Video: Marvel Comics’ Star Wars #1
As Star Wars makes its historic return to Marvel with the official release of Star Wars #1, hear from series writer Jason Aaron, series editor Jordan D. White, and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso about the creation of this monumental new ongoing series.
STAR WARS #1 is available now in comic shops, on the Marvel Comics App and on Marvel.com
Pre-Order Alert: Skaar – Son of Hulk Premium Print from Sideshow Collectibles
Sideshow Collectibles’ newest Premium Art Print is now up for order: Skaar – Son of Hulk.
This print shows Skaar in the same pose as Sideshow’s sold-out Premium Format Figure, with a blade in each hand ready for battle.
The print measures 18×24 inches and is hand-numbered.
Sideshow’s Premium Art prints are a new line from Sideshow Collectibles. With an extremely low edition size (Skaar is limited to 300 prints) these have been selling out very quickly.
I received my first Premium Art Print from Sideshow last week (Psylocke) and the printing is very high quality. The Epson inks used give the piece an airbrushed feel. It is on very thick, textured paper, and the white boarder makes matting the print unnecessary.
A full review of the Psylocke print will be on an upcoming episode of the Marvelicious Toys podcast.
Order your Skarr – Son of Hulk Premium Art Print now at Sideshow Collectibles’ Web Site!
Exclusive Marvel Legends 3-Pack on Clearance at Target.com
Brick-and-mortar stores’ prices may vary, but the Target exclusive Marvel Legends Infinite Series figure 3-Pack is on clearance and in stock at Target.com
This figure set, first revealed at 2014’s San Diego Comic-Con, contains 6-inch action figures of Marvel Comics characters Ms. Marvel, Captain America, and Radioactive Man. Originally retailing for $49.99, these are now marked down to $30.00 at Target’s web site.
Reports nationwide of in-store pricing is varied, with some Marvelicious Toys podcast listeners reporting finding the set marked down to $25.00, while others have noticed the price increase by $1 to $50.99
Voting Now Open for 2014 Poppies Toy and Collectible Awards
Voting is now open for the 2014 Poppies Awards.
Now in its seventh year, The Poppies is an awards program presented by MWCToys.com. Run by MWCToys owner Michael Crawford, the Poppies present awards to toy and collectible companies in such categories as Best Overall Company, Eddie Wires Award for Outstanding Paint, and Best Vehicle or Playset. Further categories for figures are broken down by gender to Best Male Figure and Best Female Figure and then further broken down by scale: Under 5-inches, 5-inches to 11-inches, 12-inches to 17-inches, and 18-inches and larger.
The awards are voted on by a panel of judges picked by Crawford. These judges represent collectible companies, media outlets, toy retailers, artists, and notable collectors. Included in the 2014 judging are former DC Comics creative leader Georg Brewer, Toynami design consultant Scott Tipton, Diamond Select Toys Marketing Supervisor Zach Oat, Yodasnews.com webmaster Mark Picirilli, Entertainment Earth merchandiser Adam Pawlus, MTV Geek writer Jason Stephens, and Marvelicious Toys and Star Wars Action News podcast host Arnie Carvalho. The full list of judges can be viewed at MWCToys.com.
In addition to the expert panel of judges, MWCToys.com also offers Peoples Picks awards which have open voting. The ballot is hosted at MWCToys.com
This years list of nominees in the Peoples Picks awards are:
Best Overall Company
- 3A
- ACI
- Asmus
- Bandai / Bandai Japan
- Bif Bang Pow
- DC Collectibles
- Diamond Select
- Enterbay
- Four Horsemen
- Funko
- Gentle Giant
- Hasbro
- Hot Toys
- Jakks
- Jazwares
- Kotobukiya
- LEGO
- Mattel
- McFarlane Toys
- Mezco
- NECA
- Playmates
- Sideshow
- ThreeZero
- Weta
Best Overall Line – High End
- Batman Black & White (DC Collectibles)
- Batman (All licenses) (Hot Toys)
- DC Bombshells (DC Collectibles)
- DC Comics (Sideshow)
- DC (all lines) (Hot Toys)
- Dr. Who (Big Chief)
- Gang’s Kingdom (DAM Toys)
- G.I. Joe (Sideshow)
- The Hobbit/LOTR (Weta)
- The Hobbit/LOTR (Gentle Giant)
- Lord of the Rings (Asmus)
- Marvel (all lines) (Hot Toys)
- Marvel (all lines) (Sideshow)
- Masterpiece HD (All lines) (Enterbay)
- Robocop (Hot Toys)
- Star Wars (Sideshow)
- Star Wars Jumbo Vintage (Gentle Giant)
- Walking Dead (Gentle Giant)
Best Overall Line – Low End
- Batman Designer Series (DC Collectibles)
- Batman Animated (TNBA etc.) (DC Collectibles)
- Breaking Bad (Mezco)
- DC Multiverse (Mattel)
- Game of Thrones (Dark Horse)
- Game of Thrones (Funko)
- Gothitropolis: Ravens (Four Horsemen)
- Magic The Gathering (Funko)
- Marvel Legends (Hasbro)
- Marvel Select (Diamond Select Toys)
- Masters of the Universe Classics (Mattel)
- Outer Space Men (Four Horsemen)
- Pacific Rim (NECA)
- Planet of the Apes (NECA)
- Plants vs Zombies (Diamond Select Toys)
- Pop! Vinyl Figures (Funko)
- ReAction (Funko)
- Simpsons Celebrity Series (NECA)
- Star Wars Black (Hasbro)
- Star Wars Diecast (Disney)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (playmates)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Kid Robot)
- Transformers (Hasbro)
- Twilight Zone (BifBangPow)
- Universal Monsters (Diamond Select Toys)
- Walking Dead (Mcfarlane)
- WWE (Mattel)
Eddie Wires Award for Outstanding Paint
- Azog on Warg (Weta)
- Batista, WWE (Mattel)
- Black Widow (Gentle Giant)
- Chomper/Engineer 2 pack, Plants vs Zombies (DST)
- Clonetrooper, 501st (Sideshow)
- Elder Predator (Hot Toys)
- Gorilla Soldier (NECA)
- Harley, Batman B/W (DC Collectibles)
- Iron Man MK42 DieCast (Hot Toys)
- Kerberos Panzer Jäger (Hot Toys)
- Knifehead BD, Pacific Rim (NECA)
- Marv Sin City (DST)
- Maurice POTA (NECA)
- Robocop (Hot Toys)
- Shao Khan (PCS)
- T-800 BD (Hot Toys)
- Tyreese (McFarlane)
- Viper Predator (NECA)
Best Male Figure 18″ and up
- Batman 1989 (NECA)
- Bruce Lee (Blitzway)
- Cherno Alpha, Pacific Rim (NECA)
- Dutch, Predator (NECA)
- Godzilla (Jakks)
- Han in Stormtrooper Outfit (Jakks)
- Joker (NECA)
- Master Chief (NECA)
- Mr. Bean (Enterbay)
- Robocop (Enterbay)
- T-1000 (Enterbay)
- War Machine MKII (Play Imaginitive)
Best Male Figure (12″ – 17″)
- Batman (comic version) (Sideshow)
- Chucky (Mezco)
- Darth Vader (Sideshow)
- Diamond 3, Gangs Kingdom (DAM Toys)
- Guritz, LOTR (Asmus)
- Harry Potter (Star Ace)
- Iron Man MK42 Die Cast (Hot Toys)
- Link (Medicom)
- Probe Droid (Sideshow)
- Robocop with Chair (Hot Toys)
- Sherlock Holmes (Big Chief)
- Star-Lord, GotG (Hot Toys)
- Superman, MoS (Hot Toys)
- Tyrion, Game of Thrones (ThreeZero)
Best Male Figure (5″ – 11″)
- Amazing Spider-man 2 Spidey (Hasbro)
- Batman 1989 (NECA)
- Batman, TNBA (DC Collectibles)
- Caesar DOTPOTA (NECA)
- Captain America Stealth Suit ML (Hasbro)
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (DST)
- Drogo, GoT (Funko)
- ED-209 (NECA)
- Falcon, Marvel Select (DST)
- Garruk Wildspeaker, Magic The Gathering (Funko)
- Glen, Walking Dead (McFarlane)
- Gorilla Soldier, POTA (NECA)
- Iron Patriot (S.H. Figuarts)
- Jedi Luke, SW Black (Hasbro)
- Jetfire, Transformers (Hasbro)
- Michelangelo, TMNT (Revoltech)
- Modulok, MOTUC (Mattel)
- Mummy (Mezco)
- Riddler, Batman Designer (DC Collectibles)
- Star-Lord, GotG ML (Hasbro)
- Tyreese, Walking Dead (McFarlane)
- Viper Predator (NECA)
Best Male Figure (under 5″)
- Adam Power, Power Lords (Four Horsemen)
- Alien, ReAction (Funko)
- Arctic B.A.T., G.I. Joe (Hasbro)
- Bowser, World of Nintendo
- Darth Vader #26, SW Black (Hasbro)
- Fighter’s Guild Akavari and Pony Guar (Symbiote)
- Gremlin, Twilight Zone (BifBangPow)
- Jack Asteroid, OSM (Four Horsemen)
- Jabba’s Skiff Guard, SW Black (Hasbro)
- Kane in Spacesuit, Alien ReAction (Funko)
- L’il Gotham Batman (DC Collectibles)
- Penguin, Multiverse (Mattel)
- Snake Eyes, Artic, G.I. Joe (Hasbro)
- Super Mario (S.H. Figuarts)
Best Female Figure (over 11″)
- Avea Trotter, Monster High (Mattel)
- Baroness, G.I. Joe (Sideshow)
- Black Widow, CA:WS (Hot Toys)
- Cammy, Street Fighter (Medicom)
- Catwoman, DC Comics (Sideshow)
- Crimson (Flirty Girl)
- Domino Lady (Phicen)
- Faraway Forest Elf, Barbie (Mattel)
- Harley, DC Comics (Sideshow)
- Hit Girl, Kick Ass 2, (Medicom)
- Maleficent (Hot Toys)
- Maleficent (Disney Signature Collection)
Best Female Figure (5″ – 11″)
- Alien Queen (NECA)
- April O’Neil TMNT (Playmates)
- Arcee, Transformers (Hasbro)
- Arya Stark, GoT (Funko)
- Arya Stark, GoT (Dark Horse)
- Black Cat, Spider-Man ML (Hasbro)
- Black Widow, CA:WS ML (Hasbro)
- Catwoman, animated (DC Collectibles)
- Daenerys, Got (Dark Horse)
- Daenerys, GoT (Funko)
- Gamora, GotG ML (Hasbro)
- Lilliana Vess, Magic (Funko)
- Lucy Lawless, Simpsons (NECA)
- Maggie, Walking Dead (McFarlane)
- Mermista, MOTUC (Mattel)
- Penny, Gremlins (NECA)
- Scorpia, MOTUC (Mattel)
- Venus, Sailor Moon (S.H. Figuarts)
- Windblade, Transformers (Hasbro)
- Zira, POTA (NECA)
Best Female Figure (under 5″)
Notes: The strong female represetation continues in the smaller scale. It’s particularly nice to see it’s not just Star Wars and Joe, although they have some strong nominees as well.
- Amy Pond, Dr. Who (Character Options)
- Baroness, G.I. Joe (Hasbro)
- Catwoman, DC Multiverse (Mattel)
- Harley, DC Multiverse (Mattel)
- Lady Jaye, G.I. Joe (Hasbro)
- Ripley, Alien ReAction (Funko)
- Samus Arun, Amiibo, (Nintendo)
- Talky Tina, TZ (BifBangPow)
- Terra Firma, OSM (Four Horsemen)
- Toryn Farr, Star Wars Black (Hasbro)
- Wasp, Marvel Infinite (Hasbro)
Best Build a Figure/Collect and Connect (any size or type):
- Green Goblin, Spider-Man ML (Hasbro)
- Groot, GotG ML (Hasbro)
- Jubilee, ML (Hasbro)
- Kalibak, DCU/Super Powers (Mattel)
- Mandroid, ML (Hasbro)
- Minicon Assault Team Centuritron, Transformers (Hasbro)
Best Vehicle or Playset
- Armory, Batman (Hot Toys)
- AT-DP, Star Wars, (Hasbro)
- Batbot, RC (Imaginext)
- Batmobile, Toy Toyko Red version (Funko)
- Battle Ram, MOTUC (Mattel)
- Battle Rover (Imaginext)
- Cobra Wolf, G.I. Joe (Hasbro)
- Dragon Castle (True Legends)
- Ecto-1, Ghostbusters, (Funko)
- High Flying Blimp, TMNT (Playmates)
- Inquisitor TIE Fighter, Star Wars (Hasbro)
- Iron Man 3 Hall of Armor, House Party (Hot Toys)
- Iron Man 3 Workshop Accessories (Hot Toys)
- Millenium Falcon, Star Wars Hero (Hasbro)
- Phantom, Star Wars Rebels (Hasbro)
- Serenity 1:250 scale cutaway (Qmx)
- Slave 1, Star Wars Die Cast (Disney)
- Speeder Bike, Star Wars Black (Hasbro)
- T-Tower, Teen Titans (Jazzwares)
- X-Wing Fighter, Star Wars (Hasbro)
- Z-line Billiard Breakout, TMNT (Playmates)
Best Statue
- Azog on Warg (Weta)
- Batman Arkham City (Kotobukiya)
- Black Widow (Gentle Giant)
- Black Widow PF (Sideshow)
- Chewbacca PF (Sideshow)
- Conan (ARH)
- Harley, DC Bombshells (DC Collectibles)
- Harley, Batman B/W (DC Collectibles)
- Harley PF (Sideshow)
- He-Man (Pop Culture Shock)
- Herman Munster (Tweeterhead)
- Judge Death (Pop Culture Shock)
- King Thror, Hobbit (Weta)
- Mojo (Bowen)
- Padme Amidala (Gentle Giant)
- Rick Grimes, Walking Dead comic (McFarlane)
- Shao Khan (Pop Culture Shock)
- Superman DC Comics PF (Sideshow)
- Warframe Excalibur (Symbiote)
- Wonder Woman ArtFX (Kotobukiya)
- Yoda Ilum, Star Wars (Gentle Giant)
Best Bust
- Alien Big Chap Legendary Scale (Sideshow)
- Azog (Gentle Giant)
- Goblin King (Gentle Giant)
- Iron Man MK42 Battle Damaged (Hot Toys)
- Jek Porkins, Star Wars (Gentle Giant)
- Panzerkommandant Jürgen (Quarantine)
- Rocket Raccoon (Gentle Giant)
- Ryu, Street Fighter Life Size (Pop Culture Shock)
- Scorpion, Life Size (Pop Culture Shock)
- Sophia Stalker, Walking Dead (Gentle Giant)
Best Designer/Vinyl
- Baby Dancing Groot (Funko)
- BeeBop, TMNT (Kid Robot)
- Chariv, Rise of the Beasts, Glyos (Onell)
- Dr. Who War Beast SDCC (Titan)
- Dr. Who War Doctor SDCC (Titan)
- Elder Scrolls Online Nord (Symbiote)
- GoGo Yubari, Kill Bill (Funko)
- Gus Fring, Dead Face, Breaking Bad (Funko)
- Judge Dredd Cosplay Penguin (Blind Mouse)
- Kiora Atua, Magic (Funko)
- Sharknado, Bloody (Funko)
- Shockwave, Transformers (Loyal Subjects)
- Splinter, TMNT (Loyal Subjects)
- Sun Dad Red (RealXHead)
- Super Crayboth, Glyos (Onell)
- Tezzeret, Magic (Funko)
- White Lantern Flash (Funko)
- Yubiosu (RealXHead)
Best Prop Replica
- Batman Returns Cowl (Hollywood Collectibles)
- Breaking Bad Teddy Bear (Mezco)
- Gremlins 2 Flasher (NECA)
- Infinity Gauntlet (Hasbro)
- Larry Talbot’s Cane, Wolfman (Factory Entertainment)
- Longclaw, GoT (Valyrian Steel)
- Monkey Brains Bowl, Indiana Jones
- Predator 1 Bio Mask (Sideshow)
- Ravenclaw Diadem, Harry Potter (Noble)
- Sonic Screwdriver, Dr. Who (Rubbertoe)
- Tomenosuke Blaster Pro Edition (Hollywood Collectibles)
- Walking Dead Jail Key (McFarlane)
Best Block Figures/Building Set Series
- DC/Marvel Superheroes (Lego)
- Halo (MegaBloks)
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Ionix)
- Legends of Chima (Lego)
- Lego Movie (LEGO)
- Plants Vs Zombies Minimates (DST)
- Simpsons (Lego)
- Spongebob (MegaBloks)
- Star Wars (Lego)
- Titanfall (K’Nex)
- Transformers (Kre-o)
- Walking Dead (McFarlane)
- WWE (C3)
Best Misc
- Caesar’s Bust/DVD Case (NECA)
- Disneyvision (Disney)
- Grimlock Stomp and Chomp (Hasbro)
- ReAction Figures (Funko)
- Star Wars Command (Hasbro)
- Titanfall Collector’s Edition
- TMNT Giant Size (Jakks)
Vote now for the Peoples Picks awards at MWCToys.com
Watch the latest episode of the Star Wars collecting show Star Wars Action News
Watch the latest episode of the Marvel Comics collectible show Marvelicious Toys
SDCC Exclusive AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Posters Coming As Variant Comic Covers!
Assemble Your Own Avengers With Epic Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Movie Variants!
New York, NY – January 16th, 2014 – Before Earth’s Mightiest Heroes do battle against Ultron in Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1st 2015, don’t miss your chance to own a piece of the action with these epic Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Variants in April.
Originally debuting at Comic-Con International 2014, these epic pieces of theatrical concept art by Ryan Meinerding, Charlie Wen & Andy Park combine to form one stunning image of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes locked in combat against Ultron’s massive army. Coming to eight Marvel comics in the month of April, these covers are just like the Avengers – better when assembled!
Don’t miss a single variant when they come to these exciting Marvel comics in April!
· Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· New Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· New Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· Avengers #44
· Uncanny Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover A
· Uncanny Avengers: Ultron Forever #1 Variant Cover B
· New Avengers #33
“These epic posters were really the hit of last year’s San Diego Comic-Con,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “We’re glad that fans who attended the convention were able to get their hands on them but we’re even more excited to bring thousands of fans who may have missed this stunning image.”
Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on these hotly anticipated variant covers as they hit comic shelves through the month of April. No fan will want to miss the chance to own this stunning, epic image when the AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON MOVIE VARIANTS hit comic shops this coming April!
Enter the Marvel Universe For $1 This April – Introducing TRUE BELIEVERS!
Enter the Marvel Universe For $1 This April – Introducing TRUE BELIEVERS!
What can you get for a dollar? How about the Marvel Universe? Today, Marvel is proud to present TRUE BELIEVERS – a new line of comics debuting exclusively in comic shops this April. Printing the first chapter of popular series for the suggested retail price of $1 – TRUE BELIEVERS is the perfect way for readers interested in trying out some of Marvel’s most popular titles in history without breaking the bank.
Just in time for 2015’s Secret Wars, catch up on some of the most celebrated stories in Marvel history before their appearance in the biggest comic event of 2015! Enter the world of Civil War, Age of Apocalypse, Old Man Logan, Planet Hulk, the critically-acclaimed ICON series Powers and many more with the first chapters of these top-selling collections – each for the suggested retail price of $1!
“These are some of the most popular stories in recent memory,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “We’re proud to bring them to fans in a new format that will allow them to sample some of Marvel’s best and brightest gems. Each of these issues are the perfect place to start for fans curious about Miles Morales, the Age of Apocalypse, Civil War and everything in between.”
Your window into the biggest stories in Marvel history costs a buck! Don’t miss these exciting TRUE BELEIVERS issues, on sale throughout the month of April in comic shops!
TRUE BELIEVERS: INFINITY GAUNTLET #1
Reprinting material from INFINITY GAUNTLET #1.
32 PGS./Rated T …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: MARVEL ZOMBIES #1
Reprinting MARVEL ZOMBIES #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1
Reprinting material from X-MEN ALPHA.
32 PGS./Rated T …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: CIVIL WAR #1
Reprinting material from CIVIL WAR #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: PLANET HULK #1
Reprinting INCREDIBLE HULK (2000) #92.
32 PGS./Rated T …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: HOUSE OF M #1
Reprinting HOUSE OF M #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: OLD MAN LOGAN #1
Reprinting WOLVERINE (2003) #66.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: ARMOR WARS #1
Reprinting material from IRON MAN (1968) #225.
