Spotnitz on 'X-Files': 'If this is the last time we see Mulder and Scully...'

I haven't made it yet to see "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" (I'll blame those five days gobbled up at Comic-Con) and I think a lot of other longtime X-fans fell into that category on the movie's first weekend of release. Maybe it's the passage of time or this summer's glut of must-see genre fare, but I just haven't felt a great sense of urgency to get out to see the movie.

Gina McIntyre, one of my colleagues here at The Times, had a chance to sit down recently with Frank Spotnitz, the producer of the film and longtime creative presence in the franchise's history, and here is her Q&A with him, appearing for the first time anywhere. Reading it does make me want to see the movie -- not unlike reading a letter from an old friend -- but it's still a surprisingly faint urge.   

You’ve said that the movie is a standalone story that doesn't require people to be all that familiar with the show. Was there a sense that the mythology became too complicated to update or were you looking to create something outside of those narrative constraints?

If we’re lucky enough to be able to do more movies, at some point, we will be revisiting that mythology. In the show, we said that Mulder believes the aliens are coming in December 2012, so that’s a date we’d certainly hit if we’re fortunate enough to keep making these. But for this movie, from the very beginning, when it was first discussed six years ago, we wanted to do a standalone. We had to do a mythology movie last time. We were in the midst of the TV series, and the studio wanted a big event movie that would clearly be something you couldn’t get at home for free. This time around, we didn’t feel any of those constraints. We felt we could really do what the show did most of the time, which was deliver a scary supernatural mystery.

You’re keeping the film’s plot secret, but can you give any sort of broadstrokes description of the story?

It’s real time, six years from where we last saw Mulder and Scully. It’s a scary, creepy intimate story, a mystery obviously. It’s really more about them and their relationship than the show usually was. When you’re doing a TV show, you’ve got to do so many episodes that unless you want to risk becoming a soap opera, you really can’t spend that much capital on their personal lives week in and week out. The audience would get compassion fatigue after a while. So, we were very stingy about that in the TV series.

What’s the nature of their relationship in the film?

It’s obviously one of the big questions fans want to know -- are they together? Have they been seeing each other these past six years? If they are together, what’s the nature of their relationship? Is it romantic or not? That’s one of the big cards that we’ve been trying to keep hidden until the movie comes out. But we didn’t want to take for granted that there would be any more movies after this. This could be it. If this is the last time we see Mulder and Scully, we didn’t want to leave anything on the table.

Jason Statham: 'I want to be Daredevil.'

Here's one more Comic-Con International 2008 anecdote as I clean out my notebook from the long weekend:

Could a British actor wear the red horns of the Man Without Fear? Jason Statham says, "Absolutely, just give me the chance, I would love to be Daredevil."

Statham was in San Diego to promote "Death Race," his upcoming high-octane film, but after a long day "The Transporter" star was taking it easy with a beer downstairs at the Hard Rock Hotel. Also sitting at the table was filmmaker and comics icon Frank Miller, whose solo directorial debut "The Spirit" arrives in theaters on Christmas Day. Fans of comics know that Miller became a superstar for Marvel Comics with his work on "Daredevil" beginning in 1979 and many of his creations and innovations (not least among them, the character Elektra) added new depth to a character that had largely been an also-ran for Marvel since his title started in 1964. Miller got a twinkle in his eye when the topic turned to a Daredevil movie.

Daredevil made to the screen in 2003, of course, with Ben Affleck in the red suit, filmmaker Mark Steven Johnson writing and directing and much of Miller's mythology as its foundation. The movie arrived on Valentine's Day but not everybody loved it--some notable critics despised it, in fact, and on Rotten Tomatoes it got 43% positive reviews, which may be the definition of lukewarm. (I myself thought the movie was underrated, although when I think about it I probably respected it more than I actually liked it.)

Sitting with Statham and Miller, it was easy to get excited about the idea of another "Daredevil" movie, one that was not a remake as much as it was a new installment. Hey Miller is the man who wrote the "Born Again" story arc in "Daredevil" -- there's plenty he could do with the character in a new movie. Statham said he is eager to work with Miller at some point and that he adores the Daredevil character. I made the mistake of asking Statham if might not make a better Bullseye than Matt Murdock and I thought he might hit me with his pint glass. "Forget Bullseye, I want to be Daredevil!" Miller nodded. "I think he should be Daredevil too."

Bonus: I wrote a long feature on Statham in August last year, you can find it after the jump.   

