Warner Brothers Pictures has released images from the upcoming Sherlock Holmes film, which opens on December 25th.
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (center) as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and
Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
MARK STRONG (hooded) as Lord Blackwood in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
KELLY REILLY as Mary Morstan and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in Warner Bros.
Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,”
distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
MARK STRONG as Lord Blackwood in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Barry Wetcher
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
SHH-SWTP-055
JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
(L-r) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
EDDIE MARSAN as Inspector Lestrade (center) and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (far right)
as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ actionadventure
mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) JAMES FOX as Sir Thomas Rotheram, HANS MATHESON as Lord Coward,
WILLIAM HOPE as Ambassador Standish and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock
Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure
mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) MARK STRONG as Lord Blackwood and JAMES FOX as Sir Thomas Rotheram
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village
Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner
Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
MARK STRONG as Lord Blackwood in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
HANS MATHESON (left center) as Lord Coward and MARK STRONG (center) as Lord
Blackwood in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure
mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson and ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson, ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and
RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler
in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery
“Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
KELLY REILLY as Mary Morstan and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in Warner Bros.
Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,”
distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
(L-r) JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson, KELLY REILLY as Mary Morstan and ROBERT
DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Director GUY RITCHIE on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
Director GUY RITCHIE on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow
Pictures’ action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros.
Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
Director GUY RITCHIE (center) with ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (left) and JUDE LAW
on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action-adventure
mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo by Alex Bailey
Read more...
Read More
“Mr. Holmes, you must widen your gaze. I’m concerned you underestimate the gravity of coming events. For you and I are bound on a journey that will twist the very fabric of nature.”
“Sherlock Holmes” unfolds against the backdrop of London in 1890, when the city seems at the center of the world, with technology extending mankind’s reach and all things new racing to replace the old. “There’s a growing engagement in technologies of the near future, and this sense of wonderment,” Robert Downey Jr. observes. “They’re verging on all these incredible things.”
But for all the polish and prestige, 1890s London is also a cesspool into which all the criminals of contemporary society drain…which makes it the ideal city for a man like Sherlock Holmes. Downey continues, “You have this incredibly fascinating yet dangerous city, and Holmes knows every inch of it. He feels that this is his city in which to engage the enemy. And he knows what he’s up against.”
For Guy Ritchie, having Downey in the title role became the key to unlocking a new interpretation of “Sherlock Holmes.” “In my opinion, Robert is the perfect Holmes,” says the director. “He’s American, but his English accent is flawless and he has an international feel to him. In his own way, Robert’s also a bit of a genius. He’s tremendously smart and quick-witted, and is very comfortable playing a character like Holmes without any artifice or pretension.”
Producer Susan Downey agrees. “The eloquence of Holmes, his use of words and language, seems to come very naturally to Robert. There is also real physicality to the role in our film. Holmes participates in bare-knuckle boxing fights and practices martial arts, which Robert has been doing for the past six years. So, it was a very natural progression to immediately think of Robert as Holmes.”
Holmes’s unconventional quirks and understated idealism resonated with the actor. “He’s an archetype,” Robert Downey Jr. asserts. “There’s something so monastic about him—his intentions are so pure, and his moral code is strengthened by his resolve and his actions. When he feels he’s not inspired or motivated by some creative charge, he’ll fall into a state where he barely speaks a word for three days, and when he’s engaged, he has incredible amounts of energy, super-human energy. He says, ‘There’s nothing more stimulating than a case where nothing goes your way.’ And, in the end, Holmes’s passionate curiosity and his ability to not only see but interpret these details are what make him so unique.”
Holmes would not be who he is without Watson, his enabler, his collaborator, his friend. As with Holmes, the filmmakers felt that the Dr. Watson of the books is far more of a dynamic character than the one depicted in past movies and television series.
“Watson has sometimes been portrayed as a sort of bumbling fool against Holmes’s great, lofty genius,” says Ritchie, “but that really isn’t the case. Watson is a much more significant individual than that. They really are a team.”
In “Sherlock Holmes,” Watson is as tough as they come. “He’s a war veteran just back from the Afghan war; he’s been wounded and has been through hardship,” Wigram describes. “He’s a strong, physical man and he knows how to handle himself. Although he’s not a mad genius like Holmes, he’s a very clever man.”
In many ways, the casting of Jude Law as Watson was every bit as crucial as that of Downey as Holmes. “It seems impossible to imagine anyone else being Watson once we cast Jude,” says Ritchie. “I wanted a good-looking Watson. I didn’t want him to be subservient or inferior, but rather a bit of a hero with an equal partnership with Holmes. I believe that’s to a degree what Conan Doyle was really after.”
Jude Law was familiar with Holmes and Watson since reading the stories as a child and marveled at how much of Watson has been unexplored up until now. “He’s been in a brutal war and has experienced horror and physical pain,” says the actor. “With that military background in mind, I really wanted him to represent the slightly more buttoned-up, polished professional, with Holmes being the slightly more wayward, eccentric dilettante. But Watson is far from just bumbling along; he’s in the middle of the action—sometimes tearing in ahead of Holmes.”
In addition to joining Holmes in his investigations, Watson is also the storyteller in the Sherlock Holmes canon. “If there wasn’t Watson, there would be no Holmes because Holmes never talks about what he does, but Watson is with him every step of the way,” says Downey.
