Archive for category Comic Con 2009

It’s hard to believe it’s already over!  Taking a lead from Arno, I thought I’d also share my top ten experiences and moments from Comic-Con.

Erin Cummings of Spartacus: Blood and Sand

- Running into my old friend Erin Cummings who will be starring in “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” alongside Lucy Lawless.  I met her back in 2002, when she was an aspiring actress volunteering at the film organization where I worked.   It’s nice to see dreams can come true!

- Meeting the editors of Entertainment Weekly and talking about “Lost” with their expert Jeff “Doc” Jensen.

- Seeing three guys dressed up as Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader passed out and taking a nap together in the hall of the convention center.

- At the Bones press panel, creator Hart Hanson said, “It is critical to our series that the science is way more accurate than inaccurate, unlike another forensic show I will not mention by name.” I asked him to just give us the initials.

Sam Trammell of True Blood

- Racing through the halls of the convention center (much like the Brady Bunch in Disneyland) when Heather, my fellow editor, tipped me off that the stars from “True Blood” were signing autographs on the main floor.

- Meeting Ann Thompson at the Jennifer’s Body/Myspace party and talking about our favorite movies and directors.  She is one of the writers that inspired me to be a film journalist.

- Listening to Edward James Olmos as he shared that just eight days earlier he realized there was an unanswered question from “Battlestar Galactica” — Who left Adama the note?

- Seeing all the fans truly embrace their favorite movies, TV shows, and comic book characters.  My favorite was definitely the beer-drinking Bender.

Josh Holloway of Lost

- Hearing Sigourney Weaver say this at the EW “Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture” panel: “MTV called Ripley the second biggest bad ass after Clint Eastwood, but I think she could take him.”

- Interviewing Josh Holloway at the “Lost” press panel.  Now I truly understand what Kate is so torn up about.

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Johnny Depp waves bye-bye

I felt like a crybaby after my Iron Man 2 post, and I didn’t want to sign off like that. Therefore, I hope you enjoy this rundown of my top sightings and experiences at Comic-Con 2009.

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What an infuriating end to the major movie presentations. To put it bluntly: Paramount rescinded my free pass, as well as the passes for editors from other sites such as Wired, UGO, and Cinematical, for Marvel’s Iron Man 2 panel. No explanation was given, and their chief publicist had nothing to say on the matter — no apology, no work-around, nothing.

I don’t think press or movie people are more VIP than the public; I feel when you’re handed a golden ticket, you deserve entrance into the chocolate factory. This was one of my most anticipated panels, and I was excited to write about it for those of you who graciously have followed our Comic-Con coverage and offered all sorts of awesome feedback on our presence here this year.

The best course of action at the end of the day is to release my feelings of confusion, irritation, and suspicion — the early footage must not be any good? I wondered — since there are plenty of enthusiastic write-ups from the session. Personally, however, I’m sorry to disappoint our readers by not being there.

Good luck Tony Stark; it was fun to be in your presence. Last year.

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A Zombieland baddie

Before Sony’s Zombieland/2012 presentation, I joined other press reps for a discussion first with director Ruben Fleischer and the cream of his Zombieland cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Woody Harrelson. I’ve focused in on this movie since it’s an original story, something the Comic-Con set celebrates. Also, I’ve been waiting to see if Jesse Eisenberg can crossover into the mainstream since the verdict is still undecided after Adventureland‘s subpar performance.

Director Fleischer seems like the kind of guy you wish you’d known since elementary school so you could celebrate what looks to be the best American zombie movie since the Dawn of the Dead remake. He successfully contrasted his film with Shaun of the Dead — the source of his inspiration — when asked to defend his use of fast zombies versus their slower equivalents, one of the biggest debates waged by genre fans. Though he did declare that he’s not a “zombie purist,” a remark which seemed slightly incongruous with Comic-Con.

The cast members were tight-lipped where their individual story lines were concerned, and I inadvertently brought the discussion to a momentary stop when I asked for clarification on the movie featuring “A-listers with prosthetics” raised in this article from a few months back.

Fleischer’s arms folded across his chest and he said he had no idea what I was talking about. I reiterated the question, saying I was just hoping for some light to be shed, though I realized I might have stepped into spoiler territory. Or maybe we’re simply talking about Amber Heard‘s brief appearance, which is outlined in this wrap-up of the public panel. I felt like a tool, and a detective!

Woody Harrelson broke the silence in the pressroom when he said, “We have a stand-off.”

Less contentious was Roland Emmerich‘s brief interview session on 2012, another panel which wound up being more about the director’s other works than the upcoming movie. It was amusing to me that there was so little discussion about such a big-budget production, though Emmerich’s reveal that he ordered the “first six or seven” pages of books on 2012 from Amazon in preparation for the movie made it feel as though anyone in the room could make a $200+ million project. But in a good way.

