Comic Con 2010

Well, another Comic Con has come and gone, but your old friend Darby is here once again to give you all the news you need to know, and 100% Nerd Flu free.


“Tron: Legacy”

Tron: Legacy was back at the Con this year, and this time Flynn’s Arcade was also able to transport you into the game itself! After you had your fun playing free video games, you are escorted to Flynn’s workshop, where you get zapped into the game and find yourself at the “End of Line Club” a haven for rogue programs. This re-creation of a set from Tron: Legacy was one of the most impressive things at Comic Con this year. I almost didn’t want to leave the room.






“Burn Notice”

It was announced at this year’s Burn Notice panel, that there will be a straight-to-DVD Burn Notice prequel, starring Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe, and will tell the story of Sam’s last mission before Miami.





“Predators”

Sadly, Robert Rodriguez announced Thursday, that 20th Century Fox will be releasing a sequel to this month’s new Predators incarnation. I know, not everyone disliked the new movie, but let’s be honest; it was crap, and I’m sure Predators: Electric Boogaloo isn’t going to be much better.




“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”

At the end of the panel for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, director/co-writer Edgar Wright announced that a surprise secret screening was about to take place. He then took a select few of the audience members from Hall H, and lead them Pied Piper style through the streets of San Diego to a theater not far from the convention center. Let me just say, that this is hands down the best movie of the summer! A review will be up here closer to the release of the movie, but take my word for it and buy your tickets now!




“The Walking Dead”

AMC‘s new series The Walking Dead, based on the Image comic, definitely had the biggest presence at the Con this year. You couldn’t go any where without seeing a horde of zombies, or footage from the upcoming show, stopping people in their tracks… Literally. At the panel on Friday we got to see some bloody amazing footage, and I mean bloody in both senses of the word. The cinematography on this show is going to blow you way. The sparkly vampires and teenage werewolves have had their time in the sun, well maybe not the vampires, but I do believe it’s about high time for the zombies. Long live the zombies! Can you say that about the undead?




“Saw 3D”

I was able to attend the press event/panel for the new Saw 3D, or Saw VII whichever one you prefer, and got to see the first eight minutes of the movie. They also unveiled the new eye popping poster, and also announced that this will be the final chapter in the Saw series.





“Green Lantern”

After thousands of people, along with Ralph and myself (Ralph was out there much longer than I), camped out all night just for the chance of getting in to Hall H for the Green Lantern panel, it was finally 11:45AM and thanks to Ralph and Lenny we made it in! On hand for the Q&A was Mr. Hal Jordan himself Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, and directory Martin Campbell. The panel wasn’t overly flashy, but we did get to see a few minutes of footage in the form of a somewhat trailer. It’s less than a year away, but I think I might just have to get in line now!




At the Warner Bros. booth, there was also a floor display of Abin Sur’s body.





“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”

At the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides panel, the audience received a special message from Captain Jack Sparrow himself! Does this mean we can stop calling it a trilogy?




“The Stabbing”

Okay, so here’s where Saturday gets a little pear shaped. Two men started arguing over space, or lack there of in Hall H, just after the Resident Evil: Afterlife panel, and just before the Paul panel. It was at this point, that of the one guys ends up stabbing the other guy near the eye with a pen. When news of the event quickly made its way around the Con, the only thing that shocked me was that it doesn’t happen more often. You’ve got thousands of antisocial people all huddled together with other antisocial people, add to that most haven’t eaten or slept in days, and at some point the nerd-rage is going to fly. The best part of all this was the costumes that followed on Sunday.





“Cowboys & Aliens”

Thanks to the amazing Jon Favreau, for the first time in Comic Con history, Harrison Ford graced the Con with his presence, and in handcuffs no less. The handcuffs could have had two meanings; 1) that’s what it took to get him to his first Comic Con, or 2) it was trying to make light of the stabbing that took place earlier. Either way, the crowd erupted when they saw Han Solo being lead to the stage by security.




