The Talon

[The Incredible Hulk]

Trip and I are sitting in a SV panel that's about to start. We met Michael today. Yay! He's awesome btw.
Wish you guys were here!

Oh got the PMs. Will work on it.

Nice. did you get pics?

 

[triplet]

Nice. did you get pics?

I got some great images of fans and their sometimes whacky and sometimes surprisingly good costumes, won't post those, but Michael came down off the stage and walked into the room and was two feet away from me talking on a wireless mic.

I did get some images of him.

He's funny and charming and even better looking in person than on TV.... he was looking great and he's COMPLETELY AWESOME!!!



I made a fool of myself several times, so I apologize to anyone who was there about that...

I completely failed at asking a good question, I was a nervous wreck and he flustered me....

*facepalm and blushes with shame*

More later, but I did get what looked like some pretty good images of MR when he came into the crowd during the Q&A...

I'll post the best of them later, maybe look into writing up something for Craig about it... he never replied to that email, though, so I'm not sure if he wants something, but MR basically said that he won't be back, that the network was "lying" about the possibility, but I don't have an exact quote...



I'm not surprised, but sad nonetheless.

I'll definitely post more later.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

was he saying that coyly or tongue in cheek? Or was he dead serious? Seems odd that for the same role he is completely ruling out in his future, he's now attending fan panels at Cons and talking about.

 

[JackMercy]

I don't often quote myself, but...

Folks, let me clarify a few things for those that are finding it a bit bumpy on this wild ride we've been on lately...

I wouldn't hold out hope for seeing any Rosey guesting until perhaps the very end (whenever that may be...) -- and even then it'll likely come down to a matter of moolah and mindset, if you get my drift... That way you can be pleasantly surprised in case he does make it back -- but if I were a bettin' man, I would put very few of my chips in that basket...for now...

 

[triplet]

was he saying that coyly or tongue in cheek? Or was he dead serious? Seems odd that for the same role he is completely ruling out in his future, he's now attending fan panels at Cons and talking about.

I don't know... He might have been teasing, but it's hard to tell with him.

He was just havnig fun and he was really cute with this one little girl named Mari...

Michael's adorable.

 

[The Caped Knight]

'The Dark Knight' swings past $500 million mark

By DAVID GERMAIN,
AP
Posted: 2008-08-31 13:40:50
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Batman's rich alter-ego Bruce Wayne has added half a billion dollars to his riches.

"The Dark Knight" on Sunday became the second movie in Hollywood history to top $500 million at the domestic box office, raising its total to $502.4 million, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros.

The film hit that mark in just over six weeks, half the time it took "Titanic," which reached $500 million in a little more than three months. "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster, remains No. 1 on the domestic charts with $600.8 million.

Despite its brisk pace, "The Dark Knight" is not expected to approach the total for "Titanic," which put up smaller numbers week after week but lingered at the top of the box office for months.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects "The Dark Knight" to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million if business persists as strongly as it has.

"I keep raising the number because it just keeps holding better than expected," Fellman said.

"The Dark Knight" will climb to about $505 million by Labor Day, the conclusion of Hollywood's busy summer season. That amounts to nearly one-eighth of Hollywood's overall summer revenue of $4.2 billion, which edges the previous summer record of $4.18 billion set last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Factoring in today's higher admission prices, "The Dark Knight" would need to take in about $900 million to match the number of tickets sold by "Titanic."

Labor Day weekend was generally sleepy at theaters, with a rush of new movies failing to find much favor with audiences. Through Sunday, Paramount's comedy "Tropic Thunder" remained No. 1 for the third straight weekend with $11.5 million.

The 20th Century Fox sci-fi thriller "Babylon A.D." with Vin Diesel debuted in second place with $9.7 million, while Overture Films' espionage drama "Traitor," starring Don Cheadle, opened at No. 5 with $7.9 million.

Premiering at No. 7 was Lionsgate's spoof flick "Disaster Movie" with $6.2 million. MGM's campus comedy "College" opened well outside the top 10 with $2.1 million.

The top 12 movies took in $75.2 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Halloween" opened with $26.4 million.

"This is kind of an inauspicious end to a really incredible summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "We limped past the finish line."

http://movies.aol.com/news/story/_a/dark-knight-swings-past-500m-mark/n20080831134009990020

As a Hardcore Batman fanboy I'm so proud of what Christopher Nolan & his crew have done with The Batman film Franchise . If he does decide to do a third movie. I wish him the best of luck . Because it's going to be very hard to top The outstanding Performance Heath Ledger gave as The Clown Prince Of Crime : THE JOKER in THE DARK KNIGHT .

