San Diego: COMIC-CON 2005

[darkface]

http://www.comic-con.org/cci/layout/ccihdr_r1_c2.gif
July 14-17 2005

2004
http://joblo.com/newsimages1/con2004pic-17.jpg
2003
http://www.joblo.com/newsimages1/diego9.jpg
2002
http://www.joblo.com/sandiegocon2002/images/c38.jpg
2001
http://www.joblo.com/sandiegocon2001/images/con10-13.jpg
2000
http://www.joblo.com/sandiegocon2000/images/conpic21.jpg


Thanks to the recent preview of the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, I've been inspired to go back and read the old articles that JoBlo and The Arrow have made from their experiences of the event. I've been a huge fan of these articles ever since the first one way long ago. It's fun to look at the pictures as the years have gone by. You can even notice a big difference in The Arrows *cough* bulkyness ;).
This has to be one of my favorite times of the year for JoBlo.com because since I myself don't have the time to visit. (At least not until next year hopefully) By reading these articles it's as if I've toured the whole event, got drunk with Jo and Arrow, all without leaving my computer.
I figured I'd start a thread on the topic because I hope to inspire more Schmoes into reading their articles and spark up some good conversations of the event itself.
I have a request though... this year I want more pictures of chicks, beers in hand, and be sure to thank Bryan Singer and others like him who put those great internet vids and updates for the true movie fans!

Looking forward to the Comic-Con coverage!

[darkface]

Talked it over with the ol' wife, and it's set. Next year Mid- July we're going to travel from here (Phoenix) over to San Diego for the Comic-Con 2006, then up to LA to visit family for a couple of days, and then to Universal Studios! This will be the coolest vacation in some time. I'm so stoked and can't wait now!

[bowieee]

Comic con has got to be my favorite time of the year. Ever since I discovered it a few years ago I've gone every year and to me it's the creative center of the universe. I can't wait the two weeks left for when the madness starts up again!

[Lindsey]

I was going to go this year (Hell, I live in Oregon. Not too far away from San Diego!) but couldn't because of work. I'm for sure going next year because I'll be 18 and off on my own. So I can pretty much do whatever the fuck I want. :)

[Strider]

I'm really thinking about attending the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con. I've always wanted to go, and I almost went last year (I just couldn't find time in my schedule to do so). Hell, SD is only a little over an hour from where I live, so I don't have much of an excuse to miss out on the fun and excitement. If I decide to go, I probably will miss the preview night on Wednesday, as well as Thursday, and won't be able to make it until Friday. I'm going to try my damnest to go.

Strider

[Layer Change]

I'm going again this year. It'll be my new wife's first time so it's extra exciting. We'll be there Friday through Sunday.

By the way, anyone know where I can get one of those poster tubes with the strap for cheap?

[Scarfather]

Normally I don't really care about Comic-Con, but Darren Aronofsky being there has excited the hell out of me. Maybe they'll finally debue a trailer for the Fountain.

Here's hoping. ;)

[bowieee]

Originally posted by Strider
I'm really thinking about attending the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con. I've always wanted to go, and I almost went last year (I just couldn't find time in my schedule to do so). Hell, SD is only a little over an hour from where I live, so I don't have much of an excuse to miss out on the fun and excitement. If I decide to go, I probably will miss the preview night on Wednesday, as well as Thursday, and won't be able to make it until Friday. I'm going to try my damnest to go.

Strider

Strider Friday is going to be when the really interesting stuff starts so don't worry. The only presentation you'll really miss is David Cronenberg which is going to be interesting as hell.

LayerChange. If you look around on the showrrom floor you can usually find one for a decent price. I've never picked up one with a strap though so I couldn't give you a price range.

[bowieee]

Originally posted by Scarfather
Normally I don't really care about Comic-Con, but Darren Aronofsky being there has excited the hell out of me. Maybe they'll finally debue a trailer for the Fountain.

Here's hoping. ;)

There is a whole presentation on the movie.

Booyah!

I can't wait.

[darkface]

Deeply sadened to hear about JoBlo not going to this years San Diego Comic Con. :( Who listens to their doctor anyways?

Hope you get better, and hope to see you next year when I go.

[Strider]

Originally posted by darkface
Deeply sadened to hear about JoBlo not going to this years San Diego Comic Con. :( Who listens to their doctor anyways?

