Via Yahoomovies, 8/16/2012

‘Cosmopolis’ director gives ‘Dark Knight Rises’ a bad review

By Claudine Zap | Movie Talk – 1 hour 53 minutes ago

(photo:Getty Images/Warner Bros. Pictures)Count out one fan of "The Dark Knight Rises." The indie filmmaker David Cronenberg slammed supporters of the movie who call the blockbuster art, saying," I don't think they know what the f--k they're talking about."

The director was speaking to MTV to promote his new film, "Cosmopolis," starring "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson as a young billionaire whose rarefied world unravels in just one day.

[SLIDESHOW: 'Cosmopolis' New York City premiere]

Cronenberg's scathing words were picked up by the Hollywood Reporter and have been catching buzz.
In the interview, the filmmaker, who did direct a movie based on a graphic novel, "A History of Violence," elaborated on his opinion of the caped crusader.
"I don't think they are making them an elevated art form. I think it's still Batman running around in a stupid cape. I just don't think it's elevated. (Director) Christopher Nolan's best movie is 'Memento,' and that is an interesting movie. I don't think his Batman movies are half as interesting though they're 20 million times the expense."

[Related: Robert Pattinson set to play Lawrence of Arabia]

Tiffs over movie content aren't new, of course. Spike Lee famously called out Quentin Tarantino ("Pulp Fiction" and the upcoming "Django Unchained") for using the N-word too much in his movies and wanting to be "an honorary black man."
For his part, Cronenberg did acknowledge that he respected Nolan's mastery of IMAX technology, calling it "really tricky and difficult to do." But he added that the movie was "boring." "A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it's comic book. It's for kids. It's adolescent in its core."
But perhaps the director would be fine channeling his inner adolescent. He admitted, "As an actor, I would play Batman."

Via Yahoo...

Ben Affleck approached to direct ‘Justice League’

By Claudine Zap

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By Claudine Zap | Movie Talk – 2 hours 39 minutes ago

(Photo: Jim Spellman)It will take a super director to take on the superhero team movie "Justice League." Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has approached Ben Affleck to lead the DC comic book project.

Affleck isn't Joss Whedon, the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" wunderkind who directed the megahit "The Avengers." And he's not Christopher Nolan, who brought back Batman in the "Dark Knight" trilogy's stunning reboot -- and who already said 'no' to a 'Justice League' movie.
But the 39-year-old Affleck is a successful director ("The Town"), an Oscar-winning writer ("Good Will Hunting"), and an actor who even suited up as Superman in the biopic about George Reeves (who played the superhero on TV) in "Hollywoodland."

[Related: Find showtimes and tickets for movies near you]

Similar to the Marvel comic book-based "Avengers," "Justice League" would star a team of superheroes. Headliners could include the DC comic book characters Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash.
"Justice League" chatter comes along with news that Whedon has agreed to direct the "Avengers 2" movie.
Interest in "Justice League" on the Web sent a storm of comments to Twitter, leading the movie title to become a trending topic. Comments included, from
Steven Weintraub @colliderfrosty, "Ben Affleck has proven himself to be a great director. If he wants to do Justice League, I'm all for it."
ErikDavis @ErikDavis joked, "I will only back an Affleck-directed 'Justice League' movie if all the superheroes have thick Boston accents."
Seth Grahame-Smith @sethgs added, "For those who say there's no chance for peace in our time -- a Marvel character might direct a Justice League movie."
The Marvel character Affleck played is one project the actor might prefer people forget. The star took on the role of "Daredevil," a movie that he told MTV led him to swear off superhero films.
But Affleck's superhero past doesn't seem to bother Warner Bros. Sources told Variety that the actor and director is the only candidate to receive Will Beall's script.
Not that anything's certain. Variety says talks will happen in the coming days. One point to possibly iron out: Affleck has said in the past that he'd direct only movies in which he could also star. So could the A-lister be slipping into a spandex outfit for justice?
SlashFilm doesn't think so, pointing out that the director of "Argo" told England's Daily Record in 2010, "If there's anything I can promise you, it's that the years of superhero are behind me."
But directing a bunch of superheroes could be in Affleck's future.

