Modern Mythology

Meet The Creators: Zen, the color pink and the power of positive underpants

2012-05-20T16:00:37Z

Comic writer, publisher ZEN at the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo. (Photo courtesy Robert's iPhone)

In the indie comic book "Pink Power," a pair of magic underpants are all that stands between an unsuspecting world and pure evil.

It's OK to laugh, it's a comedy.

Pink's publisher and writer ZEN is all good about keeping the funny in the funny books. When he's not battling discrimination against folks who go by one name, the Long Beach-based creator hits local comic shows to pimp his latest works.

ZEN spoke with us from the expanded artist alley at the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo on May 12.

MODERN MYTHOLOGY: Tell us about "Pink Power."

ZEN: "Pink Power" is about a teen superhero who finds a pair of magic panties and then an evil secret society sends skateboarding ninjas to get them back.

(Laughs, mostly from me but Zen's probably used to that by now)

MM: Where's it based?

ZEN: It's actually based in Manhattan Beach which is local to here. So, it's like I want a little bit of sense of reality for people who are local. And It's a beach town that kind of represents California in a real nice way for people who don't really know California.

MM: How long have you been publishing comics?

ZEN: 2007. So we've been slowly been building this up over time. Being an independent publisher it takes a little time and effort so we can't put out things every month but you know every year we put out something new.

MM: You also have "Project 17"

ZEN: Yeah, "Project 17" I co-wrote it with a friend. It's about an off-shore oil rig that starts drilling off the coast of Florida and monsters from another world come through the oil. And basically, it's a like a social allegory for the evils of oil and human behavior.

MM: So you're out in print are you going with digital as well?

ZEN: Right now through Graphic-ly we have "Pink Power" for 99 cents. And pretty soon once it gets cued up it'll be available on the iPad and Nook and everything basically.

MM: Is this your first show?

ZEN: No, no this is regular. This is the fifth Long Beach show I've done. I do the one in October and also the one in the spring as well. And last week I was at Free Comic Book Day in Rancho Cucamonga. And a couple weeks I was inland Empire Comic Expo. and WonderCon last month so I try to do everything local that I can.

Learn more about HCMP (High Concept Media Properties) publications at pinkpoweronline.com

Meet the Creators: writer-artist Stephanie Lesniak loves old adventure stories

2012-05-19T01:10:36Z

Hang on, allow me to channel Dennis Hopper's memorable performance from "Speed."

"Pop quiz, hotshot...

You have a major jones for stories chock-full of monsters, pirates and pistol packin' heroines.

What do you do?"

Well, if you're writer-artist Stephanie Lesniak and love Robinson Crusoe-type stories with a twist, you co-create the comic book "Blazin' Brandy."

The animation designer, who has worked on several Cartoon Network shows, including "Regular Show," was an exhibitor at the Long Beach Comic Expo. Lesniak took a few beats to talk to Modern Mythology about her comics work.

MODERN MYTHOLOGY: Tell us about "Blazin' Brandy"

STEPHANIE LESNIAK: It's basically about a young girl from the 1700s from England who's running away from home and while she's en route to America her ship gets attacked by pirates and so she ends up marooned on the island that's filled with all of these monsters.

LESNIAK: Well then, to makes matters worse, she loses her memory and then lapses into this split personality of this trigger-happy large game hunter.

MM: How did you come up with the concept?

LESNIAK: I was a really big fan of Robinson Crusoe and a lot of the classics that I thought I wanted to kind of my own kind of a spinoff, not a spinoff but kind of a story into that kind of action-adventure but kind of DATED action adventure.

MM: That's cool. How long have you been writing and drawing?

LESNIAK: Drawing and writing my own comic books? Maybe about five years. But I've been drawing since I was really little.

MM: Do you do a lot of shows (conventions)?

LESNIAK: Yeah, I'm based in Pasadena so I usually go to all the shows in Southern California and then the ones that they have up north over in the Bay Area.

MM: How's the show been going for you?

LESNIAK: It's been really good. It's a nice show, it's a nice one-day show and there's a lot of people who turned out for it so it's really cool.

MM: Is "Blazin' Brandy" available digitally?

LESNIAK: Currently, I just have a website but I don't have my comic book available online as an e-read yet.

MM: Any plans on doing that?

LESNIAK: You know, I think eventually I'll probably move into doing it as an e-read but for right now I just like to keep it very traditional with print.

Learn more about "Blazin' Brandy" at the Scrap Pictures website www.scrappictures.com

'The Crow' returns to comics in new series from IDW

2012-05-17T22:42:40Z

Creator James O'Barr's avenging anti-hero "The Crow" will be resurrected to comics by IDW this summer, the publisher announced Thursday.

The new series will be in the hands of writer John Shirley and artist Kevin Colden. Shirley served as co-screenwriter on the first "The Crow" film starring the late Brandon Lee. This new 5-issue series, described by Shirley as a "new incarnation of the The Crow for IDW," is set for release in July.

