Jonah Hex Filmmakers Attacked

Jonah Hex director Jimmy Hayward was found tied up and horsewhipped earlier today, just hours after his movie opened across America.  Police were summoned after neighbors overheard the sound of horses and spurs jangling, amid gunshots.

Witnesses report a tall man, riding a horse, dragged the director around in circles before eventually using Hayward for target practice.  The mystery man was described as rakishly handsome by witnesses on the West side of the property.  Oddly, the witnesess on the East side described him as horribly scarred.

A police sketch was done, pictured here, and distributed throughout the Hollywood Hills.

Later in the aftenoon, Jonah Hex co-star Megan Fox was the victim of vehicular violence.  Fox was driving down Sunset Boulevard as an unseen assailant fired shots at her car, puncturing only the tires, resulting in her car careening onto the sidewalk.

No one was injured, however Fox was overheard asking onlookers "Why didn't my car just transform into something else and stop this?  What's happenening here?"

There were no witnesses to the shooter, but police found spent shell casings on a nearby rooftop.  Strangely, the casings seem to be for antique Smith & Wesson six shooters from the 1860's.

A third Jonah Hex related incident occurred a later at Grumman's Chinese Theater, which was showing the film.  Midway through the movie, an unknown prankster released dozens of Rattlesnakes into the theater.

The entire theater was evacuated, 3 people were taken to the hospital with snakebites, none of them life threatening.

All these Jonah Hex relate crimes seem to indicate a larger plan, possibly a publiciy stunt for the film.  Jonah Hex comic book author, Jimmy Palmiotti, commented on the possibility.

"All I'm saying is Hex has a history of living hard and dying harder.  He's also been known to time travel.  So, and I'm just speculating here, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a little pissed about how his movie turned out and wanted to do something about it.  Just saying is all I'm saying." Palmiotti said.

MotD: Magic

I thought this would be a creepier film, about a man and his demented puppet, terrorizing New York.  What we got is a nice performance from Anthony Hopkins, Burgess Meredith playing Mickey for a magician, and Ann Margret married to a complete mismatched husband.  Maybe I missed somthing, but I never really understood how Hopkins did what he did.  I thought there was some kind of mystical stuff going on, but reading the boards it appears he simply schizophrenic.  Glad I watched it, but overall not worth a rewatch.

Holy Crap, Batman.

Jesus, it's been a month since I blogged.  Been an exciting month for sure.  We're booked into and start rehearsals on Sunday for...

Half in the Bag and Bored!

Which is going to be a sketch comedy revue put on during the upcoming C2E2 comic book convention here in Chicago, at McCormick Place.

Sat. 4/17 at 2:45

So, me and my writing partner, the uber talented Joe Goltz (Shout out Wisconsin!) were writing our asses off this last month.  Script is final, still some last minute tweaking but we planned for that.

Hired a great director, Jason Chin, with deep comic knowledge and 15 years of directing sketch~!

Cast a FANTASTIC group of performers, now known as Mid Grade Comics!, Ana, Alex, Rammel, Jeff, Siobhan, Kelsey, Mark, Joe and Myself to put it on.  More on them as we near the show.

Truthfully, I really hope it's funny, and moreso that my team feels it's worth their effort.  They're going to be putting in a lot of work, we all are, and I hope it lives up to it.  That's my fear, that the group would feel it's not at least palatable material.

We will be putting on a Tech Rehearsal at Gorilla Tango theater the week prior.  More on that as it nears...

So great stuff.  Movies have been about 80%, but I'm trying to keep up one a day~!

MotD: The House that Dripped Blood

Hammer Horror has a nice big soft spot on my neck.  It bit me as a kid, just a couple of them, and I've loved everything I've seen of theirs, which admittedly isn't much.  I've got a ton of Hammer in my queue and this is the start of them.  This was an anthology of a house that brings doom to all who live in it.  Steals a bit from House of Wax, but that was what Hammer did best, take the cool aspects of other horror movies and put Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in it and make it more awesome!  No let down here.  Really fun.

Oil and Water

Busy week!  Put down some cocktails in NOLA for the Superbowl, passed out through the game, but rallied for the afterparty.  What can I say, I got  issues. ;-) Biggest news is we're putting on a show.  That's right, I and some friends will be writing/directing/producing/starring in a sketch comedy show for the upcoming C2E2 convention.  Details to be forthcoming, but needless to say excitement is high and creativity is popping!