'The Spirit' of Eisner and Lionsgate

I had the honor of interviewing Will Eisner once. I was a student at the University of Florida and, after being named the editor-in-chief of the large and powerful campus newspaper there, I decided I would reward myself with a splashy vanity project. So I gave myself three full pages of space and devoted them all to a profile of Eisner, who was living further south, down in Tamarac, at the time. This was almost 20 years ago now but I still remember how Eisner -- after I told him that I was a student -- began to speak with such passion about teachers, schools, the years of life spent learning, the entire aura of a focused campus life. These were the days, by the way, when the aging artist flew up to New York every week to teach at a prestigious school. It wasn't for the money, believe me.

Anyway, I was thinking about that today when I heard about a pretty nifty move by Tim Palen, Sarah Greenberg and their marketing team over at Lionsgate. They've reached out to art schools around the country and they're using student work to promote "The Spirit," which is due on Christmas Day from Odd Lot and Lionsgate. This past weekend down at Comic-Con International, the first student-designed campaign hit the streets with these cool posters you see above. I saw them everywhere -- but not for long, all the fans gleefully snatched them. They were the handiwork of students from the Art Institute of California-San Diego. It's a great idea and I can tell you it's one that Eisner would have absolutely adored.

To read a lot more about this program and the schools involved, you can find the press release after the jump.

-- Geoff Boucher

Image courtesy of Lionsgate

Samuel L. Jackson as racist cop in 'Lakeview Terrace'

At Comic-Con on Friday, I moderated "The Spirit" panel with Frank Miller, Deborah Del Prete, Jaime King and Gabriel Macht, but really, the star of the show was Samuel L. Jackson, who hit the stage knowing full well that the audience belonged to him. It was great talking to Sam backstage as well and he mentioned his upcoming work in the movie "Lakeview Terrace." It sounded intriguing and left me wanting to know more -- and this morning I got my wish thanks to John Horn, one of the top journalists at the L.A. Times (or anywhere else). Here's an excerpt:

The Los Angeles Police Department and race relations factor prominently in a number of celebrated dramas, including "Crash" and "L.A. Confidential." The upcoming thriller "Lakeview Terrace" pushes the often combustible mix of law enforcement and ethnic identity into a notably different direction: the film's racist police officer is black.

Many events conspire to drive LAPD Officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) off the deep end, but one of the film's more incendiary ideas focuses on the role of interracial romance. Part of what transforms Turner from a man with a badge into the neighbor from hell is the newly married couple next door: Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) is white, while his wife, Lisa (Kerry Washington), is black.

"It was a different take, something that is not often portrayed," said James Lassiter, who with actor Will Smith produced "Lakeview Terrace" for Sony's Screen Gems. Race, Lassiter added, "is not the singular driver of [Turner's] hate. But he is a racist."

It's not just that Turner disapproves of his neighbors' latte-sipping lifestyle, which includes indiscreet romantic encounters, liberal friends and -- the horror! -- a hybrid car (Turner's a giant SUV-driving right-winger). Turner, a single father of two, also can't stand that the skin color of his neighbors isn't the same. "You can listen to that noise all night long," Turner at one point says to Chris as he listens to rap music, "but when you wake up in the morning, you'll still be white."

Read more on Jackson and "Lakeview Terrace."

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo by Chuck Zlotnick/Screen Gems

Corgan talks 'Watchmen' music

Here's a guest post from Charlie Amter who is part of our stellar Soundboard crew, whose music blog you can find here.

One of the most talked about trailers to emerge from last weekend’s Comic-Con convention in San Diego was the teaser for “Watchmen.” Now all over YouTube (and playing nationwide in theaters before blockbusters such as “The Dark Knight”), the trailer features a melancholy, semi-obscure Smashing Pumpkins song titled “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” (not to be confused with the more upbeat “rock” version, “The End Is the Beginning Is the End” that appeared over the closing credits of “Batman & Robin“).

Confused yet?

So are thousands of fans of the storied graphic novel. According to Zack Snyder, who directed “Watchmen” (and “300″), the song will not appear in the film. The director says he chose the song for the mood.

Regardless, the response toward the trailer has been massive online — earning accolades (and a huge iTunes sales spike for the Pumpkins) for how the dark lyrical content and feel of the song meshes with the stunning visuals from the forthcoming film.

We were curious what Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan thought of the attention from both old and new fans (many of whom have been unable to identify Corgan’s signature growl in the tune from just watching the trailer) regarding the resurrection of “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning.”

According to Corgan, who responded to questions by e-mail, he has already asked if the band can release the song as a video. More thoughts on the song from the Pumpkins ringleader after the jump.

Are you surprised at the reaction online from some young “Watchmen” fans who have never heard “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning,” let alone the Smashing Pumpkins?

Honestly, I don’t really keep up on what the world is doing or saying anymore. The word on the street seems to be, from what my friends tell me, that the use of the song in the trailer is intriguing to them and has created some excitement around it.

What has been Smashing Pumpkins fan reaction toward the use of the song in the trailer?

