Kirin Hobby is now accepting preorders for Marvel’s Scarlet Witch from Kotobukiya, designed by Shunya Yamashita. Also coming up from Koto is the Asuka You Can Not Advance figure from the new Eva movies, plus new figures of Clalaclan and Celestia from the Shining series and the re-release of the Inu Yasha statues — Inu Yasha, Kagome & Shippo, Sesshomaru. Last but definitely not least are the exciting new releases from the Figma line of action figures from Max Factory featuring the Requiem for the Phantom Ein and Canaan!

New in stock is the World of Warcraft (WoW) Illidan Demon form and the Ame Comi Batgirl and Catwoman statues from DC Direct. More Marvel Minimates goodness with restock of series 14, 23, and 26.

Enjoy!
Edward

Shining Wind: Clalaclan (Waitress ver) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Shining Wind: Celestia [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Asuka Plug Suit You Can (Not) Advance [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Marvel Bishojo Collection: Scarlet Witch (Shunya Yamashita) [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Sesshomaru Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Kagome & Shippo Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Inu Yasha: Inu Yasha Ani-Statue [Figure] by Kotobukiya
Lucky Star OVA EX: Kagami (Miku) & Konata (Yuki) Cosplay ver. Set of 2 [Figure] by Sega
Nendoroid Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Good Smile Company
Figma # 054 Requiem for the Phantom: Ein [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 053 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Nanoha Takamachi The Movie 1st ver. [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 052 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: Vita (Knight clothes ver.) [Action Figure[ by Max Factory
Figma # 048 Canaan: Canaan [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 003 Fate/Stay Night: Saber (Armor version) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 002 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Suzumiya Haruhi (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
Figma # 001 Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: Yuki Nagato (School Uniform ver) [Action Figure] by Max Factory
World of Warcraft WoW Series 5: Illidan (Demon Form) [Figure] by DC Unlimited
Ame-Comi Catwoman v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Ame-Comi Batgirl v.2 [Figure] by DC Direct
Minimates Marvel Villains: Dr. Doom, Magneto, Green Goblin, Red Skull Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 26: X-Men Origins Wolverine Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 23: Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Series 14: X3 Set of 4 [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Secret Invasion: Phoenix, Beast, Wolverine, Jewel Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Punisher War Zone: Civilian Frank Castle, Jigsaw, Thug, Assault Punisher Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Invaders: Captain America, Bucky, Sub Mariner, Human Torch Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select
Minimates Marvel Heroes: Spider-Man, Captain America. The Hulk, Wolverine Box Set [Action Figure] by Diamond Select

A entrega do Scream Awards 2009, teve algumas surpresas, e reconhecimentos, True Blood, Watchmen  e Star Trek merecidamente.

Para quem não sabe o Scream Awars, é a premiação mais famosa voltada a SCI-Fi, filmes de terror, Quadrinhos e Fantasia.

THE ULTIMATE SCREAM (Melhor Filme)

Arraste-me para o Inferno
Deixe Ela Entrar
Star Trek
Transformers: A Vingança dos Derrotados
Crepúsculo
Up

melhor filme de fantasia
“Coraline”
“Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe”
“Crepúsculo”
“Up”
“Watchmen”
“X-Men Origens: Wolverine”

melhor filme de horror
“Dead Snow”
“Arraste-me para o Inferno”
“Sexta-Feira 13″
“Deixe ela entrar”
“Dia dos Namorados Macabro 3D”
“Splinter”

melhor série
Battlestar Gallactica
Dexter
Fringe
Lost
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
True Blood

melhor atriz em filme ou série de ficção científica
Moon Bloodgood; “Exterminador do Futuro 4: A Salvação”
Eliza Dushku; “Dollhouse”
Megan Fox; “Transformers: A Vingança dos Derrotados”
Lena Headey; “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”
Katee Sackhoff; “Battlestar Galactica”
Zoe Saldana; “Star Trek”

Melhor ator em filme ou série de terror
Bruce Campbell; “My Name is Bruce”
Michael C. Hall; “Dexter”
Kre Hedebrant; “Deixe ela Entrar”
Justin Long; “Arraste-me para o Inferno”
Ryan Kwanten; “True Blood”
Stephen Moyer; “True Blood”

 melhor atriz em filme ou série de terror
Jennifer Carpenter; “Quarentena”
Jaime King; “Dia dos Namorados Macabro 3D”
Lina Leandersson; “Deixe ela Entrar”
Alison Lohman; “Arraste-me para o Inferno”
Anna Paquin; “True Blood”
Monica Potter; “The Last House on the Left”

melhor ator revelação
Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Taylor Lautner (Twilight)
Robert Pattinson (Twilight)
Chris Pine (Star Trek)
Will.I.Am (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation)

melhor atriz
revelação
Anna Torv (Fringe)
Zoe Saldana (Star Trek)
Lorna Raver (Drag Me to Hell)
Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
Lina Leandersson (Let the Right One In) 
 Malin Akerman (Watchmen)

melhor roteirista de quadrinhos
Brian Michael Bendis (Dark Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man)
Joe Hill (Locke & Key)
Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Batman and Final Crisis)
Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Justice Society of America)
Mark Millar (Wolverine: Old Man Logan,  Kick-Ass)
Brian K. Vaughan (Ex Machina)

melhor filme baseado em quadrinhos
“Dragonball Evolution”
“Punisher: War Zone”
“The Spirit”
“Watchmen”
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

melhor diretor
J.J. Abrams; “Star Trek”
Tomas Alfredson; “Deixe ela Entrar”
Michael Bay; “Transformers: A Vingança dos Derrotados”
Pete Doctor & Bob Peterson; “Up”
Duncan Jones; “Moon”
Sam Raimi; “Arraste-me para o Inferno”

melhor vilão
Eric Bana as Nero; “Star Trek”
Cam Gigandet as James; “Crepúsculo”
Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganush; “Arraste-me para o Inferno”
Liev Schrieber as Victor Creed/Sabretooth; “X-Men Origens: Wolverine”
Alexander Skarsgrd como Eric Northman; “True Blood”

Julie Benz has seen her fair share of onscreen combat. She plays Rita Bennett on the hit Showtime series Dexter and has starred in the action-packed thrillers Rambo and Punisher: War Zone. No actress can play the love interest or the damsel in distress forever and nobody deserves a chance to wield firearms more than Benz. In Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Benz gets to play the ultimate female badass, FBI agent Eunice Bloom. Not only does Benz have the pressure of living up to Paul Smecker’s (Willem Dafoe) legacy, but she also has to hold her own on a set overflowing with testosterone.

