Category: Celebs

Movies In Our Future

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It’s been a while since I’ve been to a theater to see a movie, but with the summer season approaching that’s going to change. The best trailer that I’ve seen lately has been for Underworld. I really haven’t heard much about this movie, but the preview kicks and kicks hard. It will be on my “must -see” list.

Of the other new trailers, here are a few you might want to check out: S.W.A.T. looks like a sure thing with Samuel L. Jackson, Collin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez.  Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle looks to be as much fun as the original, so I’ll plan to see it..

Hollywood Homicide [with Harrison Ford], Pirates of the Carribean and The Hulk look to be movies I’ll pass on, at least until a rental is available.

I’m sure that we’re going to see more trailers for “Terminator 3,” “Spy Kids 3D,” and many more in the next few weeks. And you know I’ll post up my thoughts and the links here!

AtlantaCon 2003 Report, Part 2

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So where did we leave off? Oh yeah…

I’m at AtlantaCon with my son, Mike. I’ve picked up sketches from Jason Alexander, Andy Lee, and Cully Hamner. Adam Hughes will have my sketch ready on Sunday. Believe it or not the day gets even better!

How? Glad that you asked! Well, let me tell you…

AtlantaCon and Chud.com have teamed up to present a special screening of Equilibrium followed by a Q&A session with writer/director, Kurt Wimmer. Seating was limited, but I was able to get two tickets.

The only thing that I knew about the movie was that it starred Christian Bale and Taye Diggs, was scifi set in the future and received good word of mouth. I figured we’d be in for an entertaining evening even if the movie was just “ok.”

The screening was set for 7:30. Everyone was to get there by seven. Mike and I arrived at 6:40. A crowd was already forming. Mike and I ended up next to Nick from Chud. We had a nice conversation. I was pleased to learn that he knew of StalloneZone. He was also a Stallone fan. Nick said that we were in for a very cool film with Equilibrium.  It was a movie that he was really proud to help promote. I also spoke briefly with Jen who has set up a very nice Equilibrium fan site.

Soon it was time to go in. Mike and I took seats in the middle of the last row. People continued in and the theater was nearly full. Nick thanked us all for coming and that Kurt Wimmer had flown in from LA to attend the screening. Kurt had brought drinks and chips for the crowd!

As Mike went down to get a couple of sodas Cully Hamner, Phil Noto, Brian Stelfreeze, and Karl Story came in.  They sat directly in front of us. When Mike came back and saw them sitting there a giant smile came across his face. [For those of you who aren’t comic fans, this would be like driving to a basketball convention and having Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, and well, you get the idea, sitting in front of you.] Right before the movie started a gentleman and his young son took seats next to Mike.

The movie started.  It immediately took you to another place. It’s our world, but in the near future. The opening scene is so cool and so well done that I knew we were in for a ride. Then comes the action and – MAN – it is AWESOME! I loved Christian Bale‘s work in Shaft and Reign of Fire but Equilibrium shows that he is a star. Taye Diggs, Emily Watson and Sean Bean are also excellent… but the real star of the show is Kurt Wimmer who wrote and directed it.

Kurt has also written other screenplays including The Recruit and The Thomas Crown Affair. After the movie ended Kurt Wimmer was introduced.  He went to the front of the auditorium for the Q&A session. It was the guy sitting next to Mike! Mike looked at me like he couldn’t believe it… watching the movie with the Gaijin guys and the director of the movie!

Kurt was really entertaining. He spent an hour answering questions about the film. After the Q&A ended a group of us [including Brian Stelfreeze] stood in the lobby discussing how cool the film was. The dvd will be out in May. My advice is to pre-order now. I think this baby is a sleeper.

Sunday arrived. The final day of the show. The main question on my mind: Would Adam Hughes be able to get to my sketch? As we walked in I heard John Higashi yelling, “Craig, come and see what Adam did for you!” Needless to say, I was excited. Adam had created a very, very cool drawing of Sly dressed for an audition as Superman. I absolutely love the idea and execution. Adam Hughes is da MAN! I got a picture of Adam holding the sketch and thanked him.

Phil Noto was setting up. I checked to see if he would be able to fit me in. Unfortunately Phil was booked solid. He said he would do something for me and asked if I would leave him my address. I did and offered to pay for the sketch in advance. Phil said we’d settle up once he was finished with it. Believe me, it will be worth the wait! [Next on my list will, hopefully, be Brian Stelfreeze!]

Mike and I then went over to see Dan Brereton. We discussed a Stallone sketch. Dan was leaning towards a Rocky, but as he looked through my reference book he mentioned that he really liked Nighthawks. Whatever he wanted to do was fine by me. He said to check back in a couple of hours.