Hope you get better, and hope to see you next year when I go.

I heard about that. Tis' a shame. I was looking forward to meeting Joblo at the Comic-Con this year. But I suppose there's always next year. Get well, Jo!

Strider

[Strider]

Originally posted by bowieee
Strider Friday is going to be when the really interesting stuff starts so don't worry. The only presentation you'll really miss is David Cronenberg which is going to be interesting as hell.

There's been a change of plans. Not only will I be able to attend the preview night on Wednesday (I'm one of those 4-day preregistered members), but Thursday's activities as well. I know the big stuff takes place on Friday and Saturday, but I can't miss Thursday. I can't miss Cronenberg's A History of Violence panel, and especially not Bruce Campbell. I MUST meet Bruce Campbell, and try to get his autograph and a picture.

I can't wait! This is my first Comic-Con, and I'm pumped. It should be one spectacular event. :D

Strider

[Mike Sampson]

Originally posted by Strider
I was looking forward to meeting Joblo at the Comic-Con this year.


But you get to meet me! And that's just as good! Right?! Right?... Anyone? Bueller?...

[Layer Change]

Originally posted by Mike Sampson
But you get to meet me! And that's just as good! Right?! Right?... Anyone? Bueller?...
Even the crickets aren't saying anything.

Kidding! :D

Mike, will your autograph be just as hard to get as Jessica Alba's last year? Will I have to enter a raffle? :p

[Mike Sampson]

Even harder. If you come near me, I'll go Sean Penn on your ass. That's if you manage to get through my barrier of 300-lb bodyguards.

[bowieee]

Well it's preview night.

Wahoo! Let the 2005 Comic con festivities begin!

[Strider]

Well, I'm back from the preview night. It was awesome. There were thousands of people at the convention center. I wasn't expecting so many people, especially not at the preview night. I managed to get tickets for the advance screenings of Red Eye and The Island. Unfortunately, I probably will not be able to attend the Red Eye screening later tonight. I should be able to attend The Island screening on Friday night, however. Today, which is the official opening of the Comic-Con, I won't be there until the afternoon. There's no way I'm getting up early in the morning to leave, because I'm dead tired. I'll get up early for Friday and Saturday, since those are the most important days, but not today. Besides, all I care to see is Bruce Campbell and the History of Violence presentation with David Cronenberg. I'm going to miss the film panel for A Scanner Darkly, unfortunately.

BTW - I purchased a Master Replicas Star Wars FX lightsaber (Darth Vader, if you're curious) for $120. And I waited in line for about an hour (the line will get longer in the coming days, however). I'm really pissed off, however. And you know why? The lightsaber doesn't light up all the way! So know I have to go return the damn thing later today. I just hope they don't sell out of the other lightsabers. Fuckers! :D

Strider

[Mike Sampson]

What line was so long? The line to buy the lightsaber or the line to get inside?

[bowieee]

Strider you aint seen nothing yet. Yesterday is maybe 1/10th of the amount of people who show up on saturday.

Preview night was fun. I picked up an autographed book by terry moore and just pretty much enjoyed wandering around soaking in the con in all its glory.

[Layer Change]

The wife and I won't be able to start until Friday. I'm sure The Island tickets will be gone by then, but where did you get them?

Also, did anyone happen to see if autograph raffle tickets are being given for Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Eva Mendes or Stan Lee? If so, which booth? Thanks in advance!

I can't wait!

[Strider]

Alright, this is going to real quick and short. It's already 3:00 AM where I live, I haven't gone to sleep yet, and I have to wake up in a few hours. I'm not going to get any sleep this weekend. But you know what? To hell with sleep, this is the Comic-Con, baby! :D

- I arrived to the convention center at exactly 1:30 PM, and like I predicted, I missed the film panel for A Scanner Darkly. The people working at the Comic-Con wouldn't let me in the room, for the panel was already underway. Assholes! :mad:

- Bruce Campbell is THE MAN! His presentation was awesome - he was his usual hilarious self, and his interaction with the fans during the Q&A session was classic. I even got to ask him a question, which was pretty damn cool. The audience was treated to a trailer to his new film Sky High, clips from the new Evil Dead video game, an audio clip from the audio version of his latest book, and of course, the fantastic Q&A session. Also, Campbell provided his own thoughts on independent cinema and why it's worth supporting, and why he's frustrated with Hollywood. It's no surprise why so many people, including myself, think this man is so awesome.

