Topless Robot Makes Me Spend Money And Feel Bad About It [Want Accomplished]

Topless Robot posted this article today saying enough already with the Watchmen collectible items. And while they may have a point, all the article did was MAKE ME BUY THE COLLECTIBLE ITEM. AUGH.

Damn you, Topless Robot, for finding products I want and telling me how to buy them. DAMN YOU.

(But also, thanks! Veidt Nite Owl Coffee! Cool!)

I have a problem. Don't even get me started on this stuff. WANT. See full post

Equation [Quick Thought]

See full post

Paley TV Festival Announces Lineup - LQ Dies [Geekgasm]

You know when like, you are looking forward to something, and then suddenly it becomes super tangible and you are like OMFG and die a little inside?


Thats what happened today when the Paley Center send me a lil email about their lineup this year. I've always wanted to go and as it happens, I will be in LA for most of the fest this year. So. I'm gonna go.

Here's the sexy line up, listed in the packages they come in:

Package A:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 4/10 (w/ after party)
90210 4/11
The Big Bang Theory 4/16
The Hills 4/21

Package B:
Dr. Horrible 4/14
Dollhouse 4/15
Battlestar Galactica/Caprica 4/20 (w/ after party)
Fringe 4/23

Package C:
True Blood 4/13
The Mentalist 4/17
Desperate Housewives 4/18
Big Love 4/22
Swingtown 4/24 (w/ after party)

Hmm. Which package would YOU choose? I wonder. Could it be the same one I would pick?

I won't be in LA past April 21st, but still, Package B is my homeboy. BATTLESTAR MAKES ME GIDDY. IT MAKES ME GIDDY. I'd also love to get to True Blood and frankly, 90210, if only because I'm so damn curious about what these people are like in real life. Could they be real? Can they form sentences without a script? Will the Q&A turn into one massive orgy? And obviously, if I were there on the 24th, I'd hit up Swingtown as I effing loved that show.

What do you think about this years line up? Anyone planning on attending? Anyone planning on fighting me to win marriage to Tahmoh? Anyone else not understand why NPH and Ted Danson were in the audience of American Idol last night, but not care, cause that's hilarious? See full post

Hrmm...[Fanboy Edition]

i have many thoughts as to the existence of the forthcoming watchmen film... most of which concern its nature as a commodity, its artistic achievement or lack thereof, the line between adaptation and transposition, etc... a lot of questions to which there are no simple answers. i don't doubt for a moment that the experience of seeing the movie is going to be an exhilarating one from start to finish, but... is that necessarily a good thing?

a part of me thinks that the fact that this movie is going to be wildly entertaining is potentially an enormous and increasingly corrosive problem.

what's the point of this whole project? to bring a treasured story to the masses in a more digestible format? selfless and surely a part of it, but hardly the reason that such rabid anticipation abounds from all corners, including this blog and this blogger. it SEEMS as if the fervor over the movie seems to implicitly suggest one medium's hierarchical status as superior to another - people who could draw watchmen by memory are clamoring to see this thing because they want to see their favorite characters brought to life... so it SEEMS as if they want motion pictures to do for this story what still cels could not. whether it be removing what little work the graphic novel format demands of the imagination or tapping into the boundless joy of the cinema of attractions... it can safely be said that if watchmen were originally a movie that was going to be published as a graphic novel on march 6th, it wouldn't have quite the same cultural cache.

but film is not an inherently more capable medium than the graphic novel. it's just different and this is what i fear zack snyder does not understand. *though, for the record, i think the brunt of the truly indelible storytellers, poets, philosophers of the 20th century opted to devote themselves to the former... i'm sorry, and maybe it's just a perceived gravitas, but i can't put stan lee in the same company of a robert bresson - frank miller with abbas kiarostami.

a 12 year-old with the right tools at his disposal could splay the static images of watchmen across three hours worth of motion pictures and wind up with a pretty fun ride. but doesn't watchmen deserve better? i mean, i think i should be more excited to see watchmen than anyone else, because i'm someone who enjoyed the source material but hardly thought it was life-altering, and am excited to re-trace my steps in as concise and eye-popping a fashion as possible. people unfamiliar with the graphic novel are largely going to be apathetic, and the true fanboys and girls... the passionate ones... shouldn't they be pissed? or... anxious? curious, sure. but excited... genuinely excited, convinced of impending greatness... no. watchmen was as much about form and deconstruction as it was about narrative... from elliptical pages to the ransacking of mythos and genre... it was a game-changer told with some serious aplomb.

the irony of taking this particular graphic novel and literally transposing it (save for a few aesthetic details...) is infuriating.

it's infuriating in theory, and if my fears are proven to be validated, it's going to be that much more infuriating in execution as i enjoy the shit out of the movie and then find myself in a tizzy in the lobby afterwards. snyder has not been coy about his approach to the material... in fact he seems to be blithely unaware that the project could have been handled in any other fashion. he seems most proud of how accurately he was able to emulate the source material, as if - given the money and tools of modern movie-making - that's any sort of accomplishment.

what's worse is that the few visual flourishes he's brought to the table - at least so far as i've seen - have been DIRECTLY ANTITHETICAL TO THE ESSENCE OF WATCHMEN. slow-mo? and so much of it? really? but... aren't these physically unexceptional people bringing the business of crime-fighting and the personalities behind it down to a real if not sociopathic level? isn't any sort of gloss or sheen in direct contradiction with the filthy world they inhabit and the filth they inhabit it with? when malin ackerman preternaturally dodges a piece of exploding... whatever during the prison break-in... i want to put my head in my hands and whisper, "no." i felt as if i had to wash my hands with lysol after every chapter of the graphic novel... the clips from the movie give me the same satisfaction of watching the set pieces from ong-bak or casino royale. now... i know that there are probably just 3 or 4 action beats in the movie, and they're naturally being used to sell it... so i'm going to assume positive intent and expect that the other 2:30 hours of the movie capture everything that the clips suggest has been sacrificed... but this all distracts from my main point which is that a story of such complexity... a project rife with such potential... should not be transposed. it should be re-imagined. it should take advantage of the new medium's unique properties to mine the source material for new ideas... to use a new set of tools to explore alan moore's ideas in ways the graphic novel format didn't allow for, even if it means discarding some of dave gibbons' iconic work (actually, it sounds as if the opening credit sequence has done just that... a cause for hope).

