Punisher Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I think I can speak for most fans of Marvel Comic's Punisher when I say that in light of just how crappy previous Punisher flicks have been in the past, then a 're-boot' was really the only sensible option (though I'm not sure it's a re-boot; perhaps a continuation or something along those lines). Latino Review is now hosting three new images from Punisher: War Zone straight from director Lexi Alexander's blog (which you can also view here, to the right, and after the jump). The last picture we got wasn't exactly the most illuminating when it comes to details, and, to be honest, I couldn't make out much here either. On the up side, at least star Ray Stevenson no longer looks like Steven Seagal's long lost brother.

Taking over where Thomas Jane and Dolph Lundgren left off, Stevenson stars as Frank Castle (aka The Punisher); when his family is wiped out by the mob, he becomes a one man army pegging off criminals and mobsters everywhere. Joining Stevenson are Dominic West as Jigsaw (who fans might remember from the comics, albeit from a different storyline) and Wayne Knight (better known as Jerry's nemesis Newman) as Microchip.

Erik got the chance to talk with director Lexi Alexander about the need for a remake of the classic character. Alexander said, "I would say it's a complete different re-boot, just because neither one of the previous [films] were relevant. And with Castle, it's one story -- the mythology stays the same -- and I think I just have a very very different take on it. I was lucky to put it in the right environment, which was dark and cold". Judging by the photos on her blog, it looks like she succeeded in creating that 'environment'. Shooting for Punisher: War Zone wrapped back in December and is scheduled to hit theaters on September 12th, 2008. Check out two more pics after the jump ...

Back in October, Cinematical's comic book guru Marky B. let us know that a sequel to Jonathan Hensleigh's The Punisher was being discussed ... although it was only in the "talking about it" phase. But now that Lionsgate has released an extended director's cut of the flick, there's been a lot more buzzings about a follow-up. (Having recently seen the extended version, I do think it's an improvement over the theatrical cut -- but also that Mr. Hensleigh missed a golden opportunity to excise some of the lamer bits.)

The Punisher himself (Deep Blue Sea's Thomas Jane) recently informed IGN Movies that the sequel is almost certainly moving forward ... provided Hensleigh produces a viable screenplay, that is. Apparently the first movie had an inordinately low budget for this type of project (let's just say less than $20 million), and has proven itself to be DVD-popular enough to warrant a second spin. No word yet on how Lionsgate/Marvel feels about this plan, but if Mr. Jane is to be believed it certainly looks like we'll be getting a harsher, darker Punisher adventure some time relatively soon.

Oh, and if the sequel does go through, this guy will be the villain.

I'm making a few changes to the TFT format; comments, suggestions and ideas from regular readers are more than welcome!

*Scott's Gimme Pick!* A Fish Called Wanda (Collector's Edition) -- One of the '80s very best comedies (FINALLY) gets the full-bore special edition it deserves! John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin and the (Oscar-winning) Kevin Kline bounce through this farce that's both sunny and acidic, smart and silly, goofy and great. And this package is absolutely stocked with goodies: Cleese commentary, 30 minutes of deleted scenes, some featurettes, a trivia track... I can't wait to add this into my collection! :)

Home Alone (Family Fun Edition) -- If you're a big fan of this celebration of holiday sweetness and hardcore slapstick, this new re-issue looks to be a solid buy. In addition to a Chris Columbus / Macaulay Culkin yack-track, you'll also get a whole bunch of extra goodies -- most of which are all-new to this edition!

Ice Age: The Meltdown -- Because your kid probably doesn't own enough animated movies about animals. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary return to add some personality to the prehistoric critters, and the DVD is predictably stocked with goodies for both old and young.

An Inconvenient Truth -- Al Gore gets all ecological and scares the bejeezus out of those of us who actually consider global warming a real threat. Extras include a pair of filmmaker commentaries, a few featurettes and a box composed of entirely recycled materials.

Independence Day -- Fox was planning to release a 10th Anniversary edition of this movie until someone reminded them that there'd already been a Special Edition, a Limited Edition and a Five-Star Collection edition. And the movie still kinda stinks.

Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition) -- The 1947 holiday classic finally hits DVD with a swanky SE that's long overdue. The stocking-load of extras include an audio commentary from actress Maureen O'Hara, the 1955 made-for-TV remake, a bunch of documentaries both new and archival ... and you can choose between the (icky) colorized version or the (glorious) original B&W transfer!

The Punisher (Extended Cut) -- Everyone keeps telling me the extended cut of Daredevil is much better than the theatrical version, and I bet the same holds true for The Punisher. Thomas Jane does some solid work in this fairly standard (yet still watchable) little revenge story. New extras (aside from 17 extra minutes wedged into the main feature) include a still-deleted scene, a look at The Punisher's comic book history and some random featurettes.

Scoop -- Yep, Woody Allen's still making movies. This is the one with Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman, I think. And if you've ever owned a Woody Allen DVD, you know what kind of extras to expect here: None. (I think.)

You, Me & Dupree -- Owen Wilson is a wacky dude who squats in the house of newlyweds Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson. Since I have yet to see the movie, I can only assume that much wackiness ensues before a valuable life lesson is learned. Extras-wise you get a pair of audio commentaries, a few featurettes, some deleted scenes and the ever-popular alternate ending.

It is sort of embarrassing to admit this, and I always duck my head and mumble when I end up talking to people about it, but I really liked The Punisher. Yes, Travolta was a terrible villain. Yes, the plot was more than a little hackneyed. Okay, okay, the whole thing was really campy and somewhat poorly assembled. I know it was not a great movie ... but I loved it. I think Tom Jane was fantastic as Frank Castle, and I want to see him at it again. Talk of a sequel has persisted since the first film wrapped, and from the sounds of it we're getting close to a return.

MTV reports a quote from Tom Jane, who told them the script is only weeks away. In a comment sure to warm the hearts of Marvel geeks everywhere, he also promised the second Punisher attempt would contain more of what the fans want -- it'll be "darker, bloodier, and more unfriendly" than the last one. Yours truly is thrilled to hear the film is coming, and more thrilled to hear it's going to be edgier than the last time. Anyone else out there actually excited for this film?