All Saints Day isn’t the only buzzworthy item on Benz’s resume; Dexter just kicked off its fourth season and the tension is higher than ever. Rita, Dexter and the kids may appear to be the perfect family, but Dexter’s dark passenger is sure to stir up some drama.

Check out what Julie told me about Boondock Saints II and Dexter as well as past projects, Jawbreaker and Saw V.

Click here to read the interview.

Punisher – War Zone è un reboot della serie, infatti non prende in considerazione il film precendente del 2004 ed è una più fedele (di poco) trasposizione del fumetto sul grande schermo.

Entrambi i film però godono dello stesso destino: essere due film decisamente mediocri. Intatti quest’ultimo, diretto da Lexi Alexander, non è neanche stato trasmesso al cinema in Italia (in America è stato ritirato quasi subito dalla Sony) e si capisce il perchè: niente storia, tante sparatorie e tanto sangue caratterizzano il film dall’inizio alla fine e lo rendono abbastanza noioso.

Frank Castle, il paladino interpretato da Ray Stevenson, è un ex agente della polizia che si vede sterminare la famiglia dalla mafia e lui decide di vendicarsi massacrando tutti i delinquenti.

In uno scontro con la mafia uccide un poliziotto e sfregerà in modo indelebile (una delle scene più belle) Billy il Bello (Dominic West, in 300 Theron il politico traditore) .

Billy, ora diventato Puzzle, si unisce al fratello Jimmy il pazzo (Doug Hutchinson, Horace in Lost) per uccidere il Punitore.

In una scena finale lunghissima, in cui Frank Castle deve entrare in un grattacielo e, indovinate un pò, uccidere tutti, uscirà vittorioso dopo aver salvato la moglie e la figlia del poliziotto che ha ucciso.

Questa è la trama del film. Azione, neanche delle migliori, e basta.

Voto: 4/10.

Marvel, who recently formed its own studio to make “Iron Man”, “The Incredible Hulk”, and “Punisher: War Zone” is being bought by Disney. The deal is worth a whopping $4 billion! Here is the official announcement:

Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.

All characters such as Spiderman, X-Men etc. will stay with the deals with its current studios.

Lukas Eggen

Så var den här dagen förstörd. Har varit ute en sväng med cykeln på byn och åkte på hemvägen förbi på jobbet å kollade in veckans hyrfilmer. Hade planerat att ta med mig Slumdog Millionaire på Blu-Ray då den har premiär i veckan. Men till min förvåning ligger den inte i lådan när jag lyfter på locket. Bara DVD-versionen. Däremot finns Punisher: War Zone i BD-formatet men det var ju allt annat än en trevlig upptäckt.

Är inte första gången de inte skickar ut vad de lovar. Det är en sak om den inte dyker upp på BD när de inte sagt att den ska göra det, men när de veckan före i det interna nyhetsbladet skriver att Slumdog Millionaire kommer på både DVD och BD blir man ju lite sur. Bygga upp förhoppningar på det där viset och sen bara förstöra allt. Jag får väl hålla tummarna att den kanske dyker upp nästa vecka istället, men det tror jag inte.

Blir nog att man får ta å köpa den istället, vilket jag hade tänkt, men just nu är den lite för dyr. Har kört med maxpris på 199 kr men försöker numera att komma ner på runt 149 kr för en film. Kommer fler och fler filmer i den prisklassen, men många större filmer är fortfarande lite väl dyra.

Pop Corn and Coke : Punisher: War Zone

Rilis bulan Juli ini, Punisher: War Zone. Bercerita tentang tokoh pahlawan Punisher dari komik Marvel. Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) yang kehilangan keluarganya karena dibunuh Mafia kini merubah identitasnya menjadi The Punisher. Castle masih berusaha menghancurkan semua mafia yang terkait dengan pembunuhan keluarganya. Sasaran berikutnya adalah Billy, seorang gembong mafia yang ikut terlibat dalam pembunuhan keluarga Frank. Saat hendak membunuh Billy di tempat persembunyiannya, tanpa sengaja Frank membunuh seorang agen kepolisian yang sedang menyamar bernama Nick. Frank kemudian menyadari bahwa yang dibunuhnya adalah seorang agen yang menyamar. Namun Billy yang sudah didepan mata tak mungkin untuk dilepaskan. Frank kemudian mengalahkan Billy, Tapi Billy berhasil selamat namun ia mengalami kerusakan pada wajahnya. Billy kemudian merubah namanya menjadi Jigsaw.  Frank merasa bersalah atas terbunuhnya Nick, terlebih pada Angela dan Grace, istri dan anak Nick. Frank sempat mendatangi Angela untuk memberikannya uang dan memintanya menjalani hidup yang baru sekaligus meminta maaf, namum hal itu ditolak Angela. Singkat cerita Jigsaw yang sempat ditahan kemudian dilepaskan karena melakukan perjanjian dengan salah satu Agen. Namun lepasnya Jigsaw malah membawa petaka, Jigsaw kemudian menyandera Angela dan Grace beserta Paul, teman Frank yang bertugas menyediakan senjata. Jigsaw menyandera mereka disalah satu bangunan tua. Namun jigsaw mempunyai rencana untuk mengalahkan The Punisher. Berhasilkah Frank “The Punisher” Castle mengalahkan Jigsaw…

Film ini dirilis kedalam bentuk VCD Video untuk Home Box Office anda pada bulan Juli ini.

