Category: Movies

SKYFALL & Directing 007

courtesy 007.com and Sony/MGM

Could Skyfall mark the beginning of a new run within the James Bond franchise? Sam Mendes is winning rave reviews for the latest 007 adventure and there’s talk he may return. Co-writer John Logan is slated to return as the sole writer for the next adventure. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond movies I wanted to look back at the stellar runs of some key directors.

The James Bond franchise is known for a director helming several 007 films.  Terence Young directed Dr. No and From Russia, With Love (my all-time favorite) took a break and was back for Thunderball.

Guy Hamilton directed Goldfinger, the film that is best known for setting the formula for 007’s adventures that followed it. Hamilton didn’t return until Sean Connery’s final (yes, I’m not including Never Say Never Again) film, Diamonds Are Forever and ushered in the Roger Moore era with Live and Let Die then The Man With the Golden Gun.

Lewis Gilbert directed Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice and Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.

John Glen has the longest run directing 007 with For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. Glen closed out the Roger Moore era and helmed Timothy Dalton’s two 007 films.

Martin Campbell directed the James Bond relaunches  Goldeneye (Pierce Brosnan’s first) and Casino Royale (Daniel Craig’s first.) 

I was immediately excited and surprised when it was announced Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, Jarhead) would direct Skyfall. Mendes and Daniel Craig share a love of James Bond films saying they discussed Live and Let Die and From Russia, With Love before starting work on Skyfall. It was a huge surprise when the Oscar-winner was named director of Skyfall. Indications are he will not return.

“It’s been a fantastic experience, but it’s been completely exhausting,” he told AceShowbix , “Do I want to do another one? I’m a shadow of my former self. [laughs] No, I don’t know. I felt like everything I wanted to do with a Bond movie, I put into this film.”
I would have to be convinced that I could do something that I loved and cared about as much if I was to do it again. I think the great risk of repeating oneself is that one doesn’t have the great store of ideas that you have when you first tackle a subject.”

Here’s hoping the producers can entire Mendes to renew his license to thrill.

Here’s a follow-up as we wait for the next film: SPECTRE and Directing 007 – the sequel.

By Editor

Happy Halloween!

photo by Kevin and Jaymie Lint

I wish all of you a happy and safe Halloween! It’s a tradition that I take a picture with the Sydnie and Lincoln Lint every year at Halloween but this year I’m across the country visiting my ailing mom.

Supermom Jaymie shared this year’s Halloween costumes with me! Linc is sporting Dracula cool while Sydnie is channeling her inner Batgirl! Jaymie tells me Sydnie declared:

“I’m Batman Girl and nobody kills my city!”

I think Babs and Gail Simone would be impressed! Sydnie, I have a Batgirl collection waiting for you when you’re old enough and and the parents approve!

Happy Halloween All!

By Editor

Rex Velvet Is Back

courtesy Rex Velvet?

Rex Velvet is back with a brand new video! It appears the self-proclaimed Seattle Super Villain is back with a new campaign. Rex deserves his own comic book. The purple one would make iconic baddies like Lex Luthor and Norman Osborn proud. It appears Rex is now taking inspiration from an icon of evil from the big screen now? Watch for the surprise at the end of the video.

Rex calls himself a businessman. Whether you agree with his stance on superheroes you have to admit the man makes creative messages! You can watch his previous videos here.

By Editor

Bryan Singer Will Direct X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com

Fox is turning to a director of hits past to carry on the X-Men franchise. Bryan Singer is officially coming back to the mansion! The director who launched the X-Men film franchise will helm X-Men: Days of Future Past according to Deadline. X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn stepped away the director’s chair but may continue to have a role as a producer.

The story will be based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. In the mutants have been nearly wiped out by giant robots called Sentinels. Imprisoned X-Men from the future send Kitty Pryde into the past to rally the X-Men of the time to prevent an assassination that leads to their horrific future. Wolverine leads the resistance movement and a last stand (pardon the pun and remembrance of movies past) against the Sentinels. This storyline could mean the possibility of Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ellen Page and Daniel Cudmore reprising their roles. With makeup magic that could appear as older, broken versions of the characters they played in the first trilogy. This story is also noted for the introduction of Rachel Summers (daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey) and Franklin Richards (son of Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four.)

By Editor

Crossbones Cast for Captain America Sequel

Captain America #16 courtesy Marvel

  I can’t wait to see the Star-Spangled Avenger battle Crossbones on the big screen! Frank Grillo has been cast at Crossbones in Captain America: The Winter Soldier according to Variety.

  In the comic books the henchman is not just a bruiser. Crossbones was critical in the assassination of Steve Rogers. Crossbones (Brock Lumlow) is the lover of Sin, daughter of the Red Skull. No word yet on if the Red Skull or Sin will appear in the sequel.

