By Prairie Miller
Even though Eva Mendes has a reputation lately for playing simultaneously gorgeous and evil in movies, like The Women, Ghost Rider and now Frank Miller's comic book thriller The Spirit, don't ever talk to her for a minute about being all body and no brains.
At this gab session get-together for The Spirit, Eva, in the midst of fighting off a serious case of jet lag, gave a detailed discourse on her philosophy of vamp attitude, while listing the various thrills of flaunting 1940s 'dames' and 'broads' type of appeal, all in a day's work. And how an uncontrollable lust for diamonds on the part of her materialistic-minded femme fatale Sand Saref, is not necessarily all about doing the gold digger thing. But don't even think about turning Eva into a mere female accessory, hot or not, in a movie, even if the leading man, whether in Spirit only, happens to be Gabriel Macht. In other words, revealing her fabulous body in nothing but a towel slipping off her rear end is fine, but there had better be an impressive high IQ in evidence behind it, no pun.
What was it exactly that lured you into The Spirit?
EVA MENDES: Yeah I think...Um, what was the question?
Well, what turned you on about your character Sand Saref?
EM: Yeah, I loved that my character was created in the 1940s. So you know, I have this real 'dame' and 'broad' kind of appeal to the character. And she was just so over the top. And fantastical. And, she has some of the best lines in the movie, you know what I mean? Like, 'Shut up and bleed!'.
That's one of my favorites. Which, strangely, I've used it since! But for me, this movie was just so collaborative. That was the main thing. Am I even answering your question? I'm sorry, I'm in the middle of jet lag!
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:59 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Not much to read here, but if you'd like to see a mess of photos of lovely Paz Vega, who co-stars in The Spirit movie, this is your site.
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Labels: Frank Miller, Paz Vega, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:46 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
by Lisa Rose
The Star-Ledger
Glamorous, enigmatic and cutthroat in a literal way, the women in films and graphic novels from Frank Miller tend to be a bit more, er, proactive than typical comic genre female characters.
"The Spirit," opening Christmas Day, features Eva Mendes as a jewel thief/ace swimmer named Sand Saref. She co-stars with Scarlett Johansson as murderous scientist Silken Floss and Paz Vega as knife-wielding belly dancer Plaster of Paris.
Based on a 1940 comic by Will Eisner, the picture is the sole directorial debut from Miller who co-directed his graphic novel adaptation of "Sin City" with Robert Rodriguez. The writer's swords-and sandals epic "300" has also been made into a hit film.
The title character (Gabriel Macht) is a masked misfit for whom death is a curable condition. He battles a fashionable nemesis called the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson).
On paper, Sand Saref could seem a type, a woman fixated with diamonds. Mendes says, however, that the character's neurotic need for shiny things is more than simple materialism.
This is the Cuban-American star's second appearance in a comic book adaptation, following her performance in "Ghost Rider" as a journalist in love with the engine-revving hero (Nicolas Cage). At 34, she has a list of credits that ranges from early roles in music videos to big parts in comedies -- "Hitch" -- and dramas -- "We Own the Night."
Eva Mendes in "The Spirit," opening Christmas Day.We sat down for a chat with Mendes -- looking fab in a strapless dress -- during a "Spirit" press day at a New York hotel last weekend.
Q: Frank Miller is such an interesting visual stylist, how would you describe his technique working with the cast, helping you work on the characters?
A: He was very specific. Sometimes, when he was trying to communicate something to me about a scene, he would draw it out for me. In two seconds, he'd draw me as Sand Saref. I was like, "Can you sign that for me?"
Q: Did you get to keep any of them?
A: I kept a couple.
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Nicolas Cage, Paz Vega, Robert Rodriguez, Scarlett Johansson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 8:11 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Getty Images via Daylife The stars of comic book film adaptation The Spirit have appeared at an abandoned warehouse.
Rather than a Leicester Square premiere, Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johannson graced the red carpet at the Old Post Office in central London, ahead of the film's world premiere in New York next week.
Jackson, who plays The Octopus, said his character was the villain to The Spirit's eponymous superhero. "He's kind of crazy, kind of wild, kind of genius and he wants to be the biggest criminal in the world," he said.
Johannson and Mendes both play sexy female characters. Mendes, wearing a ruffled yellow Bill Blass dress and Louis Vuitton heels, said she enjoyed baring her flesh for the film.
"It's so fun because it's not me. The minute I think it's me I wig out but it's so not me. I'm playing a character so if I drop my towel and show my bum it's not my bum."
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Louis Vuitton, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:32 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image via Wikipedia
Thursday, December 25, 2008
"...A goofy parody of hard-boiled detective fiction, larded with indigestible globs of expository voiceover and clunky catchphrases, the movie preemptively mocks itself at every turn, as if trying to beat the rest of us to the punch.
"...the result is dreadful. Good comic books suggest action through abstraction, but "The Spirit" plays like an overproduced diorama. Watching it is like watching three dimensions trying to pass themselves off as two"
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Labels: Frank Miller, Washington Post, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 11:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Scarlett Johansson image via Wikipedia
If you can't wait to catch The Spirit. You are not alone. For those who might not know, The Spirit is the Frank Miller live-action film version of the classic 1940s Will Eisner newspaper strip and subsequent comic book series.
Opening on Dec. 25, the movie arrives with lots of anticipation and a question; as in can Miller translate the 1940s noir images onto the big screen? At least Miller gets The Spirit. He was an Eisner friend. And his resume suits the challenge. Plus his intention to shoot the movie in the fancy Sin City CGI style made sense to just about everybody.
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 11:15 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Dec. 18, 2008
Scarlett Johansson, one of the cadre of curvaceous female co-stars in Frank Miller's The Spirit chatted on the red carpet about her real-life grappling abilities and whether or not she co-star or Eva Mendes would win in a fight against one another.
Johansson told Entertainment Tonight, "Probably Eva. I might slice her with my verbal kung fu though." Ha! She just called Eva dumb. Oh, I'm just trying to start some shit to see if we can't get these ladies to fight for real. Imagine how much money we could get for selling a tissue used to clean their bloody noses?
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 4:01 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by guiltysin via FlickrFor every movie that makes it to the screen, there are a thousand projects that fall to the wayside. Later this month, "The Spirit," finally, hits theaters after plenty of failed attempts. Steven Paul Leiva was a key figure in one of those failed attempts and in this guest essay for Hero Complex he talks about the film that could have been. This photo below shows Leiva, Brad Bird and the late Will Eisner at the comics icon's White Plains, N.Y., home in 1981.
Frank Miller’s film version of Will Eisner’s innovative 1940s comic book, “The Spirit” opens on Christmas Day. It will be stylistic and hyper-visual, a hoped-for perfect melding of film and “sequential art,” a term coined by Eisner. What it will not be, however, is revolutionary. Comic book movies are now the meat and potatoes -- not to mention several side vegetables -- of Hollywood. And even its green screen, scene-simulation style is just part of a Miller continuum that started with “Sin City.”
But if the world had turned a little differently, if fate had been a little kinder, a “Spirit” feature film would have debuted in the 1980s that would not only have been revolutionary but -- those of us involved in it were convinced -- a huge hit, possibly the first $100 million-grossing animated feature. And the futures of such filmmakers as Brad Bird, Gary Kurtz, John Musker and John Lasseter might have taken alternative paths.
In 1980, I was a freelance publicist specializing in animators I admired. My clients included Chuck Jones, Bill Melendez and Richard Williams. However, I was not particularly happy with the state of animation itself. Previously I had been executive secretary of the animation society ASIFA-Hollywood and an animation programmer for the Los Angeles International Film Exposition (FILMEX), and so had been exposed to a lot of great, classic American animation and exciting foreign animation. I had become frustrated that animation in Hollywood had fallen into the doldrums of sub-standard Disney, awful Saturday morning TV cartoons, and too-cute-to-stomach exploitations of brightly colored bears and other sugarcoated creatures. And I had become tired of anthropomorphic animals as the dominant fauna of American animation. Not that there was anything intrinsically wrong with them, it’s just that I was a Homo sapiens chauvinist and felt that American animation as an art form would never mature (as Japanese and European animation had) until it learned to tell human stories directly, and not through the filter of talking animals.