- The History of Violence film panel with David Cronenberg was decent, but overall, a little underwhelming. It started off great, with the audience being treated to the film's trailer, as well as a violent, gory 5-minute clip of the film. It dragged halfway through, mostly due to David Poland's (he was interviewing Cronenberg and the film's scriptwriter) lack of interesting questions. The panel did pick up once Cronenberg started to answer the audience's questions, however. Nevertheless, despite my minor complaints, the panel was effective in making me excited to see A History of Violence in a couple of months.

- The Constantine panel for the film's upcoming DVD release was dreadfully, painfully boring. I should have left, but I didn't, mostly because there was going to be a raffle for prizes at the end of the panel, and also because I was enjoying the eye-candy that is Rachel Weisz too much. Director Francis Lawrence was a no-show, despite the fact that he was scheduled to participate in the panel. I don't think it says much about him, and I couldn't give a shit about whatever "excuse" he supposedly had about not attending. Quite a few people left the panel during the halfway mark, I can't say I blame them. The whole entire panel was 90 minutes of sheer boredom. And no, I didn't win a damn thing. What a waste of time, huh?

- I originally stated that I wasn't going to be able to attend the advance screening of Red Eye last night, but there were a change of plans as the evening approached. I decided to attend the screening, however, I didn't get into the theater. There were hundreds of people in line when I arrived, and many people (including myself) were screwed out of a screening. I didn't let that stop me from attending at least one film screening, however. I headed back to the convention center, and I attended a screening of a foreign dark comedy from Spain titled El Crimen Perfecto (The Perfect Crime). The man himself, Bruce Campbell, introduced the film. As for the film itself, I absolutely loved it! It was quirky, clever, fresh, well-acted, well-written, and side-splitting hilarious. The audience had a fun time as well. I hope it plays at my local independent/arthouse theaters, because I want to see it again. It's definitely worth the price of admission.

- And last, but not least, I returned my lightsaber and got a new one (Darth Vader, from Episode 5). And it works! I think I may take it with me today... :D

That's it for now. The second day of the Comic-Con will be underway in several hours, and it's definitely going to be a HUGE day. I'm not going to get any sleep, but it'll be worth it. I'm out.

Strider

[Strider]

Originally posted by Mike Sampson
What line was so long? The line to buy the lightsaber or the line to get inside?

Both, I would say.

[Strider]

Originally posted by Layer Change
The wife and I won't be able to start until Friday. I'm sure The Island tickets will be gone by then, but where did you get them?

In order to get tickets for the screenings, you had to stop by the Dreamworks booth. They were passing them to out to the people, but eventually, towards the end of the night, they stopped. I doubt there's any more now. Later tonight, if you want to see The Island, you could head off to theater, and offer to pay someone for their ticket. :D

Strider

[bowieee]

Strider I was at the Bruce Cambell presentation. WHich question did you ask?

Yeah the Bruce Cambell session was a hoot. :)

I really enjoyed the Ren and Stimpy presentation and it was facinating to see the man responsible for it's madness showing clips and lost episodes as well as extremely mature ren and stimpy work they want to market straight to dvd.

On the finding cool stuff side I got an autographed picture of cronenberg which made my year. The movie A History of violence looks really good and I'm stoked about it premiering in a few months. I also got a small illustration of delirum drawn for me from Sandman/Scary Godmother artist Jill Thompson which also made me do a jig of joy.

[Strider]

Day two of the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con is in the books, and to be honest, even though I had a fun time, I had much more fun on Thursday. I arrived at the convention center at 11:00 AM sharp. I was amazed by the MASSIVE line to get into Hall H, where the Warner Brothers panel was taking place. The line moved quickly (due to the fact that the hall fits close to 7,000 people), but it was still a pretty long line. I spent the whole day at Hall H, so here's a quick rundown.