Keren banget, penuh kekerasan didalamnya, sadis juga penuh baku tembak, itu yang digambarkan dari film ini. Film ini memang dihadirkan Marvel dengan menggambarkan citra The Punisher yang kejam dan dingin, namun tetap mempunyai hati. Film ini juga berbeda dari film-film Heroes Marvel lainnya, yang lebih banyak mengumbar sisi Patriotiknya. Malahan Marvel menggambarkan pahlawan ini lewat sisi kejamnya dan mencitrakannya dengan citra kriminal. Film yang telah di Re-boot untuk kedua kalinya ini memang benar-benar ditunggu para fans Marvel. Pasalnya 2 film sebelumnya dianggap gagal dan kurang mengambarkan citra Punisher. Dan menurut saya yang kali ini cukup berhasil. Ceritanya dibuat menghitam, pembangunan Karakter Frank yang berubah menjadi Punisher sendiri tidak cukup banyak dijelaskan dan mengabur. Adegan-adegan perkelahiannya di hadirkan dengan kejam, dengan darah dimana-mana (bahkan menyamai kejamnya Rambo 4), namun setting yang malam dan agak sedikit gelap membuat aksi kejam sedikit disamarkan. Akting Ray Stevenson pun terbilang cukup sukses, ia dapat menggambarkan profil Punisher yang gelap dan War Junkie, pas sekali. Alhasil menurut saya film ini film yang bagus dan sangat cocok untuk mewakili Franchise Punisher, tapi hati-hati film ini khusus dewasa bukan buat anak-anak yang doyan pahlawan-pahlawan super…

Cast

Ray Stevenson (King Arthur, Rome Series, Outpost)

Dominic West (300, Forgotten, Mona Lisa Smile)

Wayne Knight (Kungfu Panda, Toy Story 2, Jurassic Park, Tarzan)

Point 7,9

First off let me say this movie bombed so bad at the box office, that not only didn’t come to Korean theaters, it’s not even on DVD in Korea. I actually watched this movie on VHS. Luckily a foreigner gave me a VCR last year before they left the country.

So anyway it starts off with the montage of Punisher comics leading to the Marvel Logo, but this time it’s the Marvel Knights Logo. I assume there were plans to make more adult themed Marvel movies under this banner, but that probrably won’t happen considering how much money was lost here.

Ok so really, now to the actual movie. First of all,  it takes place in New York, which is a huge improvement over the last one. (By the way there’s no connection to the last one. His origin here is about parrallel to the comics.) Here Punisher has been in action for 4 years now, and people know who he is, but he has a hideout under the subway.  The opening scene is what we all want to see, Frank slaughtering mobsters. In the process one of his targets falls into a machine that recyles glass, which Frank turns on for him. The villain survives, and become Jigsaw, the movies main villain. (This is a similar but much more over the top origin than the comics.) The movie almost has a plot about russian mobsters bringing a WMD to NY, but it’s really about the Punisher Jigsaw conflict. There’s  a very interesting scenario played out as Frank (The Punisher) unknowingly kills an FBI agent who was undercover as a mobster. Naturally he’s torn up about this and almost hangs up his skull vest.

What really kills this movie is it’s supporting cast, from the poor mans Godfather in the beginning, to the acrobatic dreadlocked thugs, to the cop assigned to find Frank whose a total dweeb. Jigsaw is ok, but to the average movie goer who might have watched this he probrably seemed like a Joker clone. Also suddenly Jigsaw has a brother in the nuthouse whose a poor man’s Hannibal Lecter with some ultraviolence. (Jigsaw has no crazy brother in the comics)

Another thing that hurt was that while it is brutal and violent, sometimes it’s goofy violent. Some parts have so much blood shooting out of people it looked silly, like a bad horror movie.

There’s also some humor here and there that occasionaly works but sometimes doesn’t. It’s hard to watch the part where Jigsaw recruits various local gangs. Also the very very last scene is very very bad. Finally there’s  tiny bit of talking and philosophising (though not by Frank thankfully) about what the Punisher is and what he means. We didn’t need that.

Ray Stevenson on the other hand, plays Frank dead on. Like Conan the Barbarian, he doesn’t speak a word until around 20 minutes into the movie. When he’s in action, you get the impression that he’s absolutely unstoppable.  Even in the heat of battle he knows exactly what he’s doing at all times, a juggernaut of unending violence. He shoots, stabs, brawls, even punches right through someones face.

One neat thing they used from the comics is  how Frank almost became a priest, throwing in a loose religious angle.  Back to the supporting cast Wayne Knight is in very briefly as Frank’s partner microchip, though he’s not shown as a computer whiz, more of a weapons man. The fallen FBI guys family is decent, as is another FBI guy trying to track Frank down. (Also something cool is the NYPD sort of help Frank in a round about way)

There are a few good funny parts, like when the FBI dude and Frank have a mobster captured. The G-man is about to make a call saying he’s bringing a gangster in, when Frank literally blows the gangsters face off, and the G-man totally flips his lid. I died laughing seeing that.

Despite the humor the tone is pretty correct. The world of this movie is dark and violent, a true War Zone as the title suggests. It’s just sometimes too over the top, and occasionally too hip and cool. The world of the Punisher is not hip and happening.