Congratulation on TDK swing pass the $500 Mark in record breaking time . And become the top Superhero movie of all time as well as second largest film domestically .

THE DARK KNIGHT

Domestic: $502,421,000
Foreign: $416,700,000
Worldwide: $919,121,000

 

[KBX]

It amazes me how the WB can get so many simple things wrongs, from top to bottom, and get a movie so right....

it baffles the mind... really...

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

'The Dark Knight' swings past $500 million mark

First off, you sort of defeat the point of "bold" when you bold the entire article.

Second, I dont get the hang up on being happy about how much a film makes? Outside of it making enough to justify a sequel, I dont see why fanboys care? Unless you get a cut of the profits if it hits $900 million, I dont get the reason to be excited? Is it some kind of competition thing?

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

dbl post

 

[COMPO]

fans just want it to be the highest grossing and to do well on the other hand i wouldnt mind a share of that. lol

 

[triplet]

Okay, got a couple of pictures here...

At my photo op with Michael (thanks to Serene who thought to get me the ticket) I told Michael that I wrote reviews for the show and that I loved him.

So, he said, "So, did you write only good things about me?"

Stupidly, I was honest and said that I hadn't... I did give him a few bad reviews...

He seemed a bit confused, I felt embarrassed, it was like my brain had disconnected from my mouth and I was just saying stuff without really thinking about it.

*facepalm*

So, later that afternoon when I got up to ask my question at the Q&A of his panel, he brings it up and asked what it was that I'd said about him, I actually told him he phoned it in during Bizarro.

He seemed to take that well since he agreed and even made a reference to it the next day during the panel with James Marsters as a joke..

So, the mildly embarrassing moment over, I did find out what I wanted to find out, I asked him what his favorite memory was of working on Smallville and he said that he would miss doing his warm up for the cast and crew every morning. He would do a stand-up act...

I don't think I'd heard that before.

He was awesome and adorable.

I wish I'd gotten a picture of him and James Marsters on the panel the those two guys did together... they were both very funny.

 

[Serene]

Okay, got a couple of pictures here...

Stupidly, I was honest and said that I hadn't... I did give him a few bad reviews...

He seemed a bit confused, I felt embarrassed, it was like my brain had disconnected from my mouth and I was just saying stuff without really thinking about it.

*facepalm*

So, later that afternoon when I got up to ask my question at the Q&A of his panel, he brings it up and asked what it was that I'd said about him, I actually told him he phoned it in during Bizarro.

He seemed to take that well since he agreed... .

I was bordering shocked and laughing, but seriously... Michael was laughing it up and very LOUDLY agreed with you that HELL YES, I PHONED IT IN! LOL... he really didn't seem offended in the slightest.

Hey, I was just going to PM you and send you some of the other pictures from DC - the crazy costume ones. I don't know if you've seen or not, but just like I said would happen, the Q&As are up on youtube. I've never seen a con that was so lax about taking pictures or video during panels. That was really cool. I think because it was a general con and not a fandom specific con - where people can be really strict about that kind of thing.

What a riot. Everyone should definitely consider doing at least one Dragoncon in their lifetime. It's really a bit like Mardi Gras for sci-fi fantasy geeks. - yes, exposed boobs and all (costumed), but minus the daytime drunks. Triplet and I were talking to the woman who was in charge of the Amercian sci-fi program and she's really hoping to expand the SV track next year.

We did attend one general SV panel Friday evening. I didn't really know anyone on the panel, except the guy from House of El podcast. He seemed really cool, which means that I'll probably have to actually check out his site a bit more. Like I need more SV sites in my rotation.

Btw, triplet and I found not one but TWO Clark Kent's in full red jacket/blue t-shirt/slicked hairdos (they were with a Chloe and a Lois). Too bad I'm so horribly unphotogenic or I'd post the picture.

Here are a couple of my pics. There were a ton of superhero costumes there.

 

[Lighthouse]

I'll post the best of them later, maybe look into writing up something for Craig about it... he never replied to that email, though, so I'm not sure if he wants something, but MR basically said that he won't be back, that the network was "lying" about the possibility, but I don't have an exact quote...

If this is true, my interest in Smallville has just dropped considerably. I've been fighting it, but man, I'm sad at how disinterested I am in this season of Smallville. Lex and Clark begun the journey together, and they should end it together. I like Tom but come on! We don't have Ma Kent, Pa Kent, Lex, Pete, or Lana anymore. The ending I've been so looking forward to just keeps diminishing.

 

[Cmill216]

That's awesome, you two! Thanks for posting!

And Mike being honest about himself totally raised his cool points stock.

