News

By David Kozlowski | 25 August 2017

Welcome to Issue #10 of The Lrm Weekend, a weekly column offering opinions about film, TV, comics, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, animation, and anime. We also want to hear from you! Share your feedback and ideas for future columns: @LRM_Weekend

Previous Issues: 8.18.17 | 8.11.17 | 8.4.17 | 7.28.17 | 7.21.17 | 7.14.17

Hey Lrm Weekenders, we've hit double-digits! This week we're taking a dive into the odd career of martial artist-action star Steven Seagal, exploring the creations of Hellboy's Mike Mignola, and reaching back to the amazing, epic sci-fi films of the 80s. But first, in our editorial we explain why WB needs to stick a knife between the ribs of the Dceu and dump it into the nearest body of water.

Warner Bros. Must Come To Their Senses And Kill The Dceu -- Focus On Stand-Alone Solo and Elseworlds Films!

Hollywood has fallen deeply, tragically in love with trilogies, franchises, and connected universes, often to the detriment of simple,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention presents Classic Movie Poster Artist Robert Tanenbaum, Jean Hale (In Like Flint), Sharyn Wynters (The Female Bunch), and Donna Loren (Bikini Beach) at the August 20, 2017 Show.

Robert Tanenbaum is a Movie Poster Artist with an over 50 year career illustrating every film genre such as Science Fiction, Horror, Comedy, War, Drama and Martial Arts. Robert has illustrated such Classic Movie Posters as A Christmas Story, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Cujo, Five Fingers Of Death, Black Christmas, Super Fly, The Color Of Money, My Bodyguard, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Iron Cross, The Eagle Has Landed, Ransom, Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold, Hot Potato, Mel Brooks High Anxiety and Silent Night, Evil Night. Robert’s art is featured on the first announcement that Jaws was being made into a Movie.

As the dust begins to settle from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and James Gunn and Co. quietly begin to compose the third volume in their rip-roaring space opera, all eyes are beginning to turn toward Spider-Man: Homecoming.

It’s the second of three Marvel movies poised to debut in 2017, and it’ll herald the first full-length picture featuring Tom Holland in that iconic suit – if the so-hot-right-now British star turned heads and raised eyebrows in Civil War, just wait until you see what Marvel and director Jon Watts have in store for Homecoming.

Rounding out the studio’s 2017 slate, however, is Thor: Ragnarok. Slotting into a similar release window as Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange – for the record, the mystical origin story went on to become Marvel’s biggest single-character launch, financially speaking – Taika Waititi’s galactic threequel will have the God of Thunder embark on his craziest adventure yet.

It’s not enough to love films, we now must enumerate that love or hate relative to any similar films.

It has become a familiar ritual — the latest release in a franchise or a noted director’s canon spawns more than one site to run a “The Films of ___________, Ranked” article. We’ve done this dance with the Marvel movies since At Least 2012 when The Avengers came out, and no doubt someone is at this very moment preparing a ranking of the 14 previous films in the McU to accompany the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Wonder Woman will likely spur on a ranking of all the DC Films, and we saw just in the past week where everyone stood on the existing Fast & Furious movies.

And yes, I got into the act with my own “The Films of Assistant Director Frank Capra III, Ranked.” Hopefully the point was made.

However...

Sultry singer and actress Lola Albright, who starred in TV’s Peter Gunn and in Kirk Douglas’s classic film Champion, has died at 92.

Albright died Thursday in Toluca Lake, California, her friend, Eric Anderson, confirmed to Ohio’s Akron Beacon Journal.

“She went very peacefully,” friend Eric Anderson said. “She died at 7:20 a.m. of natural causes. We loved her so much.”

Albright’s breakout role came as Douglas’s spurned lover in the boxing classic Champion, which earned Douglas an Oscar nomination.

She’s perhaps best remembered for playing the smokey-voiced nightclub singer Edie Hart opposite Craig Stevens...

Barbara Tarbuck, an actress who played Lady Jane Jacks on General Hospital and Mother Superior Claudia on American Horror Story: Asylum among scores of film and TV credits spanning four decades, has died. She was 74. Tarbuck died Monday at her home in Los Angeles. Tarbuck began guesting on TV series in the late 1970s, appearing on such popular shows as The Waltons, The Incredible Hulk, Charlie’s Angels, Little House on the Prairie and Dallas. She continued to work mostly…...

