Sci-Fi Sunday: Capt. America, Hobbit, TR2N, V, Smallville, Knight Rider, Mars + more October 12, 2008
by Rosario T. Calabria , Filed under: Sci-Fi , trackback
This has been a big week in sci-fi with lots on upcoming movies including the plot of Captain America, an update on the Hobbit, details on TR2N (in 3D!), the latest on the futures of Superman, Iron Man, and Batman. In TV news we have the latest on the future of Smallville, Hasselhoffs (non) Knight Rider cameo, and the return of V! All that plus tons of pics and videos so what are you waiting for?
MOVIE NEWS
Captain America Plot Revealed + Cameo Found In DVD/Blu-ray of The Incredible Hulk
The plot synopsis for Marvel Studios’ "The First Avenger: Captain America" (May 6, 2011) has been revealed in the latest issue of Production Weekly.
“Born during the Great Depression, Steve Rogers grew up a frail youth in a poor family. Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he was rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips offered Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment… Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers was at last administered the ‘Super-Soldier Serum’ and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerged from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers was then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program. Three months later, he was given his first assignment as Captain America. Armed with his indestructible shield and and battle savvy, Captain America has continued his war against evil both as a sentinel of liberty and leader of the Avengers.”
Also, that rumored cameo of Captain America in "The Incredible Hulk" has been discovered, courtesy FilmSchoolRejects. Check it out below. As /Film notes, this scene could explain how it’s possible for the character to appear in "The Avengers" (July 15, 2011): "I still get a lot of emails asking me how if The Captain America movie is set during World War II, how the Captain will appear in The Avengers film. This is the answer, he becomes frozen in the Arctic." And if you need a recap of the deleted scene, which runs about 2:25 seconds, here’s how VFX supervisor Kurt Williams explained it: "Banner [Edward Norton] is desperate. He’s on the run, which is in keeping with some of the original themes from not only the comic books but the TV series. We wanted to put him in a stark place where basically he was at the end of the world. At that point, he wanted to try and end his life. The frustration comes when he can’t even end his life, because he Hulks out instead." The film hits DVD and Blu-ray on November 25th.
Del Toro Explains Hobbit Sequel + Teases Frankenstein
Director Guillermo del Toro tried to clarify what’s being planned for "The Hobbit" and its sequel, explaining to MTV that the films aren’t actually two movies, but rather one movie told in two parts:
“The reality is that we stopped talking the first movie and second movie, and we just started taking about the movie – the two episodes, or two parts, as if they were a single piece of narrative,” said del Toro. “We don’t even call it the bridge movie, we just call it ‘The Movie.’ And this is great. When we found what reverberated, and we found it in one of our virtual meetings – we understood. It’s a movie.”
Del Toro further noted that the second film will lead directly into ‘The Fellowship of the Ring", but they still haven’t cleared up when "The Hobbit" and the movie leading into the first film in the trilogy will begin: “We are finding out,” GDT quipped. “I think Smaug dies in the first movie. So draw your own conclusions.” That death occurs over the book’s last five chapters, so it seems that they’re still working on what new material will be in the sequel. In other Del Toro news, the director teased some of what he has planned for his big screen adaptation of "Frankenstein":
“I’m not doing ‘Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.’ I’m doing an adventure story that involves the creature. I cannot say much, but it’s not the central creation story, I’m not worried about that. The fact is I’ve been dreaming of doing a ‘Frankenstein’ movie since I was a child. The one thing I can promise is, compared to Kenneth Branagh, I will not appear shirtless in the movie!”
TR2N To Be Released in 3D + Jeff Bridges Talks Tech
"TR2N" director Joseph Kosinksi had a brief conversation with AICN and revealed that not only was the Comic-Con test footage filmed in stereoscopic 3D, but that the final product will also be filmed and released using the latest in 3D-tech. Kosinski said he anticipates the movie will be ready by 2010 and also confirmed that "TRON" creator Steven Lisberger is involved in the sequel as a consultant. In fact, the external riders shown in the Comic-Con preview were actually part of the original design but were not included as they were deemed too technologically advanced for the original 1982 film. Read the full report at AICN. Speaking of the tech of "TR2N", The Guardian asked star Jeff Bridges about the film and with a heavy focus on the tech, here’s what he had to say:
“[TRON 2 is] another unique, wild experience that was too good to turn down. Engaging in that world again feels just like it did all that time ago. Basically, I’m still a child, I love being childlike, and here was another chance to play with these crazy toys. And the cutting-edge technology makes it exciting. Doing the teaser trailer for Comic-Con, I had my first experience of motion capture. And that’s turning the industry on its head. It’s amazing being part of that. … When we made Tron there was no internet, no cellphones. But now we have motion capture, so I think we’ll get a far more successful version of the story, which is someone literally getting sucked into a video game. When we did King Kong in the 70s, one minute you’d have a shot of Rick Baker in this big suit and then you’d cut to this 80ft stiff model, and they looked nothing alike. Compare to that Peter Jackson’s King Kong the technology is there and they did a wonderful job. I thought they created a beautiful Kong. So I hope that’ll be the same for Tron.”
DC Comics President Updates Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Supermax
At last week’s special screening of "Watchmen", Latino Review had a conversation with Paul Levitz, president of DC Comics, about some of the company’s upcoming projects, including "Superman":
“So Paul, what the fuck is happening with Superman?” Well not in those words actually. Paul looked over both shoulders like he was about to score some basura and said that things are still brewing. In fact, he told me that “Last week Brandon Routh has come around the offices in New York and Los Angeles as of late to talk about Superman and what we want to do”
Turns out that despite the studio wanting to start fresh with Superman, they love Routh as Clark Kent and are interested in continuing the franchise with him in the lead role. Latino Review also got in a question about "Batman 3", to which Paul responded that “Everyone is waiting for Nolan to sign on for another Batman, once that happens, the release date for Superman and all other future projects will follow.” LR pressed Paul some more and he revealed that "Green Lantern" is moving along faster than "Supermax". And finally, another insider source confirmed that news about waiting on Christopher Nolan and that they want him to commit to a July 2011 release. If that happens, then the schedule will call for "Green Lantern" in summer 2010, "Batman 3" in summer 2011 and the new "Superman" reboot in summer 2012. "The Flash" is also in the mix.
