Who would you pick for Captain America?

The craze for comic book to movie conversions continues unabated. One of the bigger concepts is for one of the most symbolic characters in comic books. Captain America.

Much like Uncle Sam, Captian America is a symbol of the American way of life. He is even more of the living embodiment of our laws and national view than even Superman was meant to represent. He is the Red White and Blue in action, with the highest levels of vitrue and honor intact.

Because such a character is so tied to what America is and can be, a movie version of this hero demands high attention. It's not just another comic-movie, its a statement. So the writing and the acting must be spot on. Even if the movie fails, it can't be because the lead sounds like a buffoon, and looks like an inbred redneck (as an example).

Thus the casting call is out right now for The Captain America. The key prerequisites? Well he has to be White, because Hollywood couldn't imagine anyone with more color than a tan being a symbol of America (plus the comic book character has always been White). He has to be American. He should be in his mid-20's to early 30 (depending on the exact timeline he could be as young as 18 - 20 but 25ish seems more of a likely middle ground). And while the comic book champion has never been considered astoundingly good looking, an actor with better than average looks will likely be picked. (for those that want to say Tom Cruise - he is too old, too short, and honestly not a good enough actor in my opinion)

So far the choices have been John Krasinski, Michael Cassidy, Patrick Flueger, Scott Porter, Wilson Bethel, Chace Crawford, Jensen Ackles, and Garret Hedlund. Not one of which I can recall by name nor am I aware of anything they have been in. But that can bode well since all of these actors are not weighed down with prior expectations of ability, nor are they typecast to any degree. Being relative unknowns allows them to capture part of the everyman aspect of Captain America that is critical for the character (as much as a White, blonde, mid-western, christian man can embody everyone in America anyway).

But here is the question I pose to you. If you could have any actor, living or dead, play the role of Captain America, who whould you pick? Why?

Spiderman no more

So did you think that Tobey Maguire was the perfect Peter Parker? Did you think that the huge volume of stories in comic books could keep the franchise going for years more to come? Where you just looking forward to the 4th movie in the series, expected in the summer of 2011?

Whatever you thought, you were wrong. At least according to the thinking of Marvel and Sony. Because they just pulled the plug on the 4th Spiderman movie.

Yep, the series is now officially done at 3. Well sort of. Because Sony and Marvel Comics won't let a good thing go. Not if there is even a slight chance of making a bit more money.

The problem was that Sam Raimi wasn't feeling 100% about doing abnother Spiderman movie. Add to that the huge cost of the recurring cast (who were apparently all for another try) and problems sorting out a script and/or villian. It's enough to make even J. Jonah Jameson cry.

But never fear. The powers that be (executives with an eye on the trends of the day) have figured out a way to help people with their Spidey fix, and make even more boatloads of money. Plans are now underway to scrap the original cast, get a new director, and start the whole thing over. But since the series is hardly old, a new twist is going to be added so it has a nice revisionist feel.

The hottest movies out now are teen movies. Twilight, Harry Potter, and so on. But Potter is about to end, and there is just so much angst that you can get from a hormonal vampire with pimples. Which is where Spidey comes in.

The new film will be all about the angst of being a teen-ager with spider powers, a curfew, and bullies you just can't do anything to even though you could. Add a couple of Teenbeat cover stars and you have a surefire money maker.

If I sound a bit jaded, I am. I don't like revisionist remakes. I generally don't like remakes either. And dropping a more than healthy dose of teen angst into the mix does not make a recipe for quality anything. I could be wrong, but it won't matter. As long as they fill the screen with the latest tween and young star, it'll make money.

On a seperate note, this now confirms the trend in Marvel movies. You get 3 and you're out. With the X-Men they could have skipped the 3rd. Hopefully Iron Man will be up to the task. Thor doesn't even need to be made once. And a remake of Daredevil can't be worse than what we already got. Oh, and the Wolverine movies? I can live without it.

But if Spiderman - the teen years is not enough for you, don't worry. A new, revisioned, all teen and 20-something X-Men prequel movie is already being planned. And that will probably kill the comic book to movie conversions for a while. I hope.

The latest Iron Man 2 movie trailer

Well it seems that I may be wrong on several aspects of the new Iron Man 2 movie due out in the summer of 2010. According to the latest movie trailer my thoughts about Whiplash are mostly incorrect.



Still my theory about the Black Widow seems to be on firm footing. Also my thoughts about War Machine seem to still be very plausible if not dead on the mark.

One of the best things about this new film seems to be what I have been hoping since the original film. That the War Machine character would be as kick ass as in the comic books all of this is based on. Between the first trailer and this one I imagine that War Machine will be stealing the limelight from Stark.

Given all of that, I still find the Whiplash character the weak link of the film (with no offense to Mickey Rourke - I mean the plot). This guy is so smart that he can make his own design of the "unique" energy coil Stark uses to keep himself alive? A technology that was beyond all of the scientists at Stark Internantional combined in the first film, and now this guy can make his own version in a relative garage?

That aside, it looks like this film might be worthwhile. It might just match all the hype and expectations. Which would be a great change of pace for movies these days. Now if they could just get something in there about Titanium Man.

Never too soon for Deadpool

As I'm waiting to see the whatever trailer is made for the Deadpool movie that will be out in 2011 I decided to see what tidbits might be out on the web. You might think its way to early to find anything, but then you wouldn't be a fan of the Merc with a Mouth.

I hope that the writers for the Deadpool movie remember that Ryan Reynold s if a fan of the comic book. Thus we should get to jump right in, forget about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and start blasting.

But if you have no idea who this character is, and why fans love him, here is a nice kiddie version of what he is like.



moving right along, here is a trailer for the 2011 movie



ok, so it's not a trailer. But it looked pretty cool. hopefully the real film will look at least as good.