“Watson has always been, and remains, the eyes of the audience watching this great man unravel these extraordinary knots of clues,” Law explains. “He definitely gets his hands dirty in their cases together, but he is also in awe when Holmes just lets loose with his incredible photographic memory or ability to decipher exactly what transpired and how it was done.”
Their friendship plays an important role in both their work and their private lives. “They’re tremendously close and we show how that manifests itself,” Ritchie notes. “There’s a lot of humor in it, some jealousy, but a real affection and sincerity about the partnership. They need each other for balance; Holmes is the creative genius and Watson’s the more temperate and disciplined of the two.”
From the moment Downey and Law met, the two actors began a rich collaboration that was reflected in their performances. “Robert and Jude became great friends,” says Silver. “Their chemistry onscreen is powerful. They have an almost telepathic ability to be in sync, and create this wonderful dynamic that drives their partnership.”
“Jude has a huge intellect and love of the game,” Downey adds. “The second we met, we just started bouncing ideas off each other. We were very much on the same page, which is a pretty eccentric page. He really knows what he’s doing and yet he’s also very open to letting things flow. We really worked as a team to do justice to these characters and their friendship.”
“I think the essence I wanted to bring—and what I know Guy and Robert looked to me for—was a yin, if you like, to Holmes’s yang,” Law comments. “Robert and I talked a lot about how we could balance out each other's characters so that together they make a perfect whole, and many of the descriptions of the two of them in the books convey that they are incredibly powerful together because they support each other so, and their friendship is so deeply rooted. We could also at times be incredibly humorous because there’s a part of Holmes that infuriates Watson and vice versa.”
Nonetheless, Holmes’s mastery of detection renders him both ally and foil of Scotland Yard and its lead inspector, Lestrade, played by Eddie Marsan. “Lestrade is a public official and does things by the book, which is the exact opposite of Holmes,” says Marsan. “They work side-by-side, and not always comfortably. But there is no shortage of criminals in London in Lestrade’s time, and while he doesn’t approve of Holmes’s methods, he wants to see the crimes solved and the bad guys caught, and, more often than not, Holmes helps him get there.”
“Holmes knows that nobody is as far out as he is in their methodology, so it’s very unlikely that anyone is going to get the results he does,” Downey remarks. “And I think he prides himself on that. That’s the root of his self-esteem—the pains he takes are great. He really wants to be of service.”
But the successful partnership of Holmes and Watson takes a surprising hit when Watson falls in love with, and plans to marry, Mary Morstan, played by Kelly Reilly. “Mary loves Watson very much, and she also admires Holmes, who sees her as a bit of a threat,” says Reilly. “He believes that if Watson gets married and moves away, it will jeopardize their partnership…and that may be the case.”
Holmes is shaken by the notion that Watson is so determined to make a new life with Mary. “Holmes can’t understand why Watson would want anything other than what they already have,” says Susan Downey. “Over the course of the film, we come to understand what they need in each other. Watson provides the balance for Holmes. In many ways, he’s his touchstone to the real world.”
“Holmes leads a solitary life and is dedicated to the art of detection,” says Wigram. “He doesn’t really believe in love because it might interfere with his work. And he isn’t interested in marriage or having any kind of typical relationship with a woman. He’s too unconventional for that.”
The exception is Irene Adler. An American from New Jersey traveling abroad, she is a daring woman ahead of her time who lives on the edge of the law. Though not a regular in the Sherlock Holmes collection, Irene made a highly memorable appearance in Conan Doyle’s short story “A Scandal in Bohemia” as the only woman to have bested Holmes. “I imagined her as a secret agent of sorts who seduces men and steals from them, very Mata Hari,” comments Wigram. “I thought it would be a great idea to bring her into the story as someone who broke Holmes’s heart and got under his skin.”
To play Holmes’s great love and Achilles’ heel, the filmmakers cast Rachel McAdams. “Rachel struck me as the ideal Irene,” says Ritchie. “She portrays her with this fantastic benign façade under which is the serpent of the most nefarious nature. She’s not to be trusted at all. Even when she’s got a blade to your throat, she smiles. Her sweetness is a front she uses to be as efficient in a man’s world as she is.”
“Irene is a bit of a mystery, so it was fun getting to unveil her layers,” offers McAdams. “The relationship between Irene and Holmes is so volatile and unorthodox; they walk a fine line between loving each other and distrusting each other. She’s had many lives and she lives in the moment. Really, she’s a woman living like a man, which was very uncommon for the period, so I had to balance the elegance of her femininity with her reckless, dangerous nature.”
As much as Irene distracts Holmes, she also presents him with a puzzle akin to the kinds he unravels in his work. It is in this capacity that Lord Blackwood attracts his singular focus. Though Blackwood’s initial crimes—murdering young women in apparent ritual sacrifices—proved little challenge to Holmes, Blackwood’s apparent “resurrection” from the dead is, for Holmes, the perfect case.
Utilizing spiritualism, Blackwood casts himself as a powerful dark lord who will use the forces of evil to take over the world. “In the late Victorian period, there was a lot of interest in the spiritual world,” comments Wigram. “Around that time, there were people like Aleister Crowley and Rasputin, who followed the occult and were very good at convincing people that they had access to a power beyond our world. Holmes is very attracted to the idea of debunking someone like Blackwood.”
