2000AD, Batman and Losers artist Jock recently twittered

then a DREDD movie meeting with DNA in london on monday.

Exciting stuff and good to know things are moving forward.

Jock had been doing the concept art for the film that is being written by Alex Garland.

Doesn’t look as if Gerard Butler will be playing Dredd. If not him then who?

Some movies are born great. Some movies achieve greatness over time. And some movies are such trainwrecks of unintentional comedy, flimsy set design, and terrible CGI that you become mesmerized by your television – lost in a cavalcade of overacting, porn stars trying to go mainstream, the word ‘fuck’ being used in all its grammatical applications, and non sequitors starring Steven Seagal – and awaken two hours later feeling oddly entertained enough that you mistakenly watch the film AGAIN whenever it’s on.

The following list is a tribute to those films that are so bad they’re good. Each of these cinematic tragedies are reminders that Hollywood truly is the epicenter of all drug induced ideas. To make the list, the film must’ve been mainstream, because let’s face it, there’s a lot of trash out there that doesn’t see worldwide releases. These are the best of the best…films that somehow made it past their studios Quality Control division and onto the silver screen in your neighborhood, only to be critically flame-broiled and yet somehow beloved…classics?

This list is brought you by ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space’ and Sand – It’s everywhere, get used to it:

10. Batman and Robin (1997)

Joel Schumacher should be congratulated. He managed to make Batman more homoerotic than dear Dr. Fredric Wertham: The nippled Batsuit received an upgrade featuring  pre-wedgied, assless-chaps-looking armor. Combine this with Uma Thurman’s idea of acting (remember, she’d just made ‘The Avengers’ that same year, another honorary member of this list) and a ‘Batman on Ice’ segment and you’ve got a lethal cocktail of suckage. Never fear, folks! The Governator is here to turn this movie into campy one-liner glory! Just when you’re reaching for that remote to save your eyes from over-exposure to inexplicable amounts of fuchsia lights, Arnold swoops in – sporting enough chrome to make Jay-Z’s Cadillac jealous – to drop another gleefully awful ice-themed punchline.

Also, why does the freeze gun have a lock and load noise?

9. Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Hollywood Steps to Guaranteed Film Success: 1) Hire Samuel L. Jackson. 2) Give Samuel L. Jackson a gun. 3) Let Samuel L. Jackson add to his collection of priceless film quotes by yelling about things more incoherently than the Ultimate Warrior:

8. Lake Placid (1999)

A completely forgettable film having something to do with a rather large Croco-Gator hiding in some idealistic lake, ‘Lake Placid’ is saved from movie hell by Betty White. Yes, the ‘kooky’ Golden Girl is your savior by doing what she does best: play the innocent old lady who’s actually Nucking Futs (“patent pending) crazy. In this instance, Ms. White can be seen feeding cows to our Gator hero while whimsically discussing the weather with the sheriff.

7. Flash Gordon (1980)

IMDb’s Plot Summary: “A football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyrant, Ming the Merciless, to save Earth.” What could POSSIBLY make this film any better? Well, George Lucas wanted to direct this film, but sadly missed the opportunity and had to instead make some silly films featuring singing teddy bears, walking carpets, and trashcans on wheels. Dennis Hopper, YOUR OVERACTING VILLIAN OF THE CENTURY, sadly turned down the chance to play Dr. Zarkov…but all is well, because 80’s rock sensation QUEEN did the soundtrack!

6. Waterworld (1995)

SPEAKING of Dennis Hopper, I present to you Kevin Costner’s global warming disaster flick (as opposed to his equally bad nuclear holocaust film). At it’s time, this was the most expensive film ever made. I can definitely see where all the money went to, such as welding all that expensive trash can metal onto black matte painted jet skis. This movie is THREE HOURS LONG, and yet you can’t turn away from it. Why? Because Kevin Costner drinks his own piss three minutes in, and it’s all downhill from there:

5. Judge Dredd (1995)

No words need to describe this film aside from I AM THE LAW:

4. Street Fighter (1994)

A movie about a game…BAD…?!?!?! Is this even possible?! What about all those great Uwe Bowe films like ‘House of the Dead’, ‘Bloodrayne’, and ‘In the Name of the King’? And who can forget the Super Mario Brothers…It’s true: Video game based films are notoriously well known for being absolutely eye-gouging, jaw-droppingly bad, and ‘Street Fighter’ is no different. The tragedy that is the film is only further enhanced by the realization that it is Raul Julia’s – the lovable Mr. Addams – final film before he passed away. Though Julia does his best to save this movie, the true hero of our film is Jean Claude Van Damm and his string of flexing monologues scattered throughout.

3. Mannequin (1987)

It’s a movie starring Kim Cattrall as a mannequin that comes to life for the lonely artist that lovingly built her who falls in love with her and saves a department store owned by Estelle Getty by designing hip window displays with his flamboyantly gay best friend. Not crazy enough for you yet? Did I mention that Cattrall is actually an Egyptian princess? Let’s kick it up a notch!

2.Howard the Duck (1986)

God Bless George Lucas for this one. He had HUNDREDS of comic book characters to select from – any of which Marvel, DC, et al would’ve gladly allowed the god of all things Science Fiction to direct – and he chose to slam a bunch of midgets into a oversized rubber duck costume and attempt to save the world. If there was EVER a film that needed a rerelease with enhanced special effects, it’s this one. Please, George, stop destroying the land of the Jedi and bring back this Duck in full CG glory!

1. Starship Troopers (1997)

This is, hands down, the greatest bad movie of all time. Casper Van Dien’s chin deserved an Oscar for carrying Casper Van Dien’s dead weight through this 90 minute romp. Michael Ironside plays Michael Ironside with a gun. Gary Busey’s son is only mildly aggrevating, and hey, any film with NPH automatically is a classic. I have one question for you citizen: Are you doing your part?