“The Avengers”

For the first time ever, the cast of the up-coming Avengers movie were assembled in one place, and that place was Comic Con! The video says it all!

Avengers Assemble!!!



But it’s not just all about the movies at Comic Con. One of the best reasons to go to Comic Con is to get your hands on the exclusive toys and action figures only available at the Con… Well that is until they’re put on eBay for five times the original price. This is just a few of them; there really are way too many to list.



Plastic Man

This one was a “Must Have” for me this year!



Attack of the Show

These Gentle Giant Comic Con exclusives, are mini-busts of the Attack of the Show hosts Kevin Pereira & Olivia Munn.



Doctor Who

This years Doctor Who figure is a two-pack of the Eleventh Doctor and one of those lame Dalek redesigns.



Venture Brothers

These old school action figure dolls of Henchmen 21 and 24, were almost impossible to get.



Mo-Larr vs. Skeletor

By far the funniest exclusive at the Con this year, based on the Robot Chicken skit, this two-pack features for the first time ever Mo-Larr and a gapped toothed Skeletor.



One last thing before I go. Every year the studios at Comic Con make these giant bags for people to carry their stuff around in while at the Con. Well the best bags this year, without a doubt, go to the SyFy Channel.

One side of the bag reads “Mega Tote,” and the other “Giant Backpack.” But the thing that makes it so great is that in the fold of the bag it reads “vs.” You’ve got to love that!



Well, that does it for another Comic Con, but Comic Con 2011 will be on July 21st to the 24th next year, so start making your plans now.

Our friends over at La-La Land Records have announced three special releases, available at their booth at this years San Diego’s Comic Con. The first of which is John Debney‘s Predators, which skillfully incorporates Alan Silvestri’s iconic themes from the original Predator film. Next is a special two disc set of Danny Elfman‘s Batman, this a Limited Edition of 5,000 units, and features the previously unreleased film version of Elfman’s score, as well as a remastered presentation of the original 1989 soundtrack score, and never-before-released Bonus Tracks. Last but not least, is a Limited Edition of James Horner‘s Krull, which is limited to only 3,000 units, so act fast! All three recordings will be available at www.lalalandrecords.com on July 27th, after Comic Con, but those of you at the Con will be able to get first dibs. In addition to these premiere releases, there will also be special appearances and signings, as well as great deals on other La-La Land Records soundtracks available at their booth, which is located with the Toy Hungry booth, in space #429.

Guest composers will be stopping by the La-La Land booth to greet fans and sign CDs. Newly Emmy Award nominated composer Bear McCreary (Caprica, Battlestar Galactica, Human Target) will kick things off from 4-5PM on Thursday. Visit the La-La Land gang at Comic-Con to find out who will be appearing to sign autographs and when. Also, be sure to  follow La-La Land Records & Darby’s Secret Stash on Twitter for breaking news at Comic Con, including information about special composer guests and signing times!

“Inception”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Okay, I’m going to do the best I can to write a review for Inception. But, I don’t want to give anything away, or even talk about the events in the movie for that matter. So, if any of you know how I can possibly achieve this, please feel free to email me. Okay, I’m also realizing that writing this, and waiting for you to email me is probably not going to work either, so… Well, shit.

Here’s the gist of it, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a well trained thief, but his methods are anything but ordinary. With access to a person’s dreams, Cobb and his team perform an extraction, which is the art of stealing a secret from deep within the dreamer’s subconscious while the mind is at its most vulnerable state. But now, Cobb’s team is faced with the impossible act of inception, which the planting of an idea in the dreamer’s subconscious. Inception is the welcomed return of writer/director Christopher Nolan’s art house approach to filmmaking. His early work of Following and Memento, paved the way for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but with Inception he take the audience back to that place where not everything is what it seems to be. It has been awhile since a film has given up its control of meaning to the audience. Much like the last scene in Blade Runner, the last scene of Inception is very much up to the viewer’s perception. This would be another reason why reviewing it would not be as easy as one might think. I have my theories, and know what the movie means to me, but at the same time don’t want to let them get in the way of your own interpretation of the movie, especially if you haven’t seen it yet. I will tell you this; it is one of the smartest and most visually amazing films of the year. The zero gravity fight scene is to die for! And, when you find out that most of it is done without the use of CGI… Well, what can I say? Wow! This one is a must see, and all I can say is that I really enjoyed it. It’s a little long, but doesn’t feel too long, and it will most definitely give you plenty to talk about on the drive home. If you would like to talk about Inception in more detail, or want to hear my theories, leave a comment and we’ll discuss it there. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, please know that below this review will be nothing but SPOILERS, so you’ve been warned.