Reading Son of Ambush Bug this week.  LOVE me some Ambush Bug!

For those uninitiated out there, AB is a creation of Keith Giffen and scripted by Robert Loren Fleming.  He first showed up in Superman books as kind of a villian.  He possessed a 4th wall breaking sense of self and his comic series were always a mish mash of wacky, metatextual gags on the comics industry.

Giff and Fleming use a Borscht Belt style humor which is just note perfect.  Corny at times, there's such a sense of fun in all his books that the groaners are easily overlooked.

Cheeks, The Toy Wonder, might be my favorite cast member, after AB himself of course.  He's just a doll, but gets into misadventures.  Kinda like Peter Sellers in Being There. 

AB's archenemy is Argh'yle, Doctor Doom reimagined as a sock.

This is funny comics.  In a way, it's a precursor to the JLI books that everyone loves so much.  Seek these out for a good time.

Now for something completely different...

MotD: United 93 and World Trade Center

This is what happens when Netflix recommends movies.  Your queue becomes a rolling account of your interests, flowing with styles and actors.  At times it becomes like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, where you can see how the movies in your queue are connected to one another.  So, when you select one movie, it recommends another one like it.  You then get a double whammy of United 93 and WTC in back to back days.  I'm very glad I watched these, both are very well done and I recommend them to everyone.  Just not back to back and just be ready for it.  Not feel good, it stirs a lot of memories, as it should.

Late to the Party Disassembled!

Busy week over here.  Knocked out multiple sketches and dug my heels deeply into an Ushers rewrite.  Keep reminding myself that the original exists and I shouldn't be afraid to change things.  That's my new mantra.  Kinda clunky, but whatever.

I gotta cut down on my monthly selection of new comics.  I will try to list all the books I'm reading.

Marvel Comics
(Ongoing)
New Avengers
Mighty Avengers
Avengers: The Initiative
Dark Avengers
X-Men: Legacy
Uncanny X-Men
Wolverine: Origins
Dark Wolverine
Wolverine: Weapon X
Thor
Hulk
Incredible Hulk
Captain America
Daredevil
Fantastic Four
Punisher: Max
Secret Warriors
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Avengers
(limited)
Ultimate Comics Enemy
Siege
Siege Embedded
Fall of the Hulks
Marvelous Land of Oz

DC Comics
(Ongoing)
Action Comics
Adventure Comics
Superman
Superman: World of New Krypton
Supergirl
Batman & Robin
Justice League of America
Justice Society of America
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
The Flash
Doom Patrol
(Limited)
Darkest Night & spinoffs

Independents
Die Hard: Year One
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe Origins

I guarantee I'm missing something here.  It's gotten to the point where I look forward to hearing that one of my books has been cancelled, because that means I don't have to buy it or feel guilty for not buying it.

I got issues.  That should be the name of my blog.  I Got Issues.  Holy Shit.  I think we got it.

Done, rebranded.

MotD: District 9

The minute I saw the trailer for this movie I was super excited to see it.  Sure enough, I screwed up and missed it in the theater then had to sit here and listen for everyone to rave how good it was while I waited for Netflix to send it to me.  Waitings over fools, this movie was cool.  I love the concept and the ease with which they presented it.  The nonchalance commonplace that the humans treated the Prawns was what sold it for me.  No spoilers here, but recommended with the highest rating.  Fantastic Sci Fi.

Does whatever another director can

Been busy this week with a quick trip to Beantown and some late night debauchery with my 2nd City friends.  Good stuff!

So, this week Sony announced that they are rebooting the Spider-Man movie franchise.  New director, actors, everything.  The early lead is they're putting Peter back in high school.

If there is any franchise that doesn't need a reboot, it's this one.  Sure, SM3 had some issues, but if all the major players were willing to come back, how can you not let them?  Spidey is a concept in rarified air.  Like Batman, it can survive some shitty incarnations.  Bat-nipples and dayglo camp couldn't kill Batman and a change of direction won't kill Spider-Man.  But why?

