COMIC-CON 2014 HIGHLIGHTS! A SECOND OPINION!

It’s sometimes hard to explain to people why you go to Comic-Con. Most of the time people just assume you love to play dress up. Which, of course, I do, but that’s a story for another time.  The real reason I go to Comic-Con is to wait in line…For days! There, I said it.  I t’s great! It’s my favorite part… No, wait… That’s not it… Wait, why the Hell do I go to Comic-Con? Is it the constant walking? Sleeping outside Hall H on the grass while the trains roll by? The $4 bottles of Coke?! Oh Wait,  I remember why I go! Movies! I go for the movies! And although there were some big studios missing from the Con  this year,  the event still brought out some cool footage and guests. Read on if you are interested. Stop reading if you have a headache, because it will only get worse from here…

Highlights and other Mann-ish things:

PENGUINS OF MADACASCAR

I will keep this short and sweet. PENGUINS looks fantastic. Easily some of the funniest footage we saw at the whole convention. You don’t usually get the sense that the fourth installment in a mediocre kid’s franchise is going to be what one would declare as, “Good” or “Entertaining for Adults”,  but  the creators of PENGUINS did just that.  The Werner Herzog intro to the penguins’ origins  in Antarctica was inspired. The penguins breaking into Fort Knox was hilarious. The fight with the bad guys on a gondola in the waterways of Venice was pitch perfect. In fact, everything we saw was solid. We got to see John Malkovich in all his weird glory (he’s the villain in this one.) This is going to be great fun for the whole family. You mark my words. You will love it!

INTERSTELLAR

INTERSTELLAR was a big surprise during the Paramount Pictures presentation, and it wasn’t just the new footage in the form of a beautiful new trailer (which debuted online a few days later). It was really about who brought the footage. Matthew McConaughey, in his first Comic-Con appearance, was as nice and cordial as you would expect from a proper Texan. He assured us that INTERSTELLAR was a movie we should be excited about and that it had things that we have never seen before.  He then introduced the man with the plan, an innovative filmmaker whom had never graced the halls of Comic-Con either; Christopher Nolan! Nolan came out and spoke with the audience for several minutes. He never gave away anything about the plot. Instead, he encouraged that we all go into the movie blind so that we can be surprised, which is something that is truly missing in today’s “Google-it-right-now-and-don’t-ask-questions” culture. The new trailer looks awesome. I have no idea what it’s about.  Something about a dying Earth, a father and a daughter, a worm-hole, and saving humanity as we know it. I have no idea, and that is fine. If Mr. Nolan and McConaughey say so, I will believe them. I hope you will as well.

THE BOXTROLLS

Laika Films is really a special company. They are doing things with stop motion animation that have never been done. But more than animation styles, they are telling wonderfully quirky stories in ways we have never seen. They are totally unique, they have heady subtext, they have unconventional beauty, and they don’t just pander to children. Their first film, CORALINE, was spectacular, spooky and risky. Their next effort, PARANORMAN, was hilarious, sad, and touching. Their newest, THE BOXTROLLS, looks quirky, beautiful, funny, and very sweet, with a touch of social class commentary. THE BOXTROLLS crew shared a  sizzle reel with attendees. It  featured the title characters in their sewer home, taking care of a human baby boy by bringing him a toy  they found from the world above ground. It was so cute and touching that it caused some folks in the crowd to weep. And by “some folks”, I mean myself, because I am a person too… But, I am pretty sure behind all of my sniffles and clouded vision, other attendees were touched as well. THE BOXTROLLS looks to be a cute, hand-crafted masterwork from one of the greatest animation studios to ever come along. Keep it up Laika, you wonderful risk-takers. Give THE BOXTROLLS a try, and if you have not seen Laika’s other films yet, watch them now! They are worth your time. Just know that this isn’t Disney. This is something a little different. But, as THE BOXTROLLS so eloquently displays, different is good.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

