In an interview with BleedingCool, Iron Man 3 director, Shane Black comments on his post Marvel plans. He is committed to directing the Warner Bros. adaptation of Death Note, and Doc Savage for Sony.
Black is enthusiastic about his adaptation of the hit Japanese manga, Death Note, saying,

“Right now I’ve got this thing at Warner Bros. called Death Note that I like a lot. It’s a Japanese Manga that’s very tense and really cool.”

Black seems especially passionate about Doc Savage.

“It’s Doc Savage, the old series of pulp novels and doing Doc Savage right, finding the way to get that script correct has been one of the guiding passions of my adult life. If I can get that script and make it happen in the next 90 days or so then I’d love to make that.

We would start writing a draft when I get back from this. Three months is about the time in which we get a draft. We should be able to do it in 90 days, me and Chuck Mondry and Anthony Baggarozzi, my writing partners.”

Death Note follows the story of Light Yagami, young prodigy, as he discovers the “Death Note,” a notebook from the world of the Death Gods. By simply righting the name of an individual into the book, he can kill them in any manner he  describes. Using the power of the Death Note, Light adopts the name Kira and embarks on the mission to rid the world of criminals and create a perfect society, that he will rule over as its god. As he becomes consumed by his power, the world authorities attempt to track him down, leading to a deadly cat and mouse game between him and the greatest investigator in the world, known only as “L.”

Doc Savage is a classic pulp adventure series that has been adapted into numerous radio, film, and comic books. Created in 1933, the series follows the globe trotting adventures of Savage. Savage is an accomplished physician, surgeon, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, and researcher who has been pushed towards perfection since birth by his father. His adventures often involve him saving the world from a megalomaniac bent on world domination or destruction.

I for one look forward to both of these projects in the future. Iron Man 3 opens in US theaters on May 3, 2013.

Richard "Hawk" Hawkins, Shane Black Talks “Doc Savage” and “Death Note” Adaptations

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

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UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Three more actors are set to join the already star studded cast in Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Juno Temple. According to the Playlist, details on the characters are being kept under wraps. This trio will be joining Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jamie King, Dennis Haysbert and the previously mentioned Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin and Chris Meloni.

Ray Liotta is enjoying a bit of a resurgence in recent months, having starred alongside Brad Pitt in Killing The Softly and several new films landing in theaters this year. Temple was most recently seen in The Dark Knight Rises as Selina Kyle’s accomplice and will also be featured in numerous films this year.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For  will arrive in theaters October 4th, 2013

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Juno Temple Join Sin City Sequel

Work on Marc Webb’s Spider-Man sequel is coming along nicely. It seems the majority of the cast is in place and filming will start soon. Two of the new additions to the movie were out and about promoting their movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Shailene Woodley, who will be playing Mary Jane Watson, and Dane DeHaan, Harry Osborn, talked a little about the upcoming Spidey movie.

Woodley spoke with MTV about joining the cast and how excited she was about the film. The actress couldn’t reveal too much, but she said she’s a fan of the character and really enjoyed the reboot:

Spider-Man has always been my favorite super hero dude, since I was a little girl. I think there’s something really special about flying. When I watched the previous Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, he made me feel invincible. I think Marc Webb is amazing. I’m so stoked to work with Andrew and Emma [Stone], they’re the best of the best.

She went on to say that she didn’t know any real details about the film, but she assumes she’ll be part of a love triangle if the comics are anything to go by. Woodley also hinted that she’d be making the transition and become a redhead soon. You can watch the full video interview by clicking here.

Chronicle break-out star Dane DeHaan also chatted about The Amazing Spider-Man sequel while on the red carpet for his film with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe called Kill Your Darlings. The actor remained tight lipped on what he knows, but he did confirm that he will be involved in a love triangle. Is it with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Aunt May? We’ll have to wait and find out. The director of Darlings may have spoiled a big plot point for the film though. HitFix reports an incident that occured during the cast introductions:

[Director] Krokidas introduced the cast of “Darlings” which includes Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster and Michael C. Hall. When he got to DeHaan he said “He’s the Green Goblin.” DeHaan just smiled, but it didn’t seem like Krokidas was kidding.

