All posts by Lucy Shaw

Your friendly neighbourhood atheist.
Movie Trailers

Dead Man Down: New Trailer with Farrell and Noomi Rapace

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Dead Man Down is a crime thriller starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper  and Terrence Howard. The film marks the English-language debut of Danish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev, who previously directed Rapace in the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It’s due to be released on the 8th of March. And we have the trailer…

The plot is as follows: Victor (Colin Farrell) is an enforcer to a New York City boss, Alphonse Hoyt (Terrence Howard), who was responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter, an act that Victor seeks revenge for. Victor turns detective when his boss is
under threat from an unknown killer. During this he is seduced by Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a woman from across the street who saw Victor murder someone, who blackmails him into helping her with her own search for vengeance. I’m telling you this as the trailer doesn’t make it all that clear.

Dead Man Down Trailer Noomi Rapace
Noomi Rapace [via Rope of Silicon]
I don’t know what to make of this trailer. Sure, it’s got two good-looking actors as the leads (and they’re reasonably good at acting, which is always a plus) as well as action and romance, and it may turn out that the actual film is quite thrilling, but it looks so, well, drab. I think it’s aiming for arty. It just doesn’t quite hit it. It’s got something missing.

The most interesting thing about this trailer is that it features a cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Kendra Morris. I’m not one hundred per cent sure who she is but she’s done a fantastic version of the classic Pink Floyd track. Even so it still seems at odds with the trailer. I’m guessing it was to go with the arty vibe.

What did surprise me though was to find out that it was produced by WWE studios. I didn’t even know they had a film production company! They seem to make mostly wrestling videos and films with wrestlers in acting roles. In Dead Man Down the wrestler in question is Wade Barrett, who has a bit part as Kilroy. He’s also from Preston in Lancashire.

Dead Man Down Trailer Wade Barrett Terrence Howard
Wade Barrett & Terrence Howard [via Contactmusic]
So that’s Dead Man Down. A film I might see if it gets good reviews,but not solely on the strengths of this trailer.

Dead Man Down Trailer Poster
Movie Poster via ComingSoon
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The Griz Bin: NYCC CosPlay, PokeVengers, and Superman’s a Douche.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please find enclosed 1 (one) Griz Bin. We hope that you find its contents of comic randomness to your taste and we apologize for the lateness of its arrival.

5 Classic Superman Comics That Prove He Used To Be A Dick – Think the Man of Steel was always the big boy scout we usually think of him being today. Nope. He used to be a massive tool and here’s the proof. [Cracked]

Superman used to be a dick

Comic Covers Recreated With Family Guy – See Peter Griffin as (amongst others) Spider-Man, Batman and Superman in these recreations of classic comic covers. My favourite is the Fantastic Four one that includes the entire Griffin clan. [Herochan]

9 Reasons To Elect A Supervillian President – The US is to shortly head to the polls, and for all of you Americans yet to make up your minds, here are some decent reasons to vote for the greater, rather than the lesser, of evils. [io9]

President Lex Luthor

Pokevengers – Do you like Pokemon? Do you like The Avengers? Than you’ll love Pokevengers fan art by AstroZerk! [deviantART]

Kia’s Batman Themed Car – DC and Kia have joined forces to make a range of Justice League themed cars. Here is the Batman one and it’s no Tumbler. [Geekologie]

Fantastic (Four) Pumpkin Art – Made from 11 pumpkins here is the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. [io9]

DC Collectibles Unveils High-End Prints – They may be more expensive by some of these would look good on anybody’s wall. Who could resist Ace the Bathound, Krypto and Streaky? [Comics Alliance]

Punisher Cosplay NY Comic Con 2012

New York Comic-Con Cosplay – There was a vast array of great cosplay at the recent con. Whilst it’s not all comics related it’s all far too fabulous to not include. [io9, Comics Alliance 1, 2, 3, Gamma Squad 1, 2, 3, and Geeks Are Sexy 1, 2]

Old Iron Man – Is this Tony Starks Future? Fan art by gimaldinov. [CG Hub]

And Finally – We end with the news that Superman is quitting the Daily Planet as told in the inimitable CG style of Taiwan’s NMA. [Comics Alliance]

So until next time…’keep watching the skies!’

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The Griz Bin: Crazy Superhero Origins, Batman & Robin One-Liners & Inappropiate Toys

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Here we are again with another look at the Griz Bin.