The story focuses on a young exchange student in Japan who takes on the form of the spirit of revenge when "the love of his life is stolen away from him." While the tale starts in familiar territory, this upcoming series doesn't appear to be a retread.

Predictably, there's a few story beats that echo O'Barr's original comic series otherwise it's not "The Crow." But the publisher hints at something more behind the curtain.

The setup suggests a more insidious set of circumstances behind it all that could steer this vengeance story into unpredictable territory.

Shirley says readers can expect some serious twists along the way.

"It feels like The Crow is taking me on the journey into some very dark realms," said Shirley in a statement. "All I can do is come along and hope to survive the trip. It helps to have a great talent like Kevin Colden along."

"The Crow" will be available in July; 32 pages in color at $3.99.

Read the full press release after the jump.

Related articles: Interview: 'The Crow' creator talks new special edition and works in progress

]]> The Crow Comic Book flies again

IDW Brings back James O'Barr's iconic anti-hero this summer!

San Diego, CA (May 17, 2012) - Proving that the spirit of vengeance is timeless, Bram Stoker Award-winning author and co-screenwriter of the original The Crow film, John Shirley, has teamed with Eisner Award-nominated, Fishtown artist Kevin Colden, to bring the dark spirit back to comics. Concurrently, the film's producer Edward R. Pressman, in conjunction with Relativity Media and Dimension Films, is in pre-production on a gritty reinvention of the 1994 cult classic to be directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) and written by Jesse Wigutow. 

The comic book, which explores its own unique storyline from the film, is set in Tokyo, Japan where the Crow returns in the guise of a foreign exchange student named Jamie Osterberg. When Haruko, the love of his life, is stolen away from him, Jamie must search for answers-ones that turn deadly, and transform him into the spirit of vengeance, the Crow! With a sword that seeks truth, the Crow hunts down those responsible for this crime, discovering a web of horror that may lead him to kill his one true love.

"I was thrilled to help bring James O'Barr's The Crow to the screen, and am equally thrilled to rediscover the character in this new incarnation of The Crow for IDW--it's as if he's come back from the grave all over again," said Shirley. "It feels like The Crow is taking me on the journey into some very dark realms. All I can do is come along and hope to survive the trip. It helps to have a great talent like Kevin Colden along."

"I'm very happy to be able to bring back The Crow with such esteemed creators," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. "To be able to lead off with John Shirley and Kevin Colden in a story that takes the concept of James O'Barr's The Crow in very unexpected ways is as thrilling to me as it hopefully will be to fans."

Also featuring covers from Kyle Hotz and Ashley Wood, the vibrant, exotic setting and rich mythology of Japan should prove a thrilling and intriguing environment for Shirley and Colden's fresh take on the beloved hero. The first of the monthly five-issue series will be released in print and digital in July, with more series to follow. Plans have also been announced for The Crow original creator James O'Barr to return with his own new series.

THE CROW #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in July. Diamond order code MAY12 0349.

Comic Expo returns to Long Beach Saturday

2012-05-10T05:56:04Z

With an expanded artist alley and panel programming schedule, the Long Beach Comic Expo is poised for a heroic comeback.

The one-day Comic Expo returns May 12 to the Long Beach Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. showcasing a bevy of exhibitors, creators and local comics retailers.

Among those expected to attend are "I, Vampire" writer Joshua hale Fialkov, DC Comics artist Dustin Nguyen and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" artist Georges Jeanty

For the fans of "Womanthology," a series of volumes to be published by IDW collecting the works of women comics creators across the industry, comics editor Barbara Kesel will moderate a panel at 5 p.m. to discuss the fundraising sensation.

The anthology project raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter and the latest release, "Womanthology: Heroic" will feature the work of Jody Houser (CupcakePOW!), Kimberly Komatsu (In America's Shadow), Nicole Sixx (Comics in the City) and Jean Kang (Girls Drawin Girls Vol. 4). All of whom are expected to join Kesel on the panel.

Martha Donato, co-organizer of the Comic Expo, said the panel discussing the origin of the anthology project was suggested by Kesel and would be a strong addition to Comic Expo programming.

"To have IDW pick it up as an ongoing (series) is really exciting," said Donato.

Attendee-favorite Kesel will also be on hand on the exhibit floor to offer portfolio reviews to aspiring artists.

Comic book writers Joshua Hale Fialkov ("I, Vampire,") and Rob Levin ("Seven Days From Hell") will offer two workshops on launching careers in comics. The "Intro To Careers in Comics" and "Advanced Careers in Comics" are both two-hour sessions and $45 each. Space is limited to about 30 seats per session and tickets are currently available at longbeachcomiccon.com

The first workshop will focus on the various steps it takes to get a comic project off the ground, including writing tips, hiring an artist and getting your work seen. The second workshop focuses on the business side of releasing comic books.

