Amityville Horror… Again
Franck Khalfoun (“Maniac”) wrote and will direct the horror movie for Dimension Films and Blumhouse. Fresh off supporting turns in “The Giver” and “Vampire Academy” for the Weinstein Company, “Shameless” star Cameron Monaghan is nearing a deal to join Disney Channel star Bella Thorne in the new “Amityville” horror movie that Blumhouse is producing for Dimension Films, an individual familiar with the project told The Wrap online.
Franck Khalfoun (“Maniac”) wrote and will direct the film, which will star Jennifer Jason Leigh as a single mother who moves her three kids into the “Amityville” house that has a very dark history. Gotta say this is great news as Khalfoun did a fantastic job with Maniac, the most original take on a horror film of 2013.
Dimension had planned on reigniting the popular “Amityville” horror franchise using a found-footage angle but that idea has been dropped in favour of a fresher take. The original “Amityville Horror” was released in 1979 and received a high-profile remake in 2005 that starred Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George and Chloe Moretz. The franchise is based on Jay Anson’s book “The Amityville Horror: A True Story.”
Batman 75
Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment have announced their plans for Batman’s 75th anniversary as well as the commemorative logo, which you can view above. Check out the press release below!
To mark the milestone 75th anniversary of DC Comics’ Batman, Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment have revealed plans for a year-long celebration befitting the world’s most popular Super Hero. Highlights of the anniversary program, which starts today, include a new commemorative 75th anniversary Batman logo and an exclusive “Cape/Cowl/Create” art exhibit, featuring 20 contemporary artists’ interpretation of The Dark Knight’s iconic cowl headpiece and cape from the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight videogame. There will also be 75th anniversary-related activities across all of Warner Bros. Entertainment throughout the year.
First appearing in the comic book Detective Comics #27, which hit newsstands on March 30, 1939, featuring artwork by Bob Kane and a script by Bill Finger, Batman emerged from the shadows to become the world’s most popular Super Hero and dominate all media. In feature films, TV shows, radio, video games, publishing and merchandise, this most human of Super Heroes has battled some of fiction’s greatest villains using his intellect, cunning and an arsenal of gadgets to further his quest for justice.
“Batman is an incredibly important property with multi-generational appeal across all of the Studio’s businesses, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment. “From billion-dollar blockbuster films to TV, home entertainment, video games and consumer products, The Dark Knight continues to resonate with audiences worldwide and rightfully deserves his place as a global pop culture icon for the ages.”
Batman is the single most successful Super Hero film franchise in history and there have been more theatrical movies released based on Batman than any other comic book character. In video games, the Batman Arkham franchise is also the most successful Super Hero game concept ever. Batman consistently breaks records in every incarnation of his character and remains the gold standard by which all other comic book sales are measured.
“Batman is one of the greatest characters ever created, in comics or elsewhere, and even after 75 years he continues to wildly fascinate fans. He is an integral part of pop culture and has successfully captured the imagination of the entire world,” said Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment and President & Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The origin of Batman, Bruce Wayne and the famous citizens of Gotham are legendary and likely a story you know inside out, even if you’ve never picked up a comic book in your life, and that speaks volumes to the character’s immense popularity and the constructs of the original mythology.”
The first published adventure of The Bat-Man (as he was then known) was in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics #27, conceived of and drawn by a 22-year-old Kane with his frequent collaborator, Bill Finger, scripting the story. The character was so successful, that one year later the first comic book devoted exclusively to the Caped Crusader’s adventures, Batman #1, hit newsstands. In that issue, Batman battled The Joker and Catwoman for the first time.
Now, DC Entertainment and the Studio’s various divisions, including Pictures, Television, Animation, Interactive Entertainment, Home Entertainment and Consumer Products, will mark this extraordinary 75th anniversary with a range of highly anticipated events and products.
The new commemorative logo, also released today across social media and websites, takes its cue from the famed Bat symbol, and features block-style lettering of “75 Years.” The mark will be rolled out on Batman-related promotions, products and initiatives.
Key activities planned for the Batman 75th anniversary celebration include:
DC Entertainment – DC Entertainment has an action-packed year filled with new Batman titles, commemorative issues and variant covers, including the recently released special edition of Detective Comics #27 commemorating Batman’s first appearance in the book in 1939, the new weekly series Batman Eternal launching April 9, and upcoming exclusive Batman variant covers planned for San Diego Comic-Con International in July.
Batman Day – DC Entertainment is also partnering with thousands of comic retailers, book stores and libraries for “Batman Day” on Wednesday, July 23. Each location will host a Batman 75th anniversary celebration and offer fans a free, special edition Batman comic.
Interactive Entertainment – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has invited celebrated fashion designer Asher Levine to create a cape and cowl based on the Batsuit of the recently announced Batman: Arkham Knight videogame developed by Rocksteady Studios. Favorite contemporary artists will have the opportunity to use the replicas as a blank canvas to produce their own, original interpretations of Batman’s iconic attire for an all new “Cape/Cowl/Create” art exhibit that will be showcased at San Diego Comic-Con International in July.