 

[triplet]

If this is true, my interest in Smallville has just dropped considerably. I've been fighting it, but man, I'm sad at how disinterested I am in this season of Smallville. Lex and Clark begun the journey together, and they should end it together. I like Tom but come on! We don't have Ma Kent, Pa Kent, Lex, Pete, or Lana anymore. The ending I've been so looking forward to just keeps diminishing.

Oh, I'd give it a chance...

Michael was awesome and I'm going to miss him, but he did make a good point when asked about why he left. There was really no where else for Lex to go. He was evil by the time he left.

Michael seemed happy and relaxed and he has a film that he's trying to package right now, he said he'd need the co-star he's looking for and then he'll have be able to get the financing he needs.

He's going to be fine and I'm glad for him, he seemed to be a really nice guy so I wish him nothing but the best.

I was bordering shocked and laughing, but seriously... Michael was laughing it up and very LOUDLY agreed with you that HELL YES, I PHONED IT IN! LOL... he really didn't seem offended in the slightest.

Hey, I was just going to PM you and send you some of the other pictures from DC - the crazy costume ones. I don't know if you've seen or not, but just like I said would happen, the Q&As are up on youtube. I've never seen a con that was so lax about taking pictures or video during panels. That was really cool. I think because it was a general con and not a fandom specific con - where people can be really strict about that kind of thing.

What a riot. Everyone should definitely consider doing at least one Dragoncon in their lifetime. It's really a bit like Mardi Gras for sci-fi fantasy geeks. - yes, exposed boobs and all (costumed), but minus the daytime drunks. Triplet and I were talking to the woman who was in charge of the Amercian sci-fi program and she's really hoping to expand the SV track next year.

We did attend one general SV panel Friday evening. I didn't really know anyone on the panel, except the guy from House of El podcast. He seemed really cool, which means that I'll probably have to actually check out his site a bit more. Like I need more SV sites in my rotation.

I'm glad Michael took that well, not sure why I said that, but he seemed to think it funny so I guess it was okay...



And you are beautiful, Serene... "not photogenic" my ass...



*hugs*

I had a great time. Thanks for suggesting I come.

That's awesome, you two! Thanks for posting!

And Mike being honest about himself totally raised his cool points stock.

Michael was awesome, truly.

He made fun of himself and of the show, but he was tender and thoughtful too... The show did mean something to him, clearly, but he knew how ridiculous it would get too.

He is a smart guy and I will miss him on the show, but I think he's right too, it's time Lex left. I think the show will now be able to go places they hadn't been able to go before because of him and Kristin leaving.

I look forward to this season.

 

[triplet]

Interesting comments on Deadline Hollywood Daily about how poorly the second airing of The CW's show 90210 fared:

At troubled stepsister The CW, other media inexplicably haven't fussed over the dramatic falloff of 90210's follow-up to its Tori Spelling-less opener -- but I will. When 90210 can't beat in its 2nd original airing what the old WB's Gilmore Girls got in its reruns, it's time for Moonves to fire UPN-turned-CW boss Dawn Ostroff.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/double-trouble-inside-network-fall-skeds/

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Cmill216]

"it's time"?

It was time two years ago.

 

[triplet]

"it's time"?

It was time two years ago.

Yeah, that was a serious understatement.

*sigh*

The thing is, however, how comitted is Moonves to giving The CW another year? If they need to rebuild their schedule, then firing her now is too late.

Unless how they're promoting their slate is the problem.

Their marketing decisions probably haven't helped considering how much they've poured into promoting 90210 and Gossip Girl and how they have virtually ignored their two best scripted shows, Smallville and Supernatural.

 

[Mikelus]

SV should remain their number one show, 90210 is going down hard, so maybe SV will get more promotion in the near future.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Interesting comments on Deadline Hollywood Daily about how poorly the second airing of The CW's show 90210 fared:



http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/double-trouble-inside-network-fall-skeds/

I couldn't agree more.

Interesting article, I didnt realize Sarah Connor Chronicles did so poorly in the ratings last week, or that 24 production had been shut down.

As for the CW, I could have told you months ago that 90210 would spit the bit after its hot opening when people saw that it was really just garbage with the 90210 label.

Ostroff was a weak choice to run CW to begin with. She had no prior success on UPN outside of America's Next Top Model. She basically had Everybody Hates Chris forced on her. Everything else from there that was even semi-successful like Smackdown or Veronica Mars, were there long before she was. She even had a spotty record when she was over at Lifetime Network. It looks like she's been failing upwards for years. Gotta love Hollywood.

 

[triplet]

Interesting article, I didnt realize Sarah Connor Chronicles did so poorly in the ratings last week, or that 24 production had been shut down.

