Graeme Revell Article

I stumbled onto an article on composer