Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle Talk About “Iron Man 3”

Posted on July 29, 2012 at 3:59 pm

One of the highlights of my time at Comic-Con was a press conference with Don Cheadle, Robert Downey, Jr., producer Kevin Feige, and Shane Black about “Iron Man 3.” Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “The Last Boy Scout”) co-wrote and takes over direction from Jon Favreau. Just after their appearance before more than 6000 fans in the cavernous Hall H, they met with journalists to talk about one of 2013’s most eagerly anticipated films.

Asked about pressure to top the action scenes in the previous chapters and the blockbuster “The Avengers,” Downey said, “There is an idea about being big. But for me it’s more about capturing and redoubling the intensity, like ‘The Avengers,’ that sort of lighting in a bottle, the thrills in a short space.” “We’re not looking for bigness, necessarily,” said Black, “We’re looking for different and fresh and new and change.” They talked about the “real, practical suit” — not CGI — that has made the “Iron Man” movies so mechanically satisfying. “More uncomfortable for the actors, more satisfying for the audience,” Downey smiled. And everyone agreed that most of the rumors and speculation online was wrong. Black said he was surprised about “how much generous help was available to me.” Favreau gave him “all kinds of tips and advice” and “the transitional feel I needed,” asking only for some salmon and blueberries. He also appreciated Marvel’s special effects help so he could “concentrate on story. It’s as self-contained a story as we’ve done since ‘Iron Man 1.'” They promised romance and some comedy, too. And Black said he appreciated Marvel’s letting him take some risks. “He’s a great story-teller, and he has a great relationship with Robert,” said Feige. “We’re confident in the infrastructure we can provide.”

Downey said that even he was surprised at the success of “The Avengers” and was looking forward to exploring the relationship between Rhodey and Tony with more depth, as the comics do, and seeing Tony Stark reconsider his role “in a post-Avengers world, what sort of limitations might be placed on him and what threat would make him, as usual, ignore those limitations.” “You have to find a way that the first two aren’t done yet, in other words, how has the story not yet been completely told, to make it feel organic and new,” said Black. “We seriously dug into Tony’s world.” “I do suit up,” Cheadle said, and promised some “additional iterations” for his character. “I liked in the comic there was a bit of suit envy,” said Downey, pointing out the difference between a corporate and military approach. “And for some reason or other, Tony is the one they trust!” “This film has a lot of breadth to it. There’s a way to enjoy all that kind of shadowy stuff” in Tony’s character.

“We’re not really going to China,” Black stage-whispered, though some scenes are set there.

Downey charmingly insisted on taking a question from a boy with a Sharpie Tony Stark goatee, who stood up, took a deep breath, and asked how it felt to be a hero. “I think I speak for any of us who get to live in this world. I take it as seriously as Shakespeare.”

Related Tags:

Comic-Con: Miscellaneous Highlights

Posted on July 18, 2012 at 3:59 pm

Some other highlights from Comic-Con:

The panel for the Syfy show “Alphas” was a lot of fun and really made me look forward to the second season premiere next Monday. The cast promises some new romance and a new character whose ability makes it possible for her to learn anything very quickly. However, actress Erin Way told us, her mind is like TIVO — something new comes in and something that was there gets erased. And I enjoyed the booth for the upcoming comedy series “The Neighbors.” We were ushered inside a suburban garage by brightly smiling people holding out apple pies. It turned out we were all new arrivals from another planet assembled for our first lesson on how to fit in on planet Earth. The show looks like a cross between the Coneheads, “Galaxy Quest,” and “Third Rock From the Sun,” but it has a good cast and could be fun.

The Girls Gone Genre panel is one of my favorites, with panelists: Marti Noxon (Buffy, Angel), Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Torchwood), Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), Angela Robinson (True Blood) and Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator). As Noxon showed us one element of her work-life balance by cuddling her daughter while her son sat behind the panel, the women talked about “the metaphysical lens of genre” that provides a context “to say something about the real world through heightened reality.” It’s “a safe space to be transgressive.” Hurd talked about working for Roger Corman, who “made genre films long before they were A tentpoles. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances make the characters relatable.” Noxon said the worst of gender stereotyping for both genders is to reduce us to just one thing.” And she said she “did not become a writer until I was willing to tell on myself in a way that was humiliating. The devil is in the details. You don’t get there until you learn to write in your own voice. The breakthrough was when I stopped trying to sell and just wrote the truth.” Actress Woll said she is committed to not being too skinny so she can be a role model. Her character in “True Blood” is “stronger the more she opens up to the world. She can be sexy and naïve, sweet and violent, not cynical, compassionate.” And the whole panel laughed about the usual studio “notes” about any female character when they ask to tone her down: “Wouldn’t she be more likable if…..???”

And I always love attending the panels with the designers. This year I heard the illustrators who do the concept sketches to bring imaginary and historical scenes to life and the costume designers who make sure that every detail of the wardrobe helps to reveal something about the characters and their story. It was a treat to see the initial ideas that became iconic images and to hear some tantalizing hints about upcoming productions (and some that have stalled). While one of the people working on next year’s “Ender’s Game” was there, we were not allowed any glimpses of what we’ll be seeing.

And this was my first time at the annual “Starship Smackdown,” where sci-fi geeks (some with serious science chops) debate the merits of the entire fictional universe of spacecraft for a bracketed contest. It’s like an episode of “Big Bang Theory” in real life, smart, fast, and wildly funny. By the way, I went to the “Big Bang Theory” panel, too, though Johnny Galecki’s plane was delayed and Jim Parsons attended via computer screen because he is in NY performing on Broadway, and an interview of the people behind the show that was even more fun. The highlight of the Smackdown was the surprise appearance of real-life superstar (and guest on “Big Bang Theory”) Neil DeGrasse Tyson who helped the group make the right decision on the last bracket: original Starship Enterprise and the refitted version. Three cheers for James T. Kirk! His ship was the winner.