Iron Man Writers Favor The Hulk as Villain in The Avengers
Back in June before "The Incredible Hulk" had hit theaters, director Louis Leterrier told MTV that he thought The Hulk would make a good villain. Now, "Iron Man" writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (who may be writing another Marvel movie) told MTV that they agree with Leterrier and everything is building towards making The Hulk the villain of "The Avengers" in 2011:
“I hope ‘The Avengers’ embraces that,” Fergus said of having the Hulk as misunderstood baddie. “You don’t want like 10 super-badass good guys fighting together. Where’s the fun in that? Let’s break it off a little. Friends or colleagues who become enemies is always an interesting thing because you know it’s based on love and friendship and that’s always the worst thing to have turn bad — is someone you actually care about and someone you actually believe in.”
Thankfully, "The Incredible Hulk" ended in a way that perfectly set’s up the situation, should they go in that direction:
“I left the door open for whoever’s going to direct ‘The Avengers’ with our last shot. Edward [Norton] and I, we consciously decided to make the last shot of the movie when he opens his eyes and he smirks at the camera,” Leterrier told us. “Is he enjoying it? Is he malicious? That’s what’s great about Edward. You don’t know if he’s a good guy or bad guy. He’s always on this edge and we’ve been sort of surfing that edge, that very thin edge during the entire movie.”
Shyamalan Talks Airbender
Director M. Night Shyamalan says that he’s on track for the July 2, 2010 release of his live-action adaptation of "The Last Airbender".
"It’s going to be really cool," the director said in a conference call with reporters. "I’m at the stage where we have [pre-visualized] about the last act of the movie. And because my normal approach to filmmaking is almost like I’m making an animated movie, to some extent–I think out every shot and analyze everything–it kind of lays out really nicely for a big CGI movie."
"Basically, I feel like I’m making the movie right now, like I’m editing it and all that stuff, because I’m doing the [pre-visualizations]. Like, if you were here, I could show you the last 30 minutes of The Last Airbender in animatic form, and it is an amazing and emotional experience just to watch that. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is so exciting.’ It gives you such safety, because it’s such a different kind of movie than I’m used to making. But yet, as we all were, we all came kind of born out of Star Wars, and somewhere in there is the desire to return to fantasy on that level."
City of Ember 2?
While at a press conference for the movie adaptation to Jeanne Duprau’s "City of Ember", the cast was asked about whether they’d be coming back, and what the chances were, for a sequel to the film (Duprau wrote a sequel to the novel entitled "The People of Sparks"):
Do you think it may be possible to bring your characters back for other films, I know Bill you’re eaten by a mole….
Bill Murray: I may have been injured by the mole. I see myself in a sling in the sequel.
Tim Robbins: I think when you are eaten by a mole, that it doesn’t really digest you.
BM: You become regurgitated.
TR: So yeah, that’s the scientific explanation.
BM: They are aerobic, they’re not anaerobic, so you are even able to breathe within the digestive tract, and procreate.
TR: Apparently, both characters are in the next book.
Saoirse Ronan: I haven’t read the second book, but I don’t think you’re in it [to Murray].
BM: [Laughs] My people.
SR: I asked Gil [Kenan the director] when we were on set whether we were going to do a sequel or not and he said, "Get all of your friends to go and see it and then we’ll see." I think it’s basically how this one goes and then we’ll see.
When asked if they’d do the sequel if it were planned, Ronan responded: "Yeah, if Gil was still going to do it and we still had all of the cast, then yes."
NEW IMAGES
The Day The Earth Stood Still (more here)
Kick-Ass (more here)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
The Punisher: War Zone
Terminator Salvation (another here)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (more here)
Twilight
NEW VIDEOS
Kick-Ass (more here)
Max Payne
Twilight
Watchmen
MOVIE BITES
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David Goyer ("The Dark Knight") calls BS on all those sequel rumors we’ve been hearing lately: “It’s all B.S. ALL of it,” Goyer said. “Chris and I haven’t even talked about it. He quite understandably is taking a long, long vacation and wants to purge himself.” [MTV]
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Dave Gibbons, who co-created the graphic novel "Watchmen" with Alan Moore and has been a supporter of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of the film, says Moore, as usual, still wants nothing to do with the movie. Moore’s reluctance to get involved is, as Gibbons explains, "very simple" and not necessarily a knock against "Watchmen": "Alan has had experiences in the past that he hasn’t enjoyed, and he didn’t want to have any more that he possibly might not enjoy. So, starting with V for Vendetta, and with Watchmen, he’s asked not to have his name on it and not to be involved with it in any way at all. So there’s nothing specific about this production that Alan is anti." [SCI FI Wire]
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In a deal sure to help California’s beleaguered film industry, Marvel Studios has signed a long-term lease with Raleigh Studios to film "Iron Man 2", "Thor", "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers" at Raleigh’s Manhattan Beach, California complex. [THR]
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This is coming from The Daily Mail, so take it with a grain of salt, but Johnny Depp will reportedly be paid £32,000,000 (about $54 million) for the upcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean 4". The deal, if true, would make Depp the highest-paid actor–in up-front money–of all time. Tom Hanks supposedly made $50 million for "Angels & Demons", the follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code". Keanu Reeves holds the record of highest paid actor of all time for his work on the two "Matrix" sequels ($20 million plus 15% of the gross of the two films). [The Daily Mail]
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Ridley Scott confirmed that he’s making an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic novel "Brave New Wolrd". The director discussed how far along they are, the involvement of Leonardo DiCaprio, whose production company came to him about the project, and more in an interview with i09.
