A recent episode of 30 Rock features an intriguing idea for a theme restaurant ... and guest appearances from some familiar giant monsters (in a non-legally actionable way). 
Here's an early trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, hitting theaters July 2011. Director Michael Bay returns for this third entry of the Transformers franchise, as do Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. The supporting cast includes John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.
Bleeding Cool points out how the trailers for Ultraman Zero and Green Lantern look similar ... because they are both inspired by E. E. Doc Smith’s Lensman series, a space opera about a galactic police force. The six novels in the series were serialized in science fiction magazines in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1950s, Smith revised them into the six-volume set of novels we have today.
Christmas Day 2010, Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol gets some sort of temporal update with The Doctor. BBC America airs the Doctor Who 2010 Christmas Special: A Christmas Carol on Dec. 25, 2010 at 9pm/8c.
Very interest interview clips wherein the cast and crew outline some of the ways their prequel plans to answer questions raised in John Carpenter's 1982 monster movie The Thing: All the John Carpenter Easter Eggs in The Thing's prequel
Hitting DVD this October is the 2009 daikaiju movie Demeking, The Sea Monster. Here's a plot synopsis from website Nippon Cinema, which also has a trailer:Set in a dreary port town in 1970, the story revolves around a group of boys led by the older Kameoka (Kohei Kiyasu) who form their own exploration group. One day Kameoka meets a strange man named Hachiya (Takeshi Nadagi) who works at the local amusement park. Hachiya is convinced a vision of the future he experienced is real, and one day he will have to fight a giant monster called Demeking to stop it from destroying Tokyo. When the time comes, Hachiya suddenly up and leaves. However, with the guidance of a note he leaves behind, Kameoka and his friends set off on an adventure to discover the true nature of Demeking.
Official Press ReleaseThe biggest star in motion pictures prepares to wreak havoc once again! IDW Publishing is thrilled to announce a partnership with Toho Co., Ltd. to create all-new GODZILLA comics. Starting in 2011, Godzilla will smash his way back onto the scene with a cast of characters from his films never before seen in comics.Related links:
“This new series will be monsters and mayhem, but most importantly, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Yukio Kotaki of Toho. “Godzilla has been gone from comics for too long and we feel that IDW is the perfect company to welcome him back in 2011.”
In addition to the King of the Monsters himself, the new comics from IDW Publishing and Toho Co., Ltd. will feature many of Godzilla’s friends and foes, including MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH, RODAN and more that have never before been featured in an American comic book series alongside Godzilla. With an impressive cast of monsters both old and new, IDW’s series will treat fans to both familiar themes and original takes on the pop culture legends that have stomped, smashed, and fought their way across movie screens for over five decades.
“Not only is Godzilla known worldwide, he’s loved worldwide, too. Having a film career with more than 25 movies and going on a 56-year span pretty much solidifies you as a legend, and IDW is really looking forward to contributing to that legacy,” said Chris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in Chief for IDW Publishing. “We wanted Godzilla to return to comics, but this time we wanted him to have some company. I think fans will be pleased with the monster guest appearances, which will really offer something for every fan of these films. There are the classic characters, but there are also a few surprises, too.”
Debuting in February 2011, fans can expect to see a number of unique storylines from some of the industry’s top creators. Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.
Just posted this on my comics blog, and wanted to pass along the word here, too. From Robot 6:Renowned artist Steve Rude and his family are in danger of losing their home, so the co-creator of Nexus is auctioning art in hopes of raising the money to meet a Nov. 15 deadline.Related links:
Tonight, the wife and I watched the recent Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 
episode "Battle of the Humungonauts" -- and were delighted to find it to be a riff on the 1966 Toho classic War of the Gargantuas
. The episode even included a club scene where the singer performed "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat"!
Press Release:ROBOT-13 “COLOSSUS” COLLECTED IN ITALIAN TRADE PAPERBACK EDITION
Critically-acclaimed mini-series collection slated for October release from Italian publisher BAO
BUTLER, NJ (September, 2010) – One of the most talked-about indie comics of recent years is R-13, aka Robot-13. The story of a skull-headed robot with an irresistible instinct to battle mythological creatures captured the imaginations of comic book fans the world over. The ensuing coverage was widespread, well beyond the expectations of its co-creators, writer Thomas Hall and artist Daniel Bradford of Blacklist Studios.