Barbara Tarbuck, an actress who played Lady Jane Jacks on General Hospital and Mother Superior Claudia on American Horror Story: Asylum among scores of film and TV credits spanning four decades, has died. She was 74. Tarbuck died Monday at her home in Los Angeles. Tarbuck began guesting on TV series in the late 1970s, appearing on such popular shows as The Waltons, The Incredible Hulk, Charlie’s Angels, Little House on the Prairie and Dallas. She continued to work mostly…...

He’s the King of Comics! A man who left an indelible mark upon the medium, using his peerless imagination to create some of the greatest stories and characters ever told. All this week, join Marvel.com for a celebration devoted to all things Kirby with Marvel’s Kirby Week.

Jack “The King” Kirby is one of the founding fathers of the Marvel Universe and from August 22nd to the 28th--what would have been Kirby’s 99th birthday--Marvel will pay homage to the incredible and iconic contributions Kirby has made to the House of Ideas, entertainment, and pop-culture.

During Kirby Week fans will get to explore how Jack Kirby brought his creative genius to the Marvel Universe through several articles devoted to “The King” himself. Check out the first in-depth article devoted to the origins of one of Jack’s most monstrous creations - The Incredible Hulk.

Marvel.com will...

The sequel to the epic Julie Andrews road show picture wasn't a hit, but it tells a good story of its own. Charlton Heston is okay but the central character is a Chinese immigrant played by Tina Chen. Against all odds, the peasant matriarch survives plagues and leprosy to found a family dynasty for the new Hawaii. The Hawaiians Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / Ship Date February 9, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Charlton Heston, Tina Chen, Geraldine Chaplin, Mako, John Phillip Law, Alec McCowen, Miko Mayama, Virginia Ann Lee, Chris Robinson, Naomi Stevens, Keye Luke, Khigh Dhiegh, Mary Munday, Harry Townes, Lyle Bettger, James Hong, James Gregory, Harry Holcombe, Victor Sen Yung Cinematography Lucien Ballard, Philip Lathrop Film Editor Byron Brandt, Ralph Winters Original Music Henry Mancini Written by James R. Webb from the novel by James A. Michener Produced by Walter Mirisch Directed by...

HanWay Films

Throw a stone at your local multiplex and you’ll more than likely hit someone on their way into a comic book movie. When I grew up I had to make do with Nicholas Hammond as Spider Man and Bill Bixby as The Incredible Hulk. We didn’t have any of that CGI sorcery in those days, you know. Today’s audience is treated to a smorgasbord of costumed cinematic mayhem every other week, be they acne-ridden teens or life-ridden adults.

Such is the hold that Marvel and DC exert on the box office the non-spandexed competition is squeezed out like a frankfurter from the bun of an overloaded hot dog. 1989’s Batman changed the rules of filmic conquest, and since then studios and indies alike have wanted a bite out of that super-powered pie. The solution is clear to a lot of filmmakers – if you can’t beat ’em,...

Marvel

Spidey is finally coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’ll look an awful lot like young British actor Tom Holland, and he’ll make his first appearance in this year’s Captain America: Civil War movie before spinning out into his own solo adventure expected in cinemas in July 2017.

Jon Watts of kids-in-trouble drama Cop Car and grizzly family horror Clown will direct the solo film, building on the groundwork laid by Joe and Anthony Russo in the huge Civil War crossover film. And Sony will be hoping that these two movies can set right Spidey’s cinematic stock after the disappointing-according-the-studio takings of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. (That’s one of the few circumstances when $700 million worldwide can be made to sound like a bad thing.)

We don’t yet know which villains the new web-slinger face, or who is love interest will be. But, thanks to a little digging,...

Hollywood star Joan Leslie has died, aged 90.

An obituary published by her family in The Los Angeles Times confirmed that Leslie passed away in Los Angeles on Monday (October 12).

Leslie got her career breakthrough at the age of 15 as a disabled young woman in the Humphrey Bogart thriller High Sierra.

While still in her teenage years, Leslie racked up roles in the Oscar-winning Sergeant York, Yankee Doodle Dandy, This Is the Army and The Sky's the Limit.

In her later years, Leslie worked on television and made memorable appearances in Charlie's Angels, The Incredible Hulk and Murder, She Wrote, among other shows.

Leslie got married in 1950 to obstetrician Dr William Caldwell, with whom she had twin daughters. Dr Caldwell died back in 2000.

Watch a trailer for Yankee Doodle Dandy below:...

Blue Velvet actor George Dickerson has died at the age of 81.

Dickerson's son - film writer and director Dome Karukoski - confirmed that he passed away on January 10 after a long illness.