Time is so short, there is such a limited window to get stuff like this done, why not go for it if the stars want  to?  Did Sean Connery quit Bond or did they force him out?  I don't feel like doing research on that right now, but if they forced him out, fools, the lot of them!

So, I've been reading early 80's Spidey this week and just enjoyed the shit out of them. Peter is just a perfect character.  His standard cookie cutter tale is just so enjoyable.  Pete gets in money trouble, someone near him flirts with being a villian, Aunt May has some guilt over Pete, Pete thinks about giving up, he remembers Uncle Ben's lesson and kicks someone's ass, add in some wisecracks and you're set.

That's not a dis either, that's sincerely a complement.  Just that scenario alone would be enough to keep any reader entertained.  It's a lot like Batman, where a whacky criminal commits a crime, Gordon gets involved, Batman stops a small robbery that leads to a bigger crime, you get the drift.

Not many characters have that archetype built into them.  Honestly, not even Superman.  Captain America doesn't, nor Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc.  I think that's what makes them bulletproof, their stories write themselves, regardless of the authors.

MotD:The Jacket

I remember seeing the trailer for this and being interested in seeing it.  I was wrong.  Wasn't the first time, just the most recent.  ugh.

Kung Fu Grip Christmas!

Here's some live action recommendations for the comic fans on your Christmas list!

Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut

This is the version you want to watch. Not because it's the tightest or "best" version of the controversial movie, but because it's the most like the comic. You've either seen Watchmen or not and if you've seen it, and want to have it, you might as well go all out and get this.  I enjoyed this quite a bit in the theaters, although there were certainly issues with it.  Snyder did as bang up a job as could be expected of the "unfilmable" graphic novel.  But this brings up a point, Watchmen is NOT a Graphic Novel.  Watchmen, as you buy it today, is a Trade Paperback collection of a 12 issue mini series.  It's serialized fiction.  People ashamed to say they read comics call them graphic novels.  This is a 12 issue paced series.  It's not a cohesive story told in long form.  It's 12 chapters of a whole.  I wish people called them comics again... *sigh*

Batman Stuff

I don't need to tell yout that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are must owns.  Just make sure everyone in your life has seen these.

Superman II: The Donner Cut

If you're not familiar with it, Richard Donner was fired during filming of Superman II.  The producers then hired Richard Lester, director of Beatles comedies, to finish the film.  The result was a movie that had two different attitudes.  They finally got around to paying Donner to put together "his" version of what Superman II would have been like.  Some major differences, some scenes in this DVD are actually screen tests and the ending is a repeat of the first movie, which Donner wanted to use here instead.  It's a really cool insight into the decisions behind a project.

A fun sidenote here, in the years prior to this edition being legitimately released, there was a bootleg "International" version that was sold at comic conventions.  This was a fan made edition, trying to emulate what Donner actually did.  I have a copy of that, purchased from Margot Kidder herself!

G.I. Joe: The Complete Series

Two things to recommend here, first is the original and always awesome complete series from the 80's.  This footlocker collection is amazingly comprehensive, they have all the PSA Knowing Half the Battle stuff and a slew of interviews.  If you grew up on this series, as I did, this is the collection to get.  Plus the packaging is tops.

G.I. Joe Resolute

This is a new, update of the 80's concept.  Not a reimagining, ala the subpar movie this summer, but a real spiritual successor.  I watched it online in 12 minute segments and this edition is all of them put together.  I think Warren Ellis had a hand in writing this too.  It's exciting, there are actual deaths and the animation looks smooth.  Highly recommended.

Transformers: The Complete Series

Just like the Joe Footlocker above, this one is comprehensive and cool as shit.  Lots of interviews and extras on these discs.  All the original episodes.  The thing that Transformers did that Joe didn't, was establish a tiny bit of continuity and change as the series progressed.  The last year really dealt with Optimus' death and there was some changes from ep to ep that wasn't widespread back then.  Good stuff.

Notice that I had to avoid the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies.  They're not the worst, but I couldn't in  good concience recommend them to you good people.

A Very Animated Christmas

Long, productive day today!  Knocked off some Christmas shopping, got my car fixed, snuck in some writing work, did a survey downtown and met with The Daily Blank folks for brainstorming.  Throw in a trip to the comic shop and that's a full pull!

