Month: January 2010

Avatar Becomes Top Grossing Film of All Time

When I first saw the trailer for Avatar I can honestly say that I never expected the sci-fi epic, to overtake Titanic… or for that matter even be good. Now after seeing it for myself I can see why it’s become the top grossing film of all time.

The BBC has a pretty good story up about Avatar beating Titanic –

The original Titanic sank in 1912. Now the blockbuster movie it inspired has also gone down.

Avatar’s worldwide takings in just six weeks stand at $1.859bn (£1.15bn), versus Titanic’s $1.843bn (£1.14bn).

The figures are not adjusted for inflation or the higher cost of Avatar’s 3D film tickets.

Director James Cameron holds the remarkable distinction of directing both the world’s top grossing movies.

Titanic, which starred Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, set a new box office record during its release in 1997-1998.

As long as you don’t account for inflation or increased ticket cost…

NBC picks up ‘The Cape,’ ‘Outsourced’

NBC on Thursday picked up two more pilots: drama “The Cape” and comedy “Outsourced.”

“The Cape,” from “Empire” creator Tom Wheeler, is a light drama with a comic book sensibility.

Set in a fictionalized version of Los Angeles, it centers on a former cop framed for a crime who becomes the Cape, a masked hero, to clear his name and reunite with his son.

The project, from UMS and BermanBraun, was originally set up at NBC in the fall with a premium script commitment.

Wheeler wrote the script and is exec producing with Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman.

NBC originally developed “Outsourced” during the 2007-08 season.

Based on George Wing and John Jeffcoat’s movie, the single-camera office comedy centers on a recently demoted manager of a novelties company who is shipped off to India to manage a ragtag group of customer service reps.

Robert Borden (“The Drew Carey Show”) penned the script and is exec producing with Wing, Jeffcoat and Ken Kwapis, who has been with the project since its inception.

Kwapis, one of the main directors on NBC’s “The Office” who also helped the pilot for the Emmy-winning comedy, is also set to direct the pilot for “Outsourced.”

How about some Lost rumors and news?

I’m not sure what to make of this at all, but I can’t stop looking for all the Easter Eggs in this promo poster for Lost’s final season from AXN Brazil. (Follow the link for some close ups)

Then we learned some other interesting stuff:

Apparently the classic novel Deep River, by Shusaku Endo, will play an important role — of some kind — in Lost’s sixth season.

The 1993 novel, published by New Directions, is about four Japanese tourists who head to India and end up on unexpected spiritual journeys.

Chad W. Post is an expert on literary translation as well as a Lost obsessive who loves seeking literary references in the show. He helped coordinate the show’s use of Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman as the basis for an early episode, and now he’s heard about the Endo references from one of the show’s script coordinators. On the Media Bistro radio interview here, Post talks about his first exposure to the cryptic series: “The way it was constructed was like literature… all the different story-lines… all the mysteries, and the different ideas.” The literary references, he says, “add a dimension to the show… new ways of approaching the ideas.”

Endo (1923-96) was one of the masters of unraveling the paradoxes of postwar Japanese culture. He was also Catholic, and Martin Scorsese is adapting his most famous novel, Silence, from 1966, with Daniel Day-Lewis, Gael Garcia Bernal and Benicio Del Toro. (Shooting began last year in New Zealand.)

Weekend Box Office Chart for January 22nd to January 24th

Passing up The Dark Knight, Avatar became the second-biggest movie of all time at the North American box office this weekend, as it logged a sixth consecutive weekend in the top spot.

1. Avatar $36.0 Total: $552.7
2. Legion $18.2 Total: $18.2
3. The Book of Eli $17.0 Total: $62.0
4. The Tooth Fairy $14.5 Total: $14.5
5. The Lovely Bones $8.8 Total: $31.6
6. Sherlock Holmes $7.1 Total: $191.5
7. Extraordinary Measures $7.0 Total: $7.0
8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $6.5 Total: $204.2
9. It’s Complicated $6.1 Total: $98.6
10. The Spy Next Door $4.7 Total: $18.7
11. The Blind Side $4.5 Total: $234.0
12. Up in the Air $4.3 Total: $69.6

Friday Video Round Up

First we have the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 trailer sporting some great cinamatics and Queens of the Stone Age.

Now, if you didn’t know it Halo has a cartoon coming out called “Halo: Legends“. It’s very similar too Batman: Gotham Knights; a bunch of Japanese studios put together a collection of animated shorts, all based on Batman. A couple were amazing, the rest… well not amazing.

Get an exclusive look at the Geoff Johns-penned episode of SMALLVILLE

Want to see some more hints about television’s Justice Society? DC Comics’ blog has an exclusive clip from Smallville’s “Absolute Justice” episode, as well as writer Geoff Johns promising “more cameos and easter eggs than Green Lanterns.”