Alex Albrecht and Alison Haislip, hosts of the show 4 Points on the Nerdist Channel on YouTube, will appear on a panel to talk all things geeky at noon. 4 Points looks at pop culture topics from four perspectives with special guests from all corners of the nerdiverse.

Pendant Audio will present a comedy performance "Macy Sampson and the Lamentable Long Beach Botheration" at 3 p.m. while Miko Simons moderates a Cosplay 101 panel featuring professional seamstress Luck in Spades also at 3 p.m.

The Artists Alley where illustrators gather to sell their wares, sold out of exhibit space about eight weeks ago, says Donato. But the Long Beach Convention Center agreed to allow some artists to set up in the lobby outside of the exhibit hall. Guests will be able to visit these creators even before buying tickets but show organizers say that it's beneficial to the show overall.

"Some people walk in and they're not sure and this way they can get a feel for it," Donato said.

Tickets are $15. Children ages 10 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission.

The full programming schedule for the 2012 Long Beach Comic Expo on May 12 follows after the jump.

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Barbara Kesel will be back with her famous portfolio review, so get those portfolios ready! Remember that industry veterans Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rob Levin will be featuring workshops in the morning and afternoon sessions and are offering a special rate when you register for both - use this link to find out more: http://longbeachcomiccon.com/buy-tickets.php.

Here's the schedule - for complete details visit our website!

Room 103B

10:00 - 12:00/Room 103B

Intro to Careers in Comics

Intro to Careers in Comics - $45 for a two hour seminar (includes discounted admission to the show) and is strictly limited to 30 seats.

12:00 PM/Room 103B

Nerdist Channel

Moderated by Peter Levin

1:00 PM/Room 103B

Creating Kids' Comics

Moderated by Neo Edmund

2:00 PM/Room 103B

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Barbara Kesel

3:00 PM/Room 103B

Cosplay 101 with Luck in Spades

Miko Simons

4:00 PM/Room 103B

Advanced Careers in Comics

Joshua Hale Fialkov & Rob Levin

Advanced Careers in Comics - $45 for a two hour seminar (includes discounted admission to the show) and is strictly limited to 30 seats.

ROOM 103A

10:00 AM/Room 103A

Sketch Card Engineering 101

Panel Moderated by DCastr, Taco comics

11:00 AM/Room 103A

Writing Animation 101

Moderated by Craig Miller

12:00 PM/Room 103 A

Anime Voice Acting Workshop with Crispin Freeman

Crispin Freeman

1:00 PM/Room 103A

Live Forever: The Ray Bradbury Odyssey

Moderated by Christopher Moonlight

2:00 PM/Room 103A

Webcomics Gathering 101

Moderated by Patrick Scullin, Brendan Creecy and Phil Vecchio

3:00 PM/Room 103A

Pendant Audio Interactive Podcast

4:00 PM/Room 103A

Aspen Comics Presents a Creator-Owned Panel

Moderated by Vince Hernandez

5:00 PM/Room 103A

Womanthology

Moderated by Barbara Kesel

Room 103 C

Xtreme Laser Tag - all day!

Tickets are still on sale through the Long Beach Comic Expo website and at your local comic book shop or WSS Shoe store - here are links:

Visit www.longbeachcomiccon.com for more information.

'Where the Wild Things Are' author Maurice Sendak dies at 83

2012-05-08T22:39:36Z

FILE - In this July 26, 1990 file photo, artist Maurice Sendak signs his individual prints from "The Mother Goose Collection," in New York. Sendak, author of the popular children's book "Where the Wild Things Are," died, Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn. He was 83. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan, file) (Susan Ragan)

By Hillel Italie
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Maurice Sendak didn't think of himself as a children's author, but as an author who told the truth about childhood.
| PHOTO GALLERY

"I like interesting people and kids are really interesting people," he explained to The Associated Press last fall. "And if you didn't paint them in little blue, pink and yellow, it's even more interesting."

Sendak, who died early Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., at age 83, four days after suffering a stroke, revolutionized children's books and how we think about childhood simply by leaving in what so many writers before had excluded. Dick and Jane were no match for his naughty Max. His kids misbehaved and didn't regret it and in their dreams and nightmares fled to the most unimaginable places. Monstrous creatures were devised from his studio, but no more frightening than the grownups in his stories or the cloud of the Holocaust that darkened his every page.

"From their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions - fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can," he said upon receiving the Caldecott Medal in 1964 for "Where the Wild Things Are," his signature book. "And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things."

Rarely was a man so uninterested in being loved so adored. Starting with the Caldecott, the great parade marched on and on. He received the Hans Christian Anderson award in 1970 and a Laura Ingalls Wilder medal in 1983. President Bill Clinton awarded Sendak a National Medal of the Arts in 1996 and in 2009 President Obama read "Where the Wild Things Are" for the Easter Egg Roll.

