Posted on July 27, 2010 at 1:05 pm
My alma mater gave me their almuni award. Many thanks!
Beyond her high-powered corporate work, Minow has cultivated a second role as film critic, writing reviews of movies for children and teens for a variety of venues, most recently in her “Movie Mom” blog”Movie Mom” blog at Beliefnet.com. Minow revels in her disparate roles, testifying before Congress one day, rushing to review Toy Story 3 the next.
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 8:45 am
Director Louis Leterrier (the second “Hulk” movie) says that he was a big fan of the 1981 Clash of the Titans
This remake is bigger and grander but it is missing just that sense of life that Harryhausen brought to his fantastic creations, which were always astonishing and unique. Instead, we get the same CGI-fest we have seen so many times, with nothing especially imaginative or memorable.
The same can be said for this generation of classically-trained British actors, including Liam Neeson as Zeus, in a shiny (and anachronistic) Joan of Arc-style suit of armor and Ralph Fiennes as Hades, the god of the underworld, dressed like a Norwegian death metal band member trying to play Richard III. They are the titans who clash by proxy.
The gods need the loyalty of humans to survive. Zeus insists that they will get more fealty with love; Hades, still bitter and jealous that it is his brother who is king of the gods, believes in ruling by fear. The winner of their battle will be decided by a fight to the death of their progeny. Perseus (Sam Worthington in an even more anachronistic buzz cut) is Zeus’s son; the sea monster called the Kraken is the child of Hades. The arrogant king and queen of Argos have committed the sin of hubris, thinking they are more important and powerful than the gods. So Hades tells them that he will destroy the city unless they sacrifice their daughter, Andromeda to the Kraken. Perseus is determined to fight the Kraken and save the princess. And he is determined to “fight as a man,” not to use any of the powers or tools of the gods because he blames Zeus for the death of his mother and his adoptive parents.
With a small band of allies, Perseus travels to the three Stygian witches, who share one eye, to find out how to defeat the dragon. The journey involves battles with giant scorpions and trip into the underworld to fight the serpentine Medusa, the snake-headed lady whose eyes can turn a person to stone. And then, he must make it back to Argos in time to save Andromeda and defeat the giant sea monster, to the tune of some even more anachronistic rock chords.
The effects would be more impressive than the original’s only if you were still living in 1981. Today we take for granted that anything is possible on screen. But possible is not good enough; there has to be something truly striking. The witches and desert djinns look like they are wearing Halloween masks and the creatures look like variations on one predictable theme. There is a demigoddess whose powers seem to vary from scene to scene. The liberties taken with the original myths and the 1981 version’s story seem purposeless. And Worthington just seems lost, as though he wandered in from the set of “Avatar” and is looking around for the exit. I know how he felt.
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 12:13 am
One of the highlights of Comic-Con is the very early glimpses of the films that are still in production. The big, splashy events for the movies opening in the next few months are great, but the people behind the movies not opening until next summer and beyond give us a chance to meet in smaller settings and hear their thoughts as they are in the midst of making the films.
I attended a press conferences for next year’s release of “The Green Lantern” with Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong. 
It will be an origin story, and Reynolds described it as “‘Star Wars’ in the DC Universe.” He plays a character who has had “a bit of a tortured life” and is “arrogant, cocky, and aimless” until…an unexpected power sets him on a different course.
Zack Snyder (“300,” “The Watchmen”) and the stars of his upcoming movie, “Sucker Punch” had a press conference after showing Comic-Con attendees the first trailer of the film, a different-levels-of-reality story with characters trying to escape from a sort of prison/mental hospital/brothel — with dance numbers and a lot of fight scenes. Snyder also explained why he chose to shoot in 2D so his camera movement would not be limited, even though he had just completed work on the 3D “Legend of the Guardians.” Stars Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Emily Browning talked about the “boot camp” they had to attend for fitness and fight training to make a movie that is “all the way, all the time.”
Posted on July 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm
I got to meet one of my favorite television characters: Abby from NCIS, or at least the equally delightful Pauley Perrette, who plays her. She was at Comic-Con with Barrett Foa of “NCIS: Los Angeles” and Kirsten Vangsness of “Criminal Minds” to talk about “Tech on TV,” shows that engage the audience in the practical application of science and technology.
I also had a lot of fun with the people behind the cartoon series “Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.” Creator Sandro Corsaro said he worked for “seven years and 51 weeks” to get the series made. It was a labor of love for him, inspired by his own childhood in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Charlie Schlatter plays the title character and Matt L. Jones plays his buddy Gunther.
We talked about what makes a good voice talent for animation. “First and foremost, you have to be a good actor,” said Schlatter (Dr. Jesse Travis on “Diagnosis: Murder”). “A lot of people don’t realize that some of the bravest and most talented actors, the ones who take the craziest risks are voice actors. We’re in that booth and we can be whoever we want to be. It’s also one of the most supportive groups I have ever worked with. That’s why you keep hearing the same people.” Jones says that voice actors are more consistently “incredible” than live actors, every one always completely committed and up to the job. “Some guys are great mimics and those guys work a ton. Then there are the guys who create different characters like Matt and me,” Schlatter said. Corsaro said they literally went through thousands of people. “Kick doesn’t really talk too much. He’s a man of action. So we wanted to get someone with bite in his voice. Like a 10-year-old Clint Eastwood.
