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!

__________

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

If you read Frank Cho’s Dynamite book Jungle Girl, you already have an idea of what to expect here.  It takes place in the Savage Land, and all hell breaks lose rather fast.  Cho hasn’t hidden his love of Shanna the She-Devil, and it shows in his writing.  She gets some good dialogue compared to the other characters in this book. Granted, most of her dialogue is explaining the trip that the reader just saw themselves.  Savage Wolverine #1 isn’t written well, but it shows a lot of potential.  It could be a fun and outlandish book.  Cho misses a great opportunity for humor, instead going for straight seriousness.  The recent Avenging Spider-Man arc in the Savage Land used the absurdity of the land rather well.  Wolverine can’t stay in the Savage Land forever, so Shanna will have to make a trip to the Jean Grey School sooner or later, which is a situation ripe with humor.

Wolverine doesn’t fare well in this issue.  It’s clear from the start that Cho wanted this book to be a Shanna ongoing, but Marvel thought it wouldn’t sell. So Cho threw Wolverine into it so that it would sell.  He barely speaks, and narrates every little thing he does.  The reader doesn’t need to be told he just killed someone when we saw the head flying across the panel.  The narrations go away once Wolverine bumps into Shanna, which betters the issue.  If the next few issues have the same problems, maybe Marvel should bring a cowriter aboard for a while.  Help Cho get his ideas out more effectively.  If I had any control over the books Marvel published, they would have turned this into a Shanna book instead.  Wolverine has enough books, and Marvel has been succeeding recently with B and C lister books.  If the book is good, it will sell.  Also, this would be a MAX book.  Cho could pencil the nudity that he terribly wants to pencil.

At this point in Frank Cho’s career, everyone knows what to expect from his books.  Lots of dinosaurs, cavemen, and scantly clad women.  Every other shot of Shanna has her standing in a provocative position with her boobs almost hanging out.  With the story being serious in nature, the amount of boobs sticks out that much more (no pun intended).  If Savage Wolverine had been more lighthearted and over the top, the boobs would have felt natural (I seriously didn’t mean that pun either).  Savage Wolverine is one great looking comic though. Every character is very expressive and detailed, and the lush jungles are beautiful.  The contrast of wide screen panels and small panels is used well to convey the fighting.  Cho’s amazing art is going to be the big draw on this book for some time.

Savage Wolverine is going to be a bubble book for some time.  If the writing can improve, and the tone can shift a little bit, we have ourselves a great book.  But if not, we have a dud.

Savage Wolverine #1 gets 3/5.

MrComicBook, Review: Savage Wolverine #1

Ruby’s thirteen. She sells newspapers for pennies. And she’s got The Green Hornet’s gun. Will Hornet and Kato find Ruby before the mob does…or can THE GREEN GUN GIRL save herself? The original Green Hornet in a super special tale from writer Nate Cosby (Cow Boy)!

The Green Hornet Year One Special is written by Nate Crosby and illustrated by Edu Menna. Marcelo Pinto handles colors while Marshall Dillon provides letters. This special features a story within a story, and the old style comic sequences are done by Evan Shaner. So is the Green Hornet Special really special or are you left feeling stung?

The story is a Green Hornet tale told through the perspective of a young girl named Ruby. Ruby is a thirteen year old who hocks newspapers on the street corners. The news isn’t great, but everyone wants to read what The Green Hornet is up to. The masked menace captivates the young and old alike with his exploits plastered on the front page of the Daily Sentinel. Ruby’s mind tends to wander as she imagines herself as a young sidekick of sorts to Hornet and Kato. While selling papers or sneaking into the home of her alcoholic father, Ruby fantasizes about a particular episode where only she can save the Hornet from the circus thug. When Ruby’s fantasy world comes into existence as Hornet and Kato try to stop thugs on her street, can Ruby be as cool and collected as she is in her dreams?

Crosby crafts a great and touching story. Having a young dreamer cross paths with their hero isn’t a new story, but the way Crosby weaves the imagined with the real keeps it fresh and interesting. There’s enough character development with Ruby and her world to keep the reader entertained while they wait for the inevitable appearance of The Green Hornet. Menna does an apt job with the comic. At times the art looks and feels a little rough, but the street level scenes come off really well. The old comic strip style of Ruby’s fantasies are handled brilliantly by Shaner. It looks like it was lifted straight form an old comic serial.  The way the page and words fade into the old style strip is fantastic.