By the way, here is what I believe IS the official look of the character.

Iron Man 2 - update and story theories

So it's nearly here. The Iron Man 2 movie. And best of all is the fact that War Machine will be in the film. And it seems he may have a very large role in the movie.

The latest news on the movie is that War Machine is featured on the poster with Iron Man. The positioning of the characters is leading to some debate.



Because they are back to back the question is are they friends fighting off a horde of bad guys? Or are they pissed off at each other and at odds?

If you know the history of the 2 characters, from the comic books, they both options are available. For a while War Machine and Iron man, while still good guys, shared no love. Tony Stark and James Rhodes were at each others throat before they eventually became friends again. Part of that problem was the alcoholism of Tony Stark.

Now in the first Iron Man movie it did touch on the fact that Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr) was constantly drinking. Essentially he is a functional alcoholic, so due to his success and wealth few ever mention his problem. But what if he goes on a bender due to stress (like the world knowing he is Iron Man) and there is a need for the superhero?

That's where War Machine should step in. But based on the video trailer from Comic Con I think the real story will go something like this:



Warning!!! - though I don't know what the script is, I do know how movies get written. The following information will likely contain a lot of spoilers.

Stark is pulled before Congress where demamds are made for his new ultra-technology. He refuses to sell it. The Government decides that everything he has is eminient domain and try to take everything. Stark, either through his security/computer Jarvis or by his hand, destroys all of his lab. That includes the War Machine suit we saw with Terrence Howard in the first movie. Then Stark flies off to hide in the only other remaining suit.

Under orders Rhodes takes the War Machine suit as another Government weapons manufacturer comes in to fix it. As we see from 4:27 on, Rhodes takes the opportunity to not only rebuild the suit, but to add on a few extra perks. Now the Government has it's own version of the Iron Man suit. But there is a problem.

The arms dealer, Justin Hammer I believe, is hardly a good guy. Having worked on the suit he know has the technology too. And starts selling it to everyone who can afford it. Thus an assassin that prefers using whips gets to incorporate some of the tech into a new laser based whip weapon. And a bunch of other baddies creat tons of robots that War Machine has to take out.

Meanwhile, Stark is pissed. His greatest life work is stolen, and much - if not all - of his money is gone. His company is bought out from him, and he is drinking way too much. He get pissed off and decides to get rid of the other technology based on his design. Thus he and Rhodes are battling in full metal glory.

At some point before all that The Black Widow, a Russian spy extrodinare steals the plans from Hammer. Why buy it if you can steal it, and it's not like Russia is rolling in money. So expect a possible scene of Titanium Man for Iron Man 3. (And I think that should have been the villan in this film anyway)

But back to the fight. Eventually the 2 get interupted by some baddy bots. They fight them off, but need to work together to survive. The battle and co-operation make them understand they are really still friends.

Then comes in Whiplash (the assassin mentioned earlier played by Mickey Rourke). He get the suprise on Rhodes and disables his suit. Stark is left by himself to fend off the attack. Which he eventually does.

Left without a suit, the Government decides to forgive Stark and gives him back everything they took (mostly). It is revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. intervened to help out Stark in exchange for his work on the Avenger Initiative (ie The Avengers comic book).

Overall that is the movie. I'm missing details of course, but I would bet that I just covered 80% of the film. The big question is if it can do what I just wrote with style. Like the look and feel for the first film?

If the scene with War Machine is any indication, he will be back and possibly in his own movie. And if he is that popular, I hope that Don Cheadle screws Marvel with a huge salary demand. After changing the character once, with huge fan disapproval, they don't dare change him again.

Sir Anthony Hopkins is Odin

I've been neglecting my movie news for a bit. There hasn't been much worth of reviewing lately, so I kind of put it on a back burner. But there has been a bit of news about films that will be starting production soon.

Anthony Hopkins has another role set up for himself. Like in the Wolfman he will again be involved with a bit of mythology. But this time the myth is more modern. In fact its a comic book conversion.

Sir Hopkins will be in the upcoming Thor movie. I mean the Thor from Marvel Comics and not the Norse myths. I;m sure there are a few fans that are looking forward to this film, but I have my reservations.

Unlike Spiderman, Iron Man, Captian America and the X-Men, Thor is a secondary Marvel character. The comic book has a solid fanbase, but its not nearly as widespread. And considering the nature of the character, success of the movie will be solidly based in the look and the acting.

So Sir Hopkins makes sense as the wise, old, and powerful Odin. Odin is the father of Thor and all the Asgard gods. Sir Hopkins will certainly bring a bit of flair and credibility to the film. As will Natalie Portman (well maybe she will just bring in all the guys that thinks she is hot, but that's close enough).

I just wonder if watching Anthony Hopkins in this role will bring up images of his role as Hannibal Lecter. Odin is not a nice guy, so it is possible that there may be a resemblence of the 2 characters. But we will see once the movie trailers come out, around 2011 I believe.

Prepare for the arrival of Thor, and Natalie Portman

I was wondering, what is it you think of when you hear the name Thor? You know, the Norse god of Thunder. A mythological being that lives in Asgard, and is the source of the day of the week called Thursday.



For those only slightly familiar with the mythology, you likely think of a big dirty Viking. Maybe you envision Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Conan the Barbarian. Either view would likely be very accurate. Of course some comic book fans would point to the character that Marvel has had for decades. And the subject of a 2011 comic book to movie conversion.



Which brings me to the point of this. Natalie Portman has been signed on to portray the nurse of Thor. In the comics she in fact takes care of the weak human host of Thor, Dr. Donald Blake. He is the human embodiment of Thor on Earth. At least as Marvel’s backstory goes. Dr. Blake is average in most respects, until he strikes his cane to the ground and becomes Thor. But if that sounds too silly don’t worry. Marvel has reportedly killed that part of the backstory. So the deity that is Thor will have a human nurse, for whatever reason he might need it.