My fans seem to be confused when the outside world appreciates our work, so I can only imagine this terrifies them.

What are your personal thoughts on “Watchmen?”

Before this I’d never heard of the “Watchmen” series, but from what I’ve seen it looks very interesting.

Who approached you to use the song and do you think it’s a good fit?
I just got a call one day asking if I was cool with it, and I was surprised because it’s a version of that song that never seemed to get any notice. Months before the trailer was released I kept hearing from friends in the movie business that they loved how the song worked with the images from the movie. I love the way it’s used in the trailer. I’ve asked the movie people if it’s possible we could release it as a music video. Still waiting on that one. Certainly the massive jump in on-line sales seems to indicate it might be worth it for us and for the movie.

Finally, when can we expect to hear “G.L.O.W.” or any other new SP material?

Just finished recording “G.L.O.W.” in Memphis at the famed Ardent Studios and hope to release it in early September. We feel we have finally turned the corner with these last 2 releases (“American Gothic” and “G.L.O.W.” to come) where it’s starting to feel like our music again, and not theirs, whoever “they” might be. Have plans to start recording a new multi-year, multi-release concept album by the end of this year. It will be very trippy and hopefully unique, and we’ll probably keep putting out singles here.

–- Charlie Amter

Update: In an earlier version of this post, Billy Corgan's name was spelled wrong in one spot.

Photo by Yelena Yemchek/For The Times

When good things happen to bad culture

Comic-Con International 2008 is over, and to celebrate five days of sensory overload, here is a pop-culture quiz that is completely shallow and fun. I put it together with one of my colleagues at the The Times, Martin Miller. You can find the answers after the jump. It was part of a "Guilty Pleasures" issue of the Calendar section, which on Sunday took a break from its usual sophistication and celebrated the most overripe fruits plucked from of the gaudy basket of pop culture. Here's the quiz:

1) Sure, no one went to see the 1995 film “Showgirls” at the theater, but a lot of people sure wanted to take a look at Paul Verhoeven’s strip-club epic when it hit DVD. It became so popular for parties that MGM released a VIP edition in 2004 with some intriguing extras. Which item below was not included in that special $40 box set?

A. Pink, fuzzy handcuffs

B. A blindfold

C. Pasties with tassels

D. Shot glasses

2) On Oct. 3, 1990, East and West Germany reunified, but real history was made the very next day when “Beverly Hills, 90210” premiered and forever changed the way we view love, friendship and ZIP Codes. Which of the following characters was not in that first episode?

A. Dylan McKay (Luke Perry)

B. Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty)

C. Donna Martin (Tori Spelling)

D. Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering)

E. Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth)

3) Hunky Italian model Fabio is a true Renaissance man: The onetime TV pitchman for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” also designs women’s fashions that are sold at Sam’s Club. Best of all, he can write, with real words and everything! “His shoulders were broad and powerful, his flowing white shirt half open, giving her a provocative glimpse of a smooth, bronzed, splendidly muscled chest ...”

That’s from his 1994 book “Rogue.” Which of the following is not a book written by Fabio?

A. “Viking”

B. “Comanche”

C. “Pirate”

D. “Matador”

4) Forget Yoda. When faced with life’s riddles, ask yourself: What would Patrick Swayze do? To learn the Tao of Swayze, match each of these “pearls of Patrick” to the famous film it came from: “Dirty Dancing,” “Point Break,” “Road House” or “Red Dawn.”

A. “Fear hesitation and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true.”

B. “It’s kind of strange, isn’t it? How the mountains pay us no attention at all? You laugh or you cry … the wind just keeps on blowing.”

C. “Pain don’t hurt.”

D. “This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours, you don’t go into mine.”

5) How far back does your spandex memory stretch? There are five hair bands listed below. Which one is mismatched with its hit song?

A. Ratt “Round and Round”

B. Warrant “Heaven”

C. Cinderella “Nobody’s Fool”

D. Whitesnake “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”

E. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”

6) In the 1970s, no one even bothered hiding their guilty pleasures. A Taste of Honey, for instance, actually won the Grammy for best new artist of 1978 (beating, among others, that grumpy Elvis Costello fellow). What was the L.A. disco group’s biggest hit?

A. “My Boogie Shoes”

B. “Boogie Nights”

C. “Boogie on Reggae Woman”

D. “Boogie Oogie Oogie”

E. “Jungle Boogie”

7) The Disney Channel revived “The Mickey Mouse Club” in 1989 and by its sixth season it was stacked with talent – Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell, Britney Spears and J.C. Chasez. Which one of the following actors also wore the ears during that magical season?

A. Orlando Bloom

B. Seth Rogen

C. Shia LaBeouf

D. Ryan Gosling

E. Seth Green

8) Which one of these beloved Barneys locked up the entire town because he was “going by the book”?

