Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
The Rock took a bit part in The Mummy and in just a small role showed an amazing amount of screen presence and charisma. Last year’s The Rundown was one of my favorite movies of the year. It had just the right blend of action and drama.
Next up for The Rock is Walking Tall, which I have to admit sounded like a bad idea to me. I did change my opinion after seeing the trailer.
That’s the new Dawn of the Dead poster above and the original below.
I guess the new one is scarier but I still love the look of the old one.
The real question is will the new movie be as good as the original?
I’ve always liked Mel Gibson. I’m talking about Mel Gibson, the actor.
Gibson could have went the easy route after the runaway worldwide success of The Road Warrior. But he didn’t. Instead he took chances… movies like Hamlet, The River, and The Year of Living Dangerously.
Then Mel Gibson, the actor, took an even bigger chance and became Mel Gibson the director. He soared to even greater heights with Braveheart and The Patriot. Gibson hedged his bets somewhat since he was the star of both of these megahits. But with The Passion of Christ he has put it all on the line.
Gibson co-wrote, directed and funded [to the tune of $30 million or more of his own money] The Passion of Christ. The movie is subtitled since the actors speak the original languages. And Gibson‘s face never appears on screen. Talk about taking chances. All of this has added to my admiration of Mel Gibson.
Last night after watching his interview on ABC’s Primetime I was even more impressed. Gibson spoke openly and honestly about his crisis of faith and how his beliefs have saved… even redeemed him. He answered the charges that he was anti-Semitic. And he refused to answer anything about his father other than to say that he loved him. Mel says that message of The Passion of Christ is “faith, hope, love and forgiveness.” It was refreshing to see a celebrity be so open and revealing. And while I may not believe everything in the same way as Mel I can honestly say that I’ve never liked him more.
I’m talking about Mel Gibson, the man.
30 Days of Night was one of the best vampire stories in any medium in recent years. The fact that it was done in a comic made it all the more impressive. I mean, how many people pay attention to comic books? [Thankfully the number seems to be on the upswing.]
Steve Niles then followed up 30 Days of Night with the sequel Dark Days. Surprisingly [well, not so surprisingly if you follow Niles‘ writing], it didn’t seem like a forced sequel. And it was good, really good.
If you missed out on it, or if like me, you like a trade edition for the bookshelf, then click HERE.
While we’re on the subject of cool comics, Red / Tokyo Storm Warning is another trade paperback that you may want to check out. Red / Tokyo Storm Warning is actually two comic book comic mini-series for the price of one, both written by fan favorite Warren Ellis.
Red alone is worth the price of admission. Drawn by Cully Hamner [check out his take on Sly!], Red is the story of retired CIA assassin Paul Moses who finds himself the target of a hit… by his own government! This would make a great movie and you just know who I’d love to see play Moses.
Tokyo Storm Warning [drawn by James Raiz and Andrew Currie] imagines a world where Tokyo, not Hiroshima, was nuked in WWII. Now American test pilot Zoe Flynn must help turn the tide against massive monsters!
Coming soon to a comic shop near you… or better yet place your pre-order HERE!
Without a doubt one of the most enjoyable comics going today is Eric Powell‘s The Goon. Dark Horse says The Goon “is a hilarious blend of pulpy horror and slapstick comedy following the ongoing misadventures of the man they call the Goon and his spastic sidekick Franky as they battle the legions of the undead!” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up!
I’ve been buying and loving the Goon since it was a little self-published comic. Now that it’s one of the most popular comics going today, I’m still pumping it up. Although I’ve posted this link before, here it is again in case you missed it… read The Goon #1 for free by clicking HERE.
Then if you’re so inclined check out the first and second trade paperback and here’s a link for the third which is just now being pre-ordered. [That’s the cover for it to the left.]
The last ZONE piece that I did on Mel Gibson brought in a lot of e-mail, so I thought that many of you would be interested in another Mel Gibson update.Mel is featured on the cover and is the subject of a lengthy article in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. Mel will also sit for an interview that will air on ABC’s Monday “Primetime.” Mel also has an interview in the March issue of Reader’s Digest.
Finally, the Ransom Special Edition dvd will be released on March 23rd. It’ll have a commentary track by director Ron Howard, extensive deleted scenes, a “What Would You Do” making-of featurette, and more.
If you have a passion [sorry, I couldn’t resist] for Mel Gibson movies, then February and March are going to be a lot of fun!
The Rundown, one of my favorite movies last year, will be out on dvd on March 23rd. Presented in a widescreen anamorphic format, it’ll contain deleted scenes, featurettes and more.The Rundown had a great mix of action, comedy and adventure. On the 23rd you ought to Rundown and check out a copy!
“The Rundown” rates an A
The new Dawn of the Dead premieres on March 19th and he buzz just keeps getting better and better. JoBlo just posted several new pics from the movie and I’m more jazzed than ever for it.
Take a look at ’em at see what you think.
I‘ve been a Mel Gibson fan since I first saw The Road Warrior at a drive-in movie theater over twenty years ago. It’s been cool following Mel’s career… and even cooler to discover what a talented director he is. Braveheart and Lethal Weapon are two of my all-time favorite movies.Mel‘s been taking a lot of heat for his latest movie, The Passion of Christ, but I have a feeling that, while it may not be a crowd-pleaser on the level of The Patriot, it is going to be very well done, moving and impressive.
Everyone loves Hellboy. What’s not to love?
He’s one of the coolest characters in comics. Each mini-series is always highly anticipated and then goes on to become a best selling trade paperback. Hellboy short story collections and the art of Hellboy books have been winners as well.
But could Hellboy be made into a good movie?
The answer is a resounding, “YES!” because everyone loves Hellboy!
I’ve always been interested in The Kennedy Assassination. I’ve followed the different theories from a single gunman to Cuban assassins sent by Castro, to the CIA, or the Mafia, to even someone in the limo shooting President Kennedy.
I’ve come to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but my mind is still open. One of the most intriguing theories was that Vice President Johnson was somehow involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
The History Channel has assembled a panel of historians to “examine the credibility” of theories. The results of their study will become the basis of a History Channel Special which will premiere later this year.
And while I doubt there will be any definitive answers, I am sure I’ll tune in.
Without a doubt, my current favorite comic is The Walking Dead. I’ve been singing its praises since the first issue. Robert Kirkman [writer] and Tony Moore [artist] are a great team.If you want to know more about The Walking Dead, check out this interview with Tony Moore.
You may then want to find a source for all of the comics. You probably won’t find any first printings since each issue is selling out despite printing more!
But don’t buy it because it’s a hot title, buy it because it’s a great read!
Although it’s not yet on my “must see” list, I’m keeping my eye on I, Robot which stars Wil [Bad Boys II] Smith and is directed by Alex [The Crow] Proyas.It’s, of course, based on the classic Isaac Asimov story of the same name. Dark Horizons has posted several new pics from the film HERE.
On January 27th I posted that talks were underway to re-make John Carpenter‘s classic Assault on Precinct 13. According to The Hollywood Reporter and JoBlo.com, Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne have signed on to co-star in the retelling. This is interesting casting. Ethan Hawke surprised me with his excellent performance in Training Day.
It’ll be interesting to see how Fishburne plays the cool, ruthless killer Napoleon Wilson [a character that I would have loved to see Sylvester Stallone take a shot at].