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…

Be careful with the fireworks.

Hmm, Hugo Weaving wore a mask for the whole of this film. Would he make a good Judge Dredd?

Oh and remember, remember the flux capacitor was invented on this day.

Happy Birthday to Sam Rockwell, Famke Janssen, Corin Nemec, Robert Patrick, Armin Shimerman, Tilda Swinton and whoever else had a birthday today.

Hollywood as we are all aware, has strong liberal sentiments. We watch the armies of Prius scurrying round the globe; vocally promoting the most progressive of causes. An endangered lab rat in Dubai, a boycott of a well known chocolate vendor or political conflict in a far far away land. But when it comes to progression within their own industry, Hollywood is the perfect example of cultural conservatism. Any person who has scouted the papers or dubya’s over the past year would be hard pressed not feel a strange sense of deja-vu. Film and Television it seems, has become obsessed with the past, redressing themes from the old to the damn near pre-pubescent.

Now you can forgive me if some of what I say appears just as unoriginal as the summer Blockbuster offerings. But the trend of remakes, re-drafts and reboots is becoming more and more frequent. The list of upcoming recycled properties is pretty staggering, especially when you look at the great filmmakers behind the texts. Filmmakers who have proven they have the artistic ambition to do something more original – have begun embracing nostalgic, more familiar material.

Step forward Steven Spielberg, the most successful filmmaker of all time announced that he will be ‘reimagining’ Harvey, the 1950 comedy starring Jimmy Stewart. Next we have Robert Zemeckis, another filmmaker with near-perfect credentials. He will be breathing new life into the iconic Yellow Submarine animation. Looking further, we have Bryan Singer’s upcoming remakes of Excalibur and Battlestar Galactica; while rocker turned auteur, Mr. Rob Zombie; still bloodied from the second Halloween set, is trying his hands at the tongue-in-cheek horror The Blob, the films third offering to an ever forgetful public.

Shoot ‘Em Up director Michael Davis is trying on Outland for size. Screen Gems is moving ahead with a new take on Peckinpah’s classic Straw Dogs. Believe me when I say, I wish I was finished – damn you hyperlink! Studio wise, were getting a Columbia Pictures remake of the 1990 sci-fi film Total Recall. Hancock director Peter Berg will have a look at Lynch’s Dune, Brett Eisner will reinvent Flash Gordon and Danny ‘Bhangra’ Boyle’s DNA Films is planning a new Judge Dredd movie. Terminator Salvation director McG will plummet 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, while Twilight filmmakers Summit Entertainment are having a ganders at the Highlander franchise.

There are countless remakes already on the studio release slates. MGM has a new version of Fame sitting atop mount box-office; with a remake of Red Dawn in the works. Sony, which gave us a remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 this summer, has a vehicle for Will Smith Jr in Karate Kid; coupled with our chubby cherub Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet next summer. Mr Murdoch will also be throwing a few flicks in the mix. New versions of Gulliver’s Travels, The A-Team, and yet another Predator offering. Universal has updates of both The Wolfman and Robin Hood, the latter with Russell ‘fighting round the world’ Crowe taking lead and Ridley Scott behind the camera.

No, still not finished. Paramount will have us tapping our feet to Footloose next year and begging Murphy to call it a day in Beverly Hills Cop. Warner brings up the rear with Sherlock Holmes, Clash of the Titans and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Sadly, the only thing new and exciting audiences will get from Hollywood over the next few years are creative justifications for what is essentially – money for old rope. In an attempt to distance himself from the original Blob, Rob Zombie insisted, ‘My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing – that’s the first thing I want to change,”. Thank you Rob, very nicely put. The only thing I would question is why you would want to call it The Blob then. Just a thought.

So, why are there all these bloody remakes? Apathy? maybe. Economic woes? quite possibly. Is it familiarity? That detective, is the right question.

The figures speak for themselves sadly. Since January 2007, the ten highest grossing films at the box office have all been sequels, reimaginings of established franchises or action movies based on comic book characters. The marketers would suggest that we live in an environment so full of Jeremy Kyle and clutter that having a picture with a little spice of nostalgia is a crucial selling point. If you can sell a film around some form of familiarity, something the audience can latch onto, then you might just hit the jackpot.

We live in a world where the whole concept of originality is being reinvented. Artists are simply hitting the replay button, spending more time re-imagining, rather than rethinking, redefining and re-re-re-re…

If you would like to read this again please press PLAY.

Dré

I recently posted the fact that the comic book artist Jock (The Losers) was still working on the concept art for the new Judge Dredd film. Alex Garland (The Beach) has written the script and things are slowly moving along.

As we all know Stallone played him in the previous version (it had a great opening 10 minutes and then it just got ugly). The big question for the new one is who will they get to play Judge Dredd?

I could see someone like Bruce Campbell (he has the chin), Ron Perlman (he doesn’t mind covering his face and we all know Dredd never takes his helmet off – well not on screen anyway), Thomas Jane, Billy Zane or Jason Statham.

I have received a few emails that suggest Gerard Butler (Gamer, 300, Law Abiding Citizen) is interested in the role and has been in talks. Now I have looked around the web for confirmation of this, but so far I cannot find anything else. However, the emails I have received have all come from different unrelated sources, a couple of whom are usually spot on.

For the moment mark this one down as a great big rumour though – it is still early days and I personally don’t think they are as far along as casting.

If anyone happens to know Gerard could you ask him if this is true. I will keep digging and let you know if I find anything more.

Do you think Gerard Butler would make a good Judge Dredd? If not him who else could it be?

