Toy Fair 2008 Marvel Mighty Muggs Pics

Pictures of Hasbro's Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs Wave 2 vinyl figures have hit the net.

As many know, the American International Toy Fair is being held this weekend in New York. The convention showcases new toys and related products and is often where new figures, statues, and designs are unveiled. This year looks like it'll be no exception as I've stumbled across some pics of Hasbro's second wave of Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs.

MediaZEALOT ran an article on the Muggs a few days back (read it HERE) but I was unsure of which figures would be part of the second wave of Marvel figures. I had seen a picture of a The Thing Mighty Mugg and suspected it would inclued in the wave but had no idea who would fill in the other three spots. The pictures, released earlier today, show that Captain America, Dr. Doom, and Hulk will make up the rest of the list.



I think that The Thing figure is the best looking in this wave. Cap may have his shield, Doom his cape, and Hulk may just be a total bad-ass but none of the three hold a candle to Mr. Grimm. To tell the truth I'm a bit disappointed with the second wave. It's not that they aren't great figures, they are, it's just that the bar was set so high with the first wave. Regardless, they are still pretty neat.

I am unsure when the second wave of Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs hit shelves. If the release habits of the Star Wars Muggs are any indication the second wave will come out in April, a month after the first.

What do you guys think of these Muggs? Post a comment and share your opinion.

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Love Guru Poster Revealed

Mike Myers returns to live-action for the first time in five years.

Funny-man and all around groovy dude Mike Myers will appear in his first film in over half a decade come June 20th. The Canadian actor has avoided the camera for quite some time, choosing to voice Shrek and attend numerous amounts of Toronto Maple Leaf hockey games instead of act. This will all change come June when Myers' first live-action film since 2003's The Cat in the Hat hits cinemas.



The Love Guru is the title of the film and features the likes of the aforementioned Myers, Jessica Alba, Ben Kingsley, Justin Timberlake, and Verne Troyer (Mini-Me). Myers, who co-wrote the film, plays an American man with a mustache raised by Indian gurus. The flick follows the character as he returns home to the States to help rectify the career and love-life of a professional hockey player.

It doesn't sound like a very appealing flick to tell the truth. I'm sure it'll make some cash at the box-office because of the people involved but I don't see it making a big splash. However, it is good to see Myers back acting again. He's got two other films slated for release in 2009 and will voice the lovable green monster once again in 2010's Shrek Goes Fourth.

Click HERE for a closer look at the poster.

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Michael Bay is a Jerk

Look what this fool's done now.

Verizon has released an ad for their new internet service Verizon Fios featuring infamous Hollywood jerk Michael Bay. Check it out below:



I understand Bay's trying to poke fun at himself and have a laugh in this ad but it just comes off as moronic. He thinks he's bigger than his films, the stars he directs, and the franchises he adapts. He may be right. He may also be retarded.

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Amazing Spider-Man #550 Review

Brand New Day's second arc's second issue is a hit-and-miss affair.

I really enjoyed the first three-issue arc of Brand New Day. I felt Dan Slott and Steve McNiven did a superb job following up after the train wreck that was One More Day and I was genuinly excited to read Spidey again for the first time in years.

The second arc has tried to continue that fun and exhilarating Spider-Man style but it's not working as well as it did in the first arc. For starters, I'm already sick of the retro feel Marvel is shoving down our throats with this book. The silly opening/closing narratives feel forced and the editor comment box feels like it was written for children or readers partially retarded (or both?).



All quibbles about the presentation aside, I'm enjoying where this book is going. Many seeds are being planted and it feels like the book is progressing substantially every week. The new villain nicknamed Menace, a Green-Goblin-esque character introduced in ASM #549, looks like he could lead to something big and I want to see where he leads. It's also nice to see Jackpot getting a portion of the spotlight.

One thing that really bothered me about this issue, and the last one for that matter, is Salvador Larocca's art. Larocca's Spider-Man is great. He's cinematic and stylistic and seems to always be in motion, I have no complaints. What bothers me is how the art quality drops once Spidey takes off his mask. Some of Larocca's faces are flat out terrible and many of his civilians are plain and boring. It feels like Larocca doesn't have the passion for drawing everyday Joes the same way he does for drawing superheroes.

The same can be said for writer Marc Guggenheim. He's great whenever Peter's in action but lacks the same punch once the costume comes off. A lot of his dialogue simply seems like filler shoved in-between the action.

I may be being too harsh on Marvel and the creative team behind this current arc. I'm enjoying Brand New Day and this issue was no exception. I just wish Slott and McNiven were back on the book. Oh well, at least it's only one more issue before writer Bob Gale and artist Phil Jiminez team up to bring us Brand New Day's third arc.

One Sentence Review: Better than your average issue but frustrating at the same time.

The next issue, Amazing Spider-Man 551, hits comic shops on Wednesday.

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Walmart Chooses Blu-ray, HD DVD Dies

The voice of Walmart has spoken.

Walmart has chosen BluRay. The retail giant has decided to stop backing both formats and has settled on Sony's blue disc. Come June you will no longer be able to find HD DVDs at all four thousand Walmart and Sam's Club stores across North America.

HD DVD has been on the decline since Warner Bros. signed on exclusively with Sony's high-def format back on January 4th. Best Buy and Netflix have also chosen to side with the format and I wouldn't be surprised if Walmart is the final nail in HD DVD's coffin.



I feel like a fool. I went with HD DVD late last summer and have been keen on it becomming the successor to DVD. It appears I was wrong, Blu-Ray has been picking up steam since the fall and now has a dominating stranglehold on the high-definition market. It's hard to see HD DVD making a comeback with 20th Century Fox, HBO, Lions Gate, Miramax, New Line, Disney, and Warner all on Blu-ray's side. I knew I had to plan on picking up a Blu-ray player sooner or later as The Dark Knight will be released exclusively for the format. This announcement just solidifies my choice.

Follow-Up Report: Toshiba has confirmed that it will no longer be manufacturing HD DVD players. The format is officially dead.

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Pineapple Express Red Band Trailer

Producer Judd Apatow has another hit on his hands and the usual suspects are along for the ride.

It looks like Judd Apatow and Seth Rogan have hit gold once again. The name of the film is The Pineapple Express and it will, without a doubt, be 2008's headlining summer comedy.



The film stars Judd Apatow staple Rogan and Spider-Man actor James Franco. Franco isn't unfamiliar with Apatow, acting alongside Rogan in Knocked Up and in the hit TV show Freaks and Geeks. Gary Cole, Danny R. McBride (Hot Rod), and the hilarious Bill Hader also star in the film. The Pineapple Express was co-written by Apatow, Rogan and Evan Goldberg, the writing team behind last summer's Superbad. The film was directed by David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls).

Apatow's crew are the new comedy wizards in film. They've set a name for themselves with three hit summer comedies and the trend looks like it will continue with The Pineapple Express. Check out the red band trailer below.



The Pineapple Express hits cinemas on August 8th.

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Depp, Farrell, Law Pay Tribute to Heath

The three actors have signed on to finish what Heath Ledger started with Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

It appears that Terry Gilliam's latest film is not doomed after all. Initially it seemed the flick was bound to be canned due to the recent death of its star Heath Ledger. Ledger had finished shooting a portion of the script but died before filming was completed. It was then speculated that due to the film taking place in alternate realities Gilliam would cast a different actor to play the part in each reality. Johnny Depp was originally rumoured as one of the choices. I then heard word that Gilliam was thinking of using a completely CGI Ledger for most of the film, I had a hard time believing that and didn't think much of it.



It has now been revealed over at Ain't It Cool News that actors Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell (read MediaZEALOT's recent In Bruges Review), and Jude Law will step in to play Heath's character in each alternate reality.

This is great news. Terry Gilliam has had horrible luck with the shooting of his films, many have been forced to be shut down, and it looked like The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus would follow the same fate following Heath's death. Thankfully Depp, Farrell, and Law have stepped in to save the film.

Cheers.

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Batman: Gotham Knight Sneak Peak

A sneak peak at the Batman: Gotham Knight DVD has hit the net.

Batman: Gotham Knight is an anime anthology DVD which will be released in the weeks prior to The Dark Knight hitting cinemas. There will be six interlocking stories on the DVD from creators such as Josh Olsen (A History of Violence), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Greg Rucka (Detective Comics), Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series), and Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets). Christian Bale will, naturally, lend his voice to the project as Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Check out the sneak peak below:



Warner Bros has also confirmed that a deluxe edition of Batman Begins will be released at the same time as Batman: Gotham Knight on both DVD and Blu-ray. An uber-deluxe edition will also be released combining the two. Click HERE to pre-order your copy over at Amazon.