fans and their fidelity. sigh.

at the end, it all goes back to herzog... as everything does. zack snyder only seems interested in the accountant's truth. if only watchmen had been helmed by a filmmaker who was more than a cover artist... zack snyder, the glitziest bar singer in america. if only it had been helmed by a filmmaker who was looking for something ecstatic. well, in that case the movie may never have been made... risk is profit's arch-nemesis... but maybe that would have been for the best?

when a filmmaker's ambition is simply to put a graphic novel into motion... he not only does filmgoers a tremendous disservice by ignoring all but the basic functions of the medium, but he re-institutes the hierarchy of arts... by ignoring its unique qualities in order to faithfully present those of another format, he actually makes film subservient to the graphic novel.

bah. even if watchmen is the bestest movie in all the land, i think this topic deserves a lot of thought. a lot more thought than a hastily written pre-gym blog post can offer it, at least. and do remember that this is all just a big WHAT IF... i already have my tickets for the midnight show in imax, and i feel confident that my 16 bucks has bought me an invigorating 3 hours. i hope against hope that i've bought more than that... See full post

Video of the Moment - Kittens Inspired by Kittens

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything fanish, but holy eff do I love it. I can't stop watching it. Guarenteed fun couple of minutes. Enjoy!

See full post

Super Mega Crazy CORALINE Giveaway!!! [Contest]

Hopefully most of you have seen Coraline by now and if you haven't, you are planning on it in the near future. The staff of All Things Fangirl & friends went to go see it at the Ziegfeld earlier this week (in 3D, natch) and it was glorious. To celebrate Henry Selick & Neil Gaimen being awesome and the fact that david just bought 3 Coraline dolls, is gonna be Coraline for Halloween and is naming his daughter Coraline, I thought we'd have a fun giveaway.

We'll be giving away ten Coraline packages filled with one Coraline T Shirt in either M, L or XL, two sets of Coraline pins, a pack of Coraline alphabet cards & a Coraline activity book. The grand prize winner will receive those items as well as a Coraline soundtrack.

To enter, answer the following question in the comment section! Then please email allthingsfangirl@gmail.com, telling us the handle you posted under. We will then email the winners next week to let you know if you've won!

1. What upcoming genre film are you most looking forward to?

Thanks readers! We've been having a crazy week over here, but will be returning soon with more fun posts. If you haven't yet checked out our New York Comic Con coverage, be sure to scroll down and enjoy! See full post

Watchmen Flash Game!

There is now an official Watchmen 80s arcade game! The game is an old-school beat-em-up, and is devoid of any real quality, but the graphics are gloriously 8-bit, and you can play as Silk Spectre I or Mr. Short Shorts himself, Nite Owl.

Head over here to give it a play. Takes about 5 minutes to beat. Enjoy! See full post

New York Comic Con Wrap Up - Sunday

The final day of the Con was a great end to a great weekend. I got to see the panels for a show I'm looking forward to and a show I love, plus I got my X Factor #1 signed by Peter David, watched EruditeChick kick some SERIOUS ass in the Marvel Debates, and got interviewed by G4 for Attack of the Show's NYCC coverage & their Watchmen special airing on the 25th. Woot!

I started out the day searching for the elusive Guitar Hero area of the convention. The map in the guide book claimed it was on the upper level next to the stage that featured people with lightsabers prancing around pretending to kill each other (which by the way, I'd do in a heartbeat. I love prancing around pretending to kill people!) but alas, no Guitar Hero was to be found! Disappointing. Hopefully that can be remedied for next year.

Dollhouse


Joss is one of those convention staples who always has a packed panel and who consistently shows everyone a great time. He's a riot & the fans worship him (myself included) so his panels are definitely must see. This one was no exception. Especially because he brought with him the gloriously charming & gorgeous Tahmoh Penikitt. These two are great together and you can tell the working environment on the show must be amazing. They talked a lot about Dollhouse, natch, and showed the first act of the pilot. Sadly, there was no Tahmoh in the first ten minutes but Joss assured us it would be worth the wait cause when we finally meet him, he is shirtless. And. That's the best of all ideas. For a write up of the footage, head on over to Io9 and for some clips from the first act, head to THIS Io9 page. Gotta love Io9.

While the footage didn't blow me away, I can see the potential in the show and will absolutely be watching every episode. I mean, it's Joss. And Tahmoh. I'm watching. I worry about how invested I will be in Echo, since she basically will have zero character development, but hopefully I'll be so invested in Tahmoh's character, Paul, that it won't matter. I definitely got the impression from Joss & Tahmoh that the series gets MUCH better as it goes on and we are encouraged to stick with it and trust them.

Here are some more highlights from the panel:


-In regards to Buffy Season 8, Angel will be making an appearance "as soon Georges figures out how to draw him..." cause there's "so much forehead!"
-Joss' advice to aspiring filmmakers (which is also Seth Green's advice) is "If you have something to make, make it."
-Joss would love to tackle a "frilly costume drama" in Elizabethan times, mostly because of the dresses the ladies would be wearing
-In response to Nathan Fillion teasing the fans about making another Firefly movie, Joss proclaimed "Nathan's a cock."
-Joss would love to see "What's up with Dr. Horrible". Sequel?!?! Please!!!
-Apparently Eliza has a beautiful voice that we'll get to hear some of in Dollhouse's 3rd episode
-No Dollhouse comics in the works, but Joss is looking into a supplementary web series

Whedon talks about Sondheim and directing a broadway show while I close up on Tahmoh cause he's gorgeous. What?