“Lord Blackwood is a wonderfully arcane, evil counterpoint to Holmes,” says Mark Strong, who takes on the role of Blackwood. “He dabbles in the occult and would have people believe that he can come back from the dead. In doing so, he’s terrorizing the people of London, making them believe he’s become a supernatural being. At the same time, he’s also inventing a number of things before their time. He creates an interesting dilemma for Holmes, who is a scientist and a pragmatist. I wanted Blackwood to be a mysterious character, and he is a dangerous threat. He has his reasons for doing the terrible things he does. I hope that I’ve made him a worthy opponent for Holmes.”
“Sherlock Holmes” marks Ritchie’s third collaboration with Strong, having worked with him on “Revolver” and “RocknRolla.” Ritchie felt the actor brought the gravity needed for Blackwood to provide a formidable challenge for the detective. “Mark is a fantastic chameleon,” says the director. “He’s one of the very few actors who can turn what could otherwise be a rather theatrical line into something that’s credible, which was needed with the character of Blackwood, who is quite dramatic and imposing.”
In spite of the cloak of the supernatural Blackwood draws over the proceedings, “Holmes will err on the side of logic every time and believes the stranger something is the simpler the explanation will be,” Downey says. “He believes that whatever Blackwood is doing can be explained in the larger scientific world. He says, ‘Never theorize before you have data. Invariably, you end up twisting facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.’ The purity of reasoning is what sets Holmes apart, and makes him possibly the only man on Earth who can stop Blackwood."
Read more...
Read More
On January 26th, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases SURROGATES on Blu-ray & DVD! Director Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, U-571) brings Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele’s futuristic graphic novel to life in an action-packed murder mystery starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames, and Rosamund Pike! Bonus material includes directors commentary, an in-depth look at the creation of the superhuman versions of the cast, deleted scenes, and more!
Bruce Willis is Back in Action in the Adrenaline-Fueled Thriller
SURROGATES
Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD on January 26, 2010
“High-Octane Action” – Matt Goldberg, Collider.com
Action superstar Bruce Willis (the Die Hard franchise) headlines another spectacular thrill ride in the gripping film Surrogates, coming to Blu-ray® Hi-Def and DVD on January 26, 2010 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator Three: Rise of the Machines, U-571), Surrogates is a heart-pounding futuristic tale of splintered identity, treachery and murder. Both DVD and Blu-ray editions come with an array of bonus features that not only invite viewers to delve deep into the darkly imaginative world of Surrogates, but describe how this futuristic idea is not such a far-off reality.
Based on the enormously popular graphic novel created by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, Surrogates also stars Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), James Cromwell (Spider-man 3) and Rosamund Pike (An Education).
Synopsis
FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) lives in a world where robotic surrogates stand in for people, protecting them from violence, contagion—and the appearance of aging. These picture perfect, real-life avatars—fit, good-looking, remotely controlled machines that assume their operator’s life role—enable the population to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Greer and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell), are called in to probe the mysterious death of a college student, whose life ended when his surrogate was destroyed. When Greer’s surrogate is damaged in the investigation, he ventures out of his apartment for the first time in decades. In a world of masks, Greer must decide who is real and who can be trusted.
Bonus Features
Surrogates on DVD includes:
• Commentary with director Jonathan Mostow
• “I Will Not Bow” Music Video by Breaking Benjamin
The Surrogates Blu-ray contains the DVD extras plus exclusive bonus features that go into the heart of the film’s intriguing premise:
• A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates — The world of surrogates is not far away! Mind-controlled robotics is already in use in today. This featurette explores the realities of this technology and offers an in-depth look into the creation of the superhuman versions of the cast created for this film.
• Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life — A visual exploration of the evolution of Surrogates from graphic novel to major motion picture from the earliest designs and sketches. Pivotal sequences come to life in a dazzling 3-D animated experience.
• Four Deleted Scenes
Surrogates is priced at $39.99 (U.S.) and $44.99 (Canada) on Blu-ray Hi-Def, and $29.99 (U.S.) and $35.99 (Canada) on DVD.
Blu-ray
Suggested retail price: U.S. $39.99, Canada $44.99
Feature run time: 88 Minutes
Rating: USA: PG13 - for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene; Canada: 14A - Violence, Not Recommended for Young Children
Bonus materials not rated
Aspect ratio:
Sound: English 5.1 DTS-HD
Languages: English, Spanish, French
DVD
Suggested retail price: U.S. $29.99, Canada $35.99
Feature run time: 88 Minutes
Rating: USA: PG13 - for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene; Canada: 14A - Violence, Not Recommended for Young Children
Bonus materials not rated
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound
Languages: English, Spanish, French
STREET DATE: January 26, 2010
Read more...
Read More
Top Cow launches on WOWIO
Witchblade #1 and Darkness #1 will be given away to the benefit of Hero Initiative
WOWIO, an eBook/multi-media company is proud to announce the addition of Top Cow Comics to its growing list of publishers looking to take advantage of the digital distribution of published books. Top Cow brings such heralded and well-known titles as Witchblade, Darkness, and Wanted to the well-established and growing list of popular comic’s titles. The companies are launching a weekly roll-out of titles that launches today with a fundraising partnership with The Hero Initiative through WOWIO’s “Gifting for a Cause” program.
WOWIO is a digital resource that provides eBooks for people to either read online for free, or to purchase and download to read on a computer, mobile device or eReader. They also have the option to send eBooks to friends and family as a gift for a small fee. Through “Gifting for a Cause,” when someone sends an eBook as a gift, they can make an additional donation to one of WOWIO’s nonprofit partners, including the Hero Initiative. For a limited time, WOWIO will contribute 100% of the download cost of Witchblade #1 and The Darkness #1 titles to the Hero Initiative.
