Six questions with Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk)

Kristin Kreuk has long been known as Lana Lang, the angsty high school student and focus of Clark Kent's romantic attention on the CW's "Smallville." As the show flies through its eighth season, Kristin has shed the role and is now embarking on a Superman-free (for now) career. Her female-empowering Girls By Design (or click here) organization takes up a lot of time, but she's back on screen now, taking on an video game icon in her latest film as she becomes Chun-Li in "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" (out in theaters today). We were able to track down the Canadian actress in Los Angeles and ask a few questions.

So, it's well known that you're into martial arts (purple belt!), though you gave it up at a young age. How was training for the "Street Fighter" movie, and why did you quit martial arts as a kid?

I was going in [to 'Street Fighter'] with the want to learn. And when I was a kid I was really defiant about it. So this time, I went in everyday and was really excited to build my skills with these people. And these people were sooo good. Every single person on Dion's [Lam -- fight choreographer] team was skilled in some form. There were people who were proficient in wire work and some who were excellent in acrobatics ... and people who were amazing at wushu. So I got to see all of them and learn from all of them. Many of them didn't speak English with me, so I learned from them in a very sort of visceral way. They would show me something and I would try to copy it. They would say something to me and I would try to communicate back. It was a lot of fun.

'Watchmen' countdown: Hollywood is counting on the capes

I always laugh when Nikki Finke, the relentless reporter (and sometimes overly shrill writer) of the must-read Deadline Hollywood blog reflexively reminds her readers that "I don't do geek" before sharing the news on the latest fanboy film. I chuckle because it's absolutely impossible to cover the commercial life of Hollywood these days and not do geek. Take a look at the top grossing films of last year and its no surprise that there are a lot of capes and cartoons in the future of your local cineplex.

Next up, of course, is "Watchmen," which has unique challenges among the recent entries superhero cinema. Among them: It's long, it's complicated, it's rated-R, it has no famous movie stars and, well, how many action figures can you sell for a film where one masked hero sexually assaults a teammate? (For the record: The movie does have a strong ensemble of "actors, not movie stars," as one producer told me, and you can see them above; left to right, it's Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman and Patrick Wilson.)

I think movie will do great (just like another brutal and challenging Zack Snyder-directed March release, "300") but it is intriguing to size up the business issues. Here's a well-executed Wall Street Journal piece by Jamin Brophy-Warren that uses Thomas Tull, the chief executive officer of Legendary Pictures, as a entry point for the topic. An excerpt:

The 38-year-old Mr. Tull is part of a new generation of film and TV executives who were raised on videogames and comics and are now turning those childhood obsessions into big-budget realities. Last year's "The Dark Knight" is the second-highest grossing film ever in the U.S., bringing in more than $500 million at the box office. Popular TV shows like "Heroes," "Lost," and "Smallville" draw heavily on the imagery and themes of comic-book culture. Directors such as Joss Whedon and writers like Brian K. Vaughan jump back and forth between comics, movies and other media attract thousands of fans at entertainment conventions. Hollywood has embraced these executives because they have the inside track on a coveted audience: teenage boys.

"Watchmen" is the greatest professional challenge yet for Mr. Tull, who, among other things, used to be in the coin-laundry business before launching Legendary. The company, which has a production deal with Warner Bros., put up about half of the $100-million budget for "Watchmen." Unlike "Dark Knight," which featured heroes and villains such as Batman and the Joker who are familiar to people who don't read comics, the new film doesn't rely on any well-known characters. And while "Dark Knight" starred Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, "Watchmen" doesn't feature any big-name actors.

Starbuck speaks! Katee Sackhoff on the final days of 'Battlestar Galactica'

EXCLUSIVE

The three-hour series finale of "Battlestar Galactica" starts March 13th and concludes on the 20th, and don't think wild-child pilot Starbuck isn't already locked and loaded. Actress Katee Sackhoff talks to Hero Complex contributor Michelle Castillo about sleeping on machine guns and the rumors that Starbuck might still be a Cylon: "There’s always someone out there that thinks that she is."

When the directors held an open casting call for the role of Lt. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace for the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" series, they were looking for a mid-30s actress with a tough military demeanor to portray the role. However, it was 21-year-old Sackhoff, with her high-heels and persistence, who won the coveted part.

"Everyone scoffed at the idea of Starbuck in high heels," Sackhoff said, looking back on the role that won her a 2006 Saturn Award. “That’s was who she was in my mind. That’s me: No one is going to tell me to take my high heels off, and I carried that throughout her attitude. Maybe not the high heels, per se, but Starbuck’s attitude was there from the very beginning with me.”