A. Barney Miller

B. Barnaby Jones

C. Barney Fife

D. Barney Rubble

E. Barney the purple dinosaur

9) Which outer-space alien possessed a singular ability to annoy its poor Earthling hosts but apparently not the humans watching at home?

A. Mork from “Mork & Mindy”

B. Alf from “Alf”

C. Dick from “3rd Rock From the Sun”

D. Uncle Martin from “My Favorite Martian”

E. All of the above

10) Muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of California and muscle man Jesse Ventura held the same job in Minnesota. That’s not all they have in common. The two have been in films together on several occasions. Which of the films below did not feature both of the brawny thespians?

A. “The Running Man”

B. “Raw Deal”

C. “Predator”

D. “Batman & Robin”

11) “The Love Boat” was not like a box of chocolates -– you knew exactly what you were going to get week after week after week after … Cpt. Merrill Stubing in white shorts, loads of love and a galaxy of guest stars! Which of these performers never boarded the fabled Pacific Princess?

A. Burt Reynolds

B. Tony Danza

C. Courteney Cox

D. Kathy Bates

E. Martin Short

F. Heather Locklear

12) Which of the following was not the cliffhanger of a “Dallas” season finale?

A. Sue Ellen escapes from a sanitarium, gets drunk and goes into early labor

B. Cliff Barnes finds the dead body of a woman in the Ewing pool and thinks J.R. did it

C. Miss Ellie decides to leave Jock and accidentally sets the Ewing mansion on fire

D. Pam finds Bobby in the shower and realizes that the entire season has been a dream

E. All of the above

13) U.K. singer James Blunt had the massive 2005 hit “You’re Beautiful,” which was voted the most annoying song ever recorded in a Yahoo poll about British music. It’s a wimpy song but pretty-boy Blunt actually had a tough-guy previous career. What was it?

A. A British army officer in Kosovo

B. An elite karate instructor in Scotland

C. A welding specialist on an oil rig in Bolivia

D. A search-and-rescue worker in the Alps

14) In March 2005, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed a proclamation that set aside a day honoring a great entertainment success that, he said, “calls us to reflect upon the great promise that has attracted so many hardworking dreamers of every ethnicity to our shores.” What was it?

A. “Perfect Strangers”

B. “Borat”

C. “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”

D. “Riverdance”

E. The Spice Girls

15) Which of the following is the correct order of hand placements for dancing the Macarena?

A. Hips, shoulders, head

B. Head, hips, shoulders

C. Shoulders, head, hips

D. Head, shoulders, knees and toes

16) Back in 1982, long before there was “Superbad” or “American Pie,” America peeked into the girls’ locker room with “Porky’s.” The film featured an early role for Kim Cattrall (of “Sex and the City” fame) as a young lady who was especially noisy during intimate moments. What was that character’s nickname?

A. Air Raid

B. Lassie

C. Old Faithful

D. Mona Moaner

17) Which of the following titular couples were married? (Hint: There’s more than one correct answer.)

A. Dharma and Greg

B. Scarecrow and Mrs. King

C. Jake and the Fatman

D. Will and Grace

E. B.J. and the Bear

18) What medical show’s staff was traumatized by having to treat a couple literally stuck together in a very compromising position?

A. “ER”

B. “Doogie Howser, M.D.”

C. “St. Elsewhere”

D. “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”

E. “Grey’s Anatomy”

19) Finish the lyric to “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” Ricky Martin’s No. 1 hit from 1999. “She’ll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain / She’ll make you live her crazy life but she’ll take away your pain … ”

A. “And you’re the one to blame.”

B. “You’re a moth drawn to her flame.”

C. “Like a bullet to your brain.”

D. “She’s a really kooky dame.”

All answers after the jump.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo from "Point Beak" (1991) courtesy of 20th Century-Fox

Cryptic Studios takes over Star Trek Online and there was much rejoicing.

Cryptic Studios have (finally after over a month of having us all staring at a countdown clock) officially announced they are the new developer of the Star Trek Online MMORPG. Thanks to their mostly functional website, you can grab a sneak peek of screen shots, new game details and oh look, another countdown timer for Star Trek's Vegas Con which begins in only two weeks.

*nudges LA Times-- SEND ME. ahheeemm. me me me me me*

The great news is that Cryptic has a proven track record when in comes to MMORPGS with City of Heroes, City of Villains and their upcoming Champions Online. If you want my opinion, Perpetual Entertainment's financial crash and burn was the best thing that could happen for Star Trek Online.  Plus Cryptic took the safe route and set the game to take place during the 25th century, the TNG era. Sure to please ALMOST everyone. Which is really all you can do when trying to please us...such a finicky bunch.