I do colouring for Gibson Quarter here and there.  Gibson was a student in Ty Templeton’s Comic Book Bootcamps (done through Max the Mutt Animation School) which is how we met up.  He got a gig doing a five-pager (yeah, yeah, I keep calling it a six pager…someday I’ll edit those entries) for an issue of the Ed the Sock comic book. The art had to be coloured and lettered so Ty volunteered my services…and Gibson was happy enough to call me for some other jobs.  We’re sort of an informal art team…although my name is nowhere as cool and really doesn’t flow:  Quarter and Smith.   Yep, not quite there!

Through Gibson’s art I’ve got to colour Judge Dredd, Spider-man and flats on the one and only Johnny K of War on Drugs, a character whose last name I can’t put in case anyone under 18 ever reads this entry.  Johnny K is a character created and written by Alan Grant for his magazine, Wasted.

Here’s a few of the pages I’ve done for Gibson Quarter (click on image for a bigger version; for some of them, click twice)…

Just found the blog of cooler than cool illustrator Ade Salmon and going through the archive I found a picture he did for a short story of mine called Dogfight which appeared in the Judge Dredd Megazine a few years back.

I’ve always liked this picture so I thought I’d post it here too. You can see Ade’s original post here.

I woke up this morning to find a tweet on my phone saying-

“PRToons Episode 3 – It’s up, poodles”

Being the nerdy girl who collected 2000AD comics most of her childhood,

I see someone mention “toons” and I think “cool!”

Judge Dredd art by Lee Sullivan

hahah

But CHRIST! THIS cartoon by Alex Cox cracked me UP!!!

CHECK IT OUT!

Follow Tom and Lorenzo on Twitter for updates on Project Runway.

]]> http://postapokalipsa.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/sedzia-dredd-alex-garland-scenarzysta-nowej-ekranizacji/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:35:27 +0000 Micronus http://postapokalipsa.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/sedzia-dredd-alex-garland-scenarzysta-nowej-ekranizacji/

Plotki o tym, że ma powstać nowa ekranizacja komiksu Sędzia Dredd (Judge Dredd) pojawiły się już jakiś czas temu. Teraz dowiedzieliśmy się, że nad scenariuszem pracuje Alex Garland znany z doskonałego, postwirusowego horroru 28 dni później.

Zostań moim przyjacielem - nikt nie chce się ze mną bawić:'(

Poprzedni filmowy Sędzia Dredd wparował do kin w 1995 r., a tytułowego sprawiedliwego zagrał Sylwester Stalone. Nowy Sędzia… nie będzie remake’iem, a po prostu inną, miejmy nadzieję bardziej udaną, adaptacją historii rysunkowej od 2000AD.

Za FirstShowing.

A Judge Dredd remake is in the works. Alex Garland, the writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine. Garland is currently in the process of writing a fresh new look on the Judges of the future.

With Judge Dredd under the umbrella of Danny Boyle’s DNA Films, it’s no surprise that the writer most often associated with Boyle, Alex Garland, is spearheading this project. Mark Simpson, who’s worked on the art for Judge Dredd comic strips as well as the concept art for this new adaptation said this of the art and Garland: “Working through script visuals for Judge Dredd movie. Alex Garland writes a great script.” That shouldn’t be any surprise, it sure isn’t to me. Garland certainly has what it takes to bring a thoughtful, yet tonally accurate Judge Dredd satire to theaters. His past genre screenplays should be proof enough of that. – First Showing

Now someone needs to remake Demolition Man…………

So I just saw this announcement and had to comment on it. Another Judge Dredd movie coming? They didn’t learn their lesson from the first one? Say it ain’t so boys, say it ain’t so. I am sure with all the success that comic book movies have had it was just to hard to resist another shot at. So is this a series reboot?  Or a whole new plot line? It remains to be seen. All I can say is, please, please don’t put Stallone back in it. Here is the link.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/judge-dredd-20-oh-yeah-its-happening,32666/?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds&utm_source=avclub_rss_daily

This is one of those pieces that is sort of news but isn’t. Keep on reading and you will see what I mean.

The excellent comic book artist Jock recently tweeted some kind words about Judge Dredd screenwriter Alex Garland, whose script the “Losers” artist is currently developing visuals for.

@jock4twenty working through script visuals for JUDGE DREDD movie. Alex Garland writes a great script.

The reason why I say this is not really new news is that it was known that Alex Garland (The Beach) was working on a Judge Dredd screenplay back in December of last year (more here) and there was some lovely concept art from Jock in January.

However, since then it has all gone a bit quiet. Hence the reason for this post. Looks as if things are slowly creeping forward for 2000AD’s Dredd and Mega City One. Humour me, I just love a bit of Dredd.

I don’t suppose anyone has a copy of the new script they care to send my way?

The question though is who can play Dredd in the new film? Christian Bale, Jason Statham, Bruce Campbell, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, The Rock, Ron Perlman and Billy Zane are just a few ideas. Don’t forget the original take on Dredd was based on Clint Eastwood.

Of course if the big bad of the piece is Judge Death then the main man, Doug Jones (Hellboy, Legion) is the one for that.

There is a thread on the LFF Forum

I am going to headbutt him so hard.

The central mechanic of Judge Dredd, beyond its fairly strong platforming/shooting/headbutting engine, is that you are judge/jury/executioner; this means you can deal with criminals as you see fit, in terms of arresting them or killing them or whatever.

What this really means is that you can murder them a little bit, such that after getting shot a few times they put up their hands and a flying justice platform whisks them away to be brutalized in prison, or you can murder them a whole lot, such that they are just entirely vaporized.

This occurs no matter what manner of violence you employ to dispatch them, so you will often find yourself headbutting a guy so hard he explodes, in a sort of blue-flash-because-we-wanted-a-lower-rating kind of thing.

The problem with the game, though, is that the background objects and foreground objects are pretty much identical, and it’s all grey or brown, and it’s extremely difficult to tell where the fuck you are or what you’re supposed to do or where you’re supposed to go and why that fucking gate thing or whatever is still in the way even though I pushed a button that looked pretty important and was the only button in the whole place, maudit de sacrament d’hostie de caulice.