Dickerson was known for his role as police detective John Williams in David Lynch's crime drama Blue Velvet.

He also recurred in 1980s cop drama Hill Street Blues as Police Commander Swanson, and appeared in films such as Psycho II, No Mercy and Death Wish 4: The Crackdown.

In addition, he featured in TV series including The Incredible Hulk, Little House on the Prairie, Miami Vice and Three's Company.

Before becoming an actor, Dickerson worked as a magazine writer, poet, editor and playwright.

He was also a speechwriter for Us congressman Robert Steele and a United Nations diplomat in Lebanon.

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

Alternative Comics

Hawd Tales #1, $4.99

Andrews McMeel

Baby Blues Collection Wetter Louder Stickier Tp, $18.99

Antarctic Press

Gold Digger #215, $3.99

Archie Comic Publications

Jughead And Archie Comics Digest #7, $4.99

Sabrina #1 (Robert Hack 2nd Printing Variant Cover)(not verified by Diamond), $3.99

Sonic The Hedgehog #266 (Rafa Knight Super Smash Variant Cover)(not verified by Diamond), $3.99

Sonic The Hedgehog #266 (Tracy Yardley Regular Cover), $3.99

Avatar Press

Crossed Badlands #65 (Gabriel Andrade Torture Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #65 (Gabriel Andrade Wraparound Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #65 (Jacen Burrows Red Crossed Incentive Cover), Ar

Crossed Badlands #65 (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover), $3.99

Crossed Badlands #65 (Michael Dipascale Fatal Fantasy Cover), $3.99

Black Library

Warhammer 40K Gods Of Mars Hc, $24.99

Book Palace

Art Of Modesty Blaise Sc (not verified by Diamond), $39.99

Illustrators Magazine #8, $24.99

Boom! Studios

Amazing World Of...

“When television is good, nothing – not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers – nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland. You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly commercials – many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you’ll see...

Stars: Mike Cartel, Al Valletta, Seeska Vanderberg, Cindy Donlan, Jody Lee Olhava, Cheryl Gamson, Georgia Durante, Debbie Poropat, Alexis Alexander, J. Christopher Senter | Written and Directed by Mike Cartel

Ralph, played by director Mike Cartel (Pets, The Outsider) and his buddy Jason, played by Al Valletta (The Incredible Hulk, Alley Cat) are just a couple of guys who live in Nevada and run a worm farm (…. you can just smell the American Dream right there). One day, whilst shooting and catching some rays, they see two shady characters dumping a chest. They soon discover there is a body of a naked young girl who lays unconscious. This is Fate, played by Seeska Vanderberg (Bitter Heritage). The guys take her back to the farm to nurse her back to health until they are ambushed and kidnapped by a commune of foxy female cultists (That’S the American Dream right there right!

Summer movie season is a magic time of year when Hollywood traditionally rolls out its most appealing merchandise. It’s true that some summer movie seasons are better than others. This is our ranking of all the summer movie seasons since 1980 from worst to best.

On January 20th, 1975, Steven Spielberg and Universal Studios released Jaws. The movie landscape would be forever changed from that date. Jaws is widely credited as being the first blockbuster film because it was the first movie to make over $100 million (non-adjusted). The fact that the film had a meager $8 million budget meant that it was a huge cash cow for the studio and rocketed Spielberg to the the forefront of a new generation of filmmakers for a new era of movie mass-consumption. George Lucas and Spielberg followed up in 1977 with Star Wars, which became a sensational and very profitable hit. It helped to convince production...

Stunned, stunned we are:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/marvel-urges-supreme-court-deny-718426

With potentially billions of dollars at stake, Marvel told the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday not to review Lisa Kirby v. Marvel Characters, concerning whether the estate of comic book legend Jack Kirby can terminate a copyright grant on such creations as Spider-Man, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor.

With potentially billions of dollars at stake, Marvel told the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday not to review Lisa Kirby v. Marvel Characters, concerning whether the estate of comic book legend Jack Kirby can terminate a copyright grant on such creations as Spider-Man, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor. The dispute, says Marvel in papers filed at the high court Monday, "implicates no circuit split, no judicial taking, no due process violation, and no grave matter of separation of powers. It does not remotely merit this Court’s review." Photos Two-Timing Superheroes: Ben Affleck

read more...

Bona fide '80s classic The Karate Kid celebrates its 30th anniversary today (June 22), but what ever happened to the cast of this uplifting martial arts film? Digital Spy goes then and now with the film's lead stars to find out what they did after starring in the original and best Karate Kid.