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"I didn't sleep with famous people or movie stars or anything like that. It's a common story: Brooklyn boy grows up and succeeds in his profession, period," he told the AP.

Sendak's other books, standard volumes in so many children's bedrooms, included "Chicken Soup With Rice," "One was Johnny," "Pierre," "Outside Over There" and "Brundibar," a folk tale about two children who need to earn enough money to buy milk for their sick mother.

"This is the closest thing to a perfect child I've ever had," he told the AP.

Besides illustrating his own work, he also provided drawings - sometimes sweet, sometimes nasty - for Else Holmelund Minarik's series "Little Bear," George MacDonald's "The Light Princess" and adaptations of E.T.A Hoffman's "The Nutcracker" and the Brothers Grimm's "King Grisly-Beard." His most recent book that he wrote and illustrated was "Bumble-Ardy," a naughty pig party which came out in 2011, based on an old animated skit he worked up for "Sesame Street." In recent months, he had said he was working on a project about noses and he endorsed - against his best judgment - Stephen Colbert's "I am a Pole (And So Can You!)", a children's story calculated to offend the master.

Colbert's book was published Tuesday.

"His art gave us a fantastical but unromanticized reminder of what childhood truly felt like," Colbert said in a statement. "We are all honored to have been briefly invited into his world."

Sendak also created costumes for ballets and staged operas, including the Czech opera "Brundibar," which in 2003 he put on paper with his close friend, Pulitzer-winning playwright Tony Kushner. He designed sets for several productions at New York City Opera and he wrote the libretto for composer Oliver Knussen's opera adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are," which premiered at Brussels' Theatre de la Monnaie in 1980 as "Max et les Maximontres." A revised final version debuted in 1984 in London.

He designed the Pacific Northwest Ballet's "Nutcracker" production that later became a movie shown on television, and he served as producer of various animated TV series based on his illustrations, including "Seven Little Monsters," "George and Martha" and "Little Bear." He collaborated with Carole King on the musical "Really Rosie."

None of Sendak's books were memoirs, but all were personal, if only for their celebrations of disobedience and intimations of fear and death and dislocation, sketched in haunting, Blakean waves of pen and ink. "It's a Jewish way of getting through life," Kushner said last fall. "You acknowledge what is spectacular and beautiful and also you don't close your eyes to the pain and the difficulty."

"He drew children in a realistic way, as opposed to an idealized way," children's books historian Leonard S. Marcus said Tuesday. "His children weren't perfect looking. They didn't resemble the people seen on advertising or in sitcoms. They looked more like immigrant children. It was a big change for American children's books, which tended to take the melting pot approach and present children who were generic Americans."

Revenge helped inspire "Where the Wild Things Are," his canonical tale of the boy Max's mind in flight in a forest of monsters, who just happen to look like some of Sendak's relatives from childhood. "In The Night Kitchen," released in 1971, was a forbidden dance of Laurel and Hardy in aprons and the flash of a boy's genitals, leading to calls for the book to be removed from library shelves.

"It was so fatuous, so incredible, that people would get so exercised by a phallus, a normal appendage to a man and to a boy. It was so cheap and vulgar. Despicable." Sendak said last fall. "It's all changed now. We live in a different country altogether. I will not say an improved version. No."

His stories were less about the kids he knew - never had them, he was happy to say - than the kid he used to be. The son of Polish immigrants, he was born in 1928 in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. The family didn't have a lot of money and he didn't have a lot of friends besides his brother and sister. He was an outsider at birth, as Christians nearby would remind him, throwing dirt and rocks as he left Hebrew school. The kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's baby son terrified him for years.

He remembered no special talent - his brother, Jack, was the chosen one. But he absorbed his father's stories and he loved to dream and to create, like the time he and his brother built a model of the 1939 World's Fair out of clay and wax. At the movies, he surrendered to the magic of "Fantasia," and later escaped into "Pinocchio," a guilty pleasure during darkened times. The Nazi cancer was spreading overseas and the U.S. entered the war. Sendak's brother joined the military, relatives overseas were captured and killed. Storytelling, after the Holocaust, became something more than play.

"It forced me to take children to a level that I thought was more honest than most people did," he says. "Because if life is so critical, if Anne Frank could die, if my friend could die, children were as vulnerable as adults, and that gave me a secret purpose to my work, to make them live. Because I wanted to live. I wanted to grow up."

Sendak didn't go to college and worked a variety of odd jobs until he was hired by the famous toy store FAO Schwarz as a window dresser in 1948. But illustration was his dream and his break came in 1951 when he was commissioned to do the art for "Wonderful Farm" by Marcel Ayme. By 1957 he was writing his own books.

"He began to be honest in the `50s," said "Wicked" author Gregory Maguire, one of Sendak's closest friends. "He was lacerating honest at a time when few others were."