Is this a case of a director who doesn’t know a lot about comics or is Webb planning on skipping Norman and having Harry don the Green Goblin gear? I would say it’s the first, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the second happened. The Green Goblin was used in Sam Raimi’s first film, so it would be a little too soon to simply rehash the character. What do you think? Would you be pleased if Harry is the first Green Goblin?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Amazing Spider-Man 2: Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, And A Possible Villain Spoiler

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Brad Bird Shows Off An Amazing Unused Incredibles Poster

IDW is releasing a comic book prequel for Star Trek Into Darkness, called Countdown to Darkness, written by Mike Johnson with a story by Roberto Orci. It is an official prequel comic to the movie and works to bridge the gap between the first film and the second. The cover to #4, the final in the miniseries, shows a Klingon warrior with the much debated helmet. The comic comes out in April and the film in May. Could it be setting the Klingons up for a big role for Into Darkness? Time will tell. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Now, I understand this isn’t the most geeky thing to be highlighting, but when I’m not slaving away for the militant owner of this site, I’m slobbering and drooling over vehicles that I wish to someday own. Not to mention, some of these vehicles have graced the pages of our beloved comics in the past. As with many of the lists you’ll see me post, these are in no particular order. How do you put a level of awesomeness on these things, really?

A-Team G15 Van
1983 GMC Vandura
Van/Minibus
5.2 Liter V-8
When you think of a group of bad-asses, the A-Team should be at the top of your list. If it isn’t, please leave your man-card on the table as you escort yourself out of the building. This team, which consisted of H.M. Murdock, B.A. Baracas, Hannibal Smith and Templeton “Faceman” Peck, used this van for many things, anything from an every day vehicle to a battering ram to a  full-on assault vehicle. But no matter what, this beast made it through everything. The van was revived for Joe Carnahan’s film adaptation and fans couldn’t help but giggle a little bit when the van made its appearance.

Supernatural “Baby”
1967 Chevy Impala
Sedan
V8 427 4 Barrel
While my opinion of Supernatural  has changed over the years, one thing that remains the same is my love for this classic American car. This vehicle makes me happy in ways an inanimate object should. The sound of the metal doors creaking as they open and close, the rumble of the exhaust and the simplistic back paint, what’s not to love? At the end of season five, Chuck sums things up nicely by  calling the Impala “the most important object in the universe.” The classic rock soundtrack that is always present on the show never hurts either. This is a classic car for a pair of brothers that do what “Murica” does best: kick ass!

Starsky & Hutch Torino
1975-1976 Ford Gran Torino
Coupe
351 Windsor V-8 4 Barrel
The paint job is just as iconic as the car itself. When one sees this classic look on a car, only one show (or movie for the younger crowd) comes to mind: Starsky & Hutch. While the car may not have been the biggest and baddest muscle car ever made, you wouldn’t know by looking back at the series. Originally, a Chevy Camaro was to be the car of choice, as show creator William Blinn fondly remembered his convertible he owned. But being that the leasing program was through Ford, they opted for a Ford Gran Torino, which featured the famed 351 Windsor V8 engine and the now iconic red and white paint theme. The rest, as they say, is history. Talk about a good move!

Classic Batmobile
1955 Lincoln Futura Concept
Modified
351 V8
You didn’t think I’d make a list like this and not include this car, right? Despite it being over 50 years old, this car is still considered to be among the top Batman vehicles ever, movies, TV or comics; not to mention of any famous vehicles…ever. Hence its inclusion here. The car cost a whopping $125,000, which doesn’t sound like much for a fully custom vehicle, but if you factor in inflation, you’d be looking at a vehicle with a value of about $2 million today. Everything about this car is custom made, including the “bing bong” warning bell and the sender/receiver computer in the trunk.

Dukes of Hazzard General Lee
1969 Dodge Charger
Coupe
318, 383, & 440 CID V8 big block (Varied depending on use)
When I was a kid, nothing impressed me more than seeing Bo and Luke Duke racing to the General Lee, sliding across the hood and climbing through the window to head off on a back-country, high speed chase. I wanted to be a Duke more than anything. To this day, whenever I see an old Charger, I can’t help but smile. Fun fact: anywhere from 250 to 300 Dodge Chargers were used- and wrecked- during the taping of The Dukes of Hazzard. They often times would recycle parts to fix some of the cars up to reuse them. Even more cop cars were damaged during film. Sadly, whenever this car makes appearances now, the Confederate flag that is featured on the roof will no longer be used.