Fringe



First - it should be noted that between the Dollhouse & Fringe panels, while I was backstage gawking at Tahmoh and weirding out Joshua Jackson who thought I was gawking at him, I missed a video IGN made exclusive for Comic Con that is a live action parody combination of Portal & The Office. HOW DID I MISS THIS?! Hopefully they will post it online soon so we can talk about how brilliant it is together. Cause how could that not be brilliant?

But on to the main event - Fringe! Did anyone see last night's episode? Cause HOLY CRAP. I like where you're going & what you're doing, Fringe. That lightboard thing was genius. But here are some highlights from the panel, which by the way was oddly hilarious. The cast clearly gets along supremely & loves working on the show. And John Noble may in
fact be nuts in real life. Not that I'm complaining.

-Lance Reddick is an Ultimate Spiderman fan
-Josh Jackson & executive producer Jeff Pinkner are both huge Calvin & Hobbes fans, which they didn't discover until right then. Lots of Calvin & Hobbes echos appear in Fringe.
-Josh Jackson keeps a flow chart in his trailer to keep track of all the mythology. Can I get a copy of that?
-Apparently the flashing icons that appear before each commercial break are part of a code that diligent fans should be able to crack. They provide clues to the overall mythology of the show.
-Each episode has a clue hidden somewhere about the focus of the next episode. I already knew about these, but it was cool to hear it confirmed.
-Yes, the Observer is in every episode (knew that), sometimes more than once (didn't know that)
-We will be meeting William Bell (and may have already) sometime this season!
-A kid in the audience asked Anna Torv for help for a class project and she obliged. He claimed if they both wore these aluminum hats, he would be able to read her mind (see above) and joked afterwards that now he knows her phone number.

Anna Torv after helping a student with a class project

That's it for the panels! But not the end of the day. One of the highlights of the entire convention was watching EruditeChick KILL at the Marvel Debates at the Ultimate Alliance 2 booth. Some of the questions debated were "Who would make a better Nick Fury - The Hoff or Sam Jackson?" and "Should captured villains be forced to work for the government as superheroes?" The poor kid she was debating didn't know what hit him. I missed out on filming most of the debate (though it should appear on the Ultimate Alliance website soon), I did catch EruditeChick winning the big award. This video doesn't feature any of the lady's vast X-Men knowledge, but her answers, soon to be posted online, feature plenty :)

And that's pretty much it! Somewhere in there, I got interviewed by Blair Butler about the con & Watchmen, so snippets of me being awkward should appear on Attack of the Show sometime this week or at the very least, on the 25th.

Hope you enjoyed the coverage!

See full post

The Fangirly Games of 2009 [comic con +]

Comic Con was a blast. I caught a good panel hosted by two game journo biggies Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and MTV's Stephen Totilo, who sat down to chat with game developers Ken Levine (Bioshock) and Todd Howard (Fallout 3). Nothing groundbreaking ensued, but I found both devs to be very easy to agree with in their "Look, I just work hard to make the game I want to make. I can't really comment on this other issue” approaches.

ANYWAY, there were indeed some games being shown off at the Con, though the pickings were slim compared to all the delicious fangirl/boy goodies we have coming in the near future. In what I will call Comic-Con PLUS coverage, I give you my line-up of the games any Comic-Con-goer should be aware of...starting with the Watchmen game... after the jump!
(click on game title for its trailer)

Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Don’t get your hopes too high here. The game could very well be good, for what it’s worth. It’ll be released in March as a series of downloadable episodes. The translation of “downloadable” is that the game is probably not a huge production, but rather some bite-sized downloadable pieces.
The Bad News: the game is basically just a single-player or coop brawler, wherein you play as either Rorschach or Nite Owl II and go around beating up thugs. Don’t look for anything too deep here. Also, the game features a Rage meter, which makes no sense to me…
The Good News: Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons is acting as a project advisor, so at least it’ll LOOK awesome, if nothing else. The game takes place in the 70s during the Crimebusters era. While it is not penned by Alan Moore (of course), it will be canon. Says Gibbons: “At the time the original comics came out, Mayfair games did a role-playing game that Alan helped write bits of, and it's completely canon, so this game uses a lot of that less-well known material.”
March 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Another brawler game here, but hell, that’s what Wolverine is for! Raven Software, who made the X-Men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games, are developing, so we know they have history with the universe. I hear the game is spectacularly bloody and visceral, which fits Logan well. There is also a lot of leaping…because he leaps… so you can jump onto a baddy’s chest, knock him over, and stab him in said chest. This looks promising.
May 2009

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Fusion
Speaking of Marvel, this sequel to the 2006 game should be what I’ve come to expect from the series (including the X-Men Legends series that came before) -- having fun with friends and using powers to kill A LOT of enemies. The game is supposed to focus heavily on combining powers (like creating a force shield with the Invisible Woman and then blowing it up with Iron Man). The cast of characters assembled on the Wikipedia page looks to be pretty exciting. Come the Fall, expect fun.
Fall 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Hopping over to the DC Universe, we have this awesome-looking action game, featuring pretty much the entire voice cast from Batman: The Animated Series (including Mark Hamill as the Joker). Basically, in the game the Joker takes over Arkham Asylum, and Bats has to stomp on some bad guys. The game is said to be relatively open, meaning you can run all over the Asylum, though some areas remain locked until you advance the story. What should be special about this game are the stealth elements. I still haven’t gotten confirmation on whether you can hang upside-down and then drop on an enemy, but I'm optimistic
Summer 2009

DC Universe Online
Also DC-licious is this upcoming MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game…think World of Warcraft). You get to create a hero, and then join the side of the JLA or the Legion of Doom. Confirmed locations are at least Gotham and Metropolis…duh. The game will feature a truckload of DC characters, which will be a kick. The real make-or-break element in my mind will be whether you as a player will really feel like a part of the same world as the JLA. Supposedly, major characters will be involved in a lot of story elements, but how DC can the game end up feeling when it’s populated by thousands of Super Bro’s that were shoddily dreamed up by your fellow players? Again, I’m optimistic, as I’ve always wanted to get into a superhero MMO…
Eventually 2009

