No, it is not a heavy metal group and no its not something the normal person wouldn’t listen to. This is maybe the group that almost most of the earth’s population has listened to without even knowing , Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix are the only two founders and composers  behind the music of Two Steps From Hell.

If someone never watched a Harry Potter or any Marvel movie or never played Mass effect or kill zone, then they are still counted as one of many that listened to this group without knowing because their music was played during the opening of the London Olympics  2012.

The reason this group is so known yet unknown is that their music was present in almost the best and the most watched movie productions, usually their music are always used in movie trailers. In a sense this kind of  music is always what makes the movie look more exciting than it actually is.

Two Steps From Hell has been doing trailer music for several of biggest movies in the past few years, such as ‘Avatar’, ‘Up’, ‘Beauty & The Beast’, ‘Super 8′, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Tintin’, ‘The Amazing Spider Man’ and many more.

The group was formed back in 2006 by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix who combined their  musical abilities to write a book full of original music that in only six years has achieved great success and 22 album releases.

To explain the formation and the process of  Two Steps From Hell. The music is composed and written by Bergersen and Phoenix, and is then played and recorded by an orchestrated group conducted and by a conductor. Their official conductor is Petr Pololáník, he is an orchestrator and music producer. Petr studied both violin, piano and conducting and now he is working with Bergersen and Phoenix.

Many would categorize this brilliant music under its own genre, as it has a new form and new musical structure that has a blend of tastes from the classical and epic music era to the rough and solid heavy rock music, that gives a motion picture its real motion. Almost any fictional or adventure motion picture trailer or a thrilling scene would not be the same without this music, yet their music without the motion picture will still definitely give the image and the message without seeing it, and that is the unique element of their music. It is music that tells a story and takes the listener to new lands.

The artistic album arts are done by the artist and graphic designer, Steven R. Steven, who is well known in the film community where he has worked on the graphic campaigns for movies like ‘Lord Of The Rings’, ‘Dark Knight’, ’300′, and ‘Watchmen’. Steven is the mastermind behind all of the Two Steps From Hell album covers.

Two Steps From Hell are in a sense a musical group that has changed the  musical world of the movie theater and in a sense boosted the view counts of many overrated movies.

Image Courtesy of  Two Steps From Hell

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Marvel has revealed the first look at Captain Marvel #2. The all-new creative team of Kelly Sue DeConnick & Dexter Soy dial it up a notch as Carol Danvers comes face to face with a challenge from her past – one she can’t walk away from. And who – or what – is the secret of the Banshee Squadron?

Also, don’t miss your chance to see Marvel history in the making when Captain Marvel #1 Second Printing Variant & Avenging Spider-Man #9 Second Printing Variant fly back into comic book stores, starring the all-new smash hit superhero Captain Marvel. Dive into the high-stakes adventures of Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel #2, soaring into comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app, and Marvel Digital Comic Shop this August.

Also in the news, with the Mad Titan, Thanos, out of the reach from Earth’s Mightiest – his quest for power and domination over the Marvel Universe continues in Avengers Assemble #7. But the Avengers won’t go down without a fight, and courtesy of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, they’re bringing the Guardians of the Galaxy with them. But can even their combined strength defeat Thanos with a cosmic cube in his possession? Find out in Avengers Assemble #7, hitting comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app, and Marvel Digital Comic Shop this September.

Finally, Eisner Winning artist Mike Allred makes his return to Marvel in Daredevil #17.

“It’s the issue Mike Allred was born to draw” – Marvel Senior Editor, Stephen Wacker

Prepare for non-stop action as not one, not two, but three, Eisner Award winning creators present your first look at Daredevil #17. Courtesy of Mark Waid and special guest artist Michael Allred & colorist Laura Allred, this pulse-pounding adventure pits the Man Without Fear against an old foe…Stilt-Man. Can Daredevil make it out of this grudge match in one piece? Find out in Daredevil #17, hitting comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app, and Marvel Digital Comic Shop this August.

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Marvel is presenting your first look at superstar artist Adi Granov’s variant cover to Hawkeye #1, the start of an all-new ongoing series featuring the breakout star of the hit summer blockbuster. Join self-made hero Hawkeye in a high stakes adventure with the ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop at his side.

Will he be able to prove himself worthy to be called one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? The red-hot fan favorite team of writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja reunite to kick off this action packed epic in Hawkeye #1, coming to comic shops everywhere, on the Marvel Comics app, and the Marvel Digital Comics Shop this August.

This October, dive headfirst into Marvel NOW! as the superstar dream team of Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Venom) and John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Captain America) deliver high stakes action in Uncanny Avengers #1 – sporting a jaw-dropping cover by Cassaday.

No fan can miss the blockbuster debut of an all-new Avengers team featuring members from all across the Marvel Universe…a team uniting Avenger and X-Man alike! But following the devastating events of Avengers VS X-Men, can Captain America pull together a team that can get along for its first mission? Plus, Uncanny Avengers #1 is the first title to sport the all-new Marvel NOW! cover design.

