[box_dark]Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.[/box_dark]
If this has got you excited about the movie, then watch the trailer on the link below.
This is not a new concept by any means, independent film companies do a lot of ABC related competitions to attract new film makers and films today sometimes can have up to two or three directors working together to create a movie. But never on this scale. Looking at the trailer it is really hard to say anything other than WOW. There is so much crammed into this movie I am hard pressed to know where to start. I saw some true splatter horror in there with a bit of Saw style self-mutilation, some really trippy things with people dressed in animal masks, a creepy old man and a woman with a bow, an claymation toilet monster, man vs beast (maybe this will carry on from where The Grey left off) and some kind of classic POV monster movie action.
There is a fair bit of gore crammed into this trailer which must have put a smile on you gore hounds faces. It certainly did with me! I do not want to bring the tone down here, but for all you flesh loves out there I did notice some nudity early on in this too, so you guys are catered for as well. Seems the anthology movie is making a comeback with this and V_H_S using the method, it reminds me of the mid 70’s when this type of movie ruled the cinema screens. With so many people on board there is bound to be some tripe stuck in here, but also the sequences I doubt will go on later than 10 minutes or so, other wise we are in for a long viewing experience. It will be interesting to see how this film comes together and if they decide to use a framing device like your classic Tales From the Crypt style stories. I know I will be waiting in line to watch this as you had me at 26 directors.
Karen Berger is leaving DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, it was announced yesterday. Berger, who created and headed the Vertigo division from the beginning, is staying on until March 2013. We can leave it to the industry insiders to question what this means for the future of Vertigo and DC, and we will add our voices to wishing Berger the best in all future ventures once April 2013 rolls around. While we can’t pretend to know exactly how much influence Berger had on each individual work that published under the Vertigo imprint, it’s probably an understatement to say not only has she been one of the most influential people in comics over the past 25 years, but the sensibilities of the Vertigo line during its burgeoning in the 1990s has cast a long shadow of influence that can be seen across all media — not just comics — today.
Fanshare.com is reporting that Bill Murray is now back on board for Ghostbusters 3 after years of saying he was not. Harold Ramis spoke to SuperOfficialNews.com and said:
[quote] “It was kind of crazy. Just out of nowhere, I get a phone call from Bill at almost three in the morning… and he simply said, ‘Yeah, Ok, I’m in!'[/quote]
Co-Writer Paul Horner has also said this
[quote]“Word through the grapevine was that Murray enjoyed reading our script that was passed along to him a few months ago. As for if he was going to be a part of it, well that was the million-dollar question. The writers, the cast, the fans… Everyone is truly excited for this to have finally all come together.”[/quote]
So how does everyone feel about this? I just wish they would make their mind up to be honest. It would be amazing news that Bill might want to be back in the grays and strap on his photon pack one more time. I just don’t know if I actually believe this or not. How many times have we seen articles like this since the Ghostbuster 3 news was announced? Two? Three? 458? I have lost count. Call me a pessimist, but I will truly believe it when I actually see set shots.
Bill is a bit of a cheeky chap when it comes to committing to this and the great news is that he actually approves of the script so at least you would think he will be happy doing it. Now what us Ghostbuster‘s fans want to know is has this script got the magic form the first film? It has been a long time since Ghostbusters 2 came out and even longer since the first one. Can the team get it together, can they make us believe that busting makes us feel good. I certainly hope so, and this is a step in the right direction for sure.
For anyone wondering if Bill can still fire up the pack, just rewatch the classic scene from Zombieland or at the 2010 Scream awards and watch Bill at work….
We here at Grizzly Bomb want to make sure that everyone knows exactly what’s going on this week in pop culture so we’ve decided to add yet another weekly segment. Here we will update you on what’s coming out this week on DVD/Blu-Ray, music, gaming and what’s in theaters to make sure you don’t miss out any of the good stuff. Or if it’s Twilight weekend, what to avoid when you about to head to the theater. We’re calling this the Weekly New Release Report, and our opening one covers the week of December 3rd, 2012. We figure this might help with your holiday shopping ideas so we’ll just do the work for you in gathering the ideas so you can just sit back and order from your computer while you continue to play Call of Duty and avoid the sunlight.
