Comic-Con

Robert Kirkman Plans THE WALKING DEAD Zombie Obstacle Course at Comic-Con 2012

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 16th, 2012 at 9:03 am

As if you need more reason to be excited about this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and Skybound have announced that they will be hosting a zombie obstacle course to commemorate the 100th issue of The Walking Dead graphic novel series.  Here’s what Kirkman had to say about the event, hosted in Petco Park:

“Our fans have been reading about it, watching it and now they get to live it with The Walking Dead Escape. We are literally transforming Petco Park into the early days of society’s collapse and San Diego is just the first city to fall.”

Instead of a race, The Walking Dead Escape is set up as an experience with interactive displays and Walking Dead references throughout.  After you’ve completed the course, your decisions will determine if you’re infected or not.  Hit the jump.

Joss Whedon Talks THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE AVENGERS, His Writing Process, Comic-Con, Collecting and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 5th, 2012 at 7:25 pm

I want to make this very clear: Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard‘s The Cabin in the Woods is one of the best “horror” movies I’ve ever seen and easily one of my favorite films this year.  While many of you might love the horror genre, I find it repetitive and stale.  It seems like the genre is stuck in neutral, and no one is making any progress forward.  But that all changed after I saw Cabin in the Woods.  Without spoiling anything, let’s just say the film turns “horror” on its head and I loved every second of it.  Trust me when I say…stop watching the trailers.  Don’t watch any TV spots.  Do not read the reviews.  Just go see the film on opening day next week.  I promise, it’s worth the price of admission and after you see it, you’ll want to see it again.

At this year’s SXSW, I was able to sit down with Joss Whedon (who co-wrote the script) for an exclusive interview.  Since I didn’t want to talk about anything that could spoil the film, our conversation turned to his writing process, casting the film, Comic-Con, what he collects, Easter eggs, and more.  In addition, with Whedon directing that small indie film called The Avengers, we also talked about the running time, the music, deleted scenes, and more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

Morgan Spurlock Talks COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE, MANSOME and Hulu Series A DAY IN THE LIFE

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 28th, 2012 at 9:15 pm

From director Morgan Spurlock, the documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, available VOD on April 5th and out in theaters in April 6th, explores the amazing cultural phenomenon that is the San Diego Comic-Con – an event that started as a comic book convention for 500 fans that has since grown into a pop culture event attended by more than 140,000 people annually. Interspersing the lives of five attendees (an aspiring illustrator, a costume and creator designer, a long-time comic book dealer, a long-time amateur illustrator and a young fan hoping to propose to his girlfriend) in 2010 with interviews with Comic-Con veterans including Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Matt Groening, Seth Rogen and Eli Roth, among others, the film gives a comprehensive overview of one of the largest fan gatherings in the U.S.

During this exclusive press day interview with Collider, Morgan Spurlock talked about what initially led him to make his first trip to Comic-Con in 2009, working with Marvel legend Stan Lee and filmmaker Joss Whedon to get the documentary made, their process for finding and deciding on which individuals the film would focus on, getting as invested in the people they followed as audiences will when they see it, and how they’ll be putting together extended celebrity interviews for the DVD. He also talked about his next film Mansome, documenting the world of manscaping and male grooming, how he would like to do a film on education in America and how the system can be changed, that he’s developing a narrative feature, and what he enjoys about doing his Hulu series, A Day in the Life. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

First Trailer for Morgan Spurlock’s Documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 22nd, 2012 at 7:41 pm

Morgan Spurlock took his camera to Comic-Con in 2010 and joined forces with geek icons Stan Lee and Joss Whedon to turn the footage into the documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope.  The trailer was released tonight.  I was struck by the fact that, unlike Spurlock’s other docs, he doesn’t appear on screen in this one.  If the trailer is any indication, Spurlock instead assigned the dominant voice to Kevin Smith, likely as official an authority on Comic-Con can be.

The massive cultural phenomenon is obviously ripe for exploration.  And Spurlock seems most drawn to the aspects of the convention that I as a movie blogger have little exposure to, like the intense costumes or the actual comic industry dealings.  Most of the reviews from festival premieres have been positive, save our own.  All in all, early signs suggest A Fan’s Hope lives up to the title.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

Pre-Registration Begins for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 12:52 pm

San Diego Comic-Con has become so popular that last year they couldn’t figure out how to sell badges without crashing servers.  When they did manage to sell the badges, they all sold out in less than a day.  Not just the 4-day badges, but the individual day badges as well.  Today, Comic-Con has opened pre-registration and it begins by setting up a Member ID.  To be clear: Setting up a Member ID does not guarantee you a badge. It’s the first step you need to take to even have a chance at buying a badge.  You must register by February 28th.