“We’re no longer going to be locked into where our logos are placed, which has traditionally been the top third of our covers, and we’re going to start to look at our covers with an eye towards strong design and commerciality above all else, explained Marvel Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada. “What’s going to attract the reader’s eye, what’s going to make them want to buy that particular title? That’s the first question our artists and editors are going to ask themselves.”

Also; Every new issue with the Marvel NOW! branding comes packaged with a code for a FREE digital copy on the Marvel Comics app.

And that’s not all because readers will be able to take the Marvel NOW! experience even further by unlocking access to exclusive behind the scenes extras utilizing special augmented reality technology with the Marvel AR app powered by Aurasma. This is exciting bonus content that you cannot access anywhere else.

Have you joined the Marvel ReEvolution? Join the conversation on Twitter with #MarvelNOW!

For more on MarvelNOW!, please visit NOW.Marvel.com.

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Everyone knows that all the most highly anticipated blockbuster movies generally come out in the summer and this summer is no exception. Already several blockbusters have been released such as ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Prometheus,’ ‘Men in Black 3,’ and ‘Brave,’ but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing left to see. In my case my two most highly anticipated haven’t even been released yet or been out that long, but I’ll get to those two soon.

First I’ll talk about my longshot movie which I doubt a ton of people are excited for or even know about and that is ‘ParaNorman.’ ‘ParaNorman’ is a stop-motion film made by the creators of ‘Coraline;’ it is about a boy named Norman who has the ability to talk to the dead and has to use his abilities to save his town from a witch’s century old curse. He’ll have to fight against ghosts, witches, zombies, and worst of all, adults in order to save his town.

I really enjoyed ‘Coraline’ so when I heard that the same creators were making another stop-motion children’s film I was immediately interested. I think the other reason I was intrigued by this movie is the fact that it reminds of Neil Gaiman book The Graveyard Book. A bit of a coincidence since ‘Coraline’ is based on Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name. Anyway, this is one unreleased movie that I know I have to see.

The next movie I’m excited to see is ‘The Amazing Spider-man.’ Even though I was initially uncertain about this movie since it struck me as odd to immediately reboot the series rather than just make a sequel. However, my previous skepticism left me after I saw more and more of the trailers and realized this movie might finally give me the Spider-man I always wanted in the previous film series.

The Spider-man that is constantly spewing out corny jokes even when he is fighting someone clearly intent on killing him, which I always felt was missing from the previous films. I also like that his love interest is Gwen Stacy like she first was in the comic books and that they also put in the web shooters. The video game is also pretty good and since the game is a sequel to the movie that leads me to be hopeful that the movie it is based on is also excellent. This is a movie I’ve been waiting for all summer and I can’t wait to see it!

Lastly, but certainly not least, the movie I have been waiting four years for ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ I love Batman and I love Chris Nolan’s movies, so the Chris Nolan Batman films are really a match made in heaven for me. To this day ‘The Dark Knight’ is my favorite movie, so I waited anxiously for the eventual sequel knowing that it would be a good movie. Even though I am not sure this movie will be better than ‘The Dark Knight,’ (mainly because The Joker is my favorite Batman villain) but I do know it will be worth watching. Every time I see the trailer for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ I get chills and unbelievably excited.

These are the three movies that left this summer that I want to see and I’m certain I’m not the only one. The summer may be almost over, but that doesn’t mean all the summer movies have already been released.

Image Courtesy of  The Amazing Spiderman

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New York, U.S.A – The BET Awards 12 performance stage line-up is getting hotter and definitely “Too Big To Miss.” Added to the roster is platinum musician D’Angelo, who will make his long-awaited return to the television stage after twelve years. His highly anticipated performance can be seen at the BET Awards 12, only on BET Networks on July 1, 2012 at 8 p.m.

“Usually, we love to keep surprises…but this year we want everyone watching when D’Angelo takes the stage at the BET Awards!” exclaimed Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials. “His talents have been away from us for far too long and we’re excited and honored that he’s decided to make his American re-entry at this year’s BET Awards.”

As if the BET Awards 12 show surprises aren’t already enough, Ford has partnered with BET Networks for the fifth year in a row to sponsor the red carpet and Ford Hot Spot, as well as give one lucky viewer the opportunity to win a brand new 2013 Ford Escape and $1,000 in cash. The winner will be announced live during the ‘106 & PARK’ BET Awards Pre-Show: Live, Red & Ready on Sunday, July 1st starting at 6:00 p.m.

BET Awards 12 will be hosted by box office superstar Samuel L. Jackson, who was last scene in this summer’s The Avengers, and will include exciting performances by Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, G.O.O.D. MUSIC, Pusha T, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Wale and 2 Chainz. This year’s Humanitarian Award, which will be presented by State Farm, will go to Reverend Dr. Al Sharpton, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will receive the coveted Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award. Taraji P. Henson, Meagan Good, Kevin Hart and Cedric the Entertainer will grace the Shrine Auditorium stage as presenters on Sunday, July 1st at 8:00 p.m. on BET Networks. All times are ET/PT.

Image Courtesy of  D’Angelo

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Kelowna, U.S.A. – Marvel mania has reached all the way to Club Penguin Island, the number one virtual world for kids, as penguins assemble for the Marvel Super Hero Takeover, an epic online event starting soon.