I am not going to take up a bunch of time when it comes to the much talked about AGE OF ULTRON footage.  This time, The Avengers are up against a scary robot called Ultron, voiced by James Spader, which may just make him the scariest robot ever. He may kill you and then make a lurid advance at your corpse. Because I imagine Spader would do that. In all honesty though, the footage looked as epic and fun as Marvel fans hope for it to be. I’m a good judge too because I’m not a Marvel fanboy. I’m coming at this from a different vantage point.  I can honestly say that AGE OF ULTRON looks really  exciting. Good on you Joss Whedon! Seriously, this movie might just beat AVATAR for the box-office crown. You best be on your toes James Cameron.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

When I heard 5 years ago that George Miller’s next project was going to be the long awaited MAD MAX sequel, I have to admit I was skeptical. Particularly upon hearing that Miller opted to recast Max (Tom Hardy is in, Mel Gibson is out.)  But, considering this is a sequel that allegedly takes place a few years after the events depicted in  THUNDERDOME, it does make sense.  Gibson is far too old to pull that off. I wanted this movie to be good, and I am hear to tell you; The movie does look good. Really good! You should look at the trailer now! Go ahead, it’s okay, I will be here when you are finished…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdLl1GVjOrc

Are you back? Good! Looks great, right? Well guess what? I have seen even more footage, and it’s amazing. Even better than that trailer! I am so freaking excited for this movie! When referring to Max, Tina Turner once said  “We don’t need another hero”, and I’ll be damned if we ever will. Long live Max! And please, if you have not seen the MAD MAX trilogy, pull your head out and watch all three movies now!  If you do not like the MAD MAX trilogy, then stop reading this because we are no longer friends. We are now enemies! You do not stand a chance against Humongous and Auntie Entity. Not unless you have Max on your side.

BLACKHAT

Hey, what the hell is Michael Mann doing at Comic-Con?! The meticulous, legendary film-maker was on hand to share footage from his new movie BLACKHAT, a techno-thriller about a computer hacker inmate who gets a chance to have his record wiped clean if he agrees to help the American and Chinese governments stop another computer hacker who just so happens to pose a serious threat to our existence. Why was this at Comic-Con? I don’t know.  Does BLACKHAT sound kind of generic? It kind of does, but I am willing to give Michael Mann the benefit of the doubt because he is an awesome filmmaker and he very seldom plays  it safe. Chris Hemsworth stars in the film and he looks solid. This panel just felt a little out of place next to presentations for  films like THE MAZE RUNNER and ANT-MAN. But in the end,  I love you Michael.  You manly man. You make movies about men, for men, and you are a man named Mann.

If you haven’t already seen his work, go watch THIEF, MANHUNTER, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, HEAT, and COLLATERAL right now!  Mann truly is one of the best in the business.

SAM RAIMI

I got to see Sam Raimi! He was on hand to announce a movie based on a really cool looking video game called, THE LAST OF US. I don’t play video games, but this one sounded cool. It’s about a guy and a teenage girl trying to survive a  biological “not-zombie-but-these-are-clearly-zombies” outbreak. It looks to be one of the more ambitious video game adaptations, and hopefully, that’s a good thing. Honestly, I was just super excited to see Sam Raimi in person. He made the EVIL DEAD films, which inspired me to want to become a filmmaker (along with John Carpenter). He also directed one of the greatest comic book movies of all time… Wait for it…you were  thinking I was going to say SPIDER-MAN, weren’t you? Nope! It’s all about DARKMAN! Everyone always says SPIDER-MAN, which is fine and all, but DARKMAN is so much cooler. I love that movie! Lots of love for A SIMPLE PLAN, THE GIFT, and DRAG ME TO HELL too. Thanks for coming out to the Con, Mr. Raimi. You made my day.

IN CONCLUSION:

This may have been one of the weaker Cons I’ve attended line-up wise, but the fact remains, even with the long lines, sleeping outside, the expensive concessions, and the blisters on my feet,  I love films. I love these filmmakers. I want to spread the joy. There were plenty of great presentations this year. I hope you will seek these films out and not take my sarcasm too seriously. Watch movies my friends! Love them and be friends with them, because they have so much to offer you. I will see you next year ComiCon. Take care. On a final note, please…No more wristbands! And please…Do not wake me up at 4:15 AM ever again…Not even to move me five feet forward.  That wasn’t cool.