News from SDCC '08

[wei yau]

Here's a thread for various news items from this year's San Diego Comic Con. I'll refrain from posting toy news, I don't need to bore you with my own personal hobbies. I'll just put up some news items that appeal to the inner geek in all of us.

But, if any of you find some interesting news about SDCC, please share it here. The first two items I've selected are movie-related, which seems to be the big attraction at SDCC these days.

Here's my first item, a bit of a surprise:

Sneak Peek at Disney’s ‘Tron 2′ (http://geeksofdoom.com/2008/07/24/sdcc-08-surprise-sneak-peek-at-disneys-tron-2/)

The new footage was a Light Cycle sequence, showing two computer-simulated riders racing through the neon light trails, one in blue, the other in yellow. At the end of the race, one opponents says, “You win, ok? This is just a game.” The other, more sinister-looking rider — who looked like Sark, the villain from the original — says, “Not anymore.” While all of this is happening, we see Bridges as his original character Kevin Flynn/Clu watching over the race.

Now, I don't know about the rest of you fanboys, but Tron was the shit back in the day. Through the years, there's been rumors about a sequel, but nothing ever got out of development hell.

There's all this talk about the "rise of the geek" in popular culture these day and with movies finally being made for "Watchmen", "GI Joe" and now "Tron 2", I'm starting to believe it.

In other movie blast from the past news, it seems that the Robocop remake (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/jul/25/robocop) has been greenlit.

When I first heard this, I groaned. I don't see why they would need to remake Robocop. I think the original one still holds up today, with its thematic points still quite relevant.

However, Darren Aronofsky is a promising directorial choice.

[Ensign Steve]

Thanks, wei!

I'm going to San Diego this weekend. I didn't bother getting tickets for the Con itself (sorry, just too spendy :spend:), but I'm going to a couple of satellite events. Going to see a live Rifftrax at Balboa Theater Saturday night, and going to visit Star Trek: The Tour at the Air and Space Museum.

:hyper:

[wei yau]

Strangely enough, Paramount and Star Trek have zero presence at this year's SDCC. Given the new release date for the movie has been pushed back to 2009, it could simply be that Paramount and Abrams are simply not ready to show anything.

It could also be that with all the other sound and fury at SDCC, they don't want their news to get lost in all the noise.

Also, fanboys, can be unpredictable. Maybe by keeping things under wraps, they can temper any backlash which may result.

I wonder if there's a big Star Trek convention later on in the year, perhaps that's where Abrams will finally reveal some more about the new movie.

[Ensign Steve]

Does Trek usually have a big presence? I thought they generally stuck to their own, or generic sci-fi cons. Which I realize comicon has become, but I don't know if ST knows it yet.

[wei yau]

Here's a longer trailer for The Spirit.

The Spirit

It's being directed by Frank Miller, who was good friends with Spirit creator Will Eisner.

I have to confess that I've never read "The Spirit", so I don't know how faithful to the source material this movie will be. However, there's something in my fanboy gut that tells me this one won't be good.

It's weird that I feel that this movie is derivative of Sin City and 300, considering both are based on Frank Miller creations. But, setting aside the visual aspects of the movie, I think I have issues with Frank Miller's treatment of the source material.

I used to regard Frank Miller's work quite highly, until "The Dark Knight Strikes Again". Hooboy, that was frickin' terrible. I feel the same vibe from "The Spirit" that I got from the miniseries. Too over the top, too stylized, too ... I don't know... mean towards the fanboys.

Still, I've never read The Spirit and Miller seems to truly respect Eisner, so perhaps I'm just worrying over nothing.

[SharonDee]

Going to see a live Rifftrax at Balboa Theater Saturday night ...So, so jealous! :envy:

[Ensign Steve]

I almost didn't go, because of moneh, but then I thought when else am I going to have an opportunity like this?

[SharonDee]

I'm glad you're going, ES. Be sure to give a full account, won't you?

Rowsdower!

[Uthgar the Brazen]

:envy:

I used to regard Frank Miller's work quite highly, until "The Dark Knight Strikes Again". Hooboy, that was frickin' terrible.

Stop being so generous. :shudder:

[Caligulette]

I haven't been to the SDCC since the 90's. I came back with a lot of toys.

Discs of Tron was my favourite video game- the one where you had to get inside to play. "Welcome Avatar!" Tron 2 better not suck.

[MonCapitan2002]

Was there anything at the SDCC regarding a follow up to Avatar: The Last Airbender?

[wei yau]

Was there anything at the SDCC regarding a follow up to Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Well, the thing is Paramount has no presence at Comic Con this year, so no Star Trek, no GI Joe, no Transformers 2 and no Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Not sure why Paramount is laying so low, maybe they've got something bigger planned later in the year.

[MonCapitan2002]

They better. Hopefully a new Star Trek series and a few animated spin off sequels to Avatar: The Last Airbender are in the wings. I am still disgusted with the live-action adaptation. That will be epic fail as the denizens of Dark Lord Potter.net would say.

[Corona688]

I was expecting the Small Device C Compiler.

Damn.

[Ensign Steve]

No San Diego Christian College? Or Senate Democratic Campaign Committee?

[wei yau]

They better. Hopefully a new Star Trek series and a few animated spin off sequels to Avatar: The Last Airbender are in the wings. I am still disgusted with the live-action adaptation. That will be epic fail as the denizens of Dark Lord Potter.net would say.

Well, I don't pretend to know anything about Avatar, but here's some news (http://tv.ign.com/articles/892/892988p1.html) from SDCC.

[wei yau]

Still, I've never read The Spirit and Miller seems to truly respect Eisner, so perhaps I'm just worrying over nothing.

Sometimes you might not like an adaptation because it shits on the source material. Sometimes you might not like an adaptation because it's just a crappy movie.

I think my gut is on to something. Early peeks (http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/26/sdcc-2008-the-spirit-panel/) at The Spirit are simply not promising.

[wei yau]

Speaking of crappy adaptations. I'll admit that I did not feel at all good about the live-action Transformers movie when I first heard about it. However, after seeing it, I realized that it is probably the best Transformer movie they could have made. A little too much of the typical Michael Bay crap, but all-in-all a good movie.

Which brings me to the next hot 80s toy property to get the movie treatment...GI Joe. Now, you all know I'm a GI Joe fan. Hell, I even start duplicate threads about the same GI Joe topic because I'm that much of a fan.

Still, I think this movie will be bad. Taking into account the "global strike force" nature of the team. The near-identical uniforms. The characters defined only by some 2-dimensional trait (the funny one, the sexy one, etc.)

It just seems bad. And nothing I've seen so far makes me think differently. The worst I've heard so far is Joe team power-suits which enable them to run 50 mph, resulting in "a car chase without cars".

Oy.

Uthgar was bold enough to make a prediction about Watchmen. I'll do the same, though it's not nearly as bold, as it must be pretty clear to all the GI Joe the movie will suck.

I'm taking that it's going to be basically be an updated Megaforce (http://www.surfindead.com/megaforce.html).

[MonCapitan2002]

Power suits? :facepalm: What the blue blazes are the fuckers who conceived of this asinine notion fucking thinking? :facepalm: Power suits have no place in live action films! That alone makes me think the movie is going to fucking suck!

I am no physicist, but even I think they will be wincing at the idiocy of 50 MPH chases with people in so called power suits. Fucking morons.

[Dingfod]

The Incredibles were represented at SDCC.

This Mrs. Incredible (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonaaron/290188862/in/set-72157594362798927/) is pretty hot, this one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84243328@N00/1238181555/) not so much.

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Second one's got the chest for it.