Nancy Pelosi and the GOP: It's spy vs. spy, 'James Bond' style

During the presidential campaign there was a staggering amount of fanboy imagery and pop-culture crossover. We saw Sarah Palin in "Tales from the Crypt" and Barack Obama with Vulcan ears. John McCain got his own comic book and we heard political statements (both the heartfelt variety and the winking kind) from the likes of Wonder Woman and Lando Calrissian. Wow, when did the national political scene turn into a comic-book convention?

Well, the election is long gone, but politics never really take a holiday -- nor do politicos ever tire of drafting Hollywood heroes as symbolic messages and cultural shorthand. Take this new GOP commercial that uses a certain secret agent to take a few shots at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi...

 

Feel free to express your thoughts on Pelosi and the GOP in the comments section (don't ask us what we think, we're neutral -- we cast our vote for pop culture), but before you do that, check out this montage of Bond openings through the years. Now that's something we can support....

-- Jevon Phillips & Geoff Boucher

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'The A-Team,' Matt Damon and 'Lara Croft' all in Everyday Hero headlines

Welcome to a winter's day version of Everyday Hero, your roundup of handpicked headlines from across the fanboy universe....

"A-TEAM" GOES TO PLAN B: Way back in August, I sat down with Ice Cube and heard how eager he was to work with Bruce Willis in a remake of "The A-Team" being directed by John Singleton. But the rapper/actor/producer was worried that the writers strike might undermine the effort. Looks like it did, because now Singleton is out and the project is moving forward with a new team that may or may not be interested in Cube taking on the challenge of replacing Mr. T in the role of B.A. Baracus. In the trades today, Michael Fleming has an informative update on the revamped project: "Twentieth Century Fox has assembled a creative team to transform 1980s TV series 'The A-Team' into a summer 2010 film. Studio has set Joe Carnahan to direct and Ridley Scott to produce, with Tony Scott exec producing through their Scott Free banner. Also producing are Jules Daly and Stephen J. Cannell, the latter of whom created the original TV series. Carnahan will team with Brian Bloom to polish a script by Skip Woods ('G.I. Joe'). The intention is to start production by June for a June 11, 2010, release. Fox has struggled to find a way to exploit the branded TV show while avoiding the series' campy tone. Director John Singleton had most recently been attached to such an attempt before dropping out. Woods came in and started over. 'Tony and I feel that marrying this Scott Free project with Joe's sensibility will result in a fast-paced, exciting franchise, one we hope will be around for years to come,' Scott said. Carnahan and the Scott brothers say they will use the original premise of the series as the template for an action film. In the original, four Vietnam vets convicted of armed robbery escape from military prison and became do-gooder mercenaries. The Middle East will replace Vietnam as the place the four did their tour of duty, but Carnahan said the origin story is the jumping-off point. 'You can ... make a film that reflects on the real world without losing the great sense of fun and the velocity of action in a classic summer popcorn film,' Carnahan said." [Daily Variety]

JASON BOURNE AND JAMES BOND, IT'S ON!: It's spy vs. spy as Matt Damon (who will be seen later this year in the Paul Greengrass film "Green Zone"), who portrays amnesiac super agent Jason Bourne, talks smack (and it's not the first time) about a certain old-school British agent with the same initials: "Matt Damon has lashed out at Ian Fleming's famous British spy, James Bond, currently portrayed by Daniel Craig. 'The Bourne Identity' actor -- who plays CIA agent Jason Bourne in three hit films -- said: 'He's repulsive. Bond is an imperialist, misogynist, sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people. The movies have a formula, they stick to it, and it makes them a lot of money. They know what they are doing and they're going to keep doing it.'" [Stuff]