32 PGS./Rated T …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: MILES MORALES #1
Reprinting ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN (2011) #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
TRUE BELIEVERS: AGE OF ULTRON #1
Reprinting AGE OF ULTRON #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
POWERS FIRSTS #1
Reprinting POWERS #1.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$1.00 MSRP
Several Oscar Nominated Films Reviewed by Now Playing Podcast
The Academy Award nominees have been announced, and Now Playing Podcast has reviewed (or will soon be reviewing) several nominees!
Boyhood, directed by Richard Linklater, is one of the leading films of the year. The film earned six nominations; only three films beat that number this year. The film, which Linklater filmed over a span of 12 years, is up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!
Our review of is film will be posted at NowPlayingPodcast.com on Feb 10, but we start leading up to that next week! Starting January 20th we begin reviewing Linklater’s Before trilogy of films: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight — all directed by Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke.
Big Hero 6 is up for Best Animated Film. Do the Now Playing Hosts agree? That review is out now at NowPlayingPodcast.com (additionally Feast is up for Best Animated Short and we discussed that in our Big Hero 6 review as well!)
Interstellar was blocked from the big categories but did get Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Score and, most unexpectedly, Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing (did they hear that film right???? Were the screener DVDs mixed differently??) . That review is up now in the Now Playing archives, along with every other film Christopher Nolan has reviewed!
Guardians of the Galaxy may have won top spot in the 2014 box office, but the Academy only nominated Marvel’s blockbuster film in two technical categories: Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects. (I rewatched the film over the holidays and that the film did not get Best Costume Design is a travesty–those outfits were intricate and varied). You can hear our review of this film now!
Also nominated for Best Visual Effects were Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past, both of which we reviewed as part of our ongoing Marvel Movie Retrospective.
Now Playing Podcast donors who took part in our Spring Donation Drive also heard our review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but that review is no longer available as the donation drive has completed.
The full list of nominees for The 87th Annual Academy Awards are:
Best Picture
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Boyhood
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Selma
- The Theory of Everything
- Whiplash
Actor in a Leading Role
- Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
- Bradley Cooper for American Sniper (Hear us discuss Cooper in our reviews of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Midnight Meat Train)
- Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game (Hear us discuss Cumberbatch in our review of Star Trek Into Darkness)
- Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Hear us talk about Keaton playing a different winged hero in our reviews of Batman and Batman Returns, and he also featured in the remake of Robocop)
- Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Actress in a Leading Role
- Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night (Hear us review her turn as the evil Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises and also her role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception)
- Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything (We discussed her blink-and-you-miss-it turn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
- Julianne Moore for Still Alice (We recently reviewed Moore for her role in the remake of Carrie, as well as her work in Next and Hannibal)
- Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl (Hear us discuss this former Bond Girl’s work in Die Another Day)
- Reese Witherspoon for Wild
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Robert Duvall for The Judge
- Ethan Hawke for Boyhood (Hear us discuss Hawke in the upcoming Now Playing Before Sunrise Retrospective Series, starting Jan. 20!)
- Edward Norton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (We reviewed Norton’s work in Fight Club, plus his one-and-done turn as The Incredible Hulk)
- Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher (We first discussed this star of 13 Going on 30 in our review of Shutter Island, as well as his work replacing Norton as The Hulk in The Avengers and Iron Man 3)
- J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (We reviewed the Farmer’s Insurance salesman for his role of J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films)
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (We reviewed her first big-screen role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
- Laura Dern for Wild
- Keira Knightly for The Imitation Game
- Emma Stone for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (We reviewed her performances in both of the Amazing Spider-Man films)
- Meryl Streep for Into the Woods
Animated Feature Film
- Big Hero 6
- The Boxtrolls
- How to Train Your Dragon 2
- Song of the Sea
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Cinematography
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Ida
- Mr. Turner
- Unbroken
Costume Design
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Inherent Vice
- Into the Woods
- Maleficent
- Mr. Turner
Directing
- Alejandro G Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Richard Linklater for Boyhood
- Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
- Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
Documentary Feature
- CitizenFour
- Finding Vivian Maier
- Last Days in Vietnam
- The Salt of the Earth
- Virunga
Documentary Short Subject
- Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
- Joanna
- Our Curse
- The Reaper (La Parka)
- White Earth
Film Editing
- American Sniper
- Boyhood
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Whiplash
Foreign Language Film
- Ida
- Leviathan
- Tangerines
- Timbuktu
- Wild Tales
Makeup and Hairstyling
- Foxcatcher
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Guardians of the Galaxy
Music – Original Score
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Interstellar
- Mr. Turner
- The Theory of Everything
Music – Original Song
- “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
- “Glory” from Selma
- “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
- “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
- “Lost Stars” from Begin Again
Production Design
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Interstellar
- Into the Woods
- Mr. Turner
Short Film – Animated
- The Bigger Picture
- The Dam Keeper
- Feast
- Me and My Moulton
- A Single Life
Short Film – Live Action
- Aya
- Boogaloo and Graham
- Butter Lamp (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak)
- Parveneh
- The Phone Call
Sound Editing
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Interstellar
- Unbroken
Sound Mixing
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Interstellar
- Unbroken
- Whiplash
Visual Effects
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Interstellar
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
Writing – Adapted Screenplay
- American Sniper by Jason Hall
- The Imitation Game by Graham Moore
- Inherent Vice by Paul Thomas Anderson
- The Theory of Everything by Anthony McCarten
- Whiplash by Damien Chazelle
Writing – Original Screenplay
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) by Alejandro G Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo
- Boyhood by Richard Linklater
- Foxcatcher by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
- The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson, Story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
- Nightcrawler by Dan Gilroy
The Undead Epic Concludes in GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT THREE #1!
The Undead Epic Concludes in
GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT THREE #1!
The Final Chapter Begins This April!
When the dead fight the dead, where does that leave the living? That’s the question as the legendary George Romero unleashes the final chapter in his new undead epic in GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT THREE #1! Debuting in April, it’s zombies vs. vampires – with the desperate, last surviving humans caught in the crossfire! Writer George Romero and artist Andrea Mutti bring you the closing saga in the epic war between living and dead!
Welcome back to NYC, years after the horrifying plague has swept the nation. The Big Apple is a quarantine zone – but that doesn’t guarantee safety! There are predators within the walls. Vampires lurk in the shadows preying on the living and the undead alike. But with the zombies seemingly growing smarter each and every day, the war between the two dead factions begins heating up!
“Romero understands the wide possibilities of the comic format and has used it to tell his biggest, most epic story to date,” says series Editor Jake Thomas. “In this final chapter the narrative bomb he’s been carefully constructing under Empire of the Dead’s Manhattan goes off with a bang! There are dangers coming from all sides, no one is safe, and blood will flow. It’s everything an undeadhead would want from the Godfather of Zombies himself, George Romero!”
Meanwhile, who is kidnapping the children of NYC? Where are they taking them and why? The future of Manhattan and humanity itself may rest in the answers! Don’t miss this excellent jumping on point when the zombie godfather and horror visionary’s next undead epic reaches its climactic chapter in April’s GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT THREE #1!
GEORGE ROMERO’S EMPIRE OF THE DEAD: ACT THREE #1
Written by GEORGE ROMERO
Art by ANDREA MUTTI
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
On-Sale in April!
Time Ran Out! Presenting the Final AVENGERS & NEW AVENGERS Covers!
Time Ran Out! Presenting the Final AVENGERS & NEW AVENGERS Covers!
This April, the Avengers and the Illuminati face down their final hours. The clock is winding down and the final incursion is upon us. Today, Marvel is proud to present your first look at fan-favorite artist Dustin Weaver’s interlocking covers to AVENGERS #44 and NEW AVENGERS #33 – the cataclysmic final issues!
Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman along with blockbuster artists Mike Deodato and Kev Walker bring to a close the epic saga of the Avengers, the Illuminati, and a Marvel Universe on the brink of extinction. The Incursions from parallel Earths from other dimensions have taken their toll on our heroes, and the battle worn Avengers stand ready to face utter decimation.
Before the highly-anticipated SECRET WARS begins in May, close out Jonathan Hickman’s epic Avengers and New Avengers saga with these two, oversized final issues! What changes await Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? Be there when TIME RUNS OUT this April in AVENGERS #44 and NEW AVENGERS #33!
AVENGERS #44
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by MIKE DEODATO
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
On-Sale in April!
NEW AVENGERS #33
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by KEV WALKER
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
On-Sale in April!
Lou Ferrigno’s “Liberator” Now Available on YouTube
FERRIGNO’S “LIBERATOR” RELEASED ON YOUTUBE
Award-Winning Short Film Features “Super” Geek Cast
Los Angeles, CA, January 14, 2015—There’s a new superhero in town — and chances are, you’ll like him when he’s angry. LIBERATOR, an 18-minute short film/presentation pilot, stars “The Incredible Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno, returning to superheroics to play an aging, disgraced ex-superhero turned whistleblower. After a successful festival/Comic-Con run followed by six months on iTunes and Amazon streaming, LIBERATOR is now available for the world to see in HD courtesy of YouTube.
LIBERATOR stars a panoply of uber-geek luminaries: Peta Wilson (“La Femme Nikita”), Michael Dorn (Worf from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), kickboxing legend Don “The Dragon” Wilson (“Bloodfist”) and the legendary Ed Asner (“Up”) as the President. LIBERATOR mixes a timely, gritty story about taking a stand against government corruption — and the resulting blowback — with a very human subplot of a father desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Fear not — there’s a big dollop of superhero action on top. Ferrigno goes deep here, surprising many with the performance of a lifetime, winning a Best Actor statuette from Cinerockom Film Festival in the process. The film also drew the attention of geek news sites like Ain’t It Cool News and many others, as well as national outlets USA Today, Yahoo! News, and Huffington Post, who called LIBERATOR “a perfect storm of awesomeness.”
“I play a government agent who takes the fall for a bad situation, and finally he decides to blow the whistle and write a book,” says Ferrigno. “Being a police officer myself—being a deputy sheriff—I think leaking classified information is wrong. But the Constitution protects freedom of speech. (Edward) Snowden felt he had to speak out. It’s the same thing with my character. Some people see him as a hero, others a traitor.”
Says Director Aaron Pope (MY HAUNTED HOUSE), “I’m really so thrilled that LIBERATOR is now going to be available free, worldwide. Our tagline is ‘truth is worth fighting for,’ and never has that statement been more true than right now. If putting our movie out there now helps anyone anywhere realize the value in fighting for what’s right, it’s well worth it. And hey, if people just want to enjoy a bit of superhero fun at the same time, they can do that too.”
LIBERATOR’s success also led to a 2-shot LIBERATOR comic book series as well as graphic novelization from Bluewater Comics. Producers Coverage Ink Films (www.coverageinkfilms.com) hope that the film’s YouTube release will interest people around the world in seeing more of Liberator. “We’d love to continue the adventures, whether it’s as a feature, webisodes or TV,” says LIBERATOR executive producer Jim Cirile. “Producer Tom DeSanto (X-MEN, TRANSFORMERS) said it best — ‘I encourage everyone to take to the social media and do whatever you can to promote (LIBERATOR), because I want to see what happens next.’ Thanks, Tom!”
WATCH LIBERATOR NOW: www.liberatormovie.com
Other links:
www.facebook.com/liberatormovie
www.twitter.com/liberatormovie
http://www.youtube.com/liberatormovie
Rumor: Ant-Man Marvel Legends Figure to be Walgreens Exclusive?
Could the next Walgreens exclusive Hasbro Marvel Legends figure be Ant-Man? Read on for why this now seems likely.
Two bits of news came to us two days apart. Taken separately they mean nothing, but put together a pattern seems to form.
First we received an inside tip from a HYDRA Agent at Walgreens. The Agent sent a screenshot showing that the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron Marvel Legends figures, the ones with the Odin Build-A-Figure, are now in the Walgreens system. More interesting, though, is that there were eight individual UPC codes as shown in the below image:
This new wave of Marvel Legends is slated to have seven figures: Iron Fist, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Thor, Sentry, Scarlet Witch, and Machine Man. As these figures ship in cases of eight the standard case will have two of the in-demand classic Hawkeye figure.
I was confused as to what the eighth UPC could be, until Walgreens Toy Buyer Steven Anne tweeted:
2015 – An irredeemable year for action figures. Perhaps also electrifying? Am I doing this blind news correctly?
— Steven Anne (@stevenganne) January 2, 2015
As Ant-Man’s 2006 Comic was titled Irredeemable Ant-Man it is likely that Anne may be hinting at an exclusive of the figure tying into this summer’s upcoming film.
Rumors of an Ant-Man Marvel Legends figure have been swirling on social media recently, though there was no consensus on if there would be only one Ant-Man figure or an entire Ant-Man themed wave of Marvel Legends. The rumors were consistent in that the figure(s) would be an exclusive, with some indicating Target as the retailer who would carry it.
While confirmation will likely come at next month’s Toy Fair International, it seems likely now that Ant-Man will be a Walgreens exclusive.
Walgreens is a new retailer to carry exclusive Hasbro collectible figures. They started in 2014 with Agent Venom in the Marvel Legends line as well as a Boba Fett figure in the 6-inch Star Wars Black Series line.
Given that Anne’s tweet also mentions “electryfying” speculation has already begun that it may reference another Star Wars exclusive figure as well. (Let the speculation begin–an electrified Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker from the end of Return of the Jedi?)
We will keep you updated for the information!
For news on Marvel Legends figures follow Marvelicious Toys on Facebook and Twitter, and watch for Toy Fair coverage on the video podcast at http://marvelicioustoys.com
For news on Star Wars figures follow Star Wars Action News on Facebook and Twitter. We will also be covering Toy Fair news on our show at http://swactionnews.com
Watch the SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF Next Tuesday 1/20!
Watch the SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF Next Tuesday 1/20!
Learn Exciting Details About Secret Wars in a Unique Live Event!
New York, NY—January 13th, 2015— This May, time has run out and Secret Wars, the landmark 8-issue event, is ready to shake the very foundations of the Marvel Universe as you know it. But first, on Tuesday, January 20th 2015 at 3 p.m. Eastern, we’re hosting the ground breaking SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF!
Streaming live from New York City’s own Midtown Comics next week, fans can head to Marvel.com/secretwars to get their very first Secret Wars info straight from Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and SVP, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort! Prepare for the coming of a new Battleworld and learn the first details of the strange, patchwork realm playing host to countless separate realities!
The road to the biggest comic event of the year has begun, and you will not want to miss the first Earth shattering revelations that will have everyone talking! What will happen when Time Runs Out? What secrets does Battleworld hold? Tune in on 1/20 for the answers to those questions and more.
A unique collaboration with Midtown Comics, the SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF can be viewed on Marvel.com/secretwars at 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday, 1/20/2015. For more details, keep your eyes peeled to Marvel.com and join in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #SecretWars.
New Podcast – Star Wars Action News Episode 440: 2014 Year in Review Part 2 and 2015 in Preview
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Arnie and Marjorie are joined by the Gingerprince, Johnathan, Curtis, Daryl, Brock, Jay, and Andrew to look back at the High End Star Wars Collectibles of 2014 and what they expect 2015 to bring.
Submit to the Vortex – Your First Look at Your First Look at GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1!
Submit to the Vortex – Your First Look at
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1!
New York, NY – January 12th, 2014 – Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. What would you give up in your quest for power? What if it cost you your very soul? This February, those questions and more will be answered in Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1, the first chapter in an epic, out of this world crossover through Guardians of the Galaxy, All-New X-Men, Legendary Star-Lord, Cyclops, Captain Marvel, Nova and Guardians Team-Up! From superstar creators Sam Humphries, Ed McGuinness and Kris Anka comes the opening salvo in an epic cosmic war!
The Black Vortex – an ancient and powerful artifact has been uncovered in the far reaches of the cosmos. With the power to grant its user untold, it is coveted by some of the most nefarious forces in the galaxy. Thane and the villainous Mr. Knife plan to use its power to unleash terror upon the galaxy, and only a small band of heroes stand in their way.
“What happens when one person submits to the Black Vortex and becomes a titan of the cosmos? What happens when a whole team does it? Or a whole planet?” says Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1 writer Sam Humphries in an interview with Marvel.com. “Imagine the metamorphosis that turned Norin Radd into the Silver Surfer, or Jean Grey into Dark Phoenix, available to anyone in the Marvel Universe.”
“But of course, no amount of power comes without a cost,” Humphries continued.
Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, Nova, Captain Marvel and more must unite as one or face extinction. Because if they fail, billions will die. But even they may be seduced by the power of the Black Vortex. Are they going to save the universe? Or will they be its undoing? Find out as the
Billions of lives are at stake, the heroes of the Marvel Universe will have to face the darkness inside themselves if they hope to succeed. But will they be the ones to save the galaxy, or will they be seduced by the Black Vortex’s power?
Find out as the action begins this February in the can’t miss Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1 (DEC140820)
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by ED MCGUINNESS & KRIS ANKA
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Cosmically Enhanced Variant by ANDREA SORRENTINO (DEC140822)
Connecting Variant A by ALEXANDER LOZANO (DEC140821)
Zombies! Deadpool! Zombie Deadpool! Your New Look at RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1!
Zombies! Deadpool! Zombie Deadpool! Your New Look at RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1!
Prepare for pools full of undead Deadpools as RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1 shambles in to comic shops this February! Blockbuster writer Cullen Bunn (Magneto, Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe) joins Marvel newcomer Nik Virella take you to a world overrun with undead Deadpools – each with a snarky mouth of its own.
To stop the zombie apocalypse, Deadpool used his own healing factor to save the world. Only any zombie that ate Deadpool…transformed into another Deadpool. Believe us – hordes of Deadpool’s might just be worse than hordes of flesh-hungry monsters.
“So there are thousands of Deadpools, all of them originating from the one and only Wade Wilson,” says Bunn in an interview with Marvel.com. “Every time a zombie takes a bite of one of these Deadpools, the zombie becomes Deadpool. You know how Deadpool has numerous personalities? Well, these newly created Deadpools start to latch on to different aspects of Deadpools split psyche, forming factions. And these factions don’t get along!”
This February, the dead will rise. And this February, the Deadpools will…er, rise! Be there for the heart-stopping, flesh-eating, wise-cracking RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1!
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL #1 (DEC140932)
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by NIK VIRELLA
Cover by JAY SHAW
Variant Cover by RYAN STEGMAN (DEC140933)
FOC – 01/12/15, On-Sale – 02/04/14
Now Playing goes live for ‘Kingsman’ review
For the first time in its 8-year history, Now Playing Podcast will review a film live and give listeners the chance to interact with its hosts, Venganza Media officially announced on Saturday.
The live breakdown of director Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service is set for 9:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 17. It will be followed by a Q&A with hosts Arnie Carvalho, Jakob Brewster, and Stuart Atkinson, which listeners will be able to access via a live stream on the Now Playing Podcast website. The hosts have also promised some surprising announcements on the show about a new project for Now Playing Podcast.
Now Playing recording sessions have been known to last several hours (the raw cut of 2012’s Alien 3 review clocked in at 3 hours and 30 minutes), so an edited version of the review will also be made available for listeners who can’t stay up too late. There is no plan to release the Q&A or the unedited recording as a podcast; those are for the listeners who are able to attend the live broadcast.
Kingsman was adapted from 2012’s “The Secret Service” comic book series. Originally set for a U.S. release in November, its debut was pushed to Feb. 13, forcing Now Playing to shuffle its schedule, but opening a window to review the film with listeners in live attendance.
Carvalho, who has hosted live shows for Venganza’s Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys podcasts, said the process requires four computers running simultaneously in the recording studio.
“I feel like Scotty on the Enterprise during these shows,” he said. “My office is strung up like a Christmas tree with the amount of cables running through here.”
With the addition of a live show, Now Playing continues to tinker with the format of its weekly podcast. Recent examples include November’s bonus review of the documentary Plastic Galaxy (a mash-up with Star Wars Action News) and the brilliantly edited but trippy “reverse review” of Christopher Nolan’s Memento.
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES ACQUIRES NOAH BAUMBACH’S “MISTRESS AMERICA”
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES ACQUIRES
NOAH BAUMBACH’S “MISTRESS AMERICA”
STARRING GRETA GERWIG AND
INTRODUCING LOLA KIRKE
Specialty Arm Acquires Worldwide Rights to Comedy, Financed by RT Features
LOS ANGELES, CA January 9, 2015 – Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula announced today that the company has acquired worldwide rights to the comedy MISTRESS AMERICA, starring Golden Globe nominated Greta Gerwig and newcomer Lola Kirke. Directed by Oscar nominated Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach and Gerwig, the film is produced by Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Lila Yacoub, Rodrigo Teixera, and Gerwig. The film will have its world premiere at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled to be released in 2015.