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Screenwriter Travis Wright has cleared up the "Blade Runner 2" rumors that broke last week, discussing his intentions in wanting to write a script for a "Blade Runner" sequel, closing the e-mail with the following: "I know there will be haters in regards to ever continuing Deckard’s story, but in my lifetime I’d love to sit in the theater on a friday night of its opening weekend and watch as Deckard sees attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Who wants to be there with me?!? Geek on.." [/Film]
CASTING BITES
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Ryan Gosling is rumored to be Warner Brothers’ top interest to play Hal Jordan in the upcoming DC comic book adaptation of "The Green Lantern". [Latino Review]
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Josh Brolin ("W.") is in talks to star as the lead in Warner Brother’ adaptation of the DC Comics property "Jonah Hex", confirming the rumor first reported at Hollywood Elsewhere. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor ("Crank" writer-directors) wrote the script and will direct. [Variety]
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Danny Glover announced that he’ll be playing the role of president in director Roland Emmerich’s upcoming apocalyptic epic "2012" (July 10, 2009). [SCI FI Wire]
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Kat Dennings ("Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist") is in negotiations to join Woody Harrelson and Sandra Oh in Peter Stebbings’ superhero dramedy "Defendor". Harrelson plays the lead, a regular guy who believes he has a secret superhero identity, who’s befriended by a teenage girl (Dennings), while Oh has been cast as his psychiatrist. [THR]
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Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter have signed on for roles in Disney’s "Alice in Wonderland", from director Tim Burton. Hathaway will be playing the White Queen, a benevolent monarch who is deposed and banished by her sister, the Red Queen (Carter), who has an affinity for crying out, "Off with their heads!" [THR]
TV NEWS
ABC Developing New V Miniseries
With no input from original writer-producer-director, Kenneth Johnson, ABC is developing a new adaptation of "V". According to Variety, the new project is from "The 4400" co-creator and executive producer Scott Peters, who sold his spec script to ABC. The new "V" will center on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son’s interest in them causes tension within the family. Several other storylines will unfold around that main one, as was the case with the original "V". Kenneth Johnson recently announced his intention to revive the franchise with a movie entitled "V: The Second Generation" and is not involved in this Peters version.
Robinson’s Mars Series headed to AMC
American cable outlet AMC announced they are developing a series based on the award-winning series of Mars novels by Kim Stanley Robinson. A few years back the SciFi channel had announced they would be doing a mini-series based on the books which tell the story of the first human colonists on Mars, but that project never went anywhere. Now THR reports that Jonathan Hensleigh ("Armageddon") is headed up the new series and has written the pilot. AMC seems to be embracing more genre shows as they recently did a remake of The Andromeda Strain and is currently working on a new version of the UK cult series The Prisoner
Production on Avengers Animated Series Begins
The cartoon division of Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Animation, has begun production on "The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes". The 26-episode series will be made available for broadcast in 2011 to coincide with the live-action movies "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers". Ciro Nieli ("Teen Titans") is producing the series for Film Ronan, the company behind "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill". According to Marvel Animation president Eric Rollman, this is the first step of the "plan to complement each of our tentpole live-action features with an animated series. This new ensemble series tracks perfectly with our ‘Road to the Avengers’ strategy." The studio already has two all-new series "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" prepped for debut on Nicktoons in 2009. Another series on the way is "Marvel Super Hero Squad and the Black Panther".
Smallville Producers Write Open Letter to Fans (Season Nine a Go?)
The producers of "Smallville" have written an open letter to their fans, discussing the remainder of the show’s eighth season, plus its potential upcoming spin-off "The Graysons", and they even mention that they are working on season nine of "Smallville".
Dear Smallville fans,
As news and rumors swirl around the development of The Graysons for the CW, we have every intention of letting you, our fans, be the first to know the reality. Never have we been so committed to the continuing success of Smallville as we are to seasons 8 and 9. While we are extremely excited to be working hand-in-hand with Wonderland, Warner Bros. and the CW to create the origin story of Dick Grayson, it has never been intended as a replacement for Smallville, as is speculated in some media. The cast, crew, writers and producers are all working full-steam ahead on a story-line for Clark that allows for seasons of further trials and adventures for our favorite hero. As always, we all have you to thank for achieving eight years of this amazing show that Al and Miles created, and we’re looking far beyond!
Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders
SCI FI Channel and RHI Entertainment Announce New Slate of Original Movies
The SCI FI Channel has entered into an agreement with RHI Entertainment for five new horror and thriller two-hour television movies. Two of the films have already wrapped production, including "Hellhounds" from director Ricky Schroder and "Rise of the Gargoyle". Details below, courtesy SCI FI Wire:
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Hellhounds – Stars Scott Elrod as a Greek warrior who fights against the demonic hellhounds of Hades in order to rescue his bride (Amanda Brooks) and bring her back to life.
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Rise of the Gargoyle – Stars Eric Balfour as a struggling author in Paris who finds himself face to face with a horrific monster: a live version of the stone gargoyles he’s devoted his life to studying. The film is directed by Bill Corcoran.
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Alien Western – Set in the 1890s, about monstrous buglike machines from another world that attack anyone who gets in their way
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Carney – Based on the Jersey Devil legend, about a fiendish carnival sideshow attraction that escapes and terrorizes a Depression-era town
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Sand Serpents – About American combat soldiers in the Afghan desert who must battle both the Taliban and a horde of giant carnivorous wormlike serpents.