The second part of ABC’s summer press tour is even more dramatically scripted than the first which was highlighted by the season’s rookie to beat. But with a Jerry Bruckheimer drama starring Christian Slater, a “Witches Of Eastwick” update, a series remake of “V” and a new Courteney Cox-black comedy entitled “Cougar Town”, ABC is betting the farm on a variety of interesting but at times risky propositions.

Executive Session: Stephen McPherson  (President/ABC Entertainment)  The first question posed to McPherson was the inherent bear of the tour which was the perception of Jay Leno’s 10pm show in contradiction to scripted late prime shows. The exec responded that NBC is in transition and they (at ABC) are waiting to see what the prime time move in terms of effectiveness turns out to be. He plans to compete for the viewers as his mandate is to make the broadcast element of his company vibrant. He believes in terms of series that ABC has to remain ambitious. He says projects like “Lost” have been very fortuitous for them but states that you have to look at each show differently. “Flash Forward” he agrees needs to have that cinematic feeling. He says that there is alot of great drama out there and sees the 10pm hour as a major opportunity in the current marketplace.

In terms of some other new shows at ABC, he speaks that when he heard that Warners was going out with a TV take on “The Witches Of Eastwick”, he thought it was a great fun way to do a female driven series. Rebecca Romijn was such a trooper going back to work. He makes the joke that she was doing the role an hour and a half after having her twins.

In terms of some shows getting the axe, he says that those decisions are among the biggest challenges in determining how patient you can be. Sometimes it has to do with how it affects your schedule. For others (he cites “Pushing Daisies”) the writer’s strike derailed them.

Other shows by comparison are making their way from other networks, “Scrubs” will still be called “Scrubs” but it will be different in its construct in terms of the hospital versus teaching. McPherson adds that Zach Braff will be back but for a limited amount of time. 

In terms of the thought of possibly bringing Paula Abdul into the fray of “America’s Got Talent” after her sudden and supposed break from “American Idol”, McPherson said that he was stunned and actually had already put in a call to her. His quote: “We’d love to get a piece of that.”

Questioned about the lack of movie of the week and/or miniseries product which used to be a mainstay of ABC, McPherson says that there is a very specific business model for those types of projects which they have looked at but just doesn’t fit the marketplace right now. However he said he would love for it to be a business again for them.

Coming back to the NBC/Leno move, McPherson thinks it was a decision of cost containment versus what it can do for the network or the studio. He doesn’t think anyone believes that Leno could do a 5 rating in that time slot but he believes a drama series could.

The series that could do it in fact could possibly be “Flash Forward” though McPherson doesn’t state this. He does say however that he would like to have some of the success that “Lost” has had with this new show. “Flash Forward” he said was a spec that Goyer and his team had done for HBO. ABC he says wasn’t trailing for a series like this but agrees that there are similarities in terms of the epic nature of the canvas and that of “Lost”. However he believes that as “Flash Forward” evolves, the two series will be seen very differently.

McPherson says that the current next season comedy push on ABC with “Hank” and “Modern Family” was a conscious decision. He also states that “Romantically Challenged” will be back midseason possibly in a block with “Scrubs” and “Better Off Ted”. He also admits they did cut budgets as is the norm right now.

He said there was some success with “Samantha Who” but the series never gained full traction. “Ugly Betty” is still going strong and was never cancelled. He says that there are still great plans for it and that it will stay in NY in terms of shooting for at least another year. In terms of “Grey’s Anatomy”, Katherine Heigl is back while he confirms that TR Knight has left. Ellen Pompeo will be out for a couple episodes while she is having her baby.

McPherson does think Shonda (the show runner on “Grey’s” and “Private Practice”) has hit her stride. He says the creative direction of “Practice” at the end of last year was a good lesson for him as an executive because he wasn’t sure if the angle was going to work. He says though that Shonda pulled it off.

In thought of “Better Off Ted” (another severely underrated show with bite), McPherson says that summer was tough in general. He says that they have tabled a couple episodes of that series but would have liked a better performance from it.  TV, of course,  is not an easy game.

The Forgotten This series on a group of people who track down missing persons works a little differently than most Jerry Bruckheimer TV vehicles. While it is still forensic and procedural in nature, the characters in it, save for one, have day jobs.

Bruckheimer admits he loves mystery. Audiences, he believes, are enamoured with crimes and the solving of them. In terms of this series, it is about someone coming in and being a White Knight to these people who have lost someone. Christian Slater wasn’t in the original pilot and actually was a late addition to the cast.

Jerry jokes that they couldn’t find Slater at the beginning because he was somewhere in Russia (presumably Jerry making reference to Slater’s now defunct NBC Show “My Own Worst Enemy”). Bruckheimer’s thought is that Slater brings “versimilitude” to the series. 

Slater, for his part, said that he enjoyed his time on “My Own Worst Enemy” but wasn’t thinking about going back into TV right away. He half jokingly says that the deal came together in a locker room. His agent and Bruckheimer play on opposing teams in Bruckheimer’s famous industry insider hockey league which is how the conversation started. Slater was interested in mystery in terms of form as he had started a year before reading three chapters a night of “Nancy Drew” to his daughter who influenced him with her excitement. That was initially the angle that he loved about “My Own Worst Enemy” because that was about a guy who was very human who had some phenomenally extraordinary experiences.

Exec Producer Marc Friedman says that the group of people in the series are amateurs in terms of their characters. Their focus is finding these people who have been lost. Fellow exec producer Jonathan Littman says that the show fulfills the same perspective as alot of crime dramas in that there needs to be closure.

Rochelle Aytes, who plays Detective Grace, offers an angled perspective of the team, saying that she is the closer for the Jane Does and is tough and passionate but she also keeps Alex (Christian Slater’s character) from going downhill which indicates some interesting emotional challenges for the actor.