- The highlight was definitely the WB presentation. I missed half of the V for Vendetta panel, but I did see some of it. Natalie Portman was incredibly sweet and charming, and she also seemed to be down-to-earth. I absolutely loved the Corpse Bride panel, and was pleasently surprised at how long a clip the audience was shown. I loved the clip - it looks bloody brilliant. I can't wait to see it in theaters. The exclusive Comic-Con trailer for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was awesome, although I was disappointed that no one was at the Comic-Con to speak about the film. And last, but certainly not least, Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain - his first film in six long years, since Requiem for a Dream. Aronofsky presented the audience with a 10-minute clip, which was quite solid, despite the fact that it was so confusing. However, I believe Aronofsky intentionally wanted to confuse the audience. He sounded quite enthusiastic about the project, and it appeared that he truly believed it was worth the six years. Rachel Weisz, who stars in the film, attended the panel as well. She looked gorgeous, if I might add. Overall, I was mighty impressed with the WB presentation. And it was quite nice of them to give everyone who attended the presentation a goodie bag as well.

- After the WB's presentation, the audience was treated to something called "trailer park," in which you get to see 40-45 minutes of the newest trailers. It was a blast. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe received the biggest pops from the crowd.

- Sony's first presentation at the 2005 Comic-Con didn't deliver anything to get excited about. Jon Favreau was there to talk about his new film, Zathura. The audience was treated to a new trailer, and a 10-minute clip. The film looks decent, but nothing spectacular. Also, a new trailer for The Legend of Zorro was premiered during the presentation. I suppose it looked okay. Boring presentation, overall.

- Disney's presentation was dreadfully lethargic, and I found myself nearly falling asleep numerous time. It featured panels for Chicken Little, Sky High, Toy Story (10th anniversary DVD), and Cars. I did enjoy the Sky High panel, however, but that was mostly because Bruce Campbell was there. The audience was shown a teaser trailer for Cars as well. I thought it looked bloody awful, but it's just a teaser. This was, without a doubt, the worst presentation of all the presentations which took place in Hall H.

- The Star Wars spectacular concluded the presentations at Hall H. Even though I enjoyed myself, it was quite disappointing. Why, you ask? I don't know, perhaps because it just wasn't all that exciting. The audience was shown trailers for the latest SW video games, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a never-before-seen deleted scene, and a short film. Also, the voice actor who was responsible for providing the voice of General Grevious attended the presentation. The best part of the entire presentation was the short film entitled The Journey. The presentation, as a whole, was decent and entertaining enough, but it was devoid of excitement. Perhaps the lack of excitement was a direct result of the fact that there will be no more SW films.

- Unfortunately, I didn't attend the advance screening of The Island last night. I arrived at the theater early, much earlier than I did for the Red Eye screening (of course, I didn't get into that one, since the theater was full). There were HUNDREDS of people waiting in line. The line was so unbelievably long, my jaw fell wide open. I decided I had no chance in hell of making it inside the theater, so I left. It's not that big of deal, since the film's opening in less than a week.

Well, I'm done. Today will be another important day for the Comic-Con, and I'm looking forward to it. During the presentations at Hall H yesterday, it was announced there would be surprise guests today. Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel will be at the Comic-Con to talk about Stealth, as well as a mysterious star from Peter Jackson's King Kong. It should be a great time. With that, so long and farewell, for now.

Strider

[Strider]

Originally posted by bowieee
Strider I was at the Bruce Cambell presentation. WHich question did you ask?

Well, during the course of the Q&A session, Bruce was talking about Hollywood couples such as Ben Affleck/Jennifer Garner and Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie. Therefore, I took advantage of the opportunity provided, and I asked Bruce the most worthless, pointless question of the entire Q&A session: "Since you're talking about couples, what do you think about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes?" Of course, he responded with: "I couldn't give a rat's ass." I loved the way he said it - priceless.

Speaking of Bruce Campbell, I ran into him over at The Gaslamp (the place where all the restaurants and shops are located, across from the convention center). When I saw him walking towards me, I wasn't planning on speaking to him, but I immediately changed my mind and said to him: "Hey, Bruce!" He was talking on his cell phone when I said this, but he did give me a head nod. He probably thought I was one crazy son of a bitch for speaking to him. It was an awesome 5-second experience, though. And I have no regrets about my actions. :D

Strider

[darkface]

That's fkn awesome strider. Keep it coming. Can't believe you got to say stuff to him. And for him to give you a kickass response. :) Hopefully you didn't take it personally at first eh, but still classic :)

[Strider]

The best way to describe day three of the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con would be this: chaos. As I expected, more people attended the Comic-Con yesterday than the previous days. Once I arrived at the convention center at 10:30 AM, I immediately took my place in line to enter Hall H. The line was not only longer than Friday's line, but it also took much longer to enter the hall. For holding close to 7,000 people, there wasn't enough room for everyone in Hall H. Here's a quick recap of yesterday's panels and presentations:

- Unfortunately, due to my late arrival, and the massive line to enter Hall H, I missed the Superman Returns panel with director Bryan Singer. Despite the fact that I'm not a Superman fan, nor am I excited for the film, I'm still pissed off that I missed the panel. I wanted to hear what Singer had to say about the film, as well as his answers to the audience's questions.