Hasselhoff Shoots Down Knight Rider Cameo
The Hoff/Knight Rider fans, there’s some bad news to report. In an interview with Buddy TV, David Hasselhoff says he’ll no longer be appearing as a guest star in upcoming episodes of the NBC revival series "Knight Rider", citing a disagreement with the network on what role he would play:
"I went in and pitched Knight Rider to the network with all the intentions of coming back as, like, the dad or something. But they decided to go a different route. So I just said ‘See ya later and good luck.’"
With the show averaging only average ratings, it doesn’t seem like such a smart move for NBC to not come to terms with Hasselhoff.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Sanctuary Series Premieres Start Strong
Nothing more clearly demonstrates the fact that science-fiction belongs on cable than the series premieres of "Sanctuary" on SCI FI (2.7 million viewers) and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network (3.9M viewers) last Friday. The two show’s broke records of some sort on their respective network–most-watched premiere in Cartoon Network history for ‘Star Wars’ and highest-rated series premiere for SCI FI since "Eureka" in 2006 for "Sanctuary"–while network Sci-Fi shows with higher audience levels such as "Knight Rider" (7.33M/2.4 A18-49 rating average), "Chuck" (6.34M/2.5 A18-49 rating average) and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (5.78M/2.2 A18-49 rating average) are in cancellation territory. Even "Heroes" is starting to slide. In its third week this season, the fourth episode was the series’ lowest-rated ever, drawing 8.20M viewers and a 4.0 A18-49 rating, off 25 and 22 percent, respectively, from it’s comparable year-ago numbers on 10/8/2007 (10.91M viewers/5.1 A18-49 rating). It’s a good thing the show’s A18-49 viewership is still quite solid. To be fair, some new sci-fi shows have fared better, such as Fox’s "Fringe" which has been helped by leading out of "House" and was recently rewarded with a full-season order (10.43M/4.2 A18-49 rating average) and the series premieres of "Life on Mars" (11.33M/3.7 A18-49) and "Eleventh Hour" (11.37M/3.2 A18-49) but the fact remains that the threshold for success remains far lower on cable television than network TV.
TV IMAGES
Chuck (more here)
Dollhouse
Fringe (more here)
Heroes (more here)
Stargate Atlantis (more here)
Life on Mars (more here)
Smallville (more here)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (more here)
TV VIDEOS
Heroes
Smallville
Sanctuary
Chuck
COMEDY: The Office (Click here for context–watch the complete episode here)
TV BITES
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Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama) believes "Battlestar Galactica" would be more popular if it wasn’t relegated to channels with a "stigma" such as Sky One in the UK and SCI FI in the States: [Battlestar] is only cult because it’s been stuck on Sky One and not pushed. In America it’s on the Sci Fi Channel, which has a stigma to it. If it was on a mainstream channel it would be as big as Doctor Who or Lost. I take ‘cult’ to mean not mainstream or readily available." [Metro]
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Ronald D. Moore had a discussion with AfterElton about gay and lesbian characters in television, specifically sci-fi television, including his upcoming TV-movie "Virtuality", which includes a gay couple in the cast of 12. [AfterElton via i09]
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"Heroes" executive producer Jeph Loeb vigorously defended the series and says it’s not a derivative of other sci-fi shows/movies. [WordBalloon]
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Former "Doctor Who" showrunner Russell T. Davies says that BBC really wanted to turn the the Doctor into a little kid (or at least show him as one): "It would demystify the Doctor having a boy running around saying, ‘I am the Doctor’ with a sonic screwdriver." [Times]
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io9 got their hands on seven deleted scenes from the fourth season of "Battlestar Galactica" which answer some questions fans may have. Check them out by clicking on the image below.
MISC
Superman and Batman Motion Comics On the Way + 2nd Watchmen Comic Released
Warner Premiere and Warner Brothers Digital Distribution will be continuing their series of Web-based short-form "motion comics" with new additions "Batman: Black & White" and "Superman: Red Sun". Details, courtesy SCI FI Wire:
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Batman: Black & White – Taken from three award-winning volumes of short stories featuring the Caped Crusader. The motion comics will reflect the original and diverse visions of various artists and writers as they tell stories in the now-infamous world of Gotham City.
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Superman: Red Son – Based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel written by Mark Milar and drawn by Dave Johnson, an alternate-universe story in which Superman lands in Russia and becomes the Soviet Union’s greatest weapon as the world is transformed into a communist state opposed only by a crumbling capitalistic America and its president, Lex Luthor.
Warner Premiere also announced that the first and second chapters of the motion comic based on the graphic novel "Watchmen" are available to download on iTunes, Amazon Video on Demand, Xbox Live and the Sony Playstation store.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Gift Sets
‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ hits DVD and Blu-ray this Tuesday, and like most high-profile releases, depending on where you purchase the movie you’ll have various gift set options. Here’s a round-up of what’s available courtesy /Film:
Circuit City – 2 lithographs of concept art from the movie
Best Buy – Gift Set includes a replica crystal skull from Sideshow Collectibles and a $25 gift card to sideshowcollectibles.com
Target – Packaged with a “beautiful hard cover book from Palace Press with 80 pages of behind the scenes photos, including many never-before-published images.”
K-Mart & Sears – Four exclusive LEGO mini-posters. Replica’s of the original theatrical posters.
Trans World – Exclusive Steelbook Packaging
MISC BITES
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George Lucas’ new "secret project" that will be unveiled by LucasArts and Bioware in San Francisco on October 21st is rumored to be a MMO sequel to "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic". [Digital Spy]
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Check out some recently revealed concept art from "Iron Man" at this link.