Green Hornet Black Beauty
1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial
Sedan
440-C.I. V8
You want to talk assault vehicle? The Chrysler Imperial that was used for Black Beauty not only had a drastically modified exterior, but the gizmos and weapons that were included make the Batmobile look like a Barbie Power Wheel. The car was able to launch rockets via tubes below the headlights, a concealed-when-not-in-use, drop-down knock-out gas nozzle in the center of the front grill, and the capabilities to launch a video surveillance device- or scanner- from a hidden compartment. Just to name a few things. The car featured a one-of-a-kind paint job that included 30 layers of black paint. For the 2011 remake, the car kept to the same concept, but upped the ante and was easily the highlight of the film.

Knight Rider KITT
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
Coupe
5.0L V8
Before David Hasselhoff was running around in little red shorts, he was behind the wheel of this super smart, ultra computerized Trans Am. KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), has literally dozens of high-tech upgrades: turbo boost, Etymotic Equalizer (he could hear), Olfactory Sensor (he could smell), Silent Mode, Oil Jets/Smoke Screen, Flame Thrower and Ultramagnesium Charges. That list could go on for some time, but I’ll hold off on the awesomeness. Take all that and drop it into one of the most iconic cars of the 80′s (it’s still quite popular among folks with a mullet and have a hankerin’ for pork rinds) and you have yourself a pretty bad-ass whip.

Magnum, PI Ferrari
1977 Ferrari 308 GTS
Targa Coupe
2.9 L FI V8
When you mention the classic series Magnum, PI, most people will remember Tom Selleck’s luscious push-broom mustache or his ridiculously short shorts. But not me. What I remember most is that bright red, targa-topped Ferrari 308, a car that some enthusiasts to be among the most beautiful cars that the Italian automaker has ever produced. I couldn’t agree more. This care was able to bring down the fastest of getaway cars and looked damn good doing it. This thing is about 14 levels of pure awesomeness.

I have to list a few honorable mentions, as they are just too cool to leave off, so I have to at least give them a bit of love:
19986 Ferrari Testarossas from Miami Vice
1976 Austin Mini from Mr. Bean
1980 GMC Pick-up from The Fall Guy
Th Munster Koach from The Munsters
The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

What are your favorite cars from television? I know there are some that I missed, but the important ones are here and I’d be more than happy to take anyone of these home. Now if I only had someone to buy them for me…

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Top 8 Vehicles of Television

It’s quite likely that a new Heroes for Hire comic is headed our way this year, with the classic duo of Luke Cage and Danny Rand- Power Man and Iron Fist-, which will be written by Brian Bendis. However, this run will also feature Jessica Jones and her child, who is fathered by Luke Cage. But what about a film based on the duo? It’s been rumored for some time now that a Luke Cage film may be in production, with several actors throwing their names in the hat to play the lead role. There have also been some very minor rumblings of a movie based on Iron Fist as well, but nothing that has really gained much traction.

While talking with BuzzFeed, Marvel’s TV head honcho, Jeph Loeb, talked about the the Ultimate Spider-Man series and the different characters involved with that show, including Luke Cage and Danny Rand. Loeb had this to say:

“Just like we just announced Guardians of the Galaxy, we are certainly looking at the Heroes for Hire franchise which is Luke Cage and Iron Fist…”

Does this mean we are getting a movie centered on the Heroes for Hire? Possibly, but at least we know that Marvel is certainly considering the concept, and maybe more so that we all originally thought. Obviously, I’d suggest a bit of salt to go with this news. Would you rather see a Heroes for Hire film or introduce each of the character individually first and team them in a later film? I have to say, it may be a better option to combine the two and get a kick-ass action flick from this odd, but awesome pairing.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, A Heroes for Hire Movie from Marvel?

The Godyssey tells of the Gods of the grand pantheon, including Zeus, Buddha, Ra and Pangu, are forced to join together in a battle against fallen gods to save mankind. While Jesus Christ plays a part in the comics, he apparently will not be included in the film. It is still early in the planning stages, so writers and a director have yet to be signed on to the project.

As mentioned earlier, the Deadpool film is still resting in development hell. Tim Miller is still attached to direct, with Ryan Reynolds still signed to play the Merc with a Mouth. Garner has a history with Liefeld, as the he took part in bidding for Planet Terry pitch while serving as Revolution’s president of production. That project ended up at New Line with LIefeld and Weaver producing.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Liefeld’s ‘The Godyssey’ is Headed to the Big Screen

Speaking with SciFiNow (via Totalfilm.com), Millar praised Mangold’s movie saying the director is brilliant. The movie started filming before Millar got the consultant job, but he has overseen much of the film’s production. Having written one of the best Wolverine stories, Old Man Logan, Millar believes the character is ripe for solo movies:

I don’t think it detracts having individual Wolverine adventures from the X-Men. He’s like a lone wolf character, he disappears and does his own thing sometimes and then he comes back and hangs out at the mansion, so it does feel quite natural for him to be in these movies.