I feel bad for Frank. War Zone didn’t deserve to bomb so bad.  It’s better than say, Wolverine. When the last one came out I was so excited, and enjoyed it at the time. Looking back on it it wasn’t that good. The averge movie goer probably thought there was no reason to see this new movie. Given it’s dismal failure this may be the last time we see Frank on the big screen.

War Zone could have been the first Punisher movie.  It told you all you need to know. He doesn’t need an origin story. The 04 film didn’t have him in a big action/shooting scene until the end. War Zone opened with one, but didn’t have another till the end. If someone ever gave this character another shot, it would need to be like a Rambo movie, just an hour straight of nonstop carnage, keeping with a dark gritty tone, instead of something cool and hip. If that movie is made though, it may not be for another 10-20 years.

Oh well, here’s to you Frank. 3 and a half stars.

Man With The Screaming Brain
Bruce Campbell writes, directs and stars, as an American businessman in Bulgaria (cheap to film there, apparently) who is killed by a treacherous Gypsy woman, before being brought back to life by loony doctor Stacy Keach, who bulks up Campbell’s broken brain with bits cut out of the ex-KGB taxi driver who is also the former boyfriend of our Romani assailant. Could have been better, but points for effort, though possibly not for services to settled/traveller relations.

The Punisher (1989)
Very silly adaptation of the dark Marvel comic about Nam vet Frank Castle who turns vigilante after his family is executed by the Mafia. Here Castle is changed to a cop, and he is played by Dolphin Lundgren. It is silly. Very violent, with some rubbish and occasionally dull action scenes, but at least it doesn’t take itself seriously.

Punisher: War Zone
Charmless reboot of the 2004 reboot of the 1989 flick. Ray Stephenson is now Frank Castle, and yet despite not being a stranger to acting, ends up with little to do other than brutally execute anyone who steps in his way, with a moody expression on his fizzog. Directed by that Lexi Alexander, with the same skill and delicacy she applied to Green Street.

Canadian Bacon
Hamfisted (LOL) Michael Moore black comedy (shamelessly stealing from Dr Strangelove) about a lameduck US President who conjures up an imaginary threat from Canada. John Candy is great though. Prefigures the superior Wag The Dog, though the premise is wittier.

One Crazy Summer
Minor 80s teen comedy with John Cusack the wannabe animator on vacation before college. Harmless fun, pleasant performances.

The Whole Nine Yards
Him from Friends as a neurotic dentist, him from Die Hard as a mob hitman who moves next door. Fun, but inconsequential. Director Jonathan Lynn definitely has a thing about women smoking cigarettes – Rosanna Arquette, Natasha Henstridge.

The Whole Ten Yards
Somewhat pointless sequel, whose principal purpose appears to be to give Kevin Pollak – the Hungarian crime boss who didn’t survive the first film – the chance to work out as his character’s own father. Howard Deutch fumbles the direction.

The Deal (2008)
William H Macy as a past-his-prime Hollywood producer who sees one last chance when his talented but naîve nephew turns up on his doorstep with Bill And Ben, a sensitive script about Benjamin D’Israeli’s relationship with WIlliam Gladstone. Naturally this one last chance involves tweaking it into Ben Disraeli: Freedom Fighter, a guns ‘n’ girls blockbuster with recently converted action star Bobby Mason (LL Cool J) in the starring role. Silly and derivative (and the whole WHM/Meg Ryan romance is a bit meh), but warm and cosy.

The Keep
Michael Mann does supernatural war movie – Jürgen Prochnow is an honourable Wehrmacht officer, Gabriel Byrne is a comedy BOO! HISS! black uniformed SS rotter, Ian McKellen is a wheelchair-bound Jewish academic, Alberta Watson is his daughter, Scott Glenn is a shiny-eyed mysterious stranger, and they’re all stuck in a magic castle in WW2 Romania with a scary Golem-type monster. Tangerine Dream supplies the music, and it’s all a bit silly.

The Bourne Identity
Robert Ludlum holiday bricks rarely entertain once adapted for the screen (The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant), but Doug Go Liman’s reboot (after the 80s version which had Dr Kildare in the lead) makes a meaty fist of challenging yer Bond as preeminent movie spook.

Matt Damon is an excellent against-type casting choice, and he develops an excellent rapport with the flaky German wanderer he latches onto, played by Franke Potente.

The fight-in-a-room (or park, or field) sequences – notably the Swiss ones, and one in the Paris apartment – are for the most part exemplary, though Liman has more trouble with the car chase. In terms of action and tension it is very effective.

Casting is a little more mixed: Brian Cox is superb as a creepy CIA chieftain, but Julia Stiles? How did she end up in a frontline role in the Company? And you can’t help but chuckle at Adebisi from Oz hamming it up, or the shitkicker from The Shield being all whitecollar and shit. But mostly it’s a breezy, exciting ride.

A few queries though: do all Italian trawlers have as well packed a medical kit as here? And how did Bourne make it from France into Switzerland – Switzerland, FFS, Switzerland!! – without papers?

It has been FOREVER since we’ve put out a new episode, but now we finally did.  Considering the fact that tonight’s episode went so well, the chances of us staying consistent are really good now.  Since we had 6 months worth of stuff to cover, this was an extra long show. Topics included E3, UP, and pretty much everything else that’s in the below mountain of tags. At a little over an hour and a half, the show should keep you busy until next Sunday!  :-)

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Interested in being a co-host or have something you’d like read on the show?  Shoot me an email at gamerloungepodcast@gmail.com

Creo que no os avise en su momento. “Punisher War Zone” no iba a ser estrenada fuera de Estados Unidos. ¿La razón?. La paupérrima recaudación en taquilla. Según la productora costaba más la campaña de publicidad que lo que esperaban recaudar fuera de su país natal. De ahí que los fans del personaje tuviesen dos opciones. Bajarla de internet (con una calidad excelente tanto en sonido como en imagen), o esperar a su estreno en el formato doméstico. Y en España queda poquísimo para ello. Aunque el que escribe pecó de impaciente y tuvo que optar por la primera opción. Aunque ni mucho menos dejo fuera de lugar el adquirirla una vez esté a la venta. Con eso creo que dejo constancia de lo positivo que ví.