So who is Thor? Who commands lightning, has the strength to lift 100 tons, does not fall ill, has a body that Lou Ferrigno and the Governator would both be jealous of? Chris Hemsworth.



Not too impressive huh? Well if you are wondering who he is (and I did), if you saw the mess that is the Star Trek relaunch (revisioning) then you saw him for a minute or 2. He was George Kirk, father of James T. Kirk – future captain of the Enterprise. If you are looking for another movie role to judge Hemsworth by, and he needs it, you need to wait for this years’ A Perfect Getaway or the revisioning of Red Dawn next year. But either way, he is Thor.

He hardly looks Nordic to me. Blond hair might help but he is no Max Von Syndow, Kirk Douglas, or even Rutger Hauer for that matter. Still I am far from an expert on Nordic looks. He has nothing on Vikings, though I imagine that there must have been smaller, weaker Vikings somewhere. And as for the mythological looks, don’t even get me started.

Will this be a good movie?

Way too soon to tell. But we do know this. Thor is at best a teir-2 Marvel comic. So the fanbase is hardly huge. Plus we know that there will be plenty of CGI as Hemsworth is hardly a bodybuilder, let alone a Norse god. We can also assume that Portman is around to distract the men from any non-action scenes. This will cut down on the need for a plot or solid writing, as all we need is her in danger and in tight dresses. Thus I expect this film to be about as good as Ang Lee’s Hulk.

Hopefully I am wrong. And there is more than enough time to prove me so. I hope Marvel uses it.

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

What can I say about one of the more anticipated movies of this summer season? I was disappointed.

Wolverine is a movie with several things going for it, but it just doesn't seem to take hold of any of them. Fans of the comic books will have various issues on top of those presented by the movie. Regular fans of the X-Men will feel short-changed. It's like the bonus scenes at the end of the movie, neither is worth the time you spend waiting to see them.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is indeed a well produced movie. There is CGI and explosions to fulfill the testosterone needs, and more than enough scenes of Hugh Jackman without a shirt off to pass the time of most who enjoy that. Jackman has worked out a lot for the film. The explosions happen almost every 15 minutes with fights mixed in between to keep everyone busy. There is even a loose bit of plot woven into the whole thing to keep your mind stimulated, a little.

But it just doesn't work. Here is a problem, we start the film proper with Logan and Creed part of a secret superhuman squad of assassins. This is after an introduction explaining that they had been part of every conflict and battle America had since the Civil War (Interesting to note that both Creed and Logan were in Blue). We are introduced to every member of the group as they do their thing against some ambiguous African warlord with a stash of diamonds. Then they are all gone, essentially.

Zero, has one scene where we get to see he is really fast and accurate at firing a gun, and about 45 seconds throughout the rest of the film. Blob gets the scene against the tank, and another in the boxing ring. Then he is gone. Wraith gets about 10 minutes, of which only 1/3 has him talking. But he does get to be in 3 locations before he is gone. And Wade Wilson - well other than his opening scene, nada. Hey Ryan Reynolds got paid a likely $200,000 plus for 5 minutes of screen time. I don't hold that against him. It's a great job and life if you can get it.

Suffice to say, everything in this movie is just thrown at you, then tossed away. You barely get enough time to understand who a character is and what they might be able to do, before they are gone. So you never really get to care. Except for Wolverine and Sabertooth. Which you either like or not from early on in the film.

Plus you are left with a lot of why in this movie. Why are some mutants killed, others held captive, and yet others frozen in block of ice. Why don't certain people, besides Wolverine, remember what happened in the subsequent movies this is a prequel of. Why does Wolverine lose his memory even though he heals from all injuries perfectly. Why doesn't Sabertooth use any of the past on Wolverine in the X-Men movies?

And on and on.

You don't get a lot of time to ponder any of these questions. The movie keeps the pace high enough that you never get enough time to consider these questions. But you are left with the feeling that nothing is resolved. And once the film ends it just hits you like a brick.

As much as I was looking forward to the film, it just never got to a point where I was satisfied. Especially my interest in the Wade Wilson/Deadpool character. As a fan of that comic book character I was left with a Tim Burton Batman movie introduction and end to the character.

Bottom line, Don't see this in the theater. It will be a nice DVD, especially if there is extra scenes that expand on the characters and what they can do and/or give more details about them.

Let's hope that the ret of this years crop of summer movies just get better from this point on.

Studios in a fight mean movie success for 2009

There are dozens of ways to tell what a studio thinks of a film. In almost every case the most blatant actions of a studio tend to mean absolute confidence that a movie will bomb.

There are the cases were the director refuses to put their name on the film, which normally will be seen as a director Smithee film. That is a sign that the director could not get what he wanted or the studio overruled the final cut. Generally not a good sign.

There are the instances where major name actors with significant roles prefer not to attach their name to a project, even after all editing and filming are done. This can be far less sure a sign as one of the more famous examples is the lack of credit of James Earl Jones in Star Wars. Jones thought the film would be a bomb and declined to take credit, as if anyone could not recognize his voice.

But the bigger examples are when trailers are refused to be shown to critics and/or the public. Snakes On A Plane was completely viral, and when the critics (and public) saw the film it was understood why. Or when a film is scheduled to come out in January. The first month of the year is noted as the graveyard. A time when few are expected to venture to theaters due to weather and lack of cash from holiday spending. The worse the film, the closer to January 1st they open.