“Noah’s distinct cinematic voice and keen sense of humor are an ideal fit for what we do at Searchlight. We are thrilled to be working with Noah and Greta and couldn’t be more excited to be taking their new collaboration to audiences,” said Gilula and Utley.
“We’re so excited about Noah’s film, and Fox Searchlight as its distributor is just the perfect match,” said RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixera.
In MISTRESS AMERICA, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig) – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes.
The deal was brokered by Fox Searchlight’s Executive Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions, Tony Safford, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Megan O’Brien and Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Co-Productions Ray Strache, and UTA Independent Film Group, which represented the filmmakers and arranged the film’s financing.
Since 2008, RT Features has been focused on developing, producing and financing international projects such as FRANCES HA by Noah Baumbach, LOVE IS STRANGE by Ira Sachs and the next project from James Gray. In 2014, RT announced a venture with Sikelia Productions, launching a fund to finance and produce projects by emerging filmmakers.
Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of 20th Century Fox Film.
Ant-Man #1 Sec-ANT Printing On The Way and a Gi-ANT Reminder!!
Ant-Man #1 Sec-ANT Printing On The Way and a Gi-ANT Reminder!!
Marvel’s smallest hero with the big heroics is a critical smash hit! Launching just this week, Ant-Man #1 has all the critics raving! Marvel is pleased to announce that Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas’ debut first issue has completely sold out at the distributor level and will return for a Sec-ANT Printing!
Scott Lang has never been the world’s best super hero. Heck, most people don’t even think he’s been the best Ant-Man – and the last guy created Ultron and joined the Masters of Evil, so that’s really saying something. But all that’s about to change when the Superior Iron Man calls up Scott with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Everyone is raving about Ant-Man #1. Don’t believe us? Here’s what the critics had to say.
· “With a blockbuster movie on the way, Ant-Man #1 is the perfect jumping on point for readers”
– The Washington Post
· “Get ready to be able to say you are now an Ant-Man fan”
– Comic Vine
· “…with this top-notch team on board, you need to score yourself a front-row seat.”
– Newsarama
· “A strong contender for Comic of the Year” – 13th Dimension
· “Ant-Man #1 is that perfect debut that manages to both introduce the character to unfamiliar readers and tell a compelling story in the course of a single issue.”
– ComicBook.com
· “It’s funny, emotionally engaging, and easily accessible regardless of your familiarity with the character.” – IGN
· Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas set the bar for new Marvel books in 2015.”
– Comic Book Therapy
The reviews are in – and you can’t afford to miss one of the biggest launches of the year. Missed your chance to get your hands on a copy? Well, you won’t want to miss it again when the Ant-Man #1 SecANT Printing returns to comic shops in February!
Gi-ANT Size Reminder: FOC for Ant-Man #2 is Monday, 1/12. Retailers are strongly encouraged to check their orders on the second issue in anticipation of demand.
ANT-MAN #1 SECANT PRINTING VARIANT
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by RAMON ROSANAS
Cover by MARK BROOKS
FOC – 1/12/15, On-Sale 02/04/15
ANT-MAN #2 (DEC140879)
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by RAMON ROSANAS
Variant Covers by GEOFF DARROW (DEC140880),
and PHIL NOTO (DEC140881)
Movie Variant Also Available (DEC140882)
Cover by MARK BROOKS
FOC – 1/12/15, On Sale – 02/04/15
Deadpool Number 250 Puts the DEAD in DEADPOOL!
Deadpool Number 250 Puts the DEAD in DEADPOOL!
The Death of Deadpool and All-Star Creators in April’s DEADPOOL #45
New York, NY—January 9th, 2014— That’s right – if you add together all the Deadpool series (creatively), April’s DEADPOOL #45 marks Wade Wilson’s landmark 250th issue! How will he be celebrating? DEATH! No, really. Wade’s about to reach the end of the line, but he’s not gone yet. Prepare for a colossal-sized series finale the likes of which you’ve never seen before as Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn and more bid the Merc With a Mouth adieu, and explore the legacy he leaves behind.
First, Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn and Mike Hawthorne serve up a 30-page main story as, the villainous Ultimatum finally makes their move. They’re coming at Deadpool for revenge – all of them! And we mean ALL OF THEM. It’s going to be a bloodbath, but Wade’s not going down without a fight though.
“This is something we’ve been naturally building towards,” says writer Gerry Duggan speaking with Marvel.com. “This isn’t being done lightly. It always comes down to what we think is right and Marvel has been very king and gracious with us and let us get away with murder: in a literal sense.”
“I have no problem telling you I’ve always wanted to kill Deadpool and not just kill him but kill him in the way that we are killing him.”
Then – Gerry, Brian and Scott Koblish bring you a long lost, full-length Deadpool tale. Remember that time Deadpool got a hold of the Infinity Gauntlet? No? Don’t worry – we’re going to tell you. And yes, you should be very worried that Deadpool now has control over space, time and reality. First order of business? Summoning the entire Marvel Universe for the Roast of Deadpool.
Finally – a killer (pun intended) line-up of celebrities, comedians and friends of ol’ Wade have come to pay tribute to the Merc With a Mouth. Cap off Wade’s final adventure with new stories from Paul Scheer & Nick Giovannetti (Deadpool Bi-Annual), Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang), Ben Acker & Ben Blacker (Thunderbolts, Thrilling Adventure Hour), Jason Mantzoukas (The League), Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon) and more!
Sure, Wade may be meeting his end. But he’s poised for a grand sendoff the likes of which have never been seen before. No fan can afford to skip this can’t miss lineup of creators as the Merc With a Mouth meets his maker in the massive 250th issue – DEADPOOL #45, on-sale in April! Plus, check out Marvel.com on Monday for the full interview with Gerry Duggan and Deadpool Editor Jordan D. White!
DEADPOOL NUMBER 250 (a.k.a. DEADPOOL #45)
Written by GERRY DUGGAN, BRIAN POSEHN, BEN ACKER,
BEN BLACKER, NICK GIOVANETTI, PAUL SCHEER, JASON MANTZOUKAS,
MIKE DRUCKER & MORE
Art by MIKE HAWTHORNE, SCOTT KOBLISH & MORE
Cover by SCOTT KOBLISH
DEATH OF DEADPOOL VARIANT BY TONY MOORE
On-Sale in April!
Do 100 Variant Covers Mean Free Copies of Marvel’s Star Wars #1?
Will Marvel’s Star Wars #1 end up as a free giveaway at comic stores and cons across the country?
Marvel does their incentive covers, such as “For every 150 copies of the base cover you order, you can also order 1 of this variant cover.” THIS is why Marvel’s Star Wars #1 has sold more than one million copies.
Understand, saying one million copies are sold does not mean one million fans bought it. It means stores, often small-business local comic shops, bought one million copies…and given that so much of it was for the over 100 variant and incentive covers that means stores are ordering boxes full of comics they may never sell.
I have no doubt the first Star Wars comic from Marvel in 30 years will sell very well. It will have a huge sell-through…but one million copies seems unrealistic in today’s comic book market. Star Wars author and comic historian John Jackson Miller reported at his site Comichron the last comic to have over a million copies ordered was likely Batman #500. For perspective, that was in 1993 just before the comic market collapsed.
I really suspect that retailers are going to end up sitting on thrones of unopened boxes of Star Wars #1. At cons, free comic day, and more, I think Star Wars fans will see these comics sitting out.
I’m not worried about local comic shops losing their shirts on this deal. The reason incentive and variant covers carry such a high price tag is because the stores factor in the cost of ordering so many extra comics that may never sell. From increased interest in the title at all, the headlines (such as this one) promoting its release, and the obscene number of variant covers, Star Wars #1 will sell well. This is great news for ailing local comic stores.
Yet I still envision the lost ark from Raiders surrounded by crates and crates of unsold copies of Marvel’s new Star Wars #1.
So if you really aren’t in a hurry and don’t care what cover you get of Marvel’s Star Wars #1…I’d suggest keep your wallets in your pocket and just wait. Deep discount at a MINIMUM; boxes of them for pennies on the cover price dollar. Maybe even stacks of freebees.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments.
Black Bolt Cuts Loose in UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 This April!
Black Bolt Cuts Loose in UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 This April!
New Ongoing Series Beginning This April!
This April, the silent Inhuman king rises from the ashes. And everything you thought you knew about Black Bolt is about to change. Prepare for UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 – the epic prelude to a brand new ongoing series from the chart-topping Death of Wolverine creative team of Charles Soule (Inhuman, She-Hulk) and Steve McNiven (Civil War, Old Man Logan)!
“Just like Guardians of the Galaxy #0 gave you a great ‘in’ to the Guardians, UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 arms you with a great starting point to the Inhumans!” says Senior Editor Nick Lowe.
The stoic Inhuman king, able to level mountains with a whisper has struck out on his own – seemingly leaving his Queen and his very race to fend for themselves. But is that the whole story? Now, follow his adventures as he strikes out on a new mission. A lone wolf and a king without a throne, Black Bolts endeavors will send him on a direct collision course with one of the Avengers’ greatest foes – Kang the Conqueror!
With the mastery of time at his very fingertips, Kang will bend the entire 20,000 years of Inhuman history to his own vile ends. And the silent sentinel of the Inhuman Nation is all that stands in his way.
“[Uncanny Inhumans] starts in one spot, and just when you think you know where it’s going to go, it zigs in another direction,” says series writer Charles Soule, in an interview with Marvel.com. “I like being able to take the Inhuman nation in a new direction with this series, and I think people are really going to dig it.”
Will the Inhuman king rise in the face of growing threats to his people? Or will he fall? Find out when the secrets of Black Bolt’s journey comes to light in UNCANNY INHUMANS #0 – on sale in comic shops and on digital devices this April!
UNCANNY INHUMANS #0
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
On Sale April 2015!
Announcement – Disney’s Big Hero 6 Arrives on DMA 02/03 and Blu-ray 02/24
From the studio that brought you “Frozen” and “Wreck-It Ralph” comes Disney’s “Big Hero 6” on Digital HD/ Disney Movies Anywhere February 3rd and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack on February 24th! Exciting bonus features include the theatrical short “Feast” as well as a host of deleted scenes and extras.
Own It Early on Digital HD/Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) February 3, 2015
Bring It Home on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack on February 24, 2015
From Walt Disney Animation Studios (“Frozen,” “Wreck-It Ralph”), Disney’s “Big Hero 6” introduces you to a lovable robot who will change your world. Join Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit) and Hiro Hamada (voice of Ryan Potter) in a comic adventure that will make your heart soar as they learn about teamwork and becoming more than you thought you could be.
With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy adventure that introduces Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot, who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his diverse group of friends — adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred — who transform into a band of unlikely heroes. Bring home Disney’s “Big Hero 6,” featuring comic-book-style action and hilarious, unforgettable characters — it’s fun for the whole family!
Pre-order it now at Amazon.com!
EXEC. PRODUCER: John Lasseter (“Toy Story,” “Cars”)
PRODUCER: Roy Conli (“Tangled,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”)
DIRECTORS: Don Hall (“The Emperor’s New Groove,” “The Princess and the Frog”)
Chris Williams (“Bolt,” “The Emperor’s New Groove”)
VOICE TALENT: Ryan Potter (“Save the Date”) as Hiro Himada, Scott Adsit (TV’s “30 Rock”) as Baymax, Jamie Chung (TV’s “Once Upon A Time”) as Go Go Tomago, Damon Wayans, Jr. (“Let’s Be Cops,” TV’s “New Girl”) as Wasabi, Genesis Rodriguez (“Identity Theft”) as Honey Lemon, T.J. Miller (“Silicon Valley”) as Fred, Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids”) as Aunt Cass, James Cromwell (“The Green Mile”) as Professor Robert Callaghan, Alan Tudyk (TV’s “Suburgatory”) as Alistair Krei and Daniel Henney (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) as Tadashi Hamada.
SCREENPLAY: Jordan Roberts (“March of the Penguins”), Daniel Gerson (“Monsters University”), Robert L. Baird (“Monsters University”)
COMPOSER: Henry Jackman (“The Dark Knight”)
RELEASE DATES: Digital HD & 3D on February 3, 2015
Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital SD, DVD and On-Demand on Feburary 24, 2015
PRODUCTS: Digital HD/3D/SD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand
BONUS: Digital HD/3D/SD*, Blu-ray Combo Pack & Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA)
· FEAST Theatrical Short
· The Origin Story of “Big Hero 6”: Hiro’s Journey (hosted by Jamie Chung, voice of Go Go Tomago) – Join the team behind the team that brought Big Hero 6 to the big screen as they travel on research trips to Tokyo and San Francisco and go behind the scenes of this epic film. Explore everything comic-book about Big Hero 6, from director Don Hall’s passion for comics to the story’s roots in a lesser known Marvel property. We’ll talk to Marvel’s Joe Quesada and Jeph Loeb, who were consultants on the film, to learn what makes a good comic-book story, and how these devices were used to help create Disney’s “Big Hero 6.”
· Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters – Join the six lead animators of Big Hero 6 as they talk about each of the characters and how they came to be the heroes they are now.
· Deleted Scenes (intro by Directors Don Hall & Chris Williams) – Includes two alternate openings and more.
· Big Hero Secrets (Easter Egg) – The movie is filled with Easter Eggs, and this Buzzfeed-type list piece will give you a sampling of some of the hidden treasures in the film. See if you can find this Easter Egg about Easter Eggs! (BLU-RAY ONLY)
· Gag Animations (intro by Directors Don Hall & Chris Williams) – For fun, animators made alternate versions of scenes they were working on and threw them into the mix at review sessions. The directors will present some of these gags for the first time to the public in this piece. (DMA ONLY)
· Beatmax – Check out some of Baymax’s greatest lines auto-tuned like you’ve never heard before. (DMA ONLY)
DVD:
· FEAST Theatrical Short
· Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters
· “Big Hero 6” Theatrical Teaser
*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer
FEATURE RUN TIME: Approximately 102 min.
RATING: Feature Film: PG in U.S.; PG in CE; G in CF (Additional Bonus Features Not Rated)
ASPECT RATIO: Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1
DVD Feature Film = 2.39:1
AUDIO: Blu-ray = 5.1 DTS
DVD = 5.1 Dolby
LANGUAGES: English, French & Spanish
SUBTITLES: English SDH, French & Spanish
ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):
Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it simple to buy your favorite Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies once and watch them anywhere. With DMA you can explore Disney’s library of over 400 eligible digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, and watch your digital movies from the comfort of the living room or across multiple mobile devices. In addition, you can redeem Digital Copy codes found in Disney, Pixar and Marvel Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase. Sign up and access Disney Movies Anywhere for free on DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com and through the Disney Movies Anywhere iOS and Android apps. Users can then simply connect their iTunes, Google Play and/or VUDU at VUDU.com/DMA accounts to begin enjoying their Disney, Pixar, and Marvel digital movie collections across platforms and devices.
Rob Reiner’s classic romantic comedy “The Sure Thing” 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray arrives on home ent. shelves March 24, 2015
Rob Reiner’s Classic 1985 Romantic Comedy
30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BLU-RAY™
Starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Viveca Lindfors and Nicollette Sheridan
Arrives on Home Entertainment Shelves March 24, 2015
From Shout! Factory
Let’s shift the year 2015 into gear and take a ride down the memory lane with Walter “Gib” Gibson and Alison Bradbury from the quintessential 80’s romantic comedy THE SURE THING, directed by celebrated filmmaker Rob Reiner and executive produced by Henry Winkler. The film stars John Cusack (Say Anything…, High Fidelity), Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs, One Tree Hill), Viveca Lindfors (Stargate) as Professor Taub and introducing Nicollette Sheridan (Spy Hard). On March 24, 2015, Shout! Factory will release THE SURE THING 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray™ on home entertainment shelves. Available for the first time on Blu-ray™, this special anniversary edition is a must have for movie collectors and fans of raucously funny road trips, red-hot romantic comedies and romps through 80’s angst. THE SURE THING 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray is priced to own at $24.97 SRP.
When college student Walter Gibson (Cusack) gets set up for a date with an incredibly gorgeous blonde (Nicollette Sheridan in her film debut), he’s ready to go to the ends of the earth — or at least across the country — to capitalize on this “sure thing.” Paired up with tightly-wound coed Alison Bradbury (Zuniga) via the campus ride-share program, he heads west for Los Angeles. But as the obstacles begin to pile up, he and Alison begin to form an unexpected bond… and soon Gib must choose between the sure thing and the real thing.
THE SURE THING 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray™
Special Features:
• Commentary with director Rob Reiner
• Road to The Sure Thing
• Casting The Sure Thing
• Reading The Sure Thing
• Dressing The Sure Thing
• Theatrical Trailer
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1)/DTS HD Master Audio
Color/1985/Running Time +/- 95 minutes
Ultron Unleashed In Your New Look at AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON OGN!
Ultron Unleashed In Your New Look at AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON OGN!
Superstars Rick Remender & Jerome Opena Reunite For Epic Original Graphic Novel
Two generations of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes rise to the challenge and come face-to-face with the Avengers greatest villain in AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON, the can’t miss original graphic novel coming to comic shops and book stores this April! New York Times bestselling writer Rick Remender (Uncanny Avengers, Uncanny X-Force) re-teams with critically acclaimed artists and frequent collaborator Jerome Opeña (Avengers, Uncanny X-Force) to take heroes old and new to the brink of destruction in a story that will redefine Ultron and have long reaching effects for the Avengers!
Time and again, Ultron has reformed himself. Each time more vicious and destructive than the last. Today, he has returned, unleashing his destructive fury upon Saturn’s moon Titan – home of the superpowered race of Eternals and birthplace of Thanos the Mad. With the Eternals decimated, and Ultron gaining complete control over Titan’s central computer core, there is nothing to stop Planet Ultron!
“The Avengers mostly contend either with the foes of their individual members, such as Loki, or teams of villains such as the Masters of Evil,” says SVP, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “But as a group, they have only two discrete villains of note: Kang and Ultron. So whenever you embark on a story featuring either of them, it needs to be a very strong and important story indeed. AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON is such a story, both going back to the formative days of Ultron’s existence, and also transforming him in a manner that can’t help but impact upon future stories. Plus, he’s a whole planet!”
With an entire planet bending to his will, nothing will stand in his quest to obliterate the Earth and his makers. What hope do the Avengers stand against an entire planet of Ultron robots? Even with the aid of Starfox and the Eternals, the battle is still all but lost.
Only Ultron’s creator Hank Pym holds the secret to defeating his unhinged creation. A secret that dates back to the Avengers of a bygone era. A secret that comes with a terrible price…
Debuting in a high-end, oversized format, Avengers: Rage of Ultron marks another entry in Marvel’s stunning OGN line, featuring the world’s most popular characters brought to life by the best creators in the industry. You will not want to miss one of the biggest, boldest stories of the year when AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON OGN explodes into comic shops this April!
AVENGERS: RAGE OF ULTRON OGN (DEC140948)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by JEROME OPEÑA
FOC – 01/05/15, On-Sale – 04/01/15
Stephen King’s The Stand Revisited in Books & Nachos Multi-Part Podcast Series
For more than a year the above-pictured copy of The Stand has been my constant companion.
The way Mel Gibson’s character in Conspiracy Theory never when anywhere without his copy of Catcher in the Rye, wherever I went this paperback, becoming ever-more battered and torn, went with me.
For this copy was the first of three versions of King’s seminal fantasy novel that I read in 2014. This copy contained the text found in King’s 1980 paperback printing of the book, which varied slightly from the original 1978 hardcover and the 1990 “Complete and Uncut” version of the novel.
It was in this book that I took my primary plot notes on the novel, writing on the pages with pen and highlighter. Then as I next read the 1990 revised Stand, and then the 1978 hardcover version, it was this paperback I constantly returned to for comparison.
Now I can put this book in a drawer for my review of Stephen King’s The Stand is complete and starting the afternoon of Monday, January 5th, 2015, you can hear it at BooksAndNachos.com.
The Stand is an epic tale broken down into three books, as well as a prologue and an epilogue. Likewise my podcast review will be broken into multiple parts and released one per day during this week. (Though the review of The Stand will be released in fewer parts, and have a shorter run-time, than the sum of all 20 reviews for the short stories in King’s Night Shift collection).
Leaving this book behind is bittersweet. While I have enjoyed spending so much time in King’s post-apocalyptic universe I’m also really happy to finish this, the most difficult and involved review I’ve ever done.
I hope you’ll join me for it!
While you wait for the Books & Nachos review of The Stand, you can hear our review of the TV Mini-series posted now at Now Playing Podcast’s web site.