For Obama and Romney, Gay Green Lantern Could Provide Guidance

For Obama and Romney, Gay Green Lantern Could Provide Guidance
Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Ron Hart | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Fri, Jun 1, 2012
COMMENTARY | As Mitt Romney and Barack Obama gear up their campaigns and rally their bases (such as they are), I hope they both are looking to the story line of a B-Level comic book hero for instruction.
Today, one of DC Comics oldest characters, Green Lantern "came out" as gay. It seems to be largely a non-story. Indeed, the series author, James Robinson, said that Green Lantern's sexuality will not be part of upcoming story lines. Presumably, it would seem, because few really care.
On a recent episode of Real Time, Bill Maher spoke on how Americans increasingly aren't opposed to gay marriage. His basic premise was that President Obama's recent support of gay marriage was the right thing to do politically. Maher said, in part, "Of course, there are still millions of people in America who think that homosexuality offends God, or that pot leads to hard drugs. But, they mainly belong to a specific demographic called "people who will be dead soon.' "
Two specific incidents in my daughter's young life come to mine that give me optimism about the future of our society, even as a straight white man.
One occurred the morning after the 2008 election, when I realized that she would never wonder whether our country would elect an African American president. The other came was the morning in New York City in June of 2011. The night before had been marked by loud cheers on the streets. She asked what all the noise was about. My wife and I delicately began to explain what gay marriage was. When I asked her if she knew what 'gay' meant, her eight year old eyes squinted and said, "yeah…of course."
When I explained that they could now marry if they wanted to, she seemed confused and said, "Who would tell them not to?"
While certainly there is still a block of voters to be had by lamenting the fact that there is now a gay comic book super hero, that block is, to paraphrase Bill Maher, dying by the day.
DC Comics knows it will not lose one net customer of their comic books based on the fact that one of their long time characters is gay. If any groups plan to protest DC Comics, or boycott their products, it seems certain the fallout would be so small as to not matter to their bottom line.
Barack Obama has seemed to realize he won't either lose one vote as he somewhat haltingly supports gay marriage. He should state it forcefully now, and in the process take it off the table as a major issue in presidential politics. In turn, Mitt Romney would be well advised to strop defining marriage as something between "one man and one woman". His grandfather did not agree, and I suspect his grandchildren someday will not agree either.

Green Lantern relaunched as brave, mighty and gay

Green Lantern relaunched as brave, mighty and gay
Associated PressBy MATT MOORE | Associated Press, June 1, 2012

 
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Green Lantern, one of DC Comics' oldest and enduring heroes no matter what parallel earth he's on, is serving as a beacon for the publisher again, this time as a proud, mighty and openly gay hero.
The change is revealed in the pages of the second issue of "Earth 2" out next week, and comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in the pages of comic books from Archie to Marvel and others.
But purists and fans note: This Green Lantern is not the emerald galactic space cop Hal Jordan who was, and is, part of the Justice League and has had a history rich in triumph and tragedy.
Instead, said James Robinson, who writes the new series, Alan Scott is the retooled version of the classic Lantern whose first appearance came in the pages of "All-American Comics" No. 16 in July 1940.
And his being gay is not part of some wider story line meant to be exploited or undone down the road, either.
"This was my idea," Robinson explained this week, noting that before DC relaunched all its titles last summer, Alan Scott had a son who was gay.
But given "Earth 2" features retooled and rebooted characters, Scott is not old enough to have a grown son.
"By making him younger, that son was not going to exist anymore," Robinson said.
"He doesn't come out. He's gay when we see him in issue two," which is due out Wednesday. "He's fearless and he's honest to the point where he realized he was gay and he said 'I'm gay.'"
"It was just meant to be — Alan Scott being a gay member of the team, the Justice Society, that I'll be forming in the pages of 'Earth 2,'" he said. "He's just meant to be part of this big tapestry of characters."
It's also another example of gay and lesbian characters taking more prominent roles in the medium.
In May, Marvel Entertainment said super speedster Northstar will marry his longtime boyfriend in the pages of "Astonishing X-Men." DC comics has other gay characters, too, including Kate Kane, the current Batwoman.
And in the pages of Archie Comics, Kevin Keller is one of the gang at Riverdale High School and gay, too.
Some groups have protested the inclusion of gay characters, but Robinson isn't discouraged, noting that being gay is just one aspect to Scott.
"This guy, he's a media mogul, a hero, a dynamic type-A personality and he's gay," Robinson said. "He's a complex character."
___
Follow Matt Moore at http://www.twitter.com/mattmooreap
___
Online:
DC Comics: http://www.dccomics.com/