A meteor has hit the island of Club Penguin, powering up the dangerous Destructobot. Players can choose to suit up as one of 14 Marvel Super Heroes or Super-Villains, including Avengers characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, as well as the mischievous Super-Villain Loki.

“Everyone wants to feel special and believe that they can do something that no one else can do. That optimism is what drives both Club Penguin and the Marvel story lines and characters,” said Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Interactive Worlds. “Club Penguin and Marvel characters are the perfect match, and I’m sure our players will love it!”

“Bringing our worlds together marks a major milestone for both Marvel and Club Penguin,” said Rob Steffens, Executive Vice President of Marvel Entertainment. “Reactions from the fans are already tremendous, and we’re thrilled that we’re able to bring Marvel and Club Penguin together for such an epic event.”

As part of The Marvel Super Hero Takeover event, players can:

• Choose to dress up as Marvel Super Heroes, Super-Villains or civilians
• Explore the island, which has been transformed to include new destinations such as a bank, jail, and a superhero headquarters
• Join teams to decide whether to defend or defeat the evil Destructobot
• Meet Aunt Arctic, the news reporter and editor-in-chief for the Penguin Times, the Club Penguin Island newspaper. She’ll be keeping a close eye on the battle of Super Heroes and Super-Villains around the island

About Club Penguin

Club Penguin is the number one virtual world for children. Club Penguin works to maintain a fun and safe online entertainment experience by using filtering technology and live moderators. The award-winning virtual world of Club Penguin contains no third-party advertising and is free to use and enjoy, however a subscription membership provides access to additional features that enhance the play experience. Club Penguin, headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is enjoyed by children around the world, and can be played in English, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Image Courtesy of  The Avengers

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Marvel’s The Avengers has been a comic book movie in the making for many years. So many in fact that some felt the movie just barely delivered while others proclaimed it an instant classic. In the aftermath of the movie, the majority of viewers gave it rave reviews but were there concepts that could have been better? Certainly. It came down to the details and unfortunately, no movie is perfect in that regard, not even The Avengers.

1- Stronger Loki

Loki, as many fans of Thors brother will know, got the short end of the stick in terms of displaying power during the movies he’s been featured in already. The Avengers carried on the tradition of making him a mystical power that used indirect attacks to great effect.  He carried Dr. Selvig and Hawkeye into the night as his henchmen but apart from that he displayed little power or leadership skills.

If fans are indeed to be believed that he can fight on equal par with any of the Avengers in a one on one fight then perhaps including more apt displays of physical prowess would have been advantageous. Instead The Avengers leave big and bad Loki limping off into the abyss again, bound for Asgardian Justice with nothing to show for his efforts except a partially ruined city.

2-Stronger invading army, less mindless drones

In the original Avengers Lore, the Chitauri were being commanded by Loki as they were invading earth but apparently marvel decided they weren’t going to need a key power that make the Chitauri so devastating. In the Marvel universe Chitauri have had super strength, stamina, exceptional regeneration abilities and shapeshifting skills as well.

In The Avengers movie however, the Chitauri are reduced to mindless clone trooper type drones, with barely any variety between the combat types and nearly zero intelligence. Led in a hive mind style of leadership, these enemies are a pale imitation of what they should have been. Loki’s power already needed work but on top of his lack of command skills it makes the opponents for The Avengers seem more like an army of plastic men than a cohesive invasion force.

3-Missing logic trains.

Loki makes the move to separate and divide The avengers by using Hulk’s semi-controllable anger. If this is true, then why is it so easy for the Avengers to reunite just in the nick of time to save the planet for a hostile alien invasion. Loki does very little to actually separate The Avengers except having two of them fall out of the sky while he escapes prison.

The ease or difficulty with which Bruce Banner rejoins the Avengers even in the midst of a hostile takeover of New York City isn’t shown to fans. Worse is that the motorbike he rides into Manhattan had better be able to teleport or else there is no way that the Hulk who fell out of the Sky would be able to make it to New York City minutes after he landed.

Not to mention the part where Tony Stark redirects a nuclear missile into an alien space vacuum that has no atmosphere in which to power a rocket or the resulting explosion. An atmosphere of some kind is necessary in order for combustion to take place to the destructive degree of destroying a space armada.  A nuclear missile that was probably designed to flatten a civilian city at sea level would have a much reduced affect when detonated in zero gravity space.

4- Where was the U.S Military?

Unlike the multitude of movies that have come out in the last few years, the U.S military had a less than primary presence in this film. Past Marvel movies have featured the use of aircraft as well as other military vehicles to supplement the lack of existing man power. Iron Man 1 and 2 the U.S was still featured within the film as a strong forceful entity and yet in The Avengers, this is a less than stellar performance for Uncle Sam and his troops.

Certianly, S.H.I.E.L.D is a military organization, the best of the best and so forth. Yet for all the neat toys that Nick Fury controls, where were the immediate response teams to an alien invasion fans may ask. All of these tools at their displosal and the shadowed elite controlling S.H.I.E.L.D sat back and waited. Apart from one big nuclear missile that Iron Man was able to redirect since it apparently lacked a proximity charge of any kind, there wasn’t much that the actual military itself did.