Bottom Line: The Green Hornet Year One Special is truly that, special. With a touching story by Crosby and astounding old comic serial images, this book is one for Green Hornet fans new and old. With a different take on the dreamer meeting the hero angle, the script and art make something really fresh. Check this one out 4/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Green Hornet: Year One Special

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

Chronicles female superhero’s life as a young Amazonian, before she becomes a warrior princess with super powers. Iris, comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted -and just as often horrified – by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling – to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn’t have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see – and things to learn – and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic – and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, New Synopsis For CW’s Amazon Emerges

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”

Will Dr. Luke Taylor’s descent into the government’s most secretive project shed light on his origins? Or is he just the next in line to fall victim to his evil “brother?” In this country, not all clones are created equal…

Clone continues this month with issue #3. The story is written by David Schulner with art by Juan Jose Ryp. Felix Serrano provides colors with Rus Wooton covering letters. Clone is one of Images’ new series that may have flown under some people’s radar. With 3 issues out now, did we make a mistake not paying attention to this book?

The story starts with Patrick leading Luke to a holding cell. The two men talk about the clones using the Biblical story of Esau and Jacob. Patrick says that he, Luke, and all the other Clones are brothers fighting for their birthright as the Bible story teaches. Luke is placed in a cell while Luke’s wife Amelia is forced to give birth. This story is interlaid with two other story sections. A team is trying to get in and rescue Luke and the Vice President’s storyline thickens as the embryonic stem cell bill comes to a vote. The VP is the deciding vote, but will he vote party wise or try to do what will benefit his sick daughter best?

Schulner crafts a brilliant narrative with superb character moments. There is action in this issue, but the selling point is the character interactions and dialogue. The scene between Patrick and Luke are terrific and could have even been a little longer. I would have liked another few panels after Luke is shown the shocking scene of a pit full of dead clones (it’s on the cover, it’s not that big a spoiler). The Vice President’s story is complex and helps broaden him from just a straightforward bad guy to a more shady character. The art is great save for two odd choices. There’s a scene in the Vice President’s home with an odd “camera” angle that made me do a double take. Other than a few small quibbles, the art is fantastic and helps improve an already great script.

Bottom Line: Clones is quickly becoming one of Images’ best series. I’ll admit this one flew under my radar, but I’ve quickly rectified this mishap. What could have easily been another take on an old and clichéd sci-fi theme has become a great and compelling story. Don’t make the same mistake I did, go give Clone a chance 4.5/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Clone #3

For about US$7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch movies and TV programs streamed over the internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, internet-connected TVs, home theatre systems, digital video recorders and internet video players; Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 800 devices that stream from Netflix are available. For additional information, visit www.netflix.com.

· Netflix is gift of unlimited entertainment – offers great movies and TV shows for everyone in the family

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· Netflix is launching its own Original programming – including bringing back Arrested Development

· Netflix is affordable – streaming memberships are $7.99 mos – half the price of one movie ticket in NY!

The Prizes

Six (6) winners will each receive one (1) Netflix gift card redeemable for 6 months of Unlimited Streaming service

The Rules

- Follow us on Twitter and post the following text to your page:

- Leave a comment in the comment section below with a link to your Twitter page to verify your entry

* Sweepstakes begins today, Saturday, December 30th, and ends Friday, January 11th, 2013. Winners will be contacted immediately after the Sweepstakes ends. If a winner fails to claim their prize within three days of notification it will be awarded to a randomly selected entry.

* Only one entry per registered account holder over the age of eighteen (18) will be accepted.

* Open to members from the United States and United Kingdom.

* Gift cards are valid for 6 months of Netflix Unlimited Streaming membership for either new or existing customers. Internet access and valid payment method are required, however you will not be charged during your complimentary membership period.

 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

wolverinept, NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY: Netflix Unlimited Streaming Memberships

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

Monday, September 3, 2012. This year’s Labor Day started like any other Labor
Day…full of happiness, sunshine, and a day of festivity with family or friends
to look forward to.  Sadly today though, for Hollywood, the rest of the entertainment
world and us movie and comic book lore fans, we lost a “giant”, literally and
figuratively, in the industry.  Yes, we are talking about the amazing character
actor Michael Clark Duncan.  A great performer known for his versatility for
playing the big man with a heart of gold, to a dark and foreboding bully,
serving for either goodness or villainy.  We at Comic Book Therapy proudly take
a look back at the life and  career of this actor and feature some of his
memorable moments in film.

