Cannibal Holocaust by Randy Ortiz (for Grey Matter Art)

I love a good poster, especially if it comes from a company that is just starting out and happens to be for one of my favorite cult classic films. Grey Matter Art is a company just starting out and they have forged some potentially great partnerships with companies like Troma Entertainment (The Toxic Avenger, etc) and Grindhouse Releasing (Cannibal Holocaust, etc) that distribute classic films. This will lead to some great projects featuring dope artists and spotlighting great films. The first endeavor is a poster for the grandfather of all cannibal movies, and the Italian classic comes to life in this impressive poster from Randy Ortiz. There will be 250 of the original print on sale for 45 bucks, and 125 of the variant editions on sale for a slight bit more at a total of 55 bucks. Both prints will be available April 8th on the Grey Matter website. This poster is just gorgeous, and really does a great job capturing all the details of Ruggero Deodato's opus. I love the camera being the focal point of the whole poster. Really cool. Check out both editions of the psoter after the jump...

Wolverine - The Musical !!!

Ya see... all that Broadway acting and those musical roles that Hugh Jackman has taken throughout the years is finally paying dividends. Wolverine is the character that Jackman will always be associated with, but his love for theater and music can finally be brought together with the superhero we all know and love. While promoting X-Men: Days of Future Past over on BBC Radio (on the Matt Edmonson show) Hugh busted down some original 'Wolvie' themed lyrics in a rendition of 'Who Am I' from his other theatrical smash Les Miserable. Can this marriage between the smash mouth world of superhero films and musicals bare any fruit? Maybe... maybe not. But this 2 minute clip certainly entertained me enough to garner my interest. Check out the full video after the jump...



 

43 Cartoon Theme Songs Get The Orchestral Treatment From The Carnegie Hall Ensemble ACJW

I am a big fan of cartoons... always have, always will. From my early childhood memories of Spiderman & His Amazing Friends and Thundarr the Barbarian to my recent interest in shows like The Last Airbender and Adventure Time, I have always got enjoyment out of animated shows. But the thing that always caught me, and frankly always catches everyone, has to be the theme song. The theme song is the first chance to capture someones attention, draw them into the show with a melodic tune that will make them want to watch the show. It applies to network TV shows like sitcoms and dramas, and it goes even further with cartoons because the audience is usually being captured at a young age. Those tunes stick with you for life... and make you a life long fan. The Carnegie Hall Ensemble ACJW decided to pay homage to some of those very songs that probably influenced them as youngsters and came up with a pretty cool way to do it. They compressed 43 classic theme songs into a 5 minute video, complete with added animations to help stir your memories a bit about each song. A well done video, and proof that even classically trained musicians know just how important these little diddies can be. And even cooler that it was put out by a classically respected institution such as Carnegie Hall. Check the video out after the jump...



  

Jupiter Ascending - Just What Kind Of Batshit Crazy Space Epic Do The Wachowski's Have Coming Out?

There are not many more polarizing figures in the Hollywood landscape than the Wachowskis. The brothers (or former brothers, now that one is living as a woman...) have been making waves from their very first movie Bound. No one wanted to finance the Matrix films, and when they finally did find someone to greenlite those we got one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time... and a couple of ill conceived sequels as well. But there is no denying that the Matrix franchise proved that original properties could be made into tentpole movies that might even spawn franchises... and that is a good thing no matter how you feel about Neo & the leather clad gangs further adventures. These dudes are extra ambitious when it comes to their projects. Need proof? Check out Speed Racer, V for Vendetta, and Cloud Atlas for proof. All of those films were met with mixed reception from fans, but all of them showed just how committed to their vision for their projects they can be. They do not bend, they do not compromise... nope, they make THEIR films THEIR ways whether the public & the studios likes it or not. Check out their latest project, Jupiter Ascending. Channing Tatum as a intergalactic bad-ass bounty hunter. Mila Kunis as his target and also the potential future leader of the universe. Time travel, gods ruling over the universe, alien bounty hunters... yup, this sounds exactly like a Wachowski film to me. Then there is the casting of Tatum as the lead. This also seems like a very Wachowski thing to do, very similar to Keanu Reeves casting in the Matrix. From the trailer I get the unique look and feel of the Wachowskis, and I am very intrigued by the concept. Cloud Atlas helped sell me on anything future these guys did, because that film looked to be a mess going in and was executed incredibly. I don't know if this puppy will live up to their past accomplishments or be any good, but I will certainly be giving it a shot. Oh, and Eddard Stark himself (Sean Bean) will be along for the ride as well. That is just another reason to get on board. The film release July 18th, 2014. Check out the trailer & posters after the jump....



