Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Movieweb's Comic-Con Interview Video-O-Rama!

Movieweb.com has an OBSCENE amount of Comic-Con post panel interviews for all of the major studio roll-outs. Check it out here!

Variety's Post Comic-Con Coverage

Before my big, unwielding Comic-Con report hits the web, check out Variety's seriously immersive coverage of the entire event. It includes a huge array of photos and video content.

Comic-Con 2008 wrap and photos: in progress

I am currently going through all the Comic-Con photos I took last week to bring you, the viewer, "the best of the best of the best....with honors." I'm also in the process of writing my wrap-up of last weeks events in detail. A lot happened over the event's four and a half amazing days and nights, so I'll be posting a pretty large, full-sized account within the next day.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Must...get...to...convention...center...!

Once again time has been insanely short. Event, dinner, sleep, event, dinner, sleep. So no photo of the day yet. Tonight when things settle down I should be able to share more. Off to Comic-Con Sunday....the LAST day! NO!!!!!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Comic-Con Thursday photo of the day

Thursday really did turn into "Greatest American Hero" day.

The highly anticipated panel that would unveil the upcoming comic heralded William Katt and the artists behind the book. However when I arrived there and found a seat near the front, suddenly I spotted not only Katt, but Robert Culp and Connie Sellecca!!! It was a bonafide "GAH" reunion! I took plenty of photos, two of which are included here as Thursday's photos of the day. Afterwards Katt and Culp headed down to the Exhibit Hall to sign autographs at the table of Katt's independent comics company, Catastrophic Comics, that is sponsoring the run. These pics are from that.

Things have been so crazy since yesterday that I am just now bringing the blog up to date. However, now I really need to go to bed because tomorrow is the preview of "Terminator: Salvation" which I absolutely AM NOT going to miss! Today was the hotly anticipated "Watchmen" preview which unfortunately I missed due to a very full Hall H, even though I got in line an hour and fifteen minutes in advance. Apparently a lot of people couldn't get in because I spoke with someone a few hours later to learn he had gotten in line close to two hours out and he didn't even get in! Clearly the fans were lining up for this very, very, very early this morning. The presentation went on at 11:55am.

That's it, must go to bed. More on this tomorrow night.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Comic-Con Preview Night photo of the day

Here's Wednesday night's photo of the day. The Iron Monger from "Iron Man".

This full-sized iron giant stood tall at the Marvel booth. Preview night at Comic-Con 2008 was pretty insane. With a crowd equaling what one might experience during a Saturday afternoon, it was really hard just to get through the dense concentration of fanboys, especially around the mid exhibit hall area. Special one night only freebees were being tossed out to everyone and there was a stampede for a certain oversized, over-the-shoulder Wonder Woman carry bag they were giving out at the Warner Bros. booth. Luckily I managed to snag one because I followed a guy pushing a cart full of them towards the waiting masses. They in turn descended to scarf all of them up in five minutes. That would have been a nightmare for anyone with claustrophobia. I just took it in stride, being the four year veteran I am now. Bill's head exploded with amazement after just a half hour. Can't wait for him to check out more of the exhibit hall tomorrow.

Thursday is Day One, full-on. Going to bed now to get some sleep for what I'm sure will be another wall-to-wall people day. If this is what it's like now, I can't even imagine what Saturday will become. Again, stay tuned!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Comic-Con at last!!!

Bill is here, I am here (and soon Rebecca will be here), and now COMIC-CON BEGINS TONIGHT!!!

I'll be posting daily updates along with some select photos from each day. Tonight is preview night from 6 - 9pm. Stay tuned!!!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

X-bodybuilder penned to portray Arnold's Terminator

Just saw this article about former Austrian bodybuilder Roland Kickinger being cast as the original Terminator that John Connor comes across in the next year's "Terminator: Salvation". Everything about him is a perfect choice; not only his former profession and the fact that he's from Austria, but he bears a striking resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in fact portrayed him in the 2005 made for TV movie, "Run, Arnold, Run". Click on the photo to go to the article on Movieweb.com.

Much as some people are a little weary of McG in the director's chair, the fact that he is a huge, very respectful fan of the first two movies says a lot. I'll absolutely ride with this until I see otherwise. There is a big preview for "Terminator: Salvation" at Comic-Con this year and I can't wait to see what they roll out!

Here's another pic showing off his resemblance to Arnold. Nice!

"Dark Knight" tonight at midnight!

This is it, the day has arrived! Would usually head to the theater a half hour before showtime at The Arclight. But tonight, Rebecca and I want to get there around 11pm to take in the insane buzz. It's going to be a crazy party mix with a ton of people and incredible excitement. A two and half hour running time plus conversations happening afterwards, we probably won't get out of there until after 3am.

I'll be sleeping through work Friday but it'll be more than worth it.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

"Terminator: Salvation" teaser trailer

Check out the first teaser from next year's highly anticipated "Terminator" future war movie. Bring it on!!! This is what SHOULD have been made after "Terminator 2: Judgement Day". Burn the negatives for "Terminator 3"!!! Piece of crap! THIS has SO much more potential:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Happy Hour Creative: 3rd and 4th weeks

Things continue to be great at Happy Hour last week and now this, my fourth week.