- The first panel I did attend was for Paramount Pictures new science-fiction film, Aeon Flux. The film's star, Charlize Theron, headlined the panel along with co-star Marton Csokas, the film's director and producers, and the creator of the anime series of the same name (which the film is adapted from). The audience was shown exclusive footage and the full-length trailer. I'm not at all familiar with anime series, but the film's concept is slightly intriguing. As for the film itself, judging by the footage and trailer, it looks decent, but it's nothing I'm excited for. I like the visual style and costume design of the film, and Charlize Theron looks smoking hot. I think it could be a fun popcorn flick, but I also think it could be an absolute mess. So it could go either way, in my opinion. As for the panel, the only thing I'd like to mention is Theron's lack of personality, charisma, and energy. She looked hot with her sexy outfit, but she was too serious throughout the panel.

- Kevin Smith's presentation was awesome and hilarious. He talked about projects he's currently working on amongst other topics, and participated in a Q&A session. Unsurprisingly, he made a lot of crude jokes, cursed relentlessly, and verbally assaulted some of the attendees. His presentation wasn't as awesome as Bruce Campbell's, but he still kicked ass. Towards the end of the presentation, Smith introduced Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, who was supposed to talk about his new film entitled Southland Tales. To my great disappointment, Kelly hardly said a thing about his new film, mostly because the Comic-Con officials only gave him several minutes to deliver some kind of a presentation. And needless to say, Kelly found it to be quite difficult to deliver an effective presentation with only several minutes and the Comic-Con officials rushing him.

- After the Kevin Smith presentation, panels for Joss Whedon's Serenity and a new horror flick called Slither followed. To be honest, I didn't care for either panel. I'm not a fan of Serenity, and I wasn't interested in Slither. As a result, I was bored out of my mind, and I refused to leave because I would lose my seat.

- Sony's second presentation was quite superior than their first on Friday. The first panel was for Underworld: Evolution, the sequel to 2003's Underworld. Director Len Wiseman, and stars Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman attended the panel to talk about the film and answer the audience's questions. Wiseman treated the audience to a cool piece of footage from the film, and like its predecessor, Underworld: Evolution looks action-packed, visually stunning, and quite dark. However, unlike the first, this sequel seems to have a couple of sex scenes, including one with Kate Beckinsale herself. Overall, a solid panel. I enjoyed the first Underworld film, and the sequel looks just as fun. It won't be in theaters until next January, however. By the way, Beckinsale was nothing but sheer beauty, charm, and pearly-white smiles. Next, a panel for the remake of John Carpenter's The Fog. The film's director and star Maggie Grace attended. The audience was shown an exclusive trailer for the film. It looks very mediocre, and nothing I'm interested in seeing at the moment. Finally, the highly anticipated panel for Marvel's next comic book adaptation, Ghost Rider. Director Mark Steven Johnson, beautiful co-star Eva Mendes, and Avi Arad were in attendance. Johnson showed the audience an unfinished trailer for Ghost Rider. Before the trailer was shown, he let us all know there was no shot of Ghost Rider in the trailer yet (the audience was shown a teaser poster, however, which had Ghost Rider on it. Awesome stuff.). The trailer was decent enough, but it just wasn't dark or gritty enough for me. Then again, the trailer is still unfinished, and needs more work. I can't really comment any more than that on the film. I do like the casting, especially Peter Fonda as Mephisto. I think Wes Bently as Blackheart is the wildcard in the casting. Ghost Rider is one of my favorite comic book characters, and I'm looking forward to it.