Here's what we know so far:

The two factions will be that of the Federation and Klingon Empire. There is mention that Cryptic will be allowing for 'player generated content' and territory and that there will be both ship and land based gameplay. According to the official website, ships will be from The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and Voyager eras. So far the following ship classes that have been mentioned or featured are the following; Sovereign, Defiant, Akira, and Nova plus there is a shot of federation ships firing on a Romulan Warbird.

What I can't wait to find out is what Star Trek famed races will be featured. Cardassian, Vulcan, Andorian, Ferengi or hey, maybe Gorns? With Perpetual out of the picture Cryptic appears to be changing the nature of the proposed gameplay. Last year we heard that Star Trek Online was attempting to tackle a gaming environment that allowed players the option to take on the role of crew members along side fellow players on a starship. This fascinated all in-the-know gamers as to how that would be possible or even more questionably, enjoyed. How would the role of captain be decided? Who gets to be the ship's janitor? Plumbing is no laughing matter, someone's got to do it, right?  Bigger questions that we hope will be answered at the Vegas-con are how much of Star Trek Online will be determined by starship combat and will they still be attempting a playable starfleet crew option? The question I want to ask is "HOW DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE THIS THE OPPOSITE OF STAR WARS GALAXIES?" Not THAT I'm really worried (okay just a little bit. But can you blame me? Every Star Trek game has been a train wreck and good space exploration MMO's are hard to come by, excluding Eve Online. You are fantastic. Don't change a thing).

Cryptic has already setup active forums and the option for newsletters via email for those eager to start their voyage, just head to the new official Star Trek Online website for more hype. While you're there, see if you can find Gorn in the forest...I'm pretty sure they are pulling my leg.

-- Christie "I'll just sit over here and wait for STO's Beta testing days" St. Martin of Funny Pages 2.0

Photos courtesy of Cryptic Studios

Video: Jeph Loeb, shaping the fanboy universe

Jeph Loeb is, right now, one of the most important people on the planet in terms of helping craft what genre fans will see and read to get their fix of fun.

Executive producer on "Heroes," one-time exec on both "Smallville" and "Lost," one of Marvel Comics' main men and author of the current Red Hulk and upcoming Ultimatum story lines, this guy is a fanboy sculptor.  And he has more in mind.  At Comic-Con, we spoke at length about the current glut of popularity among genre movies and DVDs and projects in general, and about how he goes about being one of the most influential creators around.

-- Jevon Phillips

Comic books slowly getting squeezed out of Comic-Con?

Comic-con has come and gone but the stories are still filing in. Mostly roundups showing you what you missed, what the convention missed, what was hot, what wasn't hot.

This morning Geoff Boucher wrote an interesting piece, "Comic books overshadowed by the embrace of Hollywood," about what was being nudged out at the convention this year - namely, the comics:

"There does seem to be some random booths here which don't have anything to do with comics," said Jaime King, the starlet who came south to promote the December comic-book film "The Spirit." "Slowly but surely the entertainment community is taking over to promote their projects here even though they have absolutely nothing to do with comics. What's next? A panel for 'Deal or No Deal'?"

The art of the deal is just as important as superhero sketches, especially after "The Dark Knight" began breaking box-office records. This year Keanu Reeves, Hugh Jackman and Samuel L. Jackson were some of the movie stars who came to connect with the most hard-wired of pop-culture consumers. Hall H, the 6,500-seat main hall here, was the site of full-house panels with sneak previews of films still a year from release.

"This is madness. I love it," British actor Bill Nighy said as he wandered around. "I saw a fellow with a stake through his chest and blood splattered on his shirt, a woman dressed as a hunchback, a Terminator, some superheroes. . . . I feel quite at home here. I've been a zombie, a vampire and a squid on screen. All considered, I'm quite legitimate here at Comic-Con."

There's actually a small segment of the huge San Diego Convention Center still reserved for people in the comic-book trade. Robert Beerbohm, who has been a merchant at every one of the Comic-Cons since its start in 1970, said he is worried about the future for the true believers.

"All the Hollywood directors say that they loved comics as a kid, but now they are being pushed off the floor. Where are the next generation of directors going to come from?" he wondered.

Probably from Hall H. Fans waited in lines for hours to get a spot in the thunderous hangar-sized hall to see "sizzle reels," early footage from upcoming films put into slick montages.