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Labels: Comics, Frank Miller, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:29 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
December 21st 2008
I must say thanks to Peter at SlashFilm as he managed to find the trailer I was unable to as one critic has called The Spirit “Brilliant,” “Jaw-Dropping” and “One of the best films of the year.” I was searching all over YouTube for this thing all day after seeing it numerous times this weekend. The greatest thing is how the voice over guy refers to the person saying these things as “critics” - plural - when it turns out to be someone named Scott Hoffman from MoviePictureFilm.com. Ahhh, what a way to get your name in a trailer eh?
I can assure you that Frank Miller’s The Spirit is not brilliant, not jaw-dropping, is definitely not one of the best films of the year and when Hoffman’s quotes end by saying “It will blow you away,” I don’t think I need to tell you the truth.
Hoffman does not have a published review of the film so he must have been cornered by a Lionsgate publicist (perhaps at gun point) and asked for a pull quote, or two, or three, or four and this is the result. What a joke, I have no problem with someone liking this film, but this is adulation to the point of absurdity and I believe anyone that has also seen this film would agree with me.
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Labels: Brad Brevett, Frank Miller, RopeOfSilicon.com, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:35 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Jamie Portman
December 18, 2008
NEW YORK -- The people behind The Spirit think moviegoers deserve something new and different on Christmas Day.
So what are they serving up as an antidote to the turkey and the tinsel?
Would you believe a dead man walking?
Hollywood's latest excavation from the comic-book archives resurrects a groundbreaking 1940 yarn about a murdered cop (Gabriel Macht) who is mysteriously reborn as a masked crime-fighter called The Spirit, only to meet a new nemesis in the form of a giggling psychopath known as the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson).
The film is a labour of love for contemporary graphic-novel icon Frank Miller, creator of Sin City, 300 and The Dark Knight Returns. Miller, 51, wasn't even alive when The Spirit made his first appearance 68 years ago, but he sees this new movie as an act of homage to the story's legendary creator Will Eisner, a comic-book pioneer.
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Labels: Dark Knight Returns, Frank Miller, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:06 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeUSA TODAY
Dec. 18, 2008
"Superman, Batman, The Flash, Aquaman, Silver Surfer, you know, the ordinary," said the actor, who stars in the upcoming The Spirit, which premiered Wednesday night..
Opening Christmas Day, it stars Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Scarlett Johansson and Gabriel Macht. Jackson plays his nemesis, The Octopus.
"It's pure boy stuff," Jackson said of comic-based films. "Guys like to chase each other and hit each other over the head."
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Labels: Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 1:57 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Reviewed by: Ron Henriques - 12.18.08
I won't bore you with too many details or jokes because my job is to inform you on the quality of a feature, not do stand-up comedy. 'The Spirit' is a film that no matter how bad it looked or how bad I heard it was I still went into with an open mind. I wound up getting my mind blown and not in the fashion I like. This film is a complete mess from frame one and not even worth the film it was recorded on which should be burned immediately to save the participants from further embarrassment.
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Labels: Dark Knight, Frank Miller, Iron Man, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 1:52 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Dec 17 2008
Director Frank Miller rewrote the Spirit script to accommodate ScarJo and let Samuel Jackson improvise — and even reinvent his character's look. We met the director and cast, and learned just how much they collaborated.
Letting Frank Miller gallop across The Spirit film set unedited opened the doors for the actors to do so as well. In a press conference for his newly released film The Spirit Miller described how one should adapt a comic to film:
As far as what translates from comics to film, I find that they are the better source material, and would cite marvel's recent Iron Man and Incredible Hulk as wonderful witty jobs at adapting them. I think if they get too presumptuous, comic book movies tend to fall apart.
That's all fine and dandy to say, Mr. Miller, but revelations throughout the conference revealed that you and your cast went a little willy nilly with changes and additions. Case in point: the lovely Scarlett Johansson's part, Silken Floss, was completely rewritten and expanded once the gorgeous ScarJo wanted in on the project. And that was only the beginning of the actors dictating changes to the movie.
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Labels: Comic book, Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Silken Floss, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 12:46 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Samuel L. Jackson image by Getty Images via Daylife
Samuel L Jackson has revealed he enjoyed wearing make-up for his latest film role, in his words, "a little too much".
The actor, known for his tough guy roles, wears outlandish costumes, head gear and make-up to play villain The Octopus in The Spirit - a film adaptation of Will Eisner's comic books.
Speaking at the launch party for the film, directed by Frank Miller, Sam said: "Frank wanted the eight teardrops tattooed onto my face and the rest of it he kind of let me do, so when it came to eye colour or eye shadow or eyebrows.
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Labels: Comic book, Comics, Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:28 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Check these out: "The Spirit" trading cards created by Corbett Vanoni and distributed by Inkworks. Like 'em? You can see the entire set and order them HERE!
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Labels: Corbett Vanoni, Frank Miller, Inkworks, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:27 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
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Labels: Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 12:34 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
This India-based site has a short slideshow of exclusive photos from The Spirit premiere in thar country.
Click HERE to See the Rest of the Photos!
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Labels: Comics, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Movie star, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:26 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeBy Lucas Siegel17 December 2008
The NYC-inspired "Central City" is character in of-itself in comic book legend Will Eisner's seminal work The Spirit. So perhaps it was appropriate that when it was time for cast and crew to gather for a press event promoting Frank Miller's solo-directorial debut big screen adaptation of the comic book, they descended on New York City, rather than the more suburban metropolis that is Hollywood.
Present at the weekend press conference was Miller, along with star Gabriel Macht [The Spirit], Eva Mendes [Sand Saref], Scarlett Johansson [Silken Floss], Samuel L. Jackson [The Octopus], Dan Lauria, [Commissioner Dolan], and Sarah Paulson [Ellen Dolan]. The stars took their seats, and the questions began.
Question: Gabriel, this seems to be your big breakthrough, can you talk about your experience playing The Spirit? And Scarlett, how did you come into this role?
Gabriel Macht: My name is Gabriel Macht, I play El Spirito [laughs]. In many ways, any part you get as an actor has the potential for breaking through, and I feel like I’ve done a bunch of those in my career, but honestly this one happens to have the biggest potential because I’m involved with Frank’s vision of the film. There’s no greater opportunity for a younger actor than to play The Spirit, and I had the best time working on the film, so hopefully people come and see it and we can make a couple more!
Scarlett Johansson: I’m Scarlett Johansson, and I play Silken Floss...
Frank Miller: [interrupts] Doesn’t she make that sound great? [laughter from the audience]
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sand Saref, Sarah Paulson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 12:21 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrHere's an excerpt from today's Variety review of "The Spirit" movie by Justin Chang. Let's keep reminding ourselves that this is Frank Miller's Spirit, not Will Eisner's. Any similarity is clearly coincidental, as we all feared:There's a lot going on here, but none of it sticks -- not theshopworn plotting nor the arch, stilted dialogue. The actors often seemto be delivering their lines in ironic quote marks, suggesting astraight-faced sendup of noir and comicbook conventions that, whateverthe intended effect, falls mostly flat.Click here to read the review in its entirety: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939232.html?categoryid=31&cs=1
The Spirit himselfdoesn't supply much of a rooting interest; Macht's role is colorless inmore ways than one, and we see more of the actor's nicely sculptedtorso than his face (most bigscreen heroes have the decency to take offtheir masks once in a while). Mendes and Lauria come off better,injecting their perfs with sizzle and bite, respectively.