Preview: Sideshow’s J Scott Campbell Black Cat Polystone Statue
Sideshow Collectibles has released a teaser image for an upcoming Marvel Comics based statue of Spider-Man’s sometimes-lover sometimes-advisory The Black Cat.
This statue is the fourth release in Sideshow’s collection of Spider-Man and his girlfriends. All four statues are based on art by Marvel cover artist J. Scott Campbell.
While Black Cat, real name Felicia Hardy, is not an A-List Marvel character, her solid fanbase has already garnered her a number of statue releases. In addition to the mini-busts by Diamond Select Toys and Gentle Giant, plus statues by Bowen Designs, Sideshow has already released three Black Cat statues: The Black Cat comiquette based on art by Adam Hughes, The Black Cat quarter-scale Premium Format Figure, and the Black Cat Legendary Scale Bust. All three previous Black Cat statues have been long sold out from Sideshow’s site and collectors had to go to eBay to order.
This new Black Cat statue differs in style from the previous releases not only in that it is modeled after Campbell’s art, which often features exceptionally tall and thin representations of characters, but also in that her pose appears to be more sultry and seductive. The previous Sideshow Black Cat statues featured the criminal in an act of theft, while this one appears to be in a lascivious position.
The previous statues Sideshow has released in their J. Scott Campbell collection have been gorgeous-looking pieces. The podcast Marvelicious Toys has done video reviews of both the Mary Jane statue as well as the Gwen Stacy comiquette. The Mary Jane review was exceedingly positive; the Gwen Stacy review noted a persistent design flaw that caused the statue to repeatedly fall and break. It’s hard to tell from this preview image but collectors should hope that Black Cat is on a solid base and not imbalanced.
Sideshow had previously released a logo teasing the Black Cat statue’s release. In that image the feline felon was on all fours on a bed. This new tease promises a pose somewhat different from that original image, and it’s difficult to tell if this final design will feature her on a bed. If so, the design may be a nice counterpoint to Campbell’s Mary Jane statue.
All three previous J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man statues are released and shipping now from Sideshow Collectibles. You can get a head start on your collection now so the display is ready when the Black Cat arrives!
Check them out at Sideshow’s site:
To be among the first to know when Black Cat is up for pre-order you can follow Marvelicious Toys on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for their Sales to Astonish newsletter to be e-mailed when the statue sale has gone live!
New Trailer : BUDDY HUTCHINS starring Jamie Kennedy
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Named one of Wicked Channel’s Top 25 Films of 2014, Buddy Hutchins features Jamie Kennedy (Scream, TVs Ghost Whisperer) as you’ve never seen him before!
Earth’s Mightiest Reforged – Your First Look at UNCANNY AVENGERS #1!
Earth’s Mightiest Reforged – Your First Look at UNCANNY AVENGERS #1!
This January, a new Unity Squad will be formed for a new age. New team. New mission. New threats. Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at UNCANNY AVENGERS #1, the explosive new ongoing series from blockbuster creators Rick Remender and Daniel Acuña!
The tragedy at the end of Avengers & X-Men: AXIS has left the Uncanny Avengers vulnerable. The Avengers Unity Squad as we know it has been decimated – and someone is taking advantage of it! Biding his time, one of the Avengers oldest foes has returned. Why now? And what does it have to do with the reborn Avengers Unity Squad?
What is Counter-Earth? What secrets does it hold? An unlikely alliance of Avengers & X-Men will form, seeking answers. Only what they find will in all likelihood destroy the lives of two of its own members. To brave Counter-Earth, the new Uncanny Avengers – Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Vision, Captain America, Rogue, Brother Voodoo and a now-heroic Sabretooth must stand together, or perish alone.
As tensions run high and the secrets of Counter-Earth are laid bare, will this new Unity Squad’s first mission be their last? The answers lie in the explosive debut of UNCANNY AVENGERS #1, coming to comic shops and digital devices this January!
UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 (NOV140703)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art & Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
Teaser Variant by DANIEL ACUÑA (NOV140706)
Variant Covers by SKOTTIE YOUNG (NOV140708) & GABRIELE DELL’OTTO (NOV140704)
Inhumans 50th Anniversary Variant by LADRÖNN(NOV140705)
Welcome Home Variant by SALVADOR LARROCA (NOV140707)
FOC – 01/05/14, On-Sale – 01/28/14
New Podcast: Star Wars Action News 2014 In Review Part 1 – Watch now!
For Star Wars fans 2014 came in with a whimper but went out with a bang! From a year that started with few Star Wars figures to be found in either the 4 or 6-inch scales, it ended with Expanded Universe 6-Inch figures, new lines of 3.75-inch figures, and Star Wars fans everywhere trying to “get to da Chopper!”
Now in the first part of the Star Wars Action News year in review, the Star Wars Action News team looks back at 2014 from the point of view of a toy collector. Marjorie and Arnie are joined by several other collectors to rate the best and worst of Star Wars collecting this year!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys 1/6 Scale Darth Vader
Hot Toys’ newest 1/6 scale Star Wars figure is up for pre-order now: Darth Vader.
Darth Vader is one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars saga and has frequently been regarded as one of the greatest villains in cinema history. Following the release of “The Circle is Now Complete’ teaser earlier last month, Star Wars fans have already been eagerly waiting for the official reveal of the Sith Lord!
And now Hot Toys is welcoming fans to the dark side and officially introduce the highly-detailed and amazingly-crafted Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope: 1/6th scale Darth Vader Collectible Figure complete with the Sith Lord’s iconic breathing sound effects and LED lighted functions!
The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope! It features a sophisticatedly-crafted Darth Vader armor and helmet, specially tailored suit, built-in sound effect function with Darth Vader’s breathing sound, LED-lighted lightsaber and belt, a finely-made Interrogator Droid, and a specially designed figure stand.
Embrace the dark side and add the infamous Dark Lord of the Sith to your Star Wars collection!
The figure comes with 9 interchangeable hands, a LED lit lightsaber, a special figure stand, and an Interrogator droid!
Continue your 1/6 Scale Hot Toys figure collection by ordering Darth Vader now from Sideshow Collectibles!
Is this an improvement over Sideshow’s own 1/6 scale Darth Vader? Let us know in the comments below!
Avengers NOW – Trailer Released
The most popular characters. The most acclaimed creators. The most ambitious stories. This is the recharged Avengers NOW!
The Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but these Avengers are something new! Witness the Avengers like you’ve never seen them before as the industry’s top creators and brightest rising starts deliver can’t miss new ongoing series like Thor, All-New Captain America, Superior Iron Man and more.
Find these all-new ongoing series in comic shops, on the Marvel Comics app and on Marvel.com. To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com and visit Marvel.com for more info on Avengers NOW!
Frank Oz returns as the voice of Yoda in the all-new Star Wars Rebels episode
Frank Oz returns as the voice of Yoda in the all-new Star Wars Rebels episode,
“Path of the Jedi!”
Recognizing it’s time for Ezra to undertake his next important step in Jedi training, Kanan and his apprentice quest for an ancient Jedi Temple on Lothal. Once there, Ezra begins a series of Jedi tests and receives some unexpected guidance from Jedi Master Yoda.
Frank Oz was interviewed about his portrayal of Yoda. Read it below!
Watch a clip from REBELS below!
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – for Annual Subscribers
The Battle of the Five Armies may only have been about 50 pages in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit but it is the focus of Peter Jackson’s third and final Hobbit film. It’s elves and humans versus dwarves and orcs, with a few special surprises thrown in! How does the Battle of Five Armies compare to the Battle for Middle Earth in Return of the King, and were three films warranted to tell the story from one novel? Thanks to your donation to Now Playing you can listen and find out as Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie complete their Lord of the Rings Bonus Retrospective Series!The Battle of the Five Armies may only have been about 50 pages in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit but it is the focus of Peter Jackson’s third and final Hobbit film. It’s elves and humans versus dwarves and orcs, with a few special surprises thrown in! How does the Battle of Five Armies compare to the Battle for Middle Earth in Return of the King, and were three films warranted to tell the story from one novel? DONATE TO SUPPORT NOW PLAYING and you can listen and find out as Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie complete their Lord of the Rings Bonus Retrospective Series!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Donation Bonus
The Battle of the Five Armies may only have been about 50 pages in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit but it is the focus of Peter Jackson’s third and final Hobbit film. It’s elves and humans versus dwarves and orcs, with a few special surprises thrown in! How does the Battle of Five Armies compare to the Battle for Middle Earth in Return of the King, and were three films warranted to tell the story from one novel? Thanks to your donation to Now Playing you can listen and find out as Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie complete their Lord of the Rings Bonus Retrospective Series!The Battle of the Five Armies may only have been about 50 pages in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit but it is the focus of Peter Jackson’s third and final Hobbit film. It’s elves and humans versus dwarves and orcs, with a few special surprises thrown in! How does the Battle of Five Armies compare to the Battle for Middle Earth in Return of the King, and were three films warranted to tell the story from one novel? DONATE TO SUPPORT NOW PLAYING and you can listen and find out as Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie complete their Lord of the Rings Bonus Retrospective Series!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Movie Review: The Interview
It’s discussed as if it is the most important film of 2014. Hell, from all the headlines some may think it’s the most important movie of all time.
That movie is, of course, The Interview, and its controversial plot involving the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
The lore around this film’s release is great, and yet muddied. It is supposedly the motive behind one of the largest cyberattacks in history–a massive breach of Sony Pictures’ network. This hack has led to private e-mails being leaked and several films hitting bittorrent weeks before theaters. Debate raged on if the media should cover the contents of these leaked files.
The FBI has claimed North Korea is the group behind the hacks, yet there is compelling evidence that others may in fact be responsible, and The Interview‘s North Korea plot simply a red herring.
Then the hackers threatened physical attacks if The Interview was released and theater chains like AMC to refused to show the film. With few movie houses still willing to screen the film Sony cancelled the release, and suddenly this movie became about more than just dick jokes–it was about freedom of speech! Indignant tweets were issued, and even President Obama weighed in calling Sony’s move a “mistake.”
Thus it has been hailed as a triumph of creativity that Sony reversed its decision. On Christmas Day The Interview will be shown at independent theaters nationwide. More, starting December 24, The Interview was available for purchase or rent from Google Play or YouTube (though the Google-only release made this film only slightly less difficult for me to watch, having only an Apple TV and a TiVo hooked up to my home theater; this guide helped greatly).
But now that the film is out, available to rent in your home, a far more fundamental question must be asked–will everyone who has decried the film’s cancellation watch it?
Of course taken in the context of the national conversation there is no way a lighthearted comedy like The Interview could hold up. As an apotheosis for freedom of expression The Interview is lacking, and that should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the oeuvres of the film’s stars James Franco and Seth Rogen.
So tonight I watched this movie and stripped away all thought of the brouhaha surrounding its release to review the film on its own merits.
The story surrounds TV talk-show host Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen). When it’s uncovered that their show Skylark Tonight is a favorite of Kim Jong-un’s the duo schedule an interview with the reclusive leader. Yet the simple fluff piece becomes deadly serious when Skylark and rapaport are approached by CIA Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) drafting the two to assassinate the dictator.
Despite its pseudo-political plot, The Interview is not revolutionary. This is the second film co-directed by Rogen and his longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, and it follows very much in the style and one of their first feature This is the End. Both films are about single guys in above their heads, and so as expected, The Interview movie has more dick jokes than political statements–it’s a film that plays to the stars’ fan base without expanding their appeal.
It’s telling that the movie is strongest in its first act when it is firmly planted in the United States, Franco having “revealing” interviews with Eminem and Rob Lowe. Lampooning celebrity culture was the backbone of This is the End, and is obviously an area where Rogen and Goldberg feel comfortable.
Additionally the chemistry between the two leads is infectious. Rogen and Franco have worked together for over a decade since the Judd Apatow series Freaks and Geeks (a series in which Caplan also had a recurring role) and they play off each other very well. It’s fun to watch them on screen together discussing “stink dick” and I would have watched an entire comedy revolving around the antics on Skylark Tonight.
But once the duo arrive in North Korea the movie starts to lose its footing. The bromance between the two leads hits the rocks when Skylark begins to go rogue and bond with Kim, played by Randall Park. Park is the true weak link in the film; his performance never carries any gravitas, thus undermining the importance of his role as a rogue dictator with an arsenal of nuclear weapons. More, Franco and Park never show a hint of the chemistry we saw with Franco and Rogen, and the scenes between the TV personality and the dictator drag.
The longer the movie runs the less funny it became, and at a nearly 2-hour runtime The Interview came very close to overstaying its welcome. The last twenty minutes are painfully unfunny save for some extreme violence. The film did have a good number of laughs, they just were all packed into the first hour.
So no, there is nothing in this film to rally around. I suspect that once audiences can actually see the movie they’ll quickly forget the circumstances surrounding its release. But for fans of the Apatow level of stoner and sex humor, there’s enough here that I give The Interview a mild recommend.
It’s a major victory for freedom of speech, but a very, very minor one for the cast and crew who made The Interview.
Happy Holidays From MARVEL SUPER HEROES (WHAT THE–?!)
Happy Holidays From MARVEL SUPER HEROES: WHAT THE–?!
Enjoy this brand new Holiday Spectacular episode of Marvel Super Heroes: What The—?! His latest schemes against the Inhumans finds Thanos, the Mad Titan is forced to impersonate a beloved and jolly holiday figure! Also featuring Hawkeye, Hulk, Spider-Man, and more! Watch the holiday hijinx ensue in the latest episode of Marvel Super Heroes: What The—?!
FEAR CLINIC is accepting appointments on Blu-ray and DVD starting February 10, 2015!
Time to face your fears. What if your fears faced you?
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT DARES YOU TO ENTER THE…
FEAR CLINIC
Starring Robert Englund, Fiona Dourif, Corey Taylor, Angelina Armani and Thomas Dekker
Step Into The Fear Chamber Starting February 10, 2015
on Blu-ray™ and DVD
After terrifying audiences from coast to coast – Closing Night Event at ScreamFest 2014 Los Angeles and Opening Night Screening at 2014 New York City Horror Film Festival – Fear Clinic, the latest excursion into unrelenting terror will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 10, 2015 by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The highly anticipated shocker stars horror icon Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund, Fiona Dourif, Angelina Armani, Thomas Dekker, as well as Stone Sour and Slipknot lead vocalist Corey Taylor in his acting debut, and is directed by Robert G. Hall (Lightning Bug, Laid to Rest, ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest II).
With blood-chilling special effects by award-winning FX creators Robert Kurtzman and Steve Johnson, Fear Clinic will take viewers on an unforgettable journey into the very soul of terror itself. SRP is $26.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $22.98 for the DVD, with pre-book on January 7.
Co-written by Hall and Aaron Drane, the film is based on the critically acclaimed and fan favorite 2009 FEARnet.com series. When trauma-induced phobias begin to re-emerge in five survivors a year after their horrifying tragedy, they return to the “Fear Clinic,” hoping to find the answers they need to get cured.
Dr. Andover (Robert Englund), a fear doctor who runs the clinic, uses his “Fear Chamber” to animate their fears in the form of terrifying hallucinations. However, the good doctor soon begins to suspect that something more sinister may be at work, something that yearns to be more than just an hallucination…
Bonus features on Fear Clinic Blu-ray™ and DVD to be announced.
FEAR CLINIC Blu-ray™
Street Date: February 10, 2015
Pre-book: January 7, 2015
Cat. #: BD62075
UPC: 0 1313 262075-6
Run Time: 95 minutes
Rating: R (pending)
SRP: $26.99
Format: Widescreen 2.40:1 1080p
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
FEAR CLINIC DVD
Street Date: February 10, 2015
Pre-book: January 7, 2015
Cat. #: DV62074
UPC: 0 1313 262074-9
Run Time: 95 minutes
Rating: R (pending)
SRP: $22.98
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Avengers Figures Will be 2.5-inches, ship in January
Hasbro will be selling a 2.5-inch Avengers: Age of Ultron action figure line as soon as this February.
One of our HYDRA spies sent us the above screenshot from their inventory system. This shows that Hasbro will be shipping 2.5-inch Avengers: Age of Ultron figure 2-packs, continuing the smaller scale figure line they debuted with their Guardians of the Galaxy figure line. These figures are scheduled to arrive at their warehouse on January 28th.
Rocket Raccoon and Groot from Hasbro’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2.5-inch figure line.
While this news may not excite action figure collectors, it actually may be a harbinger of worse news. With Guardians of the Galaxy Hasbro eschewed the 3.75-inch scale of action figures they had made since their earliest action figure lines based on X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Iron Man 2. Due to the rising cost of action figures Hasbro went with less expensive 2.5-inch figure 2-packs. These figures had much less paint detail and articulation than Hasbro had put in their 3.75-inch lines, and many collectors wrote them off as kid’s toys. The smaller figure style allowed for Hasbro to focus on vehicles as part of the line’s play pattern, releasing space ships seen in the movie to scale with these figures.
The news of Avengers: Age of Ultron figures may indicate Hasbro is giving their toy line for the upcoming film the same treatment they gave Guardians of the Galaxy.
At a press event held in New York last October Hasbro revealed Avengers: Age of Ultron figures in their collector-focused, 6-inch Marvel Legends line. They also showed new figures in their Marvel Infinite Series 3.75-inch line, but these figures were comic-based rather than movie-based. They also showed a Quinjet vehicle from the upcoming film that, while the same approximate size as the 3.75-inch scale Quinjet, Hasbro has confirmed is for 2.5-inch figures.
Hasbro reps confirmed the Quinjet toy shown at October’s New York Comic-Con was scaled for 2.5-inch figures.
When asked for more details on the likelihood of a 3.75-inch Age of Ultron figure line, a Hasbro representative confirmed the Quinjet shown was 2.5-inch scale, and added: “I can’t comment on the existence or any details of a 3.75-inch action figure line at this time. There will be more information on the Age of Ultron toy line as we get closer to Toy Fair.”
Will you be disappointed with no 3.75-inch figure line for Age of Ultron or are Legends and 2.5-inch enough? Let us know in the comments below!
You can watch our full coverage of Hasbro’s NYCC reveals in Marvelicious Toys Issue 128!
Pre-Order Alert: Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories
A new Marvel Hot Toys figure is up for pre-order–Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories.
In the film Iron Man 2, Tony Stark was slowly being poisoned by the palladium arc reactor in his body. With the help of the information left behind by Howard Stark, Tony was able to create a new element to use for a new Arc Reactor. This scene greatly displayed Tony Stark’s immense intelligence when he re-discovered and created a new element by using a particle accelerator.
Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are delighted to introduce the new sixth scale Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories Collectible Set. This collectible set includes a specially crafted collectible figure based on the image of Robert Downey Jr. as the genius billionaire Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, and features a newly developed head sculpt, an advanced body with light-up chest light, detailed outfit, and the Captain America shield prototype which he has used to level the particle accelerator and workshop accessories.
Iron Man fans, don’t miss out on this collectible set! Expand your Iron Man series collection! Order it now from Sideshow!
We Are (Baby) Groot! Pre-Order Alert
Hot Toys Enters the Quarter Scale Marvel Market in a Small Way with the pre-order for the Little Groot Quarter Scale Figure.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced they held the license for Quarter Scale Marvel Figures. The company is widely known for their detailed (and expensive) Marvel sixth scale figures, including over 20 versions of Iron Man, and many collectors wondered what the cost of such items would be. Yet since the announcement Hot Toys has limited their 1/4 Scale releases to Iron Man busts. Now Hot Toys releases their first full figure in Quarter Scale, but it’s not Iron Man, nor any other humanoid creature–it’s Little Groot, as seen at the end of this year’s top-grossing film Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 1/4 scale, this potted Groot stands about 5.5-inches tall. Yet the figure is fully bendable allowing for a variety of poses. With three separate head sculpts you can have serious Groot, dancing Groot, or super-happy Groot!
The collector in me is worried about long-term wear on the figure from too much bending, but the Groot fan in me finds this too cute to prevent me from buying it!
At under $45 I think this figure would be Hot Toys’ top-selling figure of all time, except the market is flooded with baby Groot figures. Funko has their POP Vinyl version released; a low-cost animatronic dancing Baby Groot has surfaced at Wal Mart stores in the USA, KIDdesigns has a dancing Baby Groot shipping this Spring, Dragon has a full-scale Baby Groot Maquette, and Hot Toys themselves have already put up for pre-order two different Baby Groot figures in the 1/6 scale line–accessories with the Rocket and (full size, adult) Groot 2-figure set.
Still, at under $45 this is a great gift item that will likely sell quickly. So go GROOT yours now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Hail to the King With the KING-SIZE KIRBY Collection!
Hail to the King With the KING-SIZE KIRBY Collection!