Champions Online
As hopeful as I am for DC Universe Online, I think this game might win out. It’s being made by Cryptic Studios, who already have superhero MMO City of Heroes under their belt as previous education. While this game has no license behind it, it doesn’t really need one (See: possibly the best superhero game ever made).
The game features a Nemesis System, in which not only do you design your own hero, you design your own arch-nemesis, with whom you will eventually clash repeatedly. Cryptic has confirmed the ability to form super teams, super vehicles, and uber customization (“You want an energy beam to shoot out of your neck? Done.”) Fingers crossed that this one hits it big.
Spring 2009

Star Wars: The Old Republic
While we’re on the subject of MMOs…as a huge Star Wars fan, I can’t help but be optimistic about this one. I gave the first crack at a Star Wars MMO, Star Wars Galaxies, a try, but my Iridonian dancer didn’t thrill me like he should have. I spent one day busting a move for some Jedi…and I was done. THIS game is being developed by Bioware, who made Mass Effect (play it now, please), so that bodes well for the game. The game is going to have a Chewbacca-inspired companion system, so you get to pick an AI buddy to follow you around. Hooray for Star Wars!
Not 2009

Star Trek Online
Wrapping up my glut of MMOs is the Star Trek variety. The game will be set a few generations after the last Star Trek film, so we won’t get any Kirks or Picards…unless they pop up out of the Nexus. You’ll play as a ship captain, and also be able to pursue a number of skill-based careers - Engineer, Tactical Officer, Doctor, Science Officer, etc. You’ll be able to pick from most of the Star Trek races, or make your own. The game is said to focus heavily on exploration, so perhaps it’ll be a fresh take on the MMO genre. It’s a long way away, though.
Definitely Not 2009

TMNT: Smash UP
Now that we’re done with MMOs…BOOM. Ninja Turtles! Game Arts, the developer who brought you Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, is making this 4-player fighting game. I don’t really know much more about it at this point, but it’s Ninja Turtles, and it’s coming this year!
Fall 2009

Ghostbusters: The Video GameSpeaking of “Oh my God. I LOVED them growing up!”…DOUBLE-BOOM. Ghostbusters. This game is basically serving as the third movie that never was, though I’m hoping it inspires a movie…Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (Ray and Egon), wrote the script themselves, and the main cast are all voiced by their original actors. The game takes place two years after the Statue of Liberty stepped on a police car in Ghostbusters 2. You’ll play “The Rookie”, who basically follows the guys around and tests out new equipment for them.
June 2009

So that’s a wrap. Keep your eyes out for these in the coming months. I am unofficially declaring Champions Online, Arkham Asylum and Ghostbusters to be the most likely to succeed, though, really, I love all the contestants.
See full post

New York Comic Con Wrap Up - Saturday

Another great day at the Con!

Saturday brought us 18 minutes of Watchmen, McG having fun with the Bale Out, 12 minutes of Knowing, Seth Green talking to me (XD) and more. You should know that besides being a Fangirl, I am also a...girlie fan. As in, I get googly eyed and star struck by my celebrity crushes and enjoy talking about how cute they are. And that's just the way it is. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett.

Without further ado, Saturday!

Warners: Watchmen



As I'm sure you've all heard by now, those of us in the IGN theater Saturday morning were treated to the first 18 minutes of Watchmen, plus a very special bonus scene. This means I've now seen about 27 minutes of the film and am sure more than ever that Watchmen is going to be the greatest movie in the history of the land. At least as far as I'm concerned. Will people who haven't read the graphic novel get it? Probably not. Do I care about them? Heelllll nooooo.

Seeing the first 18 minutes for a 2nd time was just as powerful as the first time, if not more so. The opening credits are so genius, they make me cry tears of joy every time I see them, I kid you not. In fact, every bit of footage makes me cry. Is that weird? It was also great to watch the opening with a huge group of fans. We cheered when the opening scene ended, we cheered when Silhouette reinvented the Victory Day kiss, we cheered when we got a glimpse of a young, red headed boy standing in a hallway, we gasped when JFK shook Dr. Manhattan's hand, we erupted into applause during the photos of both the Minutemen and the Crimebusters (called the Watchmen in the film to make it slightly easier to understand) and by the time we heard Rorschach say, in that special bonus scene, "I'm not locked up in here with you, you're locked up in here with me," no one in that room knew what to do with themselves, they were so floored. It looks perfect. You'll never hear "The Times They Are A-Changin" the same way again. Jesus, can it be March 6th already?!



The lovely Dave Gibbons was there and fielded some questions from the fans. Here are the highlights

-He confirmed that there is indeed no squid, explaining "The MacGuffin is different, but the outcome is the same" and defends the decision by explaining that in the book, the Squid is Veidt's "special effect", but in a film already filled with fx, the impact of the Squid wouldn't be as great and wouldn't have worked as well. I tend to agree with him on this. Rest easy, fanboys. Both Gibbons and my dad (who I totally trust on things like this) say it works great without the squid and we won't be missing it.
-He has no say in whether or not there is a sequel, but believes we should "leave well enough alone" because to add to Watchmen would only dilute the story, not enhance it. Listen to Gibbons, Warners!
-Assures us that like the graphic novel, everything in every frame in this movie means something. There are tons of little background things and also like the book, the film lends itself to repeat viewings.
-Alan Moore is one of the most rational and sane human beings Gibbons has ever met. Only in Hollywood terms is he "batshit crazy" because Hollywood is about credit and cash and Moore isn't
-Loves Iron Man & the Spiderman films and upbeat, fun superhero films. Hopes that Dark Knight & Watchmen don't make studios think they can only make dark superhero films from now on
-How explicit with Dr. Manhattan's nudity be? "Total."

Only two and a half weeks to go!!!!

