Hey folks, Harry here... well the Marvel Reign is showering coolness upon us all! Time to start Singing in their Reign!!!
Hail to the Geek,
SPYder, here. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, but it’s taken a terribly long time to spin a web long enough to span the Atlantic. At long last, the tremendous effort has paid off. I am writing to you from Cannes.
I don’t know how much dirt I’ll be able to sling your way during my two week stay here, but I did come across one bit of information that I don’t think I’ve seen on your site yet.
A company called Crystal Sky International had an ad here for some upcoming projects. Among them were the Marvel properties “Ghost Rider,” “Deathlok,” and “Werewolf by Night.” I can’t say as I’ve read “Werewolf by Night,” but I do know “Ghost Rider” and “Deathlok” from my comic collecting days. Their listing in the Market (Marché du Filme, en Francaise) guide lists “Deathlok” as being in production, with an estimated budget of $60 million. Since I don't think they've cast it yet, I don't know if that's really true. They had an ad in "Screen" today with a generic white guy, but listed no name. They list a budget of $40 million for “Werewolf by Night.” There was no reference to a budget for “Ghost Rider.”
On a slightly more somber note, it is worth pointing out that Crystal Sky is also the same company that will be guilty of bringing you “Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.” Oh well, gotta pay the bills, I guess. I for one am hoping that the recent successes of “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” up the ante for anyone making a Marvel movie, and forces them to take the process seriously.
On another note, I know you’ve posted Episode II reviews on AICN, but I just saw it at the Grand Theatre Lumiere here at the Festival, and felt compelled to pitch in my two cents:
First, if you have the chance to see Episode II in a digital theater DO IT. I know many people will go around decrying the death of film, which is simply ridiculous, but it is safe to say that film as a medium has been surpassed. Episode II looked fantastic. Obviously, when you have ILM at your beck-and-call your FX are going to be top-shelf, but there is nothing like digital projection to show off all that hard work and sleepless nights the gang must have put in.
Second, my personal message to George Lucas. I forgive you for Episode I. I had a very good time today in Episode II, and thoroughly enjoyed the film. Episode II isn’t perfect. Moriarty is dead on about the lame-ness of C-3PO’s comedic relief lines. However, Episode II is so much better than Episode I, that we can now forgive the lame-ness in that movie. I had my hopes up that Darth Maul’s even-more-evil-twin was going to slice Jar Jar in half within the first ten minutes of the Episode II, but was satisfied that George confirmed my suspicions that Jar Jar was indeed the source of all evil in the Republic.
Oh, and one last shot for all of you that are going to get bent out of shape about a CG-Yoda… GET OVER IT. In this case, technological advances actually allow greater character development. There is no way Yoda could have had the role he did in Episode II without CGI, and I for one am darned glad I got a chance to see the Wise Green One kick some serious ass.
That’s it for now, your Geekness. I’m hoping to get into “Princess Blade,” just to make you jealous. I can’t make any promises, though.
SPYder, out.