Clearly Emmerich doesn’t make movies for critics, which makes me respect him even when he’s at his worse (10,000 BC). Fortunately for the 6,000+ people in Hall H, the director unleashed this Earth-swallowing trailer and a near-complete sequence. His interplay with Woody Harrelson — batting 2 for 2 with Sony this year — made the epic scope of the proceedings feel intimate.

Emmerich’s best talent is his ability to hire the hundreds of visual effects pros it takes to render the destructive ideas burbling over in his imagination. And he’s quite aware of this notion. I sensed that Emmerich would attend Comic-Con every year if he could crank out a film such as 2012 every 6 or 7 months. As it stands, you might find him back in Hall H next year with news — or perhaps footage? — on Foundation, his planned version of Isaac Asimov‘s novel which currently is being scripted by Robert Rodat. Or perhaps Independence Day 2? In truth, either of these projects could be made in the near future if we take Emmerich at his word.

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Today at the Lost panel, producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse lead the lively discussion and were joined by Jorge Garcia, Michael Emerson, Josh Holloway, and Nestor Carbonell.   Although they didn’t give away too many secrets, they came bearing gifts.  The producers made a special Dharma t-shirt for avid Lost fan Bob Stencil who apparently made a big impression on them at last year’s Comic-Con figuring he would likely show up.  Another lucky fan said the secret word “Claire” during the Q&A and won a stuffed seagull with the actual note that Claire and Charlie tied to the bird in hopes of being rescued.

Speaking of Charlie…. At the end of the panel, they showed a montage of all the characters who died on the show.  When they showed Charlie, Dominic Monaghan stepped out from behind the screen to say hello.  Could that mean that Charlie is not dead? Hmmm….

Even though they didn’t reveal any real plot points, they did share a few teasers to hold us over. Apparently there won’t be anymore time traveling and less focus on the Dharma folks.  Many old faces from the first season will also return.  And one thing we do know for sure is that Elizabeth Mitchell will indeed be back for the final season!  Does this mean that Juliet and Sawyer will be reunited?

In the press room, I asked Josh Holloway if fans would be seeing more of tough Sawyer from the early seasons or his more vulnerable, romantic side in hopes of tricking him into an answer .  He shared,  “It will be a tricky line to play.  I think he will walk the line of completely salty yet you’ll see some inkling of heartbreak in there.  And maybe some redemption in the end.”

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The biggest standing ovation thus far was for animator Hayao Miyazaki‘s Comic-Con debut on Friday. Introduced by Pixar’s John Lasseter, Miyazaki’s thoughts on Ponyo and his creative process were succinct and relatable. Through his translator, Miyazaki offered: “My process is thinking, thinking and thinking. If you have a better way, let me know.”

John Lasseter and Hayao Miyazak

Both filmmakers earned individual Inkpot Awards from Comic-Con ( read about them ), and Miyazaki asked if the he could use the ink for one of his hand-drawn creations.

If you’d like to watch shaky-cam footage from the panel, head over to Cinema Blend, though you might wonder if Paul Greengrass shot the piece.

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What happens when you have Tim Burton and Russian great Timur Bekmambetov on your panel? If you’re Shane Acker, a first-time director who took the stage today to present 9, an animated feature based on his 2005 short, it’s what Burton and Bekmambetov have to say about the other films they’re involved in that takes over the spotlight.

A 9 pedicab idling outside the Convention Center

Both film giants are producing 9 and they clearly are the young filmmaker’s mentors — though I realized that Burton and Acker are tied for their number of Oscar nominations — but the Hall H crowded was way more interested in getting updates on Wanted 2, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, and whether or not there will be a third and final installment of Bekmambetov’s Night Watch saga.

I found myself more engaged by the news on these projects, and realized I was disinterested in 9‘s footage and the rest of the panel. If some secrets had been shared, perhaps I would have felt drawn into Acker’s animated world, but it clangs loudly and still triggers feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety in me.

So, those other projects?

Burton made it known that Ripley‘s is dead; Bekmambetov’s Dusk Watch probably will never happen, either. However, Wanted 2 will begin shooting in a few months with James McAvoy.

Whoa, I almost forgot: Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly were on the panel. See how distracting those two mega-producers can be?

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The team from Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Caprica

It’s no secret that I am a huge Battlestar Galactica fan. So it took all of my power to not completely geek out at the press conference for Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and “Caprica.” I had the opportunity to speak directly to executive producers Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, and Jane Epsenson, as well “Caprica” star Esai Morales and BSG’s Edward James Olmos, who also directed The Plan.

If you’re not familiar, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is a two-hour movie that takes a look back at the first season the series, but from the perspective of the cylons. But this is not a typical clip show. The writers tried to answer all those questions that we were left with as the series came to a close.