Warners: Friday the 13th


Oh god I kind of get a stomach ache thinking about this panel, haha. But in the best way possible. I love horror films and rarely get to see any cause none of my friends will ever come with me to see one. It was neat to get to watch the opening five minutes with such a giant group of people. And what a five minutes it was. Nothing as disturbing as anything Saw or your run of the mill disgusting torture porn, but that's what was best about the footage. Seemed like a classic, good, scary slasher movie. In the first five minutes, we see a guy get his leg caught in a bear trap with gruesome (and I mean gruesome) results, a chick trapped in a potato sack dangling over a fire, then falling in, another guy get stabbed through the floorboards all over his body, then pulled beneath them to experience god knows what, and another lady get her head chopped in half. Jason doesn't like those teens. Now, whose gonna see this with me Friday?!

Producer Brad Fuller & stars Derek Mears & Jared Padalecki

Warners: Terminator: Salvation

This panel involved McG being charming and dealing well with the whole Christian Bale eats a DP alive thing. Pretty much everything he said, he said last month at the roadshow, and can be found here. God that guy's a character. He brought three big Terminator fans on stage to sit on the panel and "field questions" but then seemingly forgot about them. But hey, they got to meet McG and sit on stage at NY Comic Con! He also brought a dude up on stage to ask his question cause he was wearing a Cyberdyne t-shirt (see right). As for new information, McG did hint that they are trying to feature the T-800 as he was in the first film, not the Arnold of today, and all but confirmed Linda Hamilton appearing in some way.

McG addressing the Arnold issue

Check out EruditeChick's write up for her thoughts on McG. Very curious to see how this film turns out.

Summit: Knowing, Hurt Locker & Astroboy


Despite a somewhat lackluster panel & turnout, I'm still looking forward to all three of these films. From Knowing, we got treated to a 12 minute piece featuring Alex Proyas introducing two scenes. For details on these scenes, check out the write up someone sent into Aint It Cool. Long story short, both scenes feature a disaster that the numbers predict. The first is a plane crash, the second a subway crash. A SUBWAY CRASH. Thanks for showing that at New York Comic Con, Proyas, you jerk. Despite the urge I always have to laugh at Nicolas Cage whatever he does (have you SEEN National Treasure? Or Wicker Man? Or any Nic Cage film from the past 6 years?) the scenes were pretty cool. I have no clue if the movie will be awesome or crap, but at this point, I'm still on board for seeing it opening weekend. Although the 80 million people running around caught on fire in the plane crash scene was a little much. You'll know what I mean whenever ya'll get to see that bit. For the subway scene, click here.

We then got to see a 15 minute scene from The Hurt Locker, a bit hit from the Toronto Film Festival, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Took a while for me to get into it, but the clip actually ended up being pretty damn good, realistic & unpredictable. The basic premise of the scene was a soldier in Iraq disarming a bomb. It was extremely suspenseful, filled with a quiet, uncomfortable tension leaving all of us on the edges of our seats. After the clip they brought out the lead actor, Jeremy Renner. He knew what he was talking about, but I would recommend bringing out bigger guns if this film does any more convention appearences. There are some stars in the movie (Ralph Finnes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly) and the combo of this scene plus Renner plus someone who will draw a crowd, could help the movie make quite the noise at Wondercon.

Finally we got to see some concept art, stills and a scene from Astroboy. I don't know anything about Astroboy, but thought the footage of him flying around Metrocity was absolutely adorable. EruditeChick, who does know what Astroboy is, seemed pleased.


That about does it for panels. I popped into Robot Chicken to gaze lovingly at Seth Green, who earlier asked me where I got my Watchmen button, resulting in a one minute chat. I actually saw him all the time 1997-1999, but I was a kid then, so I doubt he'd recognize me. Which he didn't. Cause we chatted. And he didn't recognize me. Anyway. Also did some gazing at Milo Ventimiglia & Ed Westwick in the greenroom. Cute boys! Teehee! Before I had to leave the Robot Chicken panel, Seth Green talked about San Diego Comic Con during Buffy season 3 and how in order to walk the floor without being mobbed, he dressed up like Spiderman. Unfortunetly, word got out that he was dressed up and suddenly he was easy to spot because he was the short Spiderman - his plan totally backfired. Oh Seth, you so silly. Also popped into Venture Brothers for a second cause I don't watch the show, but we all had befriended Mike Sinterniklaas a couple nights before and I wanted to watch him in action.

That's all for Saturday! I'll try to add some photos from the floor later and expect Sunday's report sometime within the next 24 hours. See full post

Alien Trespass Featurette from NYCC '09!

Straight from the NYCC and posted on SciFi, the featurette everyone's been talking about. Enjoy!!!



For more on Alien Trespass, check out my Friday coverage of NYCC. See full post

****ing unprofessional. [comic con]

So I'm not a rabid Terminator fan or anything, but I still felt compelled to post about this.

McG's presentation of the new Terminator trailer was engaging and winning without being desperate, something he was rumored to be at the Butnumbathon, to the point of alienating- dare I say 'weirding out'- the audience. At the IGN, however, he was mostly funny and earnest, and came across as a director who's a fan trying to create an original work worthy of its canon while appeasing that canon's fans.

He also handled the Christian Bale Rage issue with good poise and, more importantly, good humor. The audience made this easy by playing along- there were no fans up-in-arms or soured by the actor's online record of bad behavior. The 'the trust of the set should not be compromised' line thrown out by McG could have played very poorly- as an actor, I've been in situations where tensions were running high and the process was getting rough, and tempers were lost and things said that otherwise wouldn't have been. I can imagine these situations I've experienced first hand being compacted by clinical anger-management issues and boom- thirty four f-bombs in four minutes. The audience seemed to accept it, though, which I thought was rather giving. My father, never a great believer in film acting as art, generally takes the view that what a lot of actors or James Liptons call 'being brave' is, in fact, doing their damn job. Likewise, getting through on a film set should not be something that inspires hissy-fits and breakdowns- but it's different when you're there. Additionally, Bale is well known for being an intense actor and presence on set, and McG brought up a point that I appreciated- he's making a war movie. This isn't an action romp; it's not aimed to fill a summer blockbuster fluff void. It is, much like the first two Terminator films, constructed as a war movie, a serious work aimed at examining a complex and serious situation.

