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Seth McFarlane Plans Another 'Family Guy' Movie. Seriously?
Filed under: Animation », RumorMonger », Fandom »
Those manatees really know how to keep themselves busy. In one of the more irreverent news items of the day, Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane -- whose voice work is currently on display in Hellboy II: The Golden Army -- has told TV Week that he hopes to get a Family Guy movie off the ground in a year or so. The announcement was first picked up by Ain't It Cool News, where most commenters seem fairly lukewarm about the idea. Honestly, it's hard not to agree with them. Family Guy already has two feature length titles out on DVD, and neither one really raised the bar for the show or even played better than a decent episode. At least The Simpsons movie had a plot that made sense for ninety minutes. Family Guy, with its incessant randomness, generally works as a series of distractions. In other words, not the sort of thing that really needs to get expanded beyond the half hour structure. Then again, the show has its devout base, which eagerly anticipates each sloppily constructed gag like clockwork, so maybe the new film project is good business sense. Either way, the South Park two-parter that took Family Guy to task remains far more entertaining (and insightful) than Family Guy's entire six-season run.
Discuss: Should 'Hellboy II' Serve as Del Toro's Audition Tape?
Filed under: Action », Classics », Drama », Foreign Language », Horror », Casting », New Releases », New Line », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », New in Theaters », Family Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
"While waiting in line for the screening of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, I overhead someone say that Guillermo del Toro's latest is being seen as his audition tape for The Hobbit," observed Jonathan Pacheco in his review for The House Next Door. Of course, Del Toro already had the directing gigs for the two Hobbit films before Hellboy II hit theaters, but that won't stop audiences from evaluating the current parade of fairies, demons and evil elves with Del Toro's Middle-Earth-to-be in mind. Needless to say, it's a narrow perspective.
It would make more sense to expect that these upcoming features will negotiate between the gothic horror of Pan's Labryinth and the blockbuster approach of Hellboy II. In the latter work, it's clear that Del Toro has more interest in placing these loony supernatural beings in relatively conventional action sequences, allowing the specificity of the characters to create a sense of ingenuity. Pan's Labryinth, on the other hand, offers a single package of storytelling: The art direction, special effects and even the violence directly relate to the drama. The best case scenario for the Hobbit films would be a happy medium: Glorious visuals that reflect Tolkien's deeply involving mythology.
Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Universal », Theatrical Reviews », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Imagine one of the Star Trek crews transported to Tolkien's Middle Earth, or Buffy and her Scooby gang whisked away into the heart of Narnia. That's how Hellboy II: The Golden Army can feel, as you watch a cartoonish-looking, cigar-smoking demon fight gorgeous creatures right out of ancient folklore (and one Miyazaki-esque nature deity). Your reaction to such a contrast -- as fascinating, jarring or downright repellent -- will likely influence your feelings about the latest film from Guillermo del Toro, a sequel to his 2004 adaptation of Mike Mignola's graphic novels. The writer-director's previous film, Pan's Labyrinth, was a favorite of mine, and while Hellboy II doesn't quite measure up to that film's richness of character and story, it is still visually extraordinary.
I came into this film entirely ignorant of the Hellboy universe ... much like with Sex and the City, although it seems bizarre to compare Mignola's characters to Candace Bushnell's. I haven't read the graphic novels and I hadn't even seen the first movie (it was impossible to find a rental DVD of Hellboy in Austin last week, which may bode well for the popularity of the sequel). And yet, unlike Sex and the City, I didn't feel as though I must have missed something in order to fully appreciate the film. Hellboy II gives us virtually no backstory on its main characters, but that's not necessary, as the setup becomes obvious almost immediately. Sure, there were a few scenes where the comic-book fans were laughing and I didn't get the joke, but it didn't bother me and I never felt lost or confused.
The Best of Mike Mignola's 'Hellboy'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Universal », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Lists »
One of the best things about life here on Cinematical is that I receive a crash course in comic books that I'm unfamiliar with. The world of graphic novels and comic books is a pretty daunting one, especially when every other title is being optioned by a big studio.There are so many of these characters that I've known in passing or via their movie adaptations that I don't even know where to begin reading.
And that's coming from someone who's (somewhat) in the know! I can't imagine how it looks from the outside. I try to imagine these poor souls going into a comic book shop and saying "So, um, which comic was the movie based on?" and getting laughed at. And with Hellboy, that's a lot of people, including yours truly.
That's why I love the guys at ComicMix -- they know their superhero stories, and they're eager to share them. You can go there, quietly print their lists up, and take them to Amazon.com without needing to talk to a single judgmental soul. Now, to coincide with the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, they've put together a best of Hellboy list for those unfamiliar with his comic incarnation. And I know after you've seen the movie, you're going to want to pick up Seed of Destruction and The Corpse. They sound like the perfect beach reading to me!
[Thanks to Rick Marshall, who always keeps us in the loop]
Cute and Cuddly 'Hellboy II' Trailer
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Movie Marketing », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
In a movie season of superheroes, it is no easy task to stand out -- even if you're bright red with a giant stone hand and a tail. But I dare you to find one other superhero out there with as much swagger and love for kittens as Hellboy. Check out this new trailer for the fantasy-action flick Hellboy II: The Golden Army above which, conveniently, poses as a helpful public service announcement from Hellboy (Ron Perlman) himself ... along with his trademark kitty.
In Guillermo del Toro's second installment of the comic book adaptation, the uneasy truce between humanity and 'the invisible realm' has come to an end. A ruthless leader with the ability to walk in both worlds has gathered a mythical 'Golden Army' to, in so many words, kick ass and take names. So who else can we turn to other than Hellboy and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development to save the world once again?
Del Toro started the first wave of viral sites for the film with HetFet and Squeaky Clean Waste Management back in April. But with the exception of hardcore fans, I don't think many of us got on board with the campaign. In the end, it was a better idea to have Red make the rounds with the American Gladiators, Chuck, and an appearance on The Actor's Studio with James Lipton. My personal favorite is his audition for mun2, but I'll leave it up to you to decide which one you like best.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army opens this Friday.
The New One Sheet For 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army'!
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », New Releases », Universal », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Images », Posters »
This comes courtesy of ComingSoon.net, who had the exclusive debut. You can head over there for a super huge version if you like. It's a good looking poster, and a big improvement over the cartoonish promotional artwork from the first film. I dig the simple, to-the-point posters like this, so much classier than cramming the entire cast in. It does seem as if he has wandered into sepia-toned Sparta, though.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theatres on July 11th.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theatres on July 11th.
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