By Kim Morgan
Special to MSN Movies

I'm A Freak And A Geek

I'm a Comic-Con virgin. But after three days of this shindig, my er ... "Cherry Darling" (come on, "Planet Terror" fans ...  and I saw Rose McGowan on the "Red Sonja" panel so it's relevant) anyway, that thing's been popped. Amid the herds of nerds (and I mean that in the nicest way possible -- mostly) and costumed fan-freaks, the expansive convention floor/field filled with every kind of graphic novel to numerous movie posters to the "Harold & Kumar" unicorn, I am, in the grandest of understatements, a bit overwhelmed. And surprised, too. I'd gone in thinking I'd be annoyed by the geek fest, that my inner high-school-smoking-section Kim Kelly (the "freak" from "Freaks and Geeks") would rage against the onslaught of nerd-dom; instead, I was charmed. I'd see a guy in far too tight spandex Robin outfit and think, "Right on! Do your thing, man!" When spying a girl dressed in the original Princess Leia outfit, I thought, "Good for you! Those cinnamon buns on your head must have been a bitch to apply."

And then I took the Comic-Con shuttle. Filled with Comic-Con fans of every stripe, I realized I wasn't far removed from these kids -- and they all seem like kids, even the adults who are older than I am. After speaking to one fellow who asked me what the hell I was doing there (funny -- I'm the weirdo I guess), I told him I just saw, among others, Frank Miller speak. When he asked me who Frank Miller was, I flipped: "What?!" I exclaimed, "You're at Comic-Con and you don't know who Frank Miller is"? That's like saying you don't know who Han Solo is! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yes I geeked out. And yes, OK, Kim Kelly did emerge, albeit a much nerdier one. I realized my own fan-girl geekdom when my first panel began with ...

July 25, 2008

The Visionary Filmmakers

I love Frank Miller. I love his graphic novels, I love that he loves film noir, I love that he's staunchly protective of his material and I love that he can actually pull off wearing a pin-striped jacket and a fedora -- not an easy feat, my friends. So I was excited to learn he would be participating in the Visionary Filmmakers panel as part of his promotion of "The Spirit." His fellow panelists were Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead," "300" and the highly anticipated "Watchmen"), Judd Apatow (creator of "Freaks and Geeks," director of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" and producer of "Superbad" and "The Pineapple Express") and Kevin Smith ("Clerks," and you know the rest). Now, I still love Frank Miller, but dammit if Kevin Smith (who received the biggest applause upon entering), a filmmaker I don't revere by any stretch of the imagination, didn't win me over. Discussing the role of geek in cinema, the power they hold both culturally and in the business world (they are taking over), Smith and Apatow dominated the panel with their hilarious, incredibly blue banter. When asked why they made the movies they do, Smith quipped, "I just wanted to get my c** sucked, sir." And then Apatow one upped him with, "I'd still like that to happen ... [Anyway] I was 16/17 years old and I had sex for the first time, and afterwards I asked her, 'Was it good for you too?' She answered, 'I guess it'll get better' & and then I knew." He continued with, "I'm sure none of you have had that experience." Ah, have to love him (and there's more of him to come).

Miller and Snyder were silent for most of the panel, with Snyder coming off almost nervous at times (even Smith, who praised "Watchmen" pointed out his lack of verbal skills were made up by such a strong visual sense), but Snyder did make some nice points about the power of watching movies on the big screen: "I'm a fan of the theater, I want to go to the movies, I want the lights to go down and get my brains blown out." Considering his movies, I'm pretty sure he meant that literally.

Kevin Smith Makes a Porno

July 26, 2008

"Terminator Salvation"