Now, the presence of youths and giant spider-bots and motorcycle-droids sort of curbs my ability to believe the film will have the same sort of gravitas as the original, but Bale's weight is going to be felt, and hopefully act as a sort of counter-balance to the magnificent and plentiful desert explosions.

All this said my chief objection to the presentation and, indeed, the trailer itself is this: It's too damn long. Dismissing my general loathing of the way trailers are now cut to give away the entire plot and most of the good bits, the trailer was still too damn long. It was the Return of the King of trailers. I spotted four separate occasions where I thought, ah, good trailer, and had my thought interrupted by the fact that OH WAIT IT'S NOT DONE YET.

All in all, it was an inspiring and potentially winning presentation. But dear, God, McG, chop that epic down. See full post

New York Comic Con Wrap Up - Friday

What a weekend!

The whole All Things Fangirl staff attended the New York Comic Con this past weekend and had a fantastic time. As we were constantly going to panels, walking the floor and drinking hanging out with guests of the con in the after hours, none of us had time to update - apologies!

By now we've been scooped by all the blogs I read, but we Fangirls (and boys) still have our opinions, videos and pictures - so let the wrap up begin with Friday's events!


Alien Trespass



From the studio,

In 1957, a fiery object from space crashes into a mountaintop in the California desert, bringing the threat of disaster to Earth. From the flying saucer escapes a murderous creature - the Ghota - which is bent on destroying all life forms on the planet. A benevolent alien from the spaceship, Urp, inhabits the body of Ted Lewis - a local astronomer - and with the help of Tammy, a waitress from the local diner, sets out to save mankind. An homage to 1950's alien invasion movies with a visual style that masterfully revives the bright, Technicolor look of the era.

My favorite smaller panel of the Con, it's a shame more people didn't know about it, but the crowd that was there absolutely loved what they saw. The panel began with a hilarious featurette on the story behind the making of Alien Trespass. The idea is that this 1957 film, starring the grandparents of modern day actors Eric McCormack, Robert Patrick & Dan Lauria, which was set to be the greatest Sci Fi epic of its day, got the kabosh put on its release after a contract dispute. Now, 50 someought years later, it's been unearthed and will be released in theaters for the very first time this Spring! Most of the featurette, which had snippets of interviews with the "original actors", news footage from the 50s and clips covering the discovery of the film and what it means, can be viewed in segments on the Alien Trespass website. I definitely recommend heading over there and checking them out.


On hand to discuss Alien Trespass were director, R.W. Goodwin, of X Files fame, and Dan Lauria, one of the leads in the film. Here some tidbits they shared:

-The 3 50s sci fi films that Alien Trespass was most inspired by are The Day the Earth Stood Still, It Came from Outer Space, and The War of the Worlds.
-The monster in the film, The Ghota, looks like a 7 foot long penis with an eye in the middle. Woot!
-For the most part, Goodwin only used FX techniques that existed in the 50s. There is one CGI shot that Goodwin challenges us to find.
-The movie is not intended to be a spoof or "laugh riot", but rather a genuine recreation of a 1950s sci fi film. Any humor in the film is the kind of humor we see when we watch those kinds of movies today - totally inadvertent. Goodwin refers to his approach as "intentionally, inadvertently funny".
-The movie was shot over 18 days in Canada (because most of Goodwin's contacts & favorite people to work with are stationed there, due to his time on X-Files, NOT because the film is Canadian. Cause it's not Canadian, Variety.) and the cast had a fantastic time, to quote Lauria, they had "more fun than is legal."
-Dan Lauria appreciated the dedication & talent of the actors, who had no problem shooting scenes in one take, something common in the 50s, but a frightening notion to today's actors. Lauria recalls working on a project where he and a younger actor were asked to perform a 3 page scene all the way through, and when the younger actor freaked out about the length, Lauria assured him that 3 pages isn't long - Richard III is long. I thought that was BRILLIANT. Goodwin specifically sought out actors who had been trained in theater so he knew they could handle the lack of quick cuts.
-The film makes you feel like you are traveling "back to the 50s for 2 hours". But fear not, those with an aversion to long movies! It it runs only 88 minutes.

Below is one of my favorite clips on the making of Alien Trespass - it cracks me up - followed by a trailer. Enjoy!

P.S. If you're going to Wondercon in a couple weeks, Eric McCormack & Robert Patrick will be on the Alien Trespass panel, along with Goodwin. Can't wait!!

MTV Biggest Movie Badasses



This panel was pretty fun. Commenting on the choices were Method Man, James Toback, Judah Friedlander, and Chuck Nice. Odd. But it worked!

You can watch the full panel here, thanks to MTV, or, if you don't have time for such things, just check out the top ten list below.

10. Rambo
9. Boba Fett
8, Khan
7. Pike Bishop
6. Sarah Connor
5. Walker
4. Mad Max
3. John McClane
2. Ellen Ripley
1. See Below

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Interesting list, no? I'm ashamed that I've only seen four of these characters in action cause I've only seen Star Wars, the Terminator films, some Die Hard films & some Alien films. Oops. The crowd seemed a little confused at times since I'm pretty sure it was made up of mostly youngins. But I commend MTV for actually trying to pick the REAL movie badasses instead of just dishing out a list filled with Han Solos & Wolverines...though to me, Han Solo will always be the ultimate Badass. Mmm, sexy Han Solo badass. ... What was I talking about?

All in all a pretty fun panel, glad I went. Brought Friday's 30 Rock cast member spotting total to two. Scott Adsit was hanging out with his friend, artist Mark Brooks, and we chatted with them for a while, cause, how could you not?

As for the rest of the day, EruditeChick and I chatted it up with genius Peter David, I picked up book five of Scott Pilgrim and I finally scored one of those sweet as hell Bat Signal pens from the DC Universe booth (see right). I also tried out the Godfather Part Two game and wished I had any idea what I was doing cause it seems like it could be pretty fun if you have a grasp on any of it. Grand Theft Auto type engine + one of my favorite movies of all time = how could I not like it? Now I just need a video game console...