There are exceptions to the January rule, within reason. Cloverfield did quite well, in a field without competition or quality, though blockbuster it was not. But films like the upcoming Notorious are the prime examples of January studios expect to start their year with.

But one thing that you rarely ever see, are studios going to court to stop a movie from opening. And when the reason the film will be delayed is a question of who has the rights (and thus a cut of the money) you know what they are thinking. This is a cash cow, a blockbuster they must have a piece of.

The Watchmen is something the movie studios believe they have to have part of.

Currently Fox and Warner Bros. are fighting to prove who owns all the rights, or portions, for this film. It may potentially push back the March 2009 release of the film. And the only reason a studio goes through this kind of argument is because they know they will reap all the cost of litigation and more when the film gets out.

The Watchmen is one of the more anticipated films of over a decade. The trailers for the film have been heavily viewed for over a year now. The storyline appears to be virtually the same as found in the graphic novel - which was groundbreaking on multiple levels. And the environment is perfect of a conversion from graphic novel to silver screen with the success of Iron Man, the Dark Knight, X-Men, and several other films in the past couple of years. [Not to mention the planned 4th Spiderman, Wolverine, Avengers, and several other conversions to be released soon.]

I have already said that I expect Watchmen to be astounding. From what I can garner it will be like no other film, not because of the effects but the story. It is a movie that will take movie-goers to a place few films have dared to tread. And the studios smell the money like sharks tracking blood.

If nothing else tells you that this will be a blockbuster, the court case should be the last motivation you need. Unless I am very wrong, this will be the movie of 2009. There is a prediction for the new year, and you don't need to be Nostradamus to see that.

Hollywood movies: Remakes are king, or are they

There are a lot of remakes, or revisioned movies, coming out of Hollywood these days. And based on rumors and confirmed fact we can expect dozens more really soon. That says nothing of comic book, video game, and novel conversions to film.

So here are my thoughts on the bulk of these movies. Do you agree?

Watchmen: 2nd movie trailer out

I've spoken about the Watchmen movie previously, and my excitement continues to build. A new movie trailer has come out which sets the tone of the movie quite well.



That got my blog pumping. If you don't see this movie, you must be dead. Ok, a bit extreme but I really think this movie is going to surprise and blow away people in hordes.

There's nothing more to say, the video clip has done it all.

War Machine no more - Terence Howard out, Don Cheadle in

What the hell was Marvel thinking? If you are like me, you are unaware of the news that apparently came out last week in Hollywood. This news deals with the sequel to the hit film Iron Man.

The cast of Iron Man included Robert Downey Jr. and Oscar-nominee Terence Howard. This film has been a massive hit in theaters and the DVD sales have been brisk. Expectations for the obviously hinted sequel have been high. In fact, Iron Man and the Tony Stark character play prominently into the upcoming Avengers and other Marvel comic book film adaptations.

Marvel did a great job of conveying the character flaws from written form to movie. And the acting of Robert Downey Jr. was instrumental. But as important was the acting of Terence Howard as Stark’s best friend Jim Rhodes. It is the Rhodes character that Stark relies upon throughout the comic book, and is the only person he is willing to entrust his upgraded technology to. That new armor suit is called War machine, and it lives up to its name well.

In the movie Howard looks to the new armor and mentions “next time”. But it seems that it will never come as he has now been dropped from the sequel. I find that to be horrendous. Howard is an exceptional actor, and capable of a range of roles as his career shows.

Not only has Howard been replaced, by the equally talented – but far too short – Don Cheadle, Marvel did not have the balls to tell Howard beforehand. According to reports the excuse is a failure to come to terms on pay. But according to Howard

“…And I read something in the trades that implicated it was about money... but apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on sometimes. And promises aren't kept, and good faith negotiations aren't always held up.”

I like Don Cheadle. He is a great actor. But I don’t see him as Rhodes. It just doesn’t work for me. And now the new dynamic of the actors is very different than what was expected or as existed in the first film. There is a chance that Marvel may have shot themselves in the foot as it seemed that the second film was going to focus on War Machine and Rhodes.

It appears that Marvel is going the route of Disney, which is reported to be a tightwad and miserable to work for. The actions of Disney cost it an animation department and hundreds of millions in animated film revenues. Marvel seems ready to follow that same path, which was also the cause of the creation of Imagine Comics, and gave growth to several underground comics that ate away a large portion of their readership in the 1990’s.

Perhaps the next Iron Man movie will be fine. All the actors are phenomenal so you wouldn’t expect different. But I think that the future comic book adaptations may be in danger of failure. And just before Captain America can make it to the silver screen. It would be a shame.

Hollywood has its issues, and they are seeping into Marvel apparently. The loss of Terence Howard is a bad sign, hopefully it just remains that. And I hope that Marvel comes back to Howard with a sweetheart deal to make up for this public and unwarranted slap in the face.

And I really hope this does not cause a fued between Howard and Cheadle. They are too good, and there are too few quality roles for African Americans for that to happen.

Good news for Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, and Marvel

Well a bit of good news is always a nice way to start the week. And to that end is the news that Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson got married. The couple was engaged recently, and thankfully their wedding was not the usual circus of paparazzi and media and rumors that tend to occur these days.

I wish the 2 of them the best. I hope that they can have a marriage like that of Paul Newman and his wife Joan Woodard.

In more potentially good news Marvel Comics is moving forward with their movie empire. With the success of the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man (to say nothing of the success found in Spiderman’s and the X-Men’s 3 films) Marvel closed a deal top have Paramount distribute 5 of its next films. Those films will include the sequel to Iron Man, a film on Captain America, The Avengers and Thor.