Ralph Macchio

Ralph Macchio became an instant '80s icon thanks to his role as The Karate Kid's fresh-faced Daniel Larusso. Prior to The Karate Kid's release, he starred in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders alongside Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise. After that, he played Danny again in two Karate Kid sequels. He also starred in My Cousin Vinny (yes, the film that won Marisa Tomei an Oscar) and more recently appeared in Entourage, Ugly Betty and Dancing with the Stars.

Pat Morita

Pat Morita was already a veteran screen...

Welcome to Marvelous Da7e, issue #31!

Ant Men!

Ant-Man has moved into the July 31st 2015 spot vacated by Man of Steel 2, bringing it right at the edge of a 2015 Summer of Marvel Phase transition. We know Edgar Wright has some sort of comedic heist-like movie with Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, adding to the Cinematic Universe’s Heroic (Modern) and … Silver Age?

Captain America knew Howard Stark before he solved his unborn-child’s future arc reactor poisoning problem by building a World’s Fair in the design of an atom, and the announced Agent Carter TV series (and the One Shot it’s spinning off from) take place in Post-wwii America when S.H.I.E.L.D. is formed. Hank Pym, if he’s Douglas’ age, would have been born around the time Agent Carter takes place which strangely would make him active around Hank Pym’s 1962 debut in the real world.

2014 will bring us everything from Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit to X-Men: Days of Future Past. Film titles didn't always used to be like this

• 2014 in film preview: sequels

Prepare yourself for the attack of the colons. A week ago, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones came to a cinema near you, and in 2014 you can look forward to Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 300: Rise of an Empire, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The Hobbit: There and Back Again – all of them episodes in ongoing franchises, and all of them with a colon in the middle of the title.

If that weren't dizzying enough, there are three more films released in January alone that use a colon, but which aren't part of a series.

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve dedicated a lot of time to covering the World 3-D Film Expo, which took place at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and knocked my socks off. One of the headlining films, the most exciting one for us certainly, was Creature From The Black Lagoon, the legendary monster flick from Jack Arnold that starred Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Nestor Paiva, and one Julie Adams, who may very well be the most famous scream queen of all-time thanks to her iconic role as Kay.

Julie and her son, Mitchell Danton, were in attendance for the Expo (for two screenings, Wings Of The Hawk also played) for a book signing and Q&A after the screening. I was lucky enough to get a chance to talk with the delightful pair, catching them after a late breakfast (as Mitch says, “a day can never start too late,...

Welcome to Issue 12 of ‘The Marvelous Da7e!’

Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.

This week: What we can learn by defining Howard The Duck.

Pardon me, but I’ve been re-watching Howard The Duck. The 1986 live-action creature-feature “sci-fi/comedy,” PG-rated zoophilia and notorious flop.

It’s not a good movie. It’s an enjoyable movie, but not because of what is on screen…okay, scratch-that. It has the most physically attractive appearence of Lea Thompson on film and this time, she’s not the mother of our main character, so you can totally lust after her up until the end where it seems like she’s actually going to have sex with this duck.

Ducks, who – by the way – are basically rapists across the board. But that’s neither here nor there.

Chicago – To answer the musical question, “Baby, if you ever wondered, wondered whatever became of me?” there is the sublime Loni Anderson, who portrayed Jennifer Marlowe on the popular 1970s sitcom, “Wkrp in Cincinnati.” Anderson was an attendee of “The Hollywood Show,” which comes to Chicago again on September 7th and 8th, 2013.

Loni Anderson is much like her character on Wkrp – luminous, intelligent and with a unique perspective. She climbed the show business ladder herself, after having a first marriage and a child in her teens. After that marriage ended before her 21st birthday, she finished college at the University of Minnesota and started an acting career, taking roles on stage and in local and national commercials. After moving to Los Angeles in 1975, she dyed her jet black hair to blonde, and began a series of high profile appearances on familiar dramas and comedies of the era, including “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Police Woman.