Una película bastante más cercana al justiciero de la editorial Marvel, que las otras adaptaciones que nos ofrecieron en su momento. La protagonizada en los ochenta por Dolph Lungdren y hace unos pocos años por Thomas Jane.

Los aficionados a los cómics sabrán que Frank Castle empezó su andadura como un villano en la colección de Spider-man. Contratado por un personaje llamado “El Chacal” (importantísimo en la “Saga del Clon” de los noventa), tenía que asesinar al trepamuros ayudado de su gran arsenal de armas. Años más tarde protagonizó una miniserie dibujada por Mike Zeck, probablemente uno de sus mejores trabajos junto a “La Última Cacería de Craven” y las “Secret Wars”. El resto, como se suele decir, es historia. En los noventa era uno de los iconos oscuros de la editorial. A rebufo de lo que inició Miller con “The Dark Knight Returns”, donde las grandes editoriales buscaban a personajes violentos y con grandísimas dosis de acción. Si había sangre mejor que mejor. Wolverine y Ghost Rider formaban ese triunvirato. Así que los mencionados solían tener sus apariciones especiales en cualquier colección que se preciara. Y sí, las ventas subían como la espuma. Pero no nos engañemos, The Punisher no era sólo un personaje de un día. Tuvo sus bajones. Colecciones que cerraban debido a la falta de ventas. Eso era algo que podía pesar como una losa en los fans. Y sin embargo, volvía a resurgir. Algo tiene Castle que se niega a morir en el olvido.

Todo es muy sencillo cuando hablamos de este justiciero. Un tío que es juez, jurado y verdugo. ¿Os acordáis de Charles Bronson?. ¿Qué pasa cuando no crees en la justicia?. Cuando ves que el inocente está más desprotegido que el villano, ¿que puedes hacer?. A Frank Castle se le puede tachar de facha, al igual que a Bronson. No en vano las películas que protagonizaba en los ochenta se veían de esa manera. Pero no es menos cierto que la hipocresía puede llegar a límites insospechados. Hay leyes, cierto. ¿Pero son justas?. Cada día menos. Ejemplos os podría poner a millares, pero el tiempo apremia y el post se podría volver demasiado largo y tedioso. Aparte de la mala hostia que nos provocaría plantearnos no pocas situaciones. Así que el tema es bien sencillo. Tanto el actor con bigote como Castle lo entendieron. Unos asesinos matan a tu familia. La justicia les deja libres o simplemente no hace nada de nada por lo típico. Falta de pruebas. Tienes dos opciones. Asumirlo y vivir tu vida. O dos, hacer todo lo posible porque el castigo llegue a ellos. Si queréis ver una visión magnífica sobre este tema sólo tenéis que ver la película “La Extraña que Hay en Tí”, con Jodie Foster.

“The Punisher War Zone” tiene muchos puntos a su favor. En primer lugar da lo que promete. Es decir, el personaje tal y como tenía que ser llevado a la gran pantalla. Evidente es que algún que otro aficionado no lo puede ver así, pero yo lo ví perfecto. Violencia a raduales. Sí, esa que tanto se censura y que tanta gente se echa las manos a la cabeza. Pero evitar ese detalle en la película que nos ocupa habría sido ridículo (algo que se rumoreó que podía pasar). Las aventuras de Frank son así. No tiene que haber tapujos, ni esquivar la hemoglobina, ni que los malos tengan que ser dulcificados. Hay cabrones e hijos de puta. Tan simple como eso. Quedarse a medias tintas no lo habría visto bien. De ahí que la elección es clara, ver esta película implica asumir los puntos que he detallado. ¿No te gusta eso? No la veas. Porque no engaña a nadie desde el primer minuto. Hubo momentos donde alguna escena me dejó alucinado. Pensaba “joer, se han atrevido a poner esto”. Pues muy bien, El Castigador (su traducción al español) habría hecho eso.

La elección del protagonista me creó dudas en un primer momento. Ray Stevenson me las despejó en cuanto apareció. Y sí, tenía su típica calavera en el pecho. Algo que parecía que daba miedo poner en las anteriores películas y se insertaba cutremente. Ni es un cachas con Lungdren ni es el típico “bueno” como Thomas Jane. Stevenson parece un tío normal, pero con el que no te querrías cruzar por la calle cuando le miras a los ojos. Perfecto en el papel y perfecto en las escenas de acción. Así como dos personajes impagables. Jigsaw (Dominic West) y Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hitchinson). De lo mejor de la película. Unos asesinos sin tapujos sin ningún tipo de remordimientos. El plantel de personajes es medianamente amplio. Por ejemplo podemos ver a “Chip”, el cual era el apoyo informático y armaméntistico de Castle. Un buen guiño a los seguidores de los cómics. Un policía que cree en la causa de nuestro héroe (o antihéroe, según se mire), otro que tiene sus dudas, etc. Incluso hay algunos momentos cómicos, en una película bastante seria, entre los matones de segunda o los ayudantes de Castle. Sin llegar a ser ridículo, que es lo que importa en estos casos.

