Ken Lashley in New Superhero Movie...

[victory man]

KEN LASHLEY, the awesome comic book artist behind such great Marvel comics as X-Calibre (Age of Apocalypse) and Spiderman: Team-Up featuring the X-men, recently made a cameo appearance as himself in SIDEKICK, a new, original superhero movie now shooting in Toronto, Canada.

SIDEKICK is an indie production through and through, but it's got some pretty decent name talent involved and a great freakin' twist to boot.

Here's the synopsis:

Mild-mannered computer consultant Norman Neale has two great loves in this cruel world: Comic books and his office's effervescent main receptionist, Andrea Hicks. Norman spends his days dreaming of Andrea from the isolation of his cubicle and his nights dreaming of fighting crime from the solitude of his apartment.

Then one fateful day, Norman discovers that a fellow co-worker, Victor Ventura, a swaggering, pretty-boy salesman, has slight telekinetic abilities beyond his understanding. After discussing his mind-blowing discovery with his only friend Chuck, a know-it-all comic book store owner, Norman comes to the outlandish conclusion that he should train Victor to become a real-life superhero by helping him refine and expand his extraordinary ability. Norman envisions an exciting new future for himself battling the city's criminal elements as Victor's faithful sidekick.

But as Victor grows in power Norman is faced with the heartbreaking realization that not all people with extraordinary abilities are meant to be heroes.

So what's the twist? Well...instead of being your typical origin of a superhero film, SIDEKICK is...get this...an origin of a supervillain film. Kinda like how Lex Luthor became Lex Luthor.

Ken's cameo appearance is opposite DANIEL BALDWIN, the Baldwin brother from Homicide: Life on the Streets and John Carpenter's Vampires, who plays CHUCK, a sarcastic, eccentric comic book store owner.

SIDEKICK finishes shooting in a couple weeks. Look for it to be ready in the early fall. If you get the chance, check out the website. Lots of awesome pictures and a daily Film Diary (pix of Ken are in Day 10) written by cast and crew that's totally hilarious.

http://www.sidekickmovie.com

For more info on what Ken's doing now, check out his website for Draxhall, the comic book company he owns and founded (www.draxhall.com).

 

[Elijya]

interesting...


but I'm more curious who you are, newbie. Lashley himself? do you work for the movie company? the website?

 

[newnoiseimage]

Occupation screenwriter-producer

so definetely involved in the production, doing a little promotion now.

all in his/her profile.

 

[victory man]

Yep, I'm the writer-producer. And I'm not trying to hide it. This is a real superhero movie, made by people who love superhero movies. It's got great performances and great SFX. A lot of time and energy has gone into making this film and I want people to see it.

As it is, it's a difficult task for indie films to find an audience, but Sidekick has the unenviable task of finding an audience in a genre that's completely dominated by name franchises. I'm working at the grassroots promotional level, hoping to show distributors that there is room for films like this in the market place.

 

[LobokDaikon]

I had an idea just the other day sitting on the can that uses a similar premise. It focused around a sensei-type character who used his vast knowledge of comic books to train people with powers, and devise innovative ways to use those powers based on the pseudo-science of the comics that has apparently also invaded the real world.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Lashley's a great artist. Um... I guess that's all I got right now.

 

[Lactophiliac]

I live in Toronto, I'm going to the Toronto Film school too, why didn't you post this sooner, I would've loved to come by and check out the shooting, assuming that anyone would've let me.

 

[victory man]

Sorry Lacto...Sidekick started off real small at first, but as the word spread (enthusiasm is contagious you know) people kept joining up and I just got busier and busier and never really found the time to get the word out. We do have a few more shooting days left, though, so Email me through the site and I'll pass your name on to my production coordinator. We could use some help/extras I'm sure.

 

[victory man]

I can't believe it's been over 2 1/2 years since my last post in this forum. I also can't believe that I thought Sidekick would be ready by the fall of 2006. What a fool I was (am).