At Wowio.com, WOWIO offers a variety of eBooks to fit anyone’s interests, with costs from $0.99 and up, fitting anyone’s budget. Readers can choose from a library of thousands of titles including magazines and journals, fiction, children’s books, travel guides and more. WOWIO is considered an industry leader in the comic book and graphic novel space with thousands of titles available.
The addition of Top Cow titles only increases the quality of comic book offerings on WOWIO. Top Cow will release the following titles for the month of December for free: Witchblade #1, Wanted #1, The Darkness/Pitt #1, Witchblade #80, Tracker First Look, The Darkness Volume 3 #1, Berserker #0, Impaler Volume 2 #1, Hunter-Killer #1 and The Darkness Volume 1 #1. Each week will see new issues available for fans to download.
“With such a large, vibrant selection of comic books and graphic novels on Wowio.com, the addition of Top Cow adds an unprecedented depth to our offerings,” said Brian Altounian, CEO of WOWIO. “In addition, I have been such a big fan and supporter of the Hero Initiative’s agenda that they were the first non-profit we approached for our program, which has now swelled to 15 local charities.”
Read more...
Read More
Mezco Toyz summons the afterlife’s leading freelance bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice.
The latest doll perfectly captures this rogue ghost’s character’ with his crazed eyes, wild hair and “mossy” skin. It’s easy to see why he’s the devious, mischievous bad boy of the underworld!
Beetlejuice stands 10 inches tall and comes with film-accurate removable cloth costume.
Packaged in a collector friendly fifth panel window box.
Ships in late May/ early June 2010.
Available for pre-order now at MezcoDirect.com and other fine retailers!
Read more...
Read More
DIRECTORS LAUREN MONTGOMERY & SAM LIU DISCUSS JOYS & CHALLENGES OF JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS
When you’re dealing with a story so huge that it spans multiple Earths, it’s sometimes a good idea to arm yourself with multiple directors – as did the production team behind Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, an all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation.
Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, the animation directors of the past three DC Universe films, have combined their talents to bring Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths to the screen as a blockbuster tale of super heroes and super villains engaged in the ultimate battle of parallel worlds and, through a diabolical plan launched by Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.
Montgomery has been an active member of the directing team behind several of the DCU films, initially guiding the middle section of Superman Doomsday before accepting the sole directorial role for both Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight. After directing several Hulk and Thor ventures for rival Marvel, Liu made his long-form directorial debut for the DCU series on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
As the film’s lead characters are armed with similar talents while coming from distinctly different perspectives, the same can be said of the two directors of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Both Montgomery and Liu are relatively soft-spoken individuals, yet both are opinionated in their approach to animation, diligent in their work ethic, and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome. Over the course of making the film, they came to learn a great deal about the other’s vision, and the result is even greater than the sum of their talents.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is an original story from award-winning animation/comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Justice League). Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer. The full-length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on February 23, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def, as well as single disc DVD, and On Demand and Download.
Montgomery and Liu paused from their current DCU projects (shhh … it’s a secret) to discuss their thoughts on the creation of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. FYI: The interviews were conducted separately. Montgomery’s answers are listed first because, well, decorum dictates that ladies go first …
QUESTION:
How did you two go about co-directing Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
We kind of just went over the whole film together and it was really good to get two different points of view as a check and balance for each other. If we disagreed, we found compromises that would work. If one of us felt strongly about something, we just traded off – Sam would take a sequence he felt strongly about, then I’d take one I wanted. But for the most part, we agreed. We both work in such different ways, it was interesting to see how someone else works and learn from it.
SAM LIU:
We went through the film front to back, and if we ran into a problem or an area where either of us had an issue, usually where we thought it could be stronger or could be playing better, we usually solved it right on the spot. If we got to a section that was requiring a lot more revisions, one of us would jump on it and the other would move the rest of the film forward until we hit another rough spot. So that was our process.
QUESTION:
What have you learned from each other?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Sam breaks things down a lot, he’s very analytical. I tend not to. He spends a lot of time thinking about the story and getting into all the nooks and crannies of it, and I like to work with the general story. He’ll read the whole book, I’ll read the back of the book. I try to get the emotional points down so people can understand them, but Sam will go even deeper to use shots and set-ups to drive the point home, sometimes metaphorically. He thinks harder than I do.
SAM LIU:
Our processes are very different. I like getting into a script and breaking things down. Maybe I don’t have the best ideas, but I’m pretty good at recognizing where things are needed. I really liked the back and forth process (with Lauren), talking about ideas and batting it back and forth to find a good solution. Lauren is more instinctual, she works more from the gut. And I think she works off reaction rather than an intellectual breakdown. I’m the other way by process. But I do feel like sometimes I over-analyze things, when sometimes it’s almost like the emotional flow of the movie is good enough. Lauren gets that. Sometimes logic can be bypassed if the scene is engaging enough, or interesting enough. It’ll bridge gaps and you don’t need to analytically fix all those gaps.
QUESTION:
What do you think you might have taught each other?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I think Sam stresses out slightly less when I’m around. He stresses and I don’t. I think I calm him down a little bit. But when he’s alone, he stresses out just as much. Hopefully I helped with that.