Como es normal, o suele ser normal, nuestro protagonista sigue teniendo su trauma de rigor. Insalvable ya que es su motor en la vida. De ahí que en la historia se recurra a una situación que le hará dudar de su cruzada personal. Es ahí cuando entra en juego Julie Benz y su hija. Pero no espereis que la protagonista de “Dexter” tenga un papel reseñable. Probablemente cualquier otra actriz habría dado el mismo juego que ella. Aún siendo un placer verla (como siempre), no llega a aportar mucho más que  lo que hace un secundario con pocas frases.

Parecerá que estoy hablando de la película del año. No, no es la película del 2009. Pero sí una película de acción que le da mil vueltas a algunas que triunfan en taquilla y que se ponen límites en lo que no deberían. Ofrecer al espectador esa dosis de mala baba y exageración que tanto se puede llegar a echar en falta y que sales con la sensación de que algo falta. Hay escenas impagables en Punisher War Zone. La transformación de Jigsaw (que recuerda a la de Jack Nicholson en el Joker), Castle entrando en una cena mafiosa y demostrando lo que mejor sabe hacer, cuando Jigsaw va a sacar a su hermano de una institución mental (dosis de gore sin tapujos), la pelea entre Loony Bin Jim y Frank Castle en unos baños, la matanza final en unos apartamentos o la elección que tiene que hacer el protagonista en los minutos finales. Todo ello en 103 minutos de metraje. La historia es bien sencilla, no os voy a engañar, pero sin embargo te hace albergar esperanzas de que este personaje siga teniendo sus adaptaciones a la gran pantalla. Aunque la taquilla no haya funcionado, lo cual será un gran handicap en su contra. Mi enhorabuena a Lexi Alexander. Una directora que no se ha cortado ni un pelo en reflejar el mundo del personaje más polémico de la editorial Marvel.

Para leer la ficha de la película, pincha aqui. 

Fdo: Snake  

I’ve not read much of the Marvel MAX Punisher series that so many people dig, but I’ve read enough from MAX to know just how fucking cartoony they make some of their ideas. The latest Punisher movie is made in such a way, with such goofy villains… well the thing that made the movie work was how goddamn well the lead actor played Punisher. What a piece of shit this movie would have been if he didn’t take this movie as seriously as he seemed to with his performance. His dedication to the role really kept what little suspension for disbelief I could tolerate intact, as difficult to read my own words on the matter has become. A moment without Ray Stevenson was either boring or… stupid. Though, the maturity with which they approached the brothers’ dedication to each other was charming.

Seriously, the shit got so fucking looney that I really expected a limbless Ma Gnucci to come flying out of an exploding building to chew on Stevenson’s boots. Other than Ray’s performance, before I forget, I must say that the approach to appear logical, the way MAX tries to, with comments about where Frank Castle’s weaponry comes from and the general attitude of the police force toward him… kept things from spiraling out of control. I might watch this again, but with friends, so we can all enjoy making fun of it, and no time soon at all.

Punisher 2.  Quién lo diría?  Y en el protagónico, nuestro muy apreciado Titus Pullo!  Sí, Ray Stevenson, el duro legionario de la serie Roma, grandemente disfrutada en 42.

El argumento es el de siempre.  Frank Castle es un policía, en este caso un instructor de las Fuerzas Especiales, al que unos mafiosos le matan la familia.  El, dolido porque le mataron a la mujer (que probablemente era una histérica) y los pibes (que probablemente fueran insoportables), incomprensiblemente enloquece y decide liquidar a cuanto malo maloso se le cruce.  Y ya.  El resto es un montón de acción sin muchos pies y sin muchas cabezas (sanas).

La historia transcurre envuelta en una colección cacofónica de SPLUTS, SPLATS, CRACKS, SHACKS, cuchilladas, tiros, ruidos a quebraduras y salpicaduras de líquidos viscosos (como cuando metés el pie de lleno en un gran charco de barro, con ese ruido a succión y humedad que se contrae)… bastante grotesco todo.  Caótico.  Cargado.  De mal gusto.  Aunque, como dijo Hannibal Lecter:

Demasiado es demasiado, pero más que demasiado está bien.

En este caso, sin embargo, no está bien; es simplemente demasiado.

Por ejemplo, si querés ver algo realmente gracioso, de tan delirante, no te pierdas el minuto 50, luego que unos vagos asaltan una tienda.

Kentworth Asylum, el lugar donde tienen “guardado” al hermano demente del malo de la peli, parece sacado de una película de Batman.  Es igual al viejo y nunca bien ponderado Arkham Asylum.  Hasta las tomas y el plano son prácticamente iguales.  El hermano demente es bastante apropiadamente, Doug Hutchison, el sádico milico de The Green Mile.

A propósito, los malos son de la mafia de Nueva York,  y son de molde.  De molde llevado hasta el extremo: tonito que pretende ser italiano, con esa manera de pronunciar y mover la boca como si estuvieran comiendo una papa demasiado caliente y quisieran soplarla y masticarla a la vez… algo así.

Un montón de basura.  Muchas caras, muy conocidas, en papeles espantosos.  Sobreactuaciones desmesuradas.  Una banda de sonido que no dice nada.  Una edición, rara en el mejor de los casos.  Y… en fin, lo de siempre:  tener mucho dinero no significa tener buen gusto, ni inteligencia; es simplemente tener mucho dinero.

Si querés ver tiros y mutilaciones varias (junto a la sangre que suele acompañarlas), esta película es para vos.  Es malísima, pero de alguna muy (MUY) retorcida manera, divertida.

Si querés verla, aunque 42 no te alienta a que lo hagas (de verdad que es horrible) y por supuesto que no asume las consecuencias si la mirás completa (es perturbadora de tan inmunda), podés descargar el torrent desde mininova, el de AXXO.  Los subs en español para esta versión, podés esncontrarlos en subdivX.  “Punisher War Zone” en los cuadritos de búsqueda, y adentro.  Tiene bochas de seeds.