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Trailer for Uwe Boll's Far Cry Hits YouTube

The film adaptation of the hit video game now has a trailer.

Uwe Boll is not very respected among film critics let alone members of internet message boards. He makes notoriously bad films but does it with pride. I was unfortunate enough to go see his latest film, In the Name of the King, last month (I had a free pass). It sucked. It wasn't funny because of how bad it was, it was beyond that. It was just bad.



Far Cry is his new film and it looks like it'll be reels of garbage once again. Although, watching the trailer for this flick gives the impression that it might have some laughs. I am in no way recommending this film, it will suck, but it may be hilarious to watch.

Try to enjoy the trailer below.



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Indy 4 Teaser Released

Get the official teaser trailer in high-resolution Quicktime.

Last night the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer was leaked online over at Ahora Hollywood. It was originally planned that the trailer would premiere during ABC's Good Morning America earlier today (read the article HERE) but a bootlegged teaser found it's way online and jumped the gun.

Today Yahoo Movies and Paramount released an official version of the teaser. Check it out HERE.



The footage here feels a lot like what you'd expect from the Indy franchise. I was really worried the film would have an updated, more Michael Bay feel but from this teaser it looks like good ol' Indy.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits cinemas May 22nd.

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Top 10: Films Based On Short Stories

The top 10 films based on a short story or novella.

It seems that any form of storytelling can be inspiration for a feature film. Books have always been inspiration for films. So are older movies that, according to the major studios, need to be remade for the new generation. Comic books have also been flying through Hollywood lately as prime source material for feature films. The short story is no exception. Short stories have been used as inspiration for films many times, but not as often as you would expect. MediaZEALOT presents to you the first in what will be a weekly Thursday event; The Top 10 List.

10. The Illusionist (2006)



Neil Burger's tale of magic and sleight of hand is based on the short story Eisenheim the Illusionist by Steven Millhauser (Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer).

9. Stand by Me (1986)



Rob Reiner's Stand by Me is based on a novella by Stephen King titled The Body. Many fans of the author are displeased by key concepts being changed during the transformation from the page to the silver screen. Regardless, the novella stands as inspiration for the film.

8. Minority Report (2002)



Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise's futuristic mystery flick is based on a 1956 short story of the same name by legendary science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick. Dick has also been responsible for writing the novels that inspired such films as Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), Paycheck (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Next (2007).

7. Brokeback Mountain (2005)



Ang Lee's controversial gay cowboy film is based on the short story of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner E. Annie Proulx (The Shipping News).

6. Million Dollar Baby (2004)



Clint Eastwood's Best Picture Oscar winner is based on various short stories by F.X. Toole, the pen name of fight manager Jerry Boyd.

5. The Birds (1963)



Alfred Hitchcock's tale of suspense and avian horror is based on a short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. Du Maurier also wrote the book Rebecca which was adapted by Hitchcock and won him the Best Picture Oscar in 1940.

4. Rashômon (1950)



Infamous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's four-pronged film is based on a short story titled In a Grove by author Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

3. Memento (2001)



Christopher Nolan's chronologically impaired masterpiece, and one of my favourites, is based on the short story Memento Mori written by his brother Jonathan Nolan. Since the release of Memento, Jonathan has teamed up with his brother Christopher to write The Prestige (2006) and this summer's The Dark Knight. You can read Memento Mori online by clicking HERE.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)



Stanley Kubrick's critically acclaimed science-fiction film is based on The Sentinel by British author Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke also wrote the novel 2010: Odyssey Two a follow up novel to his short story and the influence behind Peter Hyams 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

1. Rear Window (1954)



Number one on this list, and another Alfred Hitchcock staple, is Rear Window. Based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story It Had to be Murder. Rear Window is by far my favourite representation of Hitchcock and it's always a thrill to watch. It was remade by Jeff Bleckner and Christopher Reeve in 1998 as well as being inspiration for such films as Clubhouse Detectives (1996) and the recent Disturbia (2007). Rear Window has also been spoofed on The Simpsons.

Don't agree with my list? Post a comment and let me know about it.

Cheers.

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