Disney To Acquire Marvel 08/31/2009
![]() Reuters is reporting that Disney is acquiring Marvel. "This transaction combines Marvel`s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney`s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney." I would like to point out two interesting side effects to this. The first is that I have no idea what effect it will have on Marvel Superhero Island in Universal Studio's Island of Adventure, which is a major competitor of Walt Disney World. Second, this acquisition follows an announcement in June that Stan Lee and his POW! Entertainment would be joining forces with Walt Disney Studios to develop new entertainment properties of all forms. ![]() You can win a date with Hayden Panettiere. Well, sort of. The Heroes star is on EBay auctioning off offering a lucky fan the chance to join her for a whale and dolphin watching Cruise to raise money for The Whaleman Foundation. Today we feature some movie news, correct a previously spread rumor, look forward to reading Star Wars on out IPhones, and see how Twilight should have ended. ![]() All They Had To Do Was Add The Word "The" To Top The Box Office The Final Destination (which was released in both 2d and 3d formats) earned $28 million in its first weekend. Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds came in second with earned $20 Million ( a 47% drop from last week. Halloween II (the sequel to the remake of the franchise) took third with about $17 million in earnings. In other geeky news, District 9 is going strong with fourth place and 10.7 Million (and a total of $90 million.) G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra took 8 million for fifth place. Other sci-fi movies in the top ten were The Time Traveler's Wife (seventh) Shorts (eighth), and G-Force (tenth). ![]() In the first part of this article, I discussed the television show and its connection to the Friday the 13th movies. In this installment, we check up on the current whereabouts of the cast and compare the show to the ScyFy Channel show Warehouse 13. ![]() Louise Robey (Micki) Prior to appearing on Friday the 13th the series, Robey has been a fashion model (Vogue), actress (The Money Pit), ballet dancer (Royal Ballet) and a rock star (her cover for "One Night in Bangkok" ranked #9 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1984. Since the show, she starred in the movie Play Nice in 1994, but hasn't done much acting since. In 1994, Robey married Charles Beauclerk, Earl of Burford (which makes her Lady Burford by the way). They divorced in 2001 and share custody of their son James. She then married a photographer, Stan Shaffer. Robey currently lives in France. Her official website can be found here. ![]() As the inaugural season of Warehouse 13 kicks into high gear, I thought I would take a moment to discuss an old television show with many similarities to the current ScyFy show: Friday the 13th: the Series. This is the first of two articles discussing the show and its cast. Friday the 13th The series debuted in syndication on September 28, 1987. Although the show was created by Frank Mancusso, the originator (and many of the same production and distribution people) as the Friday the 13th movie franchise; the television had absolutely nothing to do with Jason Voorheese, Camp Crystal Lake or hockey masks. Instead, the show revolved around two cousins who inherited a pawn shop. Unfortunately, this was not an ordinary pawn shop. As the opening prologue states: Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques. But he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. Now, his niece Micki, and her cousin Ryan have inherited the store... and with it, the curse. Now they must get everything back and the real terror begins. Great YouTube Video on Special Effects 08/28/2009
Self dubbed "A "5th-grader-friendly" collection of clips and making-of footage from notable visual effects films of the past century." There is a great video on Youtube. The music track is "Rods and Cones" from the album "Audio" by Blue Man Group. 1900 - The Enchanted Drawing 1903 - The Great Train Robbery 1923 - The Ten Commandments (Silent) 1927 - Sunrise 1933 - King Kong 1939 - The Wizard of Oz 1940 - The Thief of Bagdad 1954 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1956 - Forbidden Planet 1963 - Jason and the Argonauts 1964 - Mary Poppins 1977 - Star Wars 1982 - Tron 1985 - Back to the Future 1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1989 - The Abyss 1991 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1992 - The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles 1993 - Jurassic Park 2004 - Spider-Man 2 2005 - King Kong 2006 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 2007 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 2007 - The Golden Compass 2008 - The Spiderwick Chronicles 2008 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ![]() Casting News for Chuck and DollHouse Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) is joining the cast of NBC's Chuck for a multi-episode arc. He plays "Shaw" a mysterious new spy who takes control of Operation Bartowski. He becomes Chuck's mentor and his rival for Sarah's affections. ![]() Meanwhile Summer Glau (Sarah Connor Chronicles) will join Dollhouse, as a recurring cast member named "Bennett." Glau has worked with Whedon on Firefly and Serenity. Other guests for this season of Dollhouse include: Alexis Denisof (who worked with Whedon on Angel), Jamie Bamber and Michael Hogan (From BSG) and Keith Carradine (from Dexter). ![]() New Twilight Photos Summit Entertainment has released some new pictures of the powerful Volturi vampires from the The Twilight Saga: New Moon movie. Dakota Fanning plays Jane. Michael Sheen is Aro. Jamie Campbell Bower plays Caius. They are pretty much everywhere, but I saw them on collider.com New Moon is scheduled to open November 20. Pictures are after the break: Our Disney Wedding, August 27, 2000 08/27/2009
![]() I normally don't post about personal things, but nine years ago today, my wife Yee and I had our wedding at Disney World in the Disney Wedding Pavilion. Reverend Jack Day, of ABC Extreme Makeover fame, performed our ceremony. We had our reception at the Grand Floridian. In addition to family and friends, we had two other couples in attendance: Belle and the Beast and, of course, Mickey and Minnie. We also had Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast do a "Be Our Guest" floor show before dinner. He was a huge hit. More Details and pictures after the jump ![]() Fringe Season 2 News Scifiwire has some preview pictures from the Thursday, September 19th premiere of Fringe. As expected, some are gross. Speaking of Fringe, Here is the season 2 trailer ![]() Speedy Coming to Smallville? kryptonsite.com reports that that the upcoming episode "Crossfire" features another guest star from the DCU when Oliver Queen meets Mia Dearden, a prostitute that he remembers from an earlier encounter. As Green Arrow fans know, Mia Dearden was introduced in Kevin Smith's Quiver run and became the new Speedy during Judd Winnick Run. She is one of the few recurring characters in comics who is HIV positive. Cream of the Cup: Buck Rogers; Wonder Woman; Atom Eve; DR Elektra; and Blackest Night: Titans 08/27/2009
![]() BUCK ROGERS #3 Okay, I have to admit that I loved the television show Buck Rogers and the 25th Century. (Yes, even in Season 2 when they joined Hawk on the Searcher in an obvious Star Trek rip off). This series has absolutely nothing to do with that show. Except that it feahttp://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#tures supporting cast members Wilma Dearing, Princess Ardala , Doctor Heur and Kane. And that it, too, is awesome! Given what has been set up in the book, I kind of doubt that there will be any romance between Buck and Wilma except in that awkward Back to the Future parking scene. This issue continues the exciting opening arc as Buck finds out more about his new home in the 25th Century and continues to long for the past he left behind. Writer: Scott Beatty; Artist: Carlos Rafael; Cover: John Cassada. More books after the break: |