Ridley Scott directing Alien prequel
Ridley Scott directing Alien prequel
Posted by
RemiLogan
119 days ago
Across the Universe: Aug. 5, 2009
News, rumors, cool stuff and other transmissions from the far-flung reaches of the geek cosmos
Welcome (back): Welcome to "Across the Universe," a biweekly roundup of all things sci-fi, horror, fantasy, superhero and just plain geek in the worlds of film, TV, video, comics, animation and books. (Sorry, gamers, I'm not your man. But I'll do what I can.) We'll also analyze and possibly even break some of the latest news.
Speaking of which, we were heartened to see in Variety last Friday that director Ridley Scott is returning to helm what is now officially called a prequel to the "Alien" movies. The franchise has taken a beating in the 23 years since "Aliens" was released, but we wish the best to the man who started it all. And here's hoping we finally see more of that long-dead non-human astronaut whose corpse has haunted us since 1979.
(20th Century Fox)
News, rumors, cool stuff and other transmissions from the far-flung reaches of the geek cosmos
Welcome (back): Welcome to "Across the Universe," a biweekly roundup of all things sci-fi, horror, fantasy, superhero and just plain geek in the worlds of film, TV, video, comics, animation and books. (Sorry, gamers, I'm not your man. But I'll do what I can.) We'll also analyze and possibly even break some of the latest news.
Speaking of which, we were heartened to see in Variety last Friday that director Ridley Scott is returning to helm what is now officially called a prequel to the "Alien" movies. The franchise has taken a beating in the 23 years since "Aliens" was released, but we wish the best to the man who started it all. And here's hoping we finally see more of that long-dead non-human astronaut whose corpse has haunted us since 1979.
Jackson on del Toro: At Comic-Con two weeks ago, Peter Jackson spoke to us about "The Hobbit," which director Guillermo del Toro will begin filming in early 2010. On whether it's odd to "oversee" a director of del Toro's talents as he picks up where Jackson left off with "The Lord of the Rings," Jackson says, "Guillermo is a totally brilliant filmmaker, so I don't need to be the godfather from a filmmaking point of view. What my role is on 'The Hobbit' is to provide some form of continuity. ... We want Guillermo to go to the same Middle Earth that we went to, and shoot his version of 'The Hobbit,' but make sure that it's the same world and the same aesthetics that we used."
(Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.)
Astro Boy Blasts Off: MSN will debut the trailer for the new animated epic "Astro Boy" on Aug. 11, which should whet your appetites for our upcoming feature look at the movie's creation inside Imagi Studios, as well as the Oct. 23 release itself. While he's a cultural touchstone in Japan, we have to confess that Astro Boy wasn't on our radar growing up. But a glimpse of several spectacular and truly beautiful scenes from the movie, including a street-level battle royale with some mountain-sized robots, has convinced us that this futuristic, souped-up version of "Pinocchio" could be destined for "animated classic" status.
Watching the (Longer) Watchmen: The DVD/Blu-ray release of "Watchmen" on July 21 in an extended "Director's Cut" got a little lost in the pre-Comic-Con madness, but we've finally caught up to it. The most significant addition of the 24 minutes edited back into the film is the death of the original Nite Owl (Stephen McHattie), which is poignantly done but perhaps only necessary to the diehard "Watchmen" fans. We still like the film (and we love Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach even more now), and, even though it's flawed, we appreciate just what a daring exercise it was: a comic book movie with a surprisingly small amount of "action."
Giving You the Creeps: Dark Horse Comics has resurrected "Creepy," the black and white horror anthology comic magazine first brought to life in 1964 alongside fellow titles "Eerie" and "Vampirella." "Hosted" by the cadaverous Uncle Creepy, the 48-page book features five original stories and one classic reprint. The well-illustrated stories range from atmospheric ("The Curse") to less than tasteful ("Chemical 13"). But we're glad to see the familiar logo back on the shelves, alongside hardcover collections of the original book's archives.
Walking the Dog: Our favorite magazine, Video Watchdog, has just published its 150th issue. So here's a tip of the hat to editor Tim Lucas and his wife/publisher Donna Lucas for this continually entertaining and enlightening read. VW takes the Film Comment approach to fantastic cinema, with in-depth analysis and intelligent critiques of mainstream, indie and international offerings that you won't find anywhere else. The coverage of blockbuster fare like "The Dark Knight" and "Twilight" is unique and fresh, plus we're always learning about some offbeat gem that we've never heard of before. Here's to 150 more.
"Orphan" Times Five: If "Orphan" hasn't given you your fill of creepy kids, you might want to meet "The Children." This British indie made the horror festival rounds to great acclaim last year and is finally coming to Stateside DVD in October. We'll have more on it then (as well as fellow Ghost House releases "Seventh Moon" and "Offspring"), but this economical little thriller is both harrowing and haunting.