Claiming Emily Dickinson, Mozart and Herman Melville as inspirations, he worked for decades out of the studio of his shingled 18th century house in Ridgefield, Conn., a country home reachable only by a bumpy road that seem designed to shield him from his adoring public. The interior was a wonderland of carvings and cushions, from Disney characters to the fanged beasts from his books to a statuette of Obama.

Sendak spoke often, endlessly, about death in recent years - dreading it, longing for it. He didn't mind being old because the young were under so much pressure. But he missed his late siblings and his longtime companion, Eugene Glynn, who died in 2009. Work, not people, was his reason to carry on.

"I want to be alone and work until the day my heads hits the drawing table and I'm dead. Kaput," he said last fall. "Everything is over. Everything that I called living is over. I'm very, very much alone. I don't believe in heaven or hell or any of those things. I feel very much like I want to be with my brother and sister again. They're nowhere. I know they're nowhere and they don't exist, but if nowhere means that's where they are, that's where I want to be."

Associated Press writers Dave Collins in Hartford and Samantha Critchell in New York contributed to this report.

ABOVE: The image provided by HarperCollins shows the book cover of "Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak. Sendak died Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn. He was 83. (The Associated Press)

'Avengers' smashes record: $207.4 million debut

2012-05-07T18:41:22Z

In this film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hulk, smash.

That's what Captain America tells the Incredible Hulk to do in "The Avengers," and that's what the Marvel Comics superhero mash-up did at the box office, smashing the domestic revenue record with a $207.4 million debut.

It's by far the biggest opening ever, shooting past the previous record of $169.2 million for the debut of last year's "Harry Potter" finale.

"The Avengers" added $151.5 million overseas over the weekend to bring its total to $441.5 million since it began opening internationally a week earlier.

That raised the film's worldwide haul to $641.8 million in barely a week and a half, more than its Marvel superhero forerunners "Iron Man," ''Iron Man 2," ''Thor" and "Captain America" took in during their entire runs.

If distributor Disney's domestic estimate Sunday holds when the final weekend count is released Monday, "The Avengers" would be the first movie ever to haul in $200 million in a single weekend.

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"There aren't even words, to be honest. I'm running low on double takes. Every time we looked at a number, it just got bigger than what we could have hoped for in the best-case assumption," said Dave Hollis, Disney's head of distribution. "With this film, this weekend, anything is possible."

"The Avengers" started with solid midnight crowds Friday, though nowhere near a record. Then it did $80.5 million for the full day Friday, second only to the "Harry Potter" finale's $91.1 million first day.

Revenues held up much better than expected with $69.7 million Saturday, and Disney estimated that the film would bring in $50.1 million more on Sunday.

The record weekend was the culmination of years of careful planning by Marvel Studios, which has included teasers for an "Avengers" dream team collaboration in its solo superhero adventures.

Directed by Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), "The Avengers" features Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

A $200 million total for every movie in release is considered a great weekend for the business as a whole, so "The Avengers" redefines the standards for a blockbuster debut.

"If 'The Avengers' is any indication, we're going to see a leap rather than a gentle little nudge into new territory, and the lineup is there to justify it going forward," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of the huge-screen IMAX cinema chain.

Crowds were so anxious to see the film on IMAX's giant screens that Foster said the company had only one problem: it ran out of seats to sell.

Overall domestic revenues came in at $248 million, climbing 49 percent compared to the same weekend last year, when "Thor" opened with $65.7 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "The Avengers" accounted for four-fifths of the weekend's domestic receipts.

Hollywood launched a potentially record-shattering summer with a vengeance, "The Avengers" landing as just the first of three huge superhero tales that highlight a lineup filled with other blockbusters in the making.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" follows on July 3 and "The Dark Knight Rises" wraps up the current Batman series on July 20.

Until the "Harry Potter" finale, 2008's "The Dark Knight" had held the revenue record with a $158.4 million debut. Before that, the record-holder was 2007's "Spider-Man 3" with $151.1 million.

So anticipation for those two films could rival that of "The Avengers."

As admission prices rise, Hollywood's record-breakers often take in more money but sell fewer tickets than previous blockbusters. But "The Avengers" took in so much money that it's the undisputed champ among debuts.

Based on average admission prices the years they were released, "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man 3" had led with about 22 million tickets sold each over opening weekend. Today's average prices put "The Avengers" tally at around 25.6 million tickets sold.

Along with the superhero films, Hollywood's summer lineup includes the action tales "Men in Black 3," ''G.I. Joe: Retaliation," ''Battleship," ''Total Recall" and "Prometheus," director Ridley Scott's return to the sci-fi territory of his horror hit "Alien."

Big family fare includes the animated adventures "Brave," from "Toy Story" creator Pixar Animation, and the sequels "Ice Age: Continental Drift" and "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."

The comedy lineup features Adam Sandler's "That's My Boy," Will Ferrell's "The Campaign" and Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator."