Did I honestly think Christian Bale would make a surprise appearance here? Yes, yes, there was some glimmer of hope inside, even with his latest incident. ("Verbal assault"? What is up with laws in England? Leave Mr. Bale alone. He was having a bad night.). Anyway, I was shocked by how er ... articulate director McG (he of "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" fame) was. After showing the trailer (starring Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard and Common, who did all appear on the panel today) the picture looks a lot grittier than we've seen of Mr. McG, who stated he used no visual effects in order to create a more "tactile feel" and a more "'70s" vibe. Good direction. He was also quite political ("I think if the world would get its head out of its ass & if we actually see a guy like Common running shi* ...") and made some interesting points about the state of the world: "Science fiction is over, we live in a world we can clone a sheep, talk on our blackberries, and if we're depressed, we just take a pill to affect our dopamine levels. The future is here." He also conceded his lack of credible weight by citing others for any artistry the film might have. "We hired Stan Winston, John Nolan is the writer, who you know from a little picture called 'The Dark Knight.'" He continued with "[Audiences are thinking,] I don't know about that McG guy. So I wanted to hire the most credible actor of this generation: Christian Bale. He is John Connor. I can report fairly back to you, he's doing a great, great job." I'm pretty sure he's right. As for the movie itself, we shall see ...

Universal's "Mummy," "Race," "Drag Me to Hell" and "Land of the Lost" I find "The Mummy" movies unbearably boring, but I'll admit it -- watching Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Maria Bello saunter out to promote the newest take on the tedious franchise, my heart skipped a beat (OK, maybe half a beat) faster. The newest picture takes place in China, and from the looks at the sneak peek, it would appear Brendan Fraser is battling a group of Yeti in the snow. OK, I'm bored again. Next up was "Death Race," director Paul W.S. Anderson's re-make of Paul Bartel's classic cult film, but I'm not reporting on that movie until tomorrow after I interview the director and cast. One nice surprise was producer Roger Corman taking the stage. He claimed he was cheap enough producing the original picture to do all of his own driving in the film (ah, the good old days).

Rolling along, the room significantly perked up with Sam Raimi's entrance. The director gave us a sneak of his return to horror with "Drag Me to Hell," which stars Alison Lohman and Justin Long. All I need to say is: Alison Lohman gets in one hell of a fantastically gross fight with a scary old lady in a car. Nicely done, Mr. Raimi. After the third "Spider-Man," it's nice to see him back in the horror genre.

"Land of the Lost" was next on the docket; it's a movie that looks, well ... we never saw much of anything except an unfunny bit where Will Ferrell (who wasn't in attendance) plays a banjo and attempts to sing the original theme song and something about a dinosaur. Most interesting bit? The fact that Sid and Marty Kroft (who were present) might not be aware that the picture is making fun of the original TV show. But hey, I could be wrong. And the Sleezstack scared the crap out of me when I was a kid so ...

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," "Quarantine," "Pineapple Express"

After watching the trailer for the very Romero-inspired "Quarantine" and listening to "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'" director Patrick Tatopoulos discuss vampires, werewolves and Lycans, I start wondering just what the hell the difference is between a Lycan and a Werewolf. Is there a difference? Am I losing my mind? No, I'm just eagerly awaiting more Judd Apatow, along with the great David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen, Danny Miller and James Franco to discuss a movie I cannot wait to see, "Pineapple Express" (which is directed by Green). Finally, they emerge and the room is energized by not just a bunch of promotional turn and burn, but quick-witted conversation and riotous banter between cast members and the amusing (amusing is a nice way of putting it) audience members asking questions. Apatow leads the panel and is fast to make fun of his looks on the Comic-Con jumbotron (he even flashes his hairy chest to make a nervous, questioning fan feel better about his Chewbacca backpack); then he plays loose and mirthful with his cast and director. I realize this is the third time I've seen Seth Rogen in 24 hours, and I'm not tired of him in the least. I don't think I'll ever tire of the guy. Actually, I'm so eager to see Rogen and Franco in this stoner action movie that I'm annoyed I've just watched three clips from the film. I just want to see it. And that's a good way to end the evening. I can only hope tomorrow holds such promise. Oh, wow ... I'm beginning to sound like a bad science fiction movie based on a comic book. You'd think I was at some sort of convention or something ...

2008 Comic Con Coverage:

Comic Con 101: What's Hot in 2008? 
'Twilight' Preview
Surprise: 'Wolverine'; plus, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and more 
'Knight Rider' Returns 
Preview: 'Star Trek' and 'Eagle Eye' 
'City of Ember' Train Ride


Are you excited about "Terminator Salvation"? "Pineapple Express"? Write us at heymsn@microsoft.com

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See also: Friday Movies Wrap-Up | Thursday Movies Wrap-Up