Mike and decided to visit some artists one last time. Mike got a headshot of Batman by Phil Hester, a Batman by Dave Cook of Splatter Comix and a Batman by Tim Flanagan. Our final stop was with Jacen Burrows. Jacen was doing some really interesting sketches. Mike got one for his sketchbook. I asked Jacen if he’d be interested in doing a Sly drawing for me. He said he would, but that he’d want to do it at home. We agreed on a price and Jacen said he’d have it to me in about a month!

Mike and I then headed back over to Dan Brereton‘s table. The piece was finished. It was a knockout! Dan had opted to do Deke DaSilva from Nighthawks! I got a picture of Dan and his lovely lady, thanked him. It was time Mike and I got back on the road for home.

It was a great show. I’ll post pictures of the artists and their artwork later this week. Mike and I hope to return next year. Maybe we’ll see you there!

McCartney-Lennon vs Lennon-McCartney

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I’m a Beatles fan. I also enjoyed the work of each of the boys after they broke up, but if pressed to pick a favorite, it’d be Paul McCartney .

That’s why I’m disappointed that Paul has decided to reverse the traditional “Lennon-McCartney” songwriting credit on many songs that he and John Lennon co-wrote. When they were just starting out, they agreed that all of their songs would be credited to “Lennon-McCartney.”

And that’s the way things have been for forty years. It’s rumored that Paul wanted to reverse the credits on some of their songs before this, but that never happened. Until now. On Paul‘s most recent album certain songs contain the credit “McCartney-Lennon.”

Naturally this has angered many fans who feel it is a slap in the face to Lennon. Paul, of course feels otherwise, “I personally don’t see any harm in John‘s songs such as ‘Strawberry Fields’ and ‘Help’ being labeled ‘Lennon-McCartney’ and my songs such as ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ being labeled ‘McCartney and Lennon.’“

Paul may not see the harm, but fans certainly do

Osbourne & Garner Are Free and Diesel is Apart

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I didn’t post anything up yesterday. I could use April Fool’s Day as an excuse. But I won’t. I’m not much for April Fool’s jokes… especially people and websites that post up something which seems like exciting news and then ends with APRIL FOOLS!

Sharon Osbourne is cancer-free. That’s great news. I don’t think that Ozzy could get along without her. Jennifer Garner [Alias] is also free, but this news isn’t happy. She and her husband, Scott Foley [“Below”] have separated.

Vin Diesel‘s “A Man Apart” had its world premiere in Hollywood yesterday and opens everywhere on Friday. Although it’s getting mixed reviews, I’ll probably see it before it leaves theaters. I’m not overly excited about this one. I say bring on “The Riddick Chronicles!”

See you tomorrow. No fooling.

Lord is Crowned King! Peter Jackson to Helm “King Kong”

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Peter Jackson, the creative genius behind the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy has signed on to helm Universal’s remake of “King Kong!”

Jackson had this to say, “No film has captivated my imagination more than ‘King Kong.’ I’m making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story.”

What Peter Jackson was able to do with “The Lord of the Rings” was amazing. You can tell by his quote that his true passion is for Kong. Can you even begin to imagine how cool this is going to be?

Sly Sends His Best

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How cool is that?!? I came home this week to find this personalized, autographed picture from Sly! Simon, who runs both Sly and Frank‘s Official Sites and I exchange e-mails from time to time. Simon thanked me for something that I had done for him and asked if there was ever anything that he could do for me… I told him [half jokingly] that a personalized autographed picture from Sly would be cool…

Wow!

Please don’t bombard Simon for autographs. He called in a marker for this one!

– Craig Zablo

Themed Sketch Collections

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People will collect almost anything.

I collect movies, books, comics and Sylvester Stallone memorabilia such as books [biographies, novelizations of his movies], magazine articles and pictures, and now original drawings of Sly or characters that he’s played. Recently I began to have artists draw in a sketchbook instead of on loose sheets of paper.

This may sound like a unique idea but it’s really not. There are a lot of people out there collecting drawings for their themed sketch books. Some of the more interesting themes include “cliffs,” “time,” “silverfish,” and… well, you get the idea. Phillip Anderson has several themed sketchbooks going. You can get a look at all of them by clicking [HERE].

Who knows? After seeing the cool stuff that Phillip has, maybe you’ll be inspired to start your own themed sketchbook collection!

John Carpenter

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I learned about another classic that CARPENTER had created even earlier in his career. That was the cult classic “Assault on Precinct 13.” In the following years CARPENTER went on to direct “Escape From New York,” “The Thing,” “Big Trouble in Little China” and even “Starman.”

After that his movies began to be hit or miss and mostly miss.

Still when I go back and watch one of JOHN CARPENTER‘s early films, like “Assault on Precinct 13,” it’s obvious why he was one of my favorites!

MJ – Maybe Now We’ve Heard It All

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Just when you think you’ve heard it all about MICHAEL JACKSON…

Vanity Fair, in its March 11 edition reports that MJ bleaches his skin white because he doesn’t like black people, whom he sometimes refers to as “spabooks.”