5- Are all superheroes created equal?

There is a fight scene between Iron Man and Thor the alludes to future collaborative powers that comes to fruition near the end of the movie. That said, why did it feel like every punch from Thor, Iron Man or Captain America seem to look the same? Despite the angle of the shots, as well done as they were, each punch was the same. Each superhero has their own powers naturally so Thor swinging his hammer does indeed look different than Captain America swinging his shield but the results are annoyingly similar. There was an action and a reaction, but no real affect to the invading enemies at all.

As many fans discovered, Captain America had a lot of spirit but not a lot of spotlight. Not really. Yes Steve Rogers was a hero and yes he is an iconic character but in the aftermath of the Avengers craze Cap got left behind. His ability to lead was put to the test, highlighted by his gaining command of a team of NYPD officers. However he got blown out of the water by Iron Man. Towards the end of the movie, Iron Man was not only the decisive cause of victory but also led the enemies around in circles so that the other Avengers could attack them. It was Iron Man rather than Captain America who rallied the Avengers and it was Iron Man who spoke for The Avengers against Loki.

Image Courtesy of   Avengers

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. – IMAX Corporation, Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios have announced that the epic Super Hero adventure Marvel’s The Avengers will be released in the immersive IMAX 3D format in 451 digital theatres worldwide. Domestically, the film will be released in 275 theatres beginning Friday, May 4.

The international debut of Marvel’s The Avengers got off to a record breaking start in IMAX theatres last weekend, significantly outperforming previous IMAX releases of Marvel films. More territories are launching in tandem with the North American release this week, including China. Domestic IMAX pre-sales are also strong and significantly ahead of any previous Marvel releases.

Marvel’s The Avengers, based on the well-known Marvel comic book series, is directed by Joss Whedonand stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Distributed by The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel’s The Avengers: An IMAX 3D Experience marks the third Marvel Studios film presented in IMAX, following the releases of Iron Man 2: The IMAX Experience in 2010 and Thor: An IMAX 3D Experience in 2011.

The IMAX release of Marvel’s The Avengers will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Marvel’s The Avengers
Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers” — the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

http://marvel.com/avengers_movie

Marvel’s The Avengers has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.

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Didn’t watch the movie? Do not read ahead.

“Avengers Assemble!” The iconic phrase has been bandied about since ‘The Avenger’ comics first came out in the early 1960s. Brought to real life, the movie is nothing that Marvel has ever made, throwing this many A-list actors into one giant bowl of ego. After months and months of hype, commercials, and TV spots, the time has come upon Marvel to put their money where their mouth is.

In the aftermath of this movie, it is safe to say that Marvel has done an exceedingly great job of it. Quite possibly, movie-filming history is about to be made once again with 2012′s ‘The Avengers‘.

The plot is not entirely new, though. Throw a bunch of superheroes with tempers who hate each other together, make them work through heartfelt sacrifice, and they will invariably fail before rising to the occasion just before the end of the film, leaving a massive cliffhanger. That said, the film wins not because of the seemingly average plot, but with the actors doing a phenomenal job of becoming larger than life.

Whether your favorite is The Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, or Nick Fury, you will cheer all the way through this excellently crafted movie. Director and nerd cult icon Joss Whedon took this film and elevated it to a near art form. The script is so excellently executed that lines from this movie will be quoted for a very long time to come. Easily the best Marvel film to date, the camera techniques involved to get just the right shots took the hand of a true artist.

Whether tumbling through the air in a cage or in the shattered remains of a car, the viewer feels a part of the action at every turn. Scene after scene, fans join in the experience of The Avengers in an ever active way. Following Iron Man as he falls out of the sky is a singular experience as you watch him strap on armor mid-flight. The technology in this movie is so out of this world that the real military can only wish to have some of these things in their hands.

Not only are there no boring moments in the film, but there also appears to be no shortage of superhero slug fests. Imagine Thor getting sucker-punched by Hulk, imagine Iron Man getting in Captain America’s face. Think again as Loki’s words affect his enemies, nearly exceeding the level of nonchalant violence inspired by Darth Vader. These are the images that fans walk away with as they exit the movie.

Fans remember the moments when Hulk saves a life or when Thor calls down lightening. They remember the cheer of the room as Nick Fury blows up a plane or as Black Widow takes out a team of Russian operatives while being interrogated by their general. These are the cheers of fans rooting for their heroes to succeed, to believe that good will prevail.

More than just the sum of its parts, the Avengers initiative takes a selective group of people from all walks of life with extraordinary powers and pits them against the greatest evil that mankind has ever faced (at least until the next movie). Loki’s jealous streak is hopefully at an end as he is administered justice. Both his former allies and his newest enemies seek to punish him for his deeds against earth. So, it seems that a new enemy has arisen, one that even Loki fears.

The points of contention are few and far between, such as the power of Loki’s staff and the exactness required for him to run his mind-control trick. Another is that though Hulk and Thor are the same strength, the cage they use for Hulk is apparently strong enough to hold Hulk, but not Thor. Perhaps the Hammer of Thor helps, but these are minor points to argue in the face of a movie that has so much potential packed into its limited time frame.

