IRON MAN verses THOR

THOR verses IRON MAN

From Cinemablend: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Avengers-Clip-Iron-Man-Thor-30468.html

The AVENGERS opens 5/4/11.

You know where I'll be.

Iron Man 2

“Iron Man 2” will be hitting theaters on May 7, 2010. It will feature characters such as Whiplash (portrayed by Mickey Rourke), War Machine (the gray armored suit with the chain gun on the shoulder, played by Don Cheadle as Rhodes) and Nick Fury (Mr. Samuel L. Jackson). Robert Downey Jr. is reprising his role as Tony Stark the brilliant inventor, billionaire industrialist / weapons manufacturer who is all too human behind that iron mask. This is great stuff and it’s a great time to be a geek.

Man, I can’t wait. I’m so there opening night… Guaranteed.

Who’s With Me?!

Whiplash Spotted

Rumors in casting from all over the internet the last few months have, ultimately, proven true. AICN had the link that took me to USA Today’s site. Mickey Rourke is going to be Tony Stark’s nemesis in Iron Man II. Check this for your reading pleasure: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-09-ironman2-rourke_N.htm.

This is one movie geek who can’t wait to see the fireworks.

2008 Summer Movie Wrap Up

My, my, my… what a summer it has been. As any fan boy, film nut or movie geek worth his salt will tell you is the most magical time of the year. The summer of 2008 is no exception save for the fact that the quality of the blockbuster has gone up. Amen. The studios bring out their A game at the summer solstice and oh, what a game it was.

I’m not a professional film expert, nor am I a professional writer; I’m just a guy with a laptop and a blog who knows what he likes. And what I like most of all is the story. “Serve the story” has become my mantra. Whatever medium or vehicular delivery the plot is passed from point A to point B – serve the story. Filmmakers, novelists, artists, cartoonists, puppeteers, song writers, actors, writers, directors, whatever; if serving the story is not their passion then they are in the wrong profession. Bottom line. There must be respect for the story and if the tale you are telling has something to do with existing characters that are already established firmly in popular culture, literature, or history – respect the character. If you want to tell your own story, fine; but don’t sacrifice the venture on a pyre of your own vanity in the process. Show some respect. Many of these characters have been around a lot longer than you and will be remembered long after your chance to progress their story has slipped through your fingers. Love the characters you write, respect them and serve the story. That’s it. That’s the recipe for success; primarily to successful storytelling but also to selling a lot of popcorn at the theaters.

Speaking of selling popcorn; to usher in the New Year I put together my summer movie picks for ’08. No pressure but if you are interested that can be found here: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/01/evil-chickens-spring-summer-movie.html. In this blog I picked my favorites for the upcoming movie season. When I wrote it Heath Ledger was still with us and we were in the middle of the writer’s strike. We were about to enter another uncertain year with a war going happening on two fronts and an uncertain economic future; well, why not start the year off with some comfort blogging? At the time I thought projecting my favorites would be a good idea. Now at the end of the season I thought I’d give you my favorite four films of the 2008 summer movie season. So without further ado; lets get down to business.

1. The Dark Knight will floor you and not just as a popcorn summertime movie. Its scope is far reaching and it is everything a Batman movie should be. It is truly a wonderfully realized piece of cinema. If the Academy ignores this one they should be stormed with pitchforks and torches. Here’s what I had to say about the movie then: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/07/dark-knight.html. I stand by those statements.

2. Iron Man was a wonderful way to start the summer. For this fan boy it was a close second and in a summer without Batman it would have easily taken the number one spot. They set the bar high right outta jump street. Here’s what I had to say on the film then: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/05/basking-in-after-glow-of-pure-geek-joy.html. I stand by those statements.

3. Hellboy II: the Golden Army was visionary and fun. It progressed the Hellboy story along by throwing in some neat little plot twists in between shots from one of today’s most imaginative filmmakers. Here’s what I had to say then: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/07/hellboy-ii-golden-army.html. You know what? I stand by those statements.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a lot of fun. It made me smile to see Indy make his way onto the big screen for another go round. I hope that it doesn’t stop with this one. There is so much more to do before Dr. Henry Jones Jr. hangs up his whip and fedora; and now that there is an heir apparent the franchise is ripe for the picking. Back when the movie came out instead of doing a blow-by-blow review I did a little recap on the “trilogy”. I was content with the fact that Indy had returned. My hopes were rewarded. If interested you can read all that jazz here: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/05/pssst-indy-iv-is-coming-soon.html. Mr. Lucas, Mr. Spielberg – Yes please, my I have another?

Of course one never knows how the marketplace will react to a film. Speed Racer immediately comes to mind. I thought that it would have wheels instead of hitting the wall like it did. I grew up watching Speed Racer; so did a lot of other fan boys so I was surprised that it didn’t work. Who’s to say why? Perhaps it was too high a concept? No. Maybe it was just too stylish for its own good? Maybe. Whatever the case it didn’t work. The public just stayed away. I’m sure that studios will be scrutinizing the whys and hows of it for years to come. It didn’t find its audience. It probably will on Blu-ray.