He’s the King of Comics. A man who left an indelible mark upon the medium, using his peerless imagination to create some of the greatest stories and characters ever told. In 2015, celebrate Jack “King” Kirby’s incredible contribution to comic book history in the monumental, decades-spanning KING-SIZE KIRBY HARDCOVER collection!
Presented in Marvel’s Adamantium-sized format, this titanic tome clocks in at more than 800 pages of Kirby’s finest stories and stands more than a foot tall! For the first time ever, fans will be able to experience these truly genre-defining stories in a format that complements Jack Kirby’s unsurpassed art and storytelling abilities.
“If there were a Mount Rushmore of American comic book artists, Jack Kirby would be front and center,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.
Whether it was westerns, romance, war, horror, sci-fi, humor or super heroes – Jack Kirby could do it all! From Captain America punching Adolf Hitler to the super heroic creation of the Fantastic Four, X-Men and Avengers on to the far-out space opera of the Eternals, savor Jack Kirby’s most iconic comics in this one, unforgettable collection.
“Fans should reinforce their bookshelves and coffee tables,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “This one is going to be huge – literally! We’re aiming to bring fans the ultimate collection, the ultimate collectable and the definitive Jack Kirby experience. The King of Comics deserves no less.”
This summer, experience the work of Jack Kirby brought to life like never before. A collection for the ages, experience the groundbreaking storytelling of one of the medium’s greatest pioneers when the KING-SIZE KIRBY HARDCOVER hits stores in July! Hail to the King.
KING-SIZE KIRBY collects material from RED RAVEN #1; MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #13; CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS (1941) #1, 7; TALES TO ASTONISH #5; RAWHIDE KID #17; AMAZING ADVENTURES (1961) #1, STRANGE TALES #89, #94 and #114; TEEN-AGE ROMANCE #84; FANTASTIC FOUR #1, #48-51, #57-60 and ANNUAL #5; INCREDIBLE HULK #3; TWO-GUN KID #60; LOVE ROMANCES #103; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8; SGT. FURY #6 and #13; AVENGERS #4; TALES OF SUSPENSE #59; X-MEN #9; THOR #134-136 and #155-157; NOT BRAND ECHH #1; AMAZING ADVENTURES (1970) #1-2; CAPTAIN AMERICA’S BICENTENNIAL BATTLES; CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #200; ETERNALS #7; DEVIL DINOSAUR #1; and WHAT IF? #11
KING-SIZE KIRBY HC
Written by JACK KIRBY, MARTIN BURNSTEIN, JOE SIMON & STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
On Sale JULY 2015!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Avengers: Age of Ultron Iron Man Mk XLIII
Hot Toys’ Movie Masterpiece Series Die Cast Iron Man Mk XLIII from the upcoming movie Avengers: Age of Ultron is now up for pre-order at Sideshow Collectibles, including the exclusive edition with a bonus helmet!
Age of Ultron is still almost five months away from its theatrical release, but fan excitement is high after the trailer premiered in October. As such Hot Toys seems to be accelerating their pre-order schedule. With the original Avengers film, as well as Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Guardians of the Galaxy Hot Toys offered pre-orders in the weeks leading up to the film’s release. For Ultron, they are offering the first pre-order almost six months ahead of time.
Such a lead can be cause for concern. With the film still in production and CG work being performed the final look of characters can change from concept to screen. There is a chance, however slim, that figures designed this early could differ significantly from the final on-screen version.
However there is a benefit as well–the figure will be released the same year as the film. This Iron Man Mk XLIII figure is scheduled for release the third quarter of 2015–only 3 to 5 months after the film opened (compared to the first Iron Man 3 figures which shipped more than a year after the film’s release).
As for this first pre-order, it is the newest Iron Man armor, the Mk XLIII (43 for the roman numeral impaired). Not only is this armor a return to the classic mostly-red armor color, it is also a made of die cast metal. (For a hands-on review of Hot Toys’ die cast Iron Patriot and the quality Hot Toys puts into their die cast figures watch Marvelicious Toys Issue 119).
The movie-accurate Mark XLIII Collectible Figure is highly detailed and specially crafted based on the image of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Mark XLIII in Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a newly painted Tony Stark helmeted head sculpt, metallic red, gold and silver armor with weathered effects, LED light-up functions, and a specially designed diorama base with a damaged Ultron Mark I. A special edition will be available for selected markets which includes a LED lighted battle damaged helmet as a Sideshow Collectibles exclusive bonus accessory.
The figure comes with a Tony Stark head as well as a LED light-up helmeted head, 3 pairs of hands, interchangeable forearm armor and wrist guards, LED chest and hands, and more features. Plus the figure has over 36 points of articulation, not even counting the deployed air flaps at the back of the armor.
Most exciting is the figure’s base, which includes a battle damaged Ultron Mark I (meaning that Ultron and Stark will be competing in who has the most outfit changes in Avengers 2).
Pre-order this amazing collectible figure to kick-off your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Quarter-Scale Boba Fett Figure
The ultimate bounty from Hot Toys is now available for Pre-Order – their Quarter Scale Return of the Jedi Boba Fett Figure.
In July Hot Toys announced they had obtained the rights to sell figures based on the Star Wars films. The only releases so far had been in their 1/6 scale (12-inch) Movie Masterpiece Series line. Boba Fett is the first release in their quarter-scale (18-inch) line of figures, bringing a level of quality, articulation, and accessories never before seen in Star Wars figures of this scale.
In terms of size, this figure matches a Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format Figure, or figures in Diamond Select Toys’ (now cancelled) quarter-scale figure line. But while the Sideshow “figure” is really a statue, and the Diamond Select Toys’ figure was a toy that did not attempt realistic likenesses and high articulation, Hot Toys is bringing the detail of their Movie Masterpiece figures to this giant size.
Standing nearly 18-inches tall (45cm to be exact), this Boba Fett figure has a helmet with an articulated rangefinder and extremely detailed Mandolorian armor designed to match the bounty hunter’s appearance in Return of the Jedi. Underneath that armor you’ll find over 30 points of articulation allowing a huge variety of poses. And more, you get seven interchangable hands for different gestures, and a huge number of accessories including two blaster rifles (regular and damaged), a survival knife, an anti-security blade, and more! Plus if you get the Special Edition (exclusively through Sideshow Collectibles) you also get a blaster sidearm with holster which Boba Fett has in Star Wars: Episode V Empire Strikes Back.
Don’t miss the chance to add the fearsome bounty hunter to your prized collection!
Find out all the details and pre-order now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast: Star Wars Action News Episode 438: Tarkin ‘Bout Toys
With a review of James Lucino’s new Star Wars novel Tarkin and Jerry looking back on books of yesteryear, and ThinkGeek plushes too, you’ll find all this and more in this Episode of Star Wars Action News!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
MARVEL & STEPHEN KING’S DARK FANTASY EPIC RETURNS IN DARK TOWER: THE DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS #1
MARVEL & STEPHEN KING’S DARK FANTASY EPIC RETURNS IN
DARK TOWER: THE DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS #1
Eddie Dean Comes Face to Face with the Gunslinger!
New York, NY (December 16th, 2014) – Marvel, in collaboration with Stephen King, is proud to announce the latest chapter in the Dark Tower series – DARK TOWER: THE DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS. Beginning in March 2015, New York Times Best-Selling writers Peter David (Spider-Man 2099) & Robin Furth (The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance) along with critically acclaimed artist Piotr Kowalski (Marvel Knights: Hulk) continue to bring the dark macabre action from Mid-World to our world in the third installment of Stephen King’s epic masterpiece!
THE DARK TOWER: DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS marks another milestone for the graphic fiction sensation that’s captivated fans worldwide as the saga moves to the second volume of King’s magnum opus.
The troubled streets of New York City pulse with the beat of desolation and crime. Among the dissidents of the city is Eddie Dean a troubled young man gifted with the ability to open doors to other worlds has smuggled narcotics from Nassau to New York City, but now Eddie has to escape a packed airplane guarded by armed Custom Agents! How will Eddie avoid prison and yet also fulfill his contract with the dangerous mobster Balazar? The answer lies in Mid-World, and with a dying gunslinger named Roland!
“In the latest chapter of King’s epic tale there are some fascinating connections being made within the Dark Tower mythos, expanding on the histories of the characters and revealing their twisted ‘family tree,’ says series Editor Mark Paniccia. “Fans will get a real thrill as we discover what kind of role Eddie Dean plays in Roland Deschain’s plans to bring the tower down.”
A bold new chapter begins as the landmark series makes its historic return to comic shops this March in Stephen King’s THE DARK TOWER: THE DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS #1.
STEPHEN KING’S THE DARK TOWER:
THE DRAWING OF THE THREE – HOUSE OF CARDS #1
Written by ROBIN FURTH & PETER DAVID
Art by PIOTR KOWALSKI
Cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
On Sale March 2015!
Relive the Original Marvel STAR WARS™ Adaptations With Remastered Graphic Novels in 2015!
Relive the Original Marvel STAR WARS™ Adaptations
With Remastered Graphic Novels in 2015!
Next year, the original Marvel Comic adaptations of the iconic Star Wars trilogy return for new, oversized graphic novels with remastered coloring! It all starts this May as the first original comic adaptation of the greatest space-fantasy film of all time is reborn for the modern age as STAR WARS™: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE makes it’s triumphant return to comic shops!
Weeks before George Lucas’ first STAR WARS film hit theatres, Marvel gave eager fans their very first look at Luke Skywalker, boldly asking “Will he save the galaxy, or destroy it?” Over 30 years later, you know the answer, but that doesn’t spoil the excitement of reliving this now classic adaptation like you’ve never seen it before – including scenes that never made it to the silver screen! Written by Roy Thomas with art by Howard Chaykin, this iconic story has been remastered for the modern age all-new coloring by Chris Sotomayor.
“When Star Wars took the world by storm in 1977, Marvel Comics was right there with exciting comic adaptations and new stories set in a galaxy far, far away,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “With new Star Wars comics being published by Marvel in 2015, we’re proud to look back on this exciting remastered adaptation of the original film, with remastered adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi coming later in 2015.”
Debuting in an oversized hardcover format with sophisticated packaging and a new cover by famed artist Adi Granov, relive the original Marvel Comics adventure of Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2 and the villainous Darth Vader again – or for the very first time. It’s six against an entire galaxy – one that’s far, far away and a long time ago!
May the Force be with you, and in the mighty Marvel manner this May when the remastered STAR WARS™: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE OGN HC comes to comic shops and bookstores in 2015!
For more on Star Wars please visit marvel.com and join in the conversation on Twitter with #StarWars. To experience Star Wars online, visit StarWars.com or follow Star Wars on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – for Annual Subscribers
He is fire…he is death…he is Smaug, the titular dragon in Peter Jackson’s second Hobbit film. How can a halfling and some dwarfs battle such a mighty beast? How much of the movie passes before they get there? And how many characters from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy will appear along the way? Donate and support Now Playing you can hear Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart discuss all this and more in this review of The Desolation of Smaug as they prepare for next week’s new release — Battle of the Five Armies!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Donation Bonus
He is fire…he is death…he is Smaug, the titular dragon in Peter Jackson’s second Hobbit film. How can a halfling and some dwarfs battle such a mighty beast? How much of the movie passes before they get there? And how many characters from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy will appear along the way? Donate and support Now Playing you can hear Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart discuss all this and more in this review of The Desolation of Smaug as they prepare for next week’s new release — Battle of the Five Armies!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: Entertainment Earth Exclusive Planet X Groot!
Planet X Groot available exclusively through Entertainment Earth.
“I am Groot.” And now you can say “I own Groot… as a limited edition Planet X Groot Premium Hikari Sofubi Vinyl Figure – an Entertainment Earth Exclusive! From the Guardians of the Galaxy film, one of Marvel’s biggest characters has been transformed into the popular Hikari format. Planet X Groot features an auburn and brown distressed color deco. At a colossal 11-inches tall, the Guardians of the Galaxy Planet X Groot Premium Hikari Sofubi Vinyl Figure is a limited edition of only 1,000 pieces that comes individually numbered and packaged in a window box for easy display!
Pre-Order now at www.entertainmentearth.com!
Who Will Rule New York City’s Underworld? Find Out in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SPIRAL!
Who Will Rule New York City’s Underworld? Find Out in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SPIRAL!
This March, experience a Spider-Man story like you’ve never seen before as Peter Parker takes on the criminal underworld in Amazing Spider-Man: Spiral, a brand new 5-issue series beginning in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16.1! Legendary Spidey writer Gerry Conway returns to the webhead along with blockbuster artist Carlo Barberi for an all-new tale of crime, corruption, and the dark corners of the Marvel Universe that will alter the landscape of the criminal underworld!
Spider-Verse may be over, but Peter Parker’s troubles are just beginning. A crime wave rips through New York City. The underworld is still in flux following the Kingpin’s removal from Shadowland. Gangs wage turf wars unchecked on the streets of Manhattan. The gang war is heating up and Spidey is going to do something about it!
Only he’s not alone! Police Captain Yuri Watanabe meters out her own justice both as a member of the NYPD and as the vigilante known as THE WRAITH! But do she and Spider-Man play by the same rules? How far is she willing to go to keep New York safe?
“Hammerhead; Tombstone; the Circus of Crime; Black Cat and Mr. Negative – they’re all at each other’s throats because there’s no single overlord of crime currently running things in New York,” says Gerry Conway in an interview with Marvel.com. “Things only escalated, especially after the Goblin King fell out of the scene and Doc Ock is no longer operating as the Superior Spider-Man – keeping a lid on everything.”
Only one criminal can rule the underworld. But that won’t stop them from waging war in order to claim the throne. Who will come out on top? And who will be left standing when it’s over? Find out when the epic Amazing Spider-Man: Spiral kicks off in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16.1 this March!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16.1
Written by GERRY CONWAY
Art by CARLO BARBERI
Cover by ART ADAMS
On Sale March 2015!
The End is FOURever Begins in FANTASTIC FOUR #642!
The End is FOURever Begins in FANTASTIC FOUR #642!
This January, the countdown begins…and the end of Marvel’s first family is upon us in FANTASTIC FOUR #642 – the first chapter in The End is FOURever! Blockbuster writer James Robinson and artist Leonard Kirk’s epic endgame begins as the Invaders crash headlong into the Fantastic Four and the hunt for Reed Richards and the missing Future Foundation kids takes a dangerous turn! Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the systematic dismantling of the Fantastic Four reveals his ultimate plan. But how does Franklin Richards and his unchecked powers factor in? And why are Jim Hammond, Namor, All-New Captain America and Doc Green hunting the remaining members of the Fantastic Four? Nothing lasts forever. Don’t miss the beginning of the end this January in FANTASTIC FOUR #642!
FANTASTIC FOUR #642 (NOV140807)
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art & Cover by LEONARD KIRK
Connecting Cover Variant by MICHAEL GOLDEN (NOV140808)
Character Variant by JIM CHEUNG (NOV140809)
FOC – 12/15/14, On Sale – 1/14/15
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.
Get your Guardians of the Galaxy signed by James Gunn on Dec 12
Meet the Director and Co-Writer of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Friday, December 12th at Amoeba Music in Hollywood!
This event is at Amoeba Music, 6400 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, on Friday December 12th 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
ABOUT GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
The Claws Come Out This January in WOLVERINES #1!
The Claws Come Out This January in WOLVERINES #1!
New Weekly Series Spinning Out of Death of Wolverine!
His death was only the beginning. Spinning directly out of the chart-topping Death of Wolverine, The Logan Legacy and The Weapon X Program comes a brand-new weekly series kicking off this January in WOLVERINES #1! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look at the blockbuster first issue from the star-studded creative team of Charles Soule, Ray Fawkes, Alisson Borges and All-New Young Gun artist Nick Bradshaw!
Wolverine may be dead, but the weekly journey is just beginning as his mortal remains, now encased in the rare and powerful adamantium, are up for grabs. The battle begins as various factions vie for control of this valuable artifact. But why does it matter so much? And why is a war brewing in Logan’s name?
Death is on the books for a number of Marvel’s heroes and villains, and Mystique is playing chess with them all. X-23, Daken, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, the mysterious man known only as Sharp and many, many more!
“In a way, most of the characters featured in [Wolverines] are incomplete reflections of Wolverine,” says co-writer Ray Fawkes in an interview with Marvel.com “Perhaps now that he’s gone, they are free to fully realize themselves? Or maybe they’ll be annihilated by the void that he’s left behind?”
The true enemy is still out there. With Logan gone, they pose a greater threat than ever before. An unlikely team of his closest allies and most bitter rivals will need to work together if they have any hope of avenging his death – but how can they?
“The group here is not a set of people who are particularly interested in doing anything together unless they absolutely have to,” says Charles Soule.
Logan’s end was just the beginning. As those who called him friend mourn his passing, those who called him foe are free to pursue their sinister aims. Now, those with close ties to him will forge an uneasy alliance to uncover the secrets behind his death, and new revelations about his life!
2015 is kicking off with the “SNIKT” that shouldn’t be missed as the weekly adventure begins in WOLVERINES #1!
WOLVERINES #1 (NOV140736)
Written by CHARLES SOULE & RAY FAWKES
Art & Cover by NICK BRADSHAW & ALISSON BORGES
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO (NOV140737)
ZACH HOWARD (NOV140740) & SKOTTIE YOUNG (NOV140738)
BLANK VARIANT (NOV140741) & CANADA VARIANT (NOV140742) Also Available
Welcome Home Variant by SALVADOR LARROCA (NOV140739)
On-Sale – 1/07/15
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.
Star Wars #1: Hasbro Previews Exclusive Variant
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys – Iron Man 3 Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure (Hot Toys Exclusive)
Sideshow has just put up for pre-order Hot Toys’ newest exclusive die cast Iron Man 3 suit of armor — the Hot Rod Mark XXII.
Tony Stark designed the Mark XXII armor as a War Machine 2.0 Prototype Suit in Iron Man 3. This lightly-armed suit is built with versatility in mind being able to dodge obstacles and move around mid-air more swiftly. Tony Stark was just about to jump into the suit in the movie before it got attack by an Extremis soldier. It earns the name of “Hot Rod” as its arms and legs’ design resembles the classic American hot rod with flames.
Now, with this pre-order, Hot Toys is expanding the “House Party Protocol” with the 1/6th scale Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure as a Hot Toys Exclusive item. It is the latest addition to their MMS Diecast Series which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, and realistically designed to look more like Hot Rod as it appears in the movie.
The movie-accurate Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure contains diecast material and is crafted with fine details featuring metallic dark gray, silver and red armor with distinctive flame patterns on legs and LED light-up functions.
If you are an Iron Man fans, don’t miss the chance to add this special armor to your House Party Protocol!
This item is exclusive to the “Toy Soul 2014” event in Hong Kong on Dec 19-21 but you can secure yours now from Sideshow Collectibles!
The 1/6th scale Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure’s special features:
– Authentic likeness of Hot Rod (Mark XXII), the War Machine 2.0 Prototype Suit, in Iron Man 3
– Approximately 30 cm tall
– Over 36 points of articulations
– Contains diecast material
– LED-lighted eyes and rectangular-shaped arc reactor on chest (white light, battery operated)
– Metallic dark gray, silver and red armor with distinctive flame patterns on legs
– Interchangeable forearm rocket-launching armor
– Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of palms with movable fingers and light-up repulsors
(white light, battery operated)
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of repulsor palms
– One (1) saluting right palm
– Articulations on waist armor which allow flexible movement
Accessory:
– One (1) LED light-up figure stand with movie logo (white light, battery operated)
This figure is expected to ship in January. The other Hot Toys Toy Soul 2014 exclusive, the Shadow Stormtrooper, sold out in a few hours, so don’t make that mistake and miss out on this rare chance to add the Hot Rod armor to your collection! Pre-order now at Sideshow Collectibles site!
MUCK arrives from Anchor Bay Entertainment March 17, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD!
The Lucky Ones Are Already Dead
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT
WADES INTO THE…
MUCK
With Kane Hodder, Lachlan Buchanan,
2012 Playboy PMOY Jaclyn Swedberg, and Lauren Francesca
The Race for Survival Begins March 17, 2015 on Blu-ray™ and DVD;
Limited Theatrical Engagement starts Friday, March 13th!
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – This St. Patrick’s Day, Anchor Bay Entertainment invites fans for a little bit’o the green and a LOT of the red with MUCK, a chiller seething with the greatest fear of all: that nowhere is safe! The directorial debut of Steve Wolsh, who also wrote and produced, MUCK reads like a bloody love letter filled with just the sort of jolts horror fans have been waiting to hear – and see!