Excellently crafted and delightfully enjoyable, The Avengers is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-superhero-pants movie as moment after moment of action occurs. Even moments of pure speech without violence are tailor made towards not only the characters from the comics, but the characters that the actors have become.

It seems near impossible to imagine the actors being any different than they are, the roles so iconic that they will forever be known for these roles by fans worldwide. In an instant, movie history has been made with The Avengers quite possibly setting new box office records. A much anticipated film just in time for school to let out, The Avengers is a film that no one will want to miss this Friday, May 4.

Score: 5/5

The article Review of Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’: Blasting the Hype appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

“You think you know the story.”

This is the tagline to ‘The Cabin in the Woods’, a film directed by Drew Goddard (‘Cloverfield’) which he also co-wrote with Joss Whedon (‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘The Avengers’).

It stars Kristen Connolly (‘As the World Turns’), Jesse Williams (‘Grey’s Anatomy’) and Bradley Whitford (‘The West Wing’), as well as familiar Whedon collaborators Amy Acker (‘Angel’), Fran Kranz (‘Dollhouse’) and Tom Lenk (‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’). The film’s basic set-up is one you have seen one hundred times before in horror films: a group of attractive, mismatched young college students travel to a remote area, stay in a mysterious location, and soon realise that there is more to the cabin in the woods than meets the eye.

Here enters the tagline. “You think you know the story.”

Last year, Wes Craven attempted to reinvigorate the horror genre with ‘Scream 4′ in the same way that he did with the original ‘Scream’ in 1996. However, for all its strengths, ‘Scream 4′ was basically a re-tread of the same meta-textual style that Craven had already mastered in the franchise’s three previous installments.

Now, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard? They have created a true gem of the genre with ‘The Cabin in the Woods’, a film which was filmed in 2009 and has sat on the shelf ever since distributor MGM filed for bankruptcy. Lionsgate eventually bought the film last year, and now its delayed big-screen life can begin.

Spoiler alert!

The first and most important strength of the film is its script. Goddard’s familiarity with Whedon’s voice – Goddard wrote 5 episodes of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Angel’ – results in an effortlessly snappy piece and several hilarious, not to mention ironic, interactions, primarily caused by Whitford’s and Kranz’s characters.

The script is never afraid to go for the comedy or the surreality of the situation, and it is this which allows the film to pull of its main conceit of being – SPOILER WARNING – about a ritual sacrifice for the ancient Gods, who are appeased through a ‘Big Brother’-type reality show where bets are made and outcomes are fixed as an array of undead creatures begin hunting down the five young college students to satiate the tempers of the Gods.

The script also thrives on its eagerness to play out every horror narrative cliché in the first half of the film, as Whedon and Goddard blow through gratuitous deaths and yawn-inducing twists, allowing the second half of the film to develop like a filmmaker’s playing ground.

Visually speaking, the second half of the film is when Godddard’s direction can be more fully appreciated, as it becomes more apparent that he assimilated the conventional look of a horror film early on so that he could subvert and deconstruct it piece by piece as each scene goes on. The chances he takes in the script are brought to life marvellously onscreen, while the final shot of the film is something which can only be appreciated in the context of everything that has gone before.

As for the cast, there are no issues. Whedon and Goddard have worked on enough ensemble projects to know how to cast well, and Whedon in particular is known for drawing from his own pool of actors from past projects and putting them into his new ones.

The pay-off here is a fantastic one, as Whedon fans (‘Whedonites’, for the uninitiated) get to see an underrated television performer like Amy Acker going toe-to-toe in scenes with Emmy-winner Bradley Whitford, and get to revel in ‘Dollhouse’-alum Fran Kranz facing off with – SPOILER WARNING - “The Sci-Fi Queen” Sigourney Weaver in the film’s captivating final minutes.

To say any more about the film is unnecessary. This is a delightfully fearless offering, and the most entertaining thing to happen to the horror genre in a very long time. Whedon has a busy year ahead of him, mainly with this summer’s blockbuster ‘The Avengers’, and ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ gets him off to a roaring start.

Image Courtesy of    The Cabin in the Woods

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Disney XD premiered its new Marvel superhero series ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ at 11am EST on April Fools’ Day. The cartoon takes its name and origin from the 2000-2009 comic book series written by Brian Michael Bendis, which was a reimagining of the Spider-Man stories with a larger inclusion of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D in its main storyline. The premiere included the first two episodes of the new series, “Great Power” and “Great Responsibility.”

In “Great Power,” Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D, a military law enforcement agency with an interest in superheroes, approaches Spider-Man after a messy fight with the villain Trapster with an offer to train him to be a better hero.

Fury reveals he knows Spider-Man’s true identity, that of high school student Peter Parker, and that he can offer him better equipment in addition to improving his fighting skills. Being a free spirit, Peter declines the offer and heads to school only for the Frightful Four, a group of supervillains, to crash into the cafeteria demanding to know where Spider-Man is. Peter’s best friend, Harry Osborne, is hurt in the ensuing battle and it makes Peter realize he may need Nick Fury’s help after all.