Home Entertainment – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will bring fans an array of new Batman titles throughout the year, including the highly anticipated release of the Batman ’66 TV series for the first time ever. Other new releases include animated films Son of Batman (May 6) and Assault on Arkham (summer 2014). Additionally, a 25th Anniversary Edition of Tim Burton’s Batman feature film will be released in the fall.
Animation – Warner Bros. Animation has created two all-new Batman animated shorts set for debut in April, with fan-favorite producers Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Darwyn Cooke (Batman Beyond) each presenting a unique and familiar take on the Batman animated universe. In addition, Timm will participate in a Batman 75th all-star panel at WonderCon in Anaheim on Saturday, April 19, which will also feature an exclusive premiere of Cooke’s animated short based upon Batman Beyond.
Television – Warner Bros. Television is in production on the pilot episode of the highly anticipated Gotham, a new one-hour drama for FOX which explores the origin stories of eventual police commissioner James Gordon and the villains that made Gotham City famous. In Gotham, Detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie – Southland) will encounter a familiar cast of characters – including a young Bruce Wayne – as he fights to keep the city safe. Executive producer Bruce Heller (The Mentalist, Rome) wrote the pilot, which is being directed by executive producer Danny Cannon (CSI series, Nikita).
Pictures – As Batman’s 75th anniversary is celebrated in 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures will begin production of Zack Snyder’s untitled Superman/Batman film starring Henry Cavill, who reprises his role as Superman/Clark Kent, and Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The film, slated for release summer 2016, will bring the two most iconic Super Heroes of all time together for the first time on the big screen.
Consumer Products – Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with an array of licensees to celebrate Batman’s 75th Anniversary through special edition and limited-release products. From the classic 1960’s TV series to modern day comics, Batman’s presence will be larger than ever in celebration of his legacy through everything from toys to t-shirts.
DCComics.com – For the latest information and exclusive content celebrating Batman’s 75th anniversary, visit Batman75 HERE. The dedicated section on DC Comics’ website launched yesterday with the Batman 75 Sweepstakes which offers one lucky fan a one-of-a-kind prize package.
Hollywood Disaster Maps
At the movies a city-destroying disaster is just the expected conclusion of any big action movie. Politicians and the media can argue all day long about whether Hollywood is destroying America in the spiritual sense, but filmmakers definitely love wrecking the country as part of a blockbuster narrative.
Check out this Hollywood disaster map that illustrates just how and where the movies like to hit. Not surprisingly, New York and Los Angeles lead the rest of the country in terms of general destruction. The infographic was put together by Reuben Fischer-Baum and Samer Kalaf. Their map covers 189 cinematic attacks (it doesn’t count post-apocalyptic adventures or small-scale attacks), which means it’s by no means a comprehensive list. For “fictional or undefined locations” like Gotham City, they assigned an approximate real-world analogue. Thanks to /Film for the link.
The Signal – Trailer
Three college students on a road trip across the Southwest experience a detour: the tracking of a computer genius who has already hacked into MIT and exposed security faults. The trio find themselves drawn to an eerily isolated area. Suddenly everything goes dark. When one of the students, Nic (Brenton Thwaites of The Giver and Maleficent), regains consciousness, he is in a waking nightmare…
There is also a viral campaign going on that leads you to a website, HERE which features a screen that resembles an old computer terminal asking for a “USER”. Once you type something in it simply states, error “blank” is an unknown command…R U agitated and then there is a Y/N option. This one could be interesting.
Post Apocalyptic Google Street App
A Swedish developer has transformed towns and cities around the world into urban jungles. Check out the App HERE
Using Google images, Einar Oberg built his jungle version of Street View to lets users virtually travel anywhere in the world, and see what that location would look like covered in trees, vines, and bushes. Oberg has even redesigned Google’s iconic Pegman so he’s holding a fire torch and wearing an Indiana Jones-style fedora.
Only areas accessible on Google Street View can be accessed on Oberg’s Urban Jungle version, for example, users can’t get inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace or The White House.
The site images render slowly, and work better on the Chrome browser, although the service is also available on Firefox. It has limited controls and users can only move around when clicking the stone-like arrow that appears on the screen.
Oberg said: ‘Visit any place available in Street View by entering a location, drag the map to browse around and drop the little guy on a road. ‘It works best in environment with large buildings surrounding the streets. Some locations need a little more imagination than others.’
He continued the experiment uses an ‘undocumented part of Street View’ called depth data. Once depth maps are combined with traditional maps, Oberg said he is able to plot the position of 3D flora and fauna. This means they appear to grow out of the map, or on the sides of buildings, as realistically as possible.