Olmos explained, “I sat down with Robert M. Young and Andy Seklir, the supervising editor, and we spent seven and a half months in a room pounding out a story. And this story is so profound it will drive you into saying, ‘Holy mackerel, I want to watch the whole series again.’”

I was most excited to hear that there still may be a future for the series. “I don’t think this is the final chapter of Battlestar,” said Olmos. “I did at one point until I saw the finished product. Because I know the fanbase is going to explode when they see this film. If they want to see more, they will make more movies. It’s really up to the fans.” (Yes, please!)

“Caprica,” the new series created by the Battlestar team, takes us back 50 years to witness life on the 12 colonies before the attacks as well as the creation of the cylons. Even though we do see a young Bill (Willie) Adama, don’t expect Tigh or Ellen to make an appearance.

Moore confirmed, “The show begins 58 years before so, at this point in the show, the final five had not arrived back in the 12 colonies at this point and time.” But there will still be plenty of conflict. As the series begins, the 12 colonies are at war and the cultural differences reflect those of our modern society. Espenson shared that as they began to work on the series, Bob Harris wrote a document for the writers to use a guide about each culture on the different colonies.

“Bob worked really hard to say, this colony is like India and here all the different ways a planet could have a really large impoverished underclass yet home to some of the finest resorts in the colonies. But, okay who is working at those resorts and what are their lives like? As you are reading this, you realize there are 12 TV series here.”

Espenson’s favorites characters are Serge the house robot, and Sister Clarice, played by Polly Walker. “Sister Clarice is going to blow your underpants off. She is an amazing character and is really fun to write.”

BSG fans can still look forward to Ron Moore’s podcasts. Moore said, “I think I will still continue the podcasts but I may let Jane take a few. She’ll probably do a more sober podcast.”

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A vehicle from District 9 on display

One of the best opportunities Comic-Con has is to help people form an opinion on upcoming movies and, of course, the people who make them. Today served as an example of what can happen when a revealing, intimate panel makes you feel a previously dormant sense of anticipation for a movie. For me, that movie is District 9. It wasn’t merely the presence of Peter Jackson, though his participation and moviemaking thoughts colored the event in every shade of awesome; the ace 7-minute reel of exclusive footage, coupled with the interaction between director Neill Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley converted me to a can’t-wait fan of the movie.

If my notes are correct, Blomkamp and Copley have known one another since high school. Their buddy interplay made me realize their chance to work with Jackson is an adolescent dream come true. Jackson was in proud papa mode as he illustrated the joys of working on a lower-budget film (he asserted that big budgets can result in directors playing it safe and creating more for demographics than anyone else); both Jackson and Blomkamp discussed how the collapse of the Halo movie dovetailed into D9‘s birth. (Oh, and to kick off the panel, Jackson said he wished he could bottle “geek power” and deliver it to Hollywood execs.)

After watching the trailer and the aforementioned footage, I had a better sense of the movie’s seemingly impressive blend of narrative, theme, and full-bore action. It’s deadly serious subject matter — the story appears to have a lot to do with how society treats otherness — blended with Jackson’s old-school love of splatter-y gore and his newer-school ultra-refined visual effects.

This seems to be the big final push D9 needs before its August release; coming off a slow, methodical viral marketing campaign, I think the world beyond Comic-Con will be there to embrace the movie in a couple weeks.

Before the D9 crew took the stage, special-effects visionary Scott Stewart showed off material from his directorial debut, Legion. With cast members Paul Bettany, Doug Jones, Adrianne Palicki, and Tyrese Gibson in tow, Stewart screened an exclusive trailer for the audience, who lapped up the hellish look at the angel Gabriel (Bettany) who has come to earth to protect humankind’s single hope against an army of his peers.

I’m intrigued by Stewart’s vision, mainly because he headed up The Orphanage, the now-defunct special effects house whose work is in everything from Sin City to the final cut version of Blade Runner. I believe what co-star Tyrese had to say about Stewart — that he’s saved some of his secret SFX tricks for the movie — but something about this presentation didn’t sit well with me, ultimately. Perhaps it was Stewart’s willingness to dumb the movie down by saying it’s more about angels with guns than it is about religion or faith. Or maybe it was Tyrese’s used-car-salesman approach to selling the movie, as well as Transformers 2 and, by the way, he has a comic book for sale, too.

The look of the work is unique, and I think plenty of fans are now stoked to see how all the elements come together — especially how Doug Jones, mostly out of make-up and playing a liquid-limbed character known as “the Ice Cream Man” fits into the terrifying equation. I was just put off a bit by how eager the filmmaker seemed to be to play down the notion having a narrative with any substance. It didn’t seem like the right thing to say in front of a room full of genre fans and comics aficionados.

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The Warner Bros. panel just ended. My initial responses, briefly, since I’m cruising back over to the Convention Center from the oasis that is the Wired Cafe:

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