Joss Whedon Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I'm about to make a very unpopular comparison, one that surely will have some fans trying to revoke my own Whedon fandom: Bella, Buffy, and the bloodsuckers from Twilight and Buffy aren't all that different.

I say this as someone who only left her house once during the seven seasons of Buffy night, who watched each episode countless times, and amassed a huge pile of memorabilia. I say this as someone who has read Stephenie Meyers' series and enjoyed it for the ways it reflected and improved on my own fluffy YA reading (The Vampire Diaries), and knocked it for the Mormon-esque message underneath.

I haven't ignored my fandom; I just can't help but see the myriad of similarities between the two characters, ones that make Buffy owning Edward seem quite hypocritical. The power behind the slayer comes from Joss Whedon and the themes explored throughout her story -- not from the character herself. Strip away the story arcs and implied messages, and you've got a troubled woman who is no better off than Bella.

Now that we've launched these two new genre sites -- Horror Squad and ScFi Squad -- there's going to be a good amount of content over there that's not over here. Like this post from SciFi Squad about Joss Whedon and how he was offered the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, but turned it down.

Those fans all up in arms over the planned big-screen Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake will either find comfort or disgust in learning that Joss Whedon was offered a chance to reboot his own original idea, and he turned it down presumably after already learning his lesson on the first film. Entertainment Weekly reports the news alongside direct quotes from Whedon and a poll announcing that only 3% of EW readers would want to see a new Buffy movie without Whedon in charge.

Says Whedon, "I believe [the producers] did ultimately reach out to my agent after the news broke. I think that's something better left untouched by me. So, I wish them luck."

Read the rest over at SciFi Squad

We've all had a few days to let the news sink in that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is getting a feature film reboot, and is if that wasn't enough; that the creator, Joss Whedon, would not be a part of it. As to be expected, fans were ticked, and just for the record, I am one of those die-hard Buffy fans with DVD collections and Season 8 comics lining my wall. But, maybe it's because lately everything is up for grabs when it comes to remakes and reboots, because when I heard the news, I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Now last week I asked fans if there was a chance they were being a little too hard on a certain time-traveling robot, but then I realized I should probably try and follow my own advice when it comes to something I love. So I ask myself: Is a 'Whedonless' Buffy necessarily a bad thing? Well, I have to tell you, there is a part of me that thinks that the Buffy reboot isn't doomed to fail, and here's why:

The original Buffy was a silly early '90s flick featuring Kristy Swanson, dreamy Luke Perry as her BF Pike, Rutger Hauer as the bad vamp about town Lothos, a post-Pee Wee Paul Reubens as one of his henchmen, and Donald Sutherland as a told-ya-so! dude named Merrick who warned her she was a predestined kicker of vampire ass. Blink-and-miss-it cameos include Hilary Swank, Ben Affleck, gossip columnist Liz Smith, David Arquette, and Ricki Lake. Really.

Now Buffy is getting a 21st century transfusion with help from the original director Fran Rubel Kuzui and producer Kaz Kuzui to create "what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel," according to Hollywood Reporter. So with that very oblique description in mind, it looks like this will be a sort of different incarnation of Buffy -- a different vampire "warrior" for a different generation. One with "franchise potential," of course. The Kuzuis are working with Vertigo Entertainment, aka Roy Lee and Doug Davison, which is responsible for many US remakes of Asian films like The Grudge, Dark Water, The Eye, and upcoming adaptations of Death Note, the Spielberg-Smith vehicle Oldboy, and Battle Royale. They're also remaking Creepshow.

Joss Whedon wrote the script for the original Buffy, although he's more famous for his feminist-y take on it in the long-running Sarah Michelle Gellar series. He will, however, not be involved with the new Buffy. Good luck to whomever they're bringing in to revamp this iconic chick because she or he has some big shoes to fill. Or it's entirely possible one of the many, many Buffy-philes might have a go at 'em with a big, pointy stake. Either way.

As far Joss? Well, Dr. Horrible's Twitter only says "Oy... http://bit.ly/gwmRt" If anyone would like to confirm if this is Joss's real Twitter account or not, we're all ears.

Now that J.J. Abrams has reinvented, and especially, reinvigorated Star Trek for an all new generation of fake-pointy-eared fans, it would be unfair to let the filmmaker simply take time off to garden or crochet, much less celebrate the film's projected $72 million opening weekend. Especially since there are just so many other franchises and film series that deserve – or perhaps more accurately – need his golden touch. As such, we've thoughtfully assembled a short list of franchises that Abrams could and should take over, tackle, and reboot. And while we tailored our selections to suit the filmmaker's writing and directing strengths, we encourage you to leave your comments and suggestions which films and franchises you think might be better suited to Abrams' cinematic style.

In no particular order:

Ira Glass, the host of Chicago Public Radio's critically-acclaimed This American Life, will be bringing a special live simulcast performance of his radio show to 400 movie screens on April 23rd. While the very idea of buying a ticket to watch a talk-heavy radio program -- in a movie theater no less -- sounds a little goofy, Glass's lineup for the show is intriguing.

