Comic-Con 2008 Report, Part 2 of 4
Probably the biggest movie to thrill the Comic-Con crowds over the entire weekend was Watchmen, the upcoming graphic-novel-to-film directed by Zack Snyder (ah, I remember the pre-300 Snyder days, when we covered — and loved — his Dawn of the Dead remake). I was too busy interviewing everyone to snap any of my own photos, but since my favorite Watch-man of the day was Jackie Earle Haley, here's his Rorschach character poster, which was unveiled on Friday.
Photo: Warner Bros.
Haley was really funny. When I asked him how "Rorschach" is pronounced — I assumed it was like the test, as in 'raw-shock' — he said 'roar-shack'. So I countered with, "You mean like Horshack on the TV series from the 70s, Welcome Back Kotter?" and he said, "Yes, but without the Oooh! Oooh!" For just a moment, me and he were in Sweathog heaven… sigh.
But now let's talk horror. As far as I'm concerned, one of the great talents in the spooky shack these days is Frenchman Alexandre Aja. He first got our attention with High Tension, and now he's at Comic-Con with Mirrors, a suspenser starring Keifer Sutherland and Amy Smart.
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
All three talents were on hand for a press conference at the Hard Rock Hotel across the street from the Convention Center bright and early on Friday morning. When asked the inevitable, Smart said her favorite horror movie is Poltergeist, while Aja and Sutherland both chose The Shining. However, Sutherland did say the monster movie that made the biggest impression on him as a child was a James Brolin classic… no, not The Amityville Horror. Aim a little lower. Yep, you've got it: The Car.
"The Car was a movie with a car that was basically possessed by the devil. It was a black Lincoln, with dark windows," explained the actor, for the benefit of everyone under the age of 40 in the audience. "It went into this small town and basically ran everybody over. This car could go through houses. Every time the car came into town the wind would start to blow and music would start to go. I don't think I've ever been scared by anything more in my life. I lived on the 14th floor and I was still afraid that this car was going to manage to get through, get up there, and run me over. I wasn’t that young either. I think I was 12 years old. I should have known better. It stayed with me for months!"
Photo: Staci Layne Wilson
We all laughed at Sutherland's expense, then enjoyed some hair-raising and, er, jaw-dropping scenes from Mirrors. In fact, Horror.com was lucky enough to score some swag after the conference and Fox Studios was evil enough to offer up even more gory goods:
Also on hand on Friday (and every day) was the awesome Anchor Bay, where they unveiled the special skull-packaging for Masters of Horror Season Two. (Horror.com review coming soon! Included in the bony boxed set is, happily, is one of the best Masters of Horror episodes ever: Stuart Gordon's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat, starring a captivating Jeffrey Combs.)
Spooks, a graphic novel by Ryan Schifrin (Abominable) and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe), and illustrated by Adam Archer, was on sale at the Con; and got a big boost from Men In Black producer Barry Josephson when he got on board for a live-action adaptation of Spooks.
Photo: Devil's Due Publishing
Later on in the day I talked to Sam Raimi, the bone fide boss of boo-scares, about his upcoming scare-comedy Drag Me To Hell. Two clips were shown, featuring stars (also on hand for interviews) Alison Lohman and Justin Long — the movie looks like a real throwback to the Evil Dead days! Drag Me To Hell will be in theaters next summer.
Friday's Horror-Related Panels:
Resident Evil: Degeneration (Devil May Cry 4, Resident Evil 4) and director Makoto Kamiya (special effects director, L: Change the World, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack) introduce the full-length CG-animated motion picture based on the popular Capcom video game franchise. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment invites you to be the first to see the film's revealing new trailer and take part in a Q&A session with the filmmakers.
Joss Whedon— Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and the writers and cast of his new short film, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, will show never-before-seen clips while Joss also discusses Buffy Season Eight, the Fray crossover, and the upcoming Serenity comic focusing on Shepherd Book.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game— Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and panelists from Sierra Entertainment and Sony Pictures Consumer Products discuss the eagerly anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game, due out this October. The panel focuses on what it takes to bring fans the next chapter in the Ghostbusters universe, including working with the original cast members and Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a completely true and faithful interactive ghostbusting experience.
The Wolfman— For its upcoming action-horror film The Wolfman, Universal will showcase new footage and a presentation from the title monster's creator, six-time Oscar-winning special effects artist Rick Baker.
Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment: The Spirit— Writer/director Frank Miller and producer Deborah Del Prete are joined by film stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, and Eva Mendes in unveiling an exclusive preview of the new film based on the classic comic by Will Eisner.
Going Ape: Celebrating 75 Years of The Beast and The Beauty of King Kong— KONG! KONG! KONG! Our panel celebrates 75 years of one of cinema's most famous and most beloved beasties. Panelists take look back at the history of King Kong on-screen along with fun facts, reminiscences and anecdotes about the film that inspired many of us to become fans, filmmakers and fanatics. A panel of experts and fans is moderated by Mark A. Altman and Jeff Bond (Geek Monthly).
Spotlight on Bernie Wrightson— Comic-Con special guest Bernie Wrightson brought a whole new face to horror comics when he broke into the industry in the late 1960s. He went on to co-create Swamp Thing and produce numerous work in both the horror and superhero genres. His magnum opus is his illustrated version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to be reprinted later this year by Dark Horse Comics.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 20th Anniversary Reunion— From 1988 to 1999, the long-suffering captives aboard the Satellite of Love wisecracked their way through hundreds of cinema's problem children—those delirious B-movies of yesteryear created by twisted imaginations and, possibly, the need for a tax shelter. To celebrate the show's 20th Anniversary, join a historic reunion of cast and crew, including creator Joel Hodgson, producer Jim Mallon and fellow writer/performers Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, Paul Chaplin, J. Elvis Weinstein, Bridget Nelson, and Bill Corbett for a Q&A panel hosted by self-professed "MST3K nerd" and comedian Patton Oswalt.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog— The story of a low-rent supervillain (Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible), the hero who keeps beating him up (Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer), and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to (Felicia Day as Penny). This musical in three parts, created for the Internet and written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, premieres in its entirety on the big screen at Comic-Con.
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Staci Layne Wilson reporting