GOING BACK TO THE "TOMB": In a perfect summary of everything Hollywood is about these days, there's a the story in the trades today about a major studio remaking an eight-year-old film that was based on a video game. Here's what Steven Zeitchik writes: "Warner Bros. and producer Dan Lin are in early development on a a reboot of 'Tomb Raider,' the popular video game action franchise. 'Tomb Raider,' which was published in 1996 by a London-based video game company called Eidos, was a wildly popular game that involved the daredevil archaeologist Lara Croft on a series of global missions. Several spin-off games have been published since, with a 10th-anniversary edition of the game released in 2006. Paramount previously made the two movies based on the game, but the rights have since reverted to Eidos. When Time Warner upped its stake to 19.92% in Eidos in December, films rights to the property were included as part of the deal. Lin will produce the project via his Lin Pictures banner while Stephen Gilchrist will co-produce; Ian Livingstone of Eidos will exec produce. Matt Reilly is overseeing for Warners. Lin is the producer behind Warners' upcoming Guy Ritchie-directed update of 'Sherlock Holmes' and the adventure film 'Jonny Quest.' The new project, however, is expected to revamp the character and her mission and bear little resemblance to the original pictures. It will reimagine the origins of the character, her love interest and the main villain. As an open-writing assignment, the project is still in its nascent stages. An actress who could play the role Angelina Jolie made famous would likely come on after a writer and director are attached." [Hollywood Reporter]...Oh, and what about those rumors of the nubile Megan Fox as Croft? So far, they're just that.

ON THIS DATE: It was on Jan. 28, 1958 that the modern Lego brick was patented, ushering in the famously simple but extraordinarily versatile toy system.  The path to the brick began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, who started crafting wooden toys in 1932 and dubbed his company "Lego" in 1934. It was his son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, who locked in on the idea of a brick-building system and, well, the rest is history. Now there are "Star Wars" Legos, Batman Legos, Indiana Jones Legos, and the list goes on and on and on ... To celebrate this historic day, let's all enjoy the White Stripes and then engage in hours of safe creative play....

            

Thanks for reading, keep checking back...

-- Geoff Boucher

CREDIT: "Green Zone" photo by Jasin Boland\Universal Pictures. "Tomb Raider" photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

New 'Watchmen' trailer fronts 'Quantum of Solace'

As of 5 p.m., Yahoo released a new "Watchmen" trailer, which will play in front of "Quantum of Solace" (and I'm sure some of you will be in the midnight screenings). It starts out with a tinkling theme that reminded me for a moment of "The Godfather" as Rorschach narrates a bit.  More action, more carnage, more powers displayed and a bit more to say about the movie.  The Smashing Pumpkins music for the first trailer was great, and Muse's background sounds during this trailer are also pretty dramatic.

-- Jevon Phillips

P.S. - And if you want to hear the Muse song in full ...

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Conan, 'The Dark Knight' DVD and James Bond in Everyday Hero headlines

Today's edition of Everyday Hero, your handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Negoitating the truth: It's a pretty common tactic in Hollywood to put out a press release to "create a buzz" for a deal that's not even done -- the hope is to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. That seems to be the case with the "news" earlier this week that Brett Ratner was on board to direct a new "Conan the Barbarian" film, according to Patrick Goldstein, the Los Angeles Times columnist and author of The Big Picture blog. Goldstein talked to both producer Avi Lerner and Ratner and found out that the sword-and-sandal revival isn't as solid as suggested: "One of Hollywood's most persuasive salesman, Lerner told me this morning that Ratner was the perfect director. 'He has the passion and feeling for this project -- he even wrote a story about Conan when he was 10 years old,' Lerner explained. 'He understands the character, he analyzed the script really well. He knows how to make this a really big movie. I like his childlike enthusiasm -- he almost sees these movies as wonderful toys. What can I say, he's a nice, likable Jewish boy.' Lerner acknowledged that even though he sent out a press release announcing Ratner's involvement with the project, the deal wasn't actually done. 'We still have a few obstacles,' he said. 'Brett is only committed if we agree on a budget, on how to do the special effects and exactly where we'd shoot the film.' Lerner has a studio in Bulgaria, so he'd like to shoot most of the movie there, with some exterior work in China. But is Ratner actually committed to doing the film? In two words: Not really. When I called him today, he sounded somewhat agitated, unhappy that news of his negotiations with Lerner had surfaced, especially since he is extremely close to getting a green light from Paramount to make 'Beverly Hills Cop 4.' 'Let me make this very clear,' he told me. 'I am not doing "Conan" now. This is totally premature. For now, "Conan" is only a development deal. I have a deal at Paramount and I'm doing "Beverly Hills Cop" first, no matter what. Avi shouldn't be telling you or anyone else in the press what I'm doing.' " [The Big Picture]