And if you're still not convinced it's bad, over at Ain't It Cool News, their reviewer says "The Spirit" movie "replaced Battlefield Earth as the worst movie" he's ever seen.
Read the AICN review here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39450
Can you say "reboot"?
Somehow I don't think this movie is going to sell any more copies of my biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life!
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Labels: Ain't It Cool News, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:59 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
TV Stars * TV Producers * Movie Stars * Movie Directors, Producers, documentary Filmmakers and Screenwriters * Politicians and Political Writers * Stand-Up Comedians * Health Experts * Magazine Editors * Radio Stars * Bloggers, Podcasters and Web Producers * Novelists * Musicians and Music Journalists * Sexuality Experts * Culture and Society Experts * Food Experts * Biographers, Historians and A.J. Jacobs * Athletes and Sports Experts * Photographers * Journalists * Crime Experts * CEOs and Business Experts * Comic Book Creators * Cartoonists * Will Eisner Co-Workers, Friends and Experts
Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Jaime King, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 12:34 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by another.point.in.time via Flickr1. Gabriel Macht. He is so cute. Plus, after years of solid yeoman’s work in such flicks as American Outlaws and The Recruit and The Good Shepherd, he’s due his moment in the spotlight. He at least deserves this chance at a franchise. Also: the red tie is fantabulous.
2. Frank Miller. I know, I know: I’m a girl, and so I’m not supposed to like shit like 300 and Sin City. But I do. Deal with it.
3. Will Eisner. The man literally wrote the book on comics.
4. Samuel L. Jackson. He’s basically the coolest, baddest dude ever. And he’s so nice!
5. Nothing says “holiday cheer” like mean streets, an undead vigilante who snarls out greetings including “I'm gonna kill you all kinds of dead,” and a URL such as “MyCityScreams.com.” Merry fuckin’ multiplex Christmas!
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Labels: Frank Miller, MaryAnn Johanson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 8:22 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by yotambientengosuperpoderes via FlickrBy Michael Leader
We've been to see some new footage from January's new comic-movie release...Frank Miller's directorial debut, The Spirit, has been attracting a lot of fanboy rage and geek disdain. Adapted from the weekly newspaper comic by industry innovator Will Eisner, it is set to be the most divisive comic book movie of the year, putting a cap on what has been a superlative 12 months for heroes (super or otherwise) on the silver screen.
I just had the opportunity to see a preview clip-reel of the film, which consisted of short, less-than-5-minute segments, punctuated by introductory and explanatory sections from Deborah DelPrete, one of the producers. I'll save my overflowing emotions for later, let me give you the long and short of what we were allowed to see, in stylish prose.
Clip 1. Opening scene, plus credits. The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) gets a call (on his cell phone!) from Detective Sussman, telling him to get down to the docks. As the opening credits flash across the screen, The Spirit embarks: first through the cemetery, then atop apartment blocks - a black silhouette, with a red tie standing out in the night-time dark. A lone harmonica plays, building up to a full-blown rousing strings theme straight out of the Danny Elfman superhero theme text book. As he jumps from roof to roof, The Spirit speaks to his city through a voice-over - 'my city... she's there for me... my sweetheart... my play-thing'. He detours, after hearing a scream, and makes short work of the two goons holding up a dame in an alleyway. As he bids the girl farewell, she gasps at the sight of a knife in his back, and at the dismissive way he tugs it out and discards it. 'What are you?' she whispers; The Spirit looks confused, contemplative, and leaves without an answer. A cop sidles up to her, 'that's The Spirit'.
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:20 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Cover via Amazon Thursday, December 11, 2008
Say the name Will Eisner, and for many it is like invoking the names of Homer or Picasso: pioneer figures in their fields.
While Eisner's cultural contribution may not be quite so exalted, for millions of readers he is the seminal figure in a publishing phenomenon.
Eisner created the first successful graphic novel, popularizing the term in the process, with the release of "A Contract With God" (1978).
This semi-autobiographical story is credited with revolutionizing the comic book form. Today, the graphic novel is, arguably, America's fastest-growing literary genre. And widely influential. The character of Kavalier in Michael Chabon's Pulitzer-prize winning (non-graphic) novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" was inspired to a considerable degree by Eisner's life and career.
Following "A Contract With God" at an age when most of his contemporaries had long since retired, Eisner created more than 20 additional graphic novels and instructional books.
"Will was still very productive near the end of his life," says Carl Gropper, archivist of Will Eisner Studios, Inc., in New Jersey. "I suspect that now that the new movie based on his work is coming out, there will be quite a bit of additional interest in his remarkable career."
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Labels: Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Carl Gropper, Clay, Contract With God, Michael Chabon, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:19 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeBy Miles Fielder
Dec. 11, 2008
Graphic novelist Frank Miller talks about his film adaptation of comic book legend Will Eisner’s groundbreaking 1940s crime-fighter strip, The Spirit.
‘At first I found it too daunting, because Will Eisner had been my mentor. But after three minutes of careful thought I decided that nobody else could touch it. So I went from protecting The Spirit to exploring what I perceived as Will’s intent, which was to create something new and exciting. Accordingly, I didn’t want to make a piece of stodgy memorabilia. I wanted to do something with modern technology that was as adventurous as Will was with his horsehair brush and ink.
‘We use digital effects similar to the ones Robert Rodriguez and myself used in Sin City. What’s happened with computer technology is perfectly timed for someone with my set of skills. I tell stories with pictures. What I love about CGI is that if I can think it, it can be put on the screen.
‘The stories that make up the core of this movie were three: ‘Sand Saref’, ‘Bring in Sand Saref’ and ‘Showdown’. The first two introduce one of The Spirit’s many femme fatales, played in the film by Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King and Paz Vega. The third story was a bloody fight between the Spirit and the villain the Octopus, played by Samuel L Jackson, that demonstrated both of them could withstand inhuman punishment. Working out how to justify that allowed me to make the Spirit a man who is existentially confused about why he came back from the dead – he knows that he is a cop who was shot dead and mysteriously came back to life, but not why.
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Labels: Comics, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:18 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeThe Spirit movie won't premiere in the United States until December 25, but it opened in Madrid on Tuesday, Dec. 2. No reviews yet, but check out the photo gallery from the red carpet gala at PopEater.com!TV STAR Interview Index to Mr. Media
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Madrid, Paz Vega, Red carpet, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Regardless of how the movie turns out, the one thing that can't be denied is that Frank Miller has got some of the hottest women in Hollywood for his upcoming "The Spirit" comic book adaptation.Be sure and check out ComicBookMovies.com's The Spirit wallpaper area to see the new exclusive Sand Serif wallpaper, but also all of the "official" wallpapers that we could get our hands on!
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Labels: Comic book, Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:56 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrPosted by Mr. StratfordI’ve got to admit, I never read The Spirit until they first announced the movie was going into production. Since then, I’ve picked it up a few times and haven’t really been impressed, let alone entertained enough to keep buying it. [However, if anyone cares to recommend a particular collection or time frame to read, I’d be willing to give it another try.] Therefore, I find it a little hard to care all that much when people start talking about how much Frank Miller has altered The Spirit for his film.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 3:40 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrBy Geoff BoucherNovember 2, 2008
Reporting from San Francisco -- No comic-book creator has seen his work brought to the screen with more reverence than Frank Miller, whose ultra-violent graphic novels "300" and "Sin City" were adapted to film practically panel by panel. "It is very strange," Miller said, "to draw something and then have it come alive in front of you. You start to feel like a low-rent god, but, in my case, one with major feet of clay. . . . "
This minor deity, who favors fedoras and Winston cigarettes, is now attempting a new type of Hollywood trick and it starts on Christmas Day, no less; that's the release date of " The Spirit," the superhero film that Miller hopes will complete his unlikely transformation from comic-book artist to successful movie director, a career path that did not seem possible even at the start of this decade. "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" may have racked up historic box-office numbers this summer, but if Miller succeeds with this particular pop-culture leap, it will be the most dramatic proof that comics have become hard-wired into the circuitry of Hollywood.