I had the opportunity to cut a few extra trailer spots for the DVD release of "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian". Plus notes have been coming in from the studio, so in between I was making those changes. Yesterday and today I worked on a teaser for a new Wii game.

The big news is this: the head of the company spoke with me last week about further work after I return from Comic-Con, which he knows I'm attending. Right now they're looking to keep me busy through the rest of the summer which makes me very happy. But there was also mention of a long-term position with the company. He told me there had been some talk about how much they like me, love my work, and want to keep me around.

This is awesome news! And even though nothing is set in stone until they officially make me an offer and my name goes down on the dotted line, I'm feeling pretty positive about what seems likely to happen in the not too distant future.

But with the mentality that anything can happen in this business, I continue to push forward with my career. There was a listing on media-match.com yesterday for a feature film trailer editor at a post house I've never heard of before in Burbank called Bang Zoom! Entertainment. So last night and this morning I got my updated resume (with Happy Hour credits) and reel packaged up and in the mail by lunchtime.

Ultimately I feel that I'm in a perfect place of opportunity right now. Here I am at a fledgling trailer house, with editors and staff who migrated from Trailer Park, and I'm being recognized as 'a talent not given the proper chance yet'. This is what the head of Happy Hour told me last week, BTW. With the caliber of clients these guys continue to harness, the potential for me here, coming in on the ground floor at just the right time, can be limitless. And exactly what I ultimately hoped for: a staff position at a trailer house that works on top studio trailers.

Comic-Con 2008: SOLD OUT!

It's official: just a short while ago Comic-Con sold out for the entire four days! Wow! I'm actually surprised this didn't happen sooner, what with last year's sell-out the week before the event. However I'm sure a lot of folks purchased their memberships early just in case....like us!

Welcome to "Dark Knight" week!

It's almost here!!! The reviews have been nothing less then through the roof for "The Dark Knight". Many are saying the film does that rare thing of going way above the hype as opposed to falling short. Many shows were sold out a couple of weeks in advance and theaters keep adding more to answer the demand. Here in LA, The Arclight is cramming as many shows as they have auditoriums for a straight 24 hours throughout opening weekend! Right now all of the midnight screenings (there are 12 of them including The Dome!), as well as a number of Friday's and Saturday's shows, are sold out.

Over the weekend Rebecca and I saw "Iron Man" again. That was my fourth time. Just can't get enough of that movie! I have no doubt it'll go down as one of the two best superhero films of the year. Probably the best of this decade's comic book-to-screen adaptations. The other being "The Dark Knight".

Monday, July 7, 2008

"Hellboy II" screening with Guillermo del Toro Q&A

This Friday, Rebecca and I will be attending a special screening of "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" at The Arclight which will include an intro by Director Guillermo del Toro in person plus a Q&A after the show. I just happened upon this the morning I was desperately waiting for "Dark Knight" tickets to go on sale. It popped up suddenly on the schedule and I said 'sure, why not'. Glad I grabbed tickets when I did (only 10 seats had sold at that time) because only a few hours later the screening was sold out.

Week two at Happy Hour Creative

Last week was another great one at Happy Hour. Notes have been coming back from Disney for the "Prince Caspian" DVD spots a little at a time. However there's several individuals at the studio who are still in the process of viewing all twelve promos. Right now, today, we're in a holding pattern waiting for that feedback.

By last Wednesday I was being asked to not only return for this week we are beginning, but next week as well. Great news, as I've been really enjoying my time with these guys as I continue to build a solid repore. Plus this means I am now booked all the way up until the week of Comic-Con.

Two weeks from tomorrow I head down to San Diego to check into The Marriott, then hop over to the airport to pick up Bill.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

George Carlin's passing at age 71

I would be seriously remise if I didn't post about George Carlin's passing. I was very surprised when I heard the news. He was just one of those people who always seemed to be there and had no plans of going away anytime soon.

I first saw George Carlin on one of his many HBO specials back in the 70's. The only place, of course, where you could see him totally uncut. Frankly the only place on television where you could see him at all (for a long time anyway). I never had the pleasure of enjoying his act in person which I regret even more now.

In his forty-plus year career he was part of it all; concert halls, movies, television, books, albums. Plus, aside from his always straight-for-the-throat approach to this really strange world we live in, to many of us he will always be Rufus, the dude from the future who helps Bill & Ted achieve their excellent adventure.

Click on the photo above for an AP article about his memorial service. I very much appreciated the fact that, on the Saturday after he died, NBC re-ran the very first Saturday Night Live episode from 1975 which he hosted.

Comic-Con: three weeks from today!

We are fast approaching the event of the summer for me and 125,000 other people! Can't wait for Bill to arrive and the fun to begin. And I'm really glad I booked our arrival time for Tuesday afternoon. That will give us time to just relax Tuesday night as opposed to rushing in, getting settled, then heading over to the convention center for Preview Night on Wednesday from 6 - 9pm.

I'm really looking forward to waking up on the first day, throwing the curtains open, and saying "IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!" as I look down upon the throngs of people heading for the door. Plus I can't wait for show Bill all the cool stuff this GI-NORMOUS event has to offer!