Rating:



“Predators”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Where do I begin? When I first heard that Robert Rodriguez was producing the new Predators movie, I thought we might finally get a good Predator sequel, but sadly the wait is hardly over. Did you ever wonder what it would be like if the kick-ass 80’s movie Predator, was turned into a LOST spin-off? Well, wonder no more, and suffer through Predators. The movie really misses its mark. The idea seemed solid enough, but the execution definitely left a lot to be desired. There were a few nice moments, but nothing that I would say worked as a whole.

In Predators, a group of people find themselves stranded on a strange alien planet after being abducted, and airdropped in while still unconscious. They quickly discover that they are the prey in a Predator game reserve, and when I say quickly, I mean they seem to figure it out quiet easily, and at the same time take the news rather well. I guess this sort of thing happens all the time. Just the other day this guy I know disappeared, he must have been abducted and brought to a game reserve. Oh well, these things happen. I just hope he’s taking it well, or that he dies quickly, because he was a good guy and deserves at least that. Here’s the thing about making a Predator sequel… You can’t. Okay, maybe you can. But honestly, the reason Predator was an amazing movie is because no one ever saw it coming. People went in expecting a regular Arnold Schwarzenegger action film, and what they got was an amazing thriller with an unexpected pace, and a pinch of sci-fi. It’s the seeing the unexpected that made that first movie a classic. The sequels keep trying to do the same, but they use the same tricks, and we sadly see them coming.

The other thing that really bothered me was that it was called Predators, but we almost never got to see them, which sucks. Mainly because good friend of the Stash, Derek Mears, played the classic Predator in the movie, and he unfortunately doesn’t get nearly enough screen time. The really sad thing is that there was the potential to do something new in Predators, using Derek’s character, but they of course missed it. At one point in the movie the humans free an imprisoned Predator (Mears), and the opportunity for a human/Predator team-up emerges, but it’s over seconds before it even began. The other thing that would have been a good idea is the inclusion of other abducted life forms, which they do have; but we only see one, and it’s not truly used to the movie’s full potential. It would have been cool to have other abducted life forms have to work with the humans to survive. I really shouldn’t have to come up with these ideas after the fact. With Robert Rodriguez involved they should have already been known. I just hope one day we’ll actually get a Predator sequel that’s worthy of the title. I’m also quiet proud that I went the entire review without mentioning that the director’s name is Nimród… Oh, wait does that count?

Rating:


Our friends over at La-La Land Records, have  just released another two scores, well three actually, which makes it an even better deal!

First up is a combo album which features the scores of not only one, but two classic Mike Judge movies, Office Space & Idiocracy. Composer John Frizzell finds the perfect offbeat musical pitch for Judge’s beloved workplace satire Office Space, starring Ron Livingston, Gary Cole and Jennifer Aniston, while composer Theodore Shapiro goes for a big orchestral sound and nails Judge’s skewed sci-fi take on the future of the human race, in Idiocracy, starring Luke Wilson, Dax Shepard and Maya Rudolph. Produced by MV Gerhard and mastered by James Nelson, this engaging duo of film scores showcases the composing talent involved in effectively scoring smart satire. Extensive liner notes by Daniel Schweiger feature comments from the composers and writer/director Mike Judge. This is a limited edition of 1,200 units, so get your flair on and pick one up today! Guaranteed to give you an instant ”Oh-Face.”