Shot in state-of-the-art 4K Ultra HD resolution, MUCK is packed with old-school effects, shocks – and yes, breasts – that stick with you, creating terror with effects and stunts without the use of CGI. MUCK arrives Tuesday, March 17th – uncut, uncensored, and unrated – available on Blu-ray™ for $26.99 and $22.98 for the DVD. Pre-book on February 11th.
For fans who like their 4K horror on the big screen, MUCK will also have a limited theatrical engagement starting Friday, March 13th.
After narrowly escaping an ancient burial ground, long forgotten and buried underneath the marshes of Cape Cod, a group of friends emerge from the thick, marshy darkness, tattered and bloody, lucky to be alive. They have already lost two of their friends in the marsh, presumably dead. They stumble upon an empty Cape Cod vacation house alongside the foggy marsh and break in to take shelter. Whatever was in the marsh is still after them and soon after one of them goes for help, the rest of the group learns that the evil in the marsh is not the only thing that wants them dead. Something worse, something more savage, was lying in wait just outside the marsh, in the house. What happens next is unspeakable horror that cannot be unseen. These unlucky travelers spend their St. Patrick’s Day trapped between two evils forcing them to fight, die, or go back the way they came.
Featuring Kane Hodder (Hatchet, Jason Voorhees in four of the Friday the 13th films), Lachlan Buchanan (“Pretty Little Liars”), Puja Mohindra (Foreign), Bryce Draper (Bound) and YouTube Sensation Lauren Francesca (iwantmylauren), MUCK is throwback horror at its best.
About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children’s entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
MUCK Blu-ray™
Street Date: March 17, 2015
Pre-book: February 11, 2015
Cat. #: BD62847
UPC: 0 1313 262847-6
Run Time: 98:27
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $26.99
MUCK DVD
Street Date: March 17, 2015
Pre-book: February 11, 2015
Cat. #: DV62467
UPC: 0 1313 262467-9
Run Time: 98:27
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $22.98
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – for Annual Subscribers
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a critical success, a box office hit, and Return of the King even took home Oscar gold, so it was anything but unexpected when Warner Bros. announced the series would continue with The Hobbit. Yet the film was delayed. Guillermo del Toro was announced as the director and then stepped down. Original trilogy director Peter Jackson returned to again make these new films, and then the series was expanded from two to three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s one novel. And the film was filmed and, in some areas, released in the cutting edge, and controversial, 48 frames per second speed. But how was the film? Donate to support Now Playing and you can join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they give an overview of the film’s lengthy production and review The Hobbit — An Unexpected Journey!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Donation Bonus
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a critical success, a box office hit, and Return of the King even took home Oscar gold, so it was anything but unexpected when Warner Bros. announced the series would continue with The Hobbit. Yet the film was delayed. Guillermo del Toro was announced as the director and then stepped down. Original trilogy director Peter Jackson returned to again make these new films, and then the series was expanded from two to three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s one novel. And the film was filmed and, in some areas, released in the cutting edge, and controversial, 48 frames per second speed. But how was the film? Donate to support Now Playing and you can join Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart as they give an overview of the film’s lengthy production and review The Hobbit — An Unexpected Journey!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys EXCLUSIVE Shadow Stormtrooper MMS Figure
Hot Toys collectors, fans of 12-Inch Star Wars figures, and troop builders, you can stop reading right now and just hurry to Sideshow Collectibles’ site to put in your order now for Hot Toys Exclusive 1/6th scale Shadow Trooper Figure!
If you’re still reading, I see you need some convincing.
The Hot Toys figures have started to take the Star Wars collecting community by storm(trooper) but here is their first exclusive release in the Star Wars Movie Masterpiece Series of figures. Hot Toys exclusives are notoriously hard to get. Distributors like Sideshow get a small number, if they get any at all! The prices on the secondary market have climbed over $1,000 for some of the Avengers exclusive figures, and I expect the Star Wars figures to have even higher demand.
This is the Shadow Trooper (also known as the Black Hole Stormtrooper for old-school Star Wars comics fans). It was first to be available at “Toy Soul 2014” in Hong Kong, but has been released already for pre-order by Sideshow. It is expected to ship in January.
The 1/6th scale Shadow Trooper Collectible Figure specially features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Shadow Trooper in Star Wars
– Body with over 30 points of articulations
– Specially applied gloss black painted armor with weathered effect
– Approximately 30 cm tall
– Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding weapons
– One (1) gesturing left palm
Costume:
– One (1) Shadow Trooper armor
– One (1) black under-suit
– One (1) Shadow Trooper belt with leather holster
– One (1) pair of black boots
Weapon:
– One (1) blaster rifle
Accessories:
– One (1) black pauldron
– Two (2) black belt pouches
– Specially designed figure stand with Shadow Trooper nameplate and Star Wars logo
Artists:
– Figure Painted by Lok Ho
– Figure Art Directed by JC. Hong
So check out the pictures, and now hurry to Sideshow and order yours!
The Force is Strong With Your New Look at STAR WARS™ #1
The Force is Strong With Your New Look at STAR WARS™ #1
New York, NY – December 5th, 2014 – Lucasfilm Ltd. and Marvel Entertainment are extremely proud to present your new look at the highly anticipated STAR WARS #1 – the blockbuster new ongoing series welcoming Star Wars™ back home to the House of Ideas! The all-star creative team of Jason Aaron (Thor, Original Sin), artist John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men) and colorist Laura Martin bring a galaxy far, far away to life like never before as the adventures of the Rebel Alliance continue following the events of Star Wars: A New Hope!
“Every story is about the characters, and we’ll focus on all the old favorites,” writer Jason Aaron tells Marvel.com “There will be big moments for everyone, from Han to R2-D2. But a major part of the narrative will be driven by Luke Skywalker and his journey of discovery, a journey that will decide the fate of the entire galaxy.”
Taking place immediately after the destruction of the first Death Star, join Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, R2-D2 and C-3PO as the Rebel Alliance attempts to liberate the galaxy from Darth Vader and the tyranny of the Empire! Created in close partnership with Lucasfilm, this new ongoing comic series will exist as part of the canon for the Star Wars Universe!
“If you’re not excited for Star Wars right now, you must be living under a rock!” says Star Wars Editor Jordan D. White. “All anyone is talking about is that awesome teaser…and it’s still a whole year before the movie comes out! Fortunately, we’ve been working overtime to bring you all-new adventures of the original Star Wars gang to satisfy everyone’s hunger for space adventure! Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen, Mark Waid—these are some of the best writers in the comics industry, and they are sparing no expense to craft stories that live up to the classic series with the same feel and tone of the original. Combine them with the amazing artwork of John Cassaday, Salvador Larroca, and Terry Dodson—each one a serious Star Wars fan themselves—and trust me…these comics will be everything you could want from a Star Wars series.”
The world of Star Wars™ is set to make it’s triumphant return to Marvel beginning in January 2015, and now is your chance to jump on board the brand new series for one of the biggest launches of the year! Take your first step into a larger world when STAR WARS #1 comes to comic shops and digital devices this January!
For more on Star Wars please visit marvel.com and join in the conversation on Twitter with #StarWars. To experience Star Wars online, visit StarWars.com or follow Star Wars on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube.
STAR WARS #1 (NOV140709)
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Variant Covers by JOHN CASSADAY (NOV140711), BOB MCLEOD (NOV140712),
JOE QUESADA (NOV140714), ALEX ROSS (NOV140716), SARA PICHELLI (NOV140718), SKOTTIE YOUNG (NOV140719) and J. SCOTT CAMPBELL (NOV140710)
Party Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (NOV140720)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (NOV140721)
Movie Variant Also Available (NOV140713)
Quesada Sketch Variant, Ross Sketch Variant
and Christopher Party Sketch Variant Also Available
FOC – 12/08/14, On Sale 01/14/15
Peggy Carter Squares Off Against Hydra in OPERATION S.I.N. #1!
Peggy Carter Squares Off Against Hydra in OPERATION S.I.N. #1!
This January, venture into the dark corners of the Marvel Universe of the 1950s for an all-new globetrotting adventure in OPERATION S.I.N. #1 – the first chapter in a blockbuster new limited series starring fan-favorite characters Peggy Carter and Howard Stark! From blockbuster creators Kathryn Immonen and Rich Ellis comes an untold story of the Marvel Universe spinning out of the explosive events of Original Sin!
At the height of the Cold War, a supremely powerful alien energy source is discovered on Russian soil. In an effort to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, secret agent Peggy Carter and Howard Stark must intercept it before it’s too late. Only they’re not the only interested parties…
A new terrorist splinter group named Hydra is on the hunt, seeking the alien technology for their own sinister purposes. It’s only when a mysterious operative named Woodrow McCord enters the picture that Peggy and Howard will see just how far some people will go to keep Earth safe from harm.
Explore Marvel history like you’ve never seen it before as Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and Woodrow McCord do battle against the rising forces of Hydra. You will not want to miss the first chapter of this epic, spy-espionage thrill ride when OPERATION S.I.N. #1 explodes into comic shops and on to digital devices this January!
OPERATION S.I.N. #1 (of 5) (NOV140774)
Written by KATHRYN IMMONEN
Art by RICH ELLIS
Cover by MICHAEL KOMARK
Variant Covers by GABRIEL HARDMAN (NOV140775)
And SKOTTIE YOUNG (NOV140776)
FOC – 12/08/14, On-Sale 01/07/15
About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com © MARVEL 2014
First looks at Bond, ‘Terminator’ sequels
Thursday brought back-to-back looks at sequels for two iconic film franchises that will be on the Now Playing Podcast calendar in 2015.
Director Sam Mendes introduced the cast of the 24th “official” James Bond film at a news conference in the United Kingdom. The sequel’s title, SPECTRE, was also announced, and a one-sheet for the film was released online.
SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) battled Bond throughout many of the early films in the series. It’s not yet known what role the organization will play in the sequel, or if SPECTRE will have any ties to Quantum, the group introduced in 2006’s Casino Royale and exposed by Bond in Quantum of Solace.
While SPECTRE is the 24th film in the Bond series, the Now Playing Podcast review will be No. 26 in our James Bond Retrospective Series. In 2012, Arnie, Stuart and Brock reviewed all of the Bond films, including 1967’s Casino Royale and 1983’s Never Say Never Again.
To find out how those films fit into the Bond universe, and to hear reviews of the others, check out the retrospective at NowPlayingPodcast.com.
By the way, if you want to catch up on some classic Bond, Netflix and Amazon Prime just added a handful of films from the series to their libraries.
HE’S BACK
Now to Terminator: Genisys. The first trailer went online Thursday morning, and was met with a largely negative reaction on the Now Playing Podcast Facebook page.
As one fan pointed out, it appears the filmmakers are taking a page from 2009’s Star Trek and attempting to reboot the series within itself, creating an alternate timeline where the Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 has been protecting Sarah Connor for years and preparing her for the arrival of Kyle Reese and the Terminator in 1984.
Judging by the early reaction, fans are ready to hate Genisys. But it’s just one trailer and a couple of really unimpressive magazine covers. There’s still plenty of time to make a better impression between now and July 1, 2015.
Terminator was one of the first series’ covered by Now Playing Podcast, back in 2009 when McG helmed the hated Terminator: Salvation. It’s worth going back to that retrospective not only to hear the reviews, but also to see just how far the show has come since those early days.
Arnold’s been waiting for you.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Take a Stand in AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Take a Stand in AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1
New One-Shot Brings More Attention towards Marvel’s Anti-Bullying Campaign
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are out to make bullying a thing of the past with AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1, an all-new one shot featuring some of the best and brightest talents in the comic industry as they stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.
Arriving in January, this specially priced $1.99, 40 page one-shot contains three brand-new stories from top tier talents. Featuring fan-favorite Gerry Duggan (Deadpool, Nova, Hulk), rising star Sean Ryan (Uncanny X-Men/Nova/Iron Man: No End In Sight), Jeff Loveness, and Jody Houser making her Marvel writing debut, along with blockbuster artists Carlo Barberi (Thunderbolts), Tana Ford (New Warriors) Marcio Takara (Captain Marvel), and Gustavo Duarte.
From the streets of New York to the furthest corners of the cosmos, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are no strangers to bullying and the damage it can cause. Heck, half the time, bullying is why Marvel’s greatest super heroes chose to fight evil in the first place! Now, Marvel’s diverse roster of super heroes are ready to stand up and help those who cannot help themselves. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Amazing Spider-Man are out to put a stop to bullies everywhere with these three bombastic, can’t miss stories!
“From Peter Parker, Midtown High’s only professional wallflower, to the ever-misunderstood Kamala Khan, Marvel has a proud history of working to raise awareness about bullying and representing its victims as much as possible,” says series editor Devin Lewis. “Bullying is a problem that can affect everyone in a community, and it’s up to that very community to come together to combat it, and, with this issue, Marvel’s Avengers, Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy are joining the fight! I know how comic books can help ease that feeling of isolation, and I couldn’t be more proud or excited about the talent we’ve pulled together for this project!”
Face front readers, as the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes are ready to take on a real world problem more troublesome than any super villain. The best and brightest talent assemble this January for AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1!
For more on all things Marvel, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marvel and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @Marvel.
AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1 (NOV140749)
Written by GERRY DUGGAN, SEAN RYAN, JEFF LOVENESS & JODY HOUSER
Art by CARLO BARBERI, TANA FORD, MARCIO TAKARA & GUSTAVO DUARTE
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
Variant Cover by PASCAL CAMPION (NOV140750)
FOC – 12/08/15, On Sale – 01/07/15
40 pgs./One Shot/All Ages….$1.99
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.
About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com © MARVEL 2014
LEGO(R) DC COMICS SUPER HEROES: JUSTICE LEAGUE v. BIZARRO LEAGUE on Blu Ray/DVD on 2/10/15
ENTER A WACKY REALM AS
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
AND THE LEGO GROUP RELEASE
LEGO® DC COMICS SUPER HEROES:
JUSTICE LEAGUE vs BIZARRO LEAGUE
ON BLU-RAYTM COMBO PACK, DVD and DIGITAL HD,
ON FEBRUARY 10, 2015
All-New Original LEGO® DC Comics Movie Featuring Exclusive Batzarro LEGO Minifigure
Burbank, CA (November 13, 2014) – In the follow-up to LEGO® Batman, The Movie: DC Super Heroes Unite, the Justice League is newly solidified yet faces a peculiar set of villains when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and The LEGO Group release LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on February 10, 2015. Order due date is January 20, 2015. The Blu-rayTM and DVD releases will include an exclusive Batzarro LEGO Minifigure on-pack, while supplies last.
LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will be available on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and on DVD for $19.98 SRP. The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet.* Fans can also own LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League in Digital HD on February 10 via purchase from digital retailers.
Batman has joined the newly formed Justice League in order to keep tabs on Superman, a mistrust that is complicated by Superman’s clumsy – but well-meaning – clone, Bizarro. Bizarro’s creation of the Bizarro League has caused confusion amongst the world’s greatest Super Heroes, but an even greater and mysterious threat may force the Justice League and Bizarro League to band together to defeat evil.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to release LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League on Blu-rayTM and DVD,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing and Partner Brands. “Fans of the LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes movie franchise can experience the Justice League battling all-new foes in this action-packed and hilarious film.”
LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Special Features include:
· LEGO® DC COMICS SUPER HEROES: BATMAN: BE-LEAGUERED TV SPECIAL – Approximately 22 minutes
- BIZARRO! – FEATURETTE – One part oddity, one part comedic curiosity, Bizarro is a favorite among the characters within Superman’s universe. Take a look at the Man of Steel’s potent, backwards nemesis.
- BE-LEAGUERED BLOOPERS
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Target Ticket, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting February 10, LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
Basics
Street Date: February 10, 2015
Order Due Date: January 20, 2015
Audio: Blu-rayTM: DTS-HD Master Audio
Rating: Not Rated
DVD Price: $19.98 SRP
Blu-ray Price: $24.98 SRP
DVD Catalog #: 1000475918
DVD UPC: 883929405275
Blu-rayTM Catalog #: 1000476119
Blu-rayTM UPC: 883929405374
About The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the brick & knob configuration and the Minifigure are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. © 2014 The LEGO Group. All Rights Reserved.
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com
About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such as Teen Titans Go!, The Tom and Jerry Show and the upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production for Cartoon Network; original animated DC Nation shorts for Cartoon Network; and the forthcoming Mike Tyson Mysteries series for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. As the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.
Star Wars Action News “Sithmas Exchange” Registry is Open
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR STAR WARS ACTION NEWS SITHMAS GIFT EXCHANGE
Annual event gives fans chance to have a Force-full holiday!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, Ill – November 26, 2014 – Today Star Wars Action News, the premier podcast for Star Wars collectors, launched its annual “Sithmas” holiday gift exchange for listeners looking to send a lightsaber to a fellow fan or find a new Speeder Bike sitting on their doorstep.
Anyone who has ever participated in a “Secret Santa” gift exchange will be familiar with the Star Wars Action News formula; just register online to receive a gift from a fellow participant and you’ll be assigned to buy a gift for someone else taking part in the program.
“Star Wars Action News was founded on the idea of collectors helping collectors,” said creator and host Arnie Carvalho. “From original art to rare figures, the gifts represent the diversity of our audience, and to see people participating worldwide is such a treat.”
The “Sithmas Exchange” gives participants a chance to put together a “wish list” of favorite toy lines, characters, and other items they hope to receive, so the gift-giver isn’t left wandering the aisles of Toys ‘R Us or Target without a clue.
Minimum total gift cost is $20, although past events have seen listeners go above and beyond to gift the perfect Star Wars item to a fellow collector.
Those who wish to participate in the “Sithmas Exchange” can find rules, important shipping details, and a registration form on the Star Wars Action News website. Registration is open until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2014.
About Star Wars Action News
The Star Wars Action News podcast is dedicated to covering Star Wars collectibles of all shapes and sizes. From action figures to art to high-end statues, Star Wars Action News brings listeners biweekly news and reviews, as well as in-depth convention coverage and interviews with toy makers and celebrity collectors.
About Venganza Media Inc.
Based in Springfield, Ill., Venganza Media Inc. is a privately-owned multimedia production facility and home to the Venganza Media Podcasting Network. Film fans and collectors worldwide know Venganza as the producer of Star Wars Action News, Marvelicious Toys, and the company’s flagship program, Now Playing Podcast. Since its formation in 2005, Venganza has delivered thousands of hours of entertainment to listeners, while its staff and fleet of contributors have established the company as a premier source for film reviews, celebrity interviews, and collecting news for audiences of all ages.
Facebook: Star Wars Action News
Twitter: @SWActionNews
Marvelicious Gift ‘X-Change’ Registry is Open
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR MARVELICIOUS TOYS HOLIDAY GIFT X-CHANGE
4TH annual event gives fans chance to celebrate Merry Marvel Madness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, Ill – November 25, 2014 – Today Marvelicious Toys, the premier podcast for Marvel collectors, launched its 4th annual holiday gift “X-Change” for listeners looking to send Spider-Man web shooters to a fellow fan or find a Rocket Raccoon statue sitting on their doorstep.
Anyone who has ever participated in a “Secret Santa” gift exchange will be familiar with the Marvelicious formula; just register online to receive a gift from a fellow participant and you’ll be assigned to buy a gift for someone else taking part in the program.
“Marvelicious Toys was founded on the idea of collectors helping collectors,” said creator and host Arnie Carvalho. “From original art to rare figures, the gifts represent the diversity of our audience, and to see people participating worldwide is such a treat.”
The Marvelicious “X-Change” gives participants a chance to put together a “wish list” of favorite toy lines, characters, and other items they hope to receive, so the gift-giver isn’t left wandering the aisles of Toys ‘R Us or Target without a clue.
Minimum total gift cost is $20, although past events have seen listeners go above and beyond to gift the perfect Marvel item to a fellow collector.
Those who wish to participate in the “X-Change” can find rules, important shipping details, and a registration form on the Marvelicious Toys website. Registration is open until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2014.
About Marvelicious Toys
The Marvelicious Toys podcast is dedicated to covering Marvel Comics collectibles of all shapes and sizes. From action figures to art to high-end statues, Marvelicious Toys brings listeners biweekly news and reviews, as well as in-depth convention coverage and interviews with toy makers and celebrity collectors.
About Venganza Media Inc.
Based in Springfield, Ill., Venganza Media Inc. is a privately-owned multimedia production facility and home to the Venganza Media Podcasting Network. Film fans and collectors worldwide know Venganza as the producer of Star Wars Action News, Marvelicious Toys, and the company’s flagship program, Now Playing Podcast. Since its formation in 2005, Venganza has delivered thousands of hours of entertainment to listeners, while its staff and fleet of contributors have established the company as a premier source for film reviews, celebrity interviews, and collecting news for audiences of all ages.