Comic based DVD gifts for Christmas!

Batman: The Animated Series

This is the greatest comic book cartoon series ever produced.  I cannot see this being topped.  No hyperbole there, that's how good this series is.  It debuted in prime time, that's how amazing this is.  It only got better as it went on.  This is the complete collection, they're all available individually too, but this is the definition of in for a penny, in for a pound.  Cannot recommend this any higher.  AMAZING.

Superman: The Animated Series

I'm a big fan of this, but it didn't click as well as Batman did.  I recommend it primarily because it's a bargain at this price.  It's very well made, but something was just off.  I loved Dana Delaney as Lois but never warmed up to Tim Daly as Supes/Clark.  Very Kirby-centric, which is cool.  It leads into our next offering, which is...

Justice League: The Complete Series

Great series that got off to a slow start.  It had a lot of the problems Superman had.  Something just didn't feel comfortable about the first season.  Green Lantern wasn't fully realized and they were very formulaic about the adventures.  It actually mirrored the way the early years of the actual JLA comics played out.  Pairing up leaguers to go on individual adventures.  Second season and when it became JL Unlimited were VERY good years.  They got over their fear of dumb viewers and just told fun comic stories.

Green Lantern: First Flight

DC and Marvel have both finally got off their duff and have been producing fantastic direct to DVD movies in the last few years.  Some have been better than others.  On a whole, I've enjoyed DC's more than Marvel's.  I think it's the Bruce Timm influence that most of the DC ones have.  The two best are Green Lantern: First Flight and Justice League: The New Frontier.  GL is a fun, well done succinct origin story of Hal Jordan.  If you read my comic recommendations then you know I love GL.

Justice League: The New Frontier

New Frontier is The Right Stuff mixed with Justice League.  Slick animation design based on Darwyn Cooke's amazing series puts the DC Silver Age firmly entrenched in early cold war 1960's space race.  Green Lantern takes main stage in this one and it's highly recommended.

Marvel Animation

Spider-Man: The 60's Series

This is the one you remember the theme song from.  Poorly drawn animation and simplistic storylines are the staples here.  But still, the charm cannot be denied.  There are a lot of episodes here, and they all feel the same, one after the other.  But I still love it!

The best Marvel TV animation isn't on DVD, and that's the problem.  Their rights are so crazed, I think with the Disney merger some things will get straightened out.  Specifically, the 90's Spider-Man series should have been released years ago.  Also, where the hell is Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends????  How about 1980's Hulk?  Where are the 1960's fumetti ones ripped right from the pages of the comics?  Arg!!!

They did release the 90's FF, which sucked balls.  They've just recently released the 90's X-Men with no fanfare and I was never a huge fan of it anyway, so I can't recommend here.  TV animation has always been Marvel's weak spot and it continues in the DVD market.

Hulk Vs.

The Marvel ones tend to a chunkier animation style.  The best of the Marvel bunch, by far, is the Hulk Vs.  This pits Hulk against Wolverine in one chapter and Thor in the other.  Both are a lot of fun and the animation is slick throughout.  I'm very much looking forward to the World War Hulk upcoming one.

Marvel Animation Six Pack

This is a good bargain for those of you new to all these direct to DVD's.  The quality swings here, but included in this set is...

Dr. Strange - Well done.  I'm not a big Strange fan and I enjoyed this.
Iron Man - Not great.  Done before the film came out and relied too heavily on his Mandarin foe.
Ultimate Avengers 1 & 2 - Ok animation based on a solid book.  The sequel is really Black Panther heavy.
Next Avengers - Did not expect to like this, REALLY enjoyable.  Aimed at a younger set, it has heavier future distopia themes that would appeal to the adult here.
Hulk VS. - See above, best in this set.

The biggest drawback that Marvel would appear to have with the direct to DVD's is the big guns are tied up with other companies.  Spider-Man and X-Men I'm looking at you.  Yes we have Wolverine in the Hulk movie, but it's not a Wolverine movie.  Fantastic Four is also guilty here.  I long for the day when all the rights are back under the Marvel roof.

MotD: Whatever Works

Woody Allen's latest piece has Larry David being Larry David, which is good enough for me.  I love Larry David and while this feels a bit more stilted than I like seeing him on Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's still laughably enjoyable.  Pessimism and a sardonic look at life here, typical Woody Allen.  If you like Larry, you'll get a kick out of this.