It’s not a stretch to say comics are everywhere on the pop culture landscape — movies, television, books and beyond. These colorful heroes are a part of our daily lives, and we’re proud to unveil something very cool — and by “cool,” I mean something special, that we’ve never done before on THE SOURCE.

As most of you know, BLACKEST NIGHT writer Geoff Johns has done his fair share of Hollywood work, including but not limited to working with SUPERMAN director Richard Donner. He’s also written episodes of SMALLVILLE. The most recent, titled “Absolute Justice” features the television debut of some of his — and your — favorite DCU heroes, including Hawkman, Stargirl and Dr. Fate.

In other words, the Justice Society of America. The first superhero team in history and one that holds a special place not only for Geoff, but for fans everywhere.

So, needless to say, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention it here. We’d be doubly at fault if we didn’t corral Geoff himself to share a few words, too. Take it away, Geoff:

“It’s the first live action Justice Society of America. Hawkman, Doctor Fate and, my personal favorite, Stargirl. But don’t expect them to be the one ones you see. Look closely in this episode. There’s more cameos and easter eggs than Green Lanterns.”

Oh, and did I mention we have an exclusive clip from the episode, courtesy of the fine folks at The CW? Click below to view. Enjoy!

You can see the video here

Also Newsarama just put up a “1st Look: JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS” Clip, you can see that one here.

A Battle between the Justice League and the Crime Syndicate will always be packed with action. This clip, from the DCU Animated Original movie coming February 23, 2010, jumps straight into an all-out brawl between the mirrored teams.

Watch Tony Stark Banish The Mighty Hulk Into Space Slavery

The Hulk’s rage issues are being put in check by Tony Stark. His penance? Space banishment. We’ve got an exclusive clip of the Hulk’s exile, from the animated feature Planet Hulk.

Here’s the official synopsis:

He was a monster, impossible to control, too dangerous to ignore. So Earth’s mightiest heroes exiled him into outer space. But now the Incredible Hulk crash lands on the distant planet Sakaar, ruled by the tyrannical Red King. Sold into slavery, Hulk becomes the planet’s mightiest gladiator-but his new masters get more than they bargained for when he forges a bond of brotherhood with his fellow fighters: crafty insectoid Miek, ruthless rock-man Korg, ex-shadow priest Hiroim, and the noble-born rebel Elloe. Unlike Earth, the desperate people of Sakaar believe a monster is just what they need. But will the Hulk be the one to save their world… or destroy it?

Planet Hulk will be available on DVD Feb. 2nd. Which includes a special opening Sequence from Thor: Tales of Asgard.

Weekend Boxoffice Chart for January 15th to January 17th

Avatar moved up to the #3 spot on the all-time chart, beating out 1977’s Star Wars this weekend by taking its fifth consecutive weekend as the top choice at the North American box office on Sunday.

1. Avatar $41.3 Total $491.7
2. The Book of Eli $31.6 Total $31.6
3. The Lovely Bones $17.0 Total $17.5
4. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $11.5 Total $192.5
5. Sherlock Holmes $9.8 Total $180.0
6. The Spy Next Door $9.7 Total $9.7
7. It’s Complicated $7.6 Total $88.2
8. Leap Year $5.8 Total $17.5
9. The Blind Side $5.5 Total $226.7
10. Up in the Air $5.4 Total $62.8
11. Daybreakers $5.0 Total $24.1
12. Youth in Revolt $2.8 Total $11.9

What do you get when you mix video games and movies?

If you answered a massive train wreck then you’d be right!

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, won Rotten Tomatoes’ Golden Tomato award, as the “Worst Reviewed Movie of the Year.”

The combination of a shallow plot and miscast performers renders Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li a perfectly forgettable video game adaptation.

What’s fun, looking at the reviews I learned to NEVER listen to Ron Nelson of Variety and Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times, think they are the only ones to give it a positive review.

First footage of Project Runway Game

Atari’s release calls Project Runway: The Videogame a “must have accessory for series fans,” touting Wii Balance Board support for runway walking, and appearances from Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors, plus reigning Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva.

I may not care at all for this game, but if it turns out to be ‘ok’ I will 100% get it for my wife.

Meet James Stylin

Anyone that has been to a comic book convention over the last 15 years has seen the booths, celebrities and characters overshadowed by Stylin Online’s “towers of t-shirts” . The multi-color retail extravaganza helps fans find the fashion from every genre show what they’re into (and sometimes what they’re not 😉 And each tower at each convention is the strategically constructed work of the biggest fan of all.

Meet James Stylin.