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Fantasy Flight Games will release "Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game" later this fall. Each player takes on the role of one of the characters from the series and they also get a secret loyalty card which reveals if their a human or cylon. The game takes about two to three hours to play. [io9]
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James Earl Jones, whose played several roles in sci-fi television and film, including the voice of Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and the voice of the first Unas in "Stargate SG-1", will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actor’s Guild at next year’s SAG Awards on January 25th. [Variety via i09]
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A restored "Ghostbusters" Ecto-1 has been sold on eBay for $45,000: “This car is one of three Sony/MGM authorized Ghostbusters 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor Ecto-1. There are the two original cars used in the films and this one built exclusively for the Universal Studios Theme parks…The only major change made to this car was the roof rack. We modified the roof rack to resemble the screen used Sony Ecto-1 original car. Other upgrades are cosmetic and mechanically it’s very sound.”
SCI-FI RATINGS
|
Top 10 SF&F Broadcast Shows |
HH Rating |
|
1) |
8.1 |
|
2) Ghost Whisperer (R) |
3.6 |
|
3) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles |
3.6 |
|
4) Smallville |
2.6 |
|
5) Supernatural |
2.3 |
|
6) Chuck (R) |
1.5 |
9/15/2008 to
9/21/2008- Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
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Top 10 SF&F Syndicated Shows |
Rating |
|
1) Lost |
1.1 |
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2) The Dead Zone |
0.8 |
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3) Star Trek |
0.7 |
|
4) Stargate Atlantis |
0.5 |
9/15/2008 to
9/21/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
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Top 10 SCI FI CHANNEL Shows |
Rating |
|
1) Ghost Hunters |
1.8 |
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2) Eureka |
1.7 |
|
3) |
1.2 |
|
4) |
1.2 |
|
5) |
1.2 |
|
|
1.1 |
|
|
1.0 |
|
8) House on Haunted Hill |
1.0 |
|
9) Vipers |
1.0 |
|
10) Resident Evil Apocalypse |
0.9 |
9/15/2008 to
9/21/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
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Comments»
Yay! My favorite feature. It’s almost like opening the Sunday funnies.
Should be retitled, “What’s the new thing being remade this week?”
And now that I’ve had time to look…..
You know, I’m no prude. I mean, I am a musician. And I don’t have the tamest mouth. My friends can tell you that. But the Latino review guys sure seem a bit crude. I know that’s their schtick, which I would think some Latinos would find insulting. My wife included. Different times.
Regarding Captain America…I really hope they do that right. Watching the behind the scenes footage of the Hulk with the guy running really fast in the field due to the super soldier formula, gives me great cause to be hopeful and excited about this Cap movie.
Looks like a lot of great scifi shows coming up. Im interested in the movies and series V. i wonder how that will be done. Also i hope Smallville will continue. It’s a great show and if they do another Supperman Movie. Then use Smallville to tell the story and use All the actors from Small ville instead of using Roth to be Supperman. Thats the best this they should do.
I think V should start in Iraq where Michael Donovan and Juliet are hiding out as the visitors ravage the planet. Ham Tyler shows up with Willie, and a stolen lizard spaceship.
Tom Welling should be used as Supperman in the New movie. He has played Clark Kent for many years and he understands the Charicter very well. On the Hulk and Capt america. What About Iron Man. In Hulk we do see Stark in the movie and so do you think they will have the Hulk and iron man and capt America all there with the rest. Sounds like it could be a different version of the justice leauge.
#5 I think Maybe they are going to reimagine V and start all over. Not sure i like that but probly will happen that way. should get Marc Singer to Play Donavon and well we will see. I loved the origanal Movies. But what I would love to see is a T.v series Based on the Movie Independence day and the Aftermath. I believe there has to be more of the alein Spaceships out there and i think that would have a lot of potentional for either a series or a new movie. Or A Series based on Tom Cruises Version Of War of the Worlds and dealing with the aftermath and tell us where these aliens came from and how many more are out there. Or how about a New movie or serie based on the 1980 movie The Final countdown that Had Kirk Douglas as the Capt of a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Nimitz and also stared Marten Sheen that got time warped to Dec 6th 1941 Pearl Harbor. Maybe Do a New movie or a series. The Possibilitys on that are endless.
I’m still surprised Smallville is going ahead with an eighth season — let alone a ninth! Virtually everyone in town has become a costumed hero with powers except Clark who continues to mope around. Its stretching all credibility at this point. Just get it over with, put on the suit already.
I hold absolutely ZERO hopes for superhero movies, and am rarely disappointed. There have been a few good ones and one or two brilliant ones, but only recently. Superman the movie, Batman Begins, and Iron Man amongst them.
But when I read the plot for Supermax, I laughed my head off. Is this going to be a comedy? Sounds like it. Lets take a superhero with no powers who is identified by his costume and goatee, remove all that, and throw him in a prison of super-powered bad-guys who will help him escape, I guess ’cause they love him so much. *yawn* Perhaps they should call it TANK. I’m as excited to see that as I am the JLA movie that will TANK as well.
As far as that “Captain America cameo” on the Hulk dvd, if you look really close, I mean REALLY close…you still can’t tell. Ridiculous.
I look forward to the next Batman movie, as they finally found someone that knows how to make a good picture.
Leave Routh home for the Superman re-reboot. New Superman movie, new Superman. Zero charisma.
Hulk as a bad guy? Maybe if by the end of the picture they are able to communicate to him the need for him to be good (or at least well behaved) and part of a team. But just to make him a bad guy, which is NOT a part of Banners psyche, is silly.
Captain America sounds great! Maybe DC could fall in line and finally do a Sergeant Rock movie.
IF THEY PLAY THEIR CARDS RIGHT…
…a new big-budget CAPTAIN AMERICA flick set during World War II could be HUGE.
Of course, the 1990 version was set in WWII, proving nothing. They need a BIG director for this… I hope Marvel is courting Steven Spielberg. With his background in varied WWII movies (comedy: 1941, drama: PRIVATE RYAN, adventure: RAIDERS), he’d be the ideal candidate. Plus he has yet to tackle a full-blown superhero flick! CAP seems ready-made for Spielberg!