Five years later, with the final episode of the critically acclaimed series mere weeks away, Sackhoff has become one of the show's most popular characters. And with new wrinkles and revelations every week, the saga of besieged humanity and its struggles with a race of sentient machine-people called Cylons has given Sackhoff and other cast members the daily duty of deflecting fan questions. 

“After five years, it’s got easy to pretend I don’t hear them, but I’ve even got my doctor calling me pretending he has to talk to me,” said Sackhoff, who turns 29 in April. “Instead, he’s going, ‘So about last night’s episode... .’”

Don’t expect Sackhoff to spoil the final episode; she’s remained firmly mum on the ending. Similar to Starbuck, the actress has her own tough, go-getter attitude, nurtured through her upbringing in Portland, Ore., where she spent her youth playing hard in the mud with her brother. She moved to Los Angeles right after high school graduation, and all those old days of playful combat in the sludge prepared her for an intense shoot for the final episode, which she likened to “Apocalypse Now.”

“There’s a picture of me at 3:30 in the morning, asleep on set, with a machine gun under my head, and that is how the end of the series went,” Sackhoff said. “Everyone was exhausted, and there’s probably a lot of safety issues that should have been brought up. But, hey, it’s alright when you’re firing a machine gun at 3 o’clock in the morning, I mean that’s not dangerous at all.”

'Watchmen' early screening in L.A. -- and it's FREE!

"WATCHMEN" COUNTDOWN

UPDATE: THE EVENT IS FULL!!

Want to see "Watchmen" early?

Want to see it for free?

We're happy to announce a special sneak preview screening of Zack Snyder's eagerly awaited superhero epic next Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m. at  the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood. The event is a promotion by the Los Angeles Times and the Hero Complex blog and I will be there to introduce the film and don't be surprised if there are some special guests on hand as well.

THE SHOW IS FULL, NO SEATS LEFT. THANKS FOR THE GREAT RESPONSE

-- Geoff Boucher

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WANT MORE? All "WATCHMEN" coverage at HERO COMPLEX

The politics of Transformation

This fun piece of pop parody is the handiwork of Tim Doyle and if you wanna buy one, go right here.

MORE RANDOM SILLINESS

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The money patch: Samuel L. Jackson and the Nick Fury deal

So a few weeks ago I sat down with Samuel L. Jackson and he was ready to walk away from Marvel Studios and all of their big plans for him as Nick Fury, the one-eyed Marvel character that has been fighting the good fight against Nazis, spies and aliens for decades. The issue, of course, was money.

"There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down," Jackson told me during the interview at the Four Seasons Hotel. "I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], 'We're not making that deal.'"

Well, it turns out that hardball is a lucrative sport. Here's the story from the trades, written by Borys Kit, one of Hollywood's busiest reporters:

The actor, who just weeks ago was seemingly on the outs with the studio over reprising his role as Nick Fury, agent of spy outfit S.H.I.E.L.D., has signed an unprecedented nine-picture deal to play the character in a series of Marvel movies.

The movies include "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," "The Avengers" and its sequels.

Also on the table is the possibility of toplining a "S.H.I.E.L.D." movie, which is in development.

The actor, repped by ICM and Anonymous Content, made a surprise appearance as Fury at the end of the first "Iron Man," throwing geeks into a tizzy and showing the first glimpse of Marvel's plan to link all their slate of movies into one filmic universe.

Jackson and Fury were expected to be part of the sequel, but as Marvel negotiated with its cast, deals proved hard to come by. Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle. Mickey Rourke still doesn't have a deal for the part of a villain despite almost two months of negotiations.

When I met with Jackson he seemed really bent out of shape but, well, he is an actor. Regardless, I'm sure he is smiling today. A nine-movie deal is quite a bit of job security for an action hero who blew out 60 candles on his last birthday. And the commitment by Marvel also assures the star that he will be the glue that holds together the Marvel Universe on screen during the ambitious plan to interconnect movie franchises on an unprecedented scale.

--Geoff Boucher

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Credit: Samuel L. Jackson in January 2009, photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

Comic Book Store Clerks of America, No. 5: Moscow, Idaho

They have no superpowers, but they are heroic: They are the store employees across America who sell comics and, like the guys in "High Fidelity," bicker with one another all day long about the true treasures of the discount bin. They are the Comic Book Store Clerks of America, and we salute them.

What better place to have fun with alter egos than a comic book store? That fake mustache in the photo is part of 44-year-old Katherine Sprague's way of playing with identity. It's been 20 years now since Sprague opened Safari Pearl (221 E. 3rd St., Moscow, Idaho; [208] 882-9499), a store that is proud of its spot in the community ("I probably own the oldest lesbian-owned comic-book store in the nation," Sprague said). Another point of pride: its extensive, specialized stock of costumes of the fantastic, be they Batman cowls, Rocketeer helmets or Harry Potter wands. We dialed up Sprague and quizzed her on fangirl matters of deep import.