Looking at the list of new releases, I think the big one to look at is obviously The Dark Knight Rises. A great movie in its own right, it’s a must have for people to complete their trilogy. Obviously, it also comes with a trilogy box set so in case you’ve missed any of the past movies, they have that available. We also have the 3D release for Finding Nemo and The Odd Life of Timothy Green for those family-centric viewings you may have in store for the holidays. Just watch out with Timothy Green, that end can be a doozy on kids. The ones I’m psyched for are Brazil, Ninja Scroll and the Francis Ford Coppola Collection. Brazil because the old Criterion is out on Blu-Ray and I dug the movie and it was one of the first Criterion Collection DVDs I owned. Ninja Scroll because it’s nostalgic with my anime days and the Francis Ford Coppola collection because Apocalypse Now on Blu-Ray alone is worth the price of admission. Here’s the full list coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week:
In television DVDs, we have the third season of Eastbound & Down coming out, along with season 15 of The Simpsons for you enthusiasts that still watch the show. Obviously, more importantly, the second season of Star Trek: TNG is out as well so we would hope that you’re picking that up. TV listings… Engage:
Here are some options for music. Admittedly, the only one that would garner any interest would be the re-release of the of the Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness, but it’s exorbitantly expensive. I figured to list it for you ready to burn some money from your pocket.
The two big releases are Far Cry 3 (which has been getting some great reviews out there) and the Mass Effect Trilogy. If you haven’t played Mass Effect, DO IT NOW. Such a great series to play and it is BioWare at their finest since the Knights of the Old Republic games came out a decade ago.
It’s a quiet weekend in theaters before The Hobbit steps into town next week, so we have Deadfall, with Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde and Charlie Hunnam, which looks like a cool movie and they actually made it available for VOD so you can check that out before it hits theaters. We also have Playing for Keeps, which generates a fart sound if anything. Gerard Butler, dude seriously, get a new agent.
That’s it for our brand new segment, and we hope it helped with some of your holiday shopping. We’ll be back next week with more of the Weekly New Release Report!
Welcome to Comic Rack! My pick of the top five comic news stories in no particular order…
Before Watchmen Is Done, Most Likely
J. Michael Straczynski is one of those guys in the comics industry who you either love or hate. I mean, he’s not on any kind of Jeph Loeb level or anything, but most people I know either think he’s a genius or a total asshat. I’ve got mixed feelings, as there are parts of his work that I thought were really smart but poorly executed, though through no fault of his own, (His Back In Black Spidey run), or others were weirdly interesting yet flawed, like his infamously unfinished Superman arc, Grounded. So when he goes out to say something, I tend to listen, if only because I know it’ll be interesting to hear. That being said, he’s not said anything this time that I’ve found that surprising, but it’s good to know.
“Insofar as I know, this is it for the Before Watchmen books,” JMS told PREVIEWSworld. “Dan [DiDio] had a very specific vision of the cycle he wanted to investigate, and never once mentioned anything about this turning into some kind of long-term franchise. Not to say that might not happen someday, but I don’t think it’s on his or DC’s radar at this juncture, and if it’s not on theirs it’s sure as heck not on mine.”
I didn’t imagine the Before Watchmen books expanding into some kind of monthly series or any kind of ongoing, and to be honest if they did it’d be pretty terrible. I’ve yet to read any of the Before Watchmen books, not out of any protest or anything, but simply because I have no interest. Watchmen is pretty perfectly told story, and doesn’t need much expansion or background detail added. I’m glad to find out it’s being put to rest.