"The Dark Knight" DVD: Every DVD sales record will be challenged when Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" hits store shelves on Dec. 9. UK-based writer Ben Child has posted some early video material from the extras: "We have three exclusive clips from the UK DVD of Nolan and his cast talking about Batman, the Joker and Harvey Dent, Gotham's crusading district attorney. I have to confess I was wondering whether the disc might include footage of the late Heath Ledger talking about playing the Joker, but either these interviews were conducted long after the actor's death or Nolan and his team decided it wouldn't be appropriate. If so, that's an understandable decision, but it's desperately sad we'll never get to hear Ledger talk about the development of the character. With all his weird tics and spasms, the Joker is not just one of the great screen villains: he's every amateur psychologist's dream subject." [The Guardian]...Also, in other "Dark Knight" news, the score to the film has been disqualified from Academy Award consideration apparently due to the number of composers (five) credited for the work. [Variety]

James Bond, by the book: Author and journalist Allen Barra takes a look at the Ian Fleming bookshelf and finds that the 007 we see on film these days is far more spoiled and sadistic than the James Bond inhabiting the 1960s novels: "The Bond of the books didn't have the luxury of sports cars and speedboats, toys that would have bankrupted Her Majesty's government. In 'You Only Live Twice,' he complains to the head of the Japanese Secret Service that MI6's budget of 'under ten million pounds a year doesn't go far when there is the whole world to cover.' In 'Thunderball' (1961), Bond envies his allies in the CIA for 'the excellence of their equipment,' which he is constantly forced to borrow. Those combing the books for the 'sex, sadism and snobbery' attributed to Mr. Fleming by his critics will be disappointed. Bond is far from sadistic and is, in fact, an economical and efficient killer -- it's his enemies who are sadistic. The level of violence is not only mild by today's standards but by that of other 1950s thriller writers such as Mickey Spillane. The literary Bond was hardly a snob. In Mr. Fleming's final Bond novel, 'The Man With the Golden Gun' (1965), he was still, in the author's words, 'an unrepentant Scottish peasant' who refused knighthood from the queen -- an offer that another, real-life, Scotsman, Sean Connery, could not refuse. Far from a gourmet, Bond preferred simple food such as cold roast beef and potato salad." [The Wall Street Journal]

Slaying dragons on the small screen: HBO has ordered up a pilot for a series based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling series of novels "A Song of Fire & Ice" with a team of executive producers that includes David Benioff ("Troy") and D.B. Weiss ("Halo"). Entertainment reporter James Hibberd has a very insightful take on how this show, if it moves forward, would give fantasy a rare foothold in television: "Though broadcasters have embraced sci-fi-tinged shows in recent years following the success of ABC’s 'Lost' and NBC’s 'Heroes,' and supernatural themes have been given a spin by CW’s 'Supernatural' and HBO’s own 'True Blood,' high fantasy is nearly nonexistent in primetime TV history -- and 'Thrones' is an unabashed member of the genre. The books have swords, dragons, magic, the works. 'Fantasy is the most successful genre in terms of feature films given the incredible popularity of "Lord of the Rings" and Harry Potter movies,' Benioff said. 'High fantasy has never been done on TV before and if anybody can do it, it’s HBO. They’ve taken tired genres and reinvented them -- mobsters in "The Sopranos" and westerns with "Deadwood." ' The cost of producing a fantasy series is usually a big factor that deters networks. The producers note 'Thrones' is written as a character drama and major battles often take place off stage. 'It’s not a story with a million orcs charging across the plains,' Weiss said. 'The most expensive effects are creature effects and there’s not much of that.' Martin plans seven books in the series. The producers intend for each season to span one novel. But before the series can get on the air, the producers first have to slay a more formidable threat than any dragon: pilot competitors. HBO has 10 other pilots in contention for series orders." [Live Feed blog, Hollywood Reporter]

-- Geoff Boucher

Conan art by Frank Cho and courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. Daniel Craig in "Quantum of Solace," photo by Susia Allnut\Columbia Pictures.