Both 24 and Dollhouse have shuttered production for up to six weeks to fix some script problems.

Not a good sign for Whedon's new skein, I think... and Steven DeKnight is working for his old boss, so I hope this series lasts longer than Viva Las Vegas did for him...

As for the CW, I could have told you months ago that 90210 would spit the bit after its hot opening when people saw that it was really just garbage with the 90210 label.

Ostroff was a weak choice to run CW to begin with. She had no prior success on UPN outside of America's Next Top Model. She basically had Everybody Hates Chris forced on her. Everything else from there that was even semi-successful like Smackdown or Veronica Mars, were there long before she was. She even had a spotty record when she was over at Lifetime Network. It looks like she's been failing upwards for years. Gotta love Hollywood.

She's clearly not the brightest bulb in the pack, so they will do themselves a favor to get rid of her....

 

[RakuMon]

DC Direct's Christopher Reeve as Superman statue:

CHRISTOPHER REEVE AS SUPERMAN Statue

Sculpted by Karen Palinko

It's the quintessential Man of Steel!

One of the most fondly remembered depictions of Superman is now available as a commemorative statue exclusively from DC Direct. Christopher Reeve strikes an iconic pose from the classic 1978 feature film Superman – the movie that made the world believe "a man could fly" and turned the actor into a star.

Standing atop an S-shield base, the Christopher Reeve as Superman Statue is a limited-edition, hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue measuring approximately 12.50" tall x 5.5" wide x 3.75" deep. (The base measures approximately .75" high x 6.5" diameter.)

The statue includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box. Manufactured to order.

$ 195.00 US | On Sale May 27, 2009

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

a bit pricey but still pretty freaking cool

 

[Brainiac 8]

Man...if I had the money I would snatch that statue up in a hurry.

 

[RakuMon]

AICN's Moriarty is having second thoughts about bashing the McG/Abrams "Superman" script in light of the current debacle the franchise finds itself in. His suggestion--having the Coen Bros. adapt Tom DeHaven's "It's Superman" novel--is intriguing, though I'm not sure that's the direction--a period piece set in the 1930s--I'd necessarily like to see the movie franchise go.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38353

Moriarty’s Been Thinking About SUPERMAN...

Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.

Okay. Let’s get something straight regarding the occasional BUZZKILL column here on the site. I’ve got nothing against a good rumor. My problem is with bad rumors. I’ve been sifting through them for 12 years online, and I’ve got a decent average. Not perfect. But decent. Either you buy that by now or you don’t.

And I’ve certainly pissed some people off over the years with opinions I’ve offered up. And that’s cool. There’s no way to begin to deny that. I think when you write opinion, you risk that every single time. Even when I like things, I manage to piss people off sometimes. Timing can be crucial.

Let me say this: I’ve got some regrets regarding SUPERMAN.

I’ve spoken to JJ Abrams one time since I sort of torpedoed him. He was really genial when we spoke on the phone, and it was a fairly casual conversation overall. We talked more about STAR TREK than anything, but in a general off-the-record sort of way. I think it was still early days for them, and we were starting to bust the story a bit. I would imagine the SUPERMAN incident crossed his mind, and he decided to call me and see if he could talk about his goals with the film before I ended up reading anything this time.

It takes a real solid person to make a call like that and to be as comfortable as he was. And after seeing SUPERMAN RETURNS, frankly... I’m not sure that it was a better decision to shoot that than to have stuck with Abrams and whoever ended up directing it since McG couldn’t fly. And it’s been nagging at me, especially as they start to talk about making their choices for the new film.

Because... trust me... there WILL be a new film.

I’ve spoken with McG a few times, too, and I always half-believe he’s about three seconds from punching me. I’m also convinced that’s because he really is constantly about three seconds from punching me. It certainly makes for an interesting day on set.

But truth is, I never bagged him once on SUPERMAN. Everything I talked about was regarding the rejiggered details of the mythos, the idea of rigging it the way they were. It changed the fundamentals. That was the thing that made me uncomfortable as a fan of the iconography of SUPERMAN. There are details that make him who he is. Everything else is sort of Elseworlds one-shot “what if his spaceship landed in the ocean, and the baby Superman drowned?” radical what if stuff. And that’s fine. I love some of those books dearly. It’s cool to play with it, bend it, twist it. But the original... that’s always in place. The traditional. That’s really what endures with some characters, and with Superman in particular.