Danny Cannon (who directed the action film “Judge Dredd” and serves as one of the directors on the show as well as an exec producer) says what interested him in terms of the style of the show was being able to show “death backwards”. For him the visual motif needed to have a spiritual structure in terms of seeing death through the eyes of these people and then, by contrast, a godlike element encroaching on the invesigators through these missing persons. If even a bit of what Cannon described can be created or filmed (and it is a possibility considering the achievements of CSI), this film could be Bruckheimer’s next big hit.

Cougar Town The title of this series gets you off the bat especially since Courteney Cox is in it. She showed in the FX series “Dirt” that she was willing to go the distance for the jugular if need be. The woman had no fear. Matching her with Bill Lawrence, the cool and ultimately outspoken exec producer on both this and “Scrubs”, is a grand time waiting to happen since Lawrence seems game for anything. He is a young exec at barely over 40 and still has that great enthusiasm and balls out approach which can translate into fascinating TV.

Lawrence starts off saying that we are still in a sexist and misogynistic society and that a series like “Cougar Town” has the possibility of alot of traps. The assumption is that the show would be written by guys but, in actuality, this one has a majority of female writers which he is very proud of. He jokes that they titled the show this way so they could set the bar low. He also says that in life he has heard both sides of the female perspective of the word, whether it be one of empowerment or not.

He admits he and his wife (who plays one of Courteney’s friends in the series) are in their 40s as is Courteney (you can see Courteney wince). The hardest angle of network television in the current marketplace for Bill is making noise. If you do so people will be aware of the show. All you can do then is cross your fingers and see with the subsequent scripts if it is a show that works. He says that the age range between Courteney and her son on the show is respective to him and his father in real life as they are only separated by 20 years. The key to the proceedings with these kind of relationships is that Courteney can play discomfort exceedingly well.

Lawrence admits that he likes shows like “True Blood” and jokes that he enjoys watching the vampires’ orgies of blood. However the key with television in any shape is that you shouldn’t walk on the edge just for the sake of it. “Cougar Town” will be aired in a 9:30 timeslot and will have a warning on it. But, for him, it is truly about a character going after the world.

Seemingly a little nervous, Lawrence says that he rarely has this much trepidation with a show but that he doesn’t want to fail Courteney. He was inspired by his wife in the gestation of some elements of the series, specifically in the pilot. His wife, now sitting only a couple feet from him, had just had their baby when the idea started to formulate. She was passing through the bathroom going to the shower and stopped and looked at herself in the mirror. She simply said “Fuck”. That is such a clear and present concept for the idea, even though Lawrence’s wife did seem a little embarrassed by his admission and telling of the story. 

Lawrence continues that the zeitgeist would be to show something so age inappropriate. Courteney’s character in the series says that “the bummer about being single at 40 is that al the men are broke, gay or dating younger girls”. For Lawrence it was essential to create two characters as romantic leads in the series who had chemistry but had no interest in being together as a result of their recent divorces. Lawrence whispers like a ventriloquist to goad Cox about possibly having Jennifer Aniston guest on the show. Cox jokes that she doesn’t discount it.

Lawrence also addresses, as is the norm this year, the aspect of NBC and the Leno influx into the 10pm slot since “Scrubs” was originally on that network. First and foremost, Bill comments: “Ben [Silverman] is not trying to destroy television …someone else is.” He follows up saying that “it is sad for scripted TV but they [NBC] has created this onorous situation.”

He then speaks to the new slate at ABC saying he wants more forward thinking which is apparent at this network. He thinks “Modern Family” is a kick ass sitcom and both “Flash Forward” and “Eastwick” are good shows. He says good TV is all about execution. He knows he is good at this and Courteney is good at this but nowadays there is a limited window to make a splash. He will market the show as much as possible. He even jokes that he will go get a tattoo on his chest for “Cougar Town” and suggests that we go to the bar right now. Lawrence is a force of nature and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Courteney Cox, by comparison, barely gets in a word since Lawrence by design is this hurricane of enthusiasm. Lawrence had said that Cox doesn’t use a body double for her introduction scenes in the pilot. Cox, by contrast, makes the point that people don’t look on TV the way they look in real life. In terms of the actual word “cougar”, she says that it would be a great term if we knew the term for a man doing the same thing. A shout comes out from inside the room: “a man” (which gets a roar of laughter from everyone).

Cox says that ‘Cougar Town” is not Samantha from “Sex & The City”. She wanted to get back to comedy. She recalls being 40 and laying in bed with Coco (her daughter with husband David Arquette) right after she was born. She jokes “Should I give this [the baby] back to someone?” She says that getting older is harder anyway and says “it would be really scary if I wasn’t married”. She also mentions that Aniston is making a movie called “Pumas”. The joke that ends the panel is that a “puma” is a cougar in her 30s. And the laughs keep on coming.

Eastwick Doing a TV update of the classic movie from 1987 is fraught with either possibility or challenge depending on how it is done. The aspects here are workable but not quite focused yet. The show runner hints at some crossover, hints to the mythology and also the casting of original cast member Veronica Cartwright as a mystery character.

Maggie Friedman, the show runner, specifies that they wanted to appeal to both the female and the male demographic but that they didn’t want to copycat “Desperate Housewives” but still would like some of their viewership. She pays reverence to the original movie starring Jack Nicholson as “iconic” but says that it was very much of its time. The characters here are quite different.

In the 1987 movie, the magic of the female characters are very efemeral according to Maggie. Here, by contrast, there is a very specific reason for each woman’s powers. Veronica Cartwright, who played a different character in the original movie, is back as a different character who may or may not be a former witch. Friedman says she loves Veronica’s scream which got a lot of wear and tear in the first “Alien” movie as well.

