ELFSAR BLOG

A photo of Chris Evans as Captain America from the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger appears as the cover on this week’s Entertainment Weekly.  Evans signed a six-picture deal to play Cap in Marvel films which includes the upcoming Avengers movie directed by Joss Whedon.

Chris Evans, who plays Steve Rogers/Captain America in Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger, really likes his new superhero costume.  Here is the early concept art that was leaked, back in July.

Until now, there had been no photos released of the star in his red, white and blue togs, which comic fans will recognize instantly.  Though a few might notice the white wings that are missing from Cap’s headgear, most fans will appreciate the fact that the “A” remains on the suit, which has a decidedly “retro” 1940s movie serial cool about it.

SPOILER ALERT: CHECK OUT 8 NEW GREAT PICTURES HERE!

Evans told Empire Magazine: “It’s an amazing costume. Given the fact that his costume is red, white and blue, and it’s tight, and it could be kind of flash and over the top – and given the fact that the movie takes place in the ‘40s and ‘50s – they’ve done a really good job of making it look really cool.” Then Evans added modestly:  “I think everyone that’s going to see it is going to say, ‘Okay, well done. Well done. I think they got the costume right. The casting they completely ruined, but the costume they nailed!”

Captain America: The First Avenger premieres July 22, 2011.

The UFC is making some pretty big changes  with the merger of the WEC and UFC brands. They are adding the much needed 2 lighter weightclasses and possibly a 3rd in the future. The UFC taking their product to the next level by folding the WEC’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions into its stable, giving it seven weight classes in total.

The UFC currently has lightweight, welterweight (170 pounds), middleweight (185), light heavyweight (205) and… heavyweight (265+).  There is also a  rumor that they plan to bring a (125) weightclass in to the mix but nothing has been confirmed as to when or what it will be called.

I think it’s a smart play because with 7 weightclasses it means that at every PPV there will be a champion defending his title.

Check these 2 interviews:

If you want to see one of my favorite matches in MMA history, check out a previous post here at the elfsar blog: MMA-and-UFC-82

Now although I find this merger is a step in the right direction, I personally want to see more changes in how the fights are presented.

PRIDE certainly set the bar to beat in terms of how to present the fighters and was able to present its events in a different light. When you watch Pride, you come to see the sport more as competition between fighters of various ethnic and combative backgrounds.  Much can be said about the audience and the demographic of PRIDE. The audience for the most part was educated especially about the art of fighting.

Watch any PRIDE event and listen to how quiet the audience is while a match is taking place, only clapping when a reverse is made in grappling or when good strikes are thrown.  I’m not saying that the audience of the UFC is just a bunch of 18-34 year old douche-bags “who just want to see 2 guys bang”.  In fact, the UFC audience is becoming more educated and a deeper understanding about “what MMA is” improves with every PPV event. The North American audience/appeal is in fact growing and maybe one day we will see a match where you will not hear booing when fighters are locked in a interesting chess match as far as grappling is concerned.

But presentation is everything.  The UFC could learn a thing or 2 from PRIDE and how the fighters enter the arena and ring.  Bringing in a bit more theatrics would not hurt the cause for this sport to be more widely accepted as well.

Only 3 more days until Halloween!!!

Behold the first single from the Heebee-jeebees upcoming 8th Album entitled “Swamp Mix” to get you in the spirit.

Find more at: www.heebee-jeebees.com

Image Comics will launch a new Walking Dead Weekly,  reprinting each issue of the original series, in January.  Each will be a 32-page black and white comic for $2.99.  Image plans the series as a new way for fans from the AMC series (see “zombies-as-homework”) to start at the beginning and read a new issue each week in 2011.

The first season consisting of six-episodes will be finish airing in January.  I know that a second season has already been greenlit and I presume will air in 2011.

Additionally, ComiXology has launched a dedicated app for Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comics in the run-up to the premiere of the AMC TV series this weekend.  The app, for both iPhone/iPod and iPad, offers all the individual issues and collections.

Older individual issues are priced at $1.99; recent ones at $2.99.  Collections are priced at $8.99 (Vol. 1) and $9.99 (Vol 2 and up).

Sorry comic book retailers, The Walking Dead digital issues are now released the same day and date with the print publications.  If I may make the pun, is the Walking Dead now leading the way?  Will other comics follow suit?  There be changes happening here folks.

NOTE: Currently the title is exclusively available through ComiXology powered apps.

YouTuber Hickok45 brings a gun to a pumpkin carving contest.  Sometimes it is how you carve a pumpkin that makes it scary.  Does anyone else want to see the backside of this pumpkin?  I guarantee you this guy is an American.