Batman sues Batman, the new Enterprise and James Bond in Everyday Hero headlines

The latest edition of Everyday Hero, your handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

Who is this Joker? Next year marks the 60th anniversary of Batman, one of the most potent pop-culture creations from the world of comics, having spawned seven live-action films, a prime-time television show, scores of cartoons, novels, movie serials, radio shows and enough toys and t-shirts to fill the Grand Canyon. But, apparently, Turkish politician Huseyin Kalkan never heard of the Caped Crusader until now and he wants a cut of the action. Ali Jaafar has the story, which I'm hoping is a gag: "Batman has a new adversary: Batman. The mayor of an oil- producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser 'The Dark Knight.' Huseyin Kalkan, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party mayor of Batman, has accused 'The Dark Knight' producers of using the city's name without permission. 'There is only one Batman in the world,' Kalkan said. 'The American producers used the name of our city without informing us.' Undoubtedly the fact that 'Dark Knight' is about to pass the $1 billion mark at the B.O. played a part in stirring the ire of the Turkish hamlet. The mayor is prepping a series of charges against Nolan and Warner Bros., which owns the right to the Batman character, including placing the blame for a number of unsolved murders and a high female suicide rate on the psychological impact that the film's success has had on the city's inhabitants." No word yet whether the Bolivian village of Harrypotter will also be pursuing legal action against Warners. [Daily Variety]

An Enterprising filmmaker: Jeff Jensen has a first-look photo of the new starship Enterprise (and it looks great) and short story that goes with it that reveals director J.J Abrams' favorite thing about Robert Wise's 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (and no, it wasn't the bald lady): "Abrams wasn't a huge fan of the original "Star Trek" TV series as a kid,  but he does have one unabashed gee-whiz Star Trek memory: watching the first feature film and marveling over the big reveal of the Enterprise during a long sequence in which James T. Kirk takes a slow-boat tour around the iconic starship. 'The coolest thing about it -- maybe the coolest thing in the movie -- was when you flew around the ship, you could see all the different panels that made up the ship,' says the director of the forthcoming Trek reboot, slated for a May 8, 2009, release. 'It was the first time I had ever seen that level of attention, that love of detail, given to the tangible, practical reality of the ship.'" [Entertainment Weekly]

A "Quantum" leap falls short: Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan was left cold by the icy new James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," which opens Friday: "Outside of its title, 'Quantum of Solace' offers little solace for fans of the venerable James Bond franchise. All dressed up with no particular place to go, this 22nd Bond film tries hard but ends up an underachiever. ... Bond's superior, the redoubtable M (Judi Dench), is worried about the consequences of Bond being blinded by inconsolable rage. 'If you could avoid killing every possible lead,' she grouses at one point as only Dench can, 'it would be appreciated.' It's not only M who should be worried about Bond, it's audiences as well. For the vengeful secret agent is dangerously close to an automaton, a creature of such icy single-mindedness that even an actor of Craig's great ability has trouble making him recognizably human. That tendency toward detachment is enhanced by the change of directors. 'Casino Royale's' Martin Campell, an expert at this kind of glossy adventure filmmaking, has been replaced by Marc Forster, a cooler director who likes intense emotions ('Monster's Ball') but had trouble warming up even a natural heart-tugger like 'The Kite Runner.' 'Quantum of Solace's' script also seems rather tired and uninviting, and while its true not even critics go to a Bond film for the emotional moments, the story has to involve us for the elaborate action sequences to resonate the way they should." [Los Angeles Times]

Chip Kidd in town: Graphic designer and author Chip Kidd will be at Meltdown Comics and Collectibles (7522 Sunset Blvd.) tonight at 7 p.m. to talk about his book "Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan." There's been a dust-up in the comics community in recent weeks over the suggestion that Kidd's book, which collects up some 1960s work of manga writer and artist Jiro Kuwata, doesn't give Kuwata as much prominent credit on the project as he is due. It'll be interesting to see how Kidd handles that tonight. [Meltdown]

Bet on the Dark Horse: No comic-book company has had more success developing films out of new characters the way Dark Horse Comics has over the past 25 years with "The Mask," the "Hellboy" films, "300" and "Sin City." The biggest Marvel films are based on characters created in the 1960s, and DC's key box-office properties date back even further. So what's next from the Oregon publisher? Patrick Lee has this update from publisher Mike Richardson: "The most immediate is "R.I.P.D." ... David Dobkin ['Wedding Crashers'] is directing. We're doing it over at Universal Studios. We have a great script by [Matt] Manfredi and [Phil] Hay. R.I.P.D. stands for Rest in Peace Department. It's based on a graphic novel by Peter Lenkov. It's about dead cops that died in the line of duty that are sent back, basically, to get people who don't want to come peacefully, people who stayed behind. It's a lot of fun. ... It has a few of the elements of something like a 'Men in Black,' except this one has real scares in it. It's not sort of cartoon scares. A lot of humor, but real scary stuff going on.' Dark Horse is also developing several other films: 'Emily Strange,' based on the character created by Rob Reger and his company, Cosmic Debris Etc. 'I will say we'll have a good announcement coming up very shortly,' Richardson said. 'I'm working with Rob. Yes, we've set it up with a studio, ... but there'll be an official announcement coming up soon. ... [There's a] very interesting story that we've come up with, too. It'll add background to Emily.' And 'Freaks of the Heartland,' based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles ('30 Days of Night'). 'We just set up 'Freaks of the Heartland' over at Overture, with David Gordon Green ['Pineapple Express'] directing. And the writers just started working on that.'  [Sci Fi]

-- Geoff Boucher

"The Dark Knight" photo courtesy of Warner Bros., photo of Daniel Craig in "Quantum of Solace" courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "Bat-Manga" image courtesy of Pantheon Books.

James Bond is back with martinis but not the gadgets

EXCLUSIVE A chat with Marc Forster, the director of "Quantum of Solace," about Bond traditions.

What's the secret to making a film franchise that is still going strong in its 46th year? It's taking the very familiar and the completely unexpected and putting them together into a satisfying cocktail that is best shaken, not stirred. "Quantum of Solace" is the 22nd entry in the James Bond franchise and opens Nov. 14 as the follow-up to the top-grossing 007 film ever, "Casino Royale." Daniel Craig is back as the most haunted and sinewy version of the British spy but the director this time is Marc Forster, who is operating well outside expectations by taking on an action blockbuster after making his name with "Finding Neverland," "Monster's Ball" and "The Kite Runner."

I saw "Quantum" last week and it's a strong action film -- it's relentless as it hurtles forward and I'm really intrigued by the arc of the Bond character these days. A few days ago, I talked with Forster about the familiar Bond-isms established by the venerable franchise and how he chose to embrace some, tweak others and leave a few behind. The 39-year-old filmmaker did not come to the project as a a major Bond fan and he said that gave him the freedom to make his choices based on the present, not the past.

Gadgets: Exploding pens and flame-throwing bagpipes, camera rings and rocket-launching boom boxes, even a razor-edged tea tray -- the Bond franchise has been a sort of kooky Sharper Image for spies through the years. Not this time. "People might say there are no gadgets in this movie but to me the idea of carrying around five or six  gadgets, that seems very old school to me. People have iPhones now and we are all accustomed to devices that consolidate different technologies. A suitcase full of gadgets seems odd and also reminds me of all these superhero movies now. We wanted Bond to be more believable and realistic." So 007 has to settle for a sweet Sony Ericsson C905 phone and a non-exploding Omega Seamaster wristwatch.

Martinis: In "Casino Royale," Bond was troubled, flawed and rough around the edges -- far from the cool and polished spy of the classic Sean Connery movies. "Quantum" finds him on the path to that familiar cool and, during a break in the action, getting a lesson in martinis. He's aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight and the bartender in upper class makes him a martini, shaken not stirred, and recites the ingredients for the attentive spy. It was a way to touch on the familiar but with (ahem) a twist. "That was a fun way to show he is becoming the Bond that is familiar," Forster said.

The music and credits: Jack White and Alicia Keys team up for the Bond theme song this time around, "Another Way to Die," a curious combination of menacing rock thunder and slinky spy themes. But Forster looked to the visuals of the opening credits to signal his affection for the old Bond films -- unlike "Casino Royale," "Quantum" returns to the classic montage of silhouetted women in varied states of undress. "We wanted those iconic images, the women and the guns, the retro look. The design company MK12 did the work and it is in the tradition but it's also new and bold."

"Bond, James Bond": You won't hear that classic motto uttered in "Quantum of Solace" but Forster had hoped that you would. "We had that, he said 'Bond, James Bond.' But it was in a scene that ended up getting cut. It was the only scene that got cut; not because of that line, only because the scene itself was not working." What about next time, will the German native return for an encore directing effort in the franchise and hear the spy deliver that money line? "Right now, I am not planning on doing another one. I believe I will be going in a different direction with my next film. But, as they say, never say never..."

-- Geoff Boucher

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Credits: Marc Forster on the set of "Quantum of Solace" and image of Danial Craig in the film, both courtesy of Columbia Pictures. Bottom photo of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Marc Forster by Rosie Greenway/Getty Images.   

The 500 top movies ever, Anne Rice and James Bond, all in Everyday Hero headlines

Your handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe...

"The Dark Knight" rocks! "Gone With the Wind"? Not so much: Why do we love lists? Ah, let me count down the reasons. Empire, the U.K. film magazine, recently compiled the votes of 10,000 readers, 150 Hollywood insiders and 50 film critics to assemble a massive tally: The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. What kind of list is it? Well, "Lawrence of Arabia" finished at No. 57 while "The Empire Strikes Back" made it to No. 3 so, um, there's a slight fanboy tilt to it. Some of the other rankings: "Ben-Hur" at No. 491; "Four Weddings and a Funeral" at No. 375; "It's a Wonderful Life" at No. 195; "8 1/2"at No. 51; "Evil Dead 2" at No. 49; "The Matrix" at No. 39; "Gone With the Wind" at No. 31; "Casablanca" at No. 18; "The Dark Knight" at No. 15; "Pulp Fiction" at No. 9 and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at No. 2. So what cinema masterpiece finished at No. 1? No, it wasn't "Goonies." Here's a hint: "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

Anne Rice, without the fangs: The AP has a look at how author Anne Rice lost faith in vampires and found it somewhere else : "For those who haven't been paying attention lately to vampire lit, America's most famous chronicler of bloodsuckers doesn't live in New Orleans anymore -- and hasn't since before Hurricane Katrina hit -- and she's riding new waves of enthusiasm: the memoir and Christian lit. Her memoir, 'Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession,' is the latest piece of evidence that Rice is reinventing herself in an attempt to build a reputation as a serious Christian writer. In the memoir, the 67-year-old writer doesn't disavow the two decades she spent churning out books on vampires, demons and witches -- with a batch of S&M erotica thrown in -- following the breakout success of her first novel in 1976, 'Interview With the Vampire.' 'To be able to take the tools, the apprenticeship, whatever I learned from being a vampire writer, or whatever I was -- to be able to take those tools now and put them in the service of God is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful opportunity,' she said. 'And I hope I can redeem myself in that way. I hope that the Lord will accept the books I am writing now.' " [Associated Press]

Bond pays dividends: The new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace," which opens in the U.S. on Nov. 14, is breaking box-office records in England. Archie Thomas has a snapshot of the numbers, which he has written in the excrucitating language of the Hollywood trades: "Bondpic 'Quantum of Solace' got off to a lightning start on home turf Friday, taking $8 million (£4.94 million) on its first day at U.K. wickets. Socko day one haul, which was powered by lots of advance ticket sales, makes 'Solace' the biggest Friday opening of all time in the U.K. Previous Friday best was 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,' which bagged $6.5 million (£4 million). 'Casino Royale' did $4.7 million on its opening Friday but, unlike 'Solace,' it had Thursday previews." [Variety]

You're a good show, Charlie Brown: Film critic Dana Stevens has written a valentine to the "Peanuts" holidays specials: "Those specials -- at least the big three: the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas shows that were recently released in a 'deluxe holiday collection' by Warner Bros -- have a mood unlike any animated film for children made before or since. For one thing, they're really, really slow — slow not just by our ADD-addled contemporary standards but also next to the programming of their own time. Just compare the meandering pace of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (in which Charlie tries, and fails, to direct a single rehearsal of a Christmas play) with the generation-spanning epic crammed into 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' (1964). But what really sets the 'Peanuts' specials apart is their sadness. Even digitally remastered, with the background colors restored to their original vivid crispness, the 'Peanuts' holiday specials have a faded quality, like artifacts from a lost civilization. As Linus observes of the wan, drooping pine sprig Charlie Brown eventually rescues from a huge lot of pink aluminum Christmas trees, 'This doesn't seem to fit the modern spirit.' " [Slate]

-- Geoff Boucher

Photos: Tom Cruise in "Interview With the Vampire" courtesy of Geffen Pictures and Warner Bros. Daniel Craig in "Quantum of Solace" courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

'Twilight,' Robert Pattinson, 'Smallville' and Christian Bale in Everyday Hero headlines

"Smallville" has lost a lot of its audience and urgency (the seventh season finished up in May with an average of 3.7 million viewers per episode, down considerably from the 6.3 million tuning in back in Season Two) but, man, Tom Welling, now 31, sure looks like Superman doesn't he? That's him above with Erica Durance, who plays Lois Lane on the show. This shot was taken on the set earlier this year during filming of the eighth season (now underway). The photo was taken by David Strick, who gets unrivaled access to movie and television sets and brings back candid moments for his Hollywood Backlot archive, which shows all the machinery at work in this dream factory called Tinseltown. The three latest photo collections, all posted this month, are "Sanctuary," Sci Fi's promising new series shot entirely on virtual sets with green-screen backgrounds; "Supernatural," the CW show that has more than a whiff of brimstone to it; and "Smallville," which stars Erica Durance as Lois Lane and Tom Welling as the Man of Steel before he ever dons the most famous suit in history.

The Hollywood Backlot collections are great, well worth checking out if you haven't already. Now, on with today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe ...

Casting a spell? I'm not sure how much credence to give an anonymous-sourced story from New Zealand, but here's the latest Marvel movie rumor: Christian Bale as Dr. Strange. " A source said: "Christian is hot property right now, courtesy of Batman. Doctor Strange is a very different kind of hero to Batman and it's felt Christian is the sort of actor who can make the part work on screen. It is understood a deal could be struck in the coming weeks.'" [New Zealand Herald]

Are the stars of "Twilight" old enough to even have an embarrassing fashion past? Apparently the answer is yes, at least according to our new photo gallery showing "past and present" snapshots of 10 "Twilight" stars including Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz and, my favorite, Taylor "Shark Boy" Lautner. Also: There's a somewhat, um, surreal photo floating around with Pattinson in the role of Salvador Dali, whom he plays in the upcoming film "Little Ashes." [Entertainment Weekly]

"Peanuts," reconsidered: Michael C. Lorah has a nice interview with Art Spiegelman and while most of it is naturally devoted to the "Maus" creator's work, I liked a section where Spiegelman talked about his rekindled admiration for Charles Schulz and his signature strip:  "When I was a little kid, I really liked 'Peanuts,' back in the Fifties when it was first coming out as books. It seemed very, dare I say it, avant garde. By the time I was in college, it was something else again, happiness is a warm puppy, MetLife ads, and I began to associate 'Peanuts' with Republican girls, which was nothing I wanted to get close to. It took a reassessment from my younger peers, who found 'Peanuts' very meaningful to them, that made me take another look at it. Chris Ware and Dan Clowes, who are among the best people working today anywhere in the world, found it as meaningful as I had when I was very young. It made me look at it again, and it was good to rethink it." [Newsarama]

The "Bond" market: There's a fun Top 10 list of the most prized James Bond collectibles pegged to the upcoming release of "Quantum of Solace." What's No. 1? That would be the spy's Aston Martin DB5. "The most iconic of Bond Cars, this Q-adapted 1963 Aston Martin DB5 served as 007’s ride in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965) and features retractable machine guns, tyre-shredders, an ejectable passenger seat and rear oil and smoke dispensers, among assorted extras. The vehicle used in filming was stolen from its owner in 1997 and remains missing. However, one of two cars customised for 1960s promotional tours sold for £1.17 million at auction in 2006." [The Times of London]

-- Geoff Boucher

Dr. Strange art courtesy of Marvel Comics. Twilight photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment. Snoopy image courtesy of United Features Syndicate. Daniel Craig photo from "Quantum of Solace" courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

'Quantum' reviews, 'Ninja Scroll' on screen and 'Hulk 2' in Everyday Hero headlines

I'm going to see Daniel Craig (right) as 007 in "Quantum of Solace" this Wednesday night but plenty of journos have seen it already. Here's a quick critical mass report:

James Christopher of The Times of London is over the moon about the 22nd movie in the James Bond franchise. He writes: "The director, Marc Forster, has absorbed the lucrative lessons discovered in Martin Campbell’s 'Casino Royale.' He has also managed to pace his sequel much better... but it’s the amount of heartache and punishment that Craig’s new Bond absorbs that makes him look so right for our times. Bond is no longer a work in progress. He is now the cruel, finished article."

Less excited is Derek Elley of Variety, who thought the movie had plenty of crackle but not enough core: "The shortest and certainly the most action-dense Bond ever, 'Quantum of Solace' plays like an extended footnote to 'Casino Royale' rather than a fully realized stand-alone movie."

Mark Monahan of the Daily Telegraph says that the film gets a bit convoluted at times and veers toward tedium at some points, but then rights itself nicely. "So, if 'Quantum of Solace' lacks 'Casino Royale's' narrative drive, and is less than the sum of its parts, those parts are often terrific. See it for them, and see it for Craig's fully-formed Bond: angry, icily unsentimental, and fleetingly borderline psychotic at the close. Craig inhabits the character with a ruthless charisma that never lets up. And he, above all, keeps you watching."

Now on with the rest of today's handpicked headlines...

Producer Gale Anne Hurd tells Larry Carroll about her childhood affinity for Hulk and how the big green guy represented "wish fulfillment" for her since she was always getting picked on by her older brother. Less wistfully, she tells Carroll that she and star Edward Norton have every intention of making another "Hulk" film. The bad guy? Well, think brainy and emerald. "When I think of all the many, many, many villains in the Hulk universe, we've now done the Abomination, so wouldn't it be great to tackle the Leader?...It's a completely different type of cerebral villain, which would give the movie a terrific new take on the character." [Splash Page blog, MTV]

Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? Here's the oddest press release of the day: "The world of gladiators comes to life as the Roman Empire’s most brutal fighters clash in the ultimate arena. Starz’s new series, 'Spartacus,' an entirely new twist on the ancient legend, will utilize virtual environments giving it a unique graphic novel look and style, along with a fresh narrative approach. Debuting exclusively on Starz, 'Spartacus' will be produced by Starz Media with Executive Producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Joshua Donen...It will begin production in early 2009, debuting on Starz and its suite of channels later in the year." [press release from Starz]

Do the math: The "Saw" franchise just cut off a chunk of movie history. Eric D. Snider writes: "With the Friday-Sunday $30-million haul, the 'Saw' series is now the highest-grossing horror franchise in history, with a cumulative domestic gross of $316 million. Just think of all the microcassette tapes and countdown timers that kind of money could buy!" [Cinematical]

Alex Tse wrote the screenply for "Watchmen," now he is on board to pen the script for an adaptation of "Ninja Scroll." Michael Fleming has the standard announcement story for the trades: "Warner Bros. has acquired rights to turn the Japanese action thriller anime 'Ninja Scroll' into a live-action feature. Alex Tse has been set to write the script. 'Scroll,' set in feudal Japan, revolves around [a] ninja for hire [who] is forced to fight an old enemy who will stop at nothing to overthrow the government." [Variety]

And, finally...take a look at Marcello Poletti's breathtaking archival achievement, a Flickr gallery titled "The Galactically Hot Women of 'Star Trek: The Original Series'," 81 photos that will make William Shatner smile...

-- Geoff Boucher

"Quantum of Solace" photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures. "The Incredible Hulk" photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. "Spartacus" photo courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing LLP.  "Ninja Scroll" artwork courtesy of Wildstorm/DC Comics. "Star Trek" image from the NBC show.

'Quantum of Solace': exclusive photos

We've got 15 photos from the set of "Quantum of Solace," the James Bond film directed by Marc Forster and starring Daniel Craig, who's looking a bit battered below. Click here to see the gallery. The Columbia Pictures film opens Nov. 14.

   

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Photo: Daniel Craig as James Bond at Pinewood Studios in England. Credit: Karen Ballard / Columbia Pictures