E’ online sul sito della Marvel e, a quanto pare, consultabile gratuitamente il fumetto in lingua inglese con lo strambo team-up tra il nostro antieroe preferito The Punisher e il rapper Eminem, uniti per combattere il crudele Barracuda. Il fumetto, prodotto dalla Marvel, è stato distribuito e voluto da XXL Magazine. Il fumetto è stato scritto da Fred Van Lente, disegnato da Salvador Larroca e colorato da Frank D’Armata. Lo trovate a questo link.

Starring:
Ray Stevenson …  Frank Castle
Dominic West …  Billy Russoti / Jigsaw
Doug Hutchison …  Loony Bin Jim
Colin Salmon …  Special Agent Paul Budiansky
Wayne Knight …  Linus ‘Microchip’ Lieberman
Dash Mihok …  Det. Martin Soap
Julie Benz …  Angela Donatelli
Stephanie Janusauskas …  Grace Donatelli
Mark Camacho …  Pittsy
Romano Orzari …  Nicky Donatelli

Synopsis from IMDb: Infamous vigilante, anti-hero Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) is six years into his vengeance driven zeal as the Punisher when he brutally assaults a “beat the rap” party for notorious mob boss Gaitano Cesare. During the course of the massacre, he hideously disfigures overeager gangster Billy Russoti (Dominic West) and murders a mafia lackey who turns out to be an undercover FBI agent.

Distraught that he has now become the very evil he swore to battle, Castle is content to hang up his guns and quit the justice business for good. However, plans quickly change once he learns that Jigsaw has not only kidnapped the surviving wife and child of the dead federal agent but now has also freed his commited psychopathic brother, James (Doug Hutchison)…aka…”Loony Bin Jim.”

Reviewers: Vulcan Stev, PIT #1, PIT #2, PIT #3, Mrs. VS sat down to watch the movie with us but backed out after viewing the first scene.

VS – 1.1 pointed ears
Oh, I am so torn.  Kudos to the producers for bringing back Frank Castle’s original backstory and origin.  Kudos for bringing in Microchip.  Kudos for bringing in Jigsaw.  However, major disappointment in the use of language.  The ‘F-bomb’ is used in this movie like punctuation.  To me, that kind of gratuitous use of the word does not mirror society, but rather shows off weak writing skills.

Another problem I had with this flick, the violence was wa-a-ay too graphic.  I understand that the Punisher is a ‘dark’ character.  I understand that he ’solves’ the problem of crime by killing off the criminals.  But I wasn’t expecting a slasher film, I’ve seen less graphic killings in the Friday 13th series.  The producers, went to great lengths to say how proud they were of the realistic details in the gore.  After seeing the over-the-top violence of the Watchmen and then seeing this movie, I’m beginning to wonder if Hollywood is trying to mainstream violence.

PIT #1 – 1.5 pointed ears
This was a very accurate portrayal of the Punisher.  However, the violence is way overboard.  Dad called this a mainstream slasher flick.  I’ve never seen a “slasher” film and asked Dad what he meant.  When Dad described what I slasher flick was, I had to agree with him.  I would not recommend this film for younger viewers.  It earned it’s R rating.  I was also put off by the language.  I don’t need to hear the “f-word” used as punctuation.

PIT #2 – 1.25 pointed ears
This has all the makings of a great action movie.  However the language and violence were way to excessive for my tastes.  The Thomas Jayne Punisher movie was much better in terms of language and violence.  I’ve never read the Punisher comics but I don’t need to see blood flying across the screen.  I don’t need to hear the “f-word” in every single scene of a movie (don’t want to hear it at all but that’s  pipe dream).

PIT #3 – 1 pointed ear.
The action in this film was great.  There was NO kissing which was also nice.  The gore used in the action scenes was too much.  I don’t need to see blood flying all over the screen.  Daddy apologized to me because he didn’t know that the gore was going to be so graphic.  The language was bad.  I think that the writer needs to have his keyboard’s mouth washed out with soap.

4.85 pointed ears out of 8 with an abstain from Mrs. VS

Overall this is a faithful adaptation of the Punisher character.  This is NOT a family film.  Not recommended for family viewing.  Be forewarned the ‘F-bomb’ is liberally sprinkled throughout the picture.

Punisher War Zone

0-3, thats the record for good Punisher movies versus shit ones.  The first is a stupendously horrible piece of trash starring Ivan Drago himself Dolph Lungren as Frank Castle.   The 2nd was about as close as we’ve gotten to a decent Punisher film, but it still sucked..mostly because John Travolta is not a convincing mob villain (let alone anything for that matter), but Thomas Jane was/is the best Frank Castle thus far.   So now we have Punisher War Zone…and finally a recognizable, real villain from the comics in Jigsaw.   God this movies bad on all levels…the performances from both Ray Stevenson (Punshier) and Dominic West (Jigsaw) are beyond amateur bad.  They border on campy cartoony.  Not only is this the first film really using a good Punisher villain, but it’s the first to incorporate Micro, and Punishers hide out, to bad it’s all wasted on a terrible script with terrible action sequences, and an ending that almost reminds me of something Joel Schumacher would have filmed for a Batman sequel.   The problem with all the other Punisher movies (including this one) is the spend way to much time trying to explain why Castle’s the Punisher when all we really want to see is the Punisher being a bad ass and killing hundreds of criminals with crazy gadgets, in cool ways.  If I could make a Punisher movie it would be a blend of The Bourne Identity, Dark Knight, and fast action like The Transporter.  Oh well..after this failure of a flop I’m sure we won’t be seeing Frank Castle on the big screen anytime soon.  Unless Marvel has the rights now and can do another “re-boot” like they did with The Hulk.  Then again, maybe people just don’t care to see a Punisher movie?

