The “Overlord” Trailer is Here!
Overlord. Hmmm. Mixing World War II and horror. Interesting. I think I’ll give it a shot.
19 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch “Die Hard”
Sean Hutchinson and Mental Floss present 19 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch Die Hard. Here are three of my favorites…
10. THERE ARE SOME REAL FALLS.
In the scene where McClane makes an epic jump into an elevator shaft, the stunt man was supposed to grab onto the first vent—but missed completely. The resulting footage shows the actor slipping further down the shaft. McTiernan and co-editor Frank Urioste kept it in the final cut because it made the scene more harrowing. (Craig – Check out the video of the elevator fall footage at Hutchinson’s post.)
19. HOW DID MCCLANE KNOW GRUBER WAS A BAD GUY?
In the scene where McClane unwittingly stumbles on Gruber—who identifies himself as Bill Clay and puts on a convincing American accent—it’s never made 100 percent clear how McClane realizes that Clay isn’t who he says he is. Chalk it up to a NYPD-veteran hunch, or a deleted scene.Gruber’s watch allegedly tips McClane off before he hands the terrorist an empty gun, but nothing about the watch is introduced in the actual movie. There was supposed to be a scene where Hans Gruber and his team synchronize the exact same watch they all wear, and, according to screenwriter Steven E. De Souza, “When Bruce offers the cigarette to Alan Rickman, Bruce sees the watch. You see his eyes look at the watch. That’s how he knows that he is one of the terrorists.”
The timepiece scene was cut, but the audience never really noticed the plot hole.
12. HANS GRUBER AND HIS GOONS DON’T ACTUALLY SPEAK GERMAN.
Americans might think the German language that Gruber and his goons speak to one another sounds legit, but it’s actually gibberish. The grammar, diction, and pronunciation don’t actually match up. In the German release of the movie, Gruber’s group were described as being from “Europe” instead of Germany.
Weirdly enough Willis was actually born in West Germany to an American father and a German mother.
The “Patient Zero” Poster and Trailer are Here!
Here’s the poster and trailer for Patient Zero… not to be confused with Jonathan Maberry’s Patient Zero a highly recommended novel of the same name.
You know I’m a sucker for a well-done zombie film. Patient Zero just might fit the bill.
10 Facts About Steven Spielberg’s “Duel”
Sean Hutchinson and Mental Floss present 10 Facts About Steven Spielberg’s Duel. Here are three of my favorites…
1. THE MOVIE WAS INSPIRED BY A REAL-LIFE INCIDENT.
Author and screenwriter Richard Matheson based his original novella, which first appeared in the April 1971 issue of Playboy, on an actual road rage incident. Matheson had played a round of golf on November 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. On his car ride home, and in a daze after receiving the terrible news, he was ruthlessly tailgated by a truck driver.Matheson initially pitched the idea to TV producers but, after it was rejected numerous times, he decided to put his real-life incident into prose form. In order to gather details of the open road, Matheson set out from his home in Ventura, California with a voice recorder in hand and simply described what he saw. Those descriptions of the desolate landscape ended up in the novella.
3. DENNIS WEAVER’S WORK WITH ORSON WELLES GOT HIM THE LEAD IN DUEL.
For the lowly protagonist, David Mann, Spielberg hand-picked character actor Dennis Weaver because he loved his performance as the jittery and feeble hotel night manager in Orson Welles’s 1958 film Touch of Evil.
Weaver drove more than 2000 miles while shooting his scenes, and did many of the stunts himself, including the dangerous phone booth scene at the “Snakerama” gas station in a single take.
Of working with the rookie director, the veteran Weaver later said, “I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I said, ‘There’s no reason for me to judge him because of his age. Let’s see what he does.’ And he did extremely well … I really think it’s one of the most creative jobs he’s ever done.”