  Sebastian Stan will reprise will role as Bucky Barnes who returns as brainwashed assassin – The Winter Soldier.

  Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens April 4, 2014.

By Editor

SKYFALL Writer Working on New Two-Part James Bond Story

 

courtesy 007.com

  John Logan (Gladiator, Hugo) rewrote the script for Skyfall. Last week we learned Logan will be the sole writer of the next James Bond film but it could be the next two Daniel Craig 007 adventures. We know now more of Logan’s mission!

  Logan is working on a two-part original James Bond story which are not based on the works of 007 creator Ian Fleming according to The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision.

  Quantum of Solace was a continuation of Casino Royale in which Bond pursued the organization responsible for killing Vesper (Eva Green.)

  Could Logan be setting up a S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and Blofeld (frequent villains of the Sean Connery era) scenario for Daniel Craig’s James Bond? Connery’s Bond fought several agents of SPECTRE in Doctor No, From Russia, With Love, and Thunderball before finally coming face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice. 

  Skyfall introduces Q, delves into the inner workings of MI6 and explores the tragedy of Bond’s parents. I really enjoyed Geoffrey Wright at CIA operative Felix Leiter and would love to have him back. Logan could rediscover many Bond elements (Moneypenny, May, his service in the Royal Navy) in future films.

By Editor

HULK Smash For SHIELD!

 

Indestructible Hulk #1 courtesy Marvel

  Indestructible Hulk #1 smashes into the Marvel Now on November 14th. Mark Waid and Leinil Yu take the Green Goliath in a new direction – as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D?

  “The reasons why he is–and exactly the deal he cut to become–an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a mystery that will build out as the story goes,” Waid teased on Marvel.com.

  How do you bring a freshness to an iconic character for new readers while paying homage to the rich past?

 “On the surface of it, its hard. It’s a less human, street-level book, so all the things that worked in Daredevil were harder to duplicate in Hulk. The commonality in the two books is that Bruce Banner, much like Matt Murdock, reaches a point in his life where he realizes the things he’s been doing have not been working. ”

 “What Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did back in the day was they created the world’s first persecuted super hero in the Hulk. Bruce Banner was the seminal morose, tortured super hero. 50 years later, you can go to a comic shop, pick up a random stack of super hero comics, and most of them will probably feature tortured super heroes,” Waid explained.

Indestructible Hulk #3 courtesy Marvel

  Bruce Banner will take command in an effort become known as a man of science instead of the “Hulk Smash” guy. 

  “Banner realized that the Hulk is not something he can stop. It’s something he can control to a degree, but “Hulk happens,” as he puts it. So when he comes out, S.H.I.E.L.D. points him where they want him to go. Think of him as a cannon, not a bomb.”

  Maria Hill will be Banner’s handler.

 “S.H.I.E.L.D. has what they believe is a fairly tight leash on the Hulk, but they’re mistaken. That’s part of the fun of writing Maria Hill and Bruce Banner, they both have different perspectives on the situation.”

  What about those shots of the Hulk in armor? Waid says that’s really intended for Bruce. And as for that floating robot head – who looks like Widget of Excalibur? He’s part of the leash S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks they have on the Hulk.

  Maid said to expect Hulk to fight Attuma, Frost Giants, a new version of Quintronic Man and a big bad secretly behind the upcoming year’s mystery.

 In case you missed an earlier interview – I loved what Waid said about Hulk being his favorite character in The Avengers movie.

 “I can watch the Hulk ragdoll Loki all day.”

 Indestructible Hulk hits November 14th. Here’s the entire liveblog on Marvel.com.

By Editor

IRON MAN 3 Trailer! Mandarin Attacks!

 

Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 courtey Marvel

  One of Iron Man’s  greatest enemies finally appears on the big screen and shreds Tony Stark’s world. The first trailer for Iron Man 3 is online and the tone is definitely darker. Ben Kingsley portrays the Mandarin. Tony’s seaside mansion is blown up. Tony’s suits of armor blow up. Tony may even lose Pepper Potts (Gwynneth Paltrow.)

  In the comic books the Mandarin was an child who discovered an alien spaceship, learned to master the science and tech on board, and kept the ten rings of various powers as his weapons. In the first Iron Man film Tony was kidnapped by a terrorist organizaton called the Ten Rings.  There is a clear shot of the ten rings worn by Kingsley.

Iron Man Annual #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  I love Kingsley’s line “some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher. Lesson number one. Heroes. There is no such thing.”

  The trailer also features a smirking Guy Pearce as scientist Aldrich Killian who develops the Extremis and sells it to terrorists and the Iron Patriot armor.

What part of the trailer has you most excited for Iron Man 3?

By Editor