While Wolverine is a favorite among fans, he does have the potential to be overused as can be seen in several comics nowadays. Millar doesn’t want to make that mistake:

You don’t want to have him out there all the time, because I think if you’ve got him in X-Men and Wolverine movies and they’re all running at the same time, it’s a little bit too much but as long as you’re smart with it then there’s a lot of other characters to explore… The X-Men universe is about the same size as the Marvel universe in terms of the number of titles it sustains at any one time, so there’s a ton of stuff to play with there and a lot of characters I’d like to explore there too.

Wolverine has been slightly overused in the past few years. You can’t swing a cat in the Marvel universe without hitting a team he’s on (CBT doesn’t condone swinging cats, it’s just a phrase). Say what you will about Millar, but the man has had a good grasp on the character. We know Wolverine will pop up in Days of Future Past, but maybe we’ll see his appearances scaled back a bit afterwards. What do you think about Millar’s comments? Do you like your Wolverine in moderation?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Mark Millar Doesn’t Want To Overuse Wolverine In Movies

• It’s off to Jotunheim, the land of the Frost Giants as Bruce Banner and his lab team embark on an all-new secret mission for S.H.I.E.L.D! Caught trespassing by the local natives, they’re going to need the help of the mighty Avenger, Thor!

Waid is excited to get Simonson on the book and having the legendary artist draw Thor again. While Thor will be showing up, the question should be which Thor is showing up? Waid makes an interesting  statement about the Thor we’ll be seeing:

Why on Earth would you have the amazing Walt Simonson aboard and NOT ask him to draw Thor? The teasing question is–which Thor will we be seeing? Banner and his team of assistants build a portal to Jotunheim, land of the Frost Giants, in order to obtain a rare metal there–but in doing so, they may have accomplished something totally unforeseen!

While we’ll have to wait and see exactly what Waid means, Simonson touched on revisiting the world of Thor and how he goes about tackling the Hulk:

It’s been interesting drawing Thor and not writing him. (laughs) I like what Mark’s been asking me to draw a lot, and he has kindly allowed me to kibitz a little. My earliest work on Thor was done pretty much the same way when I did layouts for Len Wein to write on the Thor title in the 70s. I also got to draw Thor in some of the Brian Bendis Avengers recently. I’ve found it’s been a lot of fun for me to go back and revisit the old boy again.

Regarding the drawing the Hulk and Thor, there’s an essential difference in their natures I try to reflect in the figure work.
I’ve approached drawing the Hulk with a certain ‘wildness’, since he is essentially a ‘monster’ who is the unfettered version of a mortal. The shapes that make up his figure as well as the actual lines used to define those shapes can be far less restrained that they might otherwise be for a more ordinary character. In other words, the drawing technique itself is meant to suggest the limitless quality of the Hulk’s fury and power. And because of his ‘monstrous’ nature, the Hulk’s figure and face don’t require the kind of symmetry that a character like Thor needs in order to be handsome within the context of the comic. I’m also inspired by the earliest versions of the Hulk by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko where there seems to me to have been a nod to the Karloff Frankenstein monster of the early Universal horror films. All of which means I can pack a lot into my drawings to try to capture some reflection of the Hulk’s wild nature.

If you want to check out the full interview with Waid and Simonson click here. It will be exciting to see Simonson taking on Thor again. The artist did some incredibly work with the thunder god back in the day, so having him return to draw again mixed in with it being a Hulk book makes this a must get. What do you think about Simonson’s return? From what Mark Waid said do you think we’ll get a big twist with the Thor story?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Waid And Simonson Talk Indestructible Hulk

Production Weekly, who are usually very reliable when it comes to things like this, report that the film will start shooting in New York this April. New York and April, how appropriate.

Principle photography on TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, is scheduled to begin this April in New York.