People want Superman. They do. They’ll go. If you show them a trailer that is a promise. And if you just meet that promise. Make it fun. Make it H U G E. Make it fun. Make it smart. Make it fun. Make it about something real and honest that uses the icon right, without irony. And make it fun. That’s what we’ve always been promised, and really... no film does it yet. Not really. I like stuff about the first three films. I like a few things about Singer’s film, but have some real major problems with it. I’m partial to the Fleischer cartoons more than anything. SUPERMAN III is a freakshow if it’s 3:30 AM and you’ve got the munchies. But is there a SUPERMAN film or TV show, even among the animated ones, that gets it all 100% yet?

Warner Bros, like I said... I feel bad about even the possibility that any part of my article or the press you guys got afterwards about it or any fallout from it led to you guys redeveloping the property. I feel bad because, like I said... comparing what you made versus what you could have made, I’m not sure I was right. I think the controversy might have been outweighed by the “holy ****” of it. And maybe that would have been fun. Not really SUPERMAN, but fun.

When I wrote what I wrote, I certainly knew that it would cause a reaction of some sort in the fan community. It was absolutely a test shot across the bow. Because it was a reinvention of the wheel. And maybe that reinvention would have been really groovy to watch. I’ll bet those fights would have been madness. Chaos. Total GODZILLA-scale destruction.

Which, to be fair, is what I would have liked a little more of (or even any of) in Singer’s film. Just a little ****ing rock and roll, right?

I have heard the rumblings of Mark Millar out there sniffing around it, and I would imagine Legendary has heard about 3000000000 pitches on the property at this point from writers in that rarified paygrade, the A-list all-star usual suspects. And I would imagine they’re going to make a decision soon. And whatever that person is doing, I would imagine we’re going to hear that word again, that buzzword of the day.

Reimagining.

The hell of it is... Warner Bros. owns the right property. Tom DeHaven’s novel is a thing of burnished beauty, smart and richly imagined and profound. It is classic Superman in every way, but it manages to make it all feel real, immediate, brand new. I reviewed it here, but I can’t find the review in our archives. But it’s theirs. They published it. And the last thing you could call it would be a reimagining.

It is, instead, what happens when you crush coal for 50 years, telling the same story 10,000 different ways. Eventually, you will produce a diamond. The story told right. The version that works best.

And while I’m apologizing for things I’ve said in print, or at least invoking my right to update my opinion after further life experience, can I suggest a director/writer choice? I gain nothing from this except the possibility that if you’re truly open to anything regarding getting the character right, and learning the RIGHT lessons from THE DARK KNIGHT, then bear with me.

I know someone who needs to have a “**** you” sized hit, guaranteeing him another 20 years of total freedom. I think you’d be doing the world of film a service, and you’d be getting the single most beautiful SUPERMAN film ever made. I don’t think it’s debatable. And if you’ve read this source material, you’d know how dead on they are.

There’s a detour through a Southern landscape deep in O BROTHER country, there’s a New York that feels like it shares the same snowfall as THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, and there’s a precision of language that is as carefully calibrated as the screenplays these guys write together. I’ve said some pretty harsh words regarding them when I didn’t like the films they were making, at one point suggesting they consider a few years off of filmmaking altogether. But that’s the disappointment of an ardent fan, knowing that behind the scenes they were struggling to find a home for the work they really wanted to be doing.

Let’s be clear. I don’t think they should ever have to struggle to do anything. I think they are a natural resource, and they should be followed around by a team of people with checkbooks. I had it all wrong before. The answer isn’t them giving up because they couldn’t make a few films they wanted to. The answer is that they should make one film that is already plugged into the national zeitgeist, and they should make it the biggest goddamn piece of candy they can. Because there are very few filmmakers who work at the same level of visual invention as Joel and Ethan Coen.





The Coen Brothers. IT’S SUPERMAN. 2010.

Now we’ve made amends. Go make a billion dollars. And then let the Coens make a film a year until they die. Or, if you insist on “not listening to the lunatic fanboy” and “making a professional decision” and “earning your paychecks,” then so be it. It’s just that with people getting crazy over the idea that you can make a potential Oscar nominee that’s the second biggest film of all time, and it’s a superhero movie, there are choices being made... on all sorts of properties...

And we’ve seen this before, haven’t we? For each good one, there will be some really-not-good ones, and it’s a crap shoot. On this one particular property, I have no idea what the studio is thinking right now. I don’t have an inside scoop.

I’m not sure when they’re going to announce what they’re doing, or if they’re even moving forward aggressively. Maybe they’re doing nothing. I don’t really know.

But it’s a chance. You pulled the trigger. You cleared out that giant development anchor that was weighing the first one down. You spent $200-howmuch? million once everything was said and done. And... it was what it was.

Don’t chase anybody else’s movie. Don’t model it after any other hit. It’s Superman. IT’S SUPERMAN, indeed.