Now I am happy to see that Iron Man will not only get a sequel, which we knew would be coming, but that Marvel is looking to get one of it’s biggest titles out – Captain America - even though they recently murdered him. It is interesting that in a time of war, and national conflicted emotions over these wars, Marvel has decided to highlight a character that was created by war and symbolizes the absolute belief that America is the greatest good in a bad world. Captain America is hardly a liberal, and considering how liberal Hollywood is their choice stands out.

Thor though is a movie I expect will do poorly. He just isn’t an interesting character by himself. Norse god, ancient misogynistic beliefs, and macho pig might all be terms that would easily describe him. And those are all elements that would prevent his acceptance by a wide portion of the movie audience. But given the right script and actor anything is possible. Though I think this will rank right up with the first Hulk movie.

Also a potential letdown is the choice of The Avengers. This team of super heroes could be like the first X-Men movie, and be good. But more likely is the failure of the movie and its ultimate similarity to the Fantastic Four movies. There are too many characters, with too many abilities to describe to an audience that has no clue about any of that. There is no theme that drives the plot for movie-goers without necessitating a big back-story. It’s just too much all at once. And most of the members of the Avengers just aren’t interesting enough.

The big secret may be that the 5th choice of Marvel will likely be the SHIELD movie. There have been 2 prior versions of Nick Fury so far, both have been abysmal. But they say the 3rd time is the charm. This could be the film that breaks Marvel’s back, or guarantees that future scriptwriters will give up on new ideas altogether.

Actually what am I saying? There really haven’t been any new ideas in Hollywood for almost a decade. Virtually every movie made in that time has been a retread of a book, comic book, television show or prior movie. Looking forward we have more Batman, Watchmen, Sin City, video games, television shows and such on the horizon. It’s really a shame that Hollywood has lost the last few brain cells they had.

Still I am looking forward to the Watchmen, Iron Man 2, Captain America, and HALO.

The Joker - an example of speculating and not collecting

Do you recall back in the day when you would play with a 3 inch Yoda doll that was part of your Star Wars collection? I’m talking about the toys based on the original movie, before they paid attention to which chapter they represented. They were fun and cool and everyone wanted a Darth Vader or Boba Fett (which came out before the second movie as I recall).

Perhaps you were more interested in the G.I. Joe dolls. Each stood about 6” tall and some had special abilities like ‘karate action’ or an ‘eagle eye’ or simply a 'fuzzy' beard. Again this is before the cartoon series that spawned a new version of toys, a mere 3” tall.

If you do recall these toys, or others like them, with joy in your heart don’t search on eBay. The prices these then-modestly priced items go for now will astound most. But some want to search around for the latest in the Batman: Dark Knight series of toys, or the X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman and so on. They should choose carefully.

There are hordes of would be collectors buying up the various items each movie spawns, hoping that one of their purchases will one day broker their dream vacation. A great example of this is the current craze for all goods that are the Joker, bearing a likeness to Heath Ledger. Honestly I think such pursuits are a waste.

Collecting generally happens either because of a rarity of an item, it’s representation of a significant event in time, age, or it’s value as an item of fond memories – even if those memories are second or third hand. That’s why you can sell a good condition Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham first edition book for several thousand dollars. Or why certain stamps are priceless. The same can be said of the above mentioned Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and various coin collections. There is a value that can stand the test of time.

But today there is a rush based on minor activities and passing curiosity. Not unlike the comic book craze in the late 1980’s that caused comic book prices to rise dramatically, and then all but the older, rarer books to have that value nearly evaporate within a year or 2.

Heath Ledger is dead. It is a shame. But he did not die, say like Bruce Lee – at the top of his career, rising in legend and acclaim, in the middle of filming what might have been a classic film. Mr. Ledger died of a drug overdose that he gave himself. No mystery or glamour to it. His death was no Marilyn Monroe event. He was no mega-star. Thus there is no significant event that can survive time.

Thus anyone hoarding the Joker toys is making a massive bet that Ledger will be remembered in an historic manner in 5 years, thus giving a value to their collected items. I’m sure they are also hoping that the millions of other items produced before his death, and more than a few after, will all wind up in the trash as little Jonnie or Jane grow up. But considering many of the Joker items, and Batman as well, were snapped up by hopeful collectors (or speculators might be better to describe them) the chances are slim for rarity. Thus the hope of selling an item in the future to die-hard Heath Ledger fans diminishes.

Since the Joker items have just come out along with the movie, age is something that won’t happen for another decade or more. And considering the trend of Hollywood to ‘revision’ older successful films, it’s highly likely that by the time any item today becomes a fond memory of a middle- or later aged adult, there will be at least one more version of Batman corralling bad guys on either a small or big screen.

So overall the chances of a Heath Ledger Joker item becoming a collectible of worth are unlikely. Now I don’t say this to diminish the memory of Heath Ledger, but this is the most recent and dramatic point that can be made right now.

Collecting is not speculation. It should not be done with the hope of a reward in the future. That kind of wait-and-sell is best suited for the stock market, and your odds are far better there. Collecting should be done for the sheer joy of it.

I recently sold a few of my Magic The Gathering cards. I owned them from my time in California (in the early 1990’s) when I started to play the game and collect the cards after I had broken my leg in a motorcycle accident. I had no idea what the value was then, and even less now. But when I sold them – clearing away some things as I moved into a new house – I found out that just 3 of my cards alone were worth $200. That was more than I had spent on the whole collection. And I honestly had a hard time selling them.

I think that is the real value of a collection. The emotion it provides the buyer, and holds for the seller. If you start a collection for any other reason than that, you’re probably wasting your money and time.

Watchmen - the clock is running

There are some things in life you just can’t miss out on. Your first kiss, turning 21, reading a great novel, and on and on. These are experiences you can’t live without, or if you do then your life just feels all that much more shallow and empty. And there are movies that fall into this group as well. In 2009 I expect that a film will be released that will be in that category.