In “Great Responsibility,” Nick Fury puts Spider-Man through a series of tests to see if he has what it takes to be a trainable ally to S.H.I.E.L.D. Naturally, Peter gets in over his head but manages to come out of the exercise on top. After a brief debacle with a highly sophisticated motorcycle, Peter finds out that he is not the only young superhero recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D.

The new team that he is expected to work with consists of Nova, Iron Fist, Power Man, and White Tiger, who do not approve of Spider-Man’s devil-may-care attitude. Once again, he declines the offer to work with them but then the Frightful Four return. The team intervenes and after some friction, they defeat the villains and Peter reluctantly agrees to work with them in the future.

The series is well animated and takes full advantage of Spider-Man’s smart mouth and excellent sense of humor. The action sequences are evenly paced and creative, much like the comic book it draws its inspiration from. This is no surprise as the show’s production is overseen by Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man and several other Marvel heroes, Jeph Loeb, a well-known comic book writer, and Brian Michael Bendis, another well known writer for Spider-Man and other Marvel comics.

The voice acting is excellent. Marvel wins extra brownie points for inviting J.K. Simmons to return as J. Jonah Jameson, whom he played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, and Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson in the Marvel films.

There are also other voices whom seasoned cartoon watchers will recognize like Clancy Brown, Tara Strong, Kevin Michael Richardson, Greg Cipes, Tom Kenny, and there is even a minor character voiced by Stan Lee. The titular Spider-Man is voiced by Drake Bell and he does a good job of bringing energy and sarcasm to the legendary Web-Slinger.

While the show has many likable qualities, there are some drawbacks. Its tone and writing are definitely geared towards younger viewers, preferably the 8-13 year old crowd rather than the older teenagers. The jokes Spider-Man cracks are often hit-or-miss and he can come across as a bit spastic at times due to the high volume of visual gags and one-liners in his monologue.

The biggest detractor is when he stops and directly addresses the camera. The problem is not that Spidey is breaking the fourth wall in general, but rather that he is blatantly speaking to the viewer. It is very distracting for him to stop in the middle of a scene and explain something to his audience and while this often works in comic books, like with Marvel’s infamous Merc-with-the-Mouth Deadpool, for a television show, it can be grating.

The easiest comparison to be made about Spidey’s narration and lack of fourth wall is to Bill Lawrence’s ‘Scrubs’ (2001) because Spidey’s short attention span leads him to “Imagine Spots”—moments where his imagination creates short humorous sequences that are mostly jokes or emotional reactions to things. While funny, they really do slow down the general narrative of the episodes.

Overall, it is too early to tell if the show will be a big hit or not, especially since fans like me still regret the cancellation of its spiritual predecessor ‘Spectacular Spider-Man,’ (2008) but there is definitely life in this web-slinger and we look forward to seeing where the show takes him.

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The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, on March 28 announced that Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, will close its 11th edition on Saturday, April 28. Closing night will take place at Tribeca BMCC PAC and is sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin.

Honoring the spirit of the Tribeca Film Festival, the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military.  These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast.

Marvel Studios’ producer Kevin Feige says, “We are proud that Marvel’s The Avengers is the closing film of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and we are excited to welcome local heroes to the screening as special guests. We all know and love our iconic Super Heroes, but when it really counts, it’s our real-life heroes who save the world every day by making it a better place for all of us.”

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is an engaging, character-driven story packed with action, adventure and special effects.

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins to assemble the iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers is an exciting ride that absolutely transports audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It is the perfect way to end our 11th Festival.”

Comments director Joss Whedon, “Showing at Tribeca is both an honor and a double homecoming for me, who grew up in Manhattan, and for the movie, which wrapped production there.  I’m thoroughly psyched to be closing the festival with our intimate little think-piece.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced byAlan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 18-29, 2012.

Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2012 programs and the full line-up of films.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/AvengersUK

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With Super Bowl XLVI right around the corner, most fans are getting geared up for the game that will pit the New England Patriots against the New York Giants. However, a particularly large number of watchers are more excited for the Super Bowl commercials than the football game. This year’s line-up of commercials hosts a plethora of funny advertisements, not to mention several hard-hitting trailers for spring and summer blockbusters.

Joss Whedon’s ‘The Avengers’ is first on the list as it is quite possibly the most highly anticipated superhero movie of the year, next to Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. ‘The Avengers’ combines nearly all of Marvel studios’ superheroes—Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow—into one film to face a dire threat by the likes of Loki and other villains that have yet to be revealed. Marvel released a 17-second peek of the Super Bowl TV spot on Youtube on January 31, and it has already accumulated more than one million views. ‘The Avengers’ is soaring into theaters May 4, 2012.

Not far behind ‘The Avengers’ is Jon M. Chu’s ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’, thanks to a successful Twitter campaign from its new star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The sequel features vast improvements from its lukewarm, semi-faithful predecessor, including Bruce Willis as the titular Joe and a darker tone overall. ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ explodes into theaters June 29, 2012.

