Much like the last new Total Recall trailer, with some extra footage. My only regret about this version of the Philip K. Dick classic is they are skipping Mars. Probably because we abandoned our space program and they didn’t want to show China colonizing the planet with us left out.
This Prometheus featurette is a bit more than a trailer, a bit less than a full 10 minute segment on a TV show somewhere. I am definitely ready to see how the Aliens universe started!
The first blockbuster of the summer is finally here: The Avengers, with Joss Whedon at the helm and all the actors you would expect in their various rolls. If you have been going to the movies for the past handful of years you have been watching them build up to this one, movie by movie. If you haven’t, no need to panic, because you can do them ALL AT ONCE!!!! Two different theater chains are running marathons of all 6 of the movies (yes, I know there are way more than 6 Marvel movies, but in this instance we are only talking about the 6 leading up to the Avengers, and even at that they are only including the second Hulk movie, where I think they should have started with Hulk 1), select Cinemark theaters will let you watch them all for $20 for the set, assuming you are close enough to one of the theaters with the deal and they haven’t already sold out, while AMC has the same deal going for the same set of movies at twice the price. In order, the films for the marathons are: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor 3D, Captain America 3D, and The Avengers 3D.
Not exactly a top week for movies on DVD, the only genre flic I could find was Thunderstorm: Return of Thor, based on a comic book version of the god published by Fox Comics back in the 1940s. While I found the concept interesting, I am underwhelmed by its execution, and would sooner recommend the non-genre Haywire, which is at least a fun action romp. Or if you are interested in a documentary, Films Of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie is a lot of fun, giving some background and history along with some interviews to tell you how we got here.
In TV The Invisible Man: The Complete Series is the 1975 David McCallum version, which took place between his Man from Uncle and his VR.5 series. Also out this week, Curiosity with Stephen Hawkings has a first rate mind looking at the creation of the universe.
Story Corps: Animated Shorts is an animated subset of one of the biggest oral history projects ever attempted, put together by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. If you have been following their broadcasts on NPR or listening to their podcasts, you will probably want to check this one out.
In Anime the new release is Psychic Squad: Collection 1, a story of 3 young psychic girls and the guy who has to try to keep them on mission in the field. His survival, and the planet’s, are both in question. There streaming service is not available in my part of the world, depending on where you are you may have better luck (it is all a matter of licensing).
Finally, Dirty Pair: Features DVD Collection is being re-released by Right Stuff, becoming available for the first time in the US since ADV went out of business. If you already have ADV’s Dirty Pair Movie Collection this is the same set, but if you don’t it will bring you closer to completing your collection.
The maniacs at Robot Chicken have a new special coming out, and the target this time is the superheroes of DC Comics. I think the fun part is going to be the cast, which includes Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern); Megan Fox (Lois Lane); Seth Green (Aquaman, Batman, Robin); Neil Patrick Harris (Two-Face); Breckin Meyer (Superman); Alfred Molina (Lex Luthor); and Paul Reubens (The Riddler). It should be hitting the small screen some time this fall; thanks to Deadline for the heads up on this one.
The new animated silliness of Hotel Transylvania finally has a trailer I can actually post, not to mention an official web site now. This one looks like fun, and will be out some time in September.