- Tony Pierce

photo of Tracie Hunnewell as The Joker by Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times 

A few Comic-Con 2008 highlights ... and Robot Chicken

A few highlights (just things that stood out) from this year's Con:

• Standing ovation for entire "Heroes" cast, and their enthusiasm (and videotaping the crowd) when they entered the room.
• Marky Mark himself, Mark Wahlberg, seemed to be a real genuine guy face to face, and his acknowledgment of Ludacris' (Chris Bridge's) work as a hip-hop artist-turned-actor on the "Max Payne" movie confirmed that.
• The "bigness" of "Twilight." The squeals of girls, the likes of which I hadn't heard in a panel as far back as I can remember, and listening to my blogmate Denise squeal over it as well eradicated any doubts I had about this being a blockbuster movie and possible franchise.
• Standing ovation for "Battlestar Galactica" cast after the panel was over. Kind of a "job well done" and a farewell from many in the crowd.
• Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku (with Tahmoh Penikett) at the "Dollhouse" panel. Funny, smart, down-to-earth group. Eliza's feistiness and defense of Joss and the show, even to a fan, was a cool thing to see.
• Whenever the "Watchmen" trailer played. In different halls, in front of different panels, whenever the trailer played, huge applause usually followed. Not hype, just a lot of anticipation is being built up.
• The Masquerade. The fervor to dress up and/or perform, the craziness to possibly make a fool of yourself, the naivete to think that others are just as obsessed about your obsession as you are, the skill and dedication to put on skits with choreography, and the imagination to pull it off.

• A guy had a seizure next to me while I was in the "Heroes" presentation. I was pretty scared for him. He luckily dropped out of it on his own as his friends and I tried to keep him from falling to the ground. After drinking water for a few minutes, he declared himself OK, but paramedics with a stretcher were still nearby after the panel to ask him a few questions. It apparently hadn't happened to him before.
• Hugh Jackman's unexpected appearance and the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" footage/trailer that he brought from Down Under. A great tease and wonderful kick-butt action. Just as cool was Jackman acknowledging Wolverine creator Len Wein in the crowd, running down from the stage to shake his hand and telling Wein that he wouldn't have a career without him.

Hollywood could learn from Hugh.

-- Jevon Phillips

For the record:  An earlier version of this post had Ludacris's name as Chris Brown.  He's obviously not!  It's been changed to read Chris Bridges.

Comic-Con wrap: Oh, right, comic books

With even comedies being given a forum, the genre that inspired the convention is relegated to the background.

This is the year they tried to take the comic out of Comic-Con.

The Comic-Con International in San Diego, which came to a close  Sunday, has become a frenetic Super Bowl of pop culture, but the home team has mixed feelings when it looks at the scoreboard.

"I think Comic-Con is in danger of having Hollywood co-opt its soul," said Michael Uslan, who attended the first comic-book convention  in summer 1964 in New York. "It's turning into something new, and you could really see it this year. There's some worry about that."

As he spoke, Uslan was standing in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel wearing a Batman T-shirt and a CAA ball cap -- comic books were close to his heart, but Hollywood was on his brain.

Uslan wrote comic books in the 1970s, but then he went Hollywood and he has been executive producer on a dozen feature films, including the latest box-office sensation "The Dark Knight," which over the  weekend topped $300 million in domestic box office.

Comic-Con farewell: The faces of the convention

Here is my petite salute to those who actively participated in Comic-Con.

Walking the halls of the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con has been a peak existential experience on my journey to embrace my inner geek.

Want to visualize world peace? See arch enemies Captain America and Red Skull hug with wild abandon. Then share your meal with an alien robot from Van Nuys, or catch "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder talk in all seriousness with a Batman during a panel Q&A.

Farewell San Diego Comic-Con International 2008.

-Spencer Weiner, Los Angeles Times photographer

Comic-Con: Teasers 'Terminator Salvation,' 'Watchmen'

A couple of film teasers from Comic-Con (see Pixar's "Up" here):

"Terminator Salvation" (May 22, 2009)

"Watchmen" (March 6, 2009)

Comic-Con: Video - Allison Mack, and is "Smallville" still super?

"Smallville" is one of the shows that, along with "7th Heaven" and "Buffy," helped define the WB early on.

The pop culture fervor surrounding the show has mellowed, but turnout from "Smallville" fans still caused the third biggest room at Comic-Con to overflow.

Justin Hartley, who portrays Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow, was introduced as a recurring main character this season. He and Allison Mack received the bulk of the attention, though new season actors Sam Witwer (Davis Bloome/Doomsday) and Cassidy Freeman (Tess Mercer) were also involved.

The crowd was fed a teaser sampler for the upcoming season, with guest stars galore and cheers for Green Arrow's appearance. Speaking of guest stars, it was let out of the bag that incredibly popular comic book writer Geoff Johns would be writing an episode and would be introducing the Legion of Super Heroes in the show.

The practice of asking for a panelists' name placard was in full swing as four of the panelists were asked to give them away (and sign them) during the Q&A session (moderated by executive producer Jeph Loeb).