SAM LIU:
I don’t think I taught her anything (he laughs). She’s a free-flowing, shoot-from-the-hip kind of person, and I’m kind of an angster – I nitpick things. I like getting into the story, and from there some things do need working out – things related to the emotional journey of a character that need to be highlighted or punctuated to set something up for later. I’m a stickler for things like that. And I think she saw those things.
I do stress, though – and there are times when I’m freaking out about something and she puts me at total ease. And then there’s times when I’m freaking out and she’s fighting me on it, and it makes it worse. I think we’re both control freaks in our own way, it’s just a difference in approach. I fixate on a lot of things, and she thinks things are just good enough, so let’s move on. We have an innate concept about the overall picture, but she focuses more on the acting and poses and timing and movement, and I think more on structure. I guess there’s a good balance.
QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite scene in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
There’s a fight between Wonder Woman and Olympia that I thought was really beautifully animated. That’s always fun to watch. It was boarded well, but the overseas animators took the drawings from the boards and really plussed it out. I think they just enjoy animating girl fights overseas because those scenes always come back looking good.
SAM LIU:
More than one scene, I like the overall relatability of the Justice League characters. There was great character interaction. When I watch movies, I like something that has an emotional connection, and this film definitely does.
Specifically, I think the spectacle of these evenly matched supers fighting was really cool. Superman versus Ultraman. Flash fighting someone equally as fast. Strengths against strengths. Jay Oliva boarded the last fight sequence and the Superwoman-Wonder Woman fight is great. They’re both strong, super powerful women and I think it was brutal enough as is, but the way Jay made Wonder Woman use the lasso to slam Superwoman to the ground is pretty amazing.
The battle between Owlman and Batman is awesome, too, because it’s sort of this weird intellectual standoff. Owlman is so far into his psychosis as to how the universe operates, it’s very existential. His concept is crazy, but the way he reasons out the technology of how things work and the way he thinks, it gave us great room to improvise Batman’s reaction. And then when they actually fight, it’s brutal. They do these gadget fights, sort of a modern ninja battle. The sound effects on the planet, the colors, the way it’s animated, it all works really well. And James Woods’ voice is perfect – most of the Crime Syndicate is very thuggish, they’re all about stealing money. But Owlman has created the ultimate plan to annihilate everybody, and James Woods does this great build-up. It’s great acting. He plays Owlman as a little bit off and kind of creepy, but not sinister creepy. His cadence is great, and his voice is almost charming in a way. It was a good mix of all the things I thought we’d have a problem with if we went too far one way or the other. It’s a great, tight sequence and I’m very happy the way it all came together.
QUESTION:
What were the challenges of directing this film?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
It was a challenge because we had a really large cast of characters – lots of main characters – and they all needed a decent amount of screen time. Both the good guys and the bad. We had to make sure the audience got to know each of those characters and make sure they had a presence in the film that was important, and that was a challenge.
SAM LIU:
Definitely the size of the cast and how to give enough screen time to everyone. At one point, Green Lantern was a little light on having enough important things to do. We needed to add a bit for Lex Luthor, too, and I still don’t think we did enough. We added a fight to show that Lex can fight, too, and tried to beef him up a bit. But there just wasn’t enough screen time to accommodate everyone.
QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite character?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Superwoman … just because she’s so wrong. She’s a bully, but she’s got the muscle to back it up. She’s everything you shouldn’t be, but is fun to work with.
QUESTION:
What skills you learned or developed on past projects were you able to apply to this film?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
We had the same animation studio that did Wonder Woman, so we were able to draw from the work done on Wonder Woman and improve on that. Overall, the animation was good in Wonder Woman, but there was some poor stuff, too. I think they really improved – they saw what we responded to in Wonder Woman and they tried to do what they knew we liked, and it was good.
SAM LIU:
I think, this whole process was better for me this time, especially working with Bruce (Timm) and Lauren. I was able to let go a little bit and not have to over-think things, and still know that things would work out. I generally stress over everything until the very last minute. With Lauren, I sort of learned that you can say “that’s enough” and move on to the next thing. I appreciate Lauren and her patience, and that we’re still friends. In the end, you take care of the important things and everything will work out.
QUESTION:
So, are you happy being an animation director?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
It’s never been an easy job. It can be draining. But it’s still a really fun job. I mean, we get to work on great stories with iconic characters. I know people who would kill to work on Batman and Superman. When you think of it that way – well, if I weren’t working in this job, I’d definitely want to. A little bit of the excitement is taken off because I’ve done it so many times, but it’s still a really cool thing to do.
SAM LIU:
I love doing long-form animation. I’ve been offered to go back to TV series, but I like this better. Direct-to-videos are hard – you have a short amount of time to create a world from the ground up every time and, once it’s done, it goes on the shelf and you move on – but I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with BSP (Broadcast, Standards & Practices – the network’s content watchdogs). What I love most is that you get to tell stories people can love, you can have emotional pain and great action, and you get to work with things that are too adult for children’s broadcasting. That’s the stuff that I like – telling full stories. So I’m very happy.
QUESTION:
What’s your favorite part of the job?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
The best part is when you see the film start to come back (from overseas animation studios) and it’s looking good. That’s a really nice part. When you see it coming together to be something good, that’s very satisfying. You know all your hard work has paid off.
SAM LIU:
I think it has to be working with the story and the characters. I love the development of the characters and how they fit into the story, helping their growth, even if it’s subtle or small. I like finding the core of what our story is about and trying to push that story. I think most of the time it’s about the characters and their conflicts in the beginning, and how they resolve those conflicts. On this film, we were able to do that a lot even after production had been underway – particularly with Batman’s motivation, and showing why it was important for him to stay behind and get Watchtower online. Superman believes one thing; Batman has a different opinion. It’s a conflict, and it pays off later.