It actually took until June of 2005 until we had our first screening. From there, Sidekick went on to screen in film festivals all across North America - winning a bunch of award in the process. Then it was theatrically released with crazy awesome reviews (it's currently rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!) and now I'm back to tell you all that...

SIDEKICK is now in stores!

Maple Pictures (a spin-off of Lions Gate) released it this past Tuesday. I can't believe how weird it feels to go into a video store and see my movie on the shelf. And not just one copy either - I've been in Blockbusters where it has its own friggin' shelf. How crazy is that considering I shot this movie on credit cards and on weekends?

If you get the chance to check it out, please do. It was made by a superhero movie/comic book junky for other superhero movie/comic book junkies so it takes itself seriously. But it's funny, too.

Here's a quote from today's glowing Globe & Mail review...

"It also helps that every element of the film -- acting, direction, photography and particularly Matt Judge's musical score -- sustains a mood of giddy apprehension."

 

[Darthphere]

Lashley's a great artist. Um... I guess that's all I got right now.

LOL! Famous last words.

 

[GNR]

So this is based on Jenkins' book?

 

[victory man]

Nope, this is an original movie - not based on any comic...yet. Although it stinks that Jenkins called his comic SIDEKICK considering I've had that title for my movie since 2003. Now if I want to make it into a comic I'll probably have to change the comic title so there's no confusion. Still, I dig my movie and am blown away by the fact it's now available all across Canada - and on Amazon, too! If you get the chance to check it out, please do. And let me know what you think.

Speaking of Canada, if you live here, be sure to check out Hypa-Space on the Space channel this week. They're profiling the DVD release.

www.sidekickmovie.com

 

[victory man]

SIDEKICK is on TV!!!!

That's right, as of yesterday (Dec 29th), Sidekick is now available on Pay Per View (PPV) and Video on Demand (VOD) through both Rogers and Cogeco Digital Cable here in Canada. So now you can order Sidekick and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. How friggin' crazy is that?!

I know one day I'll get used to it, but I can't tell you how cool it was to dial in channel 100 on my Rogers' digital box and watch my trailer and film last night. I can't wait for the 1st TV Guide with Sidekick in it!

Hey, if you're looking for a nice Boxing Week/New Year's gift for yourself, why not pick up a copy of Sidekick for yourself? It's still available in stores or online at Amazon.ca!

www.sidekickmovie.com

 

[victory man]

BEYOND SUPER BIG NEWS!!!

SIDEKICK IS COMING TO DVD IN THE U.S.A.!!!

That's right, on June 10th, Warner Home Video will be releasing our dark, awesome, cool, original superhero movie in the good ole U.S. of A. I can't believe it. This is truly a dream come true. It's been 4 years of hard work (honestly, check out my posts!!!), but it was all worth it!

It's already available on Amazon.com for pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/Sidekick-Std-D...dp/B00180OU5M/

The DVD box art isn't up yet, but damn does it ever rock! I can't wait to show it to all of you.

MORE BIG NEWS: SIDEKICK has also been picked up in a whole bunch of international territories including Israel, India, Russia and the Middle East.

For more info, check out the official site:
www.sidekickmovie.com

 

[Anubis]

wwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

 

[victory man]

Thanks, Anubis!

And the DVD artwork is now up on Amazon.com. Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Sidekick-Std-D...dp/B00180OU5M/

 

[Alex Summers]

OP, your shill-like posts are lacking.

 

[victory man]

Thanks, Alex, very kind of you.

Look, all I'm trying to do is get the word out on a project I've spent years working on. And am actually quite proud of. If it bothers you, sorry. But look, I'm not a distribution company or studio. I don't have any cash behind me. All I have are forums like this, where I have an opportunity to reach out to people who might want to see my film. And the people that have seen it, seem to really dig it. It's kinda dark and cynical. You might like it, too.