Extra Sequential #24-Talking Animals

75 mins. Our anthropomorphic special. That’s talking animals and we talk about  a wide variety of comics containing them. Also – Spock, corporate branding, bell bottoms and annoying movie scores.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE, ON ITUNES OR MIXCLOUD

2:37 NEWS

Pics of the Spider-Man, and Captain America films. X-Men: First Class and Priest too. Also, the WAI-CON anime convention in Perth.

12:45 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING

Viking collection from Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein. Large format old timey action.

Casanova Vol. 1. Spies, multiple dimensions and hip zaniness from Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba.

The Infinite Vacation #1 from Nick Spencer and Christian Ward.  Handy, though dangerous iPhone application that allows you to buy and sell alternate universe lives of yourself.

Star Trek New Frontier Book One. A novel by prolific scribe Peter David.

30:15 ANTHROPOMORPHIC READING LIST

Early Mickey Mouse from Floyd Gottfredson

Lions, Tigers and Bears

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Cerebus

Elephantmen

Elmer

WE3

Maus

Blacksad

Sam and Max

and more!

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK (Yes, it’s been a while)

Lackadaisy

January 21, 2011
Categories: Movies, New To Comics?, News, Podcast, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Bane, Batmobiles and Black Swan

The internet’s a buzz with the recent casting of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman’s alter ego Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy as bad guy Bane, but most non-comics readers have no idea who Bane is. In fact my local newspaper called him Blane. Sounds like a magician. So, Empire have a handy guide to the bulky, back-breaking character right here. They also have a look at 11 Superhero Vehicles from films, including a few of Batman’s rides, and Wolverine’s motorcycle (huh?). Lastly Empire are allowing us music lovers to listen (not download) the entire soundtrack of ballet/dark drama Black Swan here from composer Clint Mansell.

Oh, and in case you haven’t seen them already here’s the first official pics from June’s ’60 set mutant prequel, X-Men: First Class.

January 21, 2011
Categories: Movies, New To Comics?, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Rubber Trailer

Wikipedia describes this as, “a 2010 French horror comedy film about a tyre that comes to life and kills people with its psychic powers. It was directed and written by Quentin Dupieux.” Yep, that’s what it is. Trailer below.

January 20, 2011
Categories: Movies . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Bane and Catwoman in Batman 3

So the dust of casting rumours has settled and now the facts can be revealed. Anne Hathaway is playing Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy is playing Bane in the third and final Batman film from Christopher Nolan, entitled The Dark Knight Rises. Both are interesting choices.

Hathaway has shown more light hearted humour in her roles rather than the darkness that the former prostitute and inconsistent flame of Bruce Wayne requires, but we don’t know what Nolan’s version of the femme feline fatale will be. The press release from Warner Bros. notes that she’s playing Selina Kyle, not Catwoman, so she may not leather up and grab her whip, but Aaron Eckhart was only ever credited as Harvey Dent, not Two Face in 2008’s The Dark Knight, so we could be in for a nice surprise when TDKR opens on July next year.

Tom Hardy starred in Nolan’s Inception (and as the bad Picard clone in Star Trek: Nemesis) and bulked up considerably for crime drama Bronson, so playing Bane is a good choice. Everyone expected Hardy to play doctor Hugo Strange, not Bane though, but I am curious to see what they do with the character who broke Batman’s back in the awesome KnightFall saga in the early ’90s. Bane is a master strategist and the most recent comics supervillain to show up in these films and is a pivotal one in Batman’s history, and it’ll be good for the Dark Knight to have a bad guy to match his strength and dedication on screen. More than just a forgotten character from the ’90s period, Bane has shown up as a multi-faceted character in Secret Six, showing honour and surprising concern for his fellow crims.

Being as this is the final film in this trilogy, it’ll be interesting to see Batman’s arc. Things left off in the last film with Batman taking the fall for Dent’s death and being labelled a rebel. Will Bruce now retire and marry Selina? Will Batman have his back broken by Bane? Or will Bane even replace Batman as Gotham’s law enforcer?

January 20, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, Movies, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 4 Comments

Superhero Movies By The Numbers

Cinema Blend has an interesting infographic on the performance of superheroes on the big screen. Check it out here. It’s broken down into various categories like female superheroes, Marvel vs DC and more. Here’s a mere taste.