Interestingly, Miller, the most important comic-book artist of the last 25 years, chose to make his solo directorial debut with somebody else's superhero, and a relatively obscure and vintage one at that. The Spirit was created in 1940 by the late, great Will Eisner, a beloved figure in comics who brought a cinematic flair to his drawing board that influenced several generations. No one admired Eisner more than Miller -- in 2005, shortly after Eisner's death, the book "Eisner/Miller" hit shelves with 350 pages of collected conversation between the artists as a sort of comic-book sector version of the landmark 1967 film book "Hitchcock/Truffaut."
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Labels: Comic book, Frank Miller, Graphic novel, Samuel L Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 1:48 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
This year, Miami Book Fair International has partnered with Diamond Book Distributors to present a comprehensive program on graphic novels and the comics world that will celebrate their historical place in our country's literary life, as well as their recent rise in popularity and integration into the mainstream via book stores, libraries and educational curricula all over the country. Events include the following:A Celebration of the Life and Work of Will Eisner
Wed., November 12, 2008
6 p.m., Centre Gallery (Bldg. 1, 3rd Floor)
Please join us for an exceptional evening celebrating comic book legend, Will Eisner, when Miami Book Fair International and Miami Dade College’s Centre Gallery open an exhibit of Will Eisner’s original artwork and a multi-media exhibit based upon The Plot, Eisner’s last graphic novel. A panel discussion about Eisner’s life and work will take place in the gallery, and will be followed by a screening of the award-winning documentary, Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist in the Auditorium (Bldg.1, 2nd Floor).
About the Panel:
Will Eisner is undoubtedly the most influential individual in comics—a true pioneer in creating both form and content. From his now legendary work in the 1940s on The Spirit to his truly groundbreaking graphic novel, A Contract with God, in 1978, and his posthumously published graphic novel, The Plot, in 2005, Will Eisner’s work and passion for this medium continues to shape contemporary pop culture. The Eisner Awards, the “Oscars” of the Comics Industry, are named in his honor.
Frank Miller’s film adaptation of Eisner’s The Spirit will arrive in theaters in December 2008—come get a behind-the-scenes look at the man who inspired not only the movie, but a generation of writers and artists.
Editors, agents, creators, and friends will provide a rare and intimate look into the evolution of Eisner’s career, impart personal anecdotes about working with him, and share their unique perspectives on this exceptional visionary artist.
The discussion will feature Eisner’s editor on The Plot, Bob Weil (vice president and executive editor at W.W. Norton & Company), agents Denis Kitchen and Judy Hansen, and author and Eisner protégé Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics). The panel will be moderated by Charles Kochman, executive editor of Abrams ComicArts, and editor of The Will Eisner Companion.
Saturday and Sunday Sessions With Creators and Authors
Saturday, Nov. 15
11:45 a.m., Auditorium
Art Spiegelman on Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist As A Young %@&*!
Noon
Bring your comics artwork and get feedback from comic artists Jessica Abel and Mike Perkins.
1:30 p.m., 7106-7
Scott McCloud on Comics 2008
Comics are changing fast, both in the kinds of stories they tell, and how their creators tell them. Thanks to the “graphic novel” movement, the manga invasion and the growth of webcomics, the story of comics in America is more exciting and unpredictable than ever. Author and comics artist Scott McCloud puts all these trends into perspective in a fast-moving visual presentation.
2:30 p.m., 7106-7
David Hajdu, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America in conversation about comics and American culture with Françoise Mouly, co-founder of the comics anthology, RAW; editorial director, TOON Books; and art director, The New Yorker
4:00 p.m., 7106-7
Comics Galaxy
David Heatley on My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down
Ariel Shrag on Awkward, Definition, Potential and Likewise
Jessica Abel and Matt Madden on Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond
Sunday, Nov. 16
1:00 p.m., Auditorium
Chip Kidd on Bat-Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan
Brad Meltzer on The Book of Lies
10:30 a.m., Centre Gallery
Mim Harrison on The Happy Warrior, The Life Story of Sir Winston Churchill as Told Through Great Britain’s Eagle Comic of the 1950s
Samantha Baskind and Ranen Omer-Sherman on The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches
Dan Herman, Publisher and Editor, Hermes Press
12:00 p.m., Centre Gallery
Frank Beddor on Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars, Volume One
Jordan Mechner on Prince of Persia, The Graphic Novel
2:00 p.m., Centre Gallery
Stephanie McMillan on As the World Burns: 50 Things You Can Do To Stay in Denial, A Graphic Novel
Alex Baladi on Frankenstein: Now and Forever
Youme Landowne on Pitch Black
3:30 p.m., Centre Gallery
Superheroes: The Secrets Behind the Masks
Superman may be 70 years old, but he's still leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Batman, Iron Man, plus hundreds more super heroes still protect our universe with their strange and wondrous powers. Children and adults alike love these seemingly simple but surprisingly complex characters. Why have they played such a large part in our popular culture for decade after decade? What does the metaphor of the superhuman mean? How has the idea of the hero changed? And what's with the tights? If you ever wondered what goes on in the head of a comic book creator – or want to know what they’re working on next -- our panel of industry pros await your questions!
A panel discussion with Bill Rosemann, editor, Marvel Comics
Christos Gage, writer, Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers: The Initiative
Mike Perkins, artist, Captain America, Stephen King’s The Stand
Brian Reed, writer, Ms. Marvel, Secret Invasion: Front Line
On The Teen Scene Stage
Friday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m.— Learn the true history of Wonderland and its queen Alyss, her body guard Hatter Madigan and the rest of the folk living on the other side of The Looking Glass, when Frank Beddor presents his graphic novel, Hatter M.
Saturday, Nov. 15, Noon-- Bring your comics artwork and get feedback from creator Jessica Abel and Marvel editor Bill Rosemann.
6 p.m.-- Superhero Sculpture Workshop by Ivan Galindo
Sunday, Nov. 16, 4 p.m. Travis Nichols presents the ultimate DIY guide for budding rock stars—Punk Rock Etiquette
In Children’s Alley
Sunday, Nov. 16, 1 p.m. – Hey kids! Read TOON books along with Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly then jump on stage and draw your own comics!
Street Fair Exhibitors:
~Automatic Pictures is the creator of the popular The Looking Glass Wars, a twisted version of the Alice in Wonderland fable. The trilogy and its spin-offs, including the Hatter M graphic novel series, are the brainchild of Hollywood producer Frank Beddor.
~Banana Tail is a comic for small children about a yellow-tailed monkey and his friends, created by established superhero illustrator Mark McKenna.
~Dark Horse Comics is the third largest comics publisher in the United States, including Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Tarzan, Conan, and many other titles.
~Diamond Book Distributors is a subsidiary of the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and related merchandise. DBD sells a vast array of high-quality graphic novels, gaming products, and trading cards to some of the largest mainstream booksellers.
~Don't Eat Any Bugs produces graphic novels and web comics for kids, generally involving penguins and/or pirates.
~Emotes by Evergrow are a multi-platform line of emotional little beings that live in the World Wide Web and fight computer viruses, while teaching children how to deal with their emotions in a healthy way.
~Hermes Press is one of a handful of publishers which exclusively produces books and comic strip reprints focusing on the art and artists of the comics and pulp magazines of the 1920s and 1930s, art books covering science fiction, and popular culture.
~Marvel Comics is the granddaddy of comics, with a library of over 5,000 high-profile characters – from Captain America to Spider-Man, the X-men and the Punisher -- built in nearly 70 years of comic book publishing.