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

Aazurn Publishing

Envy (One Shot), $2.49

Amigo Comics

Arcane Secrets #1 (Of 3), $3.99

Antarctic Press

Gold Digger Gina Vs Penny (One Shot), $3.99

Last Zombie The End #4 (Of 5), $3.99

Last Zombie Volume 4 Before The After Tp, $14.95

Arcana Studio

Butcher Street Gn, $19.95

Archie Comics

Sabrina The Teenage Witch The Magic Within Volume 3 Tp, $10.99

Aspen Comics

All New Fathom #2 (Of 8)(Cover A Direct Market), $3.99

All New Fathom #2 (Of 8)(Cover B Aspen Reserved), $3.99

All New Fathom #2 (Of 8)(Cover C J. Scott Campbell Sketch), Ar

Executive Assistant Assassins #14 (Cover A Lori Hanson), $3.99

Executive Assistant Assassins #14 (Cover B Elizabeth Torque), $3.99

Executive Assistant Assassins #14 (Cover C Pasquale Qualano), Ar

Overtaken #1 (Of 5)(Cover B Aspen Reserved), $1.00

Overtaken #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Direct Market), $1.00

Avatar Press

Crossed Annual 2013 #1 (Matt Martin Cheerful Cover...

Comic book legend, Jack Kirby passed away in 1994 leaving a great legacy behind him which lead to his inheritors wanting to remove Marvel's copyright/ownership of the comics published from 1958-1963 from 2014 through 2019. The only choice Marvel Worldwide Inc. had was to sue them from preventing it from happening. Recently, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan favored Marvel's argument, which means Marvel Comics gets to keep the rights/copyright/ownership of beloved, long time Marvel Comics characters such as The Avengers, The Mighty Thor, Ant-Man, Nick Fury, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, The Rawhide Kid, and The X-Men. The appeals court stated: "Kirby's completed pencil drawings, moreover, were generally not free-standing creative works, marketable to any publisher as a finished or nearly finished product. They build on pre-existing titles and themes that Marvel had expended resources to establish -- and in which Marvel held rights --...

New York — Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk can continue to reside in Marvel's offices after a federal appeals court on Thursday rejected an ownership claim by the children of the artist who helped create them.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan agreed with a lower court judge who denied claims by the family of Jack Kirby, the legendary artist who died in 1994 and whose work spanned more than half a century.

His heirs in California and New York wanted to terminate Marvel's copyrights from 2014 through 2019 to comics published from 1958 to 1963.

Marvel Worldwide Inc. sued in January 2010 to prevent it, leading U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in July 2011 to conclude the work was done "for hire," a legal term that rendered the heirs' claims invalid.

She said the 1909 copyright law that applies to the case presumed that Marvel was considered the author and owner...

While only a few of us (or is it just me?) dread The Amazing Spider-Man 2 set for release on May 2, 2014, Sony is moving forward on a third and fourth film, scheduling June 10, 2016 and May 4, 2018 for those films. Sony Pictures’ Chairman of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Jeff Blake, said in a press release, “Spider-Man is our most important, most successful, and most beloved franchise, so we’re thrilled that we are in a position to lock in these prime release dates over the next five years.” Yeah, sure. Whatever.

The Canadian based Sci-fi series Continuum, which is near completion of its second season up north, and just starting here on the SyFy Channel, has been picked up for a third season there. It’s a fairly good bet that Syfy will probably air season three sometime in 2014.

Not surprisingly, the recent story about the finding of lost Doctor Who episodes has...

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way." - Johnny Nash

Greetings from the apocalypse! Jimmy Cliff sang that song on the soundtrack for "Cool Runnings," and now that spring is in full effect I've got a spark in my step and an abiding hope that this weekend will mark the beginning of a fruitful harvest from the movie gods ... or another season so dreadful it'll make me wish I'd died with John Candy. A geek classic and a remake of a geek classic are stomping their way into theaters, let's see how they stack up …

Friday, April 5

Pow! In Theaters

The big budget Hollywood remake of "Evil Dead" won't so much swallow your soul as burp it out. Directed by Uruguayan newcomer Fede Alvarez, this offering is bigger and slicker but lacks the energy and homemade invention of Sam Raimi's original,...

This week: The long-delayed "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One — Avengers Assembled" box set with "Marvel's The Avengers," "Thor," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2" and "The Incredible Hulk" plus geek-worthy collectibles is finally here.

Also new this week is the urban coming-of-age drama "Luv," the bath-salts crazy "John Dies at the End" and the horror-comedy "Stitches" featuring a killer clown.

'Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One — Avengers Assembled'

Box Office: $1.75 billion (six movies)

Rotten Tomatoes: N/A

Storyline: This limited edition 10-disc, 6-movie set has both Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D copies of "Marvel's The Avengers," "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger." Also included on Blu-ray only are "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2" and "The Incredible Hulk" encased in a handsome metallic-looking case with collectibles and a bonus disc.

Extras! The movies come packaged with prop reproductions and artifacts from the films, including a glowing Tesseract of your very own.

Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson is a wonderful part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and knowing he’ll be back in Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a glimmer of hope for the Marvel TV and ABC TV Studios pilot. It’s the first live action television series based on a Marvel property to hit a major network since the Bill Bixby version of The Incredible Hulk, so it’s going to need all the help it can get if it wants to succeed past the pilot stage. Thankfully, all that pressure won’t fall on Gregg’s shoulders now that the first new character has been cast. Any guesses who was cast and who they will be playing?

According to Deadline, ER alum Ming-Na Wen was hired to star alongside Gregg as Agent Melinda May, a soulful woman who has been slightly damaged by her combat experiences. She’s an ace pilot,...

It isn’t hyperbole to say that this summer will witness the release of the two biggest superhero movies ever made. This Friday, Marvel Studios will finally bring its madcap five-year plan to fruition with the release of The Avengers, a mega-sequel action bonanza. But, as my colleague Adam B. Vary points out, moviegoers who see The Avengers this weekend will be treated to a preview for a very different comic book film: The Dark Knight Rises, the concluding chapter of Christopher Nolan’s bleak epoch-defining Batman trilogy. It’s not just that The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises...

In 1966 Kathryn Leigh Scott, fresh out of acting school and working part time as a Playboy bunny, was was cast as Maggie Evans the waitress-turned-governess on the ABC-tv cult serial Dark Shadows. In its prime, the Dark Shadows daytime series (which ran from 1966 to 1971) attracted 20 million viewers. The spooky, literate, romance and horror-driven show had universal appeal and came to be known as the program kids ran home from school to watch. Reruns and DVD releases of all 1,225 episodes have spawned new generations of Dark Shadows fans, who attend annual Dark Shadows Festivals where cast members reunite to celebrate the show’s unending popularity. During her tenure at the show, Kathryn Leigh Scott played several roles including Josette du Pres, the ghostly lover of Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), who was killed at Widow’s Hill in the 18th-century flashbacks. After leaving the series, she co-starred in The Great Gatsby (1974), and...

Eliza Dushku is to voice She-Hulk in Disney Xd's new animated series Hulk And The Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

Heroes actor Adrian Pasdar revealed the news as he talked to IGN about his own guest role in the show as Iron Man.

Dushku, known for her appearances in Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse, previously played Catwoman in DC Entertainment's 2011 animated adaptation of Frank Miller's comic book Batman: Year One.

Pasdar told IGN: "With the exception of Eliza, who's a stunning beauty, the rest of us don't look quite as good as the animation characters they draw for us. It's really quite funny. You see these middle-aged guys having fun, playing these younger whippersnappers."

Agents of S.M.A.S.H. is to feature Hulk, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar and A-Bomb. No air date has yet been announced.

She-Hulk is the alter-ego of Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters.

Mark Ruffalo recently sat down with IGN to talk about The Avengers. In the interview he reveals a few new details about the movie, discusses his vision of the character, and how he's a much smarter Hulk than we've seen in the past. He also talks about doing a solo Hulk movie. It's a great interview, check out some of the things he had to say below.

On His Vision Of Bruce Banner: 

Yeah, it's hard to watch a movie with a guy who doesn't want to be there. I think Banner's aging and living with this thing since -- now it's been two years since his last "one." We're kind of going for this world weariness of accepting -- trying to get to the point where he can live with it, and maybe master it. Come to peace with it. And so there's this kind of nice ironic wryness to Banner.

It has been a hell of a millennium so far for Superhero movies after a less than impressive 1990s and, quite frankly, a downright embarrassing 1980s. Should we even mention the 70s or 60s? We as a species have finally figured out how to make awesome movies with super-powered heroes and villains. Thanks be to Galactus.

These were the stories that defined my childhood. I wasn’t running around my house pretending to be John Wayne or a fireman or an astronaut. I was pretending to be the Incredible Hulk. So to see the ongoing crapfest during my childhood that was visiting the cinema each year, particularly with my favorite brand (Marvel), was in a word … heartbreaking.

There were baby steps along the way, small moments of brilliance amid a desolate wasteland of fetid turds. Hits such as Superman (1978), of course The Incredible Hulk serial (1978-82), Batman (1989), and Blade (1998). At last,...