January 15, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Cap and Spidey Movie Pics

Two photos and the internet goes ablaze. Not surprising really. Captain America starring Chris Evans, and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull opens on July 22. Below is the first good pic of Evans in costume from the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. I like it. Like The Ultimates version, plus the more realistic versions that Marvel have been showing in their WWII era comics in the last couple of years, with the wings gone and more pouches. He looks like a patriotic soldier.

 

Also released today was the first official pic of next year’s Spider-Man reboot. Sure it’s 18 months early, but it’s a good way to start the buzz now. Here’s what I think about the new Spidey costume, as seen worn by actor Andrew Garfield (The Social Network).

1. It has to distance itself from the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films. Sony don’t want people thinking this is Spider-Man 4, seeing as it will be released only 5 years after Spider-Man 3.

2. Gone is the raised silver webbing. I never understood that. I suppose perhaps it made sense from a lighting point of view, and on Venom in Spidey 3, but Peter Parker was supposed to have made the costume himself. In reality, each suit cost $100, 000. On the DVD of the first Spider-Man film from 2002 is a brief clip of some CGI test footage of Spidey climbing a wall. There’s no silver webbing on the costume, and it looks great. Why they dismissed that approach is due to Hollywood logic, but if you see the alternate Green Goblin costumes and wonder why they chose the laughable final version, it’s fitting I guess.

3. It distances itself from the Turn Off The Dark musical costume, which wisely Sony don’t want to be associated with.

4. It’s a subtle redesign from the original, and still used (mostly) comics one. Of course we don’t know what the mask looks like yet (or the boots), but at least this is sleeker and thus more given to acrobatic manoeuvres (especially as it’ll be in 3D). It has simple lines, almost motocross-styled gloves, slightly darker colours and spider emblem legs that go all the way through to his waist. Minor alterations and still recognisably Spidey.

5. Sony execs will surely be watching the internettery light up with comments, but it may be too late to change anything even if they wanted to.

6. Web shooters! Possibly, as shown here, there’s gold, metallic elements under his wrists. That is awesome. I never liked Raimi’s change from web shooters, made from Parker’s scientific skills, into the organic variety.

January 14, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments

Unstoppable, Salt and The Expendables

The immediate comparison with Unstoppable may be 2009’s Taking of Pelham 123, also starring Denzel Washington and directed by Tony Scott. However, Pelham is more like Under Siege than Unstoppable. Starring Washington as a veteran engineer and Chris Pine as a new conductor, who some believe only has the job because of his familial connections, there’s some tension between the pair initially, but of course throughout the course of the film they become buddies.

As can happen in any job, people became too casual about their responsibilities, but when there’s massive trains involved things obviously became a lot scarier. When Dewey, played by Ethan Suplee from TV’s My Name is Earl doesn’t apply the air brakes when he jumps off a train to switch the tracks, he can’t catch up to it again. From then on it’s a perfect storm of events involving the unmanned train heading to populated areas, its highly combustible cargo, etc. There’s also convenient things dumped into the plot such as the fact that both Washington and Pine, who are trying to catch up to the train have strained family relationships, to help us become emotionally invested in these working class heroes, and an expert in…everything who just happens to be visiting the control office so he can give useful advice. Oh, and an evil corporate boss who Rosario Dawson can shout at on our behalf.

The film, like the train, does move at a steady pace though, so all these expected developments can be forgiven and as it’s a Tony Scott film, it has a great earthy grain and palette to it all. I actually found it more exciting than I expected it to be.

Salt has gained a fair bit of attention, because the original lead character was written for Tom Cruise, but here Angelina Jolie proves that anything he can do, she can do better, and really it’s the kind of role we’ve seen him in may times before. The plot about covert Russian spies has more twists than a pretzel. In fact it has so many in the second half it could easily have become a laughable mess, but Aussie director Phillip Noyce never lets it get unwieldy and the woman on the run and the search for the truth ploys serve the film well. At certain points it does become ridiculous though, especially early on, when an elderly Russian man takes out a bunch of surly dudes in a lift, and later when Jolie does the same. Her bony girl arms are supposed to take out guys twice the size of her with one punch? I don’t think so. For the most part the action scenes are exciting enough though.

The Expendables is great and I hope they bring Van Damme into the sequel. And Mr.T. And Seagal.

Sylvester Stallone set out to make a film that was a throwback to those so prominent in the ’80s, filled with machismo, and he’s achieved that indeed. There is a lack of chemistry early in the film between him and his manly co-stars (Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren,etc) but it works better in the latter half. The action is deliberately over the top and impressive and it’s not as bloody as I would’ve expected, which is a nice change of pace in today’s market. Stallone, Arnie and Bruce Willis do indeed have a great, though short, scene together and with ageing tough guys like Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts thrown in for good measure, it’s definitely an entertaining film for the fellas.