"'The Avengers' kicks off what looks to me to be the summer box-office equivalent of the 100-year flood," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "This is perhaps the most perfect summer lineup in box-office history."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Avengers," $207.4 million ($151.5 million international).

2. "Think Like a Man," $8 million.

3. "The Hunger Games," $5.7 million ($4.3 million international).

4. "The Lucky One," $5.5 million ($5.5 million international).

5. "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," $5.4 million ($2.6 million international).

6. "The Five-Year Engagement," $5.1 million ($2.3 million international).

7. "The Raven," $2.5 million.

8. "Safe," $2.47 million ($2.2 million international).

9. "Chimpanzee," $2.4 million.

10. "The Three Stooges," $1.8 million.

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Avengers," $151.5 million.

2. "American Reunion," $34 million.

3. "Battleship," $11 million.

4. "Jannat 2," $6.1 million.

5. "The Lucky One," $5.5 million.

6. "The Hunger Games," $4.3 million.

7. "Titanic" in 3-D, $4.2 million.

8. "Mirror Mirror," $3.7 million.

9. "As One," $3.6 million.

10. "Thermae Romae," $2.9 million.

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

VIDEO: Iron Man vs. Thor in clip from 'The Avengers'

2012-04-25T01:42:19Z

Skip it if you don't want to see this before the film debuts next weekend, I understand.

But the ad campaign for Marvel Studios' "The Avengers" has hit us harder than a bolt of lightening and we've all seen more than a minute or two of the flick by now. Earth's Mightiest Heroes have to show prospective audiences how mighty they are if they want to fill seats.

So enjoy this preview of the "face off" between Iron Man and Thor.

Heck, even WIFE wants to see it. But then again, it stars Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner. So why wouldn't she want to see it, right?

"The Avengers" opens May 4 and ALSO stars Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo.

'Captain America' sequel heads to theaters in 2014

2012-04-06T23:16:00Z

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Captain America is getting another solo shot on the big-screen.

Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday that a sequel to last year's superhero hit "Captain America: The First Avenger" will arrive in theaters on April 4, 2014.

The first movie starred Chris Evans as the patriotic fighter for justice dressed in red, white and blue. "Captain America" took in $368 million at the worldwide box office.

Evans reprises his role as Captain America in "The Avengers," an ensemble adventure featuring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner as a team of Marvel Comics heroes.

"The Avengers" is due out May 4.

ABOVE: Chris Evans is shown in a scene from the film "Captain America: The First Avenger." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures)

VIDEO: Scarlett Johansson/Black Widow 'Avengers Assemble' clip

2012-04-05T20:48:23Z

And so it begins ...

In about a month, fans of the "Iron Man," "Thor" and "Captain America" films will assemble at their local cinema May 4 to see all their on-screen champions join forces in "The Avengers."

I found this clip at Bleeding Cool of Scarlett Johnasson (the Black Widow) being summoned to duty by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson played by Clark Gregg. This teaser segment from the film reminds those who didn't get the picture in "Iron Man 2" that the Black Widow has quite a bite.

Is it just me or are you constantly explaining what the heck Johansson's character can do? Email this video to the next person who asks.

"The Avengers" stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo and opens May 4, 2012.

'Hunger Games' sets opening day record at $68M

2012-03-24T19:35:59Z

In this image released by Lionsgate, Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games," opening on Friday, March 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - The feast is on: "The Hunger Games" has taken in $68.25 million domestically in its first day, a record for a non-sequel.

The Friday total for Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" was the fifth-best opening day ever and puts the movie on track for the best debut weekend ever in March. That record is held by "Alice in Wonderland" with $116.1 million.

The big start should translate into an opening weekend of as much as $140 million domestically, according to Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

First-day revenues for "The Hunger Games" were well behind the record $91.1 million for last summer's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." But "The Hunger Games" came within a few million dollars of each of the last three "Twilight" movies, whose opening days ranged from $68.5 million to $72.7 million.

"The Hunger Games" stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teen forced to compete in a televised death match against other youths in a future North American society where a privileged capital city oppresses the people of 12 outlying worker districts. The film is based on the first book in a best-selling trilogy by author Suzanne Collins.

WonderCon 2012: The 'Fringe' panel post-game show

2012-03-23T23:20:38Z

Walter (John Noble), Astrid (Jasika Nicole) and Peter (Joshua Jackson) examine an injured "Observer" in an episode of the Fox TV series "Fringe."

What's better than WonderCon having a show in Southern California away from its usual Bay area location? Having it a short freeway ride away from my Long Beach digs and housing it in the Anaheim Convention Center, of course.

I managed to visit the Fringe panel featuring actors Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Blair Brown and Seth Gabel. Also, writer-producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman were on hand to answer fan questions and tease the final episodes of the fourth season.

Fringe returns for consecutive new episodes starting tonight (March 23) at 9 p.m. on Fox.

I live Tweeted the event and will replay a few of those and attempt to add a little context.