What do you think is the true origin of the Joker?

I think it's whatever the reader needs it to be -– although I prefer Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" explanation. It's the story when a stand-up comedian falls into a vat of acid. It might be weird, but when you have a bad day, bad week or bad month, it makes sense to go over the edge like that. It's probably my favorite story ever.

What comic-book series should be everyone’s favorite?

Wonder Woman! she's just incredible. No other female character has been around that long. She's part of the three characters that are continually featured from the Golden Age: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

What would your superhero name be?

Oh dear! I thought of one this morning at work: Captain Hammerpants. It seemed like a good idea at the time. There’s really no explanation for what goes on in my store.

A superhero has to have a unique superpower. What would yours be?

I would have laser beams for my eyes. I would use it just to discipline frat boys.

What television series should be turned into a manga?

I think it should be "Sesame Street," which is my favorite show of all time. They could definitely pull off the over-the-top chibi thing with it.

-- Michelle Castillo

MEET MORE COMIC BOOK STORE CLERKS OF AMERICA

Photo: Katherine Sprague

Good grief, it's the 'Watchmen' at WonderCon 2009

'WATCHMEN' COUNTDOWN

Ah, here's a fun flashback, it's Evan Shaner's inspired spoof of "Watchmen" as a Charles Schulz creation. We know you probably saw it last year when it first came out but with the film's opening looming, we thought it'd be fun to remind you of just how great Snoopy looks in a trenchcoat....

On more serious business, the Hero Complex has some exciting "Watchmen"-related doings coming up. I'm going to be at WonderCon in San Francisco this weekend to moderate the big "Watchmen" panel on Saturday  at 11:30 a.m. (I'm also doing the "Terminator Salvation" panel at 4:30 p.m.) and it should be outstanding, with cool footage, cast members and director Zack Snyder up onstage.

Also, check back here Thursday for news about a VERY exciting "Watchmen" event in Los Angeles next week that will also have a Hero Complex connection....

If you see me in San Francisco, please come up and say hello!

-- Geoff Boucher

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Alan Moore on "Watchmen" movie: "I will be spitting venom all over it"

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WANT MORE? All "WATCHMEN" coverage at HERO COMPLEX

The army of Narnia: Bill Westenhofer reveals the magic behind the beasties

WIZARDS OF HOLLYWOOD: BILL WESTENHOFER

This is the fourth installment in our series "Wizards of Hollywood," where we shine a spotlight on the masters of movie magic, the effects specialists who can dazzle us with screen images of liquid robots, giants and goblins, ferocious dinosaurs or just a special human soul who ages in reverse. Today, guest contributor Liesl Bradner interviews Oscar-winner Bill Westenhofer.

Bill Westenhofer of Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles has worked on "Spawn," "Men in Black II," "Stuart Little," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and last year he won an Academy Award for his labors on "The Golden Compass." Right now he's working on "Land of the Lost," the Will Ferrell special-effects comedy based on the old Krofft Brothers television show.

My most memorable scene on film is the opening scene of the Battle for Narnia (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”). It’s still my favorite.

It starts with a gryphon flying in over the fields, sweeping over a completely computer-generated army of 60 unique creature types from centaurs to fawns to various exotic cats and rhinos, all moving in different ways.

To create that army itself was an eight-month-plus endeavor of motion capture, creature development with a year and a half of prep work, taking character designs, figuring out how to implement them, working with the props department to realize what the practical versions of those would be, then flowing that into the CGI characters themselves.

'Watchmen' countdown: A retro video game, plus who do you want interviewed?

"Watchmen" has been covered from so many angles by some many outlets, it's difficult to decide what/who to talk about without following some other site or publication.

There are photos (Zap2It,  to the left), primers (our own, down and to the right), and endless interviews...we suggest reading the ones with Zack Snyder, Alan Moore and Jackie Earle Haley done by our own fanboy reporter supreme Geoff Boucher.

Over at i09, Patrick Wilson and Malin Ackerman talk about the Night Owl-Silk Spectre steamy sex scene.  Even periphery figures to the public at large are getting in the spotlight.

DC Comics president Paul Levitz was interviewed at the New York Comic Con about it. Film Music Magazine.com had a cool audio conversation with "Watchmen" composer Tyler Bates and his surreal soundtrack. And Newsarama chatted with set photographer Clay Enos.