Disney throws its magical hat in the ring with ‘John Carter’, an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ ‘Barsoom’ series about a former Confederate captain transported to Mars right in the middle of an alien conflict. Disney hopes to generate public interest in the film as it approaches its March 9, 2012 release date.

Alongside ‘John Carter’ in the adaptation department is ‘The Hunger Games’, based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. The wildly successful series about a teenage girl and boy in a post-apocalyptic world forced into a televised battle by their oppressive government will be in theaters March 23, 2012.

Sasha Baron Cohen’s next comedy, ‘The Dictator’, a “mockumentary” and parody of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, also heads for a Super Bowl spot, hoping to tickle the funny bones of his fans. Like ‘Borat’ (2006) and ‘Bruno’ (2009), the film promises outrageous interviews, offensive humor, and plenty of jokes to keep its audience happy. ‘The Dictator’ is slated for release May 11, 2012.

Surprisingly, two other superhero titans, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and Sony’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ are staying out of the Super Bowl trailer game. However, there is a large difference between the two films as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ made a huge splash in 2011 as a trailer in front of Brad Bird’s ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’, while ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ has not been seen since San Diego Comic Con 2011 this past July. If Sony wants the public to embrace the Spider-Man reboot by its release date, July 3, 2012, it had better have a stellar marketing plan to compensate for missing one of the most-watched television events of the year.

As the final days count down, fans can eagerly speculate about which trailer will win the coveted title of Most Talked About Trailer once the game is over. Like Super Bowl XLVI itself, the competition will be brutal, merciless, and winner-take-all.

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Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine & The X-Men and Avengers; All have new and amazing covers for their new issues unveiled by Marvel this month. As the Phoenix Force continues its bee-line towards Earth, Cyclops leads the X-Men into their toughest battle yet. Also, fans can’t miss two mammoth titans, Colossus and Red Hulk, square off in a bare knuckle brawl across Utopia with an outcome that may sway the tide of the war.

Can the X-Men keep the Avengers out of their nation? Find out in Uncanny X-Men #11 from the blockbuster creative team of Kieron Gillen & Greg Land, available in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app this April!

This April as well, as the Marvel Universe waits on baited breath for the arrival of the all-powerful Phoenix Force, Wolverine must choose a side of the coming war…but will the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning follow? Find out if Logan fights for mutantkind or mankind in Wolverine & The X-Men #9 from the blockbuster creative team of Jason Aaron & Chris Bachalo available in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app.

Ever imagine what the Avengers would look like if they existed throughout the ages? Well here’s your chance as Marvel is proud to unveil Avengers Art Appreciation Variants available throughout all of April.

With everyone on the edge of their seats for Marvel Studio’s The Avengers, fans will have the opportunity to see their favorite super hero team in the styles of the world’s greatest artists like Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Monet, Pollock, Schielle and more.

No fan can miss their favorite Marvel artists like Alex Maleev, Michael Kaluta, Gabriele Dell’otto, Greg Horn, Gerald Parel and more put their spin on these surefire classic covers.

So be on the look-out True Believers, because in April – these Avengers Art Appreciation Variants are sure to go fast!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

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Marvel has announced that they are about to present fans with the first look at superstar artist Ed McGuinness’ Avengers X-Sanction #1 cover.

The safety of the future is at stake and it’s all up to Cable in order to save it – even if that means taking on the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe. With only 24 hours to destroy the Avengers, can he take on all of Earth’s Mightiest alone?

Find out as superstar creators Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness kick off the countdown to the 2012’s status quo-shattering event in the Avengers: X-Sanction #1!

Fans can also start getting excited about the Avengers Origins series — For the first time ever, see the path that took Wanda and Pietro Maximoff from mutant terrorists to Earth’s Mightiest in Avengers Origins: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver #1.

This all-new story featuring the duo’s road to becoming Avengers, courtesy of writer Sean McKeever and artist Mirco Pierfederici, exposes a hidden chapter in the history of the Marvel Universe that no fan can miss.

This November, see how the fastest and most powerful super heroes of all time fought their way into the world’s premiere super hero team.

Finally, last week Marvel.com announced the debut of the Shattered Heroes series where fan favorite heroes of the Marvel Universe were set off into new bold directions.

Originally featured in Fear Itself #7, Marvel has given fans the opportunity to see just how some of the year’s biggest new launches kick off, including Fear Itself: The Fearless #1, The Defenders #1, Battle Scars #1 & this week’s Incredible Hulk #1. They are delivered in four page stories of original content you would not be able to see anywhere else online.

See how Shattered Heroes begins and affects your favorite Marvel heroes, today at Marvel.com.

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Marvel has brought their comic book characters to the big screen for a long time. Marvel has brought out one film every year since 2002, starting with “Spider-man.” Since then, we have seen many Marvel character adaptations, including Daredevil, the Punisher, the Hulk, Elektra, Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.

Future releases include “The Amazing Spiderman” and its sequel. Both “Thor” and “Iron Man” will also have sequels. The Avengers is the latest Marvel comic book to see the big screen. It is part of the Marvel cinematic universe that crosses over several Marvel superhero films including “Iron Man” (2008), “The Incredible Hulk” (2008), “Iron Man 2″ (2010), “Thor” (2011), and “Captain America: The First Avenger” ( 2011).