Stay tuned for write-ups on Saturday & Sunday of the con, featuring photos & video from the Warner's Panel (Watchmen, Terminator), Dollhouse & Fringe and some footage of EruditeChick winning the Marvel Debates at the Ultimate Alliance 2 booth! See full post

But It Doesn't Look That Scary

So, I'm walking the seven year old I babysit home from a playdate at Barnes and Noble where I refused to purchase for her a Teen Beat magazine spattered with the shining, nauseating faces of such artistic talents as Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers, when a bus rolls on by down W. 86th with an ad for WATCHMEN on the side.

My seven year old informs me, "I saw an add for Watchmen."

"Oh? Where?"

"On my tv."

"Cool!"

"Um, and I think- even though it showed all the scary parts I didn't think it was that scary!" Oh dear.

"Yeah, I think you're gonna have to wait a few years to see that one, kiddo." I, the uber proponent of comic books-over-whatever crap they're showing on the Disney channel. But I mean, dude, she's seven.

"But I watch 24!"

"Yeah, this is a little more violent and mature than that."

So as we're ascending the stairs to her apartment and I'm absently turning over the little Riddler lego keychain ornament attached to the ring with her apartment's keys on it, it occurs to me: Must tell kiddo's parent's not to let kiddo's older brother, recently turned twelve, to see Watchmen.

Now, twelve year old brother is a smart, mature kid who listens to real music and is a respectful and funny person. He watches 24 as well. He's seen the Daniel Craig Bond films and enjoyed them fully. But Watchmen is different. And even though it seems sort of exploitative, I'm now wondering if the rather intense nature of the film's violence, particularly the graphic nature of the rape scene, shouldn't be getting a little more publicity.

Seven and Twelve's parents are awesome people with their fingers on the pulse, but comic movies are probably not something they follow closely. Now, I'll tell them, and possibly if they bothered to google search it, some of those Gugino/GDM interviews would come up, but how many dads who took their tween sons to Dark Knight or the Bond flicks are going to think oh, Watchmen, yeah, that's dark and mature comic stuff like those new Batman movies, and take them to the show without realizing?

The opening sequence alone is graphic and mature beyond anything I've seen in a theater, lately. It's not just the violence on display, it's the fact that what's being shown are some of the darkest pieces of the American consciousness, reflections of our country's deepest and oldest hatreds. It's not cartoon violence, it's not even 'comic book' violence. It's hate crime and sexual violence, and from what we can see in those first eighteen minutes, Snyder's handling it with artistry and care, but also unflinchingly. As someone who's usually a big fan of 'show 'em early and talk about it and make them better people', with Watchmen?

I'm thinking the rating is something parents should actually adhere to. I mean, I can't think of a single person under the age of sixteen I think should be shown this movie. Thoughts? See full post

Fringe Ringtone? [Don't Mind If I Do!]

I forget where I initially found this, but it was on one of the wonderful blogs I check. Someone made the Fringe theme song into a ringtone which you can get here! Somehow! I don't understand technology!

Click for Fringey Fun

By the way, at NYCC this weekend, Fringe is now in the IGN theater with the WHOLE effing cast, coming on right after Joss' Dollhouse panel. Drooool. So much geek droooool. See full post

Forging a Better America [T minus a month and a day!]

I'm sure you've all seen this already, but I can't resist posting. I love this viral Watchmen stuff.



Oh Watchmen, how I love thee. Thou who came before Marvel's Civil War & Heroes' new Fugitives Arc. Only a month away, folks!!!

By the way, for some Watchmen delight, head to New York Comic Con this weekend. Dave Gibbons has a couple of panels - one on Saturday in the IGN theater with Warner Brothers and one on Sunday in 1A07 focusing on the art of the film. Head to the NYCC site for more info! See full post

How to Solve the World's Problems [All You Need is Cute]

Puppy Bowl V: The Kitty Half-Time Show 2009
Uploaded by TheDlisted

There's no way you could possibly disagree with me on this one. See full post

I Lego NY WINS [Cool!]

Just stumbled upon illustrator Christoph Niemann's foray into the Art of Lego. These are incredibly clever and mostly only understood if you know New York, but eh, they're awesome anyway. Couple of my favorites below!





Click here for more! See full post

Another Bipolar Movie Challenge!!

I love these too much. Time Out NY juxtaposed the video from one scene from one movie with the audio from a completely different scene from a completely different movie. Name both movies. Post your guesses in the comments section!

P.S. This week has my most favorite pairing of all time. Guess which one it is!

Last Bipolar Challenge Answers

1. Sleepless In Seattle / Dial M For Murder
2. Grease/American Beauty
3. The Hudsucker Proxy/Maltese Falcon
4. Halloween/Nosferatu
5. West Side Story/Gangs of New York
6. Magnolia/400 Blows
7. License to Kill/The Third Man
8. A Clockwork Orange/Full Metal Jacket
9. Clerks/Mighty Ducks
10. No Country for Old Men/Scarface (original) See full post

Meet the Team

Here is a continuing example of a game developer being truly in love with their game. Developer Valve (Portal, Half-Life) have been periodically releasing machinima promoting Team Fortress 2, a first-person shooter multiplayer game. Each video introduces one of the character classes that you can play in the game by giving you a sort of day-in-the-life. Christopher Guest-ish biopic of him. The game has an awesome classic spy movie vibe, and the cast is full of delightfully tongue-in-cheek stereotypes. I wish more developers took the time (or had the money to take the time) to do stuff like this. It gets you excited about the game all over again. Thank the gods that Valve were the ones who scooped up the people who made Portal, or we may have never gotten as much fangirl/boy love from that game as we have.

