Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Big Beatty, Jazz and Papa will hold down the fort while I’m gone.
Talk to you soon!
Craig and the Rocky Balboa Blog
| A few weeks ago I posted MGM is in the SZONE! and discussed conversations that I’d had with representatives from MGM and Sylvester Stallone‘s office. At that time I wrote: “I’m not sure what role the StalloneZone will play in the official promotion of “Rocky Balboa”… Earlier this week, this was posted on the ROCKY BALBOA BLOG: Stay Tuned… The Rocky Balboa Blog will soon be updated with more great content and a brand new home www.StalloneZone.com As you can imagine, I’ve been bombarded with e-mails from fans asking questions… so here’s the deal: I will be hosting the Rocky Balboa Blog. I was contacted by Sly‘s rep who verified Sly is very much aware of the SZ and SZoners around the world. The Rocky Balboa Blog will be regularly updated with exclusive photos, news, interviews and more. Our first update will appear soon! The StalloneZone will continue to compliment Sly’s official site. You’re still going to get regular StalloneZone updates, exclusives and more! The road to December 22, 2006 is going to be a fun one. I hope that you’re coming along for the ride! – Craig |
One of my all-time favorite comic creators, Howard Chaykin, is taking over the art chores on Blade.
That’s all I need to know to add Blade to my pull list.
Just this week it was announced that Brad Pitt beat out Leonardo DiCaprio to see who could bring “World War Z“ to the silver screen. Seems kind of strange that two of the biggest stars in the world would be in a bidding war over a zombie movie. But there you go… World War Z is Max Brooks‘ follow up novel to his cult classic The Zombie Survival Guide.
It was also announced this week that Josh [”Lucky Number Slevin”] Hartnett is set to star in the movie adaptation of 30 Days of Night. I think that Harnett is an excellent choice for the lead and so does 30 Days author Steve Niles. Filming is set to begin in early August.
I just received a booklet advertising Comic-Con International and it had this cool cover by Adam Hughes.
Held annually in San Diego, Comic-Con International is one of the biggest comic conventions in the country [probably the world]!
Although I’ve never attended, I’ve thought about going. Each year the con gets bigger and bigger… I guess if it keeps expanding and I wait long enough, it’ll come to me.
Thomas “Tiger” Vidmar recently contacted me. Tiger hosts a talk show program in Vegas. He said he was going to send me a copy of one of his programs [a call in with Elvis!] and a t-shirt.
Today the package arrived. It contained a nice workout t-shirt, a very nice golf hat, a soundtrack album [?] that he produced [!], and a copy of his call in show with Elvis.
So I listened to the call-in with Elvis. Funny and strange. I listened to the soundtrack for “Puckhead” which is a Tigar Vidmar production. It was an ecclectic mix of everything. Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong,. Gene Autry, Dean Martin, The Mighty Mouse Theme song and more are on it. I’ve listened to it twice! LOL! I like the crazy mix.
So then I visted Tiger’s website. There I discovered that in addition to hosting a radio program, creating a “soundtrack album,” and producing shirts and hats [with his “Hombre de Palo” character], Tiger has also written a book which will be available this fall, and created a series of prints featuring his character!
Tiger seems to be a man with all kinds of grand ideas… but he’s doing something with them!
Tim will have his next show on August 20th. My buddy, Bill Black will be on hand [along with star Brenna Barry] to screen “Gargantarma” a documentary which explores the history of giant women in cinema. Legendary comic artist, Nick Cardy, will be the guest of honor! Several other guests will be on hand.
If you’re able to make it, you should plan on joining us!
Variety reports that:
FX has greenlit The Shield for a final batch of 13 episodes, which will premiere in early 2008.
The sixth season is currently in production and will begin airing early next year.
At this point it looks like the episodes in 2008 will be it for the show. FX president-general manager John Landgraf has said, “Shawn (Ryan — creator of The Shield) and I have been discussing how it will end.. I know what the arc is of the final season, almost through the last episode, and this is definitely the end of it.”
I’ll be sad to see The Shield end, but I do like the idea of it following it’s course to a definite conclusion. [Hopefully Lost will do the same.]
I can’t remember the last time I liked both a song and the video for it so much.
I can remember buying the first issue of Dark Horse Presents right off the rack. Chris Warner’s Black Cross was on the cover and in the lead story. [For the record, I really think it’s time for a new Chris Warner Black Cross mini-series.] The rest of the book featured Concrete [Paul Chadwick‘s story and art], Mindwalk [Randy Stradley and Randy Emberlin], and Brighter [art and story by Paul Chadwick]. I knew this little comic company had a bright future…
So here we are twenty years later. Dark Horse has decided to publish a celebration comic of sorts. Aptly titled, Dark Horse Twenty Years, will feature art by Art Adams, Sergio Aragonés, Paul Chadwick, Adam Hughes, Frank Miller, Cary Nord, Eric Powell, Matt Wagner, Chris Warner, Joss Whedon, Mike Mignola, and many others!
What will make this even more fun is that every page will feature a different piece, with each showcasing a character from the company’s rich history. As an added bonus, instead of drawing their own creations, the artists have traded titles, so they can provide an unexpected take on the characters that made Dark Horse famous!
The final kicker? As a gift to fans, Dark Horse is pricing this bad boy at just a quarter!
* One of his limited edition signed and numbered sketchbooks
* Preliminary art that Mike created as possible covers to a Wally Wood tribute book
* A rare [#1 of six] Marvel Punisher portfolio [Mike has autographed all plates and is including an original sketch]
* The first preliminary sketch that Mike worked up for the portfolio
* The second prelim that Mike created for the portfolio
You can’t go wrong if you win any of the auctions. Zeck is the man. [But you already knew that, didn’t you?]
It’s been a while since we checked on on “300.” There’s a lot of stuff going on.
Head over and check it out. I’ll be here when you get back.
Lost “deluxe boxed sets” will also be available. The first series of Lost figures is scheduled to be released this November.
Mel was giving the troops the famous pep-talk. You know the one… “They can take our lives, but they’ll never take our FREEEEEEEEEDOM!”
The next thing you know we were both grinning from ear to ear as we spouted classic lines from “Braveheart.”
I can remember Entertainment Tonight doing a piece about “action star” Mel Gibson on location starring in and directing “Braveheart.” I thought at the time, “Man, is he taking a risk!” Mel was walking away from barrels of money to do another “Lethal Weapon” and instead was directing [and starring in] a movie about some guy who lived hundreds of years ago that hardly anybody even knew existed.
We all know how it turned out.
Just a few years ago I remember when I first heard Mel‘s plans for “The Passion of the Christ.” This time Mel was walking away from trunkloads of money for another “Lethal Weapon” to instead direct a movie [which he wasn’t going to star in] about Jesus Christ. To make the movie even more unlikely to be successful, it didn’t feature a cast of international [or even national] superstars and was subtitled!
We all know how it turned out.
Mel’s next film, Apocalypto, is a violent tale which takes place 3,000 years ago and follows a Mayan hero who is on the run. Gibson won’t appear in the film and it will be subtitled.
Anyone wonder how it will turn out?