The article also says that the “King of Pop” paid $150,000 to an African voodoo chief who promised that STEVEN SPIELBERG, music mogul DAVID GEFFEN and 23 other people on the reclusive entertainer’s list of enemies would die. Supposedly the voodoo priest sacrificed 42 cows during a special ceremony that was to gurantee GEFFEN‘s death within a week.

As if that wasn’t enough, the article claims that JACKSON is in such financial trouble that the amusement park equipment at his Neverland Valley Ranch was almost repossessed.

Now… maybe… we’ve heard it all.

Don’t Do the Crime

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“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time…”

Even if you aren’t a fan of ROBERT BLAKE or his tv show, “Baretta,” you probably know that line from it’s theme song. Well, the trial of ROBERT BLAKE for the murder of his wife has finally gotten underway. BLAKE has an interview with BARBARA WALTERS that will air tonight. While I think it’s a bad idea for him to talk with the trial just starting, I’m sure I’ll tune in.

I haven’t read all of the facts of the case, but what I have read doesn’t look good for BLAKE. And as Baretta used to say, “That’s the name of that tune.”

At Least He’ll Have the Tat

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MIKE TYSON has a new tattoo.

It’s the type that island warriors get. Which is fitting since TYSON is a boxer… a modern day warrior. At one time he was the most feared fighter in the world. And rightly so. He trained as hard as anyone. He had a devastating shot that could knockout anyone. Then CUS died, and he hooked up with DON KING. TYSON‘s life began to spiral out of control. It was a sad story… until now. Maybe. TYSON does seems more at peace with himself.

On Saturday night TYSON will fight CLIFFORD ETIENNE [24-1]. If TYSON wins, it could be the start of a comeback in the ring and with the public. If he loses…

well… at least he’ll still have the tattoo.

"Dude, You’re NOT Getting a Cell!"

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BENJAMIN CURTIS, 22, the wise-cracking “Steven” in Dell‘s “Dude, yer gettin’ a Dell” commercials, was arrested for marijuana possession. He was charged with criminal and unlawful possession of marijuana, misdemeanor charges that carry possible jail sentences of up to three months.

At his arraignment on Monday afternoon, Judge Ellen Coin adjourned the case for one year. Charges could be dismissed if CURTIS stays out of trouble for the next 12 months.

MJ – It’s No Longer About the Talent

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Seems that everyone is talking or writing about MICHAEL JACKSON…

Everyone has an opinion of him. Some say he’s a child molester, while others feel that he’s totally innocent. Not just innocent of the molesting charge, but child-like innocent… trapped in a world that he’s created for himself. I was a fan of MICHAEL JACKSON since his days with the Jackson 5. I was [and continue to be] in awe of his talent. When he dances, you can’t help but become mesmerized by his moves — he becomes the music. When he sings, you find yourself pulled in. And when he performs it’s magical.] I saw MJ live on the Victory tour in Jacksonville [how appropriate, huh?]. I’ve never seen such a mixed crowd so into anything. Young, old, men, women, and kids of all races. It was a memorable, enjoyable evening.

That was the MJ of old… before the allegations and out of court settlement.

… but now the talk isn’t about his dancing, or his music or his talent…

FX

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Can you imagine a party where the guests of honor included LINDA BLAIR, Insane Clown Posse, JIMMY “The Mouth of the South” Hart, JOHN BEATTY and other celebs in addition to THOUSANDS of fans? The FX show in Orlando was THAT party!

Over the years I’ve been to many conventions and the FX show was the biggest to be able to retain the feeling of a small show. FX was obviously well planned and had something for everyone. The Orlando Convention Center is huge but this worked to the advantage of the show. Dozens and dozens of dealers were located throughout the hall. Collect toys? Every kind from board games to action figures were available. Looking for original art? Not only were several artists on hand, but at least three comic companies also set up booths. Want to see the car from “Knightrider?” It was there. Maybe you want to meet and get autographs from celebrities. Remember the guest list? They were all there and signing.

If you’re getting the idea that I liked the FX show you’d be wrong. I loved it and am looking forward to the next show. If it sounds like something that you’d like then maybe then maybe we’ll see you there.

RIP Al Hirschfeld

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AL HIRSCHFELD passed away today at the age of 99.  Mr. HIRSCHFELD, the best known caricaturist in the world, had captured the likeness of everyone who was anyone in show business from the 1920s until his passing.

AL HIRSCHFELD was known for hiding his daughter’s name, NINA, in each of his pieces [sometimes more than once]. This tradition began in 1945. After about a month, Mr. HIRSCHFELD briefly stopped putting in the NINAs, but fans quickly complained and the NINAs were back to stay [along with a number indicating how many NINAs were hidden in each piece!].

Our thoughts and prayers go out to AL HIRSCHFELD‘s family and friends. [Thanks to John Beatty for the heads-up.]