These Are The Kind Of Reboots I Can Get Behind... Rosemary's Baby Comes To TV !!!

I am of the opinion that nothing is above a reboot or re-do... nothing at all. But I do believe that there must be a valid reason for doing it other than just for the fuck of it. Like when Stephen King wanted to re-do The Shining. He never liked the way Stanley Kubrick's version of the book turned out (which while I think Kubrick's movie is great it is VASTLY different than the book), and he wanted an adaption that could be closer to the book. Same thing went with the Total Recall reboot. The directors/producers promised something that would echo the original book by Philip K Dick... something that was severely lacking in Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Or maybe you just want to tell a different kind of a story... like what Marc Webb is doing with the Spider-Man reboot or what Chris Nolan did with his Batman trilogy. There are reasons, and then there are VALID reasons. That is usually the only thing I want to see before I can get behind a reboot. And this DEFINITELY seems to be the case with NBC's remake of Rosemary's Baby. The new series (which will be 4 hours in total length) will have more screen time to explore more of the intricacies between Rosemary & the cult while she is pregnant with her baby, as well as weaving in more of the book by Ira Levin that may have been left on the cutting room floor by Roman Polanski. Even though Polanski's version is damn near perfect and doesn't need updating/re-doing, this idea is not really too bad. It updates the setting to modern times, one of the only knocks when trying to have someone new watch the film for the first time. It is just so hard for someone in 2014 to understand what everyday life was like in the late 1960s. Now the story is contemporary, so we can get a much more up to date version of the setting. Also, Zoe Saldana is set to take on Mia Farrow's role as Rosemary. That is something I can get behind, and it also adds the racial aspect to the mix. Jeffrey 'Malfoy Senior' Isaacs will be taking on Roman Castevet, a classic role turned in by Sidney Blackmer back in 1968. The mini series will be out this summer (I love original programming in the summer... especially HORROR programming!) and you can see the first short teaser trailer after the jump...



 

A CCD Rant by Mike D: Hey Fanboys & Fellow Internet Blowhards: Leave Michael Bay Alone!!!

Hehehehe... I know that the title of my upcoming rant ALONE is enough to make nerds everywhere spill their Red Bull all over their wireless keyboards as they gasp in horror. Plus, I think I just heard Jeff Bond drop dead of a heart attack at his job, and possibly an earthquake from the explosion of anger from Kristen Grillo out on the West Coast!!! But before I get into my latest rant, let me preface this by saying something right off the bat: 


I, Michael DeVito, am not a Bay apologist and could give a fuck less what he does as a professional. 

I am simply writing this rant because while most internet Fan boys & self proclaimed 'GEEKS' who should be more intelligent than they appear to be need to shut the fuck up. Stop blaming Michael Bay for all the problems that happen in the adaptions he is a part of. Transformers may not be your cup of tea, but it certainly wasn't made by Bay himself. Now there is this flap about what Bay said about the new TMNT movie that will contain Turtles that are of an "alien" origin. Hey gang, I got news for you: If this is true, it PROBABLY WASN'T BAY'S IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE , NOR IS IT HIS IDEA ALONE!!!! What the fuck is wrong with you people?

Click after the jump for the rest of this rant...

 This is a multi million dollar movie production based on a BILLION dollar comic/cartoon/toy/movie line. How the fuck can you blame any choices in the film solely on Michael Bay. You need a few arguments to see why Michael Bay shouldn't be blamed for all this shit? Here ya go...

First of all, he is a producer on the movie. Kind of like the overseerer. He in fact has little to do with the direction of the script and the performance of the actors. None actually. That kind of stuff falls on the screenwriters, the casting directors, and the directors. Not the fucking producer. Just cause he is the one who mentioned it doesn't mean it's his wish. He is after all only the producer, right? The reason why I say this is because people often malign Bay for his interpretation of The Transformers (on which he was the director), yet give Steven Spielberg a pass on his involvement in The Transformers because he was just the producer. How come Spielberg gets the pass, but now when Bay is in the role of producer it is his fault? The producer does have influence on picking the director, screenwriter, and the cast... so one may want to blame Bay for picking a gang that would fuck with the Turtles origin. But to blame HIM as the guy who is tinkering with the story while the people who ARE ACTUALLY fucking with said origin get a pass just seems a bit silly. If Spielberg gets no blame for Transformers, stay consistent when Bay is now in the producer seat. Just cause Bay is an easy target doesn't mean you have to shoot at him, ya dig?