There have been similar projects in the past, namely the 2011 Streetview Zombie Apocalypse game. It used Google Street View images as the base of the game and as players move around, they have to escape zombies placed over the top of the maps.
The Twilight Zone 3¾ Inch Action Figures
Bif Bang Pow! presents 3 3/4-inch scale action figures of your favorite characters and creatures from The Twilight Zone. The new collection includes William Shatner’s Bob Wilson and the Gremlin; the sly alien Kanamit; the Invader; Burgess Meredith’s Henry Bemis; and Talky Tina, the doll that spells doom for Telly Savalas. These plastic figures are individually carded and most include accessories. Each is available in classic black-and-white with 4 or 5 points of articulation: neck, shoulders, and hips. Get them HERE
The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo
Macmillan Entertainment and Everest Entertainment Group are developing a feature film from The Wolfman, the 2008 novel written by Nicholas Pekearo and published by Tor Books. It’s about a lost soul who happens to be a werewolf who struggles with his affliction until he decides to focus on the bad guys who deserve it, including a serial killer preying on young girls. This development would be a dream come true by Pekearo, a crime and comic book buff who was just getting his footing as a novelist. He was also an auxiliary policeman for the NYPD who died seven years ago after being shot six times by a crazed gunman who also killed Pekearo’s partner in Greenwich Village. That partner, 19-year-old Yevgeniy Marshalik, was the star of his high school debating team and a student at NYU. The murders created controversy and pointed up the ludicrousness of sending out auxiliary cops who are not allowed to carry weapons. Despite this, and the fact that unarmed auxiliary cops weren’t supposed to engage armed suspects, the duo chased down the gunman after he had already killed a bartender and was looking for other victims. The book was published posthumously in 2009.
“I read The Wolfman shortly after its release and couldn’t get the character of Marlowe Higgins and the world Pekearo created out of my head,” Davis said. “This is not your typical werewolf piece, and I was amazed by how much new territory he uncovered in this first novel. I have high hopes for this as it seems there is now finally a market for pieces like this, seeing the success of brilliant limited series such as True Detective, and audiences now have a hunger for out-of-the-box anti-heroes. In talking with those around him while he was alive, it was Nicholas’ hope to see this turned into a series, whether it was film or television, taking a similar journey to the one Bruce Banner did in The Incredible Hulk. Having died a hero’s death trying to protect people while chasing down a madman while he was unarmed, I hope Nicholas’ voice as a writer finally gets the attention it deserves and the journey he started with Marlowe continues.” Courtesy of Deadline.
The Walking Dead Survival Kit
When the zombie apocalypse arrives, you’ll need to be prepared. That’s why AMC has teamed up with First My Family to create the official The Walking Dead survival kit. Now available, the kit contains enough emergency supplies to help two people survive for 72 hours. The contents include…
• 2 – Datrex 2400 Calorie Emergency Food Rations. Stays fresh for up to 5 years
• 12 – Datrex 4.22 oz packs of Emergency Water. Stays fresh for up to 5 years
• 1 – Premium Lifeline First Aid kit, 85 Pieces
• 1 – Lifegear Glow LED Flashlight. Lasts up to 400 hours
• 2 – Emergency Mylar Space Blankets
• 2 – Emergency Ponchos for Severe Weather
• 1 – Leather Palm Work Gloves for moving debris
• 1 – Waterproof match booklet (where permitted)
• 4 – Procedural Face Masks
Kits are expected to be limited, so order now from First My Family HERE
You can assemble a bag for cheaper than the $130 asking price… but where’s the ebay-resale value in that!
A Nightmare on Elm Street Toaster
This A Nightmare on Elm Street toaster will make a perfect present for the horror fan that has it all. This bread-warming device has the A Nightmare on Elm Street logo on the exterior but the real magic behind the contraption is that it imprints the likeness of Fred Krueger and his murder glove on your toast. Other noteworthy specifications include: illuminated function buttons, and a glossy black exterior. Get it (for me) at The Big Bad Toy Store HERE
Frank Frazetta Museum
This is long overdue… The fantasy work of Frank Frazetta has finally been compiled for an exhibition by director Robert Rodriguez, a huge fan of Frazetta’s work. Rodriguez will be hosting a pop up museum down in Austin, Texas from March 8th thru March 16th at the SXSW festival that features the work of Frazetta and some other legendary artists. Here is the official announcement:
For a limited time only during SXSW, Robert Rodriguez is proud to launch a museum featuring his own specially curated collection of art which includes the work of celebrated American artist Frank Frazetta. Considered to be the most influential fantasy artist in history, Frazetta contributed iconic artwork to classic works of fiction for Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan & John Carter of Mars among others. The gallery will be open to the public daily from Saturday, March 8th – 16th from Noon – 8 pm. The museum is located at 920 Congress Ave. in Austin, TX. The gallery will have a $20 entrance fee benefiting the Frazetta Estate’s preservation of the art for a new Frank Frazetta museum.
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