With Gunther, we needed an oddball. These guys are so willing to put themselves out there and believe us when we put them behind glass and tell them to trust us, it’s going to be incredible.” “These characters are so different,” said Schlatter. “I’ve done so many cartoons with seven or eight kids who are just about indistinguishable. It’s tough to get any kind of difference or nuance. These are so identifiable.”
“My mom’s a teacher,” said Jones. “She teaches LD kids from First-Third grade. Her kids love the show so much. I have made her so cool! The kids think it is really funny.” “The adults do, too,” said Schlatter. “And the kids I coach in sports call me ‘Coach Kick.’ I’m like a rock star in the suburbs. It speaks to how smart kids are. The animation is really cool and the subject matter is cool but it’s smartly written. It’s not dumbed down.” “And it’s an outdoor show,” said Corsaro. “So many shows are set inside.”
“The show at the end of the day is about determination and setting goals,” he said. “What kids love about it is that Kick and Gunther don’t give up. I don’t know who’s learned more, Kick from me or me from Kick.”
The three of them were nice enough to sign a poster for me. The first one to email me at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Kick” in the subject line gets it!
Posted on July 26, 2010 at 1:06 am
I saw Gamer Grub, a specially designed “performance” snack for gamers that won’t leave crumbs on the keyboard or make their fingers sticky.
A lot of people were walking around with dripping wounds on their faces. It turned out to be a promotional temporary tattoo from the “Dexter” people. There was real blood, however, at the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive, an annual tradition at Comic-Con.
Among the highlights of Comic-Con for me each year are the presentations from the Comic Arts Conference, an association of academics who conduct serious scholarly analysis of comics, graphic novels, and sequential art. I truly enjoy their serious, thoughtful engagement and especially their vocabulary, using terms like “meta-panels,” “panopticonism,” “historiographic meta-fiction,” “inexpungable relativity,” “multivocality,” and “ret-con.” And I like to think about the way that comic book stories, carrying the same characters through decades of real time, provide an opportunity for scholars to think about the power and possibilities of endless narratives carried forward by many different people through many different eras.
A group of superheroes took on a group of virulent haters when Comic-Con attendees staged a protest against Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church.
You can buy tribbles at Comic-Con, and these are guaranteed not to reproduce.
One of my favorite promotions this year was for the forthcoming “Skyline,” about a strange light that sucks people up into the sky. They had a truck that launched small, ghostly white “bodies” made of soap bubbles that floated up past a huge sign for the movie.
No staples, no need for Mylar bags, and your mother can’t throw them away — there are now digital comics for you to read on your iPad or computer. But what will happen to all of the meticulous grading and how do you buy and sell vintage digital comics?
At the huge “Tron” session, the film-makers recorded the audience and promised to include their cheers in the movie.
Movie stars like Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, and Robert Downey, Jr. get a big reception from the crowd at Comic-Con. But they also go wild for Janet Waldo, Stan Freberg, and Tom Kenny. If you know who they are and want to hear a funny story told by Janet Waldo, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com
The biggest announcement of this years Con was the cast for “The Avengers” movie, to be directed by Con favorite, Joss Whedon.
Everything is mutli-platform and omnimedia. TV shows spin off games. Games spin off movies. Both spin off comics and graphic novels and they spin off movies, television shows, and apps. I played Glee karaoke for the Wii and it was a blast.
Most popular questions at the panels: What are the DVD extras? How do I get your job?
You are AWESOME! (Yes, I know that’s not a question, but apparently, some people do not.)
No one really was stabbed here, despite news reports. A guy poked another guy in the face with a pen. Everyone is fine.
I spoke to Neil Kaplan, a voice-over actor (he once voiced Optimus Prime) who has created a non-profit group called Audio Theater for Our Troops. He hopes to build a library of audio materials to send to military forces for entertainment and support.
A guy standing at the microphone to ask a question was wearing a black hood and long cloak. The moderator called on him, “Uh, the next question is from, uh, Death?” The guy in the cloak responded with as much dignity as he could muster: “I am a Sith Lord.”
I was captivated by a book called Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel
There are enormous displays on the Exhibition floor, some costing a quarter of a million dollars. We could have our photo taken on the throne of Asgard, in the zombie house from “The Waking Dead,” or lifting a car like the superhero members of “No Ordinary Family.” But what I found most moving and inspiring was the rows of displays from people with their own comics and graphic novels. It isn’t the marketing blitz; it’s the power of imagination and the need to tell stories that is the real energy behind Comic-Con. And I cannot express how impressed I was with the talent, dedication, and professionalism of everyone I spoke to.
Can’t wait for next year!
And yes, there are two more Comic-Con posts coming, one on movies and one on television. Stay tuned. And if you’ve read this far, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Comic-Con in the subject line. First one will win a Comic-Con souvenir.