Original Issue #1

Next lets talk about the franchise itself. The turtles are beloved. I get that. No prob there. But lets be honest about THIS particular franchise. When Eastman & Laird brought the Turtles to us in comic format they were lean, mean fighting machines. The comic was gritty, brutal, the turtles wore the same red bandannas, and black & white. People got hurt & killed in every issue, violence was rampant, and the characters weren't very cheery. THAT IS THE REALITY OF THE ORIGINAL COMIC. Trust me, I am an ORIGINAL fan. Yet when the late 80s cartoon was made, they jettisoned all of this for colorful bandannas, cooky catch phrases, and goofy hi jinks. That worked out well, as Eastman & Laird signed off on the whole thing and it made a shit ton of cash!!! The franchise grew huge, spawning toys, live action movies, and spin off cartoons. Yet at the end of the day people easily forget how much was CHANGED from the original to the incarnation we know best. I have NEVER ONCE heard a complaint over those changes... yet now cause Bay is involved the story needs to be exact? Come the fuck on... if anything, this new Bay produced version promises to emulate the original darker comic series more. So instead of applauding the resurrection of the true styles of the characters, we are crying over one small detail. Seems a bit silly when you think of it like that, no?

I bet you don't remember Leonardo the Decapitator  from the cartoon either...smh!

And that brings me to Eastman & Laird, the original CREATORS of the characters and owners of the rights. Both have spoken out on the topic of Bay's alien origin comments, and while their opinions vary they both seem to side with Michael Bay. Eastman said he loves everything he has seen so far from the remake and thinks Bay & the gang are doing a smashing job getting the franchise back to its roots. Laird was a bit less enthusiastic, but did say that he trust Bay & co completely and  that maybe we should wait to see just how drastic these changes are before we call Bay a traitor. So let me get this straight: The two guys who own teh rights to the billion dollar franchise and created the characters from scratch are OK with it, but the'Net dwelling trolls with no objectivity are against it.... Hmmmm, I think I'll go with the creators on this one. Not really a tough choice. I have long defended Lucas, not for the changes he has made but more for the fact that THEY WERE HIS CHOICES TO MAKE!!! His property, his characters, his changes. You don't like that? Create your own fucking billion dollar property!!! Then you can do whatever you want. If Eastman & Laird are collecting checks and seem to be A-OK with this proposed alien origin, who the fuck are YOU to question them? Spend less time complaining and more time getting your OWN ideas on paper so you can make some money...

Look at these two goofs. they are multi millionaires because of anthropomorphic turtles. if they are OK with changes, why aren't you? They are laughing all the way to the bank.... 

Finally, stop over analyzing every little thing about everything. It's corny now. Yes, I run a pop culture blog. And yes, some of the stuff that we cover here appears on a billion other blogsites across the 'Net. But I have made a conscious effort to use CCD to promote interesting & under promoted projects instead of all the mainstream stories, especially months in advance of the films even releasing. While I am eagerly awaiting films like The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Hunger Games, I haven't posted a billion things about them because it ruins the anticipation. How many international trailers featuring 2 seconds of new shots do you need to watch? How many stories about who Joesph Gordon Levitt will be in the Batman movie do I have to endure? Just wait till the movie is almost out, or at least complain about CONFIRMED things. Leave the reporting to sites like /Film and Ain't it Cool News, who have real sources and access to sets long before a movie comes out. Save the speculation & criticism for after YOU SEE THE FILM. That way your complaints will have a certain validity & you won't sound like the whiny over 30 year old  babies you guys probably are.

In closing, I say this:

Do something creative on your blogs...like post pics of hot up and coming celeb chicks, celebrate the music of the Wu Tang Clan, or reminisce about 80's Toys (Like CCD Baby!!!!)... or rant like this. Leave Michael Bay alone. He has enough money & power in Hollywood to not give a fuck. But if one of you trolls read this and see the light. Then my work here is done!!!!

Check Out The New Ultimate Spider Man...

The first image of the new Ultimate Spider-Man has been released and I am a very happy fellow. After killing of Peter Parker a few months back in June, teenager Miles Morales is taking over the Spidey suit. And here is the kicker: He is half black, half latino!!! Good for Marvel... I am glad to see them willing to take some chances with a multicultural superhero in such a visible title. Since the Ultimate universe is about doing things you CAN'T DO in regular continuity, why not get someone other then a white guy in there? I will be checking this one out for sure. Thanks to my boy Cal from The Cave of Cool for this tip.

Coming Soon! CCD REBOOT!

That's right… CCD is getting a facelift. We will still continue to give you our daily feeds. But in a few weeks, CCD will have a new and fresh look  with our very own designer, Lockheed Lee.

Here at CCD, we are amped and we hope you are too.. so keep an eye out and spread the word… because we're going to look soooo fly!