WELL THEY better get the GUYS who Made the fan film GRAYSON to direct some episodes of this ROBIN tv show from what i saw they deserve it and mainstream fans would be in for a treat
Yeah, I always wanted to see a decent V sequel where the message that the Resistance sent out gets answered, and a new force comes in to fight the lizards
#6 said: ” In Hulk we do see Stark in the movie and so do you think they will have the Hulk and iron man and capt America all there with the rest. Sounds like it could be a different version of the justice leauge.”
Yeah. They’re called the Avengers.
#10- I can’t wait for Billy Tucci’s Sgt. Rock mini! A DC WWII movie featuring all (Or at least a bunch) of the WWII characters would be awesome. Sgt. Rock, The Haunted Tank, The Losers, Unknown Soldier, the list is endless.
Hasselhoff not in KightRider = A bad business decision.
;-)
Avatar was an excellent anime, one of the best made in the US…
Amazingly executed, great storyteling, likable heroes and villains and lots of emotion.
I really don’t need M. Night Shyamalans version.
Jamie Bamber’s comment that Battlestar Galactica if it aired on a major channel (rather than on Sci-Fi) would be as popular as Dr. Who doesn’t hold water since many fans have only seen the new Dr. Who on the Sci-Fi Channel anyway. Sci-Fi Channel is a major outlet, dude!
The plot sounds like its straight out of the comics. You could plop that on page one any Captain America Comic under a “Stan Lee Presents” banner.
What’s the latest on Johnny Depp playing Barnabas Collins in a big screen treatment of “Dark Shadows”? Nothing in the news in over a year!
I totally agree with the comment “Hasselhoff not in KightRider = A bad business decision.” by Sebi. The Hoff made the first Knight Rider work. I’m also surprised at how many people are watching the show with it’s lame writing and acting. I sincerely hope that it gets better, it has promise, but it’s in shackles with NBC not letting it grow as it should with the Hoff.
The Hulk as the bad guy? Was that the way the comics worked out?
17
Yes. And with a “by Jack Kirby” mention too.
20
At times.
One concern about the Captain America plot, which claims Steve Rogers was born during the Great Depression … even if he were born on the day of the 1929 stock market crash, typically considered the start of the Depression, he would have been only 15 1/2 years old on the day Germany surrendered in 1945… and, obviously, younger still if he were unleashed upon the Nazis any sooner.
Here’s one guy that is hoping they do keep Routh as Superman. He wasn’t the problem, that god awful Lois Lane and child were!
Again, I’ll say: Blade Runner 2?!?!?!? WTF!?!?!?!?!
I’m old. Very little of that up there excites me.
Capt. America: I’m a huge fan of the character. Needs to start in WWII, have the origin, then build, mostly through montages, his legend during the war. For the second half of the movie, shunt him to today (the frozen in ice gimmick), show the “man out of time” aspect of the character, hook him up with SHIELD, and have him resolve some plot thread that was begun during the war in a big last act action set-piece. Any overt association with an Avengers movie should be a tack-on scene, like they did in the Iron Man and Hulk movies. There’s your Cap movie.
As I said, I’m old, but does anyone besides me want to see a manly looking Superman? Not a body-builder, but certainly a guy well into his 30s, big, ruggedly handsome, commanding … super?
And when is SciFi Channel going to just rename itself the Monster Channel (the great “Eureka” notwithstanding)?
Cranky Old Scott B. out.
#16… I think he was talking about in Great Britian, wHere he is from. There, Dr Who is huge thanks to the BBC.
#14 – “Knight Rider” = bad business decision.
As far as ‘V’ goes, I refuse to watch people dumping harmful alien chemicals out of hot air balloons (yes…I’m going to remind you it happened) while disco music even CHiPs rejected was playing in the background. I’d just as soon watch “Salvage I” again. At least then you got Andy (who was awesome in ‘The Waitress’, by the way).
A ‘V’ remake would be a great opportunity to do the kind of science fiction that says something about ‘us’, and I hope they don’t blow it.
I’m still sore about Alien Nation. Was a bit more ‘Waltons’ than I’d like to see my science fiction sometimes, but at least they were using it to comment on ‘us’, which always ends up being the best sci-fi, in my opion.
I hope “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is able to keep it’s simple messages, although it’s easy to fear “Dude, Where’s My Spaceship?” with Kenoomanooma (I can’t spell his name…sorry) at the helm.
Peace
Why does Jonny Depp need to be paid all that money for. Its outragous, especial the way the finacial climet is at the moment
25
“Capt. America: I’m a huge fan of the character. Needs to start in WWII, have the origin, then build, mostly through montages, his legend during the war. For the second half of the movie, shunt him to today (the frozen in ice gimmick), show the “man out of time” aspect of the character, hook him up with SHIELD, and have him resolve some plot thread that was begun during the war in a big last act action set-piece. Any overt association with an Avengers movie should be a tack-on scene, like they did in the Iron Man and Hulk movies. There’s your Cap movie.”
I’m with you on all this, brother.
Ben Kingsley must have moved onto an ancient burial ground or something, really doesn’t seem to have much luck picking good movies, and he always seems to be stuck with a very crap accent.
TR2N – come on boys, HD version of the comic con stuff pleeeese.
fyi, that supposed description of the Captain America movie is not necessarily what the movie is about. That reads more like just a description of the character’s actual comic book origin than a synopsis for the movie. The film may use the same origin story but that description shouldn’t be considered the actual synopsis of the movie.
When does Angels and Demons supposed to be coming out? With the below average film of “The Da Vinci Code”, I’d hope there’s more substance and book vs. film quality to “Angels…” than the later.
I agree with number 8. Smallville is in serious danger of dragging out Clark’s reluctance to embrace his Kryptonian side way too long. I’m getting to the point where I’m saying, “What is Clark’s problem? Everybody is helping out except him.