Tree up and DC Christmas ideas!

Put the tree up tonight.  Took over 3 hours WITH two people doing it.  HOLY CRAP do I have a lot of ornaments.  I'll try getting some good pics of it, but usually it just looks like a blur of lights and action figures.

Picture Geoffrey The Giraffe shitting out a Christmas tree, that's what my tree is.

Today, I'll get into some DC Comics books for this holiday season!

Absolute Justice

This is the big Alex Ross project.  If you're on the periphery of comics, you've seen his work.  Gorgeous, wonderfully watercolored pieces.  I've never been a huge fan of his storytelling or his original character design, and no that isn't me being a hater.  I just don't dig his original stuff.  His interpretations of the classics however is second to NONE.  Because of that, I've listed some of his other fantastic works that are out there.  Justice is a good book for a continuity free take on the Justice League.  If you loved the Super Friends, then you would eat this book up.  It's the JLA vs. The Legion of Doom.  Awesome stuff.

Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes

Geoff Johns is redefining the DC Universe one year at a time.  This was his early days on Superman, which he's now reworking in Superman: Secret Origins.  I love this series.  Primarily because it gave me back all the Legions that we've loved and lost over the years.  But it's also a fun, time spanning, galactically big adventure that doesn't need a whole series of crossovers for you to enjoy.  I'm also including his two bookend pieces to this, it's kinda his Legion Trilogy.  The Lightning Saga is a bit of a prelude to these books and Legion of 3 Worlds is a bigger tie in to the Final Crisis debacle.  Both are good, but just like Empire Strikes Back, S & tLSH is just note perfect and enjoyable for all.

Green Lantern... EVERYTHING GREEN LANTERN!!!!

Again, thanks to Geoff Johns Green Lantern is the viable major league player he always should have been! Starting in Rebirth, Hal Jordan was dusted off and brought back. In the ongoing Green Lantern books, he told seriously fun, solid superhero tales. Which led into the surprisingly strong Sinestro Corps war. Right now, we're in the midst of The Blackest Night, the fourth chapter in Hal's rebirth. Just awesome stuff. Sci-Fi supers with amazing depth of emotion. Read all of these right now!

MotD: Hostage

I forgot this movie even existed.  Rightfully so, it's interesting at times, but real predictable and implausible at most times.  People act crazy when the only reason they do so is because the script needs them to.  Willis is good, but I think he's infinitely watchable.  No need to see this, but if you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, eh, even then somewhere Shawshank is on, so watch that.

I'm getting too old for this shit.

Not dressing up for Halloween, but being out until 6, or I guess 5.  I suppose last night was exaggerated by the Fall Behind aspect of the clocks, but still.  That was a fun night, but long.

I woke up midway through the first quarter of the Bears game and got it together enough to hit the power button on the remote control.  Pleased with the outcome but Cutler should make sure his health insurance is solid, because he's gonna get killed.  Our offensive line is just that.  They can't block an intestine.  Defense looked really good, but they were playing against an awful, just plain awful offense. 

Here's the costume, Jesse Custer: The Preacher!

Saw some good costumes last night, lots of fun stuff.  Nothing that stood out as a knock out costume however.  Nothing that I recall this morning and think like, WOW that was good.  Not sure why, just didn't see that one particular winner.  I was accused of being a costume snob, for my penchant for obscure costumes, and I think she was right.  I'm a total costume snob.  Eh, I'll own that!

MotD: The Most Dangerous Game

First off, this is NOT the Jarts documentary that I was hoping it would be.  It is, however, a FANTASTIC little movie!  It's streaming off Netflix right now, so please, all (both?) of you reading this, watch this movie.  I'm sure you're familiar with the premise, a great hunter is tired of the mundane animal hunts so he's now hunting the most dangerous animal of all.... MAN!  This has inspired countless remakes/reinvisionings/satires over the years and it's so worthy of it.  This is the same production outfit that gave us King Kong.  Also, it looks like DC used the visual of the hunter was the inspiration for the revamped Merlyn.  What do you think?

Count Zaroff

DC Comic's Merlyn