The town of Eastwick was rebuilt on the Warner Ranch in Burbank, just blocks away from the lot with Maria Caso doing the production design. For Maggie, she has the storylines planned out in tandem. The first year plan addresses the theme of empowerment but follows the structure of Darryl (that horny little devil) coming in and seducing the women and the town. There will most certainly be winks and homages to the film she promises. Maggie teases that the character that Cartwright plays might in fact be one of the witches from the 80s since it is the same town and 20 years have passed. Maybe Darryl was actually in this Eastwick in a different form back then. For her, it is all about metaphors.

Maggie also teases that Cybill Shepherd might play one of the other witches from back then as well. But it all has to have motivation. An example she uses in terms of the magic crossed with the character structure is that Joanna can hypnotize other people. This keys into the aspect that her character’s true nature is shy and quiet and needs to learn to stand up for herself. This magic allows her to do. It is like it knows what she wants which for them is their allure to Darryl. The unspoken truth is that Darryl needs them infinitely more than they need him but they need to be able to harness their power.

Maggie addresses the input of John Updike, the original author of the book, who she was able to speak to before he died. He however knew that the concept was being made into a TV show. The writing staff, like “Cougar Town” is distinctly mixed, with six women to six men which should allow for an interesting dichotomy of stories. Maggie believes that the show will definitely appeal to men since Darryl is living a fantasy.

For his part as Darryl, the devil, Paul Cross chose this as his first part in an American show after much time overseas. He is seemingly suited to the task. Like Pierce Brosnan was to Sean Connery in Bond so is Paul to Jack in this role. Cross admits that there are many kinds of devils but keys in with a bit of fun that “my powers are limitless” which means he can do anything. He has got a little bit of flack about his hair but they found a balance, a small price to pay.

In terms of being compared or playing Jack, he says Jack is “like Mount Rushmore” and there is no comparison. You can’t climb that kind of performance but Paul thought he could bring something slightly different to this part and could really do something with it. And he saw the upside: His character knows everything. His character runs the world. He gets to work with amazingly beautiful women. Plus he had no idea how he was going to do it. Sounds like a plan.

The girls by contrast saw a degree of clarity within their ambitions.

Rebecca Romijn, who recently had twins with husband Jerry O’Connell, jumped into the fray 8 weeks after she delivered as the character of Roxie. Like Demi Moore in “’Indecent Proposal”, this coud be a real boon to the part since it adds another texture that could be quite interesting. The twins were on set with her most of the time. Now O’Connell is taking some time off to be with them while Rebecca is working on this. She says the part by design is a bit of a double edged sword. She takes on the Cher role in her mind in terms of the coven of witches. She was a big fan of the movie when it came out since she was a teenager. She distinctifies that this character is the closest to her real personality that she has ever played.

The other two witches also have distinctiveness and perception to who their witches are and what they will become. Lindsay Price, who plays Joanna, also agrees that this character is very close to her own personality. In playing the Susan Sarandon role in glasses and a bun, she admits to her own awkwardness, even though in front of me she looks like a stunner. And, on screen, she is even more alluring like one of teachers in Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” video.

Jamie Ray Newman, by comparison, says her character Kat (the Michelle Pfieffer role) went from being a teenager to a mom and is in denial of her powers even though hers is the most dynamic visually. Kat is a character that loves safety and security and her new situation flies in the face of everything she believes because the devil made her do it.

V There had been talk for many years of the retelling of this 80s miniseries into a full fledged series. What seemed to make the gelling finally click was the critical success of “Battlestar Galactica” which took the different themes of terrorism and placed them in a sci-fi conundrum. “V” does the same thing in many ways. Another parallel is that Zoic Studios who did a lot of the FX work on “Galactica” in their early seasons is working on this as well. The first announcement which made the cast distinctly earnest was the fact that they premiere November 3rd at 8pm.

Exec producer Scott Peters (who worked on “The 4400″) said that in moving forward they didn’t want to stop the original themes in addition with blending the modern elements of a post 9/11 world. Because of the writers’ strike, the show was developed over a long period of time. The key became apparent in the news of everyday where people were searching for change.

The sell of the show began to be “What if aliens showed up and could solve all our problems?” The key is that in that these kind of shows, idealogy needs to remain open to interpretation. He says that they are very sure of where the storylines are going for the first and second seasons as well as where the end lies. They did meet with Kenneth Johnson (the miniseries creator) but admitted that this is a brand new take.

In terms of effects, they are approaching the interior of the ship with virtual world technology which allows the camera to move around within the space while making every angle and perspective different. This, Peters hopes, wows the audience on a weekly basis since they will be visiting the ships in every episode. However, he does admit that they are shooting in Vancouver and not NY but believes that the difference will not be noticable.

Elizabeth Mitchell, best known as Juliet on “Lost”, was intrigued by her character Erica on “V”. She likes traditional heroes and had never gotten to play one before. She says that she was on a panel with Sigourney Weaver a while back who had said that she always in these sorts of pictures picks the men’s roles. Mitchell had watched the original in the 80s as well. In perspective to “Lost”, she says that she is going back to shoot in Hawaii but cannot say if she is dead or alive considering what happened in the final moment of last season.

Morena Baccarin plays Anna, the smooth and elegant alien who is able to disarm the human race. There is something otherworldly about her. Baccarin says it is about being the face of what people want to see. She jokes that she did some research on being an alien but there is not much out there. The one thing in Anna she does see is the angle of her ambition.

In conclusion, exec producer Jeffrey Bell examines some of the elements that die hards might be looking for. He says when they talk to people, they hear about the rat and guinea pig moments with the lizards in the original miniseries. He agrees that they would be “morons” not to put those moments in but he also empahasizes that the agenda for the Vs is not what it was before.

By the end of the first season, the audience will have a full conception of the V’s agenda. Bell says they want to keep the stories within the character’s grounded lives. It is about freezing those frames of the emotional turmoil but also keying within the wish fulfillment element of it.