Related Tags:

Festivals

Comic-Con: Costumes!

Posted on July 18, 2012 at 8:00 am

My most popular Comic-Con post each year is the one with the pictures of the attendees in costume. I took more than 400 photos, and these are some of my favorites. Those are Playboy Bunny Avengers! You can see Thor’s hammer and Captain America’s shield. Superman is waiting in line to order a hot dog. Not sure who that alien-looking guy or blue lady are, but I recognize the Batman villains, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Nurse Joker (with a Spidey back-pack — a bit of a DC/Marvel mash-up) and of course Superman and Clark Kent. The Steampunkers always have great imagination and attention to detail. And I love the tiny Batman with Daddy Robin.

(more…)

Related Tags:

Festivals

More From Comic-Con: “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Panel

Posted on July 16, 2012 at 9:52 pm

It was the first last press conference when the cast of “Twilight” got together to talk to the fans and the press about the last episode and the journey that brought them to this moment. Following their appearance at the enormous Hall H, with fans who had been camping out for days, the actors and author Stephanie Meyer met with the press. Kristen Stewart told us about the transformation of her character, Bella, who has some major changes in store after she becomes both a vampire and a mother in the last moments of “Breaking Dawn, Part 1.” She said her reaction to her new persona was, “I’m a sportscar; let’s break her in. Even the way she walks into a room is different.” As for filming the sex scene compared to the tender, if energetic honeymoon scene in the last one: “We’re not even humans any more. We tried and it was rated R, . He was trying not to get his white paint on me and I was trying not to get my brown paint on him.”

Kellan Lutz talked about how his character, Emmett, has to battle Bella. “To see the little things she would change was fun.”

They were all glad to be together again and enjoyed reminiscing about the earlier films. Stephanie Meyer said that the first time she saw Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner they were in costume already and “they were all dressed up as my imaginary friends.” They appreciated original director Catherine Hardwicke’s casting choices, and how well they held up as the actors had the unusual opportunity to create characters who have four times as long as the usual movie to explore their journeys.

When they made the first film, some of them were underage and they laughed that “we had some monitoring.” The boys and girls stayed in different hotels. They laughed about their “cat classes” and said that like their characters, they felt they were surrounded by protectors, the cast and crew all looking out for them. They especially enjoyed scenes where many characters were involved because “everyone has covers” (shooting the same thing over and over from different angles), so it meant they had more time together. They laughed as they described the “dance-off” choreographed as a surprise treat for director Bill Condon by cast members Mia Maestro and Toni Trucks. They were sentimental about the way “the fans have grown with us”

As for the last chapter, there are “a lot more vampires this time around.” Jackson Rathbone says his character, Jasper, was “tweaked out, like a junkie going through withdrawal, but now gets more comfortable, more at ease.” Nikki Reed said she finally got to smile — “a big deal! I look forward to having the audience root for Rosalie a little more.” Ashley Greene says that Alice, always “lovable, friendly, upbeat, gets to act more vampire, gets more of an edge.” Elizabeth Reaser said the events of the final film force Esme “into a different lifestyle. She’s a pacifist forced to be a powerhouse. She doesn’t have a choice; she has to betray her sense of herself in order to protect her family.” Peter Facinelli laughed that the biggest change for him was instead of dying his hair blonde, he wore a wig. And he joked about how much he will miss the woods–and the contact lenses.

Lautner said that in the final chapter it has” become less complicated. Instead of a triangle, it’s a square.” “No,” said Stewart, “it’s a perfect circle.”

Related Tags:

Festivals

A Day at Comic-Con

Posted on July 14, 2012 at 12:00 am

Oh, there is so much I want to tell you! But you will see why all I have time to do right now is entice you by sharing my schedule for today.

6:00 am Pick up by stretch limo to be taken to the studios of my good friends Emily, Tommy, Laura, and Jeff and Jer. I usually review movies on their show each week from my house (at a more civilized time of the morning — Eastern time). But one of the best parts of my visits to San Diego for Comic-Con is that I get to be in studio with them.

Exhibit Hall to look at some of the more than more than 1000 booths and displays — everything from solo artists drawing on a table to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of effects — and of course 150,000 attendees, many in costumes. All day long, I took photos of my favorites, more than 100.

The biggest venue at Comic-Con is Hall H, which seats 6000. That is where the high profile events are held, so that was my next stop. I saw the actors and filmmakers behind “Paranorman” and the cast and producers of “The Big Bang Theory,” though Sheldon (Jim Parsons) attended via computer screen because he is starring in “Harvey” on Broadway and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) did not make it because his plane was delayed.

I then went to a series of interviews with the “Paranorman” people and then a press conference with Joss Whedon and the cast of “Firefly,” who were announcing their 10-year anniversary special, to be broadcast on November 11.

Then I visited a display of the Batmobiles, including Adam West’s, Val Kilmer’s, and the Dark Knight’s. And a guy from TV Guide was conducting an interview of the creators of “Big Bang Theory,” so I stayed to listen to that.

Then back to the Convention Center for three panel discussions: Hollywood concept artists talked about their work on films from “Rango” to “Stargate,” “Rise of Planet of the Apes,” and “Oz the Great and Powerful;” “Girls Gone Genre,” with Gale Anne Hurd (Producer of “The Terminator” and “Walking Dead”), Marti Noxon (“Buffy,” “Glee”), and Angela Robinson (“True Blood”), and a status report on “Stripped,” a new documentary about the rich history and precarious future of comic strips. Just to give you an idea, at any time of day or night there are dozens of these events going on, each, smart, funny, and fun. I wish I could go to everything!

More details coming soon!

Related Tags:

Festivals