With shooting already wrapped in Salem, Massachusetts, you'd think writer-director Rob Zombie would have his full cast locked in for The Lords Of Salem. Nope. The shock rocker-turned-filmmaker reveals that child star Brandon Cruz has joined the massive cast as "Ted Delta", a local Salem drug counselor. Shooting continues in Los Angeles. Brandon was a staple of 70's TV appearing in such shows as "The Incredible Hulk", "Police Story", "Kung Fu", "Gunsmoke" and of course as Eddie alongside Bill Bixby on the hit show "The Courtship of Eddie's Father". Add to that a starring turn in the 1976 smash film The Bad News Bears. During is absence from acting Brandon has focused on music, heading the punk band Dr. Know during the 80's and more recently replacing Jello Biafra in the legendary band The Dead Kennedys.

Nope, Rob Zombie's not done yet adding to his already eclectic cast for the upcoming The Lords of Satan. The newest addition? Former child TV star Brandon Cruz, better known to many of us of a certain age as "Eddie".

Here's what Zombie had to say on his Facebook page:

"Child star Brandon Cruz has joined the cast of The Lords Of Salem as Ted Delta, a local Salem drug counselor.

Brandon was a staple of 70's TV appearing in such shows as The Incredible Hulk, Police Story, Kung Fu, Gunsmoke and of course as Eddie along side Bill Bixby in the hit show The Courtship Of Eddie's Father. Add to that a starring turn in the 1976 smash film The Bad News Bears.

During his absence from acting Brandon has focused on music, heading the punk band Dr. Know during the 80's and more recently replacing Jello Biafra in...

Now that Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem has resumed production in Los Angeles - after shooting in Salem, Massachusetts - the writer-director is sharing a bit more casting news. From Zombie's Facebook page: Child star Brandon Cruz has joined the cast of The Lords Of Salem as Ted Delta, a local Salem drug counselor. Brandon was a staple of 70's TV appearing in such shows as The Incredible Hulk, Police Story, Kung Fu, Gunsmoke and of course as Eddie along side Bill Bixby in the hit show The Courtship Of Eddie's Father. Add to that a starring turn in the 1976 smash film The Bad News Bears. During is absence from acting Brandon has focused on music, heading the punk band Dr. Know during the 80's and more recently replacing Jello Biafra in the legendary band The Dead Kennedys....

Marvel Comics hasn't had a successful live-action television show since Bill Bixby's The Incredible Hulk, but that all could change very soon. Marvel comics will be unleashing two live-action television series for ABC. One will be Guillermo del Toro's Hulk and the other will be the lesser known Aka Jessica Jones. Which is a show about a former superhero that opens a detective agency that helps other superheroes. Disney handed over the reigns to Jessica Jones project to Melissa Rosenberg. She will be writing for the series, and more importantly be the executive producer. She has made a name for herself by writing scripts for the Twilight saga, and for writing and executive producing Showtime's hit cable show, Dexter. But she also isn't new to comic books either, she wrote several episodes for the short-lived series, Birds of Prey. What hooked you on doing Jessica Jones, especially in...

Imposing character actor often cast in the films of Russ Meyer and Jonathan Demme

Charles Napier, who has died aged 75, was one of Hollywood's most distinctive and imposing character actors. With his blockish head, heavy jaw and formidable stare, he was called upon most often to play no-nonsense heavies. In a career lasting more than 40 years, he appeared in some of Hollywood's most successful films and television series, and was cherished in particular by the directors Russ Meyer and Jonathan Demme, who cast him repeatedly.

Napier resigned himself long ago to the character actor's lot – familiarity without celebrity. "Wherever I go, people will look at me as though they recognise me," he wrote in his autobiography, Square Jaw and Big Heart: The Life and Times of a Hollywood Actor (2011). "They see that square jaw with the big smile. They may not know my name, but they know that face."

He was born in Allen County,...

Charles Napier, known for his hard-boiled roles in The Blues Brothers, Rambo, and Silence of the Lambs, passed away yesterday. He was 75. Napier collapsed in his California home on Tuesday and was rushed to intensive care before being taken off life support Wednesday afternoon. The cause of death is still unclear, but Napier had suffered blood clots in his legs in the past.

A Kentucky native, Napier served in the army and worked as a school teacher in Los Angeles before landing a role in Mission: Impossible that would be his entrée to other appearances on shows including Baretta, The Rockford Files,...

A 1999 demo promoting the ruinously expensive Shenmue (called “What’s Shenmue?”) featured an exclusive scene in which then company president Yukawa-san could be seen slumped at his desk, head in hands, surrounded by piles of unsold consoles (above). Deep down, Sega must have known the Dreamcast didn’t stand a chance even before they axed it two years later.