Character & Movie Posters:

And now the trailer:

  

Lucio Fulci, Revisited....

I have always been a big fan of Italian horror flicks... being the 80s baby that I am. Dario Argento is and always will be one of my favorite directors ever (for his early work, most of his newer stuff is shit!) but my second fave has to be Lucio Fulci. The Beyond, House by the Cemetery, The New York Ripper, Zombie... all classics!Fulci has a very unique style to his films, and that is often conveyed in the AWESOME posters that accompanied his movies to the theaters. They are super rich color-wise and full of key components from the films, and I can't help but assume that Fulci was very involved in the constructing of the posters. My favorite movie theater in NYC, Nighthawk Cinema in Brooklyn, will be hosting a live screening of the Fulci classic 'The Beyond' tonight (tickets still available... get em here) and they have posted a full gallery of Fulci movie posters over at their blog. You can see the full gallery here, and check out my faves after the jump. Long live Fulci.... that dude sure knew how to make a horror movie!!!

There Is Alien Xenomorph Cosplay... AND THEN THERE IS ALIEN XENOMORPH COSPLAY !!!

I am as much of a fan of cosplay as any other, but there is good cosplay and than there is GREAT COSPLAY. This is an example of great cosplay, and it comes from a source that is extremely close to home for me. Peter Kokis is a performer and builder of fantastic robotic suits of some of your favorite pop culture characters. Think Optimus Prime, The Terminator, the Jaegers from Pacific Rim, etc. And he is based out of Brooklyn, NY... my stomping grounds! His Alien Xenomorph costume may be the very best one yet... and it is super CREEPY! Peter decided to go with the more "warrior" like look of the Alien Xenomorph from Aliens (Alien 2 for you people failing to see the s at the end!) This costume is one of epic proportions, and I can't even begin to get into the specifics of the construct (you can click here for the specs on that particular build). It is the first construct that Peter has made that is not a robot, and shows that he has range as a costume construction expert. And the coolest part: All of Peter's creations can be rented at an hourly rate for performances and appearances. How great is that? The costume took over 400 hours to construct, so giving my dude props here on CCD is the least I can do to show love the Brooklyn way! Hit him up by clicking here and finding his contact info at the bottom of the page. He has more projects in the works (Ultron, new Transformers and astronaut, etc) so check out the Brooklyn Robotworks homepage frequently for updates. You can see cool pics of the Alien Xenomorph in action after the jump...

Predator vision... nice! 

The True 'Dark Knight' Detective

I have been a bit burned out on blogging over the last few weeks, so I took a well deserved break. Not really a break since this was the busiest week of the year at my job at the bar... but a break from my nerdy pursuits. But when I saw this over on Cal's Canadian Cave of Cool I knew I had to break my silence. I am back on the blog, and happy as I could be. True Detective was a whirlwind success for HBO (shocker, right?) and was the talk of the town over the past few weeks for the way the show rapped up. But one of the many things that I always really liked about the show was the opening montage. The song is spooky as shot, and the smoky visuals set the scene for the intense show to come. But in the age of the epic mash-up, how can you not insert some of Gotham's greatest figures into that setting? Batman is the Dark Knight Detective, so he fits right in as Rust Kohle with Dick 'Nightwing' Grayson filling the slot as Marty. This is as epic a mash-up idea as I have ever seen. Well done and executed by Josh Newman. Perfect way to segue back into the daily blogging world. Check out the full video after the jump...

'Catch The Throne' : A 'Game of Thrones' Inspired Rap Mixtape Sponsored By HBO ? WTF Is This Madness ???