The Burrowers

This is a decent little genre film that blends both Western and Horror.  It was written and directed by J.T. Perry and is set in the Wild West somewhere near North Dakota.  Essentially the movie’s about a group of people looking for a family they believe to be abducted by Indians.  The truth is they were snatched away by The Burrowers…subterranean creatures that only come out at night and feed on flesh.  The story’s cool, the concepts great, and all in all this is a good little film.  The only downside is the creatures are a bit hokey, which is to be expected of a small film with a very limited budget.  They kinda resemble mini Cloverfield monsters.  But…if you’re a horror fan I’d recommend checking The Burrowers out.

ROB ZOMBIE

ROB ZOMBIE is the busiest guy on the THRALL WORLD blogzine (next to DieTrich Thrall of course). Click HERE for proof.

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I did not really imagine that a “Punisher” movie could be worse then the one that came out a few years ago, but “War Zone” achieves that.  I can’t really be certain how movies this bad get made anymore.  “The Dark Knight” showed us what films based on comic books can really be like.  “War Zone” shows us how bad they can be when they end up in the wrong hands.

The plot this time follows Frank Castle as he sets out to destroy Jigsaw and his gang.  Jigsaw has a face that was pieced back together after it was mulched in a glass crushing machine.  The make up effects here are disgustingly first rate.  The rest of the plot is not essential because it simply does not exist.  We get scene after scene of the Punisher savagely killing as many perps as he can.  The blood level has definitely gone through the roof with this instalment.  At one point a man rips out another man’s kidney and eats it. 

I require at least some story.  I’m all for movies that have relentless violence and action but there has to be a point to it.  I also require dialogue that is not hokey as well as acting that wouldn’t be better suited to a made for TV movie.

Time flies when you’re busy with something. Especially if it’s uni work. My FOURTH week, I repeat, my FOURTH week has just come to an end. The first four weeks sure went by fast! Uni will definitely get more and more busier, with dissertation slowly picking up steam, and the assignments for each paper are rolling in too.

It also seems like when Mum and Dad are gone, Dill and I tend to go on an internet shopping spree lol. Dill just got his two Batman belt buckles in the mail today, and to his disappointment, they were not as big as he thought they would be. What’s more, one of them had a huge scratch on it lol… Luckily, the seller was pretty cool, and he’s sending Dill some replacements.

I on the other hand have gotten a Freddie Mercury t-shirt from the UK, and an iPod dock/stereo from 1day LOL. Pictures to follow. The Freddie Mercury t-shirt was from the official Queen website, and it’s bright yellow (just like Freddie’s Wembley jacket), and part of the profit goes towards the AIDS foundation that was started after his untimely death, the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

The iPod dock/stereo I bought off 1day is an Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 stereo, which is very impressive considering it’s smallish size. The bass it pumps out is simply amazing. I got it for $149.99, whereas shops sell them for around $399.99, so even though it was quite an impulse buy, it was a steal nonetheless. 9/10 (good price, charges the iPod, and excellent sound quality + build quality, but it would’ve been nice to be able to see what level of bass/treble I was at).

It’s also been just over two weeks since Mum left for Taiwan. Dill and I have been surviving well, I reckon haha. Then again, it’s not the first time we’ve had to look after ourselves!

I’ve also been on a bit of a movie marathon today. First I watched “Quantum of Solace“, then watched “The Strangers“ and “Punisher: War Zone“ with Jenny and Dill.

First up, “Quantum of Solace“. I really don’t know why it’s been copping so much flak ever since it was released, but I found it just as enjoyable as its predecessor, Casino Royale. Sure, the story might have been pretty cloudy and slow at times, but the raw action sequences, the spectacular car chases, the awesome one-liners more than makes up for the shallow, slowish plot. Not to mention that I reckon Daniel Craig is the best Bond, period. The previous Bonds were portrayed as being too perfect and charming to be believable. A very solid 8/10 (same grade as Casino Royale), and I look forward to Bond 23 (it’s yet to be named).

Next we have “The Strangers“. The first 10-15 minutes or so was great. It was shaping up to be a great looking horror/thriller, but after that, the movie went downhill pretty damn fast. What a SHIT-STORM. The three antagonists’ motives are never explained clearly, the suspense was lost, and the ending was downright awful. It didn’t explain anything, and I cannot believe they’re making a sequel… :| I’d give it a 4/10, and that’s being quite generous.

Finally, there was “Punisher: War Zone“. The violence and gore was brilliant, but that’s about it. Ray Stevenson may look more like Frank Castle than Thomas Jane, but I believe Jane captured the brooding, anti-social, remorseless persona of Castle much better. Stevenson simply had a little bit too much emotion. His build/physique and looks were spot on though! Other than these strong points, the movie was quite a big letdown. The plot was weak, the villian (Jigsaw and his brother Loony Bin Jim) weren’t menacing enough, and Jigsaw’s over-the-top accent pissed me off. But what bugged me the most was that for the most part, the whole movie was really corny and cheesy. Kind of like that other shit-storm from 1990, “Dick Tracy“. It definitely doesn’t suit the Punisher universe. A 6/10 at most (mostly thanks to tbe violence/gore, and Stevenson’s looks).

Bright yellow, Freddie Mercury picture & signature. What more can I ask for?

All for a good cause.

After taking off the delivery wrapping, I'm left with the iM7, still in its new & boxed glory!

Halfway through unpacking!

All setup, ready to go, with my U2 iPod Video 30gb sitting snugly in the iPod dock/cradle!

Shot of the back. Rubber grip/handle for easy moving, nifty little cubbyhole for the remote, S-Video, RCA, power plug, headphone jack, AUX-in plug.