Comic-Con 2008 Report, Part 1 of 4
Another Nerd Prom down — although with each passing year the San Diego Comic-Con puts more and more chic in the geek.
In 1970, it began with 300 comic book fans, and has expanded to a four day cluster-Frak, drawing upwards of 125,000 attendees each July and including everything from period Art Deco grand guignol playbills, to Bettie Page postcards, to DVDs, to movie previews, panels and lots and lots of interview ops for the press. (And yes, I did see a few comic books here and there.)
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
As the superhero genre continues to gain speeding-bullet momentum, there were still a few remarkable highlights for we horror fans — most notably, the reveal of some footage from the upcoming Platinum Dunes Friday the 13th remake on Sunday (Part 4 of 4 horror.com report), a few scenes and free music from Repo! The Genetic Opera, and screenings of The Lost Boys II: The Tribe, and Midnight Meat Train.
Thursday, July 24
On Thursday morning I was up bright and early to interview director Alex Proyas about his upcoming science fiction drama starring Nicolas Cage, called Knowing. Although Knowing doesn't have any horror elements, this is the man who directed many genre faves — such as, The Crow and Dark City — and although he told me the look of Knowing will not feature his signature noir style, I'm still looking forward to it.
Another multi-genre director, John Moore (The Omen remake), was on hand to talk about his cinematic version of the insanely popular videogame, Max Payne. He promises a lot of action, particularly a new spin on bullet-time (which actually originated in this game and influenced film directors such as John Woo and The Wachowski Brothers). Max Payne stars Mark Wahlberg as the ruthless avenger, and Mila Kunis as his wing-woman.
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
We also talked to director Scott Derrickson (and reminisced about being on-set for his directorial debut, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) about him taking on the very first remake of a sci-fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still (which stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connolly — one of whom was in a certain Dario Argento movie).
Dave Parker was on hand for Dark Castle Films, talking about his movie, The Hills Run Red, along with actress Sophie Monk. Both promised it's the nastiest, most disturbing, original and scary film ever put out by the remake machine. (Joel Silver's Dark Castle put out House of Wax, 13 Ghosts, House on Haunted Hill, etc.)
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
There were Punisher: War Zone and Saw V panels, which I unfortunately had to miss to cover another event — but from all accounts, not much was revealed at either one. (I love press conferences and public panels in which everyone simply says, "We can't talk about that.")
The biggest horror-related occasion of the day was definitely the Repo! The Genetic Opera panel. Even though Lionsgate held the event on the lightest-attended day, and late at night to boot, the hall was packed to capacity and there several attendees who didn't get in to see the sci-fi rock-n-roll spectacle. The panel consisted of Repo's creators / writers, Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich (who's also in the movie as The GraveRobber), director Darren Bousman, and stars Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Ogre, and Bill Moseley.
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
It was Hilton's first Comic-Con, but she said she was "more comfortable here than on the red carpet." I have seen her on many a red carpet and I kind of doubt there's much truth in that statement, but at least the heiress is a fan of horror (she was in The House of Wax, and she told the Comic-Con audience that she wanted to do Repo because of Bousman's work on the Saw films — that, I don't doubt). Both Bousman and Paris dropped the "hot" bomb, and the trailer and some clips were shown. The trailer can be seen on the Repo-Opera website, but here's the lowdown on the clips, which were met with great enthusiasm by the packed house:
Mark It Up: Luigi (Moseley), Pavi (Ogre), and Amber (Hilton) singing and dancing as stabbing and slashing ensues. This is probably the song with the most profanity, but it's certainly not the goriest scene from the movie, in spite of a gutting and some playful brain-tossing.
Seventeen: Shilo (Vega) singing rebelliously to her dad (Anthony Head) that she's sweeter than 16 — she's 17. She's wants to be free of her bonds and his rule — and so does Joan Jett and several dancing teddy bears.
Zydrate Anatomy: Now free, 17-year-old Shilo is out on the tatty town with the GraveRobber (Zdunich), and he's telling her about all the forbidden delights. Namely the "glow", aka, Zydrate, a painkilling drug that's drawn from the noggins of those freshly buried — addicted Amber comes along, begging for her fix. Naked writhing ensues.
The panel discussion and Q&A also included some bitter banter about the upcoming Repossession Mambo ("Oh, you mean 'repossessed our idea'?" scoffed Zdunich). Bousman and Smith both stated that the original idea (Repo began as a stage play in 2000) must have been good, otherwise it wouldn't have been picked up by others (for the record: the plots are similar, but Repossession Mambo is not a musical).
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
Some tune-related news was revealed: Moseley will appear on Ogre's upcoming album Devil In My Details, and the Repo movie soundtrack will include some 33 songs, seven of which are not in the final cut of the film.
Also on Thursday, the 2008 Comic-Con featured sneak peeks at some new action figures and sculptures from Sideshow Collectibles (most notably, from Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II — and, I waited for my car at valet parking that day with Ron Perlman… that was a good place to meet and greet: I also ran into Bill Moseley and Ogre there, Jeff Rector, Patton Oswalt, and Samuel L. Jackson).