http://news.yahoo.com/green-lantern-relaunched-brave-mighty-gay-070052544.html

Slovak Batman lends helping hand

Slovak Batman lends helping hand (from REUTERS; March 10, 2012)

Zoltan Kohari, 26, lives alone in an abandoned building in Dunajska Streda, Slovakia, without water, heat or electricity. For local residents he became known as the hero in a Batman's costume. While he has not fought crime yet, he does what he can to help residents to make their daily life easier.

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1. Photo By RADOVAN STOKLASA/REUTERS Thu, Mar 8, 2012

Spider-Man Musical ruined by Supervillians!

Julie Taymor claims there was a 'Spider-Man' plot

By MARK KENNEDY | Associated Press – 1 hr 57 mins ago

Related Content

• Enlarge Photo FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2010 file photo, Julie Taymor, director of the musical "Spider-Man: …

NEW YORK (AP) — Director Julie Taymor has hit back at her former creative partners in "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark," arguing in court papers that she was the victim of a conspiracy to unfairly push her out of the production and that her one-time collaborators were secretly working on a rival script behind her back.

Taymor's legal team on Friday defended the Tony Award winner against claims in an earlier countersuit from producers, the latest installment in their bitter legal battle over financial rewards for Broadway's most expensive show.
"While secretly conspiring to oust Taymor and use and change her work without pay, the producers also fraudulently induced Taymor to continue working and to diligently make improvements," her team alleges.
Taymor, who was the original "Spider-Man" director and co-book writer, was fired in March after years of delays, accidents and critical backlash. The show, which features music by U2's Bono and The Edge, opened in November 2010 but spent months in previews before officially opening a few days after the Tony Awards in June. It has become a financial hit at the box office.
Producers shot back late Friday. "It's very disheartening for the former director of the show to take no responsibility for the consequences of her actions while, at the same time, trying to claim credit for the show's success," Dale Cendali, an attorney for the producers, said in a statement.

In November, Taymor slapped the producers — led by Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris — as well as Glen Berger, her former co-book writer, with a federal copyright infringement lawsuit, alleging they violated her creative rights and haven't compensated her for the work she put into the $75 million show. In January, the producers' filed a counterclaim asserting the copyright claims are baseless. The latest salvo is Taymor's team responding to that counterclaim.

In the legal filing, Taymor claims she was ousted not because she wasn't willing to cooperate with changes but simply to appease investors, sway critics to the idea that the show was being fixed, bilk her of royalties and "mask the producers' own failures."
The document says she was fired during a lunch meeting at The Lamb's Club restaurant by the producers, Bono and The Edge. Playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was hired to work on the book and Philip William McKinley stepped in to direct.
The filing quotes from emails between her and the producers, Berger and Bono and The Edge, painting a picture of a creative team very supoortive of Taymor's direction and vision. She also claims she had no part in the accidents that injured actors and embarrassed the production and that Bono and The Edge's frequent absences from the theater "hampered timely improvements."
The filing describes a behind-the-scenes atmosphere that was secretive and slightly paranoid. Taymor alleges that Berger was told to quietly work on changes to the story without Taymor's knowledge — called "Plan X" — that in an email Berger complained led him to lead a "double life" — both working with and against Taymor.

