wow

Thats very odd about them making a Tron 2. The first movie was a bomb and wasnt even a cult hit like Blade Runner was

Big balls action flick producer Joel Silver and a ninja movie, what’s not to like? Exactly. Nothing. Silver introduced the Ninja Assassin footage as something thrown together quickly since it wrapped a few weeks ago. Please don’t tell anyone outside of Comic Con, Silver pleaded. Joking? Who knows? Not like we’d comply anyways.

No worries. The film looks fun as all hell. And the footage provided made for a solid red-band teaser. Oh yes, there will be ludicrous amounts of blood.

It didn’t give any real sense of story (and who cares if it even has one when it’s got freakin’ ninjas). But it did roll out tid-bits involving ninja kids beat the crap out of one another, dozens of ninjas descending from the ceiling on a group of heavily armed individuals, laundry-mat sword fighting, slo-mo everything, flaming balls as room deco, car versus ninjas (looks like a draw), and a vicious face on urinal bashing.

Oh and apparently a shirtless Rain does hand-stand push-ups at some point in the movie. From the non-stop whistling and screaming, I’m guessing chicks dig Rain.

Ninja Assassins will bloody up the screen and make the Rain lovin’ girls faint early next year.

Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, and director Douglas Aarniokoski sat down to answer a bunch of questions from fans about Red Sonja at Comic Con today, and also took the liberty of showing off some of the teaser poster artwork they had come up with. Putting aside the bizarre coincidence that one of the teasers was the third poster this week to play up the hot-girl-licks-dripping-blood theme (complete with the contrast of the pale white skin against the harsh red hues), the artwork on display amounted to some damn fine looking imagery. I particularly like the shot of McGowan sitting on a mountain of skulls with her glowing red hair blowing in the wind. Morbid, yet also kind of hot.

There were also some rather cool tidbits that seeped through the cracks in regards to the visual style of the film and what kind of prep they’ve been doing to prepare for filming in the months ahead.

But first, for those wondering why Robert Rodriguez isn’t directing the film, it’s not by choice. He has a contract still going that requires his next film to be with the Weinsteins, and thus he is unable to work on this at the same time. This lead to his decision to have Douglas Aarnioko (Rodriguez’s first assistant director on everything from From Dusk Till Dawn to Spy Kids) helm the film. At the same time, I got the impression this was just a clever ruse for Rodriguez to direct the film while avoiding any legal trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time he decided to try something so unconventional, what with him dropping out of the DGA due to issues with his invention of the “special guest director” credit with Quentin Tarantino on Sin City. Compared to Aarniokoski, Rodriguez was clearly the more enthusiastic of the two, harboring a deep love of the source material and professing that his stamp on the material would definitely be noticeable.

As far as where the current stage the film is at right now, it was announced that Rodriguez and Aarniokoski had been scouting locations across the country for the past three weeks, while Rose McGowan would start her sword training this following week. The big note of interest though came from one of the Q&A participants, who asked if they were going to be incorporating green screen effects like they did on Sin City (or how it was later done with 300). The filmmaking duo explained that they were going to be using both, enhancing the practical locations in a way that differentiates it from other recent sword-and-sandal movies and gives it a unique look that we’ve never seen before. It sounded like they already had something particular in mind, so it will be interesting to see what eventually ends up on screen.

Rodriguez also went on to explain that the film would be very dark, following more along the lines of the novels than the comics. The most important difference between this incarnation and the original, however, came courtesy of Rose McGowan, who noted, “I wont have a mullet.” Bless you for that, Rose. Bless you. McGowan’s contributions didn’t end there either. When going into detail about why she wanted to do the project upon receiving the script, she explained that it’s important to “do what you want to do” instead of focusing simply on being a role model. “And I wanted to take a giant sword and kill a lot of people.”