As for my favorites of the summer of 2008, well each one of these films served the story. As a result of that everyone was happy; the studios, the filmmakers and the fans both old and new. Each of these pictures will have a hand in selling a lot of Blu-ray players and HD TVs (don’t forget the magic number of 1080 p). I do not yet possess such equipment but would gladly test some if any company like a Panasonic or a Sony would like me to field trial such electronics under a wide variety of consumer situations and user conditions – well, just say the word.

I’m willing to sacrifice.

My Movie Wish List

“A work of art is never completed, just abandoned.” – Guillaume Apollinaire

That’s a great quote from someone I have absolutely no idea about of whom they are. I heard George Lucas paraphrase it by substituting the word “film” for “art”. Hold on a tick; let’s check out Wikipedia…

Searching…

Searching…

Ok, here we are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Apollinaire. “He (Guillaume Apollinaire) was a French poet, writer and art critic born in Italy to a Polish mother. Among the foremost poets of the early 20th century, he is credited with coining the word “surrealism” and writing one of the earliest works described as surrealist, the play, “Les Mamelles de Tiresias” (1917, later used as the basis for an opera in 1947). Two years after being wounded in World War I, he died at 38 of the Spanish Flu during the pandemic.”

There you go; you learn something new every day.

Anyway, let me get back on topic; please forgive me Gentle Reader; I saw a bright shiny thing.

As a Fan Boy and Movie Geek it occurs to me that there are certain movies that I would like to see happen; certain films that just ache to be made – stories that deserve to be completed and told. The last blog got me to thinking what other movies need to be completed, or rather, which films would benefit from having their plots move forward. Sequels are rarely as good as their predecessor; that being said, here is a list of films that I would like to see come to fruition. Yes, the majority of this list may be pure adolescent wish fulfillment but I’m ok with that. I’ve always enjoyed the concept of being entertained at the movies – if I wanted to weep I’d watch the news. I would pay hard money on opening night to go see at the local multiplex and I think the viewing public would be too. Without further ado here’s my list in no particular order…

1. Blade Runner II. Ridley Scott needs to be at the helm once more. I want more replicants, an older Gaff (portrayed by Edward James Olmos once more) who is a Blade Runner himself and the final answer as to if Rick Deckard was a replicant or not. For the record – I think he was.

2. Snake Plissken. John Carpenter needs to come out of his self-imposed retirement and make this movie. Kurt Russell needs to reprise this role one more time. There were plans at one time to make “Escape from Planet Earth” but they fell through when “Escape from L.A.” went belly up in the theaters. It did well on DVD and the anti-hero, Snake has always been one of my personal favorites. I'm with ya Kurt... or rather, Mr. Russell.

3. The Dark Knight Returns. How’s this for a recipe – make the third film in the current trilogy with the Riddler as the bad guy and then take some time off. Really. Now transplant the exact cast and crew into the future and make Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”. It simply could not miss. Amazing stuff and worth the wait.

4. Hellboy III. See: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2008/07/hellboy-ii-golden-army.html for all my reasons.

5. Iron Man II. John Favreau must helm and Robert Downey Jr. must reprise his role as Tony Stark – in fact, the whole cast needs to return. It has been reported that they don’t want to rush into a cookie cutter sequel and this brings a smile to my beating geek heart. With the momentum of Iron Man II they just need to keep rolling and make “Ultimate Avengers”. It looks like Marvel Films is gearing up for this to happen and I’m all a-tingle. This will Rock. Favreau should helm the project. He gets it; not only that – he wants to share it. “What’s ‘it’?” you may ask. ‘It’ is a love and appreciation for the characters and world of Marvel Comics. ‘Nuff said.

6. Mad Max IV. You could argue that Mad Max has already had his transition from losing his humanity (Mad Max), discovering that he is still part of the human race (The Road Warrior), and rejoining humanity (in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) but there is a part of me that just wants more. Mad Max needs to restart civilization; that would be a good destiny for Max.

7. King Conan: Crown of Iron. Sure Schwarzenegger is the governor of California but this is more important. Since the presidency in the United States is out why not a kingdom? Conan, in Robert E. Howard’s series becomes King so why not have it happen on the big screen? John Milius would be my choice to direct.

8. Evil Dead IV (or Army of Darkness II). Sam Rami must direct and Bruce Campbell must reprise the role of Ash. I’d love to see an older Ash up to his elbows in Deadite bad guys at the S-mart. Sharpen the old chainsaw and clean the boomstick. Groovy.

9. Indiana Jones. Yep, I don’t want to see it end and if the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull showed us anything, then there is still a lot of life left in this series. Now there’s another generation of Jones’ to keep up with.

10. Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League. This will never be made since I believe I am the only Buckaroo Banzai fan on the eastern seaboard. I’d love to see it happen but this is the long shot on a list of long shots. It would be great to see as many of the original cast reprise their roles for the twenty-first century though. Make mine Yoyodyne.

11. Goonies II. Hear me out – who wouldn’t want to see this film happen? It would need the original cast and their kids as they protect the “Goon Docks” from some new threat. If I were pitching it I’d call it “The Big Chill” meets… well, “The Goonies”. It would be a fun night at the movies.

12. 2061 – Odyssey Three. I’d love to see this one happen; of course I wish that Roy Scheider was still with us to reprise the role of Dr. Heywood Floyd. It would be great to see what the aliens from the monolith and the HAL 9000 are up to on the big screen once more. Hey – who knows, it could happen.

So there’s my dozen. I know that there is nothing new under the sun and it’s hard enough to launch anything that is ‘new’ in the movie marketplace today but still there’s a place in my matinee heart for these potential flicks.

So, did I miss anything?

Basking in the After Glow of Pure Geek Joy

Gentle Reader the summer movie season is upon us. This is my super bowl, my world series, my world cup. I love the eye candy that graces the multiplexes from sea to shining sea during May, June, July and August. And Ladies and Gentlemen, IRON MAN has set the bar for all other movies that will be released this summer.

I’ve been reading the spin on Iron Man for the last year or so. I follow this sort of thing – it’s what I do. This project marks the first time that Marvel has made a film on its own without having some studio executive throw in his two cents or product placement deal (see Macy Grey in Sony’s Spiderman or Prince doing the “Bat Dance” from Warner’s Batman). Marvel handled these duties and in the process has made probably the finest transfer from a comic book to a movie that has EVER been produced. Oh there have been some great comic book films (Superman – the Movie, Spiderman, X-Men, and Hellboy, but for each of these there are also the ugly side of the business. For every great Batman Begins you have to put up with a shoddy Hulk or a flimsy Fantastic Four. As a geek from WAY BACK let me just tell you those two films (three if you count Fantastic Four II) were complete and udder rubbish. Why? Because the people who made them had NO LOVE for and NO KNOWLEDGE of the characters, stories and heritage that was placed into their hands. Oh they may have had a decent opening weekend but if you are completely ignorant of the source material you have no business playing in that sandbox. They are forgetable films. All this leads me to why I absolutely love Iron Man. The people who made the film know, love, and respect the characters and their 45 plus years of heritage. They get it – and better still, they share the love with a world that just may not know who Tony Stark is.

The casting is inspired. Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark. Hindsight being what it is, I cannot think of another actor who is more perfect for this role. Seriously. Jeff Bridges pulls off a wonderfully evil bad guy. And the rest of the cast is spot on too; Terence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow deliver. There are geek moments aplenty but they are not overdone; those in the know will truly appreciate seeing what’s going on there on the silver screen those that don’t will be pleasantly surprised. Iron Man is not your typical brainless explosion fest; nope, Iron Man has been and always should be about Tony Stark – a changed man and watching his character develop and grow into something more than what he once was. The suit is secondary to what’s going on inside old Shell Head.

Go early, the final trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is attached and is very cool indeed. You can fully believe the Iron Man hype – it is so worth the price of admission. For my money it’s about the best comic book movie I have ever seen; not to toot my own horn, but that’s saying something.

Oh yes, and STAY for the end credits.

…That is all I can say on that matter… Let’s just say I’ve still got geek chills up and down my spine.

I Am IRON MAN

Ok, let’s geek out a bit…

http://www.myspace.com/trailerpark

Oh my.

“Good luck keepin’ up.”

With lines like, “Let’s face it, this is not the worst thing you’ve caught me doing.” May is gonna be a good month.

BTW - Ain't It Cool News broke this one.

I’ve been crazy busy…

17,000 words plus on the screenplay, thus far; (see Script Frenzy link to the right). My writing partner has been great and we have slipped into a very natural working relationship. It's a good thing and it’s rocking. But that’s not what I wanted to pass along to you Gentle Reader… No. As it turns out I wanted to drop a tidbit about the “Iron Man” movie that will be coming out next year…

It’s a good one.

Samuel L. Jackson is going to be Nick Fury.

Yeah… more perfect casting there has never been (looking at Ultimate Avengers that is). I am torked for this flick. Then again I’m also stoked for Indiana Jones IV and “Batman – The Dark Knight.” …Have you seen the publicity shots? Entirely too cool.

2008 is looking very good.

All right, I’ve got to get back to typing.

Take care!

I Am Iron Man

Geek alert…

E.W. has broken the first look at the Iron Man Mark III Armor from next May’s Iron Man staring Robert Downey Jr. The casting is perfect and this… http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20037509,00.html is spot on the money.

This one is an opening nighter – no doubt.