- Universal followed next with a surprise panel for Stealth, with director Rob Cohen, and stars Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, and Josh Lucas participating. It wasn't the best panel ever, but Foxx's interaction with the audience and his energy was great. The film looks incredibly ridiculous, but it could solid popcorn entertainment. King Kong was the next panel, and it opened with a recorded presentation from a very slim-looking Peter Jackson, who introduced the film's trailer and an exclusive scene. The exclusive scene was the battle between King Kong and the T-Rex - it was awesome, and quite brutal. After that was finished, stars Adrien Brody, Naomi Watts, and Jack Black made a surprise appearance to answer questions. Most of the questions were directed to Black, and hardly any were about King Kong, but about other projects and Tenacious D. Black definitely overshadowed Brody and Watts. The Q&A session was still entertaining, even though I would have appreciated all King Kong questions, and the questions evenly divided between the three stars.

- Tenacious D concluded yesterday's panels/presentations at Hall H with a live performance of songs off their latest album from their film Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, as well as some of their most famous tunes. I'm not a Tenacious D fan, but they certainly put on one hell of a show. The audience was pumped up to the max, and the entire hall was roaring with sheer energy and excitement. A great finish for Hall H.

- Along with the Superman Returns panel, I also missed the masquerade party at the Sails Pavillion. I was planning on attending, but a change of plans prevented me from doing so. Perhaps next year, if I'm still alive.

Another day, another recap. Today is the fourth and final day of the Comic-Con. It shouldn't be that long of a day, since there's only a few things I want to check out. Until I return, I'm out.

Strider

[darkface]

Awesome post. I love reading your updates.
Sounds like your having a good time. Can't believe how packed it gets.

[Strider]

Unfortunately, the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con, and my very first Comic-Con experience, has come to an end. What a bittersweet day this final day was. Once the clock struck 5:00 PM, a wave of sadness came over me, because I knew it was all over. The whole experience, to be quite honest, flew by so fast. Overall, I had one hell of a fun time. A completely unforgettable experience. If you haven't been to the San Diego Comic-Con, I highly, strongly recommend that you experience it for yourself some year. Granted, reading the reports/coverage, and looking at the pictures from the event is great, but it doesn't capture the excitement of attending the event in person with all the stars, exhibitors, and of course, the people. So if you ever have a chance of attending the Comic-Con some year, don't even think about it, just make plans and go.

As for the final day of the Comic-Con, it was a short one. I arrived at the convention center at 11:00 AM, and to my great surprise, the line to enter Hall H was incredibly short. I was quite happy about this, because I knew I would be able to get some awesome seats. And I did get some awesome seats. Anyway, here's the recap:

- Cry Wolf, a horror flick, was the first panel of the day in Hall H. The director won some contest that allowed him to direct a film for a $1,000,000 budget. The audience was shown the film's trailer and a short clip, neither of which looked interesting or "creepy" in the slightest. Cry Wolf opens in theaters in September, I believe. And there's really not much else to say about this panel than that.

- The Doom panel followed immediately after, and the audience was certainly excited about it. The film's lead actors, The Rock and Karl Urban, as well as the producers amongst others, were in attendance. The first thing shown to the audience was the film's teaser trailer, which looked pretty damn cool. Next, the audience was treated to exclusive scene from the film. The scene opens with Karl Urban's character, who appears to be in a room all alone. He looks at himself in the mirror, then exits the room. The monsters start appearing out of nowhere, and he shoots them down, one by one. The best thing about this scene is the camera angle, which is a first-person shooter angle. It's right out of the video game that the film is adapted from! During the scene, all you see is Urban's huge gun. The scene was awesome, and the crowd roared with applause afterwards. A very entertaining Q&A session followed the exclusive clip. Also, the producers revealed that Doom will definitely be rated R, and will not be watered down to earn a PG-13 rating. Overall, I thought the panel was pretty solid. Doom has potential to be one kick-ass video game adaptation, in my opinion. The film opens October 21st, just in time for Halloween.

- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe concluded Hall H's panels/presentations for the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con. Personally, I thought this panel was one of the best panels at the Comic-Con this year. Director Andrew Adamson, the film's producer, and the child actors did not attend the panel in person, but they did attend the panel live via satellite from London. Attending the panel in person were some of those responsible for the film's visual effects and costume design. The audience was treated to a teaser trailer (the same one playing in theaters), plus a Comic-Con exclusive of a bloody fantastic montage from the film. My favorite part of the montage was Aslan the Lion slowly walking towards Tilda Swinton's White Witch. During the Q&A session, Adamson officially announced that Liam Neeson is providing the voice of Aslan. Also, he (Adamson) commented on the possibility of the other six C.S. Lewis "Narnia" books being adapted into films. He believes the other books will be made into films, but he doesn't see himself directing them all. As I said, this was one of the best panels. C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" was a significant part of my childhood, and I'm dying in anticipation to see what Andrew Adamson has done with the first installment of the series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. By the way, everyone who attended the panel received an exclusive Comic-Con pin and poster from the film.

- After the Hall H panels ended, I took one final stroll through the exhibit hall, then I attended a screening of the latest Muppets film, The Muppets of Oz. I believe this film premiered on ABC a few months ago, but I cannot confirm that. As for the film, it was decent at best. There were quite a few memorable moments and lines spread throughout the film. Towards the end, it started to drag a bit, but still decent enough.

That's it. The 2005 San Diego Comic-Con is in the books, and so is my first time Comic-Con experience. If I'm still alive, I hope to do it all over again next year. Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to catch up on some sleep. I literally have not been sleeping whatsoever since the Comic-Con began... but it was worth it. :D

Strider

[Layer Change]

Thanks for the write-ups, Strider! It was really nice to relive the stuff I did see and get filled-in on the stuff I didn't.

[bowieee]

Strider...

The superman panel was awesome. They made a comic con exclusive trailer and the whole entire room gave it a standing ovation. So much so that they ran it again. I'm too worn out to go over every thing I saw but this years con was by far my favorite of all the ones I've been too. I've been wanting to see Tenacious D for over a decade and finally I got my wish.

[darkface]

Awesome stuff. An exclusive trailer from comic con? that's so pimp. Well, now that it's over it's just a count-down till next year for me. :)

[darkface]

Good for you JoBlo for posting up Strider's posts about the Comic-Con. It's well deserved since Strider's writing was a great read for some people who weren't able to go.

Cheers.

[Strider]

Originally posted by bowieee
Strider...

The superman panel was awesome. They made a comic con exclusive trailer and the whole entire room gave it a standing ovation. So much so that they ran it again. I'm too worn out to go over every thing I saw but this years con was by far my favorite of all the ones I've been too. I've been wanting to see Tenacious D for over a decade and finally I got my wish.

Wow. That's awesome, bowieee. I have a question about the exclusive Superman Returns trailer: how did Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey look as Superman and Lex Luthor respectively? Anyway, I'm glad you had a blast. I did as well.

Thanks for the comments on the recaps, darkface and Layer Change. Appreciate it. And a BIG thank you to Joblo for actually using my coverage for Days #1 and #4 on the site.

Strider

[Layer Change]

Hey Strider congrats from me also on your write-ups getting on the front page.

I'll throw in my two pennies on Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns. He looked great! The shaved head plus that trademark Spacey smirk...lol. Bryan Singer said he had just started shooting with Spacey and the two were having a blast with his ad-libs.

At the panel, one of the fans asked: "Is Lex Luthor Keyser Soze?" :D

[Scarfather]

I didn't get to go and I'm hearing about all this new stuff. :(

I'm pretty sure the Superman Returns, Goblet of Fire, and Fountain footage was all Comic-Con exclusive. :(

*cries*

Don't leave the Internetskis out.

[bowieee]

Strider,

Both looked fucking fantastic. Spacey had only arrived on the set a few days before comic con so there was only one scene with him in the trailer but just the look of it had everyone cheering. I can't emphasize enough how good this movie is looking.

On another note after reading what question you asked at the cambell presentation I realized I was sitting like 6 rows back right behind you. I remember you standing up and asking about Tom and katie. :)

[Strider]

Originally posted by bowieee
On another note after reading what question you asked at the cambell presentation I realized I was sitting like 6 rows back right behind you. I remember you standing up and asking about Tom and katie. :)

Very cool. Asking Bruce Campbell a question at his presentation was my favorite moment of the Comic-Con. And running into Campbell the next day was pretty awesome as well. ;)

If I attend next year's Comic-Con, and if Bruce Campbell has another presentation, I'll make sure to ask him another worthless question. :D

Strider

[chinton]

See Cry Wolf its a grea t film. I was impressed. Im sorry I have to support the movie since it looks like I will be one of the few