Ottley And Howard Talk About Invincible, SUPER DINOSAUR, & More
Invincible was at one time, by far the best superhero book out there. Every week it rocked my socks off and had me anxiously awaiting next months issue. Nowadays, while it’s by no means bad, it doesn’t have me crapping my pants with glee every time I pick it up at my LCS. That’s not to say it isn’t still entertaining or engaging either, it is. I guess at some point you’ve invested enough into a story that you’re just committed to seeing how it folds out, despite lacking its previous passion or intensity. That must be why soap operas still exist. Well, regardless of my ennui about Invincible, Jason Howard and Ryan Ottley are still both very pumped for the book, and for good reason. They’re pretty pumped about getting the years worth of books done, and rounding up to the 100th issue, which has a pretty solid teaser:
Yeah that’s… one hell of a teaser.
It’s pretty interesting to see comics writers and artists talk freely about their projects, especially when one is about A SUPER DINOSAUR. (Truthfully, I just really like writing the words SUPER DINOSAUR!)
American Vampire‘s Taking a Hiatus, Snyder Assures Us It’s Temporary
One of the worst things a comics fan can hear about their favorite book, is that the author is going on “hiatus” and will return to finish the book “soon”. This is code, usually for “I’m sick of working with my editor/publisher/whatever and I am finding a way to weasel my way out of this contract”. At least that’s usually the case in my cynical opinion. However, sometimes that’s not the case, and in this interview Scott Snyder basically assures fans of his book that this hiatus definitely IS temporary, and that he’s committed to finish the popular series. This is refreshing to hear, because I recently bought the first trade digitally and was looking forward to following the series in trades from now on. While I’ve still yet to read it, perhaps this hiatus will give me time to catch up and get current, and the dastardly prospect of waiting for the trade, or buying the issue monthly can come to pass. On second thought, I’ll probably hold off on reading it longer, just because of this reason. My wallet hates me enough already.
While it’s not exactly news here at Comic Rack, it’s still reassuring to find out that our favorite con-man magician, John Constantine will still have his own monthly title at DC. Who’s to say if it’ll be a new, weird watered down version though? Well, the guy who’s writing the book, for one, and he’s pretty adamant that Constantine will stay the same character we know and love.
In March, Venditti and artist Renato Guedes will be launching Constantine, a new solo series for the character that takes place in the “New 52” DC Universe. And according to the writer, fans of Constantine shouldn’t fear that the long-time Vertigo character is going to be drastically different. Younger? Yes. Unmarried? Sure. But otherwise, Venditti says, “I wouldn’t say he’s all that much different from who John Constantine has always been.”
While the sentiment is appreciated, I’m still wary. I can’t say I’m necessarily dreading it, because I’ve more or less liked everything that’s come out of the New 52, but Constantine is a tricky one to handle, and I’m just not sure how he’s going to work when played out against the whole of the New DCU. I haven’t read any of Justice League Dark, but I’ve heard he works pretty well in that, so that’s reassuring, but at the end of the day I still am not entirely convinced. I’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out.
Vertigo has been on a roll lately, especially when it comes to anthologies. There’s the previous Ghosts, which I previously mentioned on this column a few weeks ago, and I’m learning there’s two others, by the names of StrangeAdventures and YoungRomance. I love a good anthology, the fact that this one is called Time Warp #1, bodes well for me. First off it sounds like it’s Sci-Fi, which is by far my favorite genre, secondly it sounds like it’s time travel related sci-fi, which is my favorite kind of sci-fi, and lastly it’s got that #1 in the title, which implies that it’s not just another one shot. Factor in that it’ll include stories from Damon Lindelof AND Jeff Lemire, and it’s almost like they’re trying to make a comic JUST FOR ME! Well, aside from those two big names, there’s plenty of others that any comics fan will recognize and get giddy for:
The issue will feature stories by the likes of Damon Lindelof, Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Toby Litt, Mark Buckingham, Dan Abnett, Peter Milligan, Ray Fawkes, Simon Spurrier, Gail Simone, Rafael Albuquerque and Tom Fowler, with covers by Eduardo Risso (in full below) and Jae Lee.
Have you ever watched Arrow and thought “there really needs to be more partial nudity on this show” – well this news update is just for you. The powers that be behind Arrow have heard your concerns and have searched the world high and low to find the man (it is network TV after all, no bare boobs here) to best fit the bill.
Grizzly Bomb 