The show, which will originate from NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, will follow the program's basic format, with Glass and his guests sharing stories that are connected by a central theme -- in this case, "Return to the Scene of the Crime." Glass previously presented a simulcast in 2008, about which he says, "The live cinema transmission was surprisingly effective. We were flooded with emails asking for us to do it again." And so they shall.

Along with show regulars Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, Mike Birbiglia, David Rakoff and Dave Hill, there'll be a "special musical performance" by ... I'm not making this up ... Joss Whedon. Glass admitted in a 2003 interview that he's a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so he's obviously using his public-radio clout to hang out with the King of the Fanboys. Who can blame him? If I was Ira Glass, I'd spend all of my time figuring out how to get face time with Elvis Costello and Sawyer from Lost ... which is one reason why I'll never be on public radio.

Kicking up the geek quotient, the evening will also present an animation by Chris Ware ("Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth.") Tickets for the live event sold out in just two days, but if you want to watch it in "real time" in a movie theater, you can buy tickets at participating theater box offices or online at www.FathomEvents.com. A complete list of theater locations can be found here.

We're not talking about a remake or a sequel to the great 2005 film. But even as Joss Whedon was explaining why movies made from DC comics suck won't work, his secret minions at NASA were cooking up a complicated scheme to launch Serenity back into space. Fans of the Firefly TV series and the follow-up movie version hold a special place in their heart for the battered cargo vessel Serenity, beloved home to Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his band of smugglers. When the film didn't perform up to box office expectations, it appeared that Serenity had flown for the last time.

Until NASA asked for the public's help in naming the International Space Station's Node 3, which is "a connecting module and its cupola." (Space nerds, feel free to explain in the comments.) As the very alert Sarah Jaffe at Newsarama pointed out, NASA states: "The name should reflect the spirit of exploration and cooperation embodied by the space station, and follow in the tradition set by Node 1- Unity- and Node 2- Harmony." Their choices include Earthrise, Legacy, Venture, and ... Serenity!

As of this afternoon, when I voted, Serenity was leading with 86% of the vote. I'd say it's no contest, but you never know when secret fans of Earthrise, Legacy, or Venture will come out the woodwork, so I encourage you to head over there now and cast your vote. (No registration or other identifying information required.) Let NASA -- and Universal Studios -- know that you want to see Serenity fly in space.

To borrow a plea from Frank Costanza : "Serenity now!"

For legions of Joss Whedon fans, one of his most lovable qualities is his outspoken nature. Sometimes it gets him into a little trouble, but hey, its all in good fun right? Well, DC Comics might not see it that way now that Whedon has thrown in his two cents about why DC hasn't had the same success as Marvel when it comes to bringing comic books to the multiplex. Elisabeth brought us the bad news back in January, that WB had put their DC properties on hold for the foreseeable future (with maybe the exception of a certain caped crusader), but, there are still a few DC properties that have survived. With Jonah Hex and the Green Lantern at the top of the list.

So what makes some superheroes successful at the box-office while others are destined to languish in development? According to Whedon it all comes down to humanity -- and what else would you expect from one the biggest touchy-feely comic book geeks around. Whedon says, "DC's characters, like Wonder Woman and Superman and Green Lantern, were all very much removed from humanity. Batman was the only character they had who was so rooted in pain, that had that same gift that the Marvel characters had, which was that gift of humanity that we can relate to." Even though Whedon is an expert when it comes to comics, I'm not sure if he has me convinced. The genius of a character like Superman is exploring the feelings of isolation and the price that is paid when you become someones protector and savior -- and if you need a great example of how to bring somebody like Superman into the real world, check out Tom DeHaven's It's Superman!

After the jump, Whedon gives the lowdown on Wonder Woman...

I have to admit, I'm a geek for all things Joss Whedon, so you can pretty much guarantee my interest in anything -- even if it is a tired horror cliché. Case in point: Whedon and Drew Goddard's (Cloverfield) horror-suspense, The Cabin in the Woods. The 'mystery-shrouded' project with MGM and UA has finally made their first honest to goodness casting announcement, but it is not who you might expect. The Hollywood Reporter has now confirmed that Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading) is currently in talks to star alongside Bradley Whitford (star of the beloved political drama, The West Wing) in the suspense-horror.

Considering that the film is being made by the man responsible for Cloverfield, it shouldn't come as a surprise that most of the details about the story have been kept under wraps. What we do know about the flick, is that it will be a twist on the classic horror tale of 'sexy teens' stranded out in the woods -- and as someone who has been a long-time fan of Whedon, I know better than anybody that the guy knows how to do a 'variation on a theme'. Whedon wrote the script with Goddard (who will also direct), and Whedon will act as one of the producers for the film. In previous encounters with the press, Goddard said Cabin has, "...a harder and darker edge, but it's also got classic Whedon qualities. It'll rip your heart out and be heartfelt at the same time." -- Which will probably mark one of the few times in horror that we might actually give a damn about the folks being slaughtered before our eyes.

The Cabin in the Woods is scheduled for release on Feb. 5, 2010. Which is a far cry from an earlier promise of an October release, but when you are dealing with anything 'Whedonesque', a little patience doesn't just help; it's pretty much a requirement.