ORDER Office Space / Idiocracy: Limited Edition NOW and get your CD autographed by composers John Frizzell and Theodore Shapiro at no additional charge. Autographs are while supplies last and are not guaranteed.

Next up we have the original motion picture score to 20th Century Fox’s hit feature film Diary of a Wimpy Kid starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachel Harris and Steve Zahn, directed by Thor Freudenthal. Acclaimed composer Theodore Shapiro fashions a brilliant orchestral score that beautifully conveys all the heartwarming fun of this new family film classic, based upon the popular book series by Jeff Kinney. Produced by Theodore Shapiro and mastered by James Nelson, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is movie music fun for all ages. Get yours today!

ORDER Diary of a Wimpy Kid NOW and get your CD autographed by composer Theodore Shapiro at no additional charge. Autographs are while supplies last and are not guaranteed.

NEW RELEASE SPECIAL: Order Office Space/Idiocracy now and get Diary of a Wimpy Kid at a special sale price of only $9.98. When ordering Office Space/Idiocracy, you will be asked at checkout if you wish to get Diary of a Wimpy Kid at the sale price. This is a limited time offer, so be sure to act fast!


“Toy Story 3”
a review by Darby O’Gill

First they were lost, then they were stolen, and now forgotten; but thankfully for us, Pixar has not forgotten their roots. Back in 1995, Pixar released their first feature length film, Toy Story, and to say it was a game changer would be somewhat of an understatement. In the last 15 years, Pixar has racked-up 249 various awards out of 487 nominations. But, in the end they’ve proven one thing more than anything else, and that is that even an animated cartoon can make you care enough to cry. I’m not kidding. The amount of sniffs and snorts around me in the last fifteen minutes of this movie was almost deafening. Pixar’s sense of story has always set them apart, but their true sense of artistry and artistic vision complete the package in a way that others can only dream of. I went to a private art school, and was there when the first Toy Story came out. While I was there, I was completely surrounded by art and creative people, and there was this sense of breaking boundaries every day, a feeling that you would think I’d still feel in Hollywood; but sadly it’s not the same. I realized that when I was watching Toy Story 3. Each Pixar movie always opens with a short, and they have always made me think of art school, but “Day & Night,” the new short attached to Toy Story 3, really made me realize that I don’t have that creativity around me any more. It also helped to transport me back to that way of thinking I had back when the first Toy Story came out so many years ago. Thanks for indulging me, and playing my therapist for a moment, but maybe we should get to the review.

In Toy Story 3, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang, are back and facing possible retirement. With Andy getting ready to leave home for college, the toys are faced with the fate of life in the attic, or even the possibility of being trashed! The one thing I always do love about the Toy Story movies is their ability to give their storylines these great double entendres that speak to children and adults alike. Much like the other two movies, after a misunderstanding, the toys have to find their way home, and try not to be seen in the process. You know, when you say it like that, you can’t help but realize that all three movies are basically the same in structure. But, that’s what makes Pixar so great! They can take brand new storylines, using the same structure, and yet you feel like you’re seeing something you’ve never seen before. Toy Story 3 is full of those wonderful moments that remind you of being a kid. Hands down my favorite moment is the barrel of monkeys atomic blast, pure genius. The one thing I think Toy Story 3 proves, is that when a movie is made for the right reasons, they can truly work, and still make the studio more than enough money. Pixar doesn’t just make a sequel to cash-in on the last film’s success. That’s something I wish the Shrek franchise would have realized, because the first movie was unbelievably creative, and could have easily have had the same success with their sequels as the Toy Story franchise if they had. You can clearly tell that if the story wasn’t worth telling in Toy Story 3, they wouldn’t have made the movie. I really enjoyed this, the possibly last story in the Toy Story saga, but I’m sure if we see them again, it will be for all the right reasons.

