Creative Costumes from the San Diego Comic-Con ‘09

Among some of the luminaries in attendence, signing autographs and speaking at fan Q&A panels about their upcoming projects included Johnny Depp, Seth Rogen, Megan Fox, and Robert Downey, Jr.

Among some of the luminaries in attendence, signing autographs and speaking at fan Q&A panels about their upcoming projects included Johnny Depp, Seth Rogen, Megan Fox, and Robert Downey, Jr.

So, is the film worth all of the galleons surely to be stowed in a Gringott’s vault? You bet your ash wood wand it is! Half-Blood Prince is two and a half hours’ worth of wizardry of both the storytelling and special-effects variety. Midnight showings were sold out, even with the film being screened on no less than eight separate screens. Many of the patrons came dressed in accurate — and not so accurate costumes, however, it was all in good fun.

Much like Polar Express, this upcoming holiday movie boasts an A-list cast of voices. The versatile Jim Carrey as Ebeneezer Scrooge, as well as the three Christmas ghosts. Gary Oldman provides the voice of family man and Scrooge’s long-suffering clerk, Bob Cratchet. Other noteworthy names featured in the cast include Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, and Colin Firth. Disney’s A Christmas Carol is scheduled for a November 6th, 2009 release date.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince showcases J.K. Rowling’s “Potterverse” translated from her novels to the big screen during rather dark times. With Lord Voldemort risen again and gathered his Death Eaters, not to mention the increasingly dark turn of the Ministry of Magic, the students of Hogwarts School of Wizarding find themselves placed in increasingly dangerous situations. Harry Potter, himself, has been affected thanks to the death of his beloved godfather and protector, Sirius Black, at the hands of Black’s own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. Factor in that Harry’s kindly mentor, Hogwart’s headmaster, Albus Dumbledore has shown up with a peculiarly blackened and withered hand and isn’t quite his normally cheery self, and these are dark times indeed for Harry and his friends.

What made Purple Rain so unique and successful in its day was the use of MTV-style cinematography, utilizing rapid-fire jump cuts and close-ups along with musical numbers interspersed throughout in a club setting. It was a realistic musical where songs were part of the story as Prince’s character, the petulant Kid battled it out with the slick Morris Day for supremacy on the Minneapolis club music scene along with their respective bands. As opposed to classic musicals like Hello Dolly and Singin’ in the Rain, characters didn’t spontaneously burst into song. Instead, the music was relegated to realistic performance sequences. Also, the film deviated from the traditionally lighthearted feel of the musical genre, exploring such subjects as domestic abuse, greed, corruption, and other vices. The film’s soundtrack included such hits as “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and the epic, 7 minute ballad “Purple Rain.”

Cohen’s latest character is Bruno, a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion editor with bleached blonde hair and an arsenal of fabulously fashion-forward and daring outfits at his disposal. (Although some of his outfits are rather outrageous, so far, of what has been shown on the official Bruno trailer, none of them can compare to Borat’s lime green mankini…. Well, maybe the faux nude bodysuit comes close.)

Comprised of two brothers (Moe and Curly Howard) and their longtime friend, Larry Fine, the Three Stooges were a vaudeville comedy team that used physical, slapstick humor in their act. Each Stooge had their designated role: Black-haired Moe with his distinctive, thick bangs was the ringleader and aggressor of the group, often bullying and picking on Curly and Larry. Larry, the level-headed (and frizzy haired) Stooge, still went along with Moe’s plans in spite of the fact that he knew better. (Larry just didn’t want to get bonked on the head. Can you blame him?) Perhaps the “Super Stooge,” was Curly, the big stooge with the crewcut and the mind of a happy-go-lucky and easily excitable child.

The film will combine a mixture of live-action actors along with stop-motion animation (like Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas) and digital CGI. Even more ambitiously, this format will later be transposed to 3D — which, judging by the stills and production art, will probably make for a very trippy experience on the other side of the looking glass. Check out the art below and stills to get a sneak peak at what you can expect from this freaky fairy tale made just a tad more twisted:

Currently, several commercial characters are just as widely recognized as actors on the television shows that they advertise with. Insurance companies lead the pack with the most well-known characters, including the ever-so-polite Geico Gecko, the misunderstood Cavemen, and of course, Flo the Progressive Insurance Peddler, with her never-ending optimism!

This traveling exhibit is scheduled to hit 40 cities in 5 years. This summer, it’s docked itself for the summer in Philadelphia’s famous Franklin Institute Museum showcasing not just costumes, artifacts, and props from the original show and films, but also the science behind Star Trek. The science aspect of the exhibit compares and contrasts how close we are with technological advancements as seen in the 22nd and 23rd century on the franchise.