As for the new Knight Rider, if it wasn’t for the “transformation” capability, I’d probably enjoy that show a lot more. And don’t tell me it’s like “Super Pursuit Mode” for the old show. It is nothing like that. A few shifting and extending body panels is nothing like the “viper-esqe” transforming that the new KITT does. They should loose that feature.
Great round-up.
Nearly peed my underroos when The Office put Dwight through Battlestar Hell. Ha!!
Amanda Tapping’s character needs to be attacked by a cheese-sucking creature that removes her horrible, horrible attempt at a British accent.
Blade Runner 2? Apparently the Replicants have taken over Hollywood.
Watchmen continues to look cool.
Any word on a trailer for that Star Track movie thing? (I know, I know, next month… maybe… grrrrr)
Thanks, Rosario.
New Knight Rider is more derivative of “James Bond meets 24 meets Transformers” than the old, better show. KITT is simply too futuristic and unbelievable to allow for suspension of disbelief.
The fact it’s on a network means it has to throw all of these elements into the pot and hope the good stories write themselves. They don’t.
My worthless opinion? Bring back the Hoff as Michael Knight in his talking Trans-Am and king some Mustang butt.
I think Smallville is heading for a big trainwreck unless someone does some very creative writing. The whole Smallvile world has seen Clarks face, ho is he supposed to become Superman, wear a mask?
As for Knight Rider they lost me when Kitt turned into a truck. It could have been a far better show if they would have dropped the silly stuff and made it a serious spy/adventure show.
Anyone watch the BSG “deleted” scenes on io9? Wasn’t the Apollo-Starbuck scene aired? Was it shorter, or am I just imagining that it was aired?
Incidentally, I don’t think they answered any questions, as claimed (and fortunately, otherwise it wouldn’t be right).
Why is Ghost Hunters the top Sci-Fi channel show right now? Who watches it? It’s just about a bunch of d-bags looking for “ghosts” that don’t exist! That doesn’t belong on the Sci-Fi channel! Neither does ECW! CAPS LOCK CAPS LOCK
New York Observer cartoon & aritcle:
MCCAIN as KIRK – OBAMA as SPOCK
Check it out…
http://www.observer.com/2008/politics/be-logical-captain
I absolutely hate the name “TR2N”, it just messes with my poor mind.
The Knight Rider quote is from a very badly written article that quotes what the Hoff said after the TV movie back in February. This is a months old quote. He has since said positive things about the series after talking with Gary Scott Thompson (new show runner)
Hasselhoff is in negotations. The possibility of him appearing is all down to scheduling. Karr will return in episode 12. Many suspect this leads to Hasselhoffs return in episode 13.
I finally heard some new news about the long ago announced remake of “When Worlds Collide!” (in a last week’s edition of The New York Times, no less)
Spielberg is still scheduled to produce it, in an agreement with Paramount.
Sadly, still no production date.
Why be Sir Ben Kingsley shown and featured so but not one word aboot what he be doin’?
Prince o’ Persia? Oh, no… is he some sorta oil shiek out ta’ “sabotaage” me invention o’ a car that runs on me own urine? Awwwwk! Maybe it be his dead Iranian character from “House o’ Sand and Fog” and he’s tryin’ ta’ get us ta’ sign another poorly planned home loan?
Dr. Who as a wee child makes his TARDIS appear in Willy Wonka’s candy shoppe, kncock aboot some orange munchkins, and makes off wit’ sugary loot.
Poor Amanda Tapping… though I have not seen nor heard her in her new telly show…
… but if CmdR thinks she has a bad english accent, well… ‘tink he’d be used ta’ one based on mine here… I mean, am I a pirate? An uneducated cockney sailor? Some sort o’ futball hooligan wit’ a speech impediment?
Arrrrrrr….
Too many superhero-movies out there, I think. I bet, most of them will fail. Batman and Iron Man are normal humans in high-Tech-suits with no superpowers by them self. I like them, because it’s a more realistic and not pure fantasy like all the others. Go on with the two of them!
But I really don’t like Hulk (what a terrible crap!) and I don’t like Spiderman. And I have many doubt’s about Captain America, Green Latern, Thor etc. They are to much fantasy in my eyes. X-Men was okay; for the most parts. But a superstrong and superfast Captain America with his undestructable shield? Superstrong – okay, Superfast – okay but an undestructable shiled? Who should have build that? People from earth? Martians? Come on…
Another Superman? I don’t know. The last Superman-movie was nothing like I expected. Too much silly humor, too few story and character moments. But I like Smallville. They’ll should base the next movie on that show. What I like about Superman is, that he is THE Superhero and his Nemesis, Lex Luthor, had nothing else to counter, as his intelligence and his financial power (and sometimes a peace of Kryptonite). Superhero against superhero might be a great special-effects-show, but no interesting story.
Hollywood has become crazy with all this superheros. There are so many good novels out there, waiting to be filmed – and other interesting storys as well. I really hope, this superhero-hype will be over in a decade, so that we can expect new and interesting movies again. I really can’t wait for the Hobbit, the new Terminator and of course, the new Star Trek.
#5
Tom Welling should not be Superman. I’ve always imagined a Smallville writers meeting going something like this:
Writer #1: And then Clark meets Lois when she moves to town, and Lex Luthor has daddy issues, and Clark knew him when they were still in school.
Writer #2: Oh, that’s good! Everybody understands problems with their father. What if Jimmy Olsen was in elementary school and meets…
Writer #3 bursts into room: Hey, did you guys know there was already a comic called “Superman?”
Writer #1: The hell you say!
Writer #3: I shit you not!
The Captain America pic won’t load, anyone else have it?
E-mail it to me.
Oops, my e-mail doesn’t show.