-CCD TEAM

Karl Urban Is Judge Dredd & I Am Offically Excited

I was thrilled that there was someone out there besides me who wanted to see Judge Dredd get a second chance on the big screen. The first attempt by Stallone & Co was a farce compared to the source material, and the campy sendup that resulted  became a clear road map on "How Not To" adapt a comic book for the big screen. But the character of Dredd is so awesome that I had hoped to see him get another shot. Then Karl Urban (McCoy in JJ Abram's Star Trek) got tapped for the part and I was ecstatic. I have seen some action stills from the movie, but this is the 1st official profile shot of Urban (courtesy of Empire Magazine) with the Judge helmet on and I am speechless. This looks wonderful. I can't wait.. the film opens in December. see you there!!!

'The Thing' Prequel Is Starting To Shape Up Nicely

Last October at the 2010 NYC Comic Con was the first time any official word on The Thing prequel being released came out. It was scheduled for a spring release, then was immediately pushed back to fall 2011. In my eyes I would rather the company take a little time and get it right, so the push back didn't bother me any. Plus, the movie had the lovely and extremely sexy Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona in Scott Pilgrim and a fave of mine) in the lead... so given how much I like her, I was always rooting for it to be a success. After seeing this weeks official poster release and the first trailer, I'd say things shaped up rather well. See for yourself:

***Please click Read more below to see the trailer for The Thing***

Now that looks pretty bad ass!!! Mr. Eko from Lost (that dudes name is IMPOSSIBLE to spell) just makes the cast even more appealing, and I am really eager to see Winstead in a lead. I know people have been highly critical with the abundance of reboot/remake/reimagining of properties lately, but in my eyes this is a good way to do it. We all have seen Carpenter's original, and there is a story before the story. Let's hope this film adds something to the original film in the series and does Carpenter some justice. And lets hope Winstead's shirt accidentally gets ripped from her body for an extended period of time. One can hope can't he?

The Thing opens in October 2011. Are you going to check this one out? Let us know in the comment section below!!!

The New Ultimate X-Men Look Pretty Cool.... But What Is The Human Torch Doing Here?

The first preview pics of Marvel's new Ultimate X-Men #1 (it comes out in September) comic has hit the web, and all I can say is that i am intrigued and confused at the same time. In like the look of the characters (except for Iceman rocking a fitted hat while in ice form... whats up with that?), but I am intrigued by the choice of characters they chose to focus on. The Human Torch? Whats he doing in the X-Men? Also, I like the retro yet futuristic look of Wolverine's costume. Plus, I always love the good old yellow costume on Logan. he looks very Bruce Lee/Game of Death or /Uma Thurman/Kill Bill in that getup. Kitty Pryde, Rouge, Colossus, and Iceman make for some familiar faces as well. The book will be written by Nick Medina and drawn by Paco Medina. the cover art is done by the awesomely talented Kaare Andrews. Thanks to MTV Geek for the preview. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

***Click Read more below to see some panels from Ultimate X-Men#1***

The New Thundercat Cartoon Is Looking Better & Better With Each Preview We See

I have seen and covered multiple preview clips for the new Thundercats reboot cartoon that is premiering on July 29th, and I can honestly say that every thing that I see from the cartoon looks very impressive. I am a fan of the Japanmation/Anime twinge that Cartoon Network took with this cartoon, and I feel the characters are all shaping up to be awesome. Couple that with the fact that they included Snarf, yet made him unable to talk (anybody who has sat through some episodes of the old show as an adult knows how annoying Snarf can be!) seems to be the capper for me. Just as I was getting ready for the show to premiere in two weeks, my boy Lockheed sends me another 10 minute preview that shows a ton of new footage. Here it is for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of AOL TV. I will be watching this one... how about you guys? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

The New Thundercats Show Is Shaping Up Nicely....

In case you guys missed it (like me), about a month back the folks over at Cartoon Network released a 2.5 minute trailer for their upcoming Thundercats cartoon series. I liked the anime style look of the characters that was released last year, so I was looking forward to this one. See the footage for yourself:


THUNDERCATS 2011 trailer - Watch more Funny  Videos

Well, in the past few days some more footage from the show has been released... and I think it lokks great!!!! There is no embeddable version of the new footage, but you can click here to head over to Cartoon Networks page and watch it. If you are a fan of Thundercats, I suggest you do! After you have seen the new footage, come back here and tell me what you guys think about this new series in the comment section below. I am ready for it... are you? Thundercatsssssssssssss HOOOOOOOOO!!!

Finally, This Is What Wily Kit & Wily Kat Will Look Like In The New Thundercats Cartoon (Maybe...)

These are the toy mock ups for the youngest Thundarians out of the group, Wily Kit & Wily Kat. The twins were missing from some earlier leaked drawings from the new show, but if this toy is any indication than this is what they should look like. It fits  well with the heavy anime styling that they have chosen for this reboot. What do you guys think about these wonder twins? Tell us in the coment section below. Thanks to Topless Robot for the information.