QUESTION:
You’ve been living with this film for well over a year. Can you still watch and enjoy it?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I enjoy it most with a new audience. You get to see their reactions, and it makes me look at it in a new light. I enjoy watching all of our movies, which is a good thing – it’s nice to be able to watch what you’ve done and feel good about it.
SAM LIU:
It’s hard sometimes, because when you’re making a movie, there’s so many things you want and wish for, and you still tend to see the things that are missing. In this case, I’m comfortable watching because there are so many things that were done right. I’m not comfortable watching some of my older stuff. But this is one of the best movies I’ve ever worked on, and it’s very satisfying. I think there’s the right amount of action, good conflict, good closure, and intelligent characters. They’re not just one-dimensional characters. So it’s satisfying to watch.
QUESTION:
What’s the DC Universe film you hope to direct some day?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
I want that Aquaman project, but I doubt we’ll every make it.
SAM LIU:
I’d love to do Sandman from the Vertigo line. I don’t know what kind of story that would be, but I’d love to work with Neil Gaiman because I really loved those comics.
QUESTION:
Now that you can see the final product, how do the voices match their animated characters?
LAUREN MONTGOMERY:
Gina Torres and James Woods are probably my favorites. Everybody loves Owlman. He’s such a unique character. Gina is really good as Superwoman – she has this strong, seductive, confident voice, and it makes you fear and respect her. Mark Harmon is really good as Superman. At first I was worried because I thought his age might come through, but his voice really works well. It’s funny because when we started watching the voice with the animation, it struck us how you could hear little tones of George Newbern and Tim Daly – two of our regular Supermans – in his voice, which is pretty cool.
SAM LIU:
I really liked Mark Harmon – he’s got a gentle streak and it goes really well with the strength of his voice. When he was in the recording booth, I thought he might be too gentle, but it works even in the scenes where he has to be more assertive or powerful. I think it works really well because it never crosses that line of him being mean or not genuine or sneaky. It’s very pure, just as Superman should be.
I also thought Josh Keaton did a great job as Flash. He’s hilarious. So much of these movies are based on the acting, and Josh really sold it. The chemistry between characters was good, too. James Woods and Gina Torres have this strange relationship, and their acting makes them real characters. They really engaged their personalities. That’s what good actors do. The voices in this cast really flesh out the characters and give them texture.
For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s official website at www.JUSTICELEAGUECRISIS.com.
Lauren Montgomery is co-director of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
Sam Liu is co-director of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
Batman prepares to beam Flash (on screen) aboard Watchtower in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
Owlman and Superwoman, as voiced by James Woods and Gina Torres, respectively, have become shining examples of the perfect match between animated character and actor/voice, according to Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths co-directors Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie, will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
Wonder Woman engages in a battle with her evil counterpart Olympia in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
Read more...
Read More
Top Cow launches on WOWIO
Witchblade #1 and Darkness #1 will be given away to the benefit of Hero Initiative
WOWIO, an eBook/multi-media company is proud to announce the addition of Top Cow Comics to its growing list of publishers looking to take advantage of the digital distribution of published books. Top Cow brings such heralded and well-known titles as Witchblade, Darkness, and Wanted to the well-established and growing list of popular comics titles. The companies are launching a weekly roll-out of titles that launches today with a fundraising partnership with The Hero Initiative through WOWIO’s “Gifting for a Cause” program.
WOWIO is a digital resource that provides eBooks for people to either read online for free, or to purchase and download to read on a computer, mobile device or eReader. They also have the option to send eBooks to friends and family as a gift for a small fee. Through “Gifting for a Cause,” when someone sends an eBook as a gift, they can make an additional donation to one of WOWIO’s nonprofit partners, including the Hero Initiative. For a limited time, WOWIO will contribute 100% of the download cost of Witchblade #1 and The Darkness #1 titles to the Hero Initiative.
At Wowio.com, WOWIO offers a variety of eBooks to fit anyone’s interests, with costs from $0.99 and up, fitting anyone’s budget. Readers can choose from a library of thousands of titles including magazines and journals, fiction, children’s books, travel guides and more. WOWIO is considered an industry leader in the comic book and graphic novel space with thousands of titles available.
The addition of Top Cow titles only increases the quality of comic book offerings on WOWIO. Top Cow will release the following titles for the month of December for free: Witchblade #1, Wanted #1, The Darkness/Pitt #1, Witchblade #80, Tracker First Look, The Darkness Volume 3 #1, Berserker #0, Impaler Volume 2 #1, Hunter-Killer #1 and The Darkness Volume 1 #1. Each week will see new issues available for fans to download.
“With such a large, vibrant selection of comic books and graphic novels on Wowio.com, the addition of Top Cow adds an unprecedented depth to our offerings,” said Brian Altounian, CEO of WOWIO. “In addition, I have been such a big fan and supporter of the Hero Initiative’s agenda that they were the first non-profit we approached for our program, which has now swelled to 15 local charities.”
Read more...
Read More
“Crime is common. Logic is rare.”
For generations, Sherlock Holmes has embodied the gift of seeing beyond the obvious—of discerning the truth from within the haze of deception. Created in the late 19th century, in a series of stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the brilliant detective has become one of pop culture’s most enduring figures, whose adventures are among the most widely read in the history of the English language.