Facebook: Marvelicious Toys
Twitter: @MarveliciousToy
Leprechaun: Origins – for Annual Subscribers
The Leprechaun is back and he wants his gold, but he’s no longer a rhyming fool but instead a vicious, feral creature in WWE’s reboot and reimagining of the Leprechaun franchise. Can a Lep be truly frightening, or was it just scary that they tried? If you Trick or Treat Now Playing with a pledge then you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun: Origins – Donation Bonus
The Leprechaun is back and he wants his gold, but he’s no longer a rhyming fool but instead a vicious, feral creature in WWE’s reboot and reimagining of the Leprechaun franchise. Can a Lep be truly frightening, or was it just scary that they tried? If you Trick or Treat Now Playing with a pledge then you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: 12-Inch X-Wing Luke Skywalker Figure from Sideshow Collectibles
Sideshow Collectibles continues their line of 1/6 Scale Star Wars figures with a new Luke Skywalker in X-Wing pilot gear!
This figure features:
- Newly Designed and Fully Articulated Light Body
- Highly Detailed Luke Skywalker Portrait
- Helmet with Visor and Comlink
- Detailed Flight Pressurized G-Suit
- Flak Vest
- Life Support Unit with Chest Pack Straps
- Gear Harness with Belt Flares
- Data Cylinders
- Flight Boots
- Right and Left Relaxed Flight Gloved Hands
- Right and Left Flight Gloved Fists
- Right Force Gesture Flight Gloved Hand
- Right and Left Flight Boots
- Signal Flares
- Support Stand with Yavin Base Flight Deck Graphic
So hurry and order your exclusive edition of this figure now at Sideshow Collectibles!
And while at Sideshow’s site check out their Spooktacular Halloween event with savings on tons of collectibles, many with discounted prices and free shipping, and many with extra rewards as well! From the high end Darth Maul Legendary Scale figure to the Snowtrooper Premium Format figure down to a bunch of sixth scale figures including 4-LOM and several clones, these deals are only good until Oct 31! Plus bargains on other Hot Toys, Marvel items, G.I. Joe figures and more!
Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Thor 3, Avengers 3 and 4 Announced by Marvel Studios
In a move worthy of Apple, Marvel Studios held a presentation today unveiling its third phase of films based on the characters from Marvel Comics.
While several expected titles were told, many surprises were there as well.
With this announcement, the current slate of movies from Marvel Studios are:
May 1, 2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Director: Joss Whedon.
Starring: Robert Downey, Jrl, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Hayley Atwell, Andy Serkis
View the trailer below:
July 27, 2015
Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly
May 6, 2016
Captain America: Civil War
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman
November 4, 2016
Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch (rumored)
May 5, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper (all rumored)
July 28, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok
Director: ???
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston (rumored)
November 3, 2017
Black Panther
Director: ???
Starring: Chadwick Boseman
May 4, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
Director: ???
Starring: ???
July 6, 2018
Captain Marvel
Director: ???
Starring: ???
November 2, 2018
Inhumans
Director: ???
Starring: ???
May 4, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War Part 2
Director: ???
Starring: ???
These titles bring back many established heroes while bringing in new ones and meeting the call for diversity among superhero films (a female-led film and a superhero film starring a black man). Conspicuous by their absence are any additional Iron Man films, as well as any films featuring popular Avengers heroes Hulk or Black Widow.
How do you feel about this line-up of movies over the next five years? Let us know in the comments below!
Sideshow Goes From the Shelf to the Wall with Exclusive Art Prints
Sideshow Collectibles has debuted their new line of collectibles: Premium Art Prints.
These new products feature characters from Sideshow’s various licenses. Their first three offerings are Spider-Woman (from their Marvel Comics license), Poison Ivy (from their DC Comics license), and Kier, Call of the Forsaken Valkyrie (from Sideshow’s original Court of the Dead line). There is no word on if any of Sideshow’s other licenses (including Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Avatar, and Beetlejuice) will be included; five additional prints have been teased as “Coming Soon” but fall into those three licenses: Psylocke (Marvel Comics), Catwoman and Harley Quinn (DC Comics), and Death and Gethsemoni (Court of the Dead).
The three prints are sold for $79.99 each and are expected to ship next month. All three offerings are 18-inches wide and 24-inches tall and have a penciled signature by the artist as well as an embossed seal of authenticity.
In the past Sideshow Collectibles would often offer art prints as premiums with the exclusive versions of their statues and maquettes. As a Sideshow collector I often found these to be lackluster–I always sought out the exclusive version of any statue or figure unless the exclusive item was an art print that didn’t catch my fancy. For example, I thought the art for their Premium Format Hawkeye was not something I wanted to own. In addition to sometimes having art in a style I didn’t care for, the prints themselves were frustrating to frame and protect. They were not of any standard size, and the sizes were different even from print to print.
Still, I was disappointed that Sideshow seemed to have ended their print line. None have been offered as exclusives in the past year, and I fully expected them to be the exclusive item for the recent J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man maquette line. The statues are based directly on art by the popular Marvel cover artist, so exclusive prints seemed obvious. Additionally, Sideshow had twice before had lines of maquettes based off the works of a single artist, first with Sideshow’s Adam Hughes maquettes and then later with Mark Brooks maquettes. Defying my expectations, Sideshow not only didn’t include art prints with the Campbell statues but had no exclusive versions of the Campbell Mary Jane or Gwen Stacy maquettes, and the (sold out) exclusive Spider-Man had a different head piece, but no art.
Now it seems Sideshow has found a way to monetize the art that some exclusive statues had previously included for free.
The positive sides of this are many. First, fans who enjoy the art are now able to obtain these prints without needing to purchase a statue, which comes at a much higher cost. Second, there is a chance for more fans to obtain the art than when it was only available with the exclusive version of a statue. Third, the prints are much larger–the older ones tended to be about the size of a sheet of paper or an 8-inch by 10-inch photo, these are more than twice the size. Finally, it appears these prints are of a uniform, and common, size making it easy to find inexpensive framing to protect and display the art.
On the other hand, at $79.99 these are expensive art prints, and Sideshow has provided no details as to the weight of the paper. Additionally, the type of art collector who would spend nearly $100 shipped on a print would likely want to see the gloss and texture of the print before ordering. Sideshow’s previous art prints were high-gloss on a heavy cardstock. The close-up photos on Sideshow’s site show these to appear to be on either a textured paper that may simulate a canvas.
These first three pieces have very low edition sizes, with Spider-Woman and Poison Ivy both having an edition size of 250 and Kier limited to 150. As of the writing of this article the Poison Ivy and Kier are now “waitlist” items. It is not shocking to me that Poison Ivy sold quickly, as it is based on a popular statue that Sideshow has issued twice. With art by popular pin-up artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau from Singapore, plus the small edition size, fans were sure to snap that up. I am more shocked by the popularity of the Court of the Dead piece, being the original intellectual property of Sideshow. That said, it has the smallest edition size.
The Spider-Woman piece is still readily available, and I suspect it will be for some time. The art is highly stylized which may not appeal to all tastes. The work was done by W. Scott Forbes, a less established artist whose first official work for Marvel is the upcoming Inhumans: Attilan Rising comic. Finally, unlike the Poison Ivy piece, the work looks nothing like the Sideshow Collectibles’ premium format Spider-Woman statue.
As a Marvel collector, and owner of the Spider-Woman Premium Format figure, the Spider-Woman is the piece that would most appeal to me, but as shown on Sideshow’s own page the art is not a great compliment to the Spider-Woman statue. I find the similarity between the Poison Ivy art and statue to work better–the art helps to accent the statue. The Spider-Woman pairing would be a nice display for someone with a focus on the female web-swinger, and could also include perhaps the Bowen statue and others, but the two Sideshow offerings are not paired strongly enough to make me feel this is a “must have.”
That said, Sideshow has already teased its upcoming pieces, and the next up in the Marvel line is the X-Men character Psylocke. The pose teased seems reminiscent of Sideshow’s (sold out) Premium Format Figure, so perhaps that one will grab my interest more.
Finally, I have a strong suspicion that the J. Scott Campbell statues will be included in Sideshow’s line of Art Prints sooner rather than later. While talking with Campbell at San Diego Comic-Con one of his aides brought a stack of large prints for the artist to sign. Those prints were of his Mary Jane art on which Sideshow based the statue. As a fan of the character, and that statue, I inquired about purchasing one of the prints and was rudely rebuffed by the aide who told me “These are all spoken for.” With Sideshow’s announcement I wonder if Campbell may have been penciling his signature on a future Sideshow Art Print.
Stay tuned to Marvelicious Toys and the Venganza Media Gazette–we’ll keep you updated on the future of this new Sideshow line!
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood – for Annual Subscribers
The Leprechaun struck gold when he went to the Hood, but will he find the same returns going Back 2 tha Hood? Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob find out in this week’s gold Donation Series podcast as they watch and review Warwick Davis’ final performance as the greedy green guy. Will their ratings match the color of the Lep’s outfit? If you make a pledge and support Now Playing you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood – Donation Bonus
The Leprechaun struck gold when he went to the Hood, but will he find the same returns going Back 2 tha Hood? Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob find out in this week’s gold Donation Series podcast as they watch and review Warwick Davis’ final performance as the greedy green guy. Will their ratings match the color of the Lep’s outfit? If you make a pledge and support Now Playing you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
$100 Toys R Us Gift Card for only $85 on eBay
With new toys hitting, plus the Toys R Us exclusives (such as the Star Wars AT-ST pack or the Marvel X-Men Legends figures), plus just holiday shopping, we thought you’d like to be notified of this bargain.
Right now on eBay Gift Card Mail has a $100 Toys R Us gift card for only $85. This is a reputable seller, and I purchased 2 myself.
There are very limited quantities available still, so act fast! Get yours before they’re gone on eBay
Leprechaun: In the Hood – for Annual Subscribers
The Leprechaun has always had one foot in horror, the other in comedy. With his fifth film, Leprechaun: In the Hood the series focuses far more on the comedic side as the green meanie smokes weed, raps, and becomes south central’s foremost pimp–all while trying to reclaim his magic flute. If it sounds outrageous, that’s because it is. But does this inner-city scene suit the rhyming rascal? A friend with weed is a friend indeed, but a friend who donated Gold is the best I’m told! So make a Platinum or Gold donation to Now Playing, then you can listen to find out!?
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Marvel Movie Pre-Order Alerts: Hot Toys Wolverine and Hikari Sofubi Groot
Fans of movies based on Marvel Comics characters have several pre-orders hitting today!
First, from the film X-Men: Days of Future Past Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles bring Wolverine! This figure has over 30 points of articulation, 3 pairs of swappable hands (with and without claws!), and an outfit representing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the dystopian future shown at the film’s opening. It stands just under 12-inches tall, and comes with a specialized Wolverine display base.
Now, it’s no secret that licensees have issues making toys and collectibles based on 20th Century Fox’s X-Men and Fantastic Four films. The last X-Men film to receive a big marketing push was X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009. In 2011, covering New York Toy Fair for Marvelicious Toys, I interviewed one of the Marvel reps at Hasbro’s presentation. I was shocked at a lack of toys for that summer’s X-Men: First Class and I asked about that. I was told that Marvel would be marketing their X-Men: First Class comic books, not the movies. Indeed, in the past five years it has been hard to find any toys or statues based on the X-Men movies; only the comics. Only Diamond Select, with their Minimates lines, has covered all the Marvel movies regardless of studio.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced a licensing agreement for figures based on X-Men: First Class and Magneto and Charles Xavier figures were shown at various Hot Toys exhibits, but they never were released. It is more than likely pressure from Marvel has caused those figures to be indefinitely delayed, if not altogether cancelled.
Yet Hot Toys has persevered in releasing X-Men movie toys…if only Wolverine figures. Their first was from X-Men Origins: Wolverine released in 2009. That figure shot up in value and even had some high-quality bootlegs sold on eBay. As such, in 2012 Hot Toys made another Wolverine figure from X-Men III: The Last Stand. Then last year Hot Toys made another version of this character, showing his appearance in The Wolverine (still available to order, at a deep discount, from Sideshow Collectibles). This Days of Future Past Wolverine is the 4th version of this character.
Despite how much I really want Hot Toys to finally release the other X-Men figures (specifically the yellow-and-blue clad X-Men from First Class) Wolverine is the most popular X-Man. Each version of this figure has been distinct, and showing a likeness of Hugh Jackman appropriate to that film. This is an older Jackman likeness, and the future outfit is far different from any we’ve gotten before.
At $250 the figure is a bit more expensive than I’d like–with no large diorama pieces, excessive accessories, or swappable heads I’d prefer to see this around $200 like The Wolverine version, but it’s still a great version of the character.
I have it ordered already, both for the figure it is, plus I’m hoping that by “voting with my dollars” Hot Toys and Marvel realize high-end figures based on the X-Men films are profitable enough to continue beyond Wolverine.
(as an aside, X-Men: Days of Future Past came out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, and the collector’s edition is almost half off at Amazon!)
If you prefer Marvel Studios’ own films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy, a new collectible is available for you as well! From Funko comes the Entertainment Earth exclusive Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figure of Groot!
While that’s a lot of adjectives, Funko’s Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figures are 11-inch soft vinyl figures. This one is limited to 5,000 pieces and only available from Entertainment Earth.
Funko is known for having several variants for each of their Sofubi figures, from color changes to translucent glittery versions. Several variants of the Groot Hikari Vinyl Figure were displayed at New York Comic-Con, but this Entertainment Earth version seems to be the most movie-accurate. You can order it now at EE.
And for Hikari collectors, Barnes and Noble just put up their exclusive black-and-white version of the Spider-Man figure, called “Dangerous Spider-Man” for $71. That is not a pre-order; mine has shipped already.
Pre-Order Alert: Spider-Man J Scott Campbell Maquette, Classic Colors, from Sideshow Collectibles
Up for pre-order right now is Sideshow Collectibles’ Spider-Man Classic Polystone Statue, part of their J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection.
This statue stands over a foot-and-a-half tall, showing the wall crawler doing just that, ready to shoot his webs at an unknown enemy.
This statue is based on the same art and sculpt of their previous J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man statue, but features the web-head in his black-and-red coloring from the McFarlane era. More, the base is re-decorated showing a broken off, classic Spider-Man logo, resembling a comic book cover in three dimensions far more than the previous red and blue statue.
Sideshow Collectibles has been finding ways to reuse their sculpts for some time now. While this isn’t entirely new, they did a Gray Hulk and Negative Zone Spider-Man Premium Format Figures, it seems more prevalent now than before. In the past year they released the Storm Premium Format in white, the Gladiator Hulk redone as King Hulk, they used a new Hulk body to release three different Hulk statues, and then repainted their Deadpool Premium Format Gray.
On Marvelicious Toys I’ve usually railed against high-end repaints–it’s fine for a $12 or $20 figure, but seems excessive for a $300-$400 statue. In this case, however, it feels less like a cash-grab and more artistic. The exclusive version of the Campbell Spider-Man Maqeutte sold out, and this paint app has a totally different feel than the original. The different bases help differentiate the statue and make it feel like a nice option, or a chance for those who missed out on the original to get this new version of Spider-Man.
It’s up for pre-order now at $299, and a flex pay option is available. So place your order now at Sideshow’s site!
Leprechaun 4: In Space – Donation Bonus
No woman on Earth would want to marry the Leprechaun, so our Irish imp has gone to space to find his bride! Can Warwick Davis’ Leprechaun bring the fun frights in this Aliens spoof? If you make a pledge and support Now Playing during their Fall, 2014 donation drive you can join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun 3 – for Annual Subscribers
Las Vegas is a town full of folks hoping to strike gold, and where there is gold the Leprechaun can’t be far behind! Leprechaun 3 takes the titular tiny terror and sets him loose in Sin City as he attempts to reclaim his missing magic shilling. Does the Leprechaun’s magic work on the Vegas strip? What happens on the donation bonus podcast stays on the donation bonus podcast, so donate to Now Playing Podcast and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun 3 – Donation Bonus
Las Vegas is a town full of folks hoping to strike gold, and where there is gold the Leprechaun can’t be far behind! Leprechaun 3 takes the titular tiny terror and sets him loose in Sin City as he attempts to reclaim his missing magic shilling. Does the Leprechaun’s magic work on the Vegas strip? What happens on the donation bonus podcast stays on the donation bonus podcast, so donate to Now Playing Podcast and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
‘Leprechaun: Origins’ director talks rebooting silly series with legit horror
When it comes time to reboot a film franchise, creators go on about returning a series or its characters to their “roots.”
In the case of 90s horror-comedy Leprechaun, starting over means starting from scratch, for any attempt at a straight remake would mean sending the monster back to a farmhouse in North Dakota.
That’s one of the glaring problems with Leprechaun, pointed out by fans and critics alike. For six films, a grinning, green-suited Warwick Davis shamed the Irish in cities big and small, in outer space, and (twice) in the “hood” — everywhere but Ireland.
“That [concept] is hard to make scary,” said Zach Lipovsky, the Canadian-born filmmaker and VFX specialist helming this year’s reboot of the oft-ridiculed franchise, Leprechaun Origins.
“The ambition was to make a legitimately scary movie from something that inherently isn’t scary; it’s not tongue-in-cheek at all,” Lipovsky told Now Playing Podcast during a Q&A session at San Diego Comic-Con. “That’s something which is challenging when you have the premise of a leprechaun.”
Convincing audiences to take a chance on a series that had gone stale more than a decade ago meant reversing the Leprechaun-out-of-water formula from the previous films. This time, the human characters venture to the monster’s birthplace, an isolated village in the Irish countryside (played here by Vancouver).
“We used tons of atmosphere; everything has that misty, foggy kind of look,” Lipovsky said. “The characters are in a very old town, a place they shouldn’t be that’s kind of lost to time.”
In order to legitimize his monster, Lipovsky went about researching Celtic lore and cryptozoology, and ruled out any look that would liken it to the character on the Lucky Charms box.
Professional wrestler Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl was also brought in to replace Davis (Origins is produced by WWE Studios), and the actor underwent a daily three-hour makeup routine to become the creature.
“We thought maybe he came from underground – came from a gold mine or a natural cave that had gold deposits,” Lipovsky said. “[We researched] underground creatures like mole rats and Gollum, and things that kind of looked like walking scrotums.”
“The idea was to start fresh and look at the origins of leprechauns and what could be the creature – that isn’t a little guy in a green suit,” he added. “To be able to reinvent a mythology in that way is kind of awesome for a creator.”
Audiences won’t see Postl “full Leprechaun” in promotional materials, but Lipovsky promised a look more monster than human, and hinted that his Leprechaun is not so much a gold-hoarder as he is a gold-eater.
“There are some pretty disgusting scenes in the film where unfortunate people have gold on their body, and they’re in the wrong country for that,” he said.
When asked if Origins would include Easter eggs for Leprechaun fans, Lipovsky said he wanted to acknowledge the “legacy” of the franchise, adding that audiences should look for “certain iconic props” that tie into past installments.
“I think the previous franchise did an awesome job of being tongue-in-cheek, and that kind of made it what it was,” he said.
While it performed respectably upon its release in 1993, the original Leprechaun is best remembered today for having a then-unknown Jennifer Aniston in the starring role.
Some fans argue the series arrived late to the party; early 90s audiences that might have embraced the silly slasher during the genre’s heyday had moved on to “horror at home” thrillers like Pacific Heights, Unlawful Entry and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle – films in which established, well-liked actors took turns portraying the “psychopath-next-door.”
While Hollywood studios rode the wave, the Leprechaun and other low-rent villains (Pumpkinhead, Dr. Giggles, the Trickster from Brainscan) fell flat, and those that produced sequels were forced to go the direct-to-video route.
Leprechaun chose the latter, and producers continued to churn out below-average product, sending Davis’ character off Earth (Leprechaun 4) and later pairing him with rapper-actor Ice-T (Leprechaun in the Hood).
Lipovsky believes the series’ checkered history will work in his favor when audiences sit down to watch Origins.
“I actually kind of hope people tune in to it expecting something kind of fun and silly, so their guard is down; then as stuff starts to go haywire they’re just horrified,” he said. “That would be probably even better.”
And while the director is “wide open” to the idea of an Origins sequel, don’t count on seeing his monster in space.