Rating:



“Jonah Hex”

a review by Darby O’Gill

Well, the race for this year’s Death Coach Award might just be over, because Jonah Hex is one horrible movie. Okay, I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but it needed to be said. It’s no secret that I’m a huge DC Comics fan, and I’m always looking forward to anything related to the DC Universe. So, when I heard Jonah Hex was making his way to the big screen, I was extremely excited! Add to that, the announcement that Josh Brolin would be playing Hex, and there was no way this movie could fail. Boy was I wrong! This thing is so bad; I’m really hoping I’m going to be able to put it in words.


For those of you who’ve never heard of Jonah Hex, and I’m sure that’s most of you, he’s not really a superhero, but more like a legend of the old west. The comics are very much a spaghetti-western, in which Hex is neither good nor bad, but just a bounty hunter that can buy you a drink one moment, than shoot you the next. I guess it all depends on his mood that day. He doesn’t have any superpowers, just a scarred face, and bad attitude. Simple… right? You would think. I guess DC Comics just found their Punisher. Don’t worry, I’ll de-nerd that statement for you. For years, Marvel Comics has been trying to get their character The Punisher to work on the big screen, which shouldn’t be too hard because it’s just a guy in a t-shirt with a bunch of guns. Never the less, three failed movies later, The Punisher still has yet to be properly portrayed in a movie. It’s a guy with guns, and a shirt with a big white skull on it. How hard can it be to make that movie right? Apparently, very. You would think the same of Jonah Hex. It’s a western. What could be so hard about making that work? The only thing that could be tricky is Hex’s disfigured face, which they amazingly got right; so I’m really at a lost here. What is it you ask that doesn’t work? How about a horse equipped with duel gatling guns? Dynamite stick firing crossbows? Having supernatural powers to talk to the dead? A glowing orb of… I don’t know, some kind of gas that doesn’t even exist, and can somehow level a city? Or maybe it’s a weapon that comes with a handy outline of the White House on the aiming scope? Good thing that’s what their aiming at. Megan Fox? Actually, she’s not as big of a problem as you might think. She’s not good, but she’s also nowhere near the biggest problem with this movie. No, the biggest problem here is… well the whole damn thing. You have to realize you’ve got a bad movie on your hands, when Wild Wild West looks like it could be an Oscar contender. Oh man, I haven’t even talked about John Malkovich’s phoned-in performance. And, why is Will Arnett in this movie? I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about this movie anymore. Okay, the bottom-line here, is that this is the worst movie of the year. Wow, I could have just said that from the beginning. Oh, wait… I did. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to read a few hundred issues of Jonah Hex, and hope that I can someday repress these horrible images from my head.

Rating:


Our good friends at La-La Land Records, have just released two new limited edition scores. The first of which is Speed 2: Cruise Control.

This is the premiere release of composer Mark Mancina’s powerhouse score to the 1997 Twentieth Century Fox feature film Speed 2: Cruise Control, starring Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric and Willem Dafoe, directed by Jan De Bont. Orchestra and electronics combine in spectacular Mancina fashion, resulting in a full-throttle score that skillfully revisits the composer’s classic Speed score, while also spinning off from it in exhilarating new directions. Produced by Nick Redman and Mike Matessino, and digitally edited and mastered by Mike Matessino and Neil S. Bulk, this dynamic album presentation includes a notable amount of music that wasn’t used in the film (due to the picture’s ever-changing edits right up to its release date). More than 70 minutes of pure adrenaline! Exclusive, in-depth liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, feature new comments from the composer. This is a limited edition of 3000 units, so act fast and buy your copy today!

To celebrate La-La Land’s release of Speed 2: Cruise Control, they’re also offering Mark Mancina’s classic Bad Boys Limited Edition score at a special sale price of only $14.98. But, this is a limited time offer so get it while you can.