Watchmen

If you have never read a comic book or graphic novel, you need to read this. If you have never seen a movie based on a graphic novel or comic book you need to see this (and what rock have you been under the last 2 decades?). This should be bigger than Spiderman, bigger than The Dark Knight, bigger than all of them.

I’m heaping a lot of praise in advance of this movie which is not normal for me. But if this is done right, you will never question why.

Here is the video that just came out.



The story is too big, and complex to explain in a single post. In fact if you were told about the movie or novel it would be a crime. The pleasure is going on the cruise.

I will say this. Rorschach is the man. And Ozymandus (I always spell it wrong) is smarter than Batman (if you understand that Bruce Wayne is the greatest detective ever – not that the movies show it).

Let me give you a taste of the man that would tell the world …



This is unlike any hero movie you’ve ever seen. This is a story 95% will never figure out ahead of time. Unless they completely screw it up, it’s a movie that will stand out from virtually every story you’ve ever watched.

The clock is running, the joke is on you. 2009 is not too far.

The collectibles in the attic

Everyone knows that stamps and coins are collectibles. Every so often any one of us has looked up an odd coin that we found in a pocket while doing laundry or stuffed in the sofa. Some may go through old letters of a family member when moving from one house to another and thought about looking up this or that stamp. It’s obvious and known that these are potentially valuable items. Baseball cards are perhaps the best know must check items. But there are so many more.

The world has changed in many ways over the last 4 decades alone. Technology has improved and the culture has changed. Thus many items are now considered valuable that once were worthless (or at least to a mom cleaning up a cluttered house). I know that firsthand even way back in the 1980’s when I lost my first comic book collection to my mother’s spring cleaning effort. I won’t even say how much that collection was worth, simply that it included a couple hundred of the earliest Spiderman, X-Men (including #4), Hulk and other issues.

But for the sake of younger more modern collectors I took a look at video games, books, cell phones and the like.

In looking at video games most are older than the current youth generation. In fact I’m sure most kids under 20 probably have never seen the game consoles that play these games. Still I’m sure that in more than a few closets or attics there lies these gems waiting to hit eBay. The best item to find is quite rare, in fact only 26 exist but they are out there. It’s the Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition, worth at least $10,000 each. This game for the NES console is 18 years old, and in terms of gaming the equal of dinosaurs. But if your mom runs across a gold colored cartridge game, check it out before she throws it out.

Going even further back in time, the equivalent to maybe the first amoebas or protozoa’s, is the Atari 2600. I doubt that most under 30 even have heard of this game console, let alone played on one. But if you are an old gamer like myself, and a bit of a packrat, you may find a dusty copy of Air Raid. Now if you are so lucky as to find this, you may expect to get about $3,500. And this is not the game Air Raider’s, also for the Atari 2600 but nowhere near as rare or valuable. If you have a blue Atari cartridge game, that plays similar to Space Invaders if you have a TV that can play it, then I suggest you investigate it a bit.

Going into a different direction is something I never consider would be worth anything. Children’s picture books. We’ve all had them, we’ve all read them. More than a few of us may have even chewed on them. And if in your family these books have survived from child to child, you may have a windfall. If you can part with them.

There are several dozen books of some value. And it’s understood that many of these books will not be in pristine condition as they are for children (though values for an original in very good or better condition can double its base price). I’ll just mention 3 of my favorites, which I recall reading as a child some 35+ years ago. (My mother must have had excellent taste since each of these is in the top 15, two in the top 10.

The Story of Babar. A great book, first made in 1933. Current value $2,200 to $3,800.

The next 2 are in the top 10 and are favorites of mine. I very distinctly recall reading, and re-reading, the first of the 2:

The 500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins. Made by the genius of children’s books, and memorable – at least to me. Dr. Seuss made an indelible mark on generations, and still counting. That mark is reflected in the value of this book. $3,800 to $6,200.

And my most favored book of childhood (and among my top books as an adult). I can still recite 75% of the entire book, word for word. Sounds odd I suppose, but if you are feeling depressed or stressed try reciting it. You may be surprised by how much you recall and how you feel afterwards. Written by the great Dr. Seuss in 1960. Green Eggs And Ham, $2,800 to $4,800.

Now there are numerous other items that are collectible today. I can’t possible cover them all. From collectible card games, cell phones, DVD’s, miniature figurines (ie. Warhammer 40,000), printers, pocket watches, ties and on.

Suffice to say, the next time you want to throw out that ancient doodad in the attic, check it out first. You may be surprised at what you have.

The things in the news - 10.12.2007.1

Well I’m tired. Not just tired from running my company and trying to set up bigger and better give away contests. Not just because trying to track down various celebrities, entertainers and notable people is difficult if you’re not a huge media conglomerate. No, I’m tired of seeing stupid things in the news.

I’ll give you an example. Snoop Dogg, an ex-convict, drug promoter and generally not a person I’d want to socialize with, was just given community service. This time the charges stem from his carrying a baton onto a plane going from L.A. to New York City. Now I won’t say this was too light a punishment, the crime was not that serious. But the fact that I have discussed several crimes committed by this one man in roughly a year is ridiculous.

The man seems to be a magnet for violence and criminal activity. Of course based on his background, as stated above, I am not shocked. But some judge had better get on the ball and put this guy back in jail for an extended period of time. Snoop Dogg, or Calvin Broadus as his given name, knows better than most entertainers and celebrities that there is no way he would be tolerated committing all these crimes were it not for his fame. His continued disrespect of the law, and his work in promoting drugs and disrespect for women, add up to probably one of the worst examples of what a Black man can be. Sadly he gets far too much media exposure highlighting these actions, as opposed to say Mr. Samuel Jackson or Mr. Denzel Washington or Mr. Bill Cosby who provide positive images and messages.