The document quotes Berger in an email to Bono complaining that "it's a bit draining" working for hours with Taymor "on scenes I know in my heart-of-hearts are wrong." Taymor claims she was unaware of any alternative story line until after being fired and yet she was to have final approval on the musical's book.

The stunt-heavy show has been doing brisk business ever since it opened its doors and most weeks easily grossing more than the $1.2 million the producers have indicated they need to reach to stay viable. Over the Christmas holiday, the show earned the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history.

Taymor alleges that the show has not been re-imagined and that what audiences are seeing at the Foxwoods Theatre is essentially the same show she directed. "The producers' current suggestion that they have created a 'new' show after a mere three-week shutdown is false and incredible," the filing says.

New Watchmen Series! Issues of Fidelity Abound!

From Brian Truitt, USA Today, Feburay 1, 2012

DC gives Watchmen a graphic past

By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Updated 2/1/2012 11:57 AM

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The masked vigilante Rorschach was originally created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons in the original 1980s Watchmen series.

Who watches the Watchmen? This summer, it will again be a legion of comic-book fans.

Under its DC Comics banner, DC Entertainment is reviving characters from the beloved and seminal graphic novel Watchmen for seven prequels collectively titled Before Watchmen.

The comics will feature all of the heroes — and anti-heroes — who writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons created in the 1986-87 Watchmen series, which was later collected as a graphic novel. Those characters will star in miniseries by some of the company's top writers and artists, including:

•Rorschach by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo

•Comedian by Azzarello and artist J.G. Jones

•Minutemen by writer/artist Darwyn Cooke

•Silk Spectre by Cooke and artist Amanda Conner

•Nite Owl by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artists Joe and Andy Kubert

•Dr. Manhattan by Straczynski and artist Adam Hughes

•Ozymandias by writer and original Watchmen editor Len Wein with art by Jae Lee

Issues will be released so that there will be a new one every week, and each will include two pages of a separate, continuing backup story, Curse of the Crimson Corsair, by Wein, with art by Watchmen colorist John Higgins. A single-issue Before Watchmen: Epilogue will also be a part of the prequel series, featuring several of the writers and artists involved.

According to the Guinness World Records, Watchmen is the best-selling graphic novel of all time, with more than 2 million copies sold. However, Azzarello first read the series when it came out monthly in the '80s and was a huge fan 10 years before he broke into the industry.

Azzarello says he "dropped the phone" when DC co-publisher Dan DiDio called him last summer and asked if he'd write the fan-favorite character Rorschach, the vigilante clad in a mask with shifting ink blots who investigates the death of his old friend, The Comedian, in the original Watchmen story.

"He's the face. The guy who covers his face is the face of the franchise," Azzarello says. For the four-issue Rorschach series, he's teaming again with Bermejo, the artist from his Joker graphic novel.

"You're going to get the Rorschach that you know and want. It's a very visceral story we're going to be telling,'' Azzarello says.

Set in a bleak version of 1980s America where Richard Nixon is still president and powered beings have changed the fabric of society but are now considered outlaws, Watchmen created a legion of fans with its rich storytelling and deconstruction of the superhero genre. The phrase "Who watches the Watchmen,'' spray-painted on buildings in the original book, has become iconic.

Many of those readers view Watchmen as a sacred text that shouldn't be touched. Moore himself publicly stated that he wanted nothing to do with the 2009 movie adaptation by director Zack Snyder, or any sequels or prequels.

Gibbons, who was an adviser on the movie, has given his blessing. "The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC's reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire," he says in a statement.

That approval, however, isn't as important as making sure all the Before Watchmen books work on their own, Azzarello says. What's key is "that we all get in there and we tell the best possible stories we can and we reconnect these characters. It's 25 years later. Let's make them vital again."