Like all fans, James found something that he was really into. In his case, “Transformers,” (he now even owns a bumble-bee yellow Transformers Chevrolet Camaro). Each convention he attended he would seek out the Transformers shirts he didn’t have and add them to his collection. Eventually, he collected them all, and began searching out other retail options that could provide shirts he didn’t already have.

Then he got the idea to make this hobby into a business. A big business.

James found the best licensed t-shirt designers in the market, and he developed a relationship with each to get the best selection of pop culture t-shirts, hoodies, hats, belt buckles and accessories that he could find. He also built a web site ( a very big web site) to handle the now more than 11,000 t-shirts in 20 different categories.

Today, James leads a team of more than 150 transportation specialists, roadies, managers and sales associates through 20 of the country’s leading comic book and gaming conventions (check the schedule on the home page for a complete and current listing).

In each city we find the fans that have been supporting us since we’ve opened, and the more than 4,500 new fans that we’ve made on Facebook that all need a great resource for their fanatical fashion needs.

Stylin Online also is a regular on the celebrity gift suites for many of the most popular awards shows, like the Teen Choice Awards, the EMMY’s, the American Music Awards, and the Oscar’s.

James is a well-known expert on fan fashion, discussing what’s hot / what’s not in the fan fashion world, trivia related the categories Stylin Online carries, and answering fan questions on local radio and television programs. Click the “play” arrow on the player below to listen to James Stylin on WNNJ.

Click “play” to listen to James on WNNJ.

To learn more about James Stylin and Stylin Online please send email requests to stylin@StylinOnline.com.

About Stylin Online

Based in Michigan, StylinOnline.com is one of the largest retailers of licensed comic books, movie, TV, video game, music and pop culture t-shirts, sweatshirts, belt buckles and pop culture apparel for men, women, teens, juniors, and kids.

Weekend Box Office Chart for January 8th to January 10th

Avatar ruled the icy throne that is the North American box office for a fourth weekend this Sunday. I think it is currently the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time.

Here is the Weekend Box office Chart For January 8th to January 10th (and boy was it cold this weekend!)

1. Avatar $48.5 Total: $429.0 (Worldwide: $1,341,694,147…. WOW)
2. Sherlock Holmes $16.6 Total: $165.1
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $16.3 Total: $178.1
4. Daybreakers $15.0 Total: $15.0
5. It’s Complicated $11.0 Total: $76.3
6. Leap Year $9.1 Total: $9.1
7. The Blind Side $7.7 Total: $219.1
8. Up in the Air $7.1 Total: $54.7
9. Youth in Revolt $7.0 Total: $7.0
10. The Princess and the Frog $4.7 Total: $92.6
11. Invictus $1.7 Total: $33.5
12. The Twilight Saga: New Moon $1.6 Total: $290.7

Weekend Box Office Chart for January 1st to January 3rd.

Here is the Weekend Box office Chart for January 1st to January 3rd.

1. Avatar $68.3/$352.1
2. Sherlock Holmes $38.3/$140.6
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel $36.6/$157.3
4. It’s Complicated $18.7/$59.1
5. The Blind Side $12.6/$209.0
6. Up in the Air $11.3/$45.0
7. The Princess and the Frog $10.0/$86.0
8. Did You Hear About the Morgans? $5.2/$25.6
9. Nine $4.2/$14.0
10. Invictus $4.1/$30.7
11. The Twilight Saga: New Moon $3.6/$287.7
12. Brothers $1.2/$27.5

Speaking of Avatar, I heard the Blu-ray release will include the 3D version of the movie. Not 100% sure on that one but still that would be pretty cool.

Happy New Year Everyone

One of the best things that we’ve found from having our Facebook fan page is the different people that have come together to share common interests. Comics, movies, music, gaming, anime – every different interest uniting every different person.

We also see this at every convention we attend, in every city across North America. From Toronto to San Diego to Orlando to New York, we see the best people sharing the best in themselves and the differences make every event – better.

We do have a lot of fun with the different interest our fans share, as well as the different shirts they all find to show who they are. And as we look to the New Year we hope that this mutual sharing, mutual understanding and open communication continues within our little piece of the world.

Happy New Year. Everyone.

Live-Action Star Blazers Trailer!

Space Battleship Yamato, known in the U.S. as Star Blazers, was a total classic of our youth, featuring a massive spaceship built into the ruins of the World War II battleship Yamato. Fully animated of course in all that only school anime glory, well now it seems we are getting a live-action version in 2010.

Lets face it, it may not be the best trailer I’ve ever seen, but with all the movies that came out recently seemingly set on destroying my youth (looking right at G.I. Joe… really Duke was Married to baroness, I mean come on!), this one gets a pass for simply being more on point.