And there are the amounts of money being spent on silly items. Recently the watch worn by Mr. Peter Fonda in the movie Easy Rider was sold for $33,460. Now if the money was given to charity I’d be happy, but no such thing has been reported. Similarly a Batman comic book from 1939 was recently found in an attic and bought for reportedly $250,000. Again no details about the sale were provided but that just too much.

I don’t mind that someone made a profit and another got something they wanted. I myself wish that my mother had kept the comic books she and my father collected back in the late 60’s and 70’s before they could afford a television set. [For those that are too young to know, the price of a television was expensive back in those days, kind of like a PS3 or a decent computer now.] But the prices are just too much. I can only hope that some of that money was given to charity or used to help the homeless or AIDS prevention or something. Odds are though that they didn’t.

It’s not the money per say, but the fact that so much is being spent on such frivolous things, and there are so many things that could be done instead. Of course I’m trying to gain wealth as well as anyone. I have the T-shirts, mugs, and items I sell as well as ads on all my sites. At the same time I’ve given away motivational books, currently giving away dinners or making a charitable donation, and I’m working on setting up a chance to pay a year of tuition for a college student. It’s not a lot, but then again I couldn’t pay a quarter of a million dollars for a comic book if I wanted to.

Well enough of my gripes, more soon.

Video games have grown up - 6.23.2007.2

It’s funny when you think about it. I read an article recently and I started to think back. When I was a teen, I collected comic books, played Dungeons & Dragons, and read the Lord of the Rings. Among most of my peers that set me apart somewhat. Not enough to be a geek, but definitely a bit nerdy.

Today, my comic book collection has a value of some high end sports cars, the original D&D books are a collector’s item, the LotR trilogy has become one of the most successful film series ever (with well over $1billion in sales), in addition to spawning several video games and an MMO (massive multiplayer online game).

Back in the day, when the Atari first came out and then the subsequent other systems, video games were called nothing more than a fad. With the advent of the Sony Playstation, video games became a ‘minor trend’ and those that played them were ‘geeks without a life’ in the general media.

Today a recent research report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, states that this will be the first year that video games will exceed the music sector. Not consoles, the games themselves. I’ve seen ads on television for higher learning to become a video game designer. More and more movies are being made based on sucessful game titles, and a successful game series sells faster than virtually any form of entertainment. The top action actors are all lining up to be considered for the leading roles in movies such as the reported Halo movie.

It’s just funny when you think about how things have changed.

Going to movies? Set sites low - 3.31.2007.1

So is it a good thing that Blaxploitation films are having their chance at the remake, ‘revisioning’, process that seems to be the only original concept in Hollywood these days? It’s bad enough that every 3rd film that comes out these days is a remake or sequel of some prior movie, television show, book or comic book. The concept of an original idea seem to be a void in the minds of producers and entertainment executives. Seriously.

So far in this year (all 3 months of it) there has been a movie based on a play, a serial killer, 2 comic books, a dictator, 2 television shows (including the animated one), and a book. That does not count the remake, prequel, sequel (Are We Done Yet isn’t out yet but will be shortly), ‘revisioned’ idea {the concept of Shooter has been done so many times, like a version by Mr. Keenan Ivory Williams as one example) and remake sequel. To be fair, The Last King of Scotland and Dreamgirls came out in 2006. But come on, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is based on a comic book from the 1980’s and has already had 2 other movies and 2 versions of a daily cartoon. While some may be too young to realize it 300 and Hill Have Eyes 2 are remakes. Ghost Rider is an old comic book character and the Zodiac was a real killer and has been featured in at least one television movie as I recall.

What might the summer bring us? Sequels – Ocean’s Thirteen, Bourne Ultimatum, Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman 3. Comic books – Transformers (also at least 4 versions of cartoon series). Television show – The Simpsons Movie. And that’s what I can think of off the top of my head. Do executives think the public is as lazy as they are, since they seem to be trying not to reach out for new ideas. Or is it that entertainment companies are so afraid of trying a new idea and seeing it fail that they won’t greenlight anything that hasn’t already been done?

I don’t think it’s the talent. There are more than a few talented actors in most every genre right now. There are many that have made movies in multiple formats. Mr. Mark Wahlberg has done action, drama and comedic action. Mr. Denzel Washington has run the gambit of movie genres and been both good and bad guys. Do I really need to go further?

So I ask, is the fact that Dolemite is going to be remade, or revisioned, really a good thing? Views on Blaxploitation films run the spectrum from very happy to highly insulted. I can only imagine what the film might be like in a PC dominated world, where every minority and race needs to be represented in a film whether it makes sense or not. Even worse is the fact that many words are verboten, unless of course they are put to music or bring in a really big profit.

I suppose the answer will be the film itself, once it comes out. It may be good. Some of the above mentioned films are quite good. Some have huge anticipation behind them. And then there are the ones that are a waste of time. I just fear a trend that I see. If I’m right, expect your favorite television commercial to be brought to the silver screen. Won’t that be a joy? [As I mentioned previously, the cavemen from Geiko are getting their own television show. A movie is not that farfetched now is it?]

This is what I think, what do you think?

Discussing Ghost Rider, Thank You for Smoking and 300 Spartans - 2.20.2007.1

The latest comic book brought to life has occurred in the film Ghost Rider. Every comic book collector my age and younger should feel vindicated now. It seems that every great series has, or is planned, to be brought to life. The only reasons seem to be that Hollywood can’t think up a new idea, and the fact that the rich storylines found in comics is easy to transfer to film. Even the execs that love to ‘revision’ storylines can’t help but try to delve into the history these comics have developed and the fan base they have cultivated.