— Production Weekly (@prodweek) January 12, 2013

No word other than that. I would say it’s a safe bet that some of the things that caused so much fan discord has been tweaked or completely changed. With principle photography beginning so soon, it should be no time at all until we hear some solid casting info. What do you think? Are you saying this one is out for the count or should we wait to hear what’s changed?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles Movie Starts Shooting Soon

Cheadle knows that expectations are extremely high for the first post-Avengers film, but it sounds like he and the cast are ready for the challenge:

I hope that it performs to those levels. We did a little piece of it at Comic-Con and people went crazy. It looked great. The script is good. We’re doing a couple re-shoots next week, but I’m encouraged.

Iron Man 2 was directed by Jon Favreau whereas 3 will be handled by the aforementioned Shane Black. Cheadle praises the new director saying he had a good time with a really good cast. He said the director came up with “an interesting script” that was “a lot of fun.” When asked how he would shake things up in Iron Man 3, the actor may have let a spoiler out of the bag:

I’m not supposed to say that he kills Robert Downey Jr.’s character.  Is that a spoiler?  That would be a spoiler.  You knew that was coming.  You read the comic books.  No.  I will just say that the buddy relationship that these guys have gets tighter.  The third act set piece for the big finale is bigger and badder.  It’s just a lot more.

OK that wasn’t really a spoiler. It would be an incredible shock though you have to admit. The actor did confirm what we had only heard rumors of, that some re-shoots will take place next week in Manhattan Beach. With the stills and clips we’ve seen from the film it does look like the Rhodes/Stark relationship will be explored even further than the second film. To read the rest of the interview where Cheadle talks about his TV show, production company, and family click right here. Everything he said about Iron Man 3 and the third act set piece being “bigger and badder” sounds incredibly promising. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Don Cheadle Says Iron Man 3 Is “Bigger and Badder”

Ralph is a very simple movie at heart, but has plenty of deeper messages.  Kids will see what they want, and so will adults.  Kids will see a man who thinks he is bad be a good person.  Adults will see a complex film about heroes and their somewhat ambiguous morality.  It’s amazing how easily the movie balances these two extremes.  Never does the audience feel like these plot twists are forced or shoved in for the sake of it.  Everything feels natural for the story.  The plot does a great job of giving the audience to care for each and every character.  Even a character like King Candy, who turns out to be a villain for the movie.  The rules of the world are also stated nicely.  The audience doesn’t have to sit through some long exposition scene about how and why they game jump.  The rules are brought up naturally, or in a funny way.

Yes, there are video game references a plenty.  They go from obscure arcade games like Tappers, to main stream characters like Sonic.  The majority of Ralph takes place in a Mario Kart knock off, with plenty of jokes at that series.  It should take a couple viewings to get all of the hints and nods to games.  While many movies have tried to have their setting be a video game, none have succeeded.  But Ralph soars in this setting.  It’s clear the creators have a love for video games, and know what they are about.  There are plenty of jokes at modern and classic video games, but there is a respect behind those jokes.

The special effects are on the same level of Pixar.  8-bit characters move in quick motions, as they would when playing the game.  If something in an 8-bit game splashes, the puddles are squares.  It’s a small thing, but goes a long way to help sell the world that these characters are in.  Another big thing is having every character react as they would in their game.  On a small scale, this is to be expected.  But when there is a huge scene, filled with hundreds of characters, every character acts accordingly.  Sonic is in the background of one of these scenes, and we see him get hit with debris.  Naturally, he starts blinking and shoots out coins.  He was so far in the background, I almost missed it.

Wreck-It Ralph isn’t perfect though.  While the writing is great in most scenes, occasionally the writing gets a little on the nose with their message.  The movie treads the line well of adult and kid content, but the script creeps into preachy territory every so often.  It’s jarring, considering there are a few scenes that are quite dark emotionally, and filled with subtlety.  Then we go to a scene that lays everything out on the table.  It doesn’t ruin the movie by any means, but it could have been changed.

The voice actors create a great team.  No one steals the show, but they all work together to create a better movie.  John C. Riley makes Ralph lovable, and instantly the audience feels for the guy.  Sarah Silverman makes Vanellope annoying as hell, then the audience’s heart just breaks for her.  Her voice is one of the few who can’t be picked out right away.  Jane Lynch plays the tough as nails commander well, in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.  Jack McBryer was hysterical as Fix It Felix.  But the biggest surprise was that Alan Tudyk played King Candy.  He sounds nothing like Tudyk’s normal voice.  And as I have always said, “Putting Alan Tudyk in your movie ALWAYS makes it better.”

