Infinite Crisis #1 Preview Pages

Click the pic to see more preview pages:

Animated/Comic-Related DVD Releases

Well, let's just call this what it really is, my DVD wish list (along with Batman Begins and Revenge of the Sith from the previous list):

October
4 – Cinderella Special Edition
18 – Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology (special editions of Burton/Schumacher Batman movies)
18 - Adventures of Superman Vol 1 (1950s TV series)
18 – Batman vs. Dracula (Direct-to-DVD, based on current animated series)
25 – Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3

December
6- Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 4 (I also still need Vol. 3)
6 - Superman: The Animated Series Vol. 2
6 – Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2

DVD Release Schedule for Summer Movies

With the end of the summer movie season comes the wait for those movies to hit DVD. As expected, most will hit before Christmas. Here’s the schedule, subject to change:

October
18 - Batman Begins
25 - Bewitched

November
1- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
8- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
15 - Madagascar
15 - Stealth
22- War of the Worlds
29 – Mr. & Mrs. Smith

December
6- Fantastic Four
27 – Dark Water
TBA - The Dukes of Hazzard

Early 2006
The Wedding Crashers
The 40-Year Old Virgin

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

From the producers of Chicken Run comes Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit. Opening October 7th, here's the trailer.

Spoiling your Comics

Because some comic fans are tired of all the crossovers that DC (Countdown to Infinite Crisis) and Marvel (House of M) are foisting on us, they have banded together to create "Spoilt!" a blog that reveals the major plotlines of all the comics that you can't afford to buy, but need to read to keep up with crossovers. So save a few bucks and enjoy!

"Paperback Believer"

This is just too cool for words -- a mixing of the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and the Monkees' "I'm a Believer" in a song/video called "Paperback Believer."

Miller Covers Robin

This week, issue #2 of Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder comes out. Last week, DC unveiled an alternate cover by Frank Miller, seen here:

Family Guy Direct-to-DVD Clip

Tonight begins the second season of Family Guy's second shot on Fox. And more Family Guy is on the way. At the end of the month, look for the direct-to-DVD movie: Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story. This new, unrated movie focuses on Stewie's quest for his real father. See a clip here.

More Sin for Your Home

Sin City was released on a bare-bones, single disc DVD a few weeks ago, but as expected a deluxe, two-disc version is coming out in December. Check the specs out here. One highlight: an entire Sin City graphic novel!

In addition to the orginal theatrical cut, the collection will include an extended 147 minute version. Some of the other extras include:

• commentary track with director Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
• commentary track with Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
• commentary track featuring Austin, TX crowd reaction
• 15 Minute Film School featurette
• Movie in High-Speed Green Screen feature
• 17 un-interupted minutes of Tarantino's segment
• footage from the Sin City cast/crew party.
• 10 minute Cooking School with Robert Rodriquez

Spacey as Luthor

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor in Superman Returns

Katrina Wakes up the Media

One of the few postivie things to come out of the Hurricane Katrina disasters is that the news media seems to have woken up from the funk it has been in for the past four years. As this article indicates, rookie NBC news anchor Brian Williams star has risen as a result.

See Williams' barely contained anger at government's handling of the sitiuation during his interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show last Thursday.

Ultimate Spider-Man Video Game Trailer

This trailer for the new video game based on the Ultimate Spder-Man comic, includes lots of clips for the game but also gives a brief comics history of Spider-Man, leading up to the creation of the Ultimate Spider-Man series. Even if you have no interest in the game, the trailer is worth a look.

Here's the offical site:

Music Notes: Links and Licks

Here's some music-related links of interest, including interviews, obituaries and new releases streaming online:

• Paul McCartney's new album, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, his 20th solo album, is streaming online here. (Note: there's an annoying voice-over that pops up every other minute that says "sneak peek"). The album hits stores this week. in related new, Paul has officially "sold out."
  

• Bring me no more blues: Last week, blues artist R.L. Burnside passed away. Last night, we lost another: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown has died in Texas, where he relocated following his evacuation from his New Orleans home in the wake of Katrina. He was 81.
  

• You might be able to hear the new Dandy Warhols album, Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars here, though I had some problems. The album is also released this Tuesday.

• Here's a new Brian Wilson interview. Hear him talk about Smile, the Beach Boys then and now and the Beatles.

• Way more Ray: The spotlight continues to shine on the late Ray Charles following the success of his Oscar-winning bio-pic. On the heels of last year's triple-platinum-selling duets album, Genius Loves Company, the soon-to-be platinum Ray soundtrack and the gold hits collection, The Very Best of Ray Charles, come two new collections in honor of what would have been the singer's 75th birthday. On Sept. 20, Rhino releases duets collection Genius and Friends and the,146-track boxed set, Pure Genius -- The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959), which includes never-before-released rehearsal tracks.