HBO has a bonafide hit on their hands with the television adaption of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire & Ice saga. Entering its fourth season, the show is as popular as anything else on TV and is making fantasy fans out of pretty much everyone, old and young... woman or man. Who doesn't love the sex, double crossing, sex, intrigue, sex, dragons, sex, mysteries, sex... I think you are beginning to get the point. The sheer sexiness of the show appeals to everyone, and the excellent cast and magnificent sets probably make the show just as appetizing to the general audience. But HBO wouldn't be a corporation if they didn't try to maximize every possible angle in milking the franchise for everything its worth. They have already split book 3 into two seasons (season 3 was Pt. 1, season 4 will be Pt. 2), which helps buy Martin a bit more time in his endless quest to frustrate fans waiting for Book number 6 to be released. They have also looked for alternate ways to spread the show to newer audiences... whoever they may be, and no matter how insane it may seem. Need proof? HBO has sponsored a hip hop mixtape that is inspired by the events of Game of Thrones. Yup, I can't believe I just typed that myself. A HIP HOP MIXTAPE about a show set in a medieval fictional universe that is occupied by knights and dragons? WTF are we talking about here? Are they really trying that hard to get the Hip Hop community (the ones who don't already watch the show) involved in watching their hit show? I guess so. Catch The Throne is available for streaming on Soundcloud by clicking here, and you can also listen to it on the embedded player after the jump. Seems like a stretch... but with artists like Big Boi (of Outkast fame), Common, Wale, Daddy Yankee involved then I am certainly willing to listen for a little bit. And with songs titled 'Mother of Dragons' & 'Arya's Prayer' they might be on the right track...



  

The Posters For 'Muppets Most Wanted' Are Channeling Some Action Classics In Their Latest Round Of One Sheets...

Muppets Most Wanted may very well be one of the most anticipated movies of the spring that nobody even knows is coming out. It is a huge property, they got a huge Toyota crossover commercial campaign, and the first one a few years ago did extremely well... but for some reason, I haven't heard much about it. I'm not seeing a lot of promotion, and for a possible big money making movie I haven't seen much buzz about it at all. But as we approach the March 21st release date they are starting to ramp up the publicity, and they are doing so in a very clever way. They decided to put Kermit and Miss Piggy in a few action movie themed posters that will get people thinking about some classic flicks. You gotta love the tagline they sport too: "Taking The World By Farce". Genius. I would watch the shit out of a James Bond/Muppets movie, and I would especially watch a Face/Off remake featuring Jim Henson's creations. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy also gets a poster... really clever cross promotion. I will be lining up to see Muppets Most Wanted when it comes out, will you? Check out the four posters after the jump...

 

Can Anyone REALLY Understand The Actors On True Detective?

I have been watching HBO's newest addition to it's massive show arsenal True Detective with baited breath. I am literally dying every week to see where it will go. The show is about to wrap up its 8th and final episode of its inaugural season and has been getting rave reviews... despite the fact that hardly anybody can make out what the hell the actors are even saying! I am not trying to knock Matthew McConaughey or Woody Harrellson... they have been tasked with a very wordy script and a seriously strong set of southern accents. The confusing story line and all the misdirection and mystery don't help much either. So Community's Joe Rash and Joel McHale have decided to create a fake two minute trailer to illustrate just how tough it is to understand ole Rust and Marty. This pretty much sums up the whole show in two short minutes. Can't wait to see how it all shakes out... but for now, enjoy this very funny clip...

Just More Proof On Exactly Why Zack Snyder Is One Of My Favorite People In Film And Why Joel Silver Sucks Ass...

Zack Snyder has been on my radar since I walked into the theater and plopped down my cash in the hopes of a mildly entertaining remake of George Romero's classic film Dawn of the Dead. Not only did I get that... I got way more! It was perfectly cast and extremely well shot, and basically started the whole 'zombies can move fast' sub genre. He followed that up with 300, which so blurred the lines of the 'Comics to Film' genre that at times during the movie I literally felt as if I was reading Frank Miller's classic comic panel for panel up on the big screen. After that, the kid could do no wrong in my eyes. Then it was announced that he would be heading up the big screen adaption of Watchmen. The Internet almost imploded in on its self, as an adaption of Watchmen had been kicked around for years and had names like Terry Gilliam as director and Joel Silver as a producer attached at various points. They were going to give this grail of a franchise to a nubie with two films under his belt? This seemed like a possible problem in the making. But to be honest, I was confident everything would work out A-OK. In my opinion I was more than correct...