If Wreck-It Ralph proves one thing, it’s that kids don’t need a movie that coddles them.  Ralph deals with some heavy emotions that are accentuated by some perfectly voiced scenes.  It seemed almost un-Disney to have these characters so sad.  But it works.  Kids loved the movie, and many were screaming that they wanted to see it again.

Wreck-It Ralph gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, Wreck-It Ralph Review

The one that was successful in this age of darkness was Conan the Barbarian which was published by Marvel Comics, with a big budget for the time and careful production it became a blockbuster film. The House of Ideas, also known as Marvel Comics, is one of the largest American comics publishers in the world and has a catalog of over five thousand characters.

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Captain America, 1944

A wave of suspected suicides begins to occur between scientists and entrepreneurs, and all die holding a small beetle. The Mayor asks the police commissioner and prosecutor Grant Gardner to solve the case while waiting for Captain America, a masked man who helped defeat the crime in the past. The victims were members of an expedition to some Mayan civilization ruins. One of the few survivors, Professor Lyman, asks Dr. Maldor for help, but he turns out to be the man responsible for the deaths. Lyman developed the “Dynamic Vibrator” a device for mining operations that can be expanded and transformed into a devastating weapon. Using his “Purple Death”, a hypnotic chemical, he was able to stage the suicides, Dr. Maldor forces Lyman to disclose the location of the equipment. It is up to Captain America to stop the nefarious plans of the villain Beetle, which is actually Dr. Maldor. Trivia: It was a show that lasted 15 episodes, the secret identity of Captain America was not the rookie Steve Rogers, but, Grant Gardner, Public Prosecutor. The Captain had no shield and carried a pistol.

Original Title: Captain America Director: Elmer Clifton, John English Starring: Dick Purcell, Lorna Gray, Lionel Atwill, Charles Trowbridge, Russell Hicks, George J. Lewis, John Davidson Production: William J O’Sullivan Screenplay: Royal Cole, Harry Fraser, Joseph Poland, Ronald Davidson, Basil Dickey, Jesse Duffy, Grant Nelson Soundtrack: Mort Glickman Duration: B & W – 15 chapters – 243 min. Year: 1944 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Comics

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Captain America, 1979

Steve Rogers (Reb Brown), an advertising designer suffers an attack by terrorists who were after the secrets of his late father. On the verge of death, he receives an injection of a super secret serum called FLAG, with it, he acquires superhuman strength and agility. The government than decides to tell him that his father was actually Captain America. Taking on the Captain America identity and with the support of the U.S. government, he must fight to combat the terrorist group that murdered his father and is threatening the security of the country with nuclear weapons. He had a van equipped with a motorcycle and a transparent bulletproof shield. Trivia: It was a movie made directly to TV. The look of the hero differs from the comics but just at the end of the movie he gets the original uniform of Captain America.

Original Title: Captain America Director: Rod Holcomb Cast: Reb Brown, Len Birman, Heather Menzies, Robin Mattson, Joseph Ruskin, Lance Legault Screenplay: Don Ingalls Soundtrack: Ted Roberts Duration: 120min. Year: 1979 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Comics

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Captain America II – Death Too Soon, 1979

In the same year, Universal decided to produce the second tv film. This time the hero fights the mad scientist Michael, played by actor Christopher Lee, who intends to blackmail the U.S. government if his demands are not met. He will unleash a drug that causes accelerated aging in major American cities. In this production the uniform is closer to the comics, despite wearing a helmet as mask and the shield remaining transparent. In one memorable sequence, our hero to escape from a prison, with one arm throws his motorcycle over the wall of the prison and then jumps on her at full speed in the air, turning it into a glider and landing on a road in pursuit of the villain.

Original Title: Captain America II – Death Too Soon Director: Ivan Nagy Cast: Reb Brown, Connie Selleca, Len Birman and Christopher Lee Producer: Allan Balter and M. Martin Goldstein Writers: Patricia Payne and Wilton Schiller Music: Mike Post and Pete Carpenter Duration: 83 min. Year: 1979 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Comics

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Howard – The Duck, 1986

A scientific experiment brings extraterrestrial life forms on planet Earth, among them Howard who is hit by the laser beam fired by the experimental machine. He is brought through the laser beam to the city of Cleveland, USA, where he meets a girl named Beverly (Lea Thompson) Cherry Bomb’s band leader, and she becomes his only friend. Howard must then try to adapt to the difficult life and local customs, things become worse when he discovers another alien that arrived on our planet, called Dark Overlord, which was also brought by the laser and wants to dominate our world. Trivia: This film was a box office flop and almost turned George Lucas production company broke.