Another interesting tidbit she offered up was a hint at what kind of action we could expect, referencing that it would be similar in ways to the free-running chase sequence that kicked off Casino Royale but with swords. As soon as I heard that I immediately had this mental image of the PS3 game Heavenly Sword, with the red-haired gal sliding across vines and launching in between enemies and various obstacles with stunning visual flair. If the Red Sonja film can capture even a smidgen of that gorgeous style, it’s sure to be an interesting ride.

Robert Rodriguez is an idiot for choosing to direct Red Sonja over Clash of the Titans because of his then girlfriend

11:40AM - Currently sitting and waiting in Hall H for the panel to start at 11:55AM. The auditorium is entirely full…

11:52AM - The screens just showed a panel that allowed people to enter into a contest to win a custom Watchmen Xbox 360. The audience cheered, texting ensued, and the quietness resumed…

11:57AM - Nothing yet… still waiting… anticipation is high… everyone is anxious!

11:58AM - Directing of Programming for Comic-Con takes the stage.. time to begin!!

12:01PM - Entertainment Weekly rep takes the stage to introduce Watchmen. Two years ago Zack came to Comic-Con to show footage from 300, today he's here to show us footage from a comic that has often been called unfilmmable. Everyone in the cast makes their debut on stage: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Dave Gibbons, and Zack Snyder.

12:05PM - Asks Zack Snyder to recap "how we got here." Watchmen has been knocking around Hollywood for a while, a bunch of directors have been attached. He was working in post-production on 300 and Warner Brothers called and asked him if he would be interested. He said "yea… it seems like a crazy idea, but…" Once they asked him, he felt responsible and even if he said no, someone else would've made it and if it didn't turn out, it would've still been his fault, so he thought why not make it his fault anyway. Zack says the cast has been awesome in helping him understand the characters. All discussion has been about what is consistent with the book and so on. In that respect, they've been a "super great" cast.

Zack explains that when people heard there was a teaser they thought it would just be the title and the date, but that they actually decided to put some shots together for what we saw in front of The Dark Knight. That's the history up until what "he's going to show us."

12:11PM - Asking Dave Gibbons what is what like to see it become real. He said it felt like a dream and he was expecting to be pinched and would wake up. What really made it real was to stand inside of the Owl Ship and smell the Comedian's cigar and have him slap Gibbons on the back and proudly show him one of his guns - was just amazing. "It was incredible to actually tangibly touch it." It was the "every day things" that impressed him. Gibbons said that he plastered his trademark letter "G" up all over the place and he feels like it now has his signature "all over the place" in it.

Dave wishes that Alan Moore could feel the same experience he's having cause he's having a really great experience so far…

12:14PM - Zack Snyder sets up the shot we're about to see. Explains that he was going to bring the original trailer and show it again but thought that most of us have seen The Dark Knight already… So it's some of the shots from the trailer extended to show more of the non-PG aspect of the movie. He just wanted to put a couple of shots together to say "this is how we're doing it."

12:20PM - Absolutely stunning extended trailer. Just beautiful, just amazing. Zack continues on talking about how he thought that this would be relevant to today. In the end it asks a lot of moral questions and you've got to answer those yourself and he thinks "that's what Watchmen is."

12:21PM - Asking a question to Billy Crudup about filming completely nude in the blue. Billy making a joke about technically playing the character and how he has to act as that guy. He explains his two big obstacles and said he "did the best he could." Time to go to the audience for Q&A…

12:22PM - Question: What was it like to bring Rorshach to life? Haley: It was a blast, it was challenging, it was mind-numbing. There's a lot to this character. I've studied the script, I've studied the book and had long conversations with Zack about the character and his multiplicity. I've learned a lot from you about who Rorshach is from reading the internet and blogs and got into the character when he finally got on the outfit.