Read More after the Jump....



Snyder turned out to be a huge comic nerd who had extreme reverence for the source comic book. He planned on making the film with the same precision and attention to detail that he had used when adaption 300... and he didn't care how long the movie ended up being. He planned on filming an animated accompaniment for The Black Freighter comic book story within a story from the original novel, as well as one featuring the early tales on the Minutemen. He had a plan for the finale, the one pitfall  that all the critics of a film adaption to Alan Moore's groundbreaking graphic novel always pointed out as impossible to translate to film. And he made it happen.

He cast a group of mostly unknown but perfectly matching actors for the roles of the Watchmen (with the exception of Billy Crudup most of them had minimal exposure prior to Watchmen and have become much bigger actors after) to act in the film, had a rock solid adaption in place, and was ready to make it all happen. Before filming the Internet was abuzz with how Snyder wasn't the right guys for the job... how a guy like Gilliam with his weird sensibilities would be perfect for the material, and that it was too deep and sprawling of an undertaking for a young dude like Snyder to handle. Turned out those people were idiots. The movie, in my humble comic book nerd opinion, is perfect. The changes are minor at best, and his ending (albeit slightly different from the comic) was close enough to be chalked up to cinematic necessity. He didn't just change shit to change it... everything that needed to be in place to convey the tone and feel of the original comic was present in the film. It was as close to perfect that I could have ever hoped for. And most people that I have encountered that know the original source material feel quite the same way. The film was a middling success, making a ton of moeny but not living up to the expectations (ie: HOPES) of a huge payout DC had dreamed of. Oh well.. doesn't mean the movie isn't great.

The Comedian is not amused at your criticism of his film !!!

Snyder has continued making movies of his own unique vision over the years, and with his role as producer on the long awaited 300 sequel 300: Rise of an Empire and as director of the upcoming Batman vs. Superman Snyder is back in front of the press and instead of them asking him questions about his upcoming projects they are still bringing up his work from the past... probably because ousted almost producer Joel Silver and guys like him are still taking shots at him every chance they get. The movie was filmed over 6 years ago, isn't it about time to let it go fellas?

In a recent interview with The Huffington Post to discuss his newest film, the Liam Neeson airplane thriller Non-Stop, Joel Silver couldn't help himself from taking shots at Snyder and his version of Watchmen. Silver talked out of his ass using quotes like Snyder was "too much a slave to the original material" and vowing that his and Gilliam's version would have turned out much better. This is ironic, considering Silver has been involved in his fair share of bombs over the years and Gilliam has many of his own difficulties getting his own films done. Since Snyder is himself on the circuit doing interviews for 300: Rise of and Empire, he was then asked to responded to Silver's assertions. As usual, Snyder did not disappoint!

Snyder found all of the comments laughable, but killed all of the noise with one simple comment. He said he made Watchmen for one reason and one reason only: He made the film for himself, and to save  it from guys like Silver and Gilliam. Wow. That is amazing. Ya see, Snyder was a comic fan long before he ever picked up a camera... and any REAL comic book fan knows how much reverence REAL comic book fans have for continuity and story lines. He was weaned on books like Watchmen... and these dudes thought they could have done better? Get the fuck outta here. Need more proof? Check out Silver's comments of about Gilliam's plans for the final act:

"Instead of the whole notion of the intergalactic thing, which was too hard and too silly, what he did was maintain that the existence of Doctor Manhattan had changed the whole balance of the world economy, the world political structure ... he had the Ozymandias character convince Doctor Manhattan to go back and stop himself from being created, so there never would be a Doctor Manhattan character. And in the vortex that was created after that occurred, these characters from Watchmen only became characters in a comic book".  

Even Dr. Manhattan is horrified by Gilliam's vision !!!

That is a direct quote from Joel Silver... and further proof that dudes don't know when to shut the fuck up nor what a real comic fan would want in their adaption of Watchmen. If you think people ripped apart the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman or Snyder's ending of Watchmen on the Internet, what would have happened if that above ending ended up in cinemas? I think Gilliam would have been ripped to shreds and Silver might have had a bunch of 'splainin to do. Snyder went on to say that these comments by Silver are just more proof that they would have butchered the property and that he is glad he did the film because he is a fan first. So if he could live with it, in his eyes most real comic fans could live with it too. I am truly grateful that real comic fans like Snyder and others are making more comic films these days, as they better represent guys like me and my comic loving sensibilities. Love ya Zack... can't wait to see Bat-Fleck and what you do with the DC Universe once again !!!

Here is a link to Snyder's Huffington Post Interview and Silver's interview from last month.

My Top 10 Oscar Memories of 2014... and Three Things I Hated: A CCD Rant by Mike D

So... it's finally over. Now that the Academy Awards have taken place, people can shift their bitching and moaning from who was nominated & who was snubbed to who won and who got the shaft. The Oscars always are divisive and cause arguments among film fans, but that is why they are so epic. I remember getting the pull outs of the nominees the day of the awards out of the Sunday paper as a kid and filling out my bracket, and often remember my parents and grandparents helping me to see all the films that were nominated. It holds a special place in my heart, so watching the show now if more of a "must do" behavior as opposed to "want to" behavior. I have to watch the show. That about sums it up. But there were some moments that were just perfect... basically the things you have come to know and love from the show. There were also a few things I hated. Not many, but a few. So here it goes... my 2014 Oscar recap rant, in all its snark and splendor. Hope you enjoy it...

And these are in no particular order... except for the last one!

1) Ellen was a great host. Very funny in her own way, and her shtick and gags worked well... especially the pizza & selfie one. She is the kind of host (both here and on her show) that takes down these celebs a peg and treats them like just a few other folks... and that makes them seem more accessible and regular to us. Her quips with Meryl Streep, her funny abuse of Brad Pitt, her referring to Marin Scorsese as Marty, and her calling out the mad king Harvey Weinstein himself... TWICE... are just a few examples of her killing it. And I love that she didn't compromise her self style and lifestyle as a gay woman by feeling the need to put on a dress. She rocks them suits so well... and made the whole hosting thing look easy!

2) Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful, but also seems to be having the time of her life. She is always smiling and genuinely looks totally unimpressed by all that is going on around her... she is honestly living her dream and you can see it in her fresh face. She is also the most candid and off the cuff funny actress out there right now. She waved off Pharrell when he was getting the celebs in the front row to dance because she knew she would probably crack up and fall, her faces when Ellen was giving her shot about falling last year, and her constant quips back and forth with her boyfriend Nick Holt (The Beast!) and her two time co star Bradley Cooper (they have some serious chemistry together) all night are just a few examples of her flippant confidence and why I (and so many others) love her so much.

3) Glad that there were some shocks. Leo was great, but to give it to Matthew Mac was a really big coup. Same for that Lupita chick... despite the fact she won a bunch of recent awards in the category I really didn't think she had a shot against a twosome like Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts. Listen, I know Matthew McConaughey and all the other nominees all gave award winning performances. They are arguably the 5 best acting performances in that particular category, so no winner is a complete shock. But I really did think Leo would win it, considering how great he was and how popular the film was. But good for them, and all the winners! Mac is having one hell of a year... you came a long way from the Rom Com factory Matty!

4) Pharrel is super talented, but enough with that f'n hat already. C'mon man. We get it. You own that dumb hat in a variety of colors and are not afraid to break it out for EVERY public appearance you make. Please leave it home from now on. It is fucking retarded to look at... and he even animated it for his background Happy face screen saver. Ellen even used it as a physical prop in her money collecting joke. Please... you are a trendsetter, so please set another trend!