“He was probably the first superhero, an intellectual superhero,” states Robert Downey Jr., the Oscar®-nominated actor who takes on the title role in “Sherlock Holmes.” “He was, and probably still is, one of the most recognizable icons on Earth, so much so that a lot of people actually thought that Sherlock Holmes was a real person. The more you look into Arthur Conan Doyle’s books, the more you see what a rich character Sherlock Holmes is. He’s very adept at so many things: he plays violin, he’s a martial artist, a boxer, an expert single stick fighter and a swordsman of sorts. He has a strong moral code in helping good guys catch bad guys, so he has dedicated his life to being a consulting detective. He doesn’t do it to show everyone how smart he is, or that he has figured everything else out when they haven’t; he’s actually a crusader.”
In this spirit, the cast and filmmakers of “Sherlock Holmes” set out to delve deeper into Conan Doyle’s four novels and 56 self-contained short stories to peel back the layers on Holmes. “We’ve tried to take him back to what we believe to be his origin, which is essentially a more visceral character,” says the film’s director, Guy Ritchie, who has been a Holmes fan since childhood. “We’ve tried to integrate that and make him more streetwise. He is inquisitive about chemistry, martial arts, and the human condition. Yet he managed to percolate through all the different echelons of English society, which was tremendously complex. But then, as now, Sherlock Holmes is unique; there’s really no one else like him. I think that’s why his appeal has stuck. And while our story is rooted in London of the 1890s, we have tried to make it as contemporary as we possibly can.”
“This film brings out qualities in Holmes that are relatively unknown but incredibly cinematic and true to the character and the adventures that Conan Doyle created,” producer Joel Silver offers. “The previous adaptations of Sherlock Holmes turned the stories into something a bit more detective noir on the big screen over the years, but at their core, these were action novels. Holmes really is an 1890s man of action, with insight and intelligence that eclipse everyone else around him, ncluding
Scotland Yard.”
The screenplay for “Sherlock Holmes” is by Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg, from an original story by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson. Wigram, who is also a producer on the film, has been a fan of Holmes since reading the stories as a child. “When I became a producer, I reread all the stories and realized that there was a new way to do Sherlock,” he says. “Initially, I made a comic book, which was really a way to show how cool and fun Sherlock could be. I also wanted to explore his humanity and vulnerability and the issues he has to deal with because of his genius; he’s as modern a character now as he was back when he was originally created.”
Wigram spoke to members of the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of Holmes experts from around the world who meet once a year in New York to exchange notes and ideas and discuss their hero. “Meeting them was a humbling experience,” Wigram recalls. “I thought I was a fan and knew about Holmes, but it’s nothing compared to the expertise and knowledge of these people. They were also completely supportive of the film, which was an immense relief. Les Klinger, one of the Irregulars’ trustees and noted scholar of Sherlockiana, even advised us on language and factual details.”
The filmmakers hoped to make “Sherlock Holmes” a movie-going experience that would create the kind of excitement that made the original works so popular and enduring. “We really felt that we had an opportunity, with today’s technology, to do justice to the story in bringing this incredible vision to life,” says producer Susan Downey. “There is a whole generation that doesn’t know much about Sherlock Holmes beyond the name. And there are longtime fans that have an affection for the deerstalker hat and the ‘Elementary, my dear Watson,’ which are not in this movie. But we hope to be truer to the source material by bringing out the action in the stories. We were able to take the scope of the stories, as well as what is suggested in the books, and put that on screen.”
“It’s certainly an adventure, just as the stories seemed to me when I first read them,” adds Jude Law, who plays John Watson. “There’s still the cerebral intrigue and science and suspense of the original stories, but there’s also the brawling and mayhem that is faithfully brought in from the novels. My great hope is that Conan Doyle fans really enjoy it because I've become a huge fan myself and am very respectful of the legacy. I do think we’ve been faithful, but we’ve also injected our characters with dimensions that have never been brought out before. Guy Ritchie is brilliant at making drama physical and incredibly skilled at keeping the energy high.”
Silver agrees, noting, “Though this film takes place in the Victorian period, Guy’s edgy sensibility and fresh approach to the material give you all the rich layers of mystery and drama you’d expect, but with unexpected action and humor that make ‘Sherlock Holmes’ an exciting and incredibly fun cinematic experience.”
Read more...
Read More
JOIN RADICAL TO HELP CELEBRATE GOLDEN APPLE COMIC’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Radical Publishing is pleased and to announce our attendance at the All Star Holiday Spectacular in honor of Golden Apple Comics’ 30th Anniversary on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 hosted by Golden Apple Comics and Comic Book Resources! Radical Publishing will be on hand with creator signings and this year’s biggest Radical titles for sale.
Stop by the Radical Booth, located just outside Golden Apple Comics store on 7018 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, to meet and greet creator/writer Steve Niles who will be signing copies of City of Dust: A Philip Khrome Story from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. and colorist Doug Sirois who will be signing his work on Hercules: The Knives of Kush from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Fans will be able to purchase many of the Radical’s best-selling and critically acclaimed titles including Incarnate from Nick Simmons, Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising, Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, Caliber: First Canon of Justice, both Hercules miniseries and more!
The celebration kicks off on Saturday, December 12th at 11:00 AM and runs until 5:00 PM. Admission is completely free, so come by to celebrate Golden Apple’s 30th anniversary.