“It’s really taken on a life of its own,” said Hall. “We have been interviewed by reporters from websites in Germany and Australia, seen our book raved about by Spanish and Portuguese comic reviewers and magazines in Canada and the UK have done pieces on Robot 13.”
Among R-13’s many champions is MTV’s Rick Marshall, an editor of the network’s movie, pop culture and comic book news site, “The Splash Page.” Rick called R-13 the “Best Under-the-Radar Comic Series” to debut in 2009.
This October, readers in Italy will have an opportunity to discover what all the excitement is about with the release of the ROBOT-13 COLOSSO! trade paperback collection from Italian publisher BAO. The collection will mark the first time the “R-13: Colossus” comic book mini-series has been compiled in paperback form.
BAO will debut the collection during Italy's premier pop culture event, the Lucca Comics & Games 2010 convention, held in the medieval city of Lucca, in the Tuscan hills. ROBOT 13: COLOSSO! will premiere alongside BAO's other Fall new releases, including a hardcover edition of Jeff Smith and Charles Vess's “Rose” and Mike Allred's “Red Rocket 7.”
“A relatively unknown property such as “ROBOT 13” represents BAO's attempt to bring more attention to a title that is absolutely deserving of sitting on the same shelves as the works of such a parade of illuminati,” says Michele Foschini, Publishing Manager of BAO Publishing. “Thanks to the positive word of mouth on American fan press, BAO was the first foreign publisher to offer Blacklist an international deal, and is proud of the honor.”
The 6,2" x 9,45" square-bound paperback includes 96 full color pages and retails for eleven euros. It features a white matte laminated cover with an all-new illustration by Daniel Bradford specially created for this edition. The book will be made available to specialty comics and graphic arts stores throughout Europe and in regular chain and independent bookstores, thanks to BAO's integrated distribution system, provided by Alastor and De Agostini, two of Italy’s distribution powerhouses.
“We are very pleased to have a company like BAO handle our first ever paperback collection,” says Robot 13 writer Thomas Hall. “Their past work shows how devoted they are to quality representations of American comics for European audiences.”
BAO’s work has not gone unnoticed. Recently the company was chosen by Planeta DeAgostini to be their exclusive supplier of Italian translations for their entire DC Comics line.
Packed with action, intrigue and poignancy, the “Colossus!” storyline is just the beginning of what Hall and Bradford plan to be an ongoing saga for their robot hero.
“We’ve only partially revealed R-13’s origins and the meaning behind his mission,” teases Hall. “There are more stories to tell about this skull-headed robot warrior. It may sound clichéd but it truly is an epic-in-the-making!”
, "Revolt in the 5th Dimension" finds the webslinger up against The Infinita of Dimensia 5: As a key researcher for the Library of Garth crashes on Earth, it's up to Spider-Man to protect the entire library that's been saved on a tiny jewel! Will our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man be able to defeat the X-Ray Intelligence of the Infinata, or will he submit to their devious mind games? 
The next round of Doctor Who will actually be two rounds: The BBC and Steven Moffat say the 2011 season will be split into two blocks -- Easter and Autumn -- with a "game-changing" cliffhanger in the middle. "The split series is hugely exciting," Moffat told the Edinburgh International Television Festival. "Because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas!!"
Coming to DVD and Blu-ray in a new edition is King Kong knock-off The Mighty Peking Man
(or, as the Blu-ray is labeled, Sword Masters: The Mighty Peking Man
):King Kong goes Hong Kong in this unique Shaw Brothers spin on the ageless theme of beauty and the beast. The beast, seven stories high and hailing from the Himalayas, loves Swiss beauty Evelyn Kraft, a sexy blonde Tarzanette who is also the object of lust from a sleazy show-biz promoter. Will the handsome young explorer save her from what was then Hong Kong s highest building? The action, Indian locations, and inter-racial romance made Variety reach this verdict: High camp, Chinese style. An outrageous adventure that never takes itself too seriously -- treat yourself to a guilty pleasure that has entertained critics and late-night movie audiences everywhere!