@modmythology: Was it Peter's destiny to be an observer? "I'm still waiting to shave, we've got one episode left," (jokingly) laughs #fringe #wondercon

"Waiting to shave..." Observers are baldies, get it? Jackson answered most fan and Twitter questions openly and shared a bit of context about Peter's relationship with the seemingly all-knowing Observers. One fan asked who erased Peter from existence and Jackson's answer was interesting:

@modmythology: Joshua Jackson: Peter erased himself from time. Who shot the Observer will be answered in a few weeks #fringe #wondercon

The scattered chatter from attendees in the Anaheim Convention Center ballroom told me there were more than a few people trying to wrap their heads around that statement. Actor Seth Gabel who plays Agent Lincoln Lee suggested fans read the "Beyond The Fringe" comic written by Jackson. I had recently purchased a copy and the next day WIFE sat next to me (she's a "Fringe" fan) while I re-read the final pages. No spoilers from me here but I admit there's plenty in there that seems to apply to the series mythology.

@modmythology: Will there be a season 5? "we're going to pass a hat around," Jackson jokes. #fringe #wondercon

There's been a bundle of speculation on whether the series will return for a fifth season and currently, the jury is still out. During the panel, producers Pinkner and Wyman voiced their desire to keep the show going. While not elaborated on much, Jackson's joke in my tweet likely refers to earlier remarks by Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly of the considerable expense that goes into the production of Fringe and that its losing money.

Fringe fans take heart. Should the universe-spanning sci-fi show leave the airways, Jackson has stated in prior interviews that he believes they will resolve most of the series' diverse plotlines and end things in a manner that respects the story and the fans who devotedly follow it.

Above right: Agents Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Lincoln Lee (Seth Gabel) discuss a case in an episode of the Fox TV series "Fringe."

VIDEO: Morgan Spurlock's 'Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope' featurette

2012-03-23T23:04:37Z

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") lends his craft to telling the stories of several who trek to the king of geek gatherings, Comic-Con San Diego.

This behind-the-scenes featurette from Spurlock details the beginnings of the project and provides a glimpse at the technical and philosophical approach he took to filming it. Something a video journalist and Comic-Con geek like myself certainly appreciates.

Enjoy the clip. "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" Hits L.A. Theaters April 5, video on demand April 6 and will debut on New York screens April 13.

For a synopsis of the film, read the press release from Wrekin Hill Entertainment here.

Teaser Trailer: Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'

2012-03-22T22:29:05Z

There are few things that cool the enthusiasm of sci-fi fans I know quicker than a mention of "Twilight." One would be hard pressed to get them anywhere near a theater to see any of the crazy-popular adaptations of the books by author Stephenie Meyer; unless, of course, they are dragged inside by their significant other or excited teenager.

... Or assigned to cover it for a certain newspaper.

Nevertheless, the above tease of "The Host" based on the book by Meyer, appears to offer something other than angst-ridden vampires and werewolves. In this story, the world has been invaded and beaten by host creatures that have taken over the bodies of just about everybody. Certainly, it appears like a take on the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

But it may remind me more of "V." If we've lost the battle against invasion in the initial stages, then how do we fight back?

OK, I haven't read the book so there could be plenty of angst-a-licious young characters leading the fight for freedom. But who cares? Right now, the teaser trailer looks interesting.

The other creatives involved in the project are intriguing. "The Host" teams director-writer Andrew Niccol ("The Truman Show," "Gattaca") with star Saoirse Ronan ("Hanna").

"The Host" opens March 29, 2013.

Review: 'The Hunger Games' hits the bull's-eye

2012-03-22T16:47:12Z

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) in "The Hunger Games." (Murray Close/Lionsgate Entertainment)

Editor's Note: Enjoy this review of "The Hunger Games" from our friends at the Contra Costa Times. Wonder what I'll be seeing this weekend?

By Randy Myers
Contra Costa Times

Already suffering from "The Hunger Games" overkill? Get over it.

In one of those rare, happy occurrences, a mega-blockbuster touted ad nauseam lives up to its hype. That's right -- the screen version of the phenomenally successful Suzanne Collins page-turner about a strong-willed teen fighting for her life during a televised death match hits the bull's-eye.

The futuristic film is just as gripping and moving as the bestseller on which it's based. Fans will be delighted that it remains faithful to its roots and unforgettable heroine, Katniss Everdeen, a complex 16-year-old (played fearlessly by Jennifer Lawrence) who is thrust into a kill-or-be-killed contest in what's perhaps one of the most withering commentaries ever on reality TV. But even those who have never opened the book should find it an exhilarating action film with a heart.

Nearly all elements come together to make this one of the best book-to-screen adaptations to date: the compelling direction by Gary Ross, the perfect cast (especially Lawrence and a scene-stealing Woody Harrelson) and beautiful art direction. There's also a respectful script by screenwriter Billy Ray, who collaborated with Collins and Ross, that makes some minor changes that allow it to hit all the important points but keep a tight pace.