“Maybe the Irish hood.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – for Annual Subscribers
After three years Lord of the Rings fans finally had their epic conclude with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Now Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob conclude their review of Jackson’s original Rings trilogy. With huge battles and Frodo’s personal battle of wills with the ring, this was Jackson’s most ambitious film in the trilogy, and it took home plenty of Oscar gold. But will it also take home recommends from the Now Playing hosts? If you make a pledge in support of our show you can now listen and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – Donation Bonus
After three years Lord of the Rings fans finally had their epic conclude with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Now Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob conclude their review of Jackson’s original Rings trilogy. With huge battles and Frodo’s personal battle of wills with the ring, this was Jackson’s most ambitious film in the trilogy, and it took home plenty of Oscar gold. But will it also take home recommends from the Now Playing hosts? If you make a pledge in support of our show you can now listen and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow’s 12-Inch Line Begins with DEADPOOL
For years Sideshow Collectibles has been the place for US-based Marvel collectors to buy 12-inch figures of their favorite heroes. Specifically, 12-inch figures manufactured by Hong Kong-based Hot Toys distributed by Sideshow Collectibles.
Now, though, Sideshow’s doing it for themselves having debuted a brand new Marvel 12-inch figure line, designed and manufactured in-house.
That line now has its first figure up for pre-order and it’s the fan favorite mutant Deadpool. The price is $229.99, and payment plans are available.
Like Sideshow’s long-running G.I. Joe and Star Wars lines, new Marvel Comics figure line consists of highly articulated figures clothed in soft goods outfits and loaded with accessories. The figure stands 12-inches tall and while it is listed as “fully articulated” the specific posability is not mentioned.
Deadpool is dressed in his classic red and black costume, hand-tailored by Sideshow’s designers. The piece is then finished off with plastic and rubber heads, hands, boots, and accessories. In this case, Deadpool has his harness with enough pouches to make his creator Rob Liefeld proud, plus kneepads and shoulder pads.
Where the figure really stands out is the accessories. The Deadpool figure comes with two swap-out heads with different masked facial expressions, two pistols, an assault rifle, 2 katanas, a knife, and two grenades. Plus the figure has five pairs of hands for different positions, including thumbs-up, a fist, and hands made to hold each of the weapons.
Plus Sideshow also has up for order an exclusive edition, limited in production and available only directly from Sideshow themselves, and that version of the figure has an additional accessory–a zombie head of the character Headpool.
The figure is up for order today but will not ship for over a year! The listed ship date is October, 2015 and these releases often miss those target dates by one to three months.
This new figure line is totally separate from the Hot Toys Marvel sixth-scale figure collection. While Hot Toys has focused on figures based on Marvel movie incarnations (Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man; Nicholas Cage as Ghost Rider) Sideshow is making figures accurate to their comic book styles. To this end, Deadpool’s outfit is a bright red.
At San Diego Comic-Con Sideshow debuted Deadpool as well as the next two characters that will be added to this series–The Punisher and Wolverine. Given the history with Sideshow’s other 12-inch lines there is little doubt that those figures, and many more, will be offered for pre-order in the coming months.
There is no deposit needed for this figure, and the exclusive edition is likely to sell out long before the ship date. So if interested, you can place your order now from Sideshow Collectibles.
Are you getting Sideshow’s 12-inch line? Let us know in our forums!
Hot Toys goes Solo, Han Solo, with the Star Wars license
Over the past six years Hot Toys has emerged as the superstar company for 12-inch highly articulated, collector-oriented action figures.
Their product lines in the past have ranged from Robocop to Predator to Terminator to even one-offs like Michael Jackson and Back to the Future. But where they’ve really shown is with their Marvel Movie Masterpiece Series figures. From Blade to Iron Man to Spider-Man to Ghost Rider, Hot Toys has amazed and astounded with their actor-accurate facial likenesses, the attention to detail, and the seemingly endless number of accessories, including interchangeable hands, feet, and heads, that come with their figures. Even the boxes each figure come in is a work of art.
I have covered Hot Toys figures for three years on the Marvelicious Toys podcast, and own every single Marvel Movie Masterpiece figure they have done–the only 12-inch line I am ‘all in’ on. Their quality and workmanship is unmatched. I’ve often wondered why Sideshow’s 12-Inch Star Wars line could not match the quality of Hot Toys’ Marvel line.
Sideshow and Hot Toys did partner once in the past, for Sideshow’s 12-Inch Bespin Luke Skywalker figure. But now Hot Toys has gotten the licence for their own lines of 1/6 scale and 1/4 scale Star Wars figures and collectibles.
Right out of the gate come not one but two sixth scale Movie Masterpiece Star Wars figures–Han Solo and Chewbacca. Available individually or as a set, these two smugglers are ready to join your collection.
- Interchangeable hair sculpt with headset
- Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulation
- Ten (10) pieces of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of gloved relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of partially clenched gloved palms
– One (1) right palm for holding blaster
– One (1) left palm for supporting blaster
– One (1) right gloved palm for holding blaster
– One (1) left gloved palm for supporting blaster - Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
- Brown leather blaster holster belt
- One (1) blaster pistol
- One (1) droid caller
- Specially designed figure stand with Han Solo nameplate and movie logo
Plus if you order the Sideshow Exclusive edition you also get a Stormtrooper belt and blaster rifle!
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- Brown fabric hair throughout whole body
- Movie-accurate facial expression
- Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulation
- Approximately 36 cm tall
- Two (2) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding bowcaster - One (1) bowcaster
- One (1) brown bandolier bag
- One (1) headset
- Specially designed figure stand with Chewbacca nameplate and movie logo
And if you order the pair together you get everything listed above (including the Stormtrooper belt and rifle) plus an additional accessory exclusive to the set–a heavy blaster for Chewbacca to wield.
Long time Sideshow sixth-scale figure collectors, there is no word yet on how the scale of Hot Toys’ figures will fit in with Sideshow’s long-running line. As Sideshow uses their own figure bodies for most of their figures there is a chance these figures may look slightly taller or smaller than their Sideshow counterparts. This is not an evolution of Sideshow’s figure line, but an entirely new sixth scale figure line from Hot Toys.
It is canny of Hot Toys to be out of the gate with Chewbacca–a figure Sideshow has long teased but never brought to market.
However, and this is ironic, the only authorized US seller of Hot Toys is Sideshow Collectibles. As mentioned, I have purchased many Hot Toys figures, but as with any detailed piece I have received a fair number of damaged and broken figures and accessories. Hot Toys will not provide a warranty on any product purchased at an unauthorized reseller. The one Hot Toys figure I purchased from a reseller other than Sideshow, Hot Toys would provide no repairs and the seller could not offer a repalcement. If you are interested in the Hot Toys Star Wars line, my strong recommendation is you only purchase from Sideshow Collectibles, or risk having a damaged or broken piece with no recourse.
As for these figures, you can hear my first impressions on this Monday’s episode of the Star Wars Action News podcast!
In the meantime, head over to Sideshow’s site and check out these new figures. If you order, please consider supporting our site and our podcasts by using our affiliate link!
Leprechaun 2 – for Annual Subscribers
The Leprechaun is back, and now he wants two kinds of booty — his gold and a bride! He’ll kill anyone who gets between him and his desires, including young Cody and his drunk uncle Morty. ?It doesn’t have the star power of the original, but is it magically malicious? If you make a Gold or Platinum Level pledge to Now Playing you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun 2 – Donation Bonus
The Leprechaun is back, and now he wants two kinds of booty — his gold and a bride! He’ll kill anyone who gets between him and his desires, including young Cody and his drunk uncle Morty. ?It doesn’t have the star power of the original, but is it magically malicious? If you make a Gold or Platinum Level pledge to Now Playing you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – for Annual Subscribers
Though the fellowship is broken the war of Middle Earth continues on in Peter Jackson’s second Lord of the Rings? film — The Two Towers. Our heroes separated this film follows three parallel stories of heroism, and introduces new heroes and villains, including Gollum who may be either or both! There is also more action, including the intense battle at Helm’s Deep. How does this middle chapter compare to the first, and does the fellowship of the podcast remain united in their views? If you make a pledge and support Now Playing Podcast you can listen to find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Donation Bonus
Though the fellowship is broken the war of Middle Earth continues on in Peter Jackson’s second Lord of the Rings? film — The Two Towers. Our heroes separated this film follows three parallel stories of heroism, and introduces new heroes and villains, including Gollum who may be either or both! There is also more action, including the intense battle at Helm’s Deep. How does this middle chapter compare to the first, and does the fellowship of the podcast remain united in their views? If you make a pledge and support Now Playing Podcast you can listen to find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles’ Premium Format Thor from The Dark World
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Mmm, brother, you look ravishing! Sideshow’s latest Marvel movie-based Premium Format Figure is up for pre-order now: Thor, from The Dark World! This giant representation of the God of Thunder has a soft-goods, posable cape, and the exclusive edition comes with Mjolnir with lightning effects! The movie was a hit and with Avengers 2 around the corner the exclusive version will sell out fast, so order yours now at http://affiliates.sideshowtoy.com/Tracker.aspx?aid=1142&href=https%3a%2f%2fwww.sideshowtoy.com%2fwhats-new%2fthor-the-dark-world-premium-format-figure%2f |
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Corn Connection: ‘The Gathering’ surprises with actual stars
“This can’t be right, I know these people.” – Arnie C
Now Playing Podcast surprised listeners Monday night with the early release of its Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering review, the latest entry in the Stephen King Retrospective Series.
The film was certainly not in award contention when it hit video stores in 1996, but many of its stars may look familiar to viewers, and one member of the cast would go on to greater fame and an Academy Award nomination.
In this week’s Corn Connection, we’re taking that star’s resume, along with the rest of the Corn IV cast, and pointing you toward their places in the Now Playing Podcast archives:
Naomi Watts (Grace Rhodes) – DC Heroes Retrospective Series
Naomi Watts is a household name today, but the 21 Grams and Mulholland Drive actress had just a few indie credits under her belt when she headlined in The Gathering. Her most notable role at the time of the film’s release was alongside Lori Petty in Tank Girl, a poorly-received adaptation of the British comic book.
Tank Girl was reviewed in 2013 as part of Now Playing’s DC Heroes Retrospective Series.
Karen Black (June Rhodes) – Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil’s Rejects Retrospective Series
Karen Black, who passed away last year, had enjoyed a long career before appearing in Children of the Corn IV. Today she is celebrated as a pioneering “Scream Queen” and horror fans may know her best from her role as Mother Firefly in director Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses.
Now Playing reviewed House and its sequel, The Devil’s Rejects, in 2009.
William Windom (Doc Larson) – Planet of the Apes Retrospective Series
This actor’s IMDB resume lists more than 250 credits, but he wasn’t a star in the Now Playing universe until this past summer, when the hosts reviewed Escape from the Planet of the Apes, a show that was made available during the Spring 2014 Donation Series.
Marietta Marich (Rosa Nock) – The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Retrospective Series
Marich should be recognizable to Now Playing listeners; she played Luda Mae Hewitt, the matriarch of the crazed clan that raised Leatherface in 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its 2006 prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
Both films were covered during 2010’s Chainsaw retrospective.
Harrison Young (Drifter) – Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil’s Rejects Retrospective Series
Another actor who went on to work for Rob Zombie, Harrison Young starred as doomed father Don Willis in House of 1000 Corpses. You might also recognize him as the elder Private Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
Overall, those are some pretty good connections. Things should pick up next week when Now Playing covers the fifth (of nine!) Corn entries. We won’t spoil it, just go to IMDB if you’re curious.
Did we miss anyone? If you spot an actor or actress with a connection to Now Playing Podcast leave a comment and help a fellow listener!
Leprechaun – for Annual Subscribers
In 1993 evil had a new, shorter face–that of the Leprechaun! Played by Willow star Warwick Davis, this magical meanie would maim and kill anyone who tried to separate him from his gold–including future Friends star Jennifer Aniston! The film spawned a franchise, including the new reboot Leprechaun: Origins, but how does the original hold up? If you make a pledge to Now Playing Podcast you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Leprechaun – Donation Bonus
In 1993 evil had a new, shorter face–that of the Leprechaun! Played by Willow star Warwick Davis, this magical meanie would maim and kill anyone who tried to separate him from his gold–including future Friends star Jennifer Aniston! The film spawned a franchise, including the new reboot Leprechaun: Origins, but how does the original hold up? If you make a pledge to Now Playing Podcast you can listen and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
‘Corn Connection’ finds A-lister among ‘Harvest’ players
Every actor has to start somewhere, and somewhere is often low-budget horror.
There are plenty of examples; Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3, Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander in The Burning, and Jennifer Aniston in a film Now Playing Podcast donors can hear about very soon.
As for this week’s Now Playing Podcast review of Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, we managed to find some famous faces among the cast. Okay, make that one star, some genre actors and a couple of extras you might recognize if you watch a lot of bad flicks.
But I’m not here to reprint IMDB resumes; the Corn Connection shows you where to find the actors and actresses within the Now Playing archives. So let’s get going.
Charlize Theron (Young Woman/uncredited) – Alien Retrospective Series
Harvest was Theron’s first film, before she went on to become a superstar in movies like Mighty Joe Young, The Legend of Bagger Vance and Aeon Flux. Also Monster.
It’s crazy to think that an actress like Theron was only referenced on Now Playing Podcast once, but it’s true; back during the 2012 donation drive, when the hosts covered Prometheus as part of the Alien Retrospective Series. Unfortunately, that series is no longer available.
Michael Ensign (Father Frank Nolan) – Superman Retrospective Series
Ensign is an actor you’ll recognize, although maybe not for his role as a newscaster in 1978’s Superman. I’m sure he gets more looks from fans who loved him as the snooty hotel manager in Ghostbusters, or in his role as the evil bus driver in License to Drive.
Ed Grady (Dr. Richard Appleby) – Children of the Corn Retrospective Series
Does it count if your Now Playing moments came twice in the same retrospective series? Because that’s the case with the late Mr. Grady, who played the same character in the second installment, Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice. Maybe someday the hosts will cover Grady’s role in The Notebook.
Rance Howard (Employer) – Psycho Retrospective Series
Howard, like Theron, has had roles in major blockbusters (his son is Splash director Ron Howard). Howard, like Theron, only appears once in the entire history of Now Playing Podcast (1998’s Psycho). And Howard, like Theron, appeared in a donation series that’s no longer available on the main feed (bummer).
Rif Hutton (Arnold) – Star Trek Retrospective Series
Hutton’s resume includes a long list of television and film credits, but only one of those movies was featured on Now Playing Podcast. So look for his role as a Klingon guard the next time you sit down to watch Star Trek: Generations.
Anthony Hickox (Hans, also executive producer) – Return of the Living Dead Retrospective Series
Hickox appeared as Dr. Hickox in Return of the Living Dead 3, another film that’s currently locked in the Now Playing Podcast archives. But he’s also a director, with a resume that includes Waxwork, Waxwork 2: Lost In Time and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
Brian Peck (Jake Witman) – X-Men Retrospective Series, Return of the Living Dead Retrospective Series
Peck’s resume lists a number of genre films, but his role as Hot Dog Stand Patron in X-Men and News Reporter in X2: X-Men United made him part of the Now Playing universe. He also appeared in the first three Return of the Living Dead films as the characters of Scuz, Special Zombie and Ballistic Technician, respectively. Unfortunately, those Living Dead shows are locked away in the vault.
So there you have it. A few more recognizable actors than the previous Corn film, but many who only have connections to Now Playing donation series’. Wondering how you can become a donor? This way.
Did we miss anyone? If you spot an actor or actress with a connection to Now Playing Podcast leave a comment and help a fellow listener!
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – for Annual Subscribers
It was considered a risky move. New Line Cinemas put up the money for not just one, but three Lord of the Rings movies. All three were filmed simultaneously in a single fourteen month shoot in New Zealand, directed by Peter Jackson, a proven director but not one with a blockbuster history. If the films had not been successful it was likely New Line would have gone under. Yet the gamble paid off! The first film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was a massive hit that not only minted that first trilogy but would also lead to a second Middle Earth film trilogy adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s earlier novel The Hobbit. Is that first Lord of the Rings film as good as its reputation, and can any movie do justice to Tolkien’s original prose? Thanks to your donation you can join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob and find out!
NOTE: This listing is for annual subscribers to our show. You can also get this movie review individually for a small donation.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Donation Bonus
It was considered a risky move. New Line Cinemas put up the money for not just one, but three Lord of the Rings movies. All three were filmed simultaneously in a single fourteen month shoot in New Zealand, directed by Peter Jackson, a proven director but not one with a blockbuster history. If the films had not been successful it was likely New Line would have gone under. Yet the gamble paid off! The first film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was a massive hit that not only minted that first trilogy but would also lead to a second Middle Earth film trilogy adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s earlier novel The Hobbit. Is that first Lord of the Rings film as good as its reputation, and can any movie do justice to Tolkien’s original prose? Thanks to your donation you can join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob and find out!
NOTE: This Podcast was originally made available to donors for a limited time. To celebrate 10 years of Now Playing Podcast we have made this show available again!
You can get this episode individually, or you can subscribe for 12 months to access all our bonus shows.
Every dollar you donate goes to make this show the best it can be. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the podcast!
Corn Connection: Thinnest threads in ‘Final Sacrifice’
In The Corn Connection, Venganza Media searches the Now Playing Podcast archives for films featuring the cast of The Children of the Corn series
Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice exists in that very odd place for low-rent horror sequels: It’s not good enough to bring back actors from the first film, and not quite bad enough to draw genre stars willing to sign on for ironic reasons, or for the chance to have their names above the title.
Even Pumpkinhead II had Punky Brewster, and those Prophecy sequels had Christopher Walken.
The Final Sacrifice has… no one.
An exhaustive search through the annals of IMDB turned up only the thinnest threads connecting the “stars” to the Now Playing Podcast archives. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t indulge, and perhaps take a listen to some shows you might have missed along the way.
So, for your listening pleasure, here’s where you can find the cast of Children of the Corn II and the films they’ve appeared in:
Christie Clark (Lacey Hellerstat) – A Nightmare on Elm Street Retrospective Series
Clark was a child when she played Jesse’s sister Angela in Freddy’s Revenge. And you probably thought you could rewind to see her in the pool party scene. Shame on you.
Wallace Merck (Sheriff Blaine) – Friday the 13th Retrospective Series, Robocop Retrospective Series
Mr. Merck was one of the unfortunate paintball players that stumbled upon a resurrected Jason Voorhees in Jason Lives. Spoiler: He didn’t make it.
He also played “Gun Shop Owner” in Robocop 2, which Now Playing covered earlier this year.
Joe Inscoe (David Simpson) – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Retrospective Series
This actor appeared as “Police Officer No. 2” in the first TMNT film. Again, we’re grasping at straws here.
Marty Terry (Mrs. Burke/Mrs. West) – Philip K. Dick Retrospective Series
Terry appeared in a “Pre-Crime PSA” in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report. You can go back and try to spot her, or you can go listen to the Now Playing hosts talk about the picture.
Robert C. Treveiler (Wayde McKenzie) – Carrie Retrospective Series
This actor appeared in another sequel to a King film that the author wanted nothing to do with: The Rage: Carrie 2. He played a “patient.” One can only assume it’s during the mental hospital scenes. Do we really have to go back and verify?
Bonus! Treveiler does have a role in Frank Darabont’s The Mist, which Now Playing Podcast will get to (eventually) as part of its Stephen King retrospective.
So there you have it. Not too much in The Final Sacrifice to link back to the archives. Perhaps that’s a good thing. Perhaps we should simply thank the actors for their participation, and part ways.
Maybe we’ll have better luck next week with Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest.
Did we miss anyone? If you spot an actor or actress with a connection to Now Playing Podcast leave a comment and help a fellow listener!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XXXVI – Peacemaker
Tony Stark is going to keep the peace with this new armor — the Iron Man Mark XXXVI, Peacemaker Armor!
Now, I know what you’re asking: was this even in Iron Man 3? Well, per the Iron Man Wiki, yes! It is in the bottom right corner of this picture:
I mean, with such a screen presence, how is your Hot Toys collection complete without The Peacemaker?
I kid a little, but obviously there is no way to sell any fan or collector on The Peacemaker armor. For selective Hot Toys figure fans, this one may be easily skipped. For Iron Man fans and Hot Toys completists then this is a must.
Still, significance aside, Hot Toys has produced another great figure. This armor is an addition to their highly detailed, excessively articulated Movie Masterpiece Series, not a Power Pose Series figure. So you’re getting the usual, amazing Hot Toys sculpt standing almost 13.5-inches tall, with over 30 points of articulation. Also continuing the high quality and impressive features, this figure has LED lit eyes and chest RT, plus three pairs of hands and a decorative base. More, it has “caution” stickers for decoration.
Still, we’ve come to expect that from every Hot Toy Movie Masterpice figure. What is surprising about The Peacemaker though is the price–coming in at only $269.95 this one is less than recent Iron Man is $15 less than the recent Bones Armor release.
So head over to SideshowCollectibles.com to check it out, and if you order please remember to use our affiliate link to support this site and our podcast Marvelicious Toys!
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