Michael Clark Duncan was born on December 10, 1957 in Chicago Illinois and grew
up in a single parent household, with mother Jean Duncan and his Judy following
leave of his father.  A desire to take up acting, he took up studying
Communication at Alcorn State University.  He eventually dropped out in lieu of
supporting the family after his mother fell ill.  From digging ditches for gas main
lines, to fronting as a bouncer at several Chicago area clubs, he eventually
made his way working security jobs in Los Angeles while looking for work in
commercials.  During then, he moved to front as bodyguard for several noted
stars and celebrities such as Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, and
others.  In 1997, after the death of one of his clients, Notorious B.I.G., Duncan
decided to get out of the bodyguard business.

Duncan’s memorable Green Mile moments:

In 1998, he went on to be cast as Bear in Michael Bay’s meteor judgement day
adventure,  Armageddon.  While there, he and fellow actor Bruce Willis became
friends and Willis’s influence made way for him to take the breakthrough role of
his career, that of John Coffey in 1999′s The Green Mile.  The Green Mile proved
a major stepping stone for Duncan as of which he received a nomination for both
an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

Duncan and his role as Kingpin Wilson Fisk in Daredevil

From there, the sudden success opened doors for Duncan in many areas that tapped
his talents in stature, voice, and personality, making him one of the most
sought after character actors in Film.  He went on to star in films such as The
Whole Nine Yards, Planet of the Apes, and as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin in the 2003
Daredevil movie.  Other credits include voice work on TV’s Spider-Man: The New
Animated Series, and in animated films, such as Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2,
voice roles in such popular action video games as SOCOM  II: US Navy SEALs, and
Soldier of Fortune, and finally as the voice of Kilowog for the Green Lantern
movie in 2011.

Duncan and his talk on Kilowog in Green Lantern

Sadly,on July 13, 2012, Duncan was sent to the hospital after suffering from a
heart attack.  He was pulled from intensive care around August 6th, but remain
hospitalized.  Tragically as of September 3, 2012, Duncan died that morning from
complications of a myocardial infarction from which he never fully recovered. He
was 54, about three months short of his 55th birthday.

Heartfelt words from Duncan to Tom Hanks (at Hanks’s AFI Salute) for his actor mentoring in The Green Mile

Michael Clark Duncan is and will always remembered fondly by fans and moviegoers
for his gentle giant to comically brooding bully personas and his unimistakable
voice which could go from dark and intimidating to kind and friendly as the role
called for it.  His amazing breadth of work the last 15 years shows it.  Rest In
Peace Mr. Duncan, and we thank you for all your great performances…

DocBBanner, En Memoriam: Michael Clark Duncan (1957-2012)

A sad day indeed. Captain America co-creator Joe Simon has passed away in New York City on December 14, 2011, after a brief illness. The comics legend created and co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. One of his most iconic creations was the sentinel of liberty Captain America, which he co -created with Jack Kirby.  Simon was inducted  in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, on 1999.

Marvel remembers Joe and posted this on their website:

Newsprint flowed through Simon’s veins early in life as the newspapers provided the young artist-writer with his first, real job experience and avenues for future creative growth. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, he first worked on his high school newspaper as its art director, then graduated to several real-world papers. There, Simon handled not only production assignments, but also provided editorial cartoons throughout the 1930s.

Eventually drifting into freelance work, the young Simon found his way into the industry that he’d make his most important mark on when he went to work for Funnies, Inc., a company that provided comic stories to other publishers. There he created his first super hero, the Fiery Mask for Marvel’s predecessor Timely Comics, and met a fellow creator, one Jack Kirby.

Simon and Kirby hit it off and soon became an inseparable creative duo. Simon’s sense of business and design coupled with Kirby’s raw drawing talent created a team that could take on the world. After a few introductory comic book gigs together, the two young men made their way to Timely and there began to build what would become one of their signature creations: Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty.

In more recent times, Simon thrilled to seeing his creation Captain America finally take his place among other Marvel heroes on the silver screen in 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” feature film. It stands as a proud moment that rounded out a lengthy and important career for the trail-blazing Joe Simon.

In the 2000s, Simon turned to painting and marketing reproductions of his early comic book covers. He appeared in various news media in 2007 in response to Marvel Comics’ announced “death” of Captain America in Captain America vol. 5, #25 (March 2007), stating, “It’s a hell of a time for him to go. We really need him now”.

Well, thanks Mr. Simon for giving us such wonderful characters and for leading the way to many, many artists and creators.

Both pioneers passed away this month

Agent Burgos, Thank You Joe Simon (10/11/1913 -12/14/11)