenty of times in other movies.

Director Ridley Scott knows how to make a beautiful looking movie and that goes for this one as well, despite it merely being window dressing this time around. Sure, the movie has some cool action sequences as well as some gruesome parts, like a scene in which Shaw must perform surgery on herself. That scene is the closest this movie gets to the gruesome horror of original Alien. Scott previously stated that this movie isn’t so much a prequel as it is more of a movie that contains the DNA of the original, which is a very true statement in every way.  Do we see xenomorphs in Prometheus? Well sorta. We do get to see an early form of the xenomorphs and that is pretty cool. Truth be told, I’m okay with this not being a direct prequel to Alien- if it had been I would have been even more disgusted with the finished results than I currently am.

If Ridley Scott and company wanted to truly make this a “thinking man’s movie” then they should have created a better movie with characters that actually think in the first place. Will this movie get a sequel? Probably, but will it be any good? Probably not. If you want to see a movie filled with cardboard characters and lack of a plot but that looks amazing then this is the movie for you. If you want to see a good movie, go re-watch Alien and Aliens.

Score: 2/5

 

‘Chuck’ Star Zachary Levi To Join ‘Thor 2’

by Scott Alminiana

Heat Vision is reporting that Marvel Studios is in talks with Zachary Levi that would see him joining the cast of Thor 2. Levi would take over the role of Fandral, played by Josh Dallas in the first film.

Levi was actually in talks for the role in the first film but was unable to take the role due to his schedule on NBC’s Chuck. The role eventually went to Josh Dallas but now due to his commitments to ABC’s Once Upon a Time he is unable to reprise his role. Wow the tables have turned.

Thor 2 is set to begin filming next month, with Alan Taylor set to direct. Stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins are all set to reprise their roles and Mads Mikkelsen is in talks to play the villain in the sequel.

Thor 2 swings its way into theaters November 15, 2013

The Warriors Three with Josh Dallas (middle) as Fandral

 

Damon Lindelof Hired To Rewrite ‘World War Z’

by Scott Alminiana

Well it’s a pretty good day to be Damon Lindelof. Today not only sees the release of Prometheus, which he co-wrote, but THR is reporting that Lindelof has been hired to rewrite Paramount’s World War Z. He was brought in to polish up the films troubled third act.

World War Z, staring and produced by Brad Pitt, has been in trouble for awhile now. The zombie film from director Marc Forster was originally set for release in December but was then moved to June 21, 2013. Reshoots are set to begin in September and October. The film was shot last year in Europe and also stars Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale and Anthony Mackie.

The film is based on based on the 2006 book by Max Brooks, which tells the story of the decade-long zombie war (World War Z), from the individual accounts of various survivors around the world.

Only time will tell if wonder boy Lindelof can work some magic on the script and save the day. Stay tuned and find out!

First Image Of The Governor From Season 3 Of “The Walking Dead”

by Scott Alminiana

TV Guide has just released the first image of David Morrissey as The Governor from AMC’s The Walking Dead. The Governor will be introduced in Season 3 of the hit show.

The Governor, real name Philip Blake, is the vicious leader of the small town of Woodbury. He becomes one of Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) greatest enemies in the series and brings with him more death than the walker’s themselves could.  I’d tell you more but then the walkers would have to eat me…and you!

Robert Kirkman, creator/executive producer on The Walking Dead had this to say regarding Season 3 and The Governor:

“Seeing The Walking Dead come to life on AMC has been a real thrill for me, obviously, and moving into Season 3 I’m even more excited than ever because now I feel like we’re really getting to ‘the good stuff…”Having The Governor in the mix is going to fundamentally change the show in all kinds of awesome and exiting ways. And David Morrissey totally rocks!”The Governor in the show is definitely going to be The Governor in the comic, “I think that he’s definitely going to be a character that people love to hate and are absolutely entertained by, but also somewhat terrified of. He’s definitely going to be a very important character and a very nuanced character. We are not going to be watering him down.”

Season 3 of The Walking Dead Premieres on AMC this October.

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal Joins Cast Of ‘White House Down’

by Scott Alminiana

Deadline is reporting that Maggie Gyllenhaal has joined the cast of the new Roland Emmerich movie White House Down. She joins a cast that already includes Channing Tatum as a secret service agent who tries to save the president when the White House is attacked. Jamie Foxx is also in talks to play the POTUS (President Of The United States).

Shooting is scheduled to begin this August from a script by James Vanderbilt, screenwriter of The Amazing Spider-Man and the upcoming reboot of Robocop.

Basically this just sounds like Die Hard in the White House with Channing Tatum and his abs playing the John McClane role. And it’s directed by the man responsible for destroying cities in Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012. This tells me two things: 1) the White House will get blown up by movies end and 2) this movie will most likely suck despite having an impressive cast.