Well, click my blog link, you’ll find it there. ;)
How many freakin times do I have to say NO FREAKIN SUPERMAN REBOOT!!!!
Just pick up where Returns left off! Damn!
WB seems determined to ruin this franchise. Hey! Let’s get Tim Burton back to direct a freaky DARK version with Nicholas Cage as Superman! Yeah! That’d screw it up real good!
Hmmm…how else can we ruin it? Well, let’s have Superman fight a giant SPIDER in the Fortress of Solitude that has POLAR BEARS for guards! Yeah! A Fortress of NON-Solitude! YEAH!!!
Man! Just think of all the ways we can F up the Superman movies! YEAH! Let’s get Chris Rock to play Jimmy Olsen and let’s make Superman an ASIAN in an ALL-BLACK suit! OH! And let’s NOT have a Superman with superpowers…that’s so lame…and so…um…comic-book! Screw that! Let’s not have any of that!
Man! Aren’t these great ideas! Let’s get Justin Timberlake and TIMBALAND to do the musical score too! None of that JOHN WILLIAMS academy award nominated craptacular music! Timberlake and Timbaland will ROCK the house!
Yeahh….
You know this would be SO much better than any Donner Superman film! You just know it!
Forgot to say — Hey, WB! One other suggestion! Get Miley Cyrus to play Lois Lane too while you’re at it! Then you can call her Hanna Metropolis or some shit like that!
I am SOOOOOO NOT going to see the next one if they continue down this “reboot” path.
I can’t believe they are planning on outdoing the SALKINDS on how to ruin a franchise!
What a bunch of IDIOTS!
That’s all I’ve got to say on this subject. Bring on the Justin Timberlake musical score…BARF!!!!
Or better yet — just CAST Timberlake as Jimmy Olsen. He’s an “Actor” too, right?
PUKE!!!!!
DC should be ashamed! ASHAMED of how they are letting this franchise go!
# 39
I watch Ghost Hunters. I think it’s a good show. It’s nice to see regular guys going placing looking from a more scientific perspective, instead of just using psychics and rubbish.
I suppose you think Trek fans aren’t allowed to like both?
So much for IDIC.
#36 “New Knight Rider is more derivative of “James Bond meets 24 meets Transformers” than the old, better show. KITT is simply too futuristic and unbelievable to allow for suspension of disbelief.”
As a hard core KR fan, I really wanted to like the new show but I just can’t stand the Mustang as KITT. I really tried, believe me, but I can’t. Sorry.
Well like what i said mayby they should get the GRAYSON fan film guys to make the next superman movie
Re #54 – paul — The actor the GRAYSON fan film guys got to play Superman was just dead perfect. Mature, granite-jawed, imposing … THAT’S what Superman should look like.
Scott B. out.
Knight Rider is NOTHING like James Bond. Bond is a sophisticated fighter, Michale Knight is just a bumbling supermodel.
#35 You do realize Amanda Tapping is British, no? Geesh. She’s from Essex. Which county are you from?
I like the idea of a Captain America movie, but current trends in Hollywood dictate that America = bad guys, so I’m afraid where they will go with this. On the other hand, nazis are about the only villians allowed in this PC age, as their absurd appearance in Sum of All Fears demonstrated. Maybe Captain America will defeat nazism, but objecting to the bombing of Hiroshima, will change his name to “Captain Planet” and lead us all to a higher level of consciousness and social justice.
See? Two remakes in one!
#57 is she really british. Wow. I never knew that
#56 bond was a paradoy of himself reliant on sci-fi gadgetary if you saw Die Another Day. The reinvention is more in line with your description. But Knight isn’t bumbling or a supermodel. He wouldn’t make a magazine cover, and he is pretty good with words, hence the ladies.
#53 You might end up feeling that about the Enterprise when you see the new design.
Bond wasn’t a parody of himself. Ever since Goldfinger, Bond has had a joke or gadget during the fight scenes. Example, is when he kills a dude in Dr. No with a spear and says, “He got the point.”
#60 oh come off it, he was so much a parody that they felt the need to go back and reinvent both the character and the canon. The parody happened mid way thru the brosnan era.
#58
I think it would be better to have Cap support the bombing of Hiroshima but later regret it after seeing the destruction. That would add another layer to his character. Or maybe leave politics out of it completely. Hey, he’s Captain America, not Captain crack-bad-guy’s-skulls-to-appeal-to-right-wingers-and-show-sanctimonious-compassion-to-appeal-to-left-wingers, middle-of-the-road, straddle-the-fence America.
#19
Depp still has to run the gantlet through Dan Curtis Productions, which still owns the rights to Dark Shadows. After seeing him in Sweeney Todd, I’m convinced he could do justice to the Barnabas Collins character.
I reeaaaaallllyyyy want this project to be greenlighted! (greenlit?)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Andy Patterson (#30 above) is right on the mark with his outline of Captain America. Give us less of the overdone inner turmoil as in Spiderman 3 and more of the surprises and action and excellent storyline that makes sense and hits hard at evil.
As corny as it sounds, I never get tired of seeing the Nazis beaten by someone representing all the good in the world – and, in the same vein, when he thaws 65 or 70 years later imagine the satisfaction and irony of Captain America crushing all the evil politicians in Washington and greedy bankers on Wall Street along with whatever physical evil entity he must overcome.
America has changed (and not for the better) since WWII and since 9/11 and especially just in the last year with fear and disillusionment ubiquitous because of stupid, greedy, short-sighted politicians, lawyers, bankers, etc running wall street, main street, homeowners, and hard workers into the ground.
This is a very different America from the one he knew. Too many grey areas where there used to be black and white – right and wrong. And this includes who America’s enemies really are – foreign as well as homegrown. It’s unfortunately not as clear cut as Allies: Good – Nazis: Bad.
BTW, Keith says Andy has the tamest mouth.