ABC Cocktail Party Within the Viennese Ballroom, the sushi became the mood enhancer. Talking off-the-cuff with Maggie Friedman who runs “Eastwick”, she says that they are going to push the limit and get a little bawdy with some of the stories. The story structures of these elements are coming into play. She makes reference to a vibrator subplot that runs through an episode mid-season that really highlights the humor which is so necessary to a series like this. At this point, Paul Cross, ever playing the part as Darryl, walks over with a scotch in hand. He relishes the role and gets to be naughty. Maggie reinforces the element of wish fulfillment in “Eastwick” that will appeal to both male and female viewers.

Outside, after stealing a gliding glance from V’s Morena Baccarin walking to the bar, “V” show runner Scott Peters talks about the essence of darkness within this incarnation of the show and why that balance will heighten the experience. HYe says they start shooting that following Monday in Vancouver first tweaking the pilot with some pick-ups before they start in on the new episodes. Mentioning Morena (whom I had just passed), Peters agrees that it is that kind of connection that will motivate the show. Tone, of course, in mentioning to him, is important. He says the writing staff reflects this with a couple people from 4400 but also some new blood. Score is also mentioned which is crucial. Peters  says that they have hired Marco Beltrami who recently did “3:10 To Yuma” for that important task.

Heading inside towards the sushi bar, Nathan Fillion saunters to the bar, ever in his Castle role relishing the moment, while Stana Katic, who plays Detective Beckett, sits in the corner with her girlfriends conversing in a beautiful red dress which her character would scarsely be caught in at this point in the series.

The last interaction of the night was a welcome one in the form of the entire central cast of “Better Off Ted”, one of the best new underrated shows of the season. Lead actor Jay Harrington (who plays Ted), there with his girlfriend Adriana reminds one of the mainstream version of Don Draper but with infinitely more humor. He admits that at the beginning it was hard talking to camera because the 4th wall can be a finicky thing. I say though that the charm and chemistry between him and his co-star Andrea Anders who plays Linda is palpable. Andrea sanders over in a stunning backless dress but with a shy awkwardness that befits her character. Oddly enough the person I thought was Andrea’s publicist is actually Jonathan Slavin, who plays one of the scientists Phil. The transformation helped by make-up and some good acting chops is quite staggering. The other part of the duo: Malcolm Barrett (who plays Lem) comes over with a bit of stubble.  Their real life personalities are so decidely different that you see the almost illicit balance that the show creates. From these four you can feel a family as they hang out and talk with me near the sushi bar.

Harrington says that they are going back to start shooting new episodes the following Monday which seems like a busy day for a lot of people. “Better Off Ted” deserves support (which I tell them) because the writing is sharp which they utterly appreciate. It is just a matter of steadying the course.

The essence of ABC continuing through this new fall season is one of interest and risk in storytelling but nonetheless one with major potential.

It’s time for another listener-requested episode. For some time, people have asked us our thoughts on the British sci-fi hit 2000 A.D., and this week we finally take a look. Each of us read two different volumes of 2000 A.D. material. We review our reads, talk about the history and format of the magazine, and question why it’s so darn difficult to find it in the States. In the picks this week, Chase likes Ms. Marvel #42, Mike digs Power Girl #3, and Blake goes with Invincible #64. Our graphic novel pick: Starman Omnibus Vol. 3! Contact us with comments, suggestions, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

2 in 1 Showcase Episode 131: 2000 A.D.
Inside This Episode:

“Bad Manners” is a view of the other Judges’ jobs besides Dredd’s.  This look of life is on Judge Manners. He’s a wise cracking Judge who takes the law a bit too far. In the book you see Boco a teenager go over on his “Hover Board” to his friend’s house and see  Manners beating up his friend but he doesn’t fly away he stays. The next day, Manners comes to assault Boco and that’s probably the best strip you could pick out of “Bad Manners”.  I would rate this book 9 out of 10 because even though they were put together in different 2000AD parts they managed to make it all make sense – something that my Blog will never succeed at!

“Manners Maketh the Man”.

It’s good to be a superhero. Not a month goes by that a movie based on a comic book property doesn’t appear in theaters. Here is a look at some superhero movies that time forgot.

“Judge Dredd” – 1995

He's Judge, Judy and Executioner.

Tagline: “In the future, one man is the law.”

Who wears the spandex: Sylvester Stallone

What’s it about: Based on the British comic book character who first appeared in the anthology “2000 A.D.,” “Judge Dredd” takes place in a dystopian future where America has become a handful of “mega-cities” that guard humanity against the horrors of the wastelands surrounding them.  Law and order is kept by militaristic Judges who act as police, jury, and executioner. Of all the Judges, the most feared and respected is Judge Dredd (Stallone).  After being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, Dredd finds himself on the run from the law along with a criminal he helped convict, Fergie (Rob Schneider).

Key Moment: After surviving a plane crash in the wasteland that is America, Dredd and Fergie are captured by the Angel family – a cave dwelling clan of cyborg cannibals.  Fergie’s attempts to appeal to their Christian nature, leads him to be added to their menu.

Comic Book Geek Alert: “In the comic book series, part of the mystique surrounding Dredd is that he is never seen without his helmet, and if he does take it off, only his back or the lower part of his face is shown, BUT NEVER HIS ENTIRE FACE!!!!!!!!! Sure, the movie wasn’t all that, but Stallone should have known better. That’s like Spider-man doing his thing without the mask… in public!!!!!!! Are there any other 2000AD/Judge Dredd fans that agree with me?????”  ~ unclechuckf from imdb.com’s movie forum

Memorable Quote: “Emotions… there ought to be a law against them.” ~ Judge Dredd

Should you Watch It: “Judge Dredd” is a fun popcorn flick that makes for an entertaining Saturday afternoon viewing.  If you’re bored and in the mood for a little senseless Stallone action/adventure, you can’t go wrong with “Judge Dredd.” Just remember to check your brain at the door.