10. SPIELBERG HAS REVISITED DUEL MORE THAN ONCE—AND PEOPLE HAVE STOLEN FROM HIM, TOO.
Duel was something of lucky charm once Spielberg’s career began to take off, and he’d continually reference parts of the movie in subsequent films.The Snakerama gas station seen in the film also appears in Spielberg’s 1979 World War II comedy, 1941, with actress Lucille Benson again appearing as the proprietor. The two elderly people Weaver tries to flag down in a car also appear as helpless motorists in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
But it wasn’t all good luck. Spielberg was not happy when stock footage of both vehicles was later used in an episode of the television series The Incredible Hulk, titled “Never Give a Trucker an Even Break.” The recycled footage was completely legal since the show was also produced by Universal
11 Surprising Facts About “In the Line of Fire”
Jennifer M. Woods and Mental Floss present 11 Surprising Facts About In the Line of Fire. Here are three of my favorites…
3. AT ONE POINT, ROBERT REDFORD WAS ATTACHED TO STAR.
Though Clint Eastwood will forever be associated with the role of ultra-dedicated Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, he was hardly the first choice for the role. As the script made its way around Hollywood over the years, a number of other actors were either attached to or offered the project, including Robert Redford. Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, James Caan, Tommy Lee Jones, and Val Kilmer were among the other names wanted for the role of Horrigan.
6. FRANK HORRIGAN WAS INSPIRED BY ONE OF JFK’S SECRET SERVICE AGENTS.
Though the movie is a work of fiction, main character Frank Horrigan was partly inspired by Clint Hill, one of John F. Kennedy’s Secret Service agents who was on duty the day the 35th president was assassinated in Dallas. In 1975, Hill sat down for an emotional interview with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes, where he broke down and admitted that he felt responsible for what had happened that terrible day.“I still feel today a sense of failure and responsibility because that was our job: to keep the president safe, to protect him at all costs,” Hill said. “And on that particular day, we were unable to do that.” Much of Horrigan’s desire to right that wrong came from Hill’s interview.
8. WOLFGANG PETERSEN WAS A LITTLE INTIMIDATED BY CLINT EASTWOOD.
Though he was already a highly acclaimed director with two Oscar nominations on his resume (for writing and directing 1981’s Das Boot), Petersen admitted that the idea of directing a Hollywood icon like Eastwood was a slightly terrifying prospect.“I must admit, I was initially a bit intimidated at the prospect of directing Clint, but any fears I had disappeared after our first meeting, and once we started shooting he never challenged my direction,” Petersen told the Los Angeles Times. “At the beginning he told me, ‘I won’t interfere, but if you want my advice I’ll be there for you—otherwise I’ll leave you alone.’ I took up his offer and consulted him a lot.”
Max Allan Collins Video Interview!
Max Allan Collins is the subject of a video interview with Mr. Media. It’s worth a listen.
Jon Pinto Casts Paul Newman as Aquaman!
Dream casting can be a fun game when played with friends. Can you imagine Bruce Lee in The Matrix? How about Alfred Hitchcock’s Halloween starring Kim Novak and Robert Mitchum?
Jon Pinto and some of his friends were riffing on Aquaman and decided that Paul Newman would be the ideal lead for a movie made back in the day. Of course Sidney Poitier and Ann Margaret would co-star! You can see an ocean-sized version of Pinto’s poster by clicking over.
We need more of these, Jon!
Journey’s End by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Earlier today we looked at 10 Of History’s Most Cartoonish Deaths. The story Journey’s End by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko is the perfect follow-up. You can read the entire story thanks to the fine folks at The Bristol Board.
“Rocky” by JC Richard from Grey Matter Art Ready for Framing!
A couple of weeks ago I posted that Grey Matter Art, under license from MGM, was set to release a new officially licensed, limited edition screen print featuring “Rocky” by artist, JC Richard. As you can see I can’t wait to get mine framed and up!