January 9, 2011
Categories: Movies, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 1 Comment

2011’s Best Trailers

It’s going to be a big year for big films. Blastr have a very handy guide to the films we can expect in the next 12 months, with brief descriptions for each. There’s the obvious choices such as Green Lantern, Thor and Sucker Punch, but I’m also intrigued by Hanna, Source Code from Moon’s Duncan Jones and Evangelion 2.0. Check out all 55 trailers right here.

January 9, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Star Wars on Blu-Ray in September

Just announced at the CES conference is the long awaited news that the Star Wars films will be available in September on Blu-Ray. There’s no news as to the special features,beyond 30 hours of extras, but all 6 films will be available, as a whole saga or  as individual trilogies. The saga is 9 discs which consists of 6 discs (1 for each film) plus 3 extras of bonus material. If any film series will have awesome extras, it’s got to be Star Wars. This will definitely be on my buy list.

It’s available for pre-order at Amazon now.

January 7, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments

Extra Sequential Podcast Ep. 22-Best Comics of 2010

68 mins. We have returned, with our best comics of 2010. Now before you groan about yet another list like this, you may be surprised by some of our choices. Also, George Clooney’s beard, Christmas presents and correct work attire.

LISTEN BELOW, DOWNLOAD HERE, OR ON ITUNES OR MIXCLOUD

3:55 NEWS

Stan Lee’s Hollywood star, Neil Gaiman’s wedding, Carl Barks’ work finally collected, trouble at Borders bookstores, even more trouble in the land of the Spider-Man musical.

12: 15 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING

Viz Media’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga, unique spy caper Who is Jake Ellis? #1, 27 #1 from Image Comics, and Deadpool Team Up #886 written by local (to Perth anyway) Shane McCarthy.

21:00 OUR 2010 FAVES

Webcomics – Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton, and Axe Cop

Reprint – The Horror! The Horror! collection of pre-Comics Code horror comics

Film Adaptation – Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Breakout Talents – Writer Tom Taylor (The Authority, Star Wars) and Rafael Grampa (Mesmo Delivery, Strange Tales II)

Best OGN – Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour from Oni Press, 45 from Com.x and X’d Out from Pantheon Books

Honourable Mentions – The Last Days of American Crime, Action Comics, Batman and Robin, Strange Tales II, Scalped

Best Australian Comic – Changing Ways from Justin Randall. There’s also two new Aussie publishers – Black House Comics and Silver Fox Comics

Best Comic – The Light from Nathan Edmondson and Brett Weldele and the Billy Bat manga from Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki

As an added bonus, we also present our Worst of 2010!

January 6, 2011
Categories: Comics, Movies, Podcast, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown Film

Having read this interview with the perennial favourite Charlie Brown’s Christmas producer recently I had Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang in the back of my mind. I’m not a huge fan, as I was always more of a Calvin and Hobbes guy, but the staying power of these characters is certainly interesting. Anyway, it appears as though March will see a new animated film starring the beloved characters. Press release below.

THE PEANUTS GANG IS BACK  WITH HAPPINESS IS A WARM BLANKET, CHARLIE BROWN

THE ALL-NEW ORIGINAL MOVIE TO BE RELEASED ON DVD MARCH 29, 2011 BY WARNER HOME VIDEO

Join Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts characters as they help their pal Linus break free from his attachment to his security blanket in Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, the first new Peanuts special  in five years. The film, produced by Warner Premiere, is set for release on DVD by Warner Home Video (WHV) March 29, 2011 and will retail for $19.98 SRP. Order due date has been set for February 22, 2011.

In this heartwarming new tale, Linus is pushed to his limits when he learns his grandmother is coming to visit and plans to rid him of his most cherished possession, his beloved security blanket. As grandma’s impending arrival looms closer, the Peanuts gang finds ways to try and help Linus lose his dependence on his fuzzy crutch.

Lucy is particularly eager to cure Linus’ emotional attachment and applies her own psychiatric techniques. Charlie Brown on the other hand does his best to help but he just does not have the heart to see Linus suffer. Snoopy constantly agitates matters because he longs to have the blanket himself. In the end, insightful Linus points out that everyone has their own type of “security blanket” and that in life, a little security is a valuable thing.

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is comprised of original comic strip ideas created by Charles Schulz. The concept was to stay true to the characters’ emotion and original look of the strip while still producing a new story, with Schulz’s work at the heart of the program.