Kaname Chidori’s one of the most popular girls at her high school – unfortunately, it’s her growing popularity off campus she should be worrying about. Unbeknownst to Kaname, terrorists are plotting her abduction, believing she possesses the rare and coveted abilities of “the Whispered.”
That’s where Sousuke Sagara enters the picture. He’s a hotshot soldier from the clandestine counter-terrorist organization known as Mithril – and he’s going undercover at Kaname’s school to try and keep her safe. He may be an ace in the cockpit of an Arm Slave mech, but there’s no training in the world that could prepare him for the warzone of high school ...
There's a trailer making the rounds for the upcoming movie Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage -- with a voiceover from Patrick Stewart and what looks to be old-school stop-motion animation. The plot: When the Sultan's first born is taken by an evil sorcerer, Sinbad is tasked with traveling to a desert of magic and creatures to save her.
Without any help from a publisher or outside money, indie comics creators Thom Hall and Daniel Bradford have pushed past 100,000 downloads for their steampunk robot-vs-giant monsters epic Robot 13.
Coming to DVD in a couple weeks: From the same minds that brought us the 1950s sci-fi/horror send-up The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
comes the sequel ... THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN
!
The 2011 film Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the imagination of a young girl in the 1950s about to be lobotomized. As she attempts to escape an asylum with her inmate friends, her dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Director Zack Snyder describes the film as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns" -- which, as you can see from the trailer, includes dragons, samurai, and B-52 bombers.
New kaiju on DVD and Blu-ray from Tokyo Shock: DEATH KAPPA
(2010)
Just in time to coincide with the DVD of Clash of the Titans
(2010), Eagle One Media and comics company Bluewater Productions have released a new special edition DVD of the motion comic Wrath of the Titans
, a sequel to the original film. Making it a movie based on a comic based on a movie. (Or something like that.) Incidentally, it also comes with a comic book.Developed under the guidance of legendary SFX artist Ray Harryhausen comes an all new Sequel-Style story to the original Clash of the TitansWatch the first four minutes:: Five years have passed since the legendary Perseus defeated the evil Gorgon Medusa, killed the Kraken and assumed the crown of Argos. Things seemed idyllic throughout the kingdom and news of an heir put the citizens in a celebratory mood. Yet lurking in the shadows is the one being in Argos simmering with hate and discontent. Calibus, once though dead, was let out of the Underworld by Hades and looks to take his revenge on the Pretender and his family. Perseus stole his bride, stole his position, stole Zeus favor, stole his life and now Calibus looks to take it all back ...
![Gamera Vs. Gyaos / Gamera Vs. Viras [Double Feature]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AHs97-nc9wUk8EeWoOv7itGUv5uGyA8V6yt6GE_CWqlJzbdVSklxLJW5Dn028qajlIjDgleRNKBT206KHI3kCcDUF8lynPGNPKDY15DcXQOm0vESGEIcs3yVyPxcdc06OuO-eHz4QSSzELyxq9kMgZX4Kk4NiZbeZOaEAQM4RjOqO-i1oojQpav-bjPf48-NVOYOakRJWuDjZZlvQpsR7-6KQsvNsM3GqJOfZ8IJBf8jGq1M=s0-d)
Following their release of Gamera: The Giant Monster
and Gamera Vs. Barugon
, the next two discs in Shout! Factory's reissues of the Gamera series are now available for pre-order -- and they're both double-features! 
and Gamera Vs. Guiron / Gamera Vs. Jiger [Double Feature]
are both scheduled to release September 21. Details are not yet available, but based on the previous volumes we can expect clean prints of the original Japanese language films with English subtitles. (Not to be confused with Destroy All Planets 2010
.)
From the classic Fleischer Cartoons series, the Man of Steel takes on a thawed-out dinosaur:
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