~NASCAR comic books’ unique concepts, original characters and varied storylines appeal to NASCAR's large and diverse fan base as well as traditional independent comic book consumers.
~Radical Publishing is a manufacturer of the next generation of premium comic book products, with a focus on high-concept stories and artwork by marquee and newly discovered talent.
~Sky Dog Press publishes Buzzboy, the Daily Comic Strip Adventures of "The World's Most Upbeat Hero!"
~TATE'S Comics + Toys + Videos + More is a 15-year-old comics, toys, video (and much more) shop located in Ft. Lauderdale. It is regularly considered the “best” in its field by local media.
~Toon Books is a children’s comic publishing house dreamed up by Françoise Mouly, New Yorker art editor and wife of acclaimed cartoonist, Art Spiegelman. The focus of the venture is introducing young children to the pleasures of reading.
~Tokyopop is a distributor and publisher of anime, manga and English-language manga, headquartered in Los Angeles.
~UDON is an award-winning Canadian-based art collective formed in 2000 to provide high-quality creative services to the entertainment industry. Besides a client list that reads like a who’s who of the business UDON also publishes comics, manga and artbooks.
The School of Comics
All About Graphic Novels, Comic Books and Manga
Friday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Room 7128 (Bldg. 7, First Floor)
Educational sessions for teachers, librarians, parents and others who want to learn more about the format. Facilitated by librarians and professors, experts in the field.
Free and open to the public. Registration required. For more information and to register, please visit www.miamibookfair.com and click on Comix Galaxy
10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Welcome Session: Panel Discussion with Arlene Allen, Robin Brenner, Adam Johnson, Tom Kealey, Francoise Mouly and David Serchay
Graphic novels have become a rapidly growing, influential force in the publishing world and entertainment industry. The success of graphic novels began in a place where it was least expected: the library. Facilitators will discuss what led us to this point and what can be done to capitalize on this new form of literacy.
11 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Graphic Novels: Introducing an Exciting Format that Draws New Readers! Facilitated by Librarian David Serchay
Graphic novels have an increased presence in libraries, and while not all titles are suitable for all ages, more and more titles are being created for younger readers. They are even being used in classroom activities and reading lists.
11:50 a.m. – 12-50 p.m.
Lunch: Miami Book Fair’s Street Fair is in full swing! Head over to the food court for lunch, then browse the booths selling comics, graphic novels, and millions of other books.
1 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Welcome to Manga! What is this stuff from Japan?
Facilitated by Librarian Arlene Allen
This entry-level session will be a gateway into the world of manga for librarians, educators and the general public.
2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.
A Deeper Look At Manga: The world of the Otaku
Facilitated by Librarian Robin Brenner
Robin Brenner’s appearance courtesy of Bookreporter.com and TeenReads.com.
Due to its origins in Japanese culture, manga carries with it an entire world of iconography and meaning. What is Shojo, Yaoi, Shonen, or Josei? This session will reveal the deeper, hidden meanings in the language of the Otaku, or fan of manga.
3 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Comics and Writing: Shake Girl, The Stanford University Graphic Novel Project
Facilitated by Professor Adam Johnson
Kealy and Johnson will discuss the development of this program at Stanford University and what it can mean to writing programs of all levels.
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Labels: Comic book, David Hajdu, Graphic novel, Looking Glass Wars, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:44 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image via Wikipediaby Mike Watt Writer's Corner
Oct. 20, 2008 3:33 PM PDT
While some in my family and all of my friends insist that I’ve already raised enough of a ruckus, I just can’t keep quiet about The Spirit movie any longer. Having been subjected to the new trailer in theaters twice now, I really have to voice my concern: in the hands of uber-ego Frank Miller, Will Eisner’s groundbreaking and inspiring character has been rendered parody. This isn’t a simple matter of artistic license or Hollywood insensitivity. This movie is shaping up to be nothing short of heresy.
Granted, I am judging this movie solely by the trailer and the two previous teasers that had already burned a hole in my gut. Perhaps it’s unfair to level criticism this early. But what are trailers for, anymore, but giving the audience a capsulated synopsis of an entire movie? Therefore, judging solely by the trailer, the movie’s title is an egregious irony—there is nothing about The Spirit movie to suggest that it has maintained “the spirit” of The Spirit.
Obviously, it’s no co-incidence that it took until the first full-length trailer for creator Will Eisner’s name to even be mentioned in connection with this Sin City-celebratory train wreck. I could easily see Will posthumously wanting his name removed from this movie.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Comic/Superhero/Geek, Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 4:43 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Dear Bob,
Here you have the front page of cultural supplement to JORNAL DO BRASIL, one of the main newspapers in Brasil.
It came out last Saturday.
There you are mentioned, with Ann Eisner and Denis Kitchen, as a person who helped me to get there.
Thank you so much Bob,
Best,
Marisa Furtado de Oliveira
Documentary Filmmaker
Will Eisner, Profession: Cartoonist
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Labels: Ann Eisner, Denis Kitchen, Marisa Furtado de Oliveira, Profession: Cartoonist, Will Eisner, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:41 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Tired of speculation over how bad Frank Miller's The Spirit movie might be? Enjoy this second trailer from the Watchmen movie, which looks amazing.
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 4:05 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Book cover via AmazonBy Ada Price
Publishers Weekly
10/6/2008
Published for the first time as a trilogy, the form in which they were originally conceived, Will Eisner’s comics instructional books—Comics and Sequential Art, Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative and the posthumously completed Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative—have been revised and released in new editions by W.W. Norton. Based on Eisner’s lectures and classes at New York City’s School of Visual Arts, the books explore the minute details of creating comics, from panels and timing to the printing process. The books have been updated and revised, as per Eisner’s wishes for the books to remain relevant. Eisner’s editor, Norton executive editor Robert Weil, and contributing editor, Denis Kitchen, oversaw the process.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Denis Kitchen, New York City, School of Visual Arts, Sequential Art, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:42 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image via WikipediaBy Rick MarshallMTV Splash Page
Oct. 2, 2008
With a new print series on the way from Devil’s Due Publishing and plans in the works to bring her back to movie screens, Golden Age heroine “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” has been pretty active lately thanks to “Die Hard” screenwriter Steven de Souza. In fact, the award-winning writer has made it his mission to bring the Will Eisner character back to the big screen like so many of her peers.
De Souza told MTV News that a movie based on the “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle” character is “absolutely our intention” now that he’s co-writing her adventures for Devil’s Due. Although he sees the “Sheena” comics he’s writing as a necessary foundation for the property (come back tomorrow for more on the print series and an exclusive preview of the upcoming “Sheena” miniseries), he didn’t hesitate to throw out a name when asked who he believes should don the ol’ leopard-skin bikini in a live-action “Sheena” feature film.
“In my mind, the character as reconceived is a multi-ethnic Latina,” said de Souza. “Somebody like Jessica Alba would be the perfect type.”With a new print series on the way from Devil’s Due Publishing and plans in the works to bring her back to movie screens, Golden Age heroine “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” has been pretty active lately thanks to “Die Hard” screenwriter Steven de Souza. In fact, the award-winning writer has made it his mission to bring the Will Eisner character back to the big screen like so many of her peers.
De Souza told MTV News that a movie based on the “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle” character is “absolutely our intention” now that he’s co-writing her adventures for Devil’s Due. Although he sees the “Sheena” comics he’s writing as a necessary foundation for the property (come back tomorrow for more on the print series and an exclusive preview of the upcoming “Sheena” miniseries), he didn’t hesitate to throw out a name when asked who he believes should don the ol’ leopard-skin bikini in a live-action “Sheena” feature film.