If you’re interested in getting a print here are the details:
“Rocky” by JC Richard
12″ x 36″ hand-numbered screen print
Regular Edition: 150/40.00
Variant Edition: 75/50.00
Printed by: D&L Screenprinting
This poster is released through www.greymatterart.com
Follow Grey Matter Art on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to sign up for the GMA Newsletter for all future news & information.
Marcus Levine Nails Stallone as Rambo!
Sly Stallone poses with artist, Marcus Levine who created the Rambo art behind them. Not only is Marcus Levine an amazing artist but he creates his pieces using nails!
10 Of History’s Most Cartoonish Deaths
We all know that at some point, we’ll pass on. Our best hope is that the end will come peacefully, after a long, happy life. Sadly, that is not always the case.
Micah Hirsch and Listverse present 10 Of History’s Most Cartoonish Deaths. Here are the three that struck me as being the most avoidable had the deceased used a bit more sense before becoming deceased.
10 Demonstrating A Suicide
On June 17, 1871, Representative Clement Vallandigham of Ohio died in the name of justice—accidentally. Retiring to his law practice after a life of treason, Vallandigham was attempting to prove a client innocent of murder by arguing that the victim shot himself.Prior to the trial, Vallandigham headed to open land to determine the level of residue left by a point-blank shot and then left the field with three live rounds in his pistol. Arriving back at his hotel, he was handed a parcel with the unloaded gun used by the victim. He laid that gun beside his own pistol. Leaving his suite, he pocketed the deadlier of the two choices of weaponry.Confident in his case, he entertained a hotel visitor with a live demonstration of his argument. It’s fair to say that it was very convincing. While Vallandigham wasn’t present for the occasion, his client was ultimately cleared. And though the novelty had worn off, another man met his death in the same fashion while trying to demonstrate how Vallandigham killed himself.Craig says: If you’re going to demonstrate (not just tell, but demonstrate) how a person committed suicide using a pistol, why not double or triple check that your pistol is not loaded?
And furthermore, if you’re going to demonstrate (not just tell, but demonstrate) how a man who was demonstrating how a person accidentally killed himself with a loaded pistol and then went on to accidentally kill himself, why not just not?
4 Exactly As Advertised
Working at Toronto’s TD Centre, Garry Hoy had a habit of bodychecking windows to demonstrate their tensile strength in front of impressionable youths. Hoy, a partner at Holden Day Wilson LLP, worked on the 24th floor of the building. He was clearly impressed by the skyscraper’s workmanship. However, his habit of slamming into windows as a testament to the structure was never approved by any known building code in the world. On July 9, 1993, he was entertaining a group of articling students with his old tricks on the 24th floor. While the window in question held through one run of Hoy battering against it, the glass popped out of the frame on the second run, sending Hoy into free fall. He died of his injuries soon after.Craig says: “Let me prove to you how safe our windows are. I’m going to run into it at full force 24 stories above the ground.” BAM! “Impressive, huh? Let me show you agaaaaaaaaaaa”
7 Tripped By A Beard
Hans Steininger, a 16th-century town mayor, is best known in Braunau am Inn for his 1.4-meter-long (4.5 ft) beard. In his life, he was very popular with the townsfolk and served multiple terms, but his untimely end serves as the most memorable aspect of his legacy.In 1567, a large fire sent the town into panic. Steininger, who usually rolled up his beard in a pouch that he carried with him, unfortunately had his beard hanging free amid the chaos. At some point during the ruckus, his foot caught on his beard and he tumbled down a flight of stairs, ultimately breaking his neck. Today, the town features a full-body illustration of the man carved in rock that is displayed on the side of St. Stephan’s Church. His beard is engraved in its entire length as it is a celebrity in the town’s cultural memory.Craig says: “My long beard will make me famous throughout history,” claimed Steininger. “Indeed it will” responded Craig.
William the Last by Brian Shearer
Last week Brian Shearer sent out a Tweet that he’d send a copy of the first issue of William the Last to any comic shop or person willing to share it with their local comic shop.