Original Title: Howard – The Duck Director: Willard Huyck Cast: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, Paul Guilfoyle, Liz Sagal, Dominique Davalos Production: George Lucas and Gloria Katz Writers: Gloria Katz, Steve Gerber, Willard Huyck Soundtrack: John Barry Duration: 110 min. Year: 1986 Country: USA Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy

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The Incredible Hulk Returns, 1988

Dr. David Banner is back! Two years after his last transformation, he is working on a research company on a way to get rid of the Hulk forever, while maintaining a relationship with a widow. Banner receives a visit from a former student called Donald Blake, who explains that he was a mystical bond with a Norse god, and to prove the validity of his story he summons Thor, causing Banner to turn into the Hulk. Thus, the two start fighting destroying the laboratory and all of Banner’s research. Trivia: Movie made for TV. Thor is the first Marvel character to appear in this television series nest to the Hulk.

Original title: The Incredible Hulk Returns Director: Nicholas Corea Cast: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Jack Colvin, Lee Purcell, Charles Napier, Eric Allan Kramer, Steve Levitt Production: Bill Bixby and Nicholas Corea Writers: Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea Soundtrack Lance Rubin Duration: 88 min. Year: 1988 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama

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The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, 1989

While trying to stop a robbery in the subway, David Banner is arrested and charged with assault and defended by a blind attorney named Matt Murdock (Rex Smith, from the former sitcom Motolaser). But when the Hulk freaks out and escapes from jail, Murdock tries to help him and reveals his own secret to Banner,he is in fact a masked vigilante known as Daredevil. These two men with unusual powers must join forces to defeat an international crime syndicate, led by none other than the Kingpin. Trivia: directed by Bill Bixby, the movie is the first of its kind to contain a cameo by Stan Lee, creator of countless characters from Marvel Comics. Its the first appearance of Daredevil, the blind hero Marvel on television.

Original title: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk Director: Bill Bixby Cast: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Marta DuBois, Nancy Everhard, Rex Smith, John Rhys-Davies Production: Bill Bixby and Gerald Di Pego Writer: Gerald Di Pego Music: Lance Rubin Duration: 95 min. Year: 1989 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama

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The Death of the Incredible Hulk, 1990

David Banner and Dr. Ronald Pratt tried to undertake a project to get rid of the monstrous alter ego of Banner, The Incredible Hulk. A spy named Jasmine attempts to steal the information that Dr. Pratt found about the Hulk and deliver it to terrorists to turn them into men with immense power, but the spy falls in love with David Banner and the two get involved. In the film’s climax, the hostages are freed from the terrorists and the villains flee by plane. But before the plane takes off, the Hulk grabs it, a gun shot hits the fuel tank making the aircraft exploded, killing Hulk. Trivia: It was the third and last TV movie made for the character of the Hulk. The intention of the producers was to present the She-Hulk in a fourth film, titled Revenge of the Incredible Hulk, where Banner would control the monster, but with the death of Bill Bixby in 1993 the project was canceled.

Original title: The Death of the Incredible Hulk Director: Bill Bixby Cast: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Elizabeth Gracen, Philip Sterling, Barbara Tarbuck, Anna Katarina Producer: Robert Ewing and Hugh Spencer Phillips Writer: Gerald Di Pego Music: Lance Rubin Duration: 95 min. Year: 1990 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama

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The Punisher, 1989

The police are on alert due to a series of recent murders. Determined to end the crime wave, Frank Castle (Dolph Lundgren) decides to investigate the case. Castle is a former police officer seeking revenge since his wife and son were murdered by the mafia, and since then as devoted himself to fighting crime on the streets. When Castle believes that the organization is nearly destroyed, he starts facing a new criminal group that aims to to become the new mafia. Trivia: At the time the producers did not want to fully embrace the look of the comics (even the white skull on his chest), they were afraid that the character would instigate acts of violence.