New Lego Arkham Asylum Set Announced – If you like Lego and Batman you’ll love this neat looking enormous new 1351 piece set. It also includes 8 minifigs – including Batman, Robin and The Joker. [Comics Alliance]

7 Completely Insane Golden And Silver Age Superhero Origins – Including Mr. Satan and The Zebra. These are definitely bat shit crazy. Perhaps you know of more bonkers ones. [Topless Robot]

Las Vegas Comic Expo 2012 Cosplay Pictures – Ok, so they’re not all comic book related but they do include Batman, Batgirl, Bane, Black Widow and even a great Lady Rocketeer. [Geeks Are Sexy]

Batman Fan Art – A plethora…a gaggle…a flock…a…what is the collective noun for a group of Batmans…Batmen…I give up. [Project: Rooftop]

The Ten Worst One Liners From Batman And Robin – Staying with Batman here is 10 truly terrible one liners from the most terrible Batman film ever. [Comics Should Be Good!]

DC vs Marvel At The Box Office – Sticking with films, here is an infographic looking at the U.S. box office performance of DC and Marvel over the last 50 years. Who will lose? Considering both Batman And Robin and Catwoman are on this list, I think we do. [Fancy Dress Costumes]

Weird And Inappropriate Toys – A look at some of the toys that really should have never have escaped. Including the infamous Wolverine inflatable hammer. [io9]

Probably The Greatest Wonder Woman Panel In Comic History – This is just…fantastic. [io9]

Avengers Pugs – And finally, here are 4 pugs cosplaying as the Avengers. They are so cute it’s unbelievable. [Gamma Squad]

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The Griz Bin: Gotham MadMen, Burton’s Avengers, Stan Lee is Iron Man and Batman’s Still a Dick

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Today sees the return of The Griz Bin – a look of at the more random side to comics that has nothing (or at least not much) to do with films, TV or comic books themselves. And I’ve been given the keys! So hold tight as we look at toys, art, cosplay and general weirdness.

Continue reading The Griz Bin: Gotham MadMen, Burton’s Avengers, Stan Lee is Iron Man and Batman’s Still a Dick →

Movie News & Opinions

‘The Hobbit’ Pictures (Including Elvish Fabulousness)

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I’m sort of looking forwards to The Hobbit films – I’m not quite sure how it’s going to cope with being three films, but I liked The Lord of The Ring enough (and Peter Jacksons other stuff) to hold off on judgement until they are released.

And now we have some pictures! These are going to be published in a 2013 annual for the first film but they’ve already leaked out (messy) via Uproxx.

First up we have a great looking group shot of Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) and all the dwarves – all looking moody as they tramp off on their quest.

There are 13 dwarves in all and I’ve no idea what most of them are called. I do know that the lead dwarf is Thorin Oakenshield – played by Richard Armitage – seen her with Aidan Turner as Kili (the pretty dwarf) and…some other dwarf.

Here is Aidan Turner again looking all mean, moody and, dare I say, sexy. Surely dwarves should not look this hot.

Two more dwarves. I’m pretty sure the one on the right is Scottish actor Ken Stott, so that would make it Balin.

And here are three more battle ready dwarves (Happy, Bashful and Doc…maybe?)

They all look great but what we all want to see is Lee Pace as Elvenking Thranduil ( Legolas’ Dad). And here he is in all his camp, elvish glory.

Is that not the most fabulous crown you ever did? Coupled with the finest eyebrows in all of Middle Earth. No wonder he’s king.

So, anywho, the first film The Unexpected Journey is out in early December.

TV

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Reaction to CBS’s ‘Elementary’

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As you may recall, back at the start of the year we reported that CBS announced that it was to make a modern-day telling of Sherlock Holmes (after the BBC refused them the right to make a version of their show, Sherlock) to be called Elementary. It is to star Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson (!) and be set in New York – because the thing Sherlock Holmes stories always lacked was a female Watson and American accents…

Well now star of Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch, has had his say in an interview with Short List Magazine (via Uproxx):

What do you make of the new US modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, Elementary?

Jonny [Lee Miller] asked me if I was all right with him doing it. I said, “What are the similarities?” And he went, “Well it’s modern…” I went, “Oh.” Then he said, “Lucy Liu’s going to play Joan Watson…” And I went, “Oh.” I got hold of the pilot script just to check it out. I don’t know, we’ll see. I think there’s room for us both to coexist. I don’t feel threatened by it and I wish him the best, which is as diplomatic as I can be.

It’s a strange position to be in…

It’s very odd. I did say, “Well, I’d prefer you didn’t do it but you’ve got a kid to feed, a nice house in LA and a wife to keep in good clothes.” When you get used to a certain standard of living and they waft a pay cheque at you, what are you going to do? I think Jonny was like, “Mate, I’ve got the f*cking mountain to climb here [to reach the acclaim of Sherlock], you’ve got nothing to fear.” I wish him the best of luck, but I’m a bit cynical about why they’ve chosen to do it and why they cast him.

And that is a polite way of saying that it’s a really bad idea and they’re all just doing it for the money.

This can only be a colossal bad idea. It’s just going to be another dumb TV detective show – which we need like we need syphilis. So, we can now only wait for this inevitable train wreck to happen and hope that it’s death is swift and painless.