Photo: Enzo Giobbe
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
Thursday's Horror-Related Panels:
Twilight—Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book series, Twilight is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a vampire and a mortal. Director Catherine Hardwicke, author Stephenie Meyer, and the cast—including Robert Pattinson (Edward), Kristen Stewart (Bella), Cam Gigandet (James), Rachelle LaFevre (Victoria), Edi Gathegi (Laurant), and Taylor Lautner (Jacob)—answer your questions about bringing the world of these beloved characters to life on the big screen and show exclusive footage from the film.
Red Sonja: One-on-One— Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), Rose McGowan (Grindhouse), Doug Aarniokoski (2nd unit director, Resident Evil 3) and David White (Undisputed 2) are teaming up to bring back the red-headed warrior woman known as Red Sonja. Join Robert, Rose, Doug, and David for this one-on-one interview and Q&A session.
Anchor Bay: Jack Brooks Monster Slayer Artists Panel— Preview the upcoming DVD release of Jack Brooks Monster Slayer with star/producer Trevor Matthews, director/co-writer Jon Knautz, producer Patrick White, composer Ryan Shore, creature designer David Scott, and horror icon Robert Englund. Then hear writer/director Daniel Waters (Heathers), Oscar-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (Masters of Science Fiction), and writer/director Robert Hall (Laid to Rest) discuss their latest Anchor Bay projects! Moderated by Shock Til You Drop’s Ryan Rotten.
Disney: Race to Witch Mountain— What secrets does Witch Mountain hold? Stars Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino and director Andy Fickman talk about the mysterious, paranormal activity around Witch Mountain. Dwayne, Carla, and Andy will present the first look at the movie and answer audience questions as they talk about the thrilling action-adventure that is set to hit theatres in March 2009.
Dark Horse Horror— Dark Horse Comics is home to some of the best horror comics ever produced, from Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and Steve Niles’ Criminal Macabre to upcoming collections of the classic horror magazines Creepy and Eerie. Dark Horse editors Scott Allie and Shawna Gore and a handful of our top creators take a look ahead at their spookiest projects for 2008, including a sneak peek at the 25th anniversary edition of Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein and a special appearance by the artist.
HBO’s True Blood— Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, True Blood is created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Emmy-winning series Six Feet Under. The series takes place in the not-too-distant future, when, thanks to the invention of synthetic blood, vampires no longer need humans for their fix and can walk freely, if not yet comfortably, among their living counterparts. With their integration into a small Louisiana town causing a stir, a love story ensues between Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, the X-Men films; Academy Award winner for The Piano), an innocent waitress with the unusual ability to read minds, and vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer, The Starter Wife). The series also features Ryan Kwanten (Summerland), Rutina Wesley (How She Move), Sam Trammell (Judging Amy), and Nelsan Ellis (The Inside). True Blood debuts September 7 exclusively on HBO.
Dark Castle: RocknRolla— Launched in 1999, Dark Castle Entertainment was founded to create a unique brand of horror movies inspired by the works of legendary filmmaker William Castle. Recently, Dark Castle entered into an arrangement with CIT Group Inc. to broaden the company into a full genre label encompassing feature films, Home Video and comic books. Under the supervision of producer Joel Silver, Dark Castle's upcoming roster includes the action film RocknRolla, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Gerard Butler, scheduled for an October 2008 release; Ninja Assassin, directed by James McTeigue and starring Korean music sensation Rain; and Whiteout, directed by Dominic Sena and starring Kate Beckinsale. Its Home Video titles will include The Hills Run Red, starring Sophie Monk, William Sadler and Tad Hilgenbrink, and comic book projects will include Ferryman, by Marc Andreyko and Jonathan Wayshak. Appearing in person: Gerard Butler and Guy Ritchie (Rocknrolla), Rain (Ninja Assassin), and producer Joel Silver.
Showtime: Dexter— Showtime presents exclusives from the set of the highly anticipated third season of Dexter. Moderator Kristin Dos Santos (E!) presides over this revealing interview and Q&A session with the top stars and executive producers of Dexter, featuring Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Clyde Phillips, and John Goldwyn.
Lionsgate and Marvel: Punisher: War Zone!— Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Incredible Hulk) and stars Ray Stevenson (Rome) and Julie Benz (Rambo, Dexter) take you into the world of the Punisher for an exclusive first look. You won't be prepared!
Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures: Saw 5— Director David Hackl, along with the filmmakers and cast for an exclusive first look at the latest terrifying installment of the most successful horror series in history.
Parting Thoughts... Lionsgate Hate?
Even though Lionsgate did have a presence at the 'Con, and they do release a lot of horror films, many have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with their recent practice of putting some really good films out in limited "dollar" theaters and midnight-only showings. Repo! The Genetic Opera is one, as is Midnight Meat Train, and Dance of the Dead.
In fact, when I interviewed MMT's Vinnie Jones the other day, he went on record saying: "I'm really upset that it's sort of been [shuffled direct to] DVD, you know. It's unbelievable. I've got friends who were up at the Comic-Con this year (I was there last year with Clive) and they said Midnight Meat Train is the most talked-about horror movie. [They had a packed screening] so it's brilliant for us, because now they [Lionsgate] can't keep a lid on it."
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Staci Layne Wilson reporting