When the week of July 26-August 1, 2008, began, San Diego Comic-Con was entering the final stretch and the Dread Central crew covering it were hitting their stride. We provided a massive amount of information — and will have even more videos coming over the next week — but what really stood out for me is how exciting the upcoming television season is. From “Fringe” to “Lost” to “Dexter” to “True Blood”, there is so much potential for greatness. And after watching the first five minutes of the fourth season opener of “Supernatural“, I’m even more anxious to see what trials and tribulations await the Winchester Brothers. As you’d expect, Padalecki and Ackles attracted one of the largest crowds and, aided by devil’s advocate/showrunner Eric Kripke, provided one of the most entertaining panels at the show. And that’s just one highlight out of a weekend full of them. Luckily we have a slew of pictures in the Gallery to help us remember them all.
But now it’s time to move on and take a look at what else has been going on. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the WTF?
A pair of very promising trailers debuted this past week: Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro’s Beyond the Grave and Ben Rock’s Alien Raiders, the latest offering from Raw Feed. They couldn’t be more different from one another, but both display enough positive elements that I’m definitely keeping them on my radar.
Not just one, but two pieces of artwork from Rob Zombie’s Tyrannosaurus Rex were unveiled this week via Rob’s MySpace page. We still have no clear idea of what this flick is about, and the pictures don’t help much. But say what you will about Zombie’s personality (I know some of you have a lot to say about the man), he does do a good job of staying in touch with his fanbase and keeping them in the loop about what he’s up to.
Her turn in Doomsday certainly proved she can kick some ass, so having Rhona Mitra star in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans just makes the project that much more attractive. We found some of the first pictures from the shoot, and they corroborate my theory. Mitra looks just as hot in her suit of armor as Beckinsale did in her black vinyl.
Nothing says we’re getting close to convention season like new guest announcements for Rock and Shock including first-timer Chris Sarandon and fan favorite Tony Todd. The band lineup is coming together as well. Yes, Gwar will be there; and no, I can’t guarantee Knetter won’t lose his pants again.
Your wallet will consider this next tidbit bad news, but enthusiasts for all things Halloween will be thrilled. It’s Carpenter’s masterpiece’s 30th anniversary this year, so you know what that means: a new boxset from Anchor Bay! Restored edition, extended edition, Blu-ray bonus — it’s all here and more! Quit bitchin’ and pre-order that sucker. You know you’re going to … we all share your addiction.
The WTF? news included Adam Sandler’s foray into horror with a film called Shortcut. It’ll take some convincing to get the fans behind it, but from its description, it has definite possibilities if Sandler and crew can play it straight. Who doesn’t have a creepy shortcut somewhere in their home town that their friends dared them to take at one time or another?
Then there’s the sounds too good to be true news, of which we had more than our fair share these past few days. First was a double-dose of upcoming David Goyer-helmed projects. He’s working on a new Invisible Man, which was a bit of a surprise to hear about (but thank god — finally something to erase the memory of Hollow Man‘s shortcomings), as well as an adaptation of the novel Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola. The other involved a rumored Ghostbusters reunion film that would then pass the torch to the next generation. I know a lot of people got pretty excited by the idea, but at the end of the day this Woman almost always prefers something original to a remake, revisit, redux, or reimagining. However, I’m about to contradict that statement with the next item on my list because … well … because … I did say “almost always”.
Shooting is commencing on a new version of the Oliver Wilde classic Dorian Gray with Ben Barnes and Colin Firth starring. The story has long been a favorite of mine, and director Oliver Parker’s promise of a “visceral, dark horror movie with themes of stardom running through” should be just the shot in the arm this timeless tale needs to stand out in the crowd.
Which brings us to the Woman’s Story of the Week. On its surface, it falls into the ugly news category I warned you about: Rally to Support The Midnight Meat Train.
I’ve seen some pretty strange things in my days of working with Dread Central, but one of the most unusual has to be the theatre listing for Lionsgate’s release of The Midnight Meat Train. No major markets. No AMC, Regal, Muvico, or even Landmark. Just discount theatres in off-the-beaten-path locations. Fans are outraged and vow to support the film however they can, even if it means buying up tickets to showings they can’t possibly attend. I’m trying to wrap my head around it and figure out a positive spin to the situation. Obviously the film already has its distribution deals in place so maybe the powers-that-be figured there’s nothing to be gained by having TMMT compete for box office returns with The Dark Knight, The Mummy 3, and the other big studio flicks. Why not see how it performs in places where the fans who don’t usually get to see movies like this have a chance to prove they’ll get off their asses and drive a few extra miles to the theatre? And give them a price break to boot! I’m going about 30 miles out of my way to see it, but I did the same thing for Diary of the Dead and have done it for several other films over the years. Because I think Clive, Ryuhei, and horror as a whole are worth it. Don’t you? I certainly hope so; otherwise, I’m gonna look like this guy sitting all alone at the Temeku Cinema on Saturday afternoon.
