Brandon Undead

New Transformers series, who’da guessed?

Alright, class, your “Milking a License 101” class in now in session! With their first live action movie set to drop any time now, the Transformers are gearing up for a new animated series on Cartoon Network as well. This will be the first time Cartoon Network has aired a Transformers series co-produced by Hasbro, the original creators of the Transformers toys. Previous series were co-produced by Japanese toymaker Takara.

The series, aptly titled Transformers: Animated, takes a selection of heroic Autobots whom I have loved for some 13 years now, and “recreates” them as a super-hero team, fighting not the super-villain Decepticons we’ve loved to hate for so long, but evil humans. It’s basically sounding like Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers without the undeniably radical giant monsters. I mean, 40-foot-tall robots that turn into heavy machinery beating up on humans with mischievous plans seems a little lopsided doesn’t it? Ah well, Captain Planet could turn into a liquid hurricane of fire and brimstone with mind-reading capabilities, and all he ever got to go up against was environmentally uncontientious humans. Oh wait! They did have that guy made of rocks! Was his name Duke Nukem? Oh geez, and the pig guy! And the threat of global warming! Damn it, okay, Captain Planet sounds cooler than Transformers: Animated, too.

The idea is to give the Autobots “more human qualities”, so as to make it easier for emotionally devoid children without parents to identify with someone, anyone, even if it’s just a cold crime-fighting machine.

Cartoon Network’s Bog Higgins tells Cartoon Network:

“We’ve used the basic Transformers and characters as a springboard, but then we’re pretty much reimagining the whole thing. What we’re doing with it is basically turning it into a superheroes story. We’re really excited that we’re able to take this decades-old property and hopefully turn it into something that kids haven’t seen or expected from a Transformers series before.”

Why are they doing this to me? Why are they picking my childhood apart, one beloved merchandise marketing scheme at a time? I hear they’re making new He-Man and Thundercats films to rub in my face, too. Next thing you know G.I. Joe and Mask will have sing-along Christmas specials by 2010!

26 episodes will be produced initially, along with a 90-minute launch episode. The staff includes supervising director Matt Youngberg (Teen Titans / The Batman), executive producer Sam Register (Ben 10 / Teen Titans), character designs by Derrick Wyatt (Teen Titans), and head writer Marty Isenberg (X-Men / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). After preproduction is completed at Cartoon Network Studios, Animation will be done by Japanese studio Mook.

[Via IGN. Big ups to Feldman!]

No Doubt re-unite, “Surprise,” she says.

NOTE: If you’re reading this from the front page, you’re not going to see the videos. I don’t know why that is. Either click “More” at the bottom of this post or click the “BLOG” link at the top of the page to see what’s going on.

Believe it or not, I feel that there was a time that No Doubt did not totally suck. Back before Gwen Stefani’s solo effort hit us with the mind-numbingly stupid lines, “This shit is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!” she put on a hell of a show jumping, flailing, contorting, and wailing to Orange County flavored pop rock. I used to be in love with Gwen.This past weekend, Orange County was treated to a very special surprise when the rest of No Doubt took the stage during Gwen’s encore performance, and they cranked out some old No Doubt tunes. Above is I’m Just a Girl, followed by the much inferior It’s My Life, both performed beneath the din of hundreds of screaming pre-pubescent girls.Supposedly, the band is back in the studio, recording a new record due out next year. Here’s hoping the band makes a return to it’s ska/punk influenced roots. Hit the jump for Spiderwebs.

First image from “Where the Wild Things Are” film

If you told me that you thought Where the Wild Things Are was the greatest book ever written, I would not argue with you. During my childhood, I read and re-read that story so many times I knew it by heart. With that in mind, I am absolutely geeking over the fact that a live action production is being made by Spike Jonez. Now, in addition to being the greatest book ever written, Where the Wild Things Are may become the greatest film ever made. Do you hear me, Spike Jonez? GREATEST FILM EVER MADE! Don’t you mess it up!MTV Movies Blog has produced this (appropriately branded) first image of the movie, which already looks wonderful. Jesus, I can’t wait. Click the thumbnail below for the awesome full-size image.

[Via Aint It Cool News]

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, New Scans!

Squee! I <3 Metroid.European gaming mag Play has gotten hold of some hot new images of the upcoming Wii title, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and I’ve got to say, it’s looking very nice. I’ve been awesome enough to gallery them below for your viewing pleasure. No need to thank me. Just cross your fingers and hope I don’t get sued.

Kill Bill Volumes 3 & 4. Maybe?

Word on the street is that E. Bennet Walsh, an executive producer of Kill Bill, could be spilling the beans on upcoming sequels. He says Quentin Tarantino has plots worked up for two new films following the Beatrix legacy, and that he may travel to China to shoot the sequels. From FilmIck

Part 3 would revolve around the revenge of two members of the Crazy 88s. Part 4 would focus on the daughters of Beatrix Kiddo and Vernita Green getting square, as was previously rumoured. Some even claim that the (previously unrevealed) daughters of Elle Driver and Gogo Yubari would also feature.

And from Xinhua:

When asked which Chinese director he wants to cooperate with, Walsh said he would most like to work with Jiang Wen, director of Xun Qiang, or “Missing Gun”.

“I also want to collaborate with younger directors. I believe there are many outstanding young directors in China who have not been brought into the light,” Walsh said.

While I would love to see some more of Beatrix whoopin’ up on the Crazy 88’s, it’s unlikely that we’ll see either of these coming down the pipes in the very near future. The Big T. (as nobody calls him) is a very busy man, and unless he wants to entrust The Bride to members of his schlock champ camp (Eli Roth, perhaps?), these could be back-burnered for a while.

[Via If It’s Movies]

Nick Fury is Sam Jackson is Nick Fury

Aint It Cool News is telling me that Samuel L. Jackson is shooting today on the upcoming independant Marvel film, Iron Man, as… wait for it… Colonel Nick Fury!

There are two reason I find this news particularly interesting. First, and least significantly, is that Nick Fury originally is a white dude. It looks like they’ve chosen to represent the more recently conceived “Ultimate Nick Fury”, a character from a new Marvel alternate-universe sort of dealy that is obviously very much based on Sam Jackson. Secondly, Nick Fury’s name is being tossed around in conjunction with other Marvel film rumors rolling around. An Avengers movie is supposedly in the works, and there’s even been talk of Nick Fury having a film all to himself. Is Sam Jackson’s appearance in this role indicative of future casting decisions, or will they just change actors on us mid-stream? Guess we’ll see!