The talk was mostly of spinoffs, a pretty sure sign that not only were fans expecting the series to end soon, but were looking towards other storylines to explore.  Green Arrow's possible show was a definite topic of interest.

The Chloe Chronicles webisodes are still going on, so along with her art interests and the show, Allison Mack (Chloe) is pretty busy. It was revealed that she'd like to direct an episode of the show, and though she received a handshake onstage, the deal may still be in the works.

-- Jevon Phillips

Comic-Con: Judd Apatow bonds with a fan at "Pineapple Express" panel

One fan carrying a Chewbacca backpack got Judd Apatow to do what no other Comic-Con panelist has done so far. Apatow took off his shirt.

"Oh, my god, he's got a back like yours Judd," Rogen said before the fan was able to ask his question at the "Pineapple Express" Q&A.

"Yes," Apatow replies, before lifting up his shirt to reveal his own chest carpet to the crowd. "This is a hair bond," he told the fan. (Unfortunately, I was not quick enough with my camera to snap a picture. Instead, a lovely shot of "Pineapple Express" stars Seth Rogen and James Franco.)

The other bad news is that although Apatow and Rogen killed at the session, so much of it was R-rated and I can only give you the clean bits:

What does Pineapple Express, the fictional type of pot the film is named after, taste like? "It tastes like your throat is burning," Rogen said.

Asked why Rogen and “Pineapple” co-writer Evan Goldberg were inspired to make a stoner pic, Rogen explained: “It was a hard sell to make a weed movie for me and Evan,” he said. “Judd had the notion to make a weed action comedy -- we said that sounds [censored] rad. We felt very personally close to the material. Guys smoking joints and shooting AK47s -- that’s the movie I want to see right now.”

Costar James Franco fussed over his outfit. “They told me I had to wear the wig and the Guatemalan pants. That was a big argument.”

The best part about working with director David Gordon Green? “You can say anything because you don’t have to memorize your lines,” actor Danny McBride said. “You don’t even know how to read.” Added Rogen: “A lot of directors give direction like, ‘Do it faster,’ ‘Do it with more energy,’ ‘Be more serious.’ David says, ‘Do it like you’re a robot, or like you’re doing karate or like your taking a [bleep].’”

Franco is a better kisser than actress Amber Heard. “You’re a better kisser because you know the male anatomy and what I like,” Rogen told Franco before turning to Heard. “Sorry, he’s got the home field advantage.”

Asked if any of the inventive pot shots -- a three-ended joint, for example -- were inspired by real-life moments, Rogen fessed: “There’s one shot I’m smoking in a fish bowl. We did that in high school. It was stupid. I don’t know what we expected the outcome to be, but yeah, we did that.”

Rogen doesn’t have a favorite movie role, but he enjoyed making “Pineapple.” “This movie was fun because I got to shoot machine guns,” he said. “It definitely makes your day go by faster. Take that knowledge home with you, kids.”

-- Denise Martin

Comic-Con: 'Battlestar Galactica' and .. Kevin Smith?

"This show is so good that it'll get you pregnant."

And that's what "Clerks" director and fanboy icon Kevin Smith brought to the "Battlestar Galactica" panel that he moderated Saturday.  A bit of raunch, a scattering of F-bombs.  And I don't mean "frak."  The panel included Jamie Bamber, Michael Trucco, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, creator Ron Moore and producer David Eick.  Tahmoh Penikett came in later after having just appeared on the "Dollhouse" panel.

No Edward James Olmos. No Mary McDonnell. No Grace Park. No Michael Hogan. No Aaron Douglas. Maybe I'm accentuating the negative, and many of them have been here before, but it would've been a nice way to say goodbye.  They've definitely been making the farewell rounds already, and the cast may reassemble for next year's Con, but the feeling of moving on seems to have invaded the group.  Ron Moore addressed the show's ending in saying "There was a general sense that it was time to go."  Maybe for them ...

Comic-Con: Marvel movie "Next Avengers"

The comic-book biz has been branching out not only to film, but also in the original DVD market.  The strategy, it seems, is to create the same kind of 'gotta-have-it' mentality that they've fostered in their comics.  Marvel's DVD releases have been pretty successful, at least in terms of likability by the fans, with "Doctor Strange," "Iron Man," "Ultimate Avengers" and more.

Last night, the comics company, along with Lionsgate, premiered a new offering in the form of "Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow."  The toon feature paints a grim view of a future in which the crazy and powerful robot Ultron returns after the Avengers have retired and defeats an older, reassembled team.  Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, is tasked with protecting the children of the Avengers.  So he takes the kids and runs.

Stark doesn't tell the kids much about their heritage or parents, other than through fanciful tales.  James, the son of Captain America and Black Widow; Azari, son of the Black Panther (and Storm?); Pym, the son of Giant-Man and the Wasp; and Tauryn, the daughter of Thor, live their lives in relative seclusive peace. That is until Ultron finds them.