Next up is the remastered and expanded release of composer Jerry Goldsmith’s powerful orchestral score to the 1997 Twentieth Century Fox feature film The Edge, starring Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin and Bart The Bear, directed by Lee Tamahori. Considered by many to be one of Jerry Goldsmith’s last great scores, his music to The Edge is at once thrilling, thoughtful and breathtakingly beautiful. Managing to not only convey the film’s majestic backdrop, but also it’s complex struggles of Man vs. Beast, Man vs. Nature and Man vs. Man. Produced by Nick Redman, Mike Matessino, and Didier C. Deutsch, this expanded presentation of The Edge features more than 65 minutes of pure Goldsmith, including bonus tracks, and a CD booklet containing exclusive liner notes by Jeff Bond. This is a limited edition of 3500 units, so act fast and buy your copy today!

NEW RELEASE SPECIAL: Order Speed 2: Cruise Control now and get The Edge at a special sale price of only $14.98. When ordering Speed 2, you will be asked at checkout if you wish to get The Edge at the sale price. This is a limited time offer, so be sure to act fast!


The Stash has been up for a year now, and I just wanted to take a second to thank everybody for continuing to stop by and helping to spread the word of the Stash. We’ve had our highs (District 9Pirate RadioThe Crazies), but we also had our lows (The WolfmanA Perfect GetawayLeap Year), and overall it was a very good year! Thanks again and here’s to another great year!

“The A-Team”
a review by Darby O’Gill

When you have a problem and no one else can help… Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait for the sequel, because The A-Team movie is just about how they get there. This is an origin story, with a modern update. When I first heard about them wanting to bring The A-Team to the big screen, almost 15 years ago, I thought what a huge mistake. But, when I saw the final choices for the cast, I was more than convinced a feature film version just might work. And, I’m very glad to report that I was absolutely right.

In this modern re-launch of The A-Team, we see the team meet for the first time and ultimately get framed for the crime they didn’t commit. Let’s just take a moment to talk about this A-List cast. First, we’ve got the man with the plan, Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith, played Liam Neeson. I think he was the hardest to see in the role, but once I saw a production still I was totally sold. Up next, is a team member with one real bad attitude, Sgt. B.A. Baracus, played by former UFC fighter, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Without a doubt the hardest shoes to fill in the movie, but Jackson is perfect! Much like Mr. T, Rampage embodies a little of B.A. himself honestly, and doesn’t have to force a performance, which is great! Because the worst thing that could have happened to this movie is if someone like Taye Diggs was cast in the roll and did a cheesy job of trying to play Mr. T. Dare I say, “I would pity the fool that fucked up this role.” And what would a yin be without its yang? That brings us to the sanest crazy person that can fly anything, Capt. H.M. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock, played by District 9’s very own Sharlto Copley. Easily the second biggest pair of shoes to fill on The A-Team, it’s very hard to play crazy, but Copley masterfully knocks it out of the park. Last but by no means least, we come to the pretty boy of the group. No lady can resist his charm, and there’s nothing he can’t get. Of course we’re talking about Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck, who’s perfectly played by The Hangover’s Bradley Cooper. Like I said, this is truly an A-List cast for the best possible A-Team movie. Well done, Hollywood… for once.

Over the last few months, I’ve started watching some old episodes of The A-Team again, getting myself that much more syked for the new movie. It was then that I realized just how much the old show still holds up to my wonderful childhood memories. If I had just one complaint about the new movie, it would be that they don’t help anyone other than themselves. Wait! Don’t start writing your comments yet. I know that this is the origin story, and they’re not in that business yet. It’s just that helping the town that’s being terrorized by the big bad biker gang, was such a huge part of the old show and I really missed it. The good news is that the sequel will be even better, and this one was pretty damn good. I’m also looking forward to the introduction of the fifth member of The A-Team in the sequel, that of reporter Amy Allen. And, if I could be so bold, I’d like to offer my suggestion for the best actress for the role, Evangeline Lilly. Oh, man! I’m so screwed. The A-Team hasn’t even had its opening weekend yet, and I’ve already got “The Jazz” for the sequel. I guess I’m just going to have to see this one a few more times then. Oh, and be sure to stick around after the credits, to see a few cameos.

Rating: