The CCD Podcast Episode #3- "Transition Into Cox"

The CCD team is back... we have seen 'Days of Future Past' and have plenty to say about it. We also chat about 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' news, Edgar Wright leaving 'Ant-Man', and Guillermo del Torro's upcoming FX TV show 'The Strain'... and much more nerdy comedic banter. This thing is starting to come along, man... we are getting it together. Make sure you download, listen and share the podcast on all social media platforms!

Click after the jump for the podcast:


Header X-Men art courtesy of Erle Tompkins... full piece below, which can be ordered by clicking here. 

Stream the episode, or follow the links below to subscribe or download.

Next time we'll chat about 'Godzilla', new and old ...along with plenty of other geeky goodness!

8 Bit Cinema Gives Us The 'Donnie Darko' NES Game We Always Wanted....

'Donnie Darko' is a very controversial movie among people who have seen it. It is one of the most differing opinion movies among people who have seen it I have ever discussed with anyone. Most people either REALLY LOVE IT (like me) or REALLY HATE IT. Never really much in the middle. Richard Kelly really made an interesting movie, and I would rather have something that sparks debate over a boring 'OK' movie any day of the week. So when 8 Bit Cinema decides to give it the Nintendo 8-bit treatment, I have to share... and love every second of it! They bring the world of 'Donnie Darko' into the world of 8-bit, down to the dialogue and even the music (an 8-bit version of 'Mad World' at the end? Wow... just wow!). Enjoy all that 8 Bit Cinema has to offer by clicking here, and check out the 'Donnie Darko' video after the jump...

'Sausage Party' - The 'R' Rated Animated Movie From Seth Rogen & Co You Have Been Yearning For !!!

So, Seth Rogen is a golden god in Hollywood right now... and his team of friends/co-contributors are right there alongside of him, enjoying the limelight. He and his writing partner Evan Goldberg have been killing it. All his 'This Is The End' co-stars are signing on for tons of flicks, and every time this crew puts something into the cinema it seems to rake in the dough but, they are never content. Nope, they are not resting on their laurels any time soon. So, they are looking to move into another venue of cinema, and I for one couldn't be happier. They are foraging into the world of animation but, they are doing it in their own way... and I am sure it will be filthy!

Se more after the jump...

Rogen & Goldberg are writing, and the cast is stunning: Danny McBride, James Franco, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Kristen Wiig, Edward Norton and Nick Kroll... as well as Rogen of course but it is the plot, which is absolutely absurd, that has me laughing out loud...

Sausage Party is a raunchy animated movie about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence. After falling out of a shopping cart, our hero sausage and his new friends embark on a perilous journey through the supermarket to get back to their aisles before the 4th of July sale.

C'mon!!! Seriously... like Jonah Hill said "What type of foods are shaped like dicks? THE BEST KINDS!!!" Can you possibly manage to comprehend how many dick jokes, 'hide in the bun' jokes, or other sex/food themed jokes will litter this film? I can't wait. And its the kind of project that helps broaden their appeal as a group of actors working together... hopefully by switching up the format they will allow themselves to work together without burning us out on them as a crew. The film comes out in Summer 2016. Hopefully we will see more animation and details from it coming up soon... I'm going to be dancing like this!!!!

Guillermo del Torro's 'The Strain' Is Must Watch TV This Summer

As a fan of genre work, particularly the horror genre, I am absolutely amazed (and secretly quite happy) with the takeover of mainstream and cable television by genre programming. I know there is a copycat effect in place, and that channels are green-lighting genre shows because they want to piggyback on the success of others before them but, the new shows are getting better and better than their predecessors. So, in effect they are not only continuing the trend but, making more sustainable programs in the process. When these shows succeed it makes it easier for them to be taken seriously, and boy they should be! Would you ever have imagine a world where we would have shows like 'Sleepy Hollow', 'Grimm', 'Hannibal', 'Penny Dreadful', 'American Horror Story', 'The Walking Dead', 'From Dusk Til Dawn', 'Being Human' and many more in regular rotation? I certainly never did but, boy am I happy we do. The next big program to come down the pipeline has the pedigree, creative forces behind it, and the premise to garner my attention for the summer. It's called 'The Strain', comes from the mind of Guillermo del Torro & Chuck Hogan, and will air on FX this summer...

Check after the jump for more....



Back in 2008, del Torro had a great idea for a TV show and he began pitching it around town. Unable to gain any support or networks willing to make the show, his agent suggested turning the property into a book. Teaming up with author Chuck Hogan (who wrote the book 'The Town' with Ben Affleck was based on) the duo created The Strain trilogy. Three books that tell the epic tale of a vampire parasite that begins infecting the residents of NYC. The vampire story then takes a turn towards the pandemic, as the virus begins to rapidly spread and only a group of ragtag scientists and fighters can try to bring it to an end.

The vampires and the parasite that infects them are vastly different than the way vampires have been displayed and characterized in the past. They feature many of the creep-tastic qualities that have become a staple of del Torro's work. The vampires have a 6 foot 'stinger' proboscis that is under their tongue. It can be used to 'infect' people from afar... eliminating the need for the vamps to get up close to their victims. The virus itself is also transmitted via 'worms', small creatures that are either introduced to the victims bloodstream via a bite or can invade a person through an open wound or cut. This makes the risk for infection even greater, as you not only have to avoid the actual vampires but microscopic organisms that could infect you as well.

The first book was one of the best things I have ever read. Apparently FX felt the same way... and they finally gave the property a order for a TV series. The show will air on July 13th, and I for one could not be more excited.

Check the trailer out, and tune in this summer for some blood crazy fun...


 

Marvel's Netflix/TV Universe Has A Bright Future, And They Are Looking To Get Off To A Good Start Quickly...

So even though this was a tough week for Marvel's cinematic wing (they lost Edgar Wright as a director of 'Ant Man'), things are certainly looking up for the Netflix/TV division and are looking quite promising. The first season of S.H.I.E.L.D. is in the books and although the show started slow it did a fantastic job of meshing the cinematic and TV universes mid-season with Cap 2 (which came out smack in the middle of the season. It was done flawlessly. Now there are rumors of the 'Peggy Carter, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.' spin-off, period show (set back in the 40s and 50s) and the Netflix series that are finally getting cast ...and wow, Marvel doesn't seem to be playing around! First up... 'Daredevil'! We got our Matt Murdock, and also a show runner.

Click after the jump for more info....


First up, lets talk about the man behind the mask. Charlie Cox has been tapped to don the red suit and baton and I, for one, couldn't be happier. Cox is most recognizable recently for his turn on HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire' as a rough and tumble Irish gangster. But the role that will forever define Cox for me has to be his role in 'Stardust' as Tristan Thorn. 'Stardust' is one of my cult classic films... it is a great version of Neil Gaiman's book, that is often much maligned for changes that were made to it but, the funny part about that is that the changes to the book for the film were made by Gaiman himself... he was the writer of the movie!!! Cox soared as the lead in the film, and his charisma and charm make him a great choice for Daredevil. He was also really good with the physical and fighting aspects of his role in 'Stardust', so I can't wait to see him bouncing around as the Man With No Fear.

Some other exciting news comes from the other side of the camera... the guys behind the scenes making this show happen. Marvel has hired Stephen S. DeKnight as the show runner. DeKnight is famous for his work in the Whedon-vesre ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'Angel', etc)... but his most recent success is with the Starz sleeper hit 'Spartacus'. 'Spartacus' was a very fun show that pushed the boundaries of violence and made Starz a relevant player in the cable TV show wars. I like the choice, and connecting him with writer Drew Goddard ('Cabin In The Woods' director and writer, frequent co-contributor of Joss Whedon) who is penning at least the first two shows. The team is all coming together, and it is shaping up nicely...

Does this guy look like he is fucking around? I don't think so...

The final bit of encouraging news is that 'Daredevil' will be set in the current time period. There were talks that it would be set in the gritty 60s/70s in NYC, and that the other planned Netflix shows (featuring Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and The Defenders) would also be set in that time too. Now it seems that 'Daredevil' and the other plethora of heroes will be set in a post "Battle of NY" environment, making them linked to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and eligible to appear in collaborative projects in the future.

'Daredevil' will be the first Netflix/Marvel collab to hit the 'net and will appear sometime in 2015 with shows for characters Luke Cage, Iron Fist Jessica Jones and The Defenders to follow. You can see the whole press release from Marvel by clicking here...   

EmpTV Cribs by Scott DW and the Star Wars Crew

Star Wars videos are hitting the 'net all the time, and some are pretty great. But very rarely do you find the perfect combination of one that looks good and has great original Star Wars themed content... and that comes to us via Scott DW and the Star Wars crew. They create the 'EmpTV Cribs' universe that takes a look at what life may be like for a fortunate Storm Trooper named TK-429 aka Super Nova. He has reaped the benefit of Order 66, and he is living large. His crib is sick, his party guest list is popping... shit, he even got Jabba up in the place! But what happens when my man Darth Vader shows up without his invitation? This is a great video, and the bets part is the guys show a lot of what went into it in the information section on the Youtube video page. Lots of cool things had to happen to make this sweet video, so its nice for them to give the behind the scenes guys so much love. Check out the whole video after the jump...

Thanks to Jeff Bond for the share!

X-Men, Wu-Tang and Wrestlers... Oh MY! The Eclectic Artwork Of Erle Tompkins

You know that saying "never judge a book by its cover" that is always thrown around so willy nilly? Yeah, I never really subscribe to that theory. I tend to be very observant of people on purpose... and I can usually figure out people pretty well. I have an especially keen 'bullshit detector' sense as well... one that very rarely fails me. I had made the acquaintance of a very talented artist, Erle Tompkins, a few years back and I must say that in this case I was completely off in my judgement. His cousin Frank introduced us, and we hit it off right away with geek talk galore (mostly about comic book movies). He told me he did some art, and I told him to email me. He never did... and I assumed that he must not be very talented. I would see him from time to time, and always it was pleasant to see him. But every time we chatted, still no email and still no artwork. So I just chalked it up to him being not all that good and getting cold feet sending it to me. This weekend I ran into Erle, and he pulled up an X-Men movie universe piece he had just finished working on. Although I was looking at it on a 5 inch I Phone screen, I instantly realized that my man Erle had something... and I couldn't wait to see more. I told him that he needed to email me this instantly, and that I wanted to see more immediately. I made him do it right in front of me so he didn't "forget" to do it later. I forced his hand... and I am able to write this article about his awesome art because of it.

See more after the jump...

Erle has a Tumblr that highlights his unique style of art, but it his interesting array of subjects that make his blog so appealing. He jumps flawlessly from the world of comics to the world of Wu Tang Clan. But he makes his most important contributions in the world he loves the most: Professional Wrestling. He re-creates old matches, particular poses and scenes, and iconic images from WWF, WWE, WCW and NWA fame. He hits on all the regulars, and even digs deeper to include lesser popular stars. And his trademark, at least in my opinion, has to be his "bloody" stuff... the pieces where he highlights the destruction of the human body in the ring. These pieces transport me back to the days of a child watching Saturday Night's Main Event, playing with my WWF Wrestling Superstar rubber figures. Man, these are great. 

So in closing, sometime you really can't judge a book by it's cover. Er;e Tompkins is a soft spoken and nice kid, but I certainly didn't think he had the talent he actually possess. I am glad he finally shared it with me, and I am happy to share it with all of you. Make sure you hit him up at his AMA page, his Society 6 page, and check his Tumblr often for his newest works. Order up kids... and tell 'em CCD sent ya!!!!        