12:24PM - Question: Who is Zack Snyder's favorite Watchmen character? Snyder: "I like them all for different reasons" and the audience boos. "Everyone likes Rorshach the best so… that rules him out. Everyone else likes The Comedian because he is kind of like a badass and is morally… you know! So there's those two I can't vote for." Also, you have the girls, which he thinks are awesome, but also another cop out. But he sticks with the girls in the end!

12:26PM - Question: What goes into playing a blue man and was the Blue Man Group mad? Asked by our man Bob $tencil! Crudup: Mostly sucking it up and being humiliated and enjoying the process and working with these guys on such badass material.

12:27PM - Question: Nite Owl - how did you find the character and what did the costume mean to you? Wilson: He fell out of shape and said it was pretty cool to sit back when everyone else had to get "ripped" and he could just relax. "You always pull for Dan, you do…" What's so amazing, because he's flabby and down on his luck and lost, and yet when you look at the first few panels, especially when Rorshach and him go down to the Owl chamber and there's the shot where he says "don't you think that's a little paranoid" and there's a smile on his face. That's the stuff you don't get when you read the book. It helped him so much to see a guy who could be so down and yet has this light in his eyes and he loves that the artwork is so informative as an actor. Every day he got in the suit was a gift because he felt and looked like a badass. "It's just awesome…"

12:30PM - Question: The book is dark to the point of nihilism - did you balance it out? Snyder: We never thought about "is the movie too dark?" and whether people would slit their wrists in a theater (joking). There are characters that are trying to find their way in a movie and it is a reflection on all of us and those answers… there's a moral question that gets answered but there is no "real" answer. "It becomes up to you." It's really also about "what is darkness?" in a movie. Is it dark just for the sake? Explains that he rambled, so no real answer, "sorry"…

12:33PM - Question: The text and artwork are very complex with complex themes - what are the challenges of adapting that into a script? Snyder: That was a challenge. We also tried to include the supplemental material that's in the graphic novel as well. He wanted to try and include some of that in the movie as well. "You saw Dollar Bill with his cape caught in a revolving door and it's an interesting sort of superhero moment - the idea that capes are an issue. Those are moments of importance when you talk about superhero mythology." They kind of have a basic structure and they will have some stuff that isn't in there, but if anything they had to cut out some bits that were more actiony (maybe?) and things that weren't about the "big picture."

12:35PM - Question: Does he expect the mature audience trend to continue with comic book movies? Snyder: "Dark Knight is just a good movie." Pop culture has to deal with comic book movies no longer existing just as "summer" popcorn mindless entertainment, they actually… they're important and talk about humanity and talk about a bunch of stuff that is serious. Serious filmmakers and serious actors are making these into cool movies. "There are a lot of other graphic novels out there, but I would love to see Frank Miller's 'Dark Knight' made into a movie… but that's just me. There is a new wave of superhero movies coming, maybe?"

12:37PM - Question: What was it like working on green screen? Gugino: She worked very little on green screen. Crudup: He worked very little on green screen too, except for Mars. Jokes about not shooting on Mars even though there was a big budget. "It was an imaginative challenge" and was much harder for people opposite him when he was covered with dots and electronic material. Akerman: You have to tap into your imagination at that point. You have to go back to your childhood days with your imaginary friends… Most of it was done pretty realistic and only her and Crudup had the challenge of Mars. It literally brought tears to her eyes because it looked so fantastic to see finished.

12:40PM - Question: Speaking of nihilism - what was it like to play The Comedian? Morgan: There were days that he would go home from work and he would be in a little bit in a daze. He does some particular things that he wouldn't naturally do… "Like Dan's character, we all pull for The Comedian (joking)." Every day was a challenge and getting into costume and sticking a cigar in his mouth was a great way to get him into the mood of killing people. There were also days he felt like shit…

12:42PM - Question: In private speaking in the movie, he speaks a little bit of German - what's that about? Goode: He had no idea about Watchmen until he first got the script. After that, he read the script and the "bible" that is Watchmen, but he still had to make the character "flesh" and he's still really a mystery. To get to the answer… In certain scenes, he had his own kind of vision quest in Vancouver which if you've been there "you know what I'm talking about."