Hit the jump to check out a video explaining how the new registration works.  The 2012 San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 12 – 15th.

Exclusive: Director Chris Gorak Talks THE DARKEST HOUR at Comic-Con

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 4:47 am

At this year’s Comic-Con, I had the chance to sit down with director Chris Gorak for an exclusive interview about Summit’s upcoming sci-fi thriller, The Darkest Hour.  While I could’ve posted the interview a lot sooner, I decided to wait until the studio released the cool looking trailer.  Hopefully you’ve all had a chance to check it out.  What’s important to know is the entire movie was filmed on location in Moscow, was filmed in 3D, and produced by Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov.

During the interview, Gorak talks about bring at Comic-Con, filming in Moscow, the aliens and what happens to the humans that encounter them, editing, test screenings, and did they decide to explain the alien motivation for attacking Earth or did they go the route of revealing as little as possible.  Hit the jump to watch.  The Darkest Hour opens December 23rd.

Exclusive: John Cho Talks AMERICAN REUNION, A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR CHRISTMAS, TOTAL RECALL and STAR TREK 2

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 5th, 2011 at 7:38 pm

At this year’s Comic-Con, I was able to talk with John Cho before the Total Recall panel in Hall H.  Cho told me that he plays someone who works at Recall and he explains his bizarre look.  He also said the Recall in director Len Wiseman’s film is a lot different than Paul Verhoeven’s, as Wiseman’s Recall is more of a “den of sin” and less of a business.  In addition, Cho talked about American Reunion, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, and Star Trek 2.  Regarding the Trek sequel , I asked if he knows when they might start filming and how often do people ask him about it?  Hit the jump to watch.

Exclusive: Joel Kinnaman and Max Minghella Talk THE DARKEST HOUR, David Fincher, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and a Lot More at Comic-Con

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 5th, 2011 at 8:50 am

At this year’s Comic-Con, I had the chance to sit down with Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Max Minghella (The Social Network) for an exclusive interview about Summit’s upcoming sci-fi thriller, The Darkest Hour.  While I could’ve posted the interview a lot sooner, I decided to wait until the studio released the cool looking trailer.  Hopefully you’ve all had a chance to check it out.  What’s important to know is the entire movie was filmed on location in Moscow, was filmed in 3D, and produced by Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov.

During the interview, Kinnaman and Minghella talked about being at Comic-Con and filming in Moscow during the heat wave and fire outbreaks.  In addition, since both of them have worked for David Fincher, we talked about working for him and Kinnaman explains why his character was added to Fincher’s first Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie and how he’ll be in the two sequels.  Hit the jump to watch.  The Darkest Hour opens December 23rd.

Andrew Garfield Talks THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN at Comic-Con

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 4th, 2011 at 6:44 pm

As you probably know, Andrew Garfield was one of the highlights at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego.  From the actor’s heartfelt speech before The Amazing Spider-Man panel, to his affable and earnest demeanor during the actual panel (which Matt covered in detail in his write-up), it was obvious that the guy genuinely loves Spidey.  Our partners at Omelete got the chance to catch up with Garfield on the red carpet at the Con, and in the brief conversation the actor talked about his childhood obsession with Spider-Man and what Sam Raimi’s trilogy of films mean to him.

Hit the jump to watch the interview, which is interspersed with footage from the film. And be sure to check out our Comic-Con interview with Garfield, Emma Stone and director Marc Webb here. The Amazing Spider-Man opens in 3D on July 3^rd, 2012.

Exclusive: Directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein Talk UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING at Comic-Con

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 3rd, 2011 at 10:28 pm

At this year’s Comic-Con, I had the chance to talk with Underworld: Awakening directors Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein.  Here’s a few of the highlights:

• The Comic-Con trailer will not be shown anywhere else.  They were committed to not show any Lycans at Comic-Con.  But there will be Lycans in the sequel, including several kinds that have never been seen before.
• Stein twice teases a “very important new character that will turn everything upside-down.”
• They are halfway through the editing process, which includes 750-800 effects shots to render in 3D.
• There is a 7-minute car chase that took five days to shoot and two-and-a-half weeks to edit.
• Stein and Marlind have a unique working relationship.  They switch roles every day: one person in charge, one person is the director’s “best buddy.”
• 3D changes how they film.  Because of the camera size, it’s harder to throw the camera over your shoulder for an aggressive shot.  But it has led Stein to pursue longer takes because the 3D looks better.
• The first trailer should be released soon.

Hit the jump to watch the full interview.  You can also watch my interview with Underworld producer Len Wiseman here.  We’re going to have a lot more Underworld coverage once the trailer is released.  Underworld: Awakening hits theaters in January.