Anyway... take a look. I recommend Meet the Sniper and Meet the Scout to start you off. See full post

david's favorite things, volume 3940340.3

sooooo this is the bestest. i is lazy so i'm just going to copy and paste from a facebook message i wrote earlier, but it gives you all the details ya need.

so from the department of things that make me absurdly happy and have little appeal to anyone else but that i force upon them anyway...

so i'm not really a big sports guy but i've always been obsessed with the new york rangers (like, season tickets for life, obsessed). and ever since i was born this guy named al trautwig has been covering the team. now, mr. trautwig is pretty badass because he was in cool runnings and the whoopie goldberg masterpiece "eddie," and that's pretty much all someone needs to accomplish to consider their life a success as far as i'm concerned, but i have never, not once in 25 years... seen al talk about anything other than sports. but today, out of nowhere, that changed. something snapped. he just couldn't focus on his work anymore - he had to get something off his chest. so al made a video blog. about lost.

to give you an idea as to why i find this so brilliant, imagine if like... one of obama's weekly radio addresses was entirely about the hills, and not only that, but it was the most incredibly insightful analysis of the hills ever. that's how wtf this is for me. so yeah, here it is, i think you'll find it interesting, rangers obsession or not. maybe. just scroll down and watch the video.

See full post

The Bipolar Movie Challenge

From Time Out NY's Big Quiz Thing in October, the video round entitled Bipolar Movie Challenge. Audio from one film is placed over the visual from another film. Guess both films!

David and I played not 10 minutes ago and are pretty sure we got 18 out of 20 possible points between the two of us. Please guess in the comments section!!!





See full post

And the Best Actors Are! Not the Best Actors [Quick Thought]

So the movie that won Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards has not a single performance nominated for an Oscar and may well have the weakest acting in an Oscar film this year.

Update: From Erik Lundegaard's blog,

Even better was host Nathaniel R's live-blogging of the SAG noms, and his disappointment that "Milk" didn't win the cast award. I wrote about the SAGs this morning, but dispassionately, as Oscar indicators. Nathaniel helped push me off my fence. Because he's right. Both "Milk" and "Slumdog" are very good movies, and I'll be fine if "Slumdog" wins best picture, but if we're talking about ensemble cast acting, "Milk," with Penn, Franco, Hirsch, et al., has it all over "Slumdog," which is a director's movie. Freida Pinto is stunning, lovely to look at, and her part works, but... It ain't the same league.

And funny...he's not even a fangirl! See full post

How Traditionally Trained Are This Years Oscar Nominees?

What do these Oscar nominated actors have in common?

When Laura Linney was talking about getting to see old classmates at the SAG Awards, I wondered to myself "ooh, who?!" as well as "I wonder where she went to school" as well as "I wonder where this year's Oscar nominees went to school." Hence, this post.

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Richard Jenkins
Earned a degree in drama from Illinois Wesleyan University

Frank Langella
Graduated from Syracuse University in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama

Sean Penn
No college for Penn. Right out of Santa Monica High School, joined the Los Angeles Repertory Company. Got many roles through his parents, landed Taps on his own and the rest is history

Brad Pitt
Journalism major at the University of Missouri, acting in many of his fraternity's shows on the side. Left college two weeks before earning his degree to move to LA & take acting classes, studying with Roy London.

Mickey Rourke
Entered into professional boxing in his teenage years, never attending college. After getting cast in a friend's play and discovering his love for acting, moved to NY to study privately with a teacher from the Actor's Studio.


Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Josh Brolin
No college for Brolin. He trained with Stella Adler and Sandra Seacat and attended Film Industry Workshops. After making his feature acting debut, he went on to privately study with Pat George and Tony Miller.

Robert Downey Jr.
As a teen, attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York. Dropped out of Santa Monica High School in 1982 to move back to New York and pursue acting. No formal lessons.

Philip Seymour Hoffman
He received a BFA in drama in 1989 from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. (Hey, that's what EruditeChick and I did! Except not in 1989...) Specifically at NYU, studied with the Circle in the Square Theater. Same NYU graduating class as Rainn Wilson and they wrestled during their first year. Whatever that means.

Heath Ledger
Acted in shows since age 10 and began pursuing a career in the field after dropping out of high school at age 16

Michael Shannon
Dropped out of high school at 16 and immediately performed in his first professional play. Has been acting ever since.

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Anne Hathaway
Spent several semesters studying as an English major and Women's Studies minor at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York before transferring to New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, but dropped out before graduating.

Angelina Jolie
Studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in LA as a kid and appeared in many productions at Beverly Hills High. Started professionally acting & modeling during and right after high school, which she graduated early, at age 16. No college.

Melissa Leo
Studied Drama at Mount View Theatre School in London, England and later at the SUNY Purchase Acting Program, but did not graduate.

Meryl Streep
She received her B.A. in Drama at Vassar College in 1971 but also enrolled as a transfer student at Dartmouth College for a semester before that school had become coeducational. She subsequently earned an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama.

Kate Winslet
Winslet began studying drama at the age of eleven at the Redroofs Theatre School. By 16, Winslet had dropped out of high school and landed her first film role: the lead in Heavenly Creatures.

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams
Made the decision not to go to college after high school. Performed in community & dinner theater and struggled as an actress until landing her breakthrough role in Junebug at age 30. Studied with the Actor's Workshop in LA in the early 2000s.

Penélope Cruz
Did not complete high school, but went on to receive four years of Theatre training from Cristina Rota's school in New York. In addition, studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory and afterwards, continued training under a series of prominent dancers.

Viola Davis
Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the college. She also attended The Juilliard School for four years.

Taraji P. Henson
She first attended NC A&T where she started a major in Electrical Engineering. She later transferred to Howard University, where she graduated with a degree in Theater Arts.

Marisa Tomei
Attended Boston University for a year, transferring to NYU in 1983 after landing a role in the soap opera As The World Turns. Soon after, she dropped out of school altogether as her career began to take off.

Here's the tally!

Drama degrees: Richard Jenkins, Frank Langella, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson - 6



College Drop Outs: Anne Hathaway, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt - 4

High School Drop Outs: Robert Downey Jr., Heath Ledger, Michael Shannon, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz - 5



Began careers straight of high school: Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, Josh Brolin, Angelina Jolie, Amy Adams - 5


Huzzah, a degree in drama still wins! I feel better about myself now.

And in case you were wondering, Laura Linney went to Northwestern, Brown & Julliard and roomed with Jeanne Tripplehorn. All I could find. Darn!

See full post