The movie is directed by Josh Whedon, and stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson. The Avengers comic book made its debut in September 1963. The original lineup consisted of Iron Man, the Hulk, and Thor.

Captain America did not appear alongside until the fourth issue when the original team found him. The other two characters, Ant-Man and Wasp, are not featured in the film. Even though many Marvel characters have been in the Avengers lineup, one thing has always remained consistent: they fight.

As with most Marvel films, the movie version of the Avengers does not exactly remain totally faithful to the comic book. Now this may not upset many moviegoers who seem to love these comic book action heroes. Diehard Marvel fans do not like these stories being tampered with.

On a Marvel fan site, I found that a majority of Marvel fans do not like many of the films that have been produced, except the first two Spider-man and X-men movies. Being a Marvel fan myself, I can remember the days when there were no Marvel movies whatsoever. Waiting for a Marvel movie looked like something that was never going to happen.

Spider-man was something that was rumored to happen since 1992, with many people promising a Spidey film, including James Cameron, which never saw light of day. Finally, when these films did come out, fans expecting something great only felt disappointed time and again.

All Marvel fans agree the action in the movies has been great, but the stories is where they feel let down. They don’t understand why Marvel cannot make the same quality movies as D.C. Comics, which D.C. Comics has done with Superman and Batman, movies that have brilliant stories.

One of the great examples of a Marvel picture that had a storyline that was tampered with was “The Hulk”starring Eric Bana. They came up with a side story about Bruce Banner’s father, which was the reason why he was affected by gamma rays. This totally diverts from the original vision and should have been left out of the picture.

It should have just stuck to the facts. Although the recent Iron Man films have been viewed by the fans as brilliant, ” The Avengers” also looks to be another film fans are eagerly awaiting for.

Image Courtesy of  http://marvel.com/ 

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Since 1998, Marvel Productions has been releasing superhero movies after the other- but how could this once bankrupt company, grow to such a colossus?  In 1997, Marvel, a once vast comic book company collapsed. Forced to re-organize, the newly formed Marvel Enterprises started their movie production division. In 1998, they created Blade with Wesley Snipes, and the rest is history. Now, after considerable success at the box office Marvel is releasing one of their biggest projects: The Avengers.

The Avengers is a team assembled by S.H.I.E.L.D leader, Nick Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a law-enforcement/ espionage agency that keeps the peace throughout the world.  With Captain America coming 4 issues later the team of superheroes first consisted of Wasp, Ant Man, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk.

With release scheduled for May 4, 2012, the movie started production on April 25, 2011. Crafting a star studded cast together, Marvel will be bringing most of the actors back that they used in their other movies, such as, Chris Hemworth Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis. Along with these old faces come new ones. Jeremy Renner will play Hawkeye, and Cobie Smulders will perform as Maria Hill.

If you know the Avengers, then you are probably wondering, “where is the Hulk?” Well, after Edward Norton’s falling out with Marvel, they replaced him with Mark Ruffalo. What is exciting about this new Hulk is that it is not all CGI. Mark Ruffalo will put on a motion-tracking suit and, in post-production, artists will draw on the Hulk according to Ruffalo’s movements. Oh, and Lou Ferigno is voicing the Hulk, no big deal.

The original writer of The Avengers is Zak Penn. He has written movies like X2, X-men: Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk but bringing all these characters into one movie proved a challenge to Penn. He told Craveonline.com, “My job is to kind of shuttle between the different movies and make sure that finally we’re mimicking that comic book structure where all of these movies are connected… There’s just a board that tracks ‘Here’s where everything that happens in this movie overlaps with that movie.’” However, though Zak Penn made the original script, the official writer is the director, Joss Whedon.

Joss Whedon, has written many hit movies like Toy Story, as well as underground cult TV classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer—he also directed part of the series. With his reputation, many cult followers believe he will stay true to the comic’s story. Whedon was a fan of the comics as a kid, and has given a hint of what the movie will focus around. Whedon, had said at the 2010 Comic-Con,”these people shouldn’t be in the same room let alone on the same team — and that is the definition of family.”

In an interview for IamRogue.com, Tom Hiddleston, playing Loki, alluded to how each character interacts with each other.  “These are seven big egos, and I’m referring to the characters not the actors. They all want to be the alpha male, or in Black Widow’s case the alpha female. So he has made a virtue of that by having them all compete for the top dog slot,” Hiddleston said.

It seems like Loki will not be the only obstacle the Avengers need to overcome.  They will have to learn how to work together for the salvation of Earth. Its one large dysfunctional family of superheroes that the world relies on, they will need to learn how to rely on one another in order to make their team work.

Considering the fact that The Avengers has been in the works since 2005, it’s safe to say that this hero ensemble is long overdue and maintains its position as one of the most anticipated Marvel pictures yet.  With Joss Wedon behind the wheel and still riding the wave of Marvel Enterprises’ success in comic adaptations, movie fans can look forward to being blown away in summer 2012.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/TheAvengersMovie?sk=photos

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