Those unfamiliar with Collins' story will likely be startled by the dark social commentary that accompanies its emotional heft and violence. Certainly, the movie keeps intact the book's timely themes about haves vs. have-nots, governmental repression and how shoddily we treat our children.

Intensity is palpable

The Hunger Games, which take place in a North American country called Panem, start with the annual Reaping, a lottery in which a teenage boy and girl -- called tributes -- from each of the 12 districts are selected to engage in a battle to the death. The goal of the games -- televised throughout the nation -- is to show that the fascist government won't allow another uprising, while playing to the gladiator bloodthirst of the city crowds.

The tweaks here and there actually improve the film. The best move is ditching the first-person narration by Katniss, something always hard to pull off on film. Since Lawrence, so tremendous in "Winter's Bone," is such a powerhouse of an actress, we simply don't need it. We feel her fear at the Reaping and in the games, as well as her steely inner strength. The scene in which she says goodbye to the younger sister, Primrose (Willow Shields), whom she volunteers to stand in for, is wrenching.

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One of the bloodiest scenes, for example, takes place as the games open. Knives fly, punches are thrown, young bodies fall. Nearly half the tributes die in the chaos, but it's over quickly, in contrast to cinematic battles in which every cruel thrust or punch is delivered in grisly slow motion.

The moments in which tributes are attacked by tracker-jackers -- killer wasps on steroids that deliver painful stings and hallucinations -- drag out long enough to be painful to watch.
And there's no getting around the darkness of the final fight scene where the remaining finalists, their faces bloodied, wrestle to stay alive.

That said, much of the brutal action in "Hunger Games" is off camera. And one key scene, in which a character in the book suffers a prolonged, agonizing death, is blessedly shortened.

Most important, as in the book, the human cost -- seen through the eyes of the tributes and those watching from back home in the districts -- is palpable.

But it wouldn't have worked nearly as well without the stellar cast. The two young guys in Katniss' life are well-played, with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, the small-framed but strong baker's son who is her fellow tribute from District 12 and has long had a secret crush on her. Liam Hemsworth as Gale, a strapping lad who is Katniss' friend and hunting partner, doesn't have much to do except look hunky, and he does it well.

Standout cast

In secondary roles, Harrelson has a grand time as Katniss and Peeta's drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, making the character more likable than the book does. Other standouts include Wes Bentley ("American Beauty") as the vain games-maker Seneca, a nearly unrecognizable Elizabeth Banks as the clueless PR loon Effie, Stanley Tucci as the vapid and toothy game show host Caesar, and Lenny Kravitz as Katniss and Peeta's soulful designer Cinna. Donald Sutherland makes a fine President Snow.

Top-notch production values also contribute in a vivid re-creation of Collins' vision. Early scenes of the downtrodden District 12 have a Dorothea Lange quality to them, with drab clothing and drawn, emaciated faces of common folk stuck in an Orwellian nightmare. They dramatically contrast with the Capitol where the games take place, a weird variation of Oz awash in vainglorious people wearing bold colors and gaudy costumes.

The only real missteps come in the special effects department. A firestorm in the forest during the games isn't as frightening as it should be; neither are the mutant beasts created later.

But that's such a minor complaint in a movie that's as smart, bold and fast as its heroine. In comparison, "Twilight" simply shrivels like a vampire in sunlight.

'The Hunger Games'

* * * ½

Opens: Thursday night with midnight shows
Rating: PG-13 (intense violent thematic material and disturbing images -- all involving teens)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland
Director: Gary Ross
Running time: 2 hours, 22 minutes

Live chat on Yahoo! with 'Prometheus' stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender Saturday

2012-03-14T21:31:16Z

*In space, no one can hear you chat.

But Saturday, in whatever safe, oxygen-filled environment you like, you can participate in a Yahoo! live chat with "Prometheus" cast members Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender ("X-Men: First Class").

The two stars of director Ridley Scott's upcoming action-science fiction film will exclusively answer some questions about the project Saturday March 17 9:30 a.m. Pacific on the Yahoo! Movies channel.

I'll be away from a computer and will miss this gathering. But If you're a fan of Scott's "Alien" and have seen the trailer to "Prometheus" I hope you get a chance to lob some questions about the relation between the two films' story lines.

I don't expect them to answer with any spoilers but I expect they will tease something to amp up the anticipation for the movie.

"Prometheus" opens June 8.

The Live chat event is Saturday March 17, 9:30 a.m. Pacific at Yahoo! Movies http://movies.yahoo.com/ And Prometheus fans can get more information on the film at http://www.facebook.com/Prometheus

*Note: I refuse to apologize for the quip in the lede of this post. Nope, not gonna do it.

Images: Above, Charlize Theron (The Associated Press), right, Michael Fassbender (Getty Images).