Craig Schulz, son of the Peanuts creator, served as one the executive producers and writers of the film along with Stephen Pastis, who wrote the special as well. Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown was also executive produced by Paige Braddock and Linda M. Steiner and was directed by animator Andy Beall (Up, Ratatouille) and Frank Molieri (The Simpsons Movie, SpongeBob SquarePants Movie).

“We’re excited to see Charles Schulz’s work continue on through this new special,” said Jeff Brown, WHV Executive Vice President and GM of Non-Theatrical Franchise. He added, “Peanuts is one of our most cherished properties and we are committed to continue building this brand by offering new, original content such as Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown to consumers. This is the first Peanuts special produced in several years and we’re hopeful it will become a favorite with viewers of all ages.”

“Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is based directly from Peanuts strips my dad drew from the 1960s, which I personally like the best,” said Craig Schulz. “Maybe it is because I can see so much of my family life embedded in those years. In this special, we tried to show how all kids have security issues, not just Linus, and not all are as secure as one would think. We bring back Shermy, Patty, and Violet, and if you are a true Peanuts fan you will notice others that formed the foundation for Charlie Brown’s neighborhood.”

On October 2, 1950 the PEANUTS comic strip launched in seven American newspapers. Little did anyone know the impact the brand would have around the world for decades to come. Nearly 60 years later, PEANUTS animated specials have become a seasonal tradition, thousands of consumer products are available in virtually all retail channels, and the comic strip appears in over 2,200 newspapers, in 75 countries and 21 languages. Charlie Brown kicking the football, Linus and his blanket and Lucy leaning over Schroeder’s piano are images to which everyone can relate. Phrases such as “Security Blanket’ and “Good Grief” have become a part of the global vernacular.

January 6, 2011
Categories: Cartoons, Movies, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Superman is Back (and Front and Centre)

DC Comics have rejigged their website somewhat and their blog, The Source has has a generous few days focused on Superman.

The final season of Smallville premieres on Jan 29. This teaser image shows the Superman Returns (ugh) symbol and yay, look at that reflection at Tom Welling’s feet!

Action Comics #896 has just been released, which means Action Comics #900 is just 4 months away, and it’s bringing Superman back to the title in which he belongs, as this David Finch cover shows. Here’s what The Source say:

Superman versus (I’ll argue) his greatest villain. How much more apropos can you get for a landmark cover to Action Comics?

But wait – there’s more! In addition to a 50-page lead story by the team that’s been punching this book out of the park for for the last ten issues, Paul Cornell and Pete Woods, the oversized 900th issue will also feature short stories by some very exciting names to be announced soon.

The long awaited DC Universe Online game is so close and next month a tie-in comic will be launched. Here’s a comic preview and here’s that awesome trailer again.

And heads up, PlayStation 3 fans: we’ve been giving away PS3 beta codes from the DC_Nation twitter feed and our Facebook fan pages all week, and will be giving away more today. So if you haven’t already, friend us, follow us, fan us and what have you and keep a sharp eye out for those codes to get an early peek at the game.

DC Universe Online will be available for the PC and PlayStation 3 next Tuesday, 1/11/11.

The first issue of DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS hits comic shops in February, and will be available digitally day-and-date for the PSP and at the DC Digital Comics Store.

Lastly, here’s a pic of the Feb 22 releasing animated All Star Superman film, based on the Grant Morriosn and Frank Quitely series.

January 5, 2011
Categories: Cartoons, Games, Movies, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Great Opening Credits

Abduzeedo have a cool post on some of the film work of the collective known as Prologue. They design a lot of awesome movie opening credits, including Iron Man, Tron: Legacy, Sherlock Holmes, The Walking Dead and a whole lot more. Check out Abduzeedo’s post here and Prologue’s groovy site here to see their other work too including video games such as Metal Gear Solid 3 and Resistance 3.

January 4, 2011
Categories: Movies . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

NASA Hates 2012 and Likes Blade Runner

The science gurus at NASA have named disaster film 2012 as the most unrealistic sci-fi film, ever. No surprise really. According to this article, “The agency is getting so many questions from people terrified that the world is going to end in 2012 that we have had to put up a special website to challenge the myths. We have never had to do this before.”

Hah, classic. They also name Armageddon, The Core and others in their list of films that take huge liberties with true science. However they do give thumbs up to Blade Runner and Gattaca. I wonder what they think about Demolition Man.

January 3, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

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