“In my mind, the character as reconceived is a multi-ethnic Latina,” said de Souza. “Somebody like Jessica Alba would be the perfect type.”Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Golden Age, Golden Age of Comic Books, Jessica Alba, Sheena Queen of the Jungle, Steven de Souza, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:40 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
By Graeme McMillanio9.com
Oct. 15, 2008
I've noticed a trend: We do a post about the upcoming movie version of The Spirit, and commenters complain that we're too negative about it. Is it a ploy to bury Frank Miller's directing career, you ask? Why are we hating so much on a movie that we've not seen, and judging it on solely on the trailers and interviews and pre-release hype that we're supposed to be excited about? Well, speaking solely for myself, the reason that I'm afraid of the Spirit movie is because of why I love the Spirit comics.
At its best, The Spirit newspaper strip was about so much more than crime fighters in masks and smart suits and femme fatales: It was all about groundbreaking look and storytelling that slowly but surely turned away from the genre stereotypes towards something that was both larger in scope and smaller in execution. It's not just that the strips were good in and of themselves - although they are, or else they wouldn't be worth reading more than half a century after they were created - but that there was an added thrill that came from watching Eisner and his studio creators stretching the boundaries and expectations of the entire medium on a weekly basis. As Alex has already mentioned, the splash pages brought influences from outside of comics to bear, redefining not only the way that comics could look, but the way that creators thought about the way that comics could look... but just as importantly as the visuals, the writing of the series evolved throughout the strip's initial 12-year run, outgrowing its pulp origins to become something more Runyonesque and humanist; as the series went on, stories would center on characters as more than just stereotypes or plot devices but as individuals in their own right (This focus on the little guy continued in Eisner's later work on books like The Dreamer, The Building and Invisible People).
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Comic strip, Dreamer, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:37 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image via WikipediaOfficial Press Release
With Frank Miller's highly anticipated movie of The Spirit coming in December, DC Comics rush solicits THE SPIRIT SPECIAL #1.
"We're pleased to offer this Special based on suggestions made at the Diamond retailer summit in Las Vegas," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales. "This issue will be a great way to introduce curious customers to The Spirit as the movie gets closer."
Offered at a cover price of $2.99 US, this 32-page comic includes a cover four classic stories by Will Eisner: 1947's "Sign of the Octopus," 1949's "Black Alley," and "Sand Saref" and "Bring in Sand Saref," both from 1950.
THE SPIRIT SPECIAL #1 (SEP088005) is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 19 and has a Final Order Cutoff date of Thursday, October 30.
Retailers may order this item by contacting their Diamond Customer Service Representative or DC Sales Representative, or by email at reorders@diamondcomics.com.
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Labels: DC Comics, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Sand Saref, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:35 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrFrank Miller couldn't get it right, so Odd Lot and Lionsgate are asking fans to help them out of the deep hole they've dug for themselves on Frank Miller's Will Eisner's The Spirit. Good luck!
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Labels: Comic/Superhero/Geek, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:33 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
The Spirit Movie Light-up Journal Dark Horse Deluxe
Type: Merchandise : Journal
Genres: Action-Adventure, Crime
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release Date: January 14, 2009
Availability: Pre-Order For ages: 13+ Details: Hard cover, concealed spiral bound light-up, 128 pages, Full color, 5.5" x 8.5"
Fans have raved about our Tim Burton Light-Up Journal for a while now. We have been waiting for just the right property to follow up with, and have found it with The Spirit. A moody silhouette of the hero stands against a snow-speckled night sky. When a small button is pressed, a sequence of LED lighting elements concealed in the cover illuminate various snowflakes.
Fans have raved about our Tim Burton Light-Up Journal for a while now. We have been waiting for just the right property to follow up with, and have found it with The Spirit. A moody silhouette of the hero stands against a snow-speckled night sky. When a small button is pressed, a sequence of LED lighting elements concealed in the cover illuminate various snowflakes.
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Labels: Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Mad Hatter, Tim Burton, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:32 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Alan Light via Flickr
Coming in December from Image Entertainment is this long-awaited Brazilian documentary of American comics master Will Eisner, directed by Marisa Furtado.This award-winning, three-part documentary explores the remarkable and lengthy career of Will Eisner, a pioneering cartoonist whose work continues to impact popular culture.
• Part 1: "Spirit:" All about Eisner's most famous character, The Spirit, who debuted in 1940 and has been continuously published around the world
• Part 2: "The Dream:" Eisner's dream of being recognized as an artist through his media is revealed, including how his meetings with underground cartoonists in 1978 led him to produce his first graphic novel which revolutionized the field
• Part 3: "Master Class:" Eisner demonstrates at his drawing board the techniques related to his books, The Art of Storytelling and Comics and Sequential Art
• Aired on TV in 36 countries
• Features interviews with Art Spiegelman, Bill Sinkiewicz, Denis Kitchen, Jerry Robinson and Ann Eisner, plus Brazilian cartoonists (Angeli, Guazzelli, Lailson, Mauricio de Souza, Ota, Ziraldo) and French and Belgian artists Jano and Francois Shuiten
You can watch a trailer from the video HERE!
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Labels: Art Spiegelman, Denis Kitchen, Graphic novel, Jerry Robinson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrHeidi McDonald posted the latest Frank Miller's Will Eisner's Spirit movie trailer at her blog, "The Beat," on Publishers Weekly and attracted dozens of responses.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Beat, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:28 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
"Most of the people eagerly awaiting the Frank Miller-ized movie of Will Eisner's amazing comic The Spirit have never actually read the original comic. So they probably don't have a sense for the difference between the comic and Miller's campy Sin City-esque vision for the film version. So as a public service, we're presenting the best 12 splash pages featuring Will Eisner's masked hero, to show once and for all why Miller can't hope to bring their genius to life.
"From the visuals we've seen so far, Miller's distinctive vision seems to have scrapped the rapidly switching genre for his own usual film noir feel, as you can see in the poster at left. The high profile of the Spirit's female paramours also marks a shift from the original comic. There's also a major emphasis on a villain who's never directly represented in the comics, Samuel L. Jackson's The Octopus. Yet there was considerable brilliance in the original strip's directors of photography. Pioneer Will Eisner and his legendary group of collaborators pushed the form forwards in stunning artwork that deserves to be seen by all."
— By Alex Carnevale, writing at io9.com, "12 Splash Will Convince You Frank Miller Shouldn't Adapt The Spirit." Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Alex Carnevale, Film noir, Frank Miller, Octopus, Samuel L Jackson, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:27 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by Strandell via FlickrPublished by Rick Marshall Friday, October 10, 2008
Sure, everyone’s been talking about Frank Miller’s “The Spirit,” but this isn’t the first time Will Eisner’s classic character has taken a turn in the live-action medium.
Way back in 1987, screenwriter Steven de Souza was fresh off a pair of genre-defining hits with “48 Hours” and “Commando.” Just before undertaking the project that would become one of his best-known films, “Die Hard,” de Souza wrote and produced a television pilot based on “The Spirit” — the first live-action adaptation of the long-running comic strip. While the series was never picked up, the 74-minute film has lived on as a cult classic of sorts among comic fans.
With Miller’s take on “The Spirit” currently suffering the slings and arrows of early fan critique, MTV News thought it might be interesting to reach out to the writer who first brought “The Spirit” into the live-action world for a chat about Miller’s spin and the task of bringing the character to screens big and small.
“I do notice that they seem to have done quite a few things that I did [in the 1987 TV pilot],” said de Souza of Miller’s take on “The Spirit.” “Because of the limitations of my budget, we couldn’t afford to do a period piece, so we did no period at all. We took all of the marks off the cars, had the men wear hats and used dial telephones — so our picture looked like ‘The Incredibles’ and takes place in some vague post-War period.”
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:25 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image by yotambientengosuperpoderesvia FlickrBy John Dingwall
Oct 9 2008
The Daily Record, UK
THIS is the rear view that has been giving Eva Mendes sleepless nights ahead of the premiere of her latest movie.
The actress bares her bum in the adaptation of Will Eisner's 1940s comic book The Spirit.