For more information on the event, visit www.goldenapplecomics.com or call 323-658-6047.
Steve Niles Signing
1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Doug Sirois Signing
4:00 PM to 5:00 P.M.
Read more...
Read More
Anime Director Hiroshi Yamazaki Offers an All-New Vision of Familiar Characters in “The Duel” Episode of Halo Legends
Warner Home Video to Distribute Compilation DVD on Feb. 16, 2010
Anime director Hiroshi Yamazaki provides fans with a distinctly different artistic vision of the Halo universe with his painterly approach to animation in “The Duel,” one of the seven stories within Halo Legends.
Yamazaki’s Halo Legends episode, “The Duel,” goes back to ancient times, at the dawn of the Covenant. A shamed Elite defies his role as an "Arbiter" – an honored but suicidal role that would regain him a shred of honor—to take a path of revenge against those that stole the only thing that matters to such an amazing warrior: His true love. This ancient Arbiter must fight his way through ever-growing groups of his former allies (grunts, elites, hunters, etc.) until he finally stands face-to-face with the elite who betrayed his trust.
The episode showcases the richness and depth of the Halo universe, and gives fans a glimpse of one of their favorite protagonists, The Samurai-style mythos of the Elites is framed in an animation style that branches away from many of Halo Legends’ CG and traditional animation approaches to present the anime via a unique filter – giving the episode the look of a moving watercolor painting. Yamazaki and the artists at Production I.G were responsible for this singular artistic vision. So stunning and different are the tones and forms that multiple viewings offer new insights on each pass.
A rising star in the anime community, Yamazaki has developed a loyal following as he has grown his career from sound direction and storyboarding to a celebrated run as an episodic director of innovatively-blended visual action on the critically acclaimed hit CG anime series KARAS. Similarly, Production I.G has been responsible for numerous acclaimed feature films, television series and video games, including the cyberpunk classic Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh, The Wolf Brigade and parts of Batman Gotham Knight.
Warner Home Video will distribute Halo Legends on February 16, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™, as well as single disc DVD and available On Demand and Digital Download. The DVD anthology of episodic films based within the mythology of the popular game Halo is produced by 343 Industries, a unit within Microsoft Game Studios.
Yamazaki answered a few questions in regard to his participation in bringing Halo Legends to animated life. Here’s that Q&A …
QUESTION:
What made you think Halo would lend itself to anime/animation?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
I believe that the suitability (of a property for animation) depends upon each story. This story definitely worked well in animation, and in this style.
QUESTION:
What was the inspiration for your artistic vision in your episode of Halo Legends?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
I have been a lover of viewing the Halo art /illustration collection books and such for some time and the entire collection of Halo properties inspired me.
QUESTION:
Were there any particular images within the Halo realm that helped shape or drive your creative vision?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
When I was contacted by I.G about the project, I imagined that the project would be very Sci-Fi in taste. However, when I met Mr. Frank O’Connor (of 343 Indutries, Microsoft Games Studios) for the first time, his requirement was to create a Samurai episode featuring an Arbiter, and I was considerably and happily surprised.
QUESTION:
What did you set out to accomplish in this episode, and why do you think you achieved or exceeded your goals?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
What I was aiming for in this project was to make audiences understand there should be other styles of animation beyond the existing two primary kinds of animation presented – precisely cel-drawing 2D style and CG 3D style. I wanted to show that creators are not limited, that they have many options for different (animation) styles to create stories.
QUESTION:
Did you feel you had the proper Halo experience to to bring the world to life in anime?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
I have played Halo 1 and 2 all the way through to the end. As I was so busy in this project, I could not play Halo 3 but instead I watched the gaming movie many times from the beginning to end.
QUESTION:
Did you include any “Easter eggs” for the devout Halo fans in your episode?
HIROSHI YAMAZAKI:
I employed the phrase “Akuma-da!” (“He is a devil” in English) as part of the dialogue of a grunt soldier for fun for game lovers. I’m not certain whether everyone will get to enjoy that treat, though, as I understand the English version and Japanese version differ considerably and I am not sure how this dialogue by the grunt is treated in the English version.
Read more...
Read More
Classic SPAWN and CEREBUS crossover returns to print after over fifteen years!
After over fifteen years, Todd McFarlane and Dave Sim's highly acclaimed collaboration in SPAWN #10 guest-starring CEREBUS returns to print in the upcoming SPAWN ORIGINS COLLECTION: DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC!
"It hasn't been reprinted since it first came out," SPAWN #10 writer and CEREBUS creator Dave Sim said. "I'm very glad that's all over with after 14 years. Todd sent me black and white scans of Spawn 10 which will be published in a Cerebus Miscellany volume someday and, hopefully, Spawn 10 will be included in any and all future collections if the Toddmiester decides to make that official McFarlane policy."
The SPAWN ORIGINS COLLECTION: DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC features the artwork of Todd McFarlane, which laid the groundwork for the most successful independent comic book ever published. This limited edition hardcover includes classic SPAWN stories written by Sim, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison and McFarlane himself in one massive slipcase collection. It will mark the first time Sim and McFarlane's
collaboration has seen print since it first appeared in 1994.
SPAWN ORIGINS COLLECTION: DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC (SEP090283), a 620-page full-color hardcover for $100 will be in-stores soon. A signed and numbered edition (SEP090284) will also be available for $150. Cerebus is ™ and © 2009 Dave Sim.
Read more...
Read More
Posts