12:46PM - Question: About the trailer - about the music, Smashing Pumpkins, and if it will be included in the movie? Snyder: We felt tonally it made sense and said some things that were cool in relation to Watchmen. It also has irony based on it's lineage. We made a movie that had to be self aware but never that it knows "what it is." And that's what the song does. It's not in the movie because the movie takes place in 1985 and that song had not been written yet. Probably won't appear on the soundtrack either.

12:49PM - Question: Was anything omitted or was anything added? Snyder: "Yes and yes." That's it!

12:50PM - Question: Wanted to hear from the other actors about how they got into their characters. Akerman: Because the characters were so full and real… The thing about Laurie, except for Dr. Manhattan, is that they are all real people and they have their good sides and bad sides. She's a real woman on top of the fact that she can kick ass. Everyone in life goes about finding out who they are… I feel like she's this young girl caught in a women's body and needs to come out and show the world who she is.

Gugino: This was such an amazing character to play because she's this exhibitionist costumed crime fighter who loves attention. Film noir, 1940's, pin-up, is something that she's always loved and that was fun on an aesthetic level. There is a moment when the flash bulb goes off (in the footage we saw taking this picture) where she finally gets to see the character and how she could've been something and the rest of her life is about trying to get to that point again.

12:55PM - Question: Heard a rumor about the DVD - was going to try and get everything from the other director's productions to do a comprehensive overview of the 20-year process of getting this developed. Snyder: Has not heard of that but will look into that. Sounds great! Why not? It would be cool to see…

1:00PM - Footage one more time! Looked absolutely AMAZING! If you thought the trailer was breathtaking, this was even MORE incredible than that. Whenever Dr. Manhattan was vaporizing people, you could actually see the blood and organs and bones explode out of the body. It was much more detailed and gory (in a minimal sense) and really showed that they're not holding back (with the rating) in comparison to the trailer. There were a lot of scenes of Rorshach with his moving-ink mask walking around his apartment looking at newspaper clippings, as well as Nite Owl sitting down and taking off his glasses with old costumes behind him. There was no dialogue, but it looked absolutely stunning, gorgeous, some of the best footage of anything I've ever seen. I've got such high expectations for this movie and I think it will definitely deliver. We're in for one hell of a movie next March! Great panel and great footage!

An exclusive Wolfman trailer premiered at Comic Con. The footage began with the Universal Logo. Cut to a guy walking through the woods. He comes across something, scared, he drops his lantern and runs away. Voice over states “25 years ago my father found him”.

“He was tore to pieces and half eaten. Whatever did it was big, had claws” Village people see something and run away. We see a bottom shot of the Wolfman transforming in the dark woods, just a little back light. People are chasing after him with guns. “and we couldn’t kill it.” Shots of someone casting silver bullets. “He only came out during a full moon from then on.”

Lawrence Talbot, played by Benicio Del Toro returns home to his father Sir John, played by Anthony Hopkins. “Hello father…” A lot of quick cuts. Title credits showing Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving’s characters. Blunt runs away from a house on fire. Someone gets pulled into a pit by the wolf man and is torn apart, blood spraying everywhere. Del Toro finds himself in ripped and bloodied clothes. Hopkins says to him, “You’ve done terrible things… Be strong.” Another bunch of quick cuts, the Wolfman throws someone through a window. A bunch of footage of The Wolfman running around. “I am what they say I am, I’m a monster.” And the trailer ended with Weaving declaring “God Help Us!

Coming from the mindset of little to no interest, I was instantly absorbed into the footage. Rick Baker’s Wolfman looked incredibly cool, and the period gothic setting elevated the scenes shown above the level of your average slasher/horror film. It also didn’t seem to be toned down, and was both violent and gruesome. I also loved the cinematography of the backlit night shots.