I am a fan of the early Ghost Rider story, and the far later Johnny Blaze story line. From what I’ve seen from commercials there is a bit of each in the movie. This may explain why it has done so well. It’s not just a kiddie story, and Xatharos is no happy protagonist. I doubt that many fanatical Christians will be watching the film because of this, but in my mind that is there loss. The special effects look phenomenal, Xatharos looks real. I love the bike as well. I like the inclusion of a Nightmare (demonic flaming horse of mythos). I need to go see this film, but anyone who has and knows the storyline – please tell me what you thought of the movie.

Speaking of movies I want to see and enjoyed, have you seen Thank You For Smoking? I love this film. I don’t get to the movie theater as often as I would like and I recently saw this film on DVD. It’s a great film. Very much in the style of Wag the Dog. It’s not a film of good guys or bad guys. There is no black and white absolutes to the characters in the film. Everyone is a shade of gray, and it’s realistic. Mr. Aaron Eckhart does a fabulous job as the lead Nick Naylor.

The question of this film is not if smoking is bad. It’s not a liberal, left-wing anti-smoking rant. It’s not a pro-smoking or conservative choose-for-yourself film either. It’s simply a story of a man, living in the world as it is and doing the job he is best at. Considering the less than beneficial motivations of everyone in the film, it’s surprising the number of top list actors that are involved in this low-budget film. I particularly loved Mr. Rob Lowe’s performance as a Hollywood uber-mogul, getting anything done for the right price and severely absorbed with Japanese culture and a God complex. [Of particular fun was the line where he mentions that he only sleeps on Sunday]

It’s an intellectual film, so yes expect words over action. It’s not Grand Canyon though. Watch out if you have a smart child though. The argument [and not a negotiation] that Nick’s son gives his mother is both sharp and, if it were in my family, well deserving of a slap.

Of course if you are a anti-smoking fanatic, you may not enjoy the film as much as I did. If you can follow the logic and fast paced A is similar to B therefore C slippery slope then you will love this.

If you are interested in action I think the next film, 300 Spartans will be of interest. The bad part may be that the film will have little historical accuracy. Like many films today it will focus on imagery and not on the story. That may be sad as the story is legendary. I’ve spoken on it previously so I won’t go into more detail.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Historical news and odd events this week - 1.26.2007.1

In the past week in history:
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams opened one of the first schools for Black nurses in 1891
Dr James Robert Gladden became the first African American certified orthopedic surgeon in 1949
The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1865

To date there continues to be no response from any Presidential candidate that has been sent a letter from me. Considering the first letter was sent in December 2006, I begin to wonder why. The link for all the letters sent to candidates can be seen above.

Well the weird items of the week have quite a range this week. One of the first thinks is the extreme luck of a diver in Australia. Many of us have heard of how deadly a shark attack may be. The movie Jaws helped drive home a fear of Great White sharks, which is partially deserved. For those that survive an attack there is usually dismemberment and severe trauma, but I have never heard of anyone surviving an attack where their head was swallowed by a shark. That is until now.

Mr. Eric Nerhus has a singular ‘privilege’ to have had a Great White shark virtually gobble him up head first and survive. He has lots of wounds on his chest, which was protected by a lead diving vest and the only reason for his survival. I can’t imagine a luckier man. I’d suggest that Mr. Nerhus take a trip to Vegas, luck like his might win him quite a bit. Even without going though he has won the best deal possible, living to see another day. I’d suggest laying off diving for a bit though.

Looking overseas in the other direction I found out that the Dutch are at it again. I think there have been several items that have originated from the Netherlands, and this one is as odd as any. It seems that a man has officially gotten a driver’s license with him pictured as the Joker, from Batman comic book fame. While he was trying to prove a point on security, similar to what a couple of guys from California (I think) did late last year here, I am at a loss on what the workers at the Dutch DMV were thinking. Then again it would seem the Netherlands has a DMV that is no less inefficient and clueless than those found in America. Really scary when you think about it, in a world filled with terrorist threats and cowardly suicide bombing attacks. By the way, watch out for D.C. Comics, they get touchy about the trademark of one of their best villains ever.

In Belgium I am perplexed. It seems that an iguana, named Mozart, who had Viagra it seems, has had an erection for a week now. Vet’s are so concerned by this extended problem [my puns getting better?] that they are going to amputate the penis. That sucks for Mozart. I would feel bad for him [just like I felt horrible when my Chow was fixed, poor guy] but he does have a spare penis. I’m guessing the second is not being effected as the first has been.

But my real question is, how and why did Mozart get Viagra in the first place? Now I could be wrong, I am lead to believe Mozart got the drug due to the title of the article. If the title does in fact match the story, how did Mozart get a prescription? Or get the drug in his system? If it was just joke, it was cruel. If it was an accident, I’m not sure how pills are left around for him to get to. If anyone from Belgium knows about this [yes I have readers there too] please let me know what is going on.

Lastly, in the overseas items, London has really impressed me with the most absurd real estate offer I have ever heard of. While I consider a condo one of the more silly ideas people do, there is an apartment that just proves that some people have too much money. The flat [what an apartment is called there] is going for $335,000 dollars. Now by Manhattan rates it’s a tiny price (I’ve met several people that own million dollar + condo’s, and heard of many for much more) but seems to match the stature of the place. The condo is 77 square feet, or about $4340 a square foot. Yes, it’s more than tiny. I recall a friend that rented a room in off-campus housing that was slightly larger and thy only paid $250 a month in rent. And he at least had heat. If you would like heat or electricity you need to spend another roughly $60,000. All this just to say you live in a ritzy (or tony as I believe it’s said) neighborhood. I’ll say it again, some people have too much money.

This is what I think, what do you think?