Marvel Characters and Their DC Countreparts Get The Team-Up Treatment From Darren Rawlings

Everyone knows that although they are two completely different companies that are highly successful in the comic industry, Marvel and DC share a lot of similarities. It may be the fact that a lot of the creative talents through the years have bounced between both companies. It may also be due to the fact that when the lion share of the characters were conceived back in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s there was not Internet for people to call out creators for being copycats... imagine if you tried to put out a comic today featuring a band of survivors of a zombie attack lead by a rural sheriff? You would be crucified as a Walking Dead thief, and your comic would never get off the ground. But it was a-ok for Marvel to launch Dedapool in 1991 even though Deathstroke was around since 1980? I mean, forget their powers... even their real names are copies! Wade Wilson isn't a direct copy of Slade Wilson? What... huh???? Anyway, artist Darren Rawlings decided to highlight some of these comparable characters in his Little Friends series. Some are obvious (like Deadpool and Deathstroke above), but others require a bit of background knowledge of the characters to see the comparison. Either way, the characters are all cool and you gotta love the way they all co-exist in our little comic book nerd world! You can find a ton of them by clicking here and checking out his Deviant Art gallery, or you can see my personal faves after the jump...

 

The CCD Podcast: Episode #2 - X-Men Film Retrospective Part 2

 

Our X-Men retrospective continues with a look back at the next three films in the franchise. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class and The Wolverine all get their fair shake. We also talk about our predictions and expectations for Days of Future Past.

You can find the 1st part of the X-Men retrospective by clicking here.

Click after the jump for the podcast:


Stream the episode, or follow the links below to subscribe or download.

Next week we will have our Days of Future Past reviews, as well as plenty of other nerdy goodness.

Neil Patrick Harris Creates A 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Autobiography... I'm Officially Dropping Dead !!!

Neil Patrick Harris has lived a charmed life, and in that life he has had ups and downs. He started out as 'Doogie Howser, MD' on  ahit TV show, a 14 year old wunderkind teen who became a full fledged doctor. The show was a huge success, and elevated young Harris to the pinnacle of stardom. But like most teen stars, when the show ended... well, so did his ascension. He floundered in the mid 90s after the cancellation of Doogie, making appearances in TV movies and small guest roles on TV shows & movies. Nothing really popped for him... until he starred as a perverted version of himself in 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle' in 2004. Seeing NPH willing to embrace his campy status and make fun of the idea that he was an aging childhood star made tons of people love the guy. It probably helped him the next year when he went on to audition for a role in a little sitcom called 'How I Met Your Mother'. NPH got the role of Barney Stintson, and 'How I Met Your Mother' went on to a 9 YEAR RUN as one of the most successful comedic shows of all time. He parlayed his successful TV show into a bunch more cameos, indy projects, and hosting awards shows. He also excelled at genre work, specifically kid-centric fare and stuff for the nerds. He got leads in fluff (but money makers) like 'Smurfs' and 'Smurfs 2', did the voice of Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the Batman animated film 'Under The Red Hood', and plays the lead role in Joss Whedon's internet classic 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog'. Basically, NPH was down and out... but he has risen again. Now comes the announcement that he is ready to put out an autobiography, and in typical NPH fashion he is doing it in a very unique way. He is making the book a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style novel. Any child of the 80s knows what that is.... a book that allows the readers to make decisions, and the story jumps through the pages based on the different things the reader chooses to do. NPH himself says this format works because of all the choices he faced in his career, some of the choices he made or didn't make, and all the ups and downs he had. I think it is a very great idea... and I for one can't wait. The book is due on October 14th, 2014... but you can PREORDER it here right now. Check out the full cover, in all its 'Choose Your Own Adventure' glory after the jump...

Dan Luvisi Takes Some Of Your Most Beloved Childhood Characters To A Very Dark Place...

Now I have seen a ton of 're-imaginings' and 're-designs' come and go on all sorts of characters. The usual suspects, like the Disney Princesses... the more obscure characters, like minor Marvel heroes. But it is very rare when you get an artist like Dan Luvisi, who not only re-designs some of the most recognizable characters of pop culture history, but also gives you a dope back story about the new characters. Luvisi does so over on his blog, and the stories are almost as wonderful as his insanely fantastic pictures. Imagine the cast of the Muppet show thrust into the movie worlds of No Country For Old Men and Drive. How about Homer Simpson being pushed into the world of Grand Theft Auto. But my personal fave has to be Wreck It Ralph jumping into a Street Fighter cabinet and taking up the mantle that Ryu has championed all this time. These are great... just great. I can't wait to see what else Luvisi has up his sleeve. Check out more of his artwork here, and check out my faves after the jump....