5) Amy Adams is very attractive to me, mostly because she looks and acts so normal. She doesn't "look" or "act" like the huge star she is, and that is cool. And her sexiness is just so flawless. Look at her hair. Always in the exact place it should be, never a strand out of whack. And her clothes fit perfect, even though she may not have the sexiest body of all the starlets. She is an every woman, but that makes her able to play and be believable in just about any role. She reminds me of a certain Mrs. Meryl Streep when she was Adams age. I suspect she will have the same type of career (maybe not 18 nominations successful, but epic nonetheless)

6) The acceptance speeches are always cool to me, but this years were great. This is when a person is at an absolute high point in their lives and then they are give a quick 1 and a 1/2 minute chance to speak on it, you are gonna get a bit of insight into that person. This year Matthew McConaughey joined the pantheon of all time great speeches. He killed. He was poignant, funny and introspective... never coming off douchey, yet finding time to honor God, his parents, his family and even work in a little one liner from his role in Wolf of Wall Street. Cool beans brother. I also really liked the dudes from Gravity. Good thing too, since they won so many awards! All that Spanglish talk was hysterical, especially when Cuaron called the people from Warners Brothers "wise guys" and then corrected himself by saying "wise people". Very funny stuff.

7) Even though 'Her' didn't win any of the major acting awards, winning for best screenplay must be really satisfying for Spike Jonez. He is an epic writer, so it is great to see his weird niche crack the big time. I always loved everything Spike did, and he seems to be one of those easy to please dudes that just wants to knock out cool stuff that he wants to get to the world. His movie making, writing and other projects are fun for him... they are labors of love. And it is apparent every time you see him smiling away, bopping around all happy go lucky. Glad to see what seems like a good dude get his due. Can't wait to see that movie ( I haven't seen it yet... sue me!)

8) The RIP clip was crazy good, and very touching. It hurt me as it does every year, since I love movies so much. Damn, it sucks to lose people... especially losing people that make movies, which I love so much. The big names don't shock anyone, because they are fresh in your heads. But its the ones who died early last year or the people behind the scenes that you don't really know by name (but love their work) really are tough to swallow. Starting with Tony Soprano and ending with Phillip Seymour Hoffman was a nice touch... and then having Bette Midler sing Wind Beneath My Wings was a nice touch. Nicely done.

9) That Somalian dude from Captain Phillips is a real dude, and looks like that in real life. Actually, the dude is even skinnier! The camera really does add 10 pounds... bringing his weight up to a robust 73 lbs.!!! At least on film. That is crazy... I thought it was movie magic, but that dude really looks like that... now that is insane. What is also fantastic is seeing a dude like him at the Oscars. Two years ago my man was probably toiling in obscurity back in Africa, and this dude is now thrust into the middle of the Hollywood free-for-all that is the Oscar experience. That must be surreal. Good for that dude... and good luck on his next role as Zombie #5 in season 5 of The Walking Dead. He is a steal since he don't really need any CGI or make-up to pull of the dead corpse look!!!

10) MY ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT:

Bill Murray giving Harold Ramis a shout out during the Best Cinematography category. Class act, well done. His hand was shaking after he did it as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Even funny guys get emotional.... and it was nice to see Murray showing that emotion, especially after he made his short and sweet public response to Ramis's death a bit easier to forgive. They were great collaborators, and no matter what happened between them over the years you can see how much losing him meant to Murray. Very touching.

And now for my three least favorite moments:

1) What the fuck John Travolta? What the absolute FUCK ?!? First you show up with a dead raccoon glued to your head, then you deliver a perfectly good monologue introducing Idina Mendzel... and the you absolutely BUTCHER her name ! How? WTF ??? Come on Vince Vega... you are better than that!

2) I love everything Sidney Pointier has done in film and for the furthering of African Americans in the movie and music industry, but i absolutely hated to see him up there looking like one of Michonne's pet zombies. He was stumbling over all his words, his eyes were all sunken in and big, and he looked helpless. I don't want to see one of my heroes like that. I'm glad he was there, and glad he is still alive. But don't put my dude on that type of stage and make him look stupid.

3) No music number for Ellen? That stinks. She is really talented. She could have killed a musical number. Billy Crystal did them great, and I kind of thought we would get that from Ellen. It would have been fun to see. Ellen was great, but one of the running jokes on her show is the fact that she loves music and dances on the show in her own funky style ALL THE TIME! How can you not do a number on this big a stage? C'mon MAN!    

Pretty cool show. No matter how pretentious the awards may be, the show will always be an important part of my year! Thanks for all the distractions....