A real-life Ninja Turtles Van, lovingly hand-crafted out of a ‘94 Dodge Caravan by 23-year-old Brittney Schneck.  Looking at things like this and knowing the sheer love that people put behind it makes me smile.

“She did the work all herself, painting it by hand, building the parts that stick off, and even rebuilding the engine. What resulted is one of the coolest vans you’re likely to ever see, one that’s got to give her all sorts of attention when she drives it around. And the fact that it’s completely one-of-a-kind and she did it all herself makes it even cooler. Nice work, Brittney!” -Dvice

Check out more photos here.

On this day, 25 years ago, Marty McFly embarked on a mission to break up, and subsequently reunite, the teenage versions of his parents in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s seminal time travel epic Back to the Future.

Let me take you back to a scene of this beloved film where a certain time machine was first presented.  A careful inspection of the above picture reveals that the current date is October, 26, 1985.   A few moments later after Doc and Marty load the plutonium into the car Marty grabs the camera and begins to shoot Doc.  He asks him where he is going, and Doc says he wants to go “25 years …into the future.”

That’s right everyone!  Today is the day that Doc Brown wanted to travel to.  It is officially the silver anniversary of everyone’s favorite movie about a guy who really doesn’t like being called “chicken.” To mark this special occasion (and the release of the brand new Blu-ray Trilogy boxset), Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Robert Zemeckis, and others sat down with the Today Show’s Meredith Vieira to discuss the film’s ongoing significance 25 years later.

You can watch the entire interview below.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Norway, the first official look at the French duo’s Tron: Legacy cameo.  The Daft Punk-produced Tron: Legacy soundtrack arrives in stores December 7th, with the film following ten days later.  Yes this is a small treat, but what a treat this is.  This film is going to be stunning audibly as it is visually.  Soundtrack you will be mine December 7th.  Guaranteed.

The Guardian’s city on Oa is the the title of this piece of work, displaying a green burst of light coming from the center.

And here we have the Crypts of Oa, where fallen Green Lanterns are remembered.

The above images are new releases of concept work by the WB from the Green Lantern movie (to MTV’s Splash Page), both of the planet Oa.

The  above image shows the costume on the cover of Entertainment Weekly that came out back in July and gave us our first glimpse of the costume’s promising concept.

Green Lantern will get the full merchandising treatment, including a major toy line by Mattel.  The multi-category Green Lantern toy line will include both basic and deluxe action figures, role-playing items, playsets, games, puzzles, and vehicles.  Along with every action figure Mattel is including a Green Lantern ring that consumers will be able to wear themselves. The Green Lantern Deluxe Action Figures each have a special feature that will allow kids to replicate actions from the film as well as accessories that expand play possibilities.

Mattel is also releasing a Green Lantern Movie Masters line of highly detailed figures based on the film that are being sculpted by the “Four Horsemen” design team and are clearly targeted at adult collectors as well as kids.

It will be followed up with an animated series on Cartoon Network launching next fall. The new TV series is part of a broad campaign to expand the uses of the Green Lantern character,video games next May; “made-for-video;” expanded publishing; consumer products; and digital, including Motion Comics.

The film has completed shooting in 3D and is set to hit the theaters on June 17, 2011. It is directed by science fiction epic director Martin Campbell.

Syfy has greenlit a two-hour pilot for a third Battlestar Galactica series from executive producer David Eick, Battlestar Galactica:  Blood & Chrome.

The new storyline will take place between the events in Caprica and the core Battlestar Galactica series, in the 10th year of the first Cylon War.  It follows the adventures of the very young William Adama, a newly graduated pilot recently assigned to the Galactica.

“Blood & Chrome will… return us to the authentic relentless depiction of combat and the agony and ecstasy of human-Cylon war, which was the hallmark of Battlestar Galactica’s early seasons,” Caprica executive producer David Eick said of the new series.

Caprica has a cadre of loyal fans, but has not achieved the ratings success of the original series.  The first season was split into two runs bracketing the year (the second is airing now).  No news that Syfy has not ordered a second season yet.

A note from the author…apologies for not posting all of last week.  I was away in the Dominican Republic for an overdue honeymoon with my wife.  We had a great time.  Beautiful place.  Best beaches and water I have ever experienced.  It seemed like the environment was fake as if it was a movie set as everything was too perfect.  Incredibly nice people but it is with a heavy heart to view all the poverty in the area.  Certain things are incredibly cheap there for them but it is clear how dependent they are on the tourism.  I met a street vendor who spoke 10 different languages.  Truly amazing, but sad at the same time.  He would be doing so much better if only he lived in a different part of the world.

I am making an effort to post 5 times a week.  So to make it up to you I will try to double post this week