Eva admitted stripping for her role as cat burglar Sand Saref made her nervous.
She said: "I'm excited to see what happens with this scene. Well, I don't think it's 'excited' - I'm actually nervous.
"I think they have a butt shot of me. I'm not sure how it ended up."
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Comic book, Daily Record, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Sand Saref, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Diamond Select Toys announced that it will be making Minimates based on The Spirit. The new Minimates will reflect both Will Eisner's classic comic series AND Frank Miller's upcoming motion picture tribute.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Labels: Frank Miller, Minimates, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:55 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
UP CLOSE: GABRIEL MACHT'The Spirit' star speaks of honoring Eisner and getting punchy with Frank Miller
By Jake Rossen
Posted 9/19/2008
Wizard Magazine
Like the titular character in his upcoming "The Spirit," Gabriel Macht has been a bit of an ethereal presence in recent years: The 36-year-old actor has appeared in a string of films, some noteworthy ("The Good Shepherd"), some not ("Grand Theft Parsons").
If the track record of comic-to-film adaptations is any indication, that semi-anonymity is about to be blown to bits with the Christmas Day release of Frank Miller's first solo directing effort, "The Spirit," based on Will Eisner's iconic creation. Macht dished on playing the undead Denny Colt, the parade of femme fatales and a peculiar way of decorating his set trailer.
WIZARD: "The Spirit" co-stars Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Paulson and Eva Mendes, among other knockouts. Some people might think your job was to hang out with beautiful women all day. Tell me if I'm over-simplifying things.
MACHT: Of course, it was a lot of fun. All the girls were lovely. Eva would come in for two and a half or three weeks, and then Sarah would come in for a week or two, [and then] Scarlett would come in for a little bit. It was nice to have a variety of great actresses to work with.
Did Miller advise you to go and read some Eisner, or were you already a fan?
I actually didn't know about the Spirit until the audition. I bought the "best of" Spirit collections. When I got to set, Frank said, "Listen, I don't want you to look at those. I'm not crazy about the coloring." He wasn't a fan. He liked the black and white. So he gave me his best picks, and I read through all of those Spirit comics and put them up in my trailer. You couldn't see any wall. It was all comics.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
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Labels: Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Jake Rossen, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie, Wizard Magazine, WizardUniverse.com
¶ 7:32 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Image via Wikipedia“['The Spirit'] is a comic book. You can call ‘The Dark Knight’ a comic book, but no, it’s a graphic novel. There’s a difference between a comic book and a graphic novel.
“‘The Spirit’ is funny. It’s tongue-in-cheek, wry humor. It’s sort of Wile E. Coyote with real people. We hit each other with big things [and] we’re both kind of indestructible, so it’s funny in that way. We get shot up, we get stabbed up, we just don’t die.”
—Samuel L. Jackson, a lifelong comic book fan who, instead of reassuring fellow fans, wound up scaring them even more in an MTV Splash Page interview with Rick Marshall.
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Labels: Comic book, Comics, Dark Knight, Graphic novel, Samuel L. Jackson, Spirit, Wile E Coyote, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:49 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"Today, we've seen an original trailer of The Spirit, a footage of the movie and had the chance to speak with Frank Miller, who was in Rome to introduce The Spirit. What can I say about the stuff I've seen? Not so bad as I've read, but frankly I'm not sure that this mix of comics, noir and fun stuff will work."Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Labels: BadTaste.it, Frank Miller, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:27 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
There is a lot to be dubious about in what Frank Miller has thus far released in terms of clips and trailers for The Spirit film due this Christmas. It's still too much Sin City and too little Will Eisner. But if you forget all the history involved here, the latest trailer, available at Moviefone, does make one a little more interested in seeing the movie.I just wish it wasn't called "The Spirit" and it didn't have Eisner's name on it. We'd all probably enjoy it a lot more if it was called what it is: NOT Will Eisner's The Spirit.
But at least this trailer gives us a smidge of hope.
Labels: Frank Miller, Moviefone, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:48 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:26 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
From ShowBizSpy.com: Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes have joined forces to encourage Americans to recycle their old cellphones.
The actresses both star in a new campaign film for the Environmental Media Association to show people what to do with their unwanted handsets. That site is Answer-The-Call.net.
The mini-movie, titled The Spirit, was shot by Sin City director Frank Miller and can be viewed at MyCityScreams.com.
Labels: Environmental Media Association, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:46 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, The Spirit Project, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:25 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
"Our society is in a dark place, but these are heroes that save us. You may call Batman, Iron Man and the Spirit antiheroes, but at the end of the day they're protecting us at a time when there's a lot of fear. There's terrorism, there's a war on, and when these comic book heroes began, and when The Spirit was written, there was a war on."
— Deborah Del Prete, executive producer of Frank Miller's Will Eisner's The Spirit movie, due out December 25, 2008. She is quoted in a Conde Nast Portfolio magazine story, "Superheroes Save Hollywood! (Barely.)," by Fred Schruers.
Labels: Batman The Dark Knight, Conde Nast Portfolio, Deborah Del Prete, Frank Miller, Fred Schruers, Iron Man, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:48 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Steven Thompson dredged up several color photos from the first movie based on Will Eisner's character, The Spirit. It was acquired by ABC Television (before it was purchased by Walt Disney) and intended as a pilot for a weekly series. The entire story can be found in my biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life. You can often find bootleg copies of the film, which has never officially been released on DVD, on eBay.
See more photos by clicking HERE!
Labels: ABC-TV, Nana Visitor, Sam Jones, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:45 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"I loved ‘Sin City,’ I loved ‘300,’ and I loved the kind of mystery of [director] Frank Miller. I was interested to meet him. I heard that he was doing this project, and that there were some fun female roles. I had heard of the graphic novel for ‘The Spirit.’ I knew of it, and I wanted to find out more. So I met Frank. …
"We just caught on like a house afire. It was like, ‘I love you. You’re fantastic.’ We just got along so well, and we both shared our love for the city and all of the different parts of it. Frank highlights all of those sort of dark shadowy corners. That’s what he wants. He loves that aspect of the story.”
In the film, Johansson plays a character named Silken Floss. "She’s this nurse. On the gray spectrum, she’s actually the lighter side of gray," she says. "It’s a kind of an undeveloped role, so I think that was exciting for Frank, too, that he could develop the character and develop her story. So you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Labels: Frank Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Silken Floss, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 6:50 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"This movie looks batshit crazy."
— An opinion of the upcoming film, Frank Miller's "Will Eisner's The Spirt," written by anonymous blogger the Comic Book Cynic. Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Labels: A Contract With God, Comic Book Cynic, Frank Miller, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:44 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"Just as Americans are going to the polls in November, a mass media campaign will be ramping up that depicts cities as both dangerous and wracked with torment. "My City Screams!" It could be a slogan for The Dark Knight. Or any of a host of other movies, TV shows or books. But it's actually the tagline for The Spirit, the new comic-book movie by noir master Frank Miller. We love to imagine cities as hazardous, smelly alien worlds, even as real-life U.S. cities are becoming safer and safer. Why is genre entertainment's portrayal of cities trapped in an era of tenements?"
— Charlie Jane Anders, writing on io9.com. Click HERE to Keep reading!
Labels: Batman The Dark Knight, Frank Miller, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:42 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"I loved ‘Sin City,’ I loved ‘300,’ and I loved the kind of mystery of [director] Frank Miller. I was interested to meet him. I heard that he was doing this project, and that there were some fun female roles. I had heard of the graphic novel for ‘The Spirit.’ I knew of it, and I wanted to find out more. So I met Frank. …
"We just caught on like a house afire. It was like, ‘I love you. You’re fantastic.’ We just got along so well, and we both shared our love for the city and all of the different parts of it. Frank highlights all of those sort of dark shadowy corners. That’s what he wants. He loves that aspect of the story.”