Related: Little Devils: The Creepy Kids of Cinema
(Ghost House Pictures)
News, rumors, cool stuff and other transmissions from the far-flung reaches of the geek cosmos
Welcome (back): Welcome to "Across the Universe," a biweekly roundup of all things sci-fi, horror, fantasy, superhero and just plain geek in the worlds of film, TV, video, comics, animation and books. (Sorry, gamers, I'm not your man. But I'll do what I can.) We'll also analyze and possibly even break some of the latest news.
Speaking of which, we were heartened to see in Variety last Friday that director Ridley Scott is returning to helm what is now officially called a prequel to the "Alien" movies. The franchise has taken a beating in the 23 years since "Aliens" was released, but we wish the best to the man who started it all. And here's hoping we finally see more of that long-dead non-human astronaut whose corpse has haunted us since 1979.
(20th Century Fox)
News, rumors, cool stuff and other transmissions from the far-flung reaches of the geek cosmos
Welcome (back): Welcome to "Across the Universe," a biweekly roundup of all things sci-fi, horror, fantasy, superhero and just plain geek in the worlds of film, TV, video, comics, animation and books. (Sorry, gamers, I'm not your man. But I'll do what I can.) We'll also analyze and possibly even break some of the latest news.
Speaking of which, we were heartened to see in Variety last Friday that director Ridley Scott is returning to helm what is now officially called a prequel to the "Alien" movies. The franchise has taken a beating in the 23 years since "Aliens" was released, but we wish the best to the man who started it all. And here's hoping we finally see more of that long-dead non-human astronaut whose corpse has haunted us since 1979.
Jackson on del Toro: At Comic-Con two weeks ago, Peter Jackson spoke to us about "The Hobbit," which director Guillermo del Toro will begin filming in early 2010. On whether it's odd to "oversee" a director of del Toro's talents as he picks up where Jackson left off with "The Lord of the Rings," Jackson says, "Guillermo is a totally brilliant filmmaker, so I don't need to be the godfather from a filmmaking point of view. What my role is on 'The Hobbit' is to provide some form of continuity. ... We want Guillermo to go to the same Middle Earth that we went to, and shoot his version of 'The Hobbit,' but make sure that it's the same world and the same aesthetics that we used."
(Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.)
Astro Boy Blasts Off: MSN will debut the trailer for the new animated epic "Astro Boy" on Aug. 11, which should whet your appetites for our upcoming feature look at the movie's creation inside Imagi Studios, as well as the Oct. 23 release itself. While he's a cultural touchstone in Japan, we have to confess that Astro Boy wasn't on our radar growing up. But a glimpse of several spectacular and truly beautiful scenes from the movie, including a street-level battle royale with some mountain-sized robots, has convinced us that this futuristic, souped-up version of "Pinocchio" could be destined for "animated classic" status.
Watching the (Longer) Watchmen: The DVD/Blu-ray release of "Watchmen" on July 21 in an extended "Director's Cut" got a little lost in the pre-Comic-Con madness, but we've finally caught up to it. The most significant addition of the 24 minutes edited back into the film is the death of the original Nite Owl (Stephen McHattie), which is poignantly done but perhaps only necessary to the diehard "Watchmen" fans. We still like the film (and we love Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jackie Earle Haley's Rorschach even more now), and, even though it's flawed, we appreciate just what a daring exercise it was: a comic book movie with a surprisingly small amount of "action."
Giving You the Creeps: Dark Horse Comics has resurrected "Creepy," the black and white horror anthology comic magazine first brought to life in 1964 alongside fellow titles "Eerie" and "Vampirella." "Hosted" by the cadaverous Uncle Creepy, the 48-page book features five original stories and one classic reprint. The well-illustrated stories range from atmospheric ("The Curse") to less than tasteful ("Chemical 13"). But we're glad to see the familiar logo back on the shelves, alongside hardcover collections of the original book's archives.
Walking the Dog: Our favorite magazine, Video Watchdog, has just published its 150th issue. So here's a tip of the hat to editor Tim Lucas and his wife/publisher Donna Lucas for this continually entertaining and enlightening read. VW takes the Film Comment approach to fantastic cinema, with in-depth analysis and intelligent critiques of mainstream, indie and international offerings that you won't find anywhere else. The coverage of blockbuster fare like "The Dark Knight" and "Twilight" is unique and fresh, plus we're always learning about some offbeat gem that we've never heard of before. Here's to 150 more.
"Orphan" Times Five: If "Orphan" hasn't given you your fill of creepy kids, you might want to meet "The Children." This British indie made the horror festival rounds to great acclaim last year and is finally coming to Stateside DVD in October. We'll have more on it then (as well as fellow Ghost House releases "Seventh Moon" and "Offspring"), but this economical little thriller is both harrowing and haunting.
Related: Little Devils: The Creepy Kids of Cinema
(Ghost House Pictures)
12
Interesting Story?
- Add Comment
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Save this Story