“Mystery Men” – 1999

The only reason to hate this movie is for unleashing the blight that is Smash Mouth's song "All Star."

Tagline: “This summer expect the unexpected.”

Who wears the spandex: Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear and Paul Reubens.

What’s it about: Based on the Dark Horse superhero team, “Mystery Men” features a band of misfits who are given an opportunity to become the heroes they aspire to be when Champion City’s resident superhero, Captain Amazing (Kinnear) is kidnapped by supervillian Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush).  Among the team’s members is the always-upset Mr. Furious (Stiller), The Shoveller (Macy) who can shovel better then any mortal man, the bowling ball wielding Bowler (Garofalo) and Invisible Boy (Kel Mitchell) who can only become invisible when no one is looking.

Key Moment: While attempting to bulk up their team, the Mystery Men hold an audition for superheroes.  Among the contestants are PMS Avenger (she only works four days a month) and the Waffler with his griddle of justice and low-fat truth syrup.

Comic Book Geek Alert: “What was done in Mystery Men was not an easy achievement and will be absolutely overlooked as being great by anyone but those who have “collected” comic books.” ~ Tomstrange from imdb.com’s movie forum

Memorable Quote: “We’ve got a blind date with Destiny – and it looks like she’s ordered the lobster.” ~ The Shoveller

Should you Watch It: You bet! With a great ensemble cast and highly quotable one-liners “Mystery Men” succeeds in offering an entertaining look at the losers of the super-hero world.  With each viewing, the film’s silliness will grow on you until the film becomes a guilty pleasure that you’ll find yourself coming back to over and over again.

“Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again” – 1990

I've always been a Betty guy myself.

Who wears the spandex (so to speak): Christopher Rich

What’s it about: John L. Goldwater’s classic comic characters are brought to life in this made for TV movie.  Archie (Rich), Betty (Lauren Holly), Veronica (Karen Kopins), Jughead (Sam Whipple) and the rest of the gang gather for a high school reunion.  Now adults off in the “real world,” the “pals and gals” have grown apart from each other.  Archie is now a lawyer and engaged, Betty is a schoolteacher, Jughead has become a psychiatrist with his own emotional problems, Veronica’s still a socialite snob and Reggie is about to tear down Pop’s – the gang’s old hangout.  Together Archie and the gang must work together to save their childhood memories and finally answer the age-old question: “Blonde or Brunette?”

Key Moment: The film climatic scene involves Jughead Jones and his son performing a rap remix of The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar”.  That’s right… let it sink in for a bit.

Comic Book Geek Alert: “I have been an Archie fan since I was very young. I love the comic books, but I don’t love this movie. This movie sucked because Jughead shouldn’t be a shrink, the teenage Jughead we all know does not give a damn about other people! Yeah, he was an excellent friend to Archie, but Jughead isn’t the type to refrain from eating cheeseburgers’ all day and listen to pathetic problems. Puh-lease, who made this movie?” ~ Chantalle from imdb.com’s movie forum

Memorable Quote: “I have a fiancée” ~ Archie

           “Don’t worry, I’ve had thirteen.” ~ Veronica

Should you Watch It: Unless you are prone to masochistic behavior, stay far away from this video. Poorly acted melodrama does not suit the corny antics of Archie Andrews and his friends. If you are a fan of Archie, watching Betty and Veronica try to seduce an engaged Archie in the bedroom of a seedy motel will leave you feeling very dirty indeed.

BRIAN BOLLAND

From Wikipedia:

Brian Bolland (born 1951)^[1] is a British comics artist, known for his meticulous, detailed linework and eye-catching compositions. Best known in the UK as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology 2000 AD, he spearheaded the ‘British Invasion‘ of the American comics industry, and in 1982 produced the artwork on Camelot 3000 (with author Mike W. Barr), which was DC’s first 12-issue comicbook maxiseries^[2] created for the direct market.^[3]

In addition to the above credits, Bolland is most widely known as the artist of one of the definitive Batman stories, The Killing Joke. Created in collaboration with writer Alan Moore, The Killing Joke explored the unique relationship shared by Batman and The Joker, providing a template that would underline almost every subsequent portrayal of the dynamic between these characters (up to and including 2008’s Dark Knight film).

Years in the making before its eventual release in 1988, The Killing Joke is, sadly, one of the few complete interior art jobs that Bolland has done in the past 20 years. As you can see, his art style is incredibly detailed and, presumably, incredibly time consuming.

As such, he mainly sticks to covers. Here is a gallery of various Batman-related covers he’s illustrated over the years, many of which come from his extended run as cover artist for Batman: Gotham Knights.

Unlike most comic artists (who still use the traditional pencil and paper illustration method), Brian Bolland has exclusively utilized a Wacom tablet for producing his artwork since the 90s. This allows Bolland more control over the artwork in all capacities, from drawing to coloring. Unfortunately, it also means there is no original artwork for the collectors to search for.

Bolland has also had a Black and White statue based on his work…

…and figures based on his Killing Joke work.

So yeah, I love this guy’s work. It’s a tragedy that he hasn’t done more interior stuff, but I guess I must learn to appreciate what I get, which is a regular stream of some of the best comic covers being produced today. I’ll defintely do another Brian Bolland themed post down the line, but I’ve still got a million 70 Aspects Of Batman posts to do. Y’know, I guess sometimes it’s

P.S. Here’s a link to a short story Bolland both wrote and drew for the Batman: Black And White anthology, entitled “An Innocent Guy”. He has said of this story that “if anyone were to ask me what is the thing I’ve done in my career that I’m most pleased with, it would be this.” Enjoy.

G.