While William the Last probably wasn’t my cup o’ joe, I’m always down to help an independent artist. So I volunteered to take a copy to my local shop (World of Comics, if you’re ever in the Daytona Beach area).
Brian sent out the issue and I’m taking it to the shop today, but decided to give William the Last a look before dropping it off. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised at just how good William the Last is. Here’s how Shearer summarizes it…
A young boy grows up on an island alone with his grandfather. When his grandfather dies he climbs to the top of a steep mountain to find himself in a land where the people are in hiding, a tyrant rules, and his own name is forbidden from being spoken.
He is William the Last.
I love the premise and the art will pull you in. Shearer has just the right mix of danger, humor and mystery. This is a comic that kids and adults will love… even adults who think it might not be their normal beverage of choice. If you’re looking for a new comic for yourself or some youngsters, why not give a chance to William the Last?
Jonathan Maberry Interview!
Gaby Triana conducted a very fun and informative interview with Jonathan Maberry that is more than worth a read.
10 Slap-Happy Facts About The Three Stooges
Jake Rossen and Mental Floss present 10 Slap-Happy Facts About The Three Stooges. Here are three of my favorites…
3. HITLER WANTED THEM DEAD.
Having established their comic personas on film, the Stooges proceeded to make some accidental history. Their 1940 short, You Nazty Spy!, was the first American production to openly make a mockery of Adolf Hitler’s regime. (Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator opened nine months later.) The short was perceived as a great insult by the Führer, who listed the Stooges as favored casualties on his own personal death list. (It’s not known whether he named each one individually.)
7. A REPLACEMENT STOOGE HAD A NO-VIOLENCE CONTRACT CLAUSE.
Sorting out the musical chairs of Stooges enrollment can be difficult: While Moe and Larry were largely engrained, the trio was originally rounded out with Shemp before he departed for a solo career: Curly was his replacement. Following Curly’s departure due to illness, Shemp stepped back in, but he died in 1955. After briefly considering a run as the Two Stooges, Moe and Larry recruited Joe Besser, a comic actor who already had a deal with Columbia, in 1956. But Besser wasn’t quite as game for the physical comedy as his predecessors. He insisted his contract contain language prohibiting him from being abused to excess, including anything pastry-related. “I never was the type of comic to be hit by a pie,” he said, a mentality that calls into question the decision to become part of The Three Stooges. Following Besser’s departure in 1959, the group roped in Joe DeRita for live shows and several feature films, including 1961’s Snow White and the Three Stooges.
10. THERE’S A STOOGES MUSEUM IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The Stooges’ vital contributions to pop culture have always deserved some archival recognition. They got it in 2004, when The Stoogeumopened its doors in Ambler, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles outside of Philadelphia. The museum’s founder is Gary Lassin, who married Larry Fine’s great niece in 1981. A Stooges fan, Lassin acquired over 100,000 items related to their careers and displays roughly 3500 pieces at a time. There’s a Hall of Shemp, a game area (with Whack-a-Moe), as well as countless artifacts.
Last Stop by Trey Walker and Hoyt Silva.
Because I liked Lavender Jack, the free weekly comic by Dan Schkade so much I decided to see if there were any other Web Toon comics I might enjoy.
And what do you know? I found Last Stop by Trey Walker and Hoyt Silva. Here’s the premise…
Time is ticking for the World’s last superhero. Disillusioned, Lincoln Adams (AKA Unstoppable) must make peace with the changing world around him—can there truly be a place for him in a world without Supers? After learning of his terminal disease, Lincoln sees an easy way out; however, the re-emergence of an old Arch-Nemesis, and a new shadowy masked figure, turn Lincoln’s plans of an easy passing on their head. Can Lincoln stop this new threat before the disease stops him?
I like the premise. I’m a huge fan of Silva’s art, so checking this out was a no-brainer for me. If you like what you’ve seen and heard so far, then click over, but be aware that there is violence and adult language.