Is there anyone left to hear from? Leave suggestions in the comments section below, even off-the-wall people that you may want to hear from.  Until we get them, though, this crude but fun (at least the first few times you play it) not-well-hidden video game has popped up around the internets.

Ah, old school-style enjoyment.

Play the 'Watchmen' video game

-- Jevon Phillips

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WANT MORE? All "WATCHMEN" coverage at HERO COMPLEX

Be Kind, Kato! Michel Gondry directing 'Green Hornet'

Variety is reporting that Michel Gondry, director of the fun if not well-attended film "Be Kind, Rewind" and the Jim Carrey-starring "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," will take on the recently vacated role of director on "The Green Hornet."

The Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-written tale of Britt Reid's alter ego crime-fighter and his cool, kicking sidekick is still listed for a 2010 release.  Stephen Chow dropped the directing duties, though he is still attached to take on the Kato role made popular by Bruce Lee alongside Rogen's title character.

Times reporter Deborah Netburn once asked Gondry what he'd like to 'swede,' or do an extremely low budget remake of, in terms of Oscar films.  His answers are to the right, and they don't include "Green Hornet."

-- Jevon Phillips

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Spider-Man on Broadway, 2010 opening date set

There was a swirl of rumors not long ago that the lavish plans to bring Spider-Man to Broadway as a $30-million-plus musical were, well, trapped in a web of problems. But today the plan appears to be in full swing as producers of "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" announced an opening night of Feb. 18, 2010, at the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street).

There's a website, spidermanonbroadway.com/, but no cast announcement yet, although we told you earlier that Evan Rachel Wood is reportedly locked in for the role of Mary Jane Watson. The somewhat odd creative team is led by Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, who excelled with the tricky venture of bringing Disney's "The Lion King" to the stage. Playwright Glen Berger is writing the show with Taymor, and Broadway virgins Bono and Edge of U2, of all people, are creating new music and lyrics for the superhero spectacle.

Preview performances will begin Jan. 16, 2010, so circle the date ... if for some reason you actually already own a 2010 calendar.

What do we know about the show itself? Does that title suggest that Venom will be the black-suit bad guy? Or maybe it's Electro, who will bring some crackling juice to the lights of Broadway?

Exclusive images: Marvel's 'Dark Reign'

Out of the ashes of Marvel's "Secret Invasion" storyline rose the Dark Reign.  Norman Osborn, old crazy Green Goblin himself, set things in motion to dethrone Tony Stark as head of SHIELD (actually getting it decommissioned), and taking over as one of the most powerful men in the world.  Legally!  To make sure that he holds on to that power, he enlisted the help of Dr. Doom, Namor, Emma Frost, Loki and the Hood to consolidate his hold over the rest of the superhero community.

Marvel has sent over some exclusive covers as the company gets into high gear with their villain-themed "He lost. They won." ad campaign.  The 'accept change' part on the bottom of the images seems to tie it in to the Secret Invasion plot, but maybe it's just coincidental.

Iron Man is on the run, and will Emma really go back to her dark ways and stab the X-Men in the back? Many more images after the jump.

'Watchmen' countdown: Creating Rorschach

The end is nigh. On March 6, "Watchmen" will finally be released.  The "unfilmable" adaptation of Alan Moore's (writer) and Dave Gibbons' (artist) 1986 dark superhero tale will be unveiled to all the faithful, the knowledgeable, the curious, and the ones caught up in the frenzy.

A central character to the storyline is Walter Kovacs, the vigilante known as Rorschach.  After the passage of the Keene Act outlawed costumed heroes, he kept on fighting.  In the film, Jackie Earle Haley plays him.  Rorschach wears a mask that moves black splotches over a white mask (like a rorschach test), supposedly reflecting his moods.  Director Zack Snyder and visual effects personnel worked on the mask, which was key to the hero's persona.

-- Jevon Phillips

Video courtesy of Warner Bros.

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WANT MORE? All "WATCHMEN" coverage at HERO COMPLEX

Fred Hembeck's Hero Complex: The Hulk (Part 1)

It was 70 years ago that Marvel Comics No. 1 hit the newsstands of America and all year long we'll be celebrating that watershed moment in American publishing history with special features. Today it's the third installment of "Fred Hembeck's Hero Complex," where Fred Hembeck, the comics-fandom parodist, lovingly revisits classic Marvel covers. Which hero is it today? Here's a hint: Hembeck smash!

Fred Hembeck back once again! And today, I'm here to praise the Marvel Universe, not destroy it (that was SO yesterday)! To help the mighty Hero Complex celebrate the 70th birthday of Marvel I've been digging into my vault of Classic Cover Redos (the likes of which can easily be commissioned, should you be so -- ahem -- inspired), and today we're going to start a three-part retrospective featuring the fella who went green before ANY of us, the always-incredible Hulk!

"The Incredible Hulk" No. 1(May 1962)

Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman, original artists

"Is he man or monster?" A better question might've been: "Is he grey or is he green?" The answer out of the gate was "grey," but the big palooka didn't make like the monster with the grey-flannel skin for long. From his second issue on, emerald has been his favored hue -- well, mostly. Hey, you can't blame a guy for wanting to mix it up every so often, can you? I mean, even Superman went the red and blue route -- why not a crimson Hulk, too? (Just as long as he doesn't turn yellow, we're good...)

John Dykstra on his favorite scene -- the opening shot in 'Star Wars'

WIZARDS OF HOLLYWOOD: JOHN DYKSTRA

This is the third installment in our series "Wizards of Hollywood," where we shine a spotlight on the masters of movie magic, the effects specialists who can dazzle us with screen images of liquid robots, giants and goblins, ferocious dinosaurs or just a special human soul who ages in reverse. Today, guest contributor Liesl Bradner interviews John Dykstra.

Two-time Oscar winner John Dykstra is considered one of the true forefathers of visual effects. His credits include "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Batman Forever" and "Hancock" and was a producer at the launch of the original "Battlestar Galactica" television franchise. He won his first Oscar for the original "Star Wars," for which he was special photographic-effects supervisor, and his second for "Spider-Man 2" and is now immersed in the challenges presented by period combat as the visual effects designer on the Quentin Tarantino film "Inglourious Basterds." He was on the set in Berlin when he spoke to Bradner by phone.

My most memorable scene was the opening shot in the first "Star Wars." It was one of the first shots we finished and it proved that at least a large part of the new technology we were applying to the visual effects for the film was going to work.

[Director] George Lucas, [producer] Gary Kurtz and the studio were all making a large wager when they financed the creation of the original Industrial Light & Magic facility. Wise or not, we weren't doing things in a traditional way.

Iron Man's armor from the inside out

EXCLUSIVE

Check out this fun Flash program sent over by the folks at Industrial Light & Magic. They're in a tough Oscars race for effects this year ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Dark Knight" are also up in the category), but even if they don't win the trophy they say there was something special about working on "Iron Man."

The storied shop doesn't traditionally "audition" for jobs, but they did work up spec presentations for "Iron Man" because there were so many in-house fans of the armored Avenger and such enthusiasm for Jon Favreau's plans to bring the hero to the screen.

"This one was special for us all the way through," says ILM's Bruce Holcomb, the model supervisor on the film. "There's a lot of love for 'Iron Man' and what was accomplished ... and what will be accomplished." "Iron Man 2" is due in theaters in 2010.

FOR A LARGER VIEW CLICK HERE (Internet Explorer).

-- Geoff Boucher

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Taking the Hobbits to Isengard

We've been having a "Lord of the Rings" film festival at my house and my daughter says that's a good enough reason to show you this funny flashback, one of her You Tube favorites...

Isn't that precious...

-- Geoff Boucher

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'The Simpsons,' new opening sequence

Last night was the first episode of "The Simpsons" to air in HD. It came with a new opening sequence and, if you missed it, here it is...

Hey I think I saw Plopper in there...!

--Geoff Boucher

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Artwork courtesy of Fox

'Watchmen' ski masks? Alan Moore won't be amused

I'm headed over to see a "Watchmen" screening Tuesday and then Wednesday it's on to the press junket at the Four Seasons. It's exciting to see this movie reaching the final leg of its long and tortured marathon to the silver screen and I'm eager to see what Zack Snyder has accomplished with his quest to film the unfilmable movie.

Alan Moore has made it clear that he won't be going to see the film and if you were holding out hope (I know I was) that he might change his mind, well, I think that's just a pipe dream now. Why? Well, this new crush of tie-in merchandise is staggering and each item -- from the doomsday ball-caps and Dr. Manhattan lunch boxes to the coffee mugs, wall pennants and booze flasks -- will be like a sharp jab in the eye to Moore, an iconoclast who loathes American corporate culture and its soul-sapping commercialism.

Seeing the extent of all this stuff made me groan. Anyone who read and loved "Watchmen" as a genre-challenging masterpiece in the 1980s will probably agree that this crass gear feels as tone-appropriate as "Catcher in the Rye" pop tarts. But if you do indulge in this odd retail orgy, well, you can always hide your face afterward -- one of the catalog items is a Rorschach ski mask ...

-- Geoff Boucher

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WANT MORE? All "WATCHMEN" coverage at HERO COMPLEX

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.