In the film, Johansson plays a character named Silken Floss. "She’s this nurse. On the gray spectrum, she’s actually the lighter side of gray," she says. "It’s a kind of an undeveloped role, so I think that was exciting for Frank, too, that he could develop the character and develop her story. So you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Labels: Frank Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Silken Floss, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:39 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
10 Comics Creators We Wish Would Make Movies Instead Of Frank MillerTue Aug 12 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
We used to love Frank Miller, before his comics work turned into schlocky self-parody. But even in his prime, Frank wouldn't be our first choice to direct a semi-major Hollywood movie, so we're sad that Miller's getting his shot at the brass ring with The Spirit. We can think of ten comics creators off the top of our heads who would do a better job of helming a movie than Frank, and here they are.
Darwyn Cooke (writer/artist)
What he's famous for: He helped super-writer Ed Brubaker revamp Catwoman in 2001, with a fresh look that combined the clean lines of Batman: The Animated Series (which Cooke worked on) with a gloomy noir sensibility. Then he went on to reinvent the origins of DC Comics' silver age characters with the miniseries DC: The New Frontier, which became a direct-to-DVD animated movie. Finally, he teamed up with Jeph Loeb to do a Batman/Spirit minseries, and then wrote and penciled a Spirit series for a year.
What we'd like to see: Scrap Miller's The Spirit and give us Cooke's on the big screen instead. I don't even care if Miller's done filming. Just include Miller's version as an extra on the DVD of Cooke's version. Cooke's series nailed what Miller's movie looks like it'll miss out on: the playfulness and vividness of Will Eisner's original comics. And Cooke found ways to bring the Spirit into the 21st century without losing what was cool about the character originally.
Click HERE to Keep Reading!
Labels: Charlie Jane Anders, Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, Frank Miller, io9.com, Jeph Loeb, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:37 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
'The Spirit' Isn't Impressing Anyone with Its Trailers
The latest one has just arrived and it at least has decent music
By: Brad Brevet
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
It seems the online fanboy verdict on Frank Miller's The Spirit is out and the film doesn't even hit theaters for another 4 months. The footage from Comic Con that got absolutely no one excited has found it's way online and I can see now why people didn't enjoy it. The supposed humor put forth in the clip just isn't funny and it appears comedy is the goal of the clip, which makes the action utterly worthless.
Not helping the situation are the trailers for the film that make it look like a Sin City knock-off and considering it isn't Sin City, that poses a bit of a problem.
Labels: Brad Brevett, Frank Miller, Rope of Silicon, RopeOfSilicon.com, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:36 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
— Matthew "Mattman" Jeffrey, blogger at GeekRoundTable.com. Click here to keep reading his post!
Labels: Frank Miller, GeekRoundTable.com, Matthew Jeffrey, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:27 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Eva Mendes, Jamie King. Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 8:55 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Writing in the Will Eisner Listserv on Yahoo! Groups [eisner-l], Tom "The Comics Savant" Stewart points us to a second negative review of the Las Vegas sneak preview of Frank Miller's "Will Eisner's The Spirit" on Ain't It Cool News.com. As of this morning, this review had an astonishing 175 comments:By "VoicesOffCamera":
I just got back from an advanced screening of “The Spirit” here in Vegas. According to the people hosting the screening, we were the first audience to ever view the film, and that the eventual theatrical release would have some changes.
Now, I’m a fan of the Spirit comics and Frank Miller (Born Again is easily one of my top 5 comics of all-time), so I was intrigued to see if Miller was going to pull this off. If he did this as a comic, I’d expect the modern way over-the-top Miller that we’ve been getting on All-Star Batman, but would that be how he’d portray his friend’s character on the big screen, for people who have never even heard of The Spirit before?
The answer is that the picture he made is closer to the movie “Shoot ‘em Up” than anything Miller or Eisner have done before (That means no “I’m the Goddamn Spirit”).
The violence is very over the top and cartoony in a Looney Toons style. The first fight, for instance, which takes place after an extended version of the “City is my Mother and Lover” roof-jumping scene we’ve all seen in the trailer, consists of Spirit and the Octopus beating the crap out of each other in a pond by pulling all sorts of weapons and blunt objects out of the water and bashing each other with them.
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Labels: Ain't It Cool News, AintItCoolNews.com, Frank Miller, Harry Knowles, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 11:35 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
By Dan KoisNew York Magazine
August 10, 2008
Tagline: “My city screams.”
Translation: As does the ghost of Will Eisner.
The Verdict: Frank Miller, writer of 300 and Sin City, got his first solo directing gig with The Spirit, the landmark creation of Eisner, legendary comics artist and inventor of the graphic novel. And from the campy set-pieces, overheated dialogue, lack of action, and overreliance on femme fatales, it’s hard not to think that it won’t be his last— or the last superhero movie, period.
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Labels: 300, Frank Miller, Lionsgate, Sin City, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:40 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Mathieu owns a Las Vegas comic book store, Alternate Reality Comics, 4800 S. Maryland Pkwy ste.D, Las Vegas, NV 89119. His wife, Katherine Keller, helped found Sequential Tart.
The bad news--if this is true--for everyone hoping that the movie might be better than its poorly reviewed trailers: Mathieu, writing on his "Ich Liebe Comics" blog, says it is not.
Read on:
So I saw The Spirit tonight...
...and I thought it was horrible! No spoilers following:Tonight over at the Rave movie theater here in Las Vegas, the first advance screening of The Spirit, written and directed by Frank Miller, was held and Rob (a friend who's my new helper in processing the week's new books), had gotten two passes Saturday when he and his wife went to a movie there. I was pretty exited because The Spirit isn't set to open nationwide until December and I thought from seeing two trailers that it would be a fun movie ala Sin City or fun to goof on like that show Mystery Science Theatre did to bad movies.
After seeing the trailer I thought that Frank Miller's Spirit wouldn't have much to do with Will Eisner's creation which I thought was kind of odd as I know that Miller respects Eisner. I'm going to guess that Miller thought what he was doing was updating the character for today's audiences. I don't have a problem with movies based on comic books differing from the source work as long as the changes are entertaining and make sense unto themselves as I realize that movies and comics are two different mediums. Anyone who goes into Miller's movie Spirit expecting it to evoke what they like about Eisner's comic version will be seriously disappointed, because while I think the movie has some nudge nudge wink wink homages to Eisner's work and other comics, the movie felt nothing like any of the Spirit stories I've read. Again, if Miller's Spirit movie was entertaining, I wouldn't have minded, but...
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Labels: Frank Miller, Ich Liebe Comics, Ralph Mathieu, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 7:58 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, Sand Saref, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:35 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
"It’s a cartoon..."
—Samuel L. Jackson, co-star of Frank Miller's Will Eisner's The Spirit -- and a lifetime comics fans -- commenting on the movie. He was interviewed by Charlie Mihelich of Collider.com.
Labels: Charlie Mihelich, Collider.com, Frank Miller, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 9:22 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
BOB STRAUSS, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: Next up, you’re Silken Floss in Frank Miller’s movie adaptation of Will Eisner’s comics hero The Spirit. How was that?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: Working with Frank Miller was so exciting for me. He’s such a visionary. He’ll literally sit the crew there and come in with a big storyboard that he’s drawn out and lead you through it. Then everybody disperses all excited about the next thing. It’s so much fun. And I loved playing this big, sexy character whose dialogue is so black and white. Then there’s Sam Jackson, who I’ve always admired and is so great to work with; you couldn’t ask for a more exciting co-star who is such a pro.
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Labels: Bob Strauss, Frank Miller, Los Angeles Daily News, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 8:36 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, Jaime King, LiveVideo.com, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
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Labels: Frank Miller, Gabriel Macht, Reelz Channels, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie
¶ 2:06 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Labels: Frank Miller, Jaime King, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Eisner's The Spirit movie