Exclusive: Guy Pearce Talks DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, LOCKOUT, WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD, PROMETHEUS and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 10:24 pm

At this year’s Comic-Con, I got to speak with an actor whose work I really love: Guy Pearce.  No matter the role, Pearce always delivers a great performance, and I really think he’s one of the best actors working in Hollywood.  Anyway, Pearce was at Comic-Con to help promote director Troy Nixey’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.  In the film, Pearce plays the father that doesn’t believe the creatures are real.  For more on the movie, here’s our recap of the panel, the trailer, and my interview with Guillermo Del Toro and Katie Holmes from the L.A. Film Festival.

In addition to Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Pearce talked about what it’s like to work for Ridley Scott (he’s in Prometheus), Lockout, John Hillcoat’s Wettest Country in the World, Drake Doremus and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Exclusive: Director Len Wiseman Talks TOTAL RECALL and UNDERWORLD 4; Confirms Three-Breasted Woman Will be in the Film

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 11:01 am

At this year’s Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to sit down with director Len Wiseman to talk about producing Underworld: Awakening and directing the remake of Total Recall.  While interviews at Comic-Con are usually a bit rushed, one of the reasons I’m excited to post this interview is that I had over twenty minutes to talk to Wiseman.  During the extended conversation, we talked about being back at Comic-Con and what does he geek out over, why should fans be excited about the 4th installment of Underworld, how he got involved with Total Recall and the differences between his movie and the original.  Trust me, I spent a huge amount of time asking him about Recall and if you’re curious about the remake, you’re going to learn a lot watching this interview.  Some of the things he mentioned:

• They’re not going to Mars and it’s not going to be in 3D.
• Says the movie has a different tone than the original and when I asked if his movie would use any of the classic one-liners, he said, “they have them in different forms.”
• Regarding any Easter Eggs to connect it to original film, says the three-breasted woman will be in it and a few other surprises.
• I asked about big action sequences and he says they have a few of them.  One of them is a huge hovercraft action scene that will take 15 days to shoot.  Says it’s being done practically with limited CGI. Here’s a few photos from when they were filming it.
• The shoot is scheduled for 80 to 85 days. They started in May and it shoots until September.
• Asked if they are doing anything the he would categorize as “pushing the boundaries?” He says he thinks they are. They filmed a fight sequence using a bunch of super slider rigs that are usually used for car chases and football games. The cameras goes 35 mph and they covered the fight sequence like a car chase.

Hit the jump for the full interview.

Comic Con 2011: ARCHER Interviews with H. Jon Benjamin, Amber Nash, Aisha Tyler and Chris Parnell

by Jonah    Posted: July 30th, 2011 at 6:49 pm

I know I’m not the only Collider writer to feel that if you’re missing out on FX’s Archer, you’re missing one of the most consistently funny shows on Television.  If biting satire, political commentary, and cartoon nudity are things you enjoy, chances are high you already do enjoy FX’s brilliant Archer.   The cast hit Comic-Con to promote the upcoming third season, and I got to sit down with stars H. Jon Benjamin (Voice of Sterling Archer), Amber Nash (Voice of HR Director Pam Poovey), Aisha Tyler (Voice of Agent Lana Kane), and Chris Parnell (Voice of Cyril Figgis).  If the cast is to be believed, Season 3 will feature:

• “Operational fieldwork”
• “Midgets”
• “Terrible things”

Check all three video interviews after the jump.

Exclusive: Director Ruben Fleischer Talks 30 MINUTES OR LESS, GANGSTER SQUAD and ZOMBIELAND 2 at Comic-Con

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 12:16 pm

At Comic-Con last weekend, I got to speak with director Ruben Fleischer who was there to promote his new comedy, 30 Minutes or Less.  Here’s our recap of the panel and all our previous coverage.   During the interview, Fleischer talked about being at Comic-Con, the difficulty in editing a film that has so much improv, deleted scenes and what will be on the DVD.

Of course with Fleischer getting ready to direct Gangster Squad (which is going to star Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Holt McCallany and Robert Patrick), we also talked about where and when they’re going to film, the incredible cast, his approach to the material, and the script.  Finally, for all the Zombieland fans, we talked about if there will ever be a Zombieland 2.  Hit the jump to read some of the highlights or watch the interview.

Comic-Con 2011: THE DIVIDE Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 8:19 am

What hasn’t been explored in the post-apocalyptic genre before? Ponder that before you jump into another film in that genre and you will realize how hard writers and directors have to work to just make something memorable. Luckily for The Divide, making a memorable experience is something they have achieved. The question is, will you want to remember your experience? That’s exactly what I thought over after leaving the basement of a bar where the screening too place last Friday in San Diego. Hit the jump for my full review.

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