Even though the Sega Dreamcast enjoyed a relatively short lifespan (officially somewhere between its 1998 Japanese launch and late 2002 termination) and wasn’t supported at all by the most powerful publisher of the day (Electronic Arts) the well-loved machine still boasts an impressive library of titles.

Even extending this “best of” list, from the originally planned 10 to a whopping 30 games, has seen me leave out such gems as cult top-down shooter Ikaruga, well-regarded sports sim NHL 2K2, online deathmatch game Outtrigger, stylish BioWare-made shooter MDK2 and Street Fighter III: Double Impact (to...

With Hollywood turning more of its attention to the world of graphic novels for inspiration, I'll cast the spotlight on a new comic book each week that has the potential to pack a theater or keep you glued to your television screens. At the end of each "Adapt This" column, you'll also find some thoughts from the industry's top comic creators about the books they'd like to see make the jump from page to screen.

This Week's Book: The Nobody by Jeff Lemire

The Premise: A modern retelling of the H.G. Wells classic The Invisible Man, award-winning comic creator Jeff Lemire's graphic novel The Nobody imagines bandaged stranger John Griffen as a drifter who wanders into a small fishing village one day. After taking up residence at the local inn, the mystery surrounding this new visitor makes the locals suspicious, and eventually leads to a series of encounters that...

Once again, a look into the future, with some very interesting looks at the past, including the reprinting of a comic that was never released in America in the first place, the infamous Elseworlds 80 Page Giant that was pulped because of concerns about Superman’s babysitter.

And of course, a whole lot of #3 issues, which is traditionally the issue where Spider-Man guest stars.

Shall we? Surely!

As usual, spoilers may lurk beyond this point.

Justice League #3

Written by Geoff Johns

Art and cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams

1:25 Variant cover by Greg Capullo

1:200 B&W Variant cover by Jim Lee

On sale November 16 • 40 pg, Fc, $3.99 Us • Rated T

Combo pack edition: $4.99 Us

Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.

The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee continue to make history as they unleash the amazing Amazon,...

Sydney-based vendor Fuel VFX completed 120 shots on Captain America: The First Avenger, consolidating its relationship with Marvel Studios and reputation as a world-class company. Miguel Gonzalez reports.

The last piece in the billion dollar Marvel Studios superhero puzzle is Captain America: The Last Avenger. Since his 1941 creation by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a symbol of Us patriotism, the character has been synonymous with the red, white and blue of the American flag, but the latest incarnation of Captain America is quite global, with a number of international vendors contributing to the creation of this visual extravaganza. One of them is Sydney-based Fuel VFX.

Most of the film is set in the 1940s and tells the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) a man who is physically unfit to join the Us Army to fight in the Second World War, and instead volunteers for a military experiment that turns him into a super-soldier.

Annette Charles, who played Charlene 'Cha Cha' Digregorio in the 1978 dance classic Grease, has passed away. Charles acted in a number of television series, including The Flying Nun, Gunsmoke, Mod Squad, Bonanza, The Bionic Woman, Magnum P.I. and The Incredible Hulk. But she is best remembered for her role as the sexy and sassy girlfriend of the Scorpions Gang's leader in the movie Grease. "They call me Cha Cha. Because I'm the best dancer at St. Bernadette's," says her character. Charles was diagnosed to have lung cancer just a few months ago, and died from complications of the disease in her Los Angeles home on Wednesday. She was 63. Embedded below is her famous dance scene with Danny (John Travolta) in Grease.  ...

Another Grease actor has died. Annette Charles, who played Cha Cha Digregorio in the 1978 movie musical, lost her battle with cancer at age 63 on Wednesday, Access Hollywood reports. As the self-proclaimed "best dancer at St. Bernadette's," Charles's character famously hit the floor with John Travolta during the dance competition scene. Charles, who also appeared on TV's The Incredible Hulk and Magnum, P.I., later became a speech professor at California State University Northridge.In May, Grease fans mourned the loss of Jeff Conaway, who died at 60 of various health complications stemming from a longtime battle with cocaine, painkillers and alcohol.

Marvel Worldwide, not the heirs of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, owns the rights to the iconic characters "Spider-Man," "Iron Man," "The Mighty Thor" and "The Incredible Hulk, a federal judge in New York ruled Thursday. Kirby's heirs claimed that the artist, who died in 1994, created the characters and owned their copyrights. They also claimed copyright to lesser characters such as "Ant-Man," "Nick Fury" and "The Rawhide Kid," and to "The Fantastic Four," "The X-Men" and "TheAvengers." Marvel said it owned the characters. In a 50-page decision, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon...