Watchmen Update and "Geeks"

Here's another update on the ongoing Fox versus Warner Bros. " Watchmen" case.

LOS ANGELES — Who’s watching the “Watchmen”? Come March 6, it may not be moviegoers.
A federal judge, having ruled last week that 20th Century Fox has distribution rights to “Watchmen,” an eagerly anticipated superhero movie shot by Warner Brothers, said he was inclined to decide after a hearing scheduled for Jan. 20 whether the release of the film should be blocked.
At a morning conference, lawyers for both studios heard the judge, Gary A. Feess, elaborate on his ruling, issued last Wednesday, that Fox owned an interest in “Watchmen,” a film Warner was preparing to release on March 6, in association with Legendary Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/business/media/30watchmen.html

You know I really wish these articles would stop referring to Comic Book Movie fans as "Geeks".
I mean really, did ONLY geeks go to the fourth highest grossing movie of all time "The Dark Knight"?
It grossed $996,826,853.
Or Spider-Man 3? $890,871,626 gross. Or Spider-Man, $850,000,605.
That's just the comic book movies.
Let's not forget that out of the top twenty highest grossing movies of all time, 19 of them were Science Fiction, Fantasy or Animated.
So just a few "Geeks" with tons of money are going to these films, or lots of ::gasp:: "ORDINARY" people are going to them!

The Superhero as Society’s Mirror, From World War II to Iraq

The Superhero as Society’s Mirror, From World War II to Iraq
By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES
Published: July 14, 2007

MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 11 — Michael E. Uslan is a lifelong comic-book fan, but “crusader” might be more accurate. For years, Mr. Uslan, a film producer (“Batman Begins,” among others), has collected comics and original art, written books about the industry and produced movies about his muscled and macabre childhood heroes.

full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/arts/design/14comi.html?ref=design


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More Spiderman 3 News

Spiderman-3 Pirates Spanked by MPAA

33 people have been busted trying to tape Spider-Man 3. The MPAA sounded positively jubilant with its Gotcha! announcement detailing a crackdown in which theater employees helped nab camcorder-wielding audience members.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/05/spiderman3_pira.html


Spiderman 3 London Premiere opened Pandora's Box

(openPR) - It was West Midlands based AV production house, Show Support, that assisted in creating the largest media extravaganza ever seen at the movie premiere of Spiderman 3. The stars, including Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco, were out in force on the red carpet in Leicester Square.

http://www.openpr.com/news/20654/Spiderman-3-London-Premiere-opened-Pandora-s-Box.html


Exum's take on Spiderman 3

Director Sam Raimi's hit "Spider-Man" movie franchise returns with new characters and darker themes in "Spider-Man 3."

Although things appear to be going well for Peter Parker, he faces more problems and choices than ever before. Peter has a new competitor, Topher Grace's Eddie Brock, who will do anything to be the Daily Bugle's top freelance photographer. Meanwhile, Mary Jane's failing career causes resentment for Spider-Man's fame and the attention he receives from the police captain's daughter, Gwen Stacy.

http://www.gotriad.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070517/GTCOM01/70516030/1071/GTCOM0224

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cine

Spiderman 3 News

Spiderman 3—The video game

If he's swinging back into theaters, that of course means he's also once again crawling back into your gaming console. So what makes Spiderman 3 the game different from all the Spiderman games of the past? Well, for starters, it follows along closely with the movie which means you get to be Spiderman in black suit.

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/?ArID=105249&SecID=83



Movie Review: Spiderman 3

The summer blockbuster season kicks off with the third entry in the Spiderman series. Director Sam Raimi is once again in the director's chair and it looks more than likely that it will be his last time.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/05/14/102402.php



Weekend Box Office Totals – Spiderman 3 Big Winner But 28 Weeks Later Debuts Second

The movie “Spiderman 3” was the big winner at the box office for the second weekend in a row. The saga continues as Spiderman, played by Toby Maguire (“Seabiscuit” and “Ciderhouse Rules”) delves into his dark side. While he is doing well in school and his alter-ego Spiderman is popular, things take a turn for the worse in this third installment.

http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=051307_box_office_totals.htm

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Spiderman 3 film censor classification fiasco

Spiderman 3 film censor classification fiasco
BBFC rules mean that an extra £30million will be taken at the box office
Article by Patricia Harper
Monday 7th May 2007, 22:29

Functionpix is a freelance news and pictures organisation dedicated to raising funds for charity and good causes. We are the only organisation of our kind who donate profits to charity with the sale of every item
The British board of film censors have come under criticism from the British Society Of Cinematographers for the 12A certification it awarded to the latest Spiderman 3 movie which was released in the UK on the 5th May.

The certification of a 12A says that any children under the age of 12 should not see the film unless accompanied by an adult but fans say that this is not fair for younger Spiderman fans and that the film does not warrant a 12A certification.

Speculation that the BBFC has awarded the 12A in an attempt to raise the box office revenue was denied but fans say that by awarding the movie a 12A means that the box office stands to make a further £30million in tickets sales to adults as they are obliged to accompany their 11 year olds and under and that the movie should have been awarded a PG or less as it was in the US.

http://www.functionpix.com/index.php/article/Spiderman_3_film_censor_classification_fiasco/1380/

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Spiderman 3 sites

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spiderman3/site/

http://spiderman3.sonypictures.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413300/

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/spider-man_3/

http://spiderman.sonypictures.com/

http://www.ifilm.com/presents/spiderman3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiderman_3

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Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 6

The Six Arms Saga is a story arc written by Stan Lee and drawn by Gil Kane. It spans the issues Amazing Spider-Man #100-102 (1973).

The story arc is mostly remembered for the striking aesthetic of Spider-Man, swinging through the city with four extra arms.

Spider-Man has had enough of being Spider-Man. Peter feels miserable about all the anguish he had to endure. His best friend Harry Osborn has become a junkie, and his close friend Captain George Stacy died in his arms. His daughter Gwen Stacy - Spidey's girlfriend - wrongly blamed Spider-Man for this. Peter has a fatal thought: for Peter Parker to live, Spider-Man must die!

So, Spidey brews up a chemical cocktail which is intended to exterminate his spider powers. Peter takes the cocktail and falls into a troubled sleep, in which he fights all his enemies while enduring excruciating side pains. When he wakes up, he notices a ghastly thing: he has six arms! The potion increased his spider powers rather than to nullify them!

He then visits his only possible confidant, Dr. Curt Connors, alias the Lizard, and fight a vampiric villain called Morbius. Using Morbius' blood, both brew an antidote that turns Spidey back into normal.

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Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 5

Peter graduates from high school and enrolls at Empire State University, where he meets Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy. His aunt introduces him to Mary Jane Watson, whom he dates for a short time, but Peter soon falls in love with Gwen. Meanwhile, Harry becomes Peter's roommate and best friend, but starts using illegal drugs.

Harry's father, Norman Osborn, is revealed to be the Green Goblin and discovers Spider-Man's secret identity. After her father is killed in a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, Gwen's relationship with Peter is put on hold when she travels to England. It was later revealed in a highly controversial retcon that Gwen had an affair with Norman Osborn, and gave birth to two children while in Europe. Harry suffers a drug overdose shortly after she returns.

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Spiderman/Spiderman 3 ,part 4

Peter Benjamin Parker is the son of Richard and Mary Parker, who worked as NSA agents, and were killed on a mission involving an impersonator of the Red Skull. The infant Peter Parker is left in the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May Parker, who live in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York. The aging couple love Peter, but he grows to be unpopular among his peers. Between an uncle who is too old to join him in physical activities and an aunt over-protective of the orphaned child, Peter gravitates to more non-physical hobbies such as photography and home chemistry, encouraged in these endevours by his guardians. Over time, he grows to be a lonely, timid but exceptionally bright teenager who shows more interest in his studies (especially science, which he has an affinity for that is nothing short of genius) than in any kind of social life. He is often the target of jokes by more popular students like Flash Thompson, the high school's star athlete.

Spider-Man's origin story is told in the first 12 pages of Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker attends a science exhibition where he is bitten by a radioactive spider. The spider bite gives Peter an array of spider-like powers, including wall-crawling, superhuman strength, speed and agility, and an extra-sensory "spider-sense". Peter initially sets out to find fame and fortune, winning a match in a makeshift disguise against professional wrestler Crusher Hogan. He attempts to interest a television network in the idea of featuring him as a costumed hero (with the advantage that he can actually do the things his character can), and creates the Spider-Man name, costume, and web-shooters. After quickly becoming a minor celebrity, Peter appears on a television special, but afterward allows a thief to escape the TV station, asserting that it isn't his problem. He comes to regret his inaction when he finds out that the same burglar subsequently killed his Uncle Ben.

Peter blames himself for Uncle Ben's death. Art by Steve Ditko.Realizing that he could have prevented his uncle's death, the guilt-ridden Peter commits to a life of crimefighting and lifesaving, driven by his uncle's words, "With great power there must also come great responsibility" (the phrase is often shortened to: "With great power comes great responsibility"). This disarming mix of selfless obligation and self-recrimination brought about by his uncle's death arguably makes up Spider-Man's moral core.

In the earliest Spider-Man stories, Peter Parker attends Midtown High School. After his uncle's death, he and his aunt become desperate for money, so he gets a job as a photographer at the Daily Bugle selling photos to J. Jonah Jameson. Peter dates co-worker Betty Brant and clashes with his high school rival Flash Thompson (whose girlfriend, Liz Allen, he informally tutors). He encounters many of his most famous enemies for the first time during this period.

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Spiderman/Spiderman 3

Well since the Spiderman 3 publicity machine is getting really cranked up now, I thought I'd devote a little time to the character and the movie.
CAUTION!
There may be SPOILERS when I get to the movie, so dont read that part if you dont wanna know.......

Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker) is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Since his incarnation and first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), he has become one of the world's most popular, enduring and commercially successful superheroes.
When Spider-Man first saw print in the 1960s, teenage characters in superhero comic books were usually sidekicks. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring a hero who himself was an adolescent, to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate. Spider-Man has since appeared in various media including several animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films.

Marvel has published several Spider-Man comic book series, the first being The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled college student to a married teacher and a member of the superhero team the Avengers.

By 1962, with the success of the Fantastic Four and other characters, Marvel editor and head writer Stan Lee was casting about for a new superhero idea. He said that the idea for Spider-Man arose from a surge in teenage demand for comic books, and the desire to create a character with which teens could identify. In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman pulp magazine crime fighter The Spider as an influence and both there and in a multitude of print and video interviews said he was inspired by seeing a fly climb up a wall — adding in his autobiography that he has told that story so often he has become unsure of whether or not it is true. Artist Ditko, in a 1990 article by himself, gave a more prosaic origin story for the name:

“ "In a discussion with me about Spider-Man, Stan said he liked the name Hawkman but DC had the name and character. Marvel would add Ant-Man [and the Wasp] so it would have the insect category. (Technically a spider is not an insect). From that I believed Stan had named the character. ”

Lee approached Marvel publisher Martin Goodman to seek approval for the character. In a 1986 interview, he described in detail his arguments to overcome Goodman's objections. Goodman agreed to let Lee try out Spider-Man in the upcoming final issue of the canceled science-fiction/supernatural anthology series Amazing Adult Fantasy, which was renamed Amazing Fantasy for that single issue, #15 (Aug. 1962).

Jack Kirby, in a 1982 interview, claimed Lee had minimal involvement in the character's creation, and that it had originated with Kirby and Joe Simon, who in the 1950s had proposed a character called The Silver Spider for the Crestwood comic Black Magic until the publisher went out of business.

Simon, in his 1990 autobiography, disputes Kirby's account, asserting that the supernatural anthology Black Magic was not a factor, and that he (Simon) devised the name "Spiderman" (later changed to "The Silver Spider"), while Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Simon later elaborated that his and Kirby's character conception became the basis for Simon's Archie Comics superhero The Fly, introduced in early 1959.

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