Original title: The Punisher Director: Mark Goldblatt Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett, Jr., Kim Miyori, Jeroen Krabbé, Bryan Marshall Producer: Robert Mark Kamen Screenplay: Boaz Yakin Soundtrack: Dennis Dreith Duration: 92 min. Year: 1989 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure

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Captain America, 1990

During World War II, american soldier Steve Rogers (Matt Salinger) undergoes a military experiment led by scientist Maria Vaselli (Carla Cassola) to become a supersoldier. He becomes Captain America. However, the doctor responsible for the secret of turning a human into a supersoldier is dead, thwarting a plan to create several others like him. In combat against the Red Skull (Scott Paulin), a supersoldier created by the Nazis, Captain America is stuck in a rocket, which is on route to the White House. The hero manages to divert the rocket’s path, but ends up falling in Alaska, where he is frozen until the 1990s. After waking up from the hibernation, he discovers that the Red Skull is alive and wants to kidnap President Tom Kimball and use a revolutionary technique to take the place of the President of the United States. Trivia: Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger were listed to play Captain America.

Original Title: Captain America Director: Albert Pyun Cast: Matt Salinger, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Darren McGavin, Michael Nouri, Scott Paulin Producer: Menahem Golan, Stan Lee, Joseph Calamari, Tom Karnowski Screenplay: Stephen Tolkin, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon Soundtrack: Barry Goldberg Duration: 103 min. Year: 1990 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Comics

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Fantastic Four, 1994

It all starts with Dr. Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom, a few years ago, in a scientific experiment to capture the cosmic rays of a spacial phenomenon called “Colossus”, everything goes wrong and Victor is presumed dead after the event. Years later, Dr. Richard corrects the errors that caused the accident and goes into space with his pilot, Ben Grimm, taking also siblings Susan and Johnny Storm. It turns out that his ship did not have adequate protection to cosmic rays and everything goes wrong… again. They wake up back on earth, amidst the wreckage of the ship, but find it strange not to have been destroyed along with it. At this point, Dr. Doom comes in, who captures the heroes. They must now use their new powers to defeat the villain and protect humanity. Trivia: so bad that it was never even released. The uniforms of the characters are true to the comics, with special attention to Dr. Doom.

Original Title: Fantastic Four Director: Oley Sassone Cast: Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab, Michael Bailey Smith, Joseph Culp Producer: Steven Rabiner, Roger Corman, Bernd Eichinger Screenplay: Craig J. Nevius, Kevin Rock Soundtrack: David Wurst, Eric Wurst Duration: 90 min. Year: 1994 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy

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Generation X, 1996

They are mutants and live in a world that hates and fears their skills. They live in the Xavier School for Gifted Students, a private and selective school only for mutants. The students are taught by two adult mutants: telepath Emma Frost (Finola Hughes) the White Queen, and Sean Cassidy (Jeremy Ratchford), Banshee, an Irishman who has a sonic scream capable of cracking steel. The villain of the story is Russell Trask (Matt Frewer), a mad scientist who wants to use mutants to advance his evil plans. When he discovers that the White Queen, his old adversary, is teaching a group of young mutants, he decides to kidnap mutants for his experiments. The young mutants are: Jubilee, Skin, Mondo, Buff and Refrax. Trivia: made for TV movie.

Original Title: Generation X Director: Jack Sholder Cast: Heather McComb, Agustin Rodriguez, Amarilis Samon, Bumper Robinson, Suzanne Davis, Randall Slavin, Finola Hughes, Jeremy Ratchford, Matt Frewer. Production: Stan Lee Screenplay: Eric Blakeney Soundtrack: David Sibley Duration: 87 min. Year: 1996 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy

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Nick Fury – Agent of Shield, 1998

Nick Fury is retired, but he is called to return to his old secret agent job. Nick Fury is approached to return to duty to take down agents of the terrorist organization HYDRA, led by the children of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, an old enemy of his. HYDRA has reconstituted a pathogen known as the Death’s Head virus, and threatens to attack Manhattan with it, barring payment of US $1 billion.

Original Title: Nick Fury – Agent of ShieId Director: Rod Hardy Cast: David Hasselhoff, Lisa Rinna, Sandra Hess, Neil Roberts, Garry Chalk Producer: Avi Arad Written by: David S. Goyer Music: Kevin Kiner and Gary Lionelli Duration: 120 min. Year: 1998 Country: USA Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy

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Tune in next week for part 2 where we will take a look at movie pearls such as Blade, X-Men and Fantastic Four!

NOTE: Second part already available, click the link: Part 2

wolverinept, Marvel Studios: A Difficult Start But A Fantastic Movie History Part 1