The kids join forces with the son of Hawkeye and an aged and semi-crazed Bruce Banner/Hulk to take down Ultron.  A hasty panel afterward consisted of the project's writer, a producer, a director and two voice actors (Fred Tatasciore, who voiced the Hulk, constantly used his gamma voice during the panel).

There was a lot of angry chatter on message boards and comments sections berating not only this movie, but also the fact that Marvel hadn't done one with the mainstream Avengers characters yet.  This movie was based on kids, and was probably for kids.  We're not sure if it'll hit it's target demo, but it doesn't look to enjoy the success of other Marvel releases.  In a treat for the assembled, a trailer was shown for the upcoming Marvel animated DVD release "Thor vs. Hulk."

An aside ... though I was coming here anyway, the line to get into an adjacent room (6B) was just as long.  People in both of the lines were told that they would most likely not get in to the panel.  The "Next Avengers" panel was within 30 minutes, the other panel and screening were still  more than two hours away.  It was for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."  Although the program had no mention of "special guest stars," we did pass Nathan Fillion on the street around 10 p.m. walking back toward the Convention Center.

-- Jevon Phillips

Comic-Con: 'Spirit' star Jaime King guest blogs

Jaime King portrays Lorelei in the Frank Miller film "The Spirit," due on Christmas Day. She sent us this post from her BlackBerry as she wandered the showroom floor at Comic-Con.

Comic-Con is awesome! It makes me wish I was 15 again when I would have the balls to wear a Leia slave-girl outfit. This place is HUGE! With a lot to do and see.

Quite frankly, I would have been very happy being a selfish hog all huddled up in the Lucasfilm booth playing the new video game "The Force Unleashed" for 12 hours. But I was nice nice and surrendered that desire and gave up the paddles to all of the excited 12-year-olds that want to check it out. I moved on to my daily routine of attempting to convince director Dave Filoni to let me do a voice for the upcoming "Clone Wars" series that I am so excited about. What's the most obscure thing at Comic-Con? "Thundercats"? A 75-year-old Superman? A cast of midget Peanuts characters? The last one would be a dead ringer for Patrick Stewart from "X-Men" being rolled around in a wheelchair.

There does seem to be some random booths here which don't have anything to do with comics; slowly but surely the entertainment community is taking over to promote their projects here even though they have absolutely nothing to do with Comics. What's next? A panel for "Deal or No Deal"? Still it's awesome here, a wonderful, fun experience and about the only place you can get away with wearing the same Davy Jones outfit for five days straight without taking a shower. As an actress who has to get dolled up a lot, that's a very liberating idea.

This is my fourth time here and each year I stay longer and longer. We buy lots of cool stuff to add to my husband's comic book/figurine/art collection that I have joyfully adopted as my own. We could never have too much -- there is always more room in our garage, where we keep huge Tupperware containers filled with the overflow of all the wicked stuff that comes out each year.

It's great coming down to promote "The Spirit" with Frank Miller. Being with Frank at Comic-Con feels like walking around with Jesus himself. He is my dear friend and it's great seeing him here surrounded by all the people who adore and appreciate his incredible talent. People here really enjoy themselves and and it's amazing to see all the energy and effort they put into their costumes and standing in line to get the autographs and exclusives they want. I feel lucky to once again participate in something I enjoy and that is so close to my heart.

-- Jaime King

Comic-Con: Emo Spider-Man (photo)

Photo by fabioyabu, via Flickr

Comic-Con: Bill Nighy proud that he has been "a zombie, a vampire and a squid" on screen

"This is madness, I love it," Bill Nighy said as he wandered around at his first Comic-Con to promote "Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans," the prequel in the supernatural franchise that is due next year.

"I saw a fellow with a stake through his chest and blood splattered on his shirt, a woman dressed as a hunchback, a Terminator, some super-heroes...God bless them all."

The British actor was delighted to hear that some fans were also prowling the venue in the tentacles of Davy Jones, his cursed and maurading mariner from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.

"I feel quite at home here. I've been a zombie, a vampire and a squid," he said, referring to roles in "Shaun of the Dead," "Underworld" and "Pirates."

"All considered," he told me backstage, "I'm quite legitimate here at Comic-Con."

Nighy is back in the "Underworld" role of bloodsucker Viktor in the films, which means that sometimes instead of delivering lines he finds himself rasping and snarling at his fellow cast members. "I get to wear a battle skirt -- how often does that happen? -- and fangs, and I hiss. Sometimes we have entire scenes where we don't speak, we just hiss. They're hissing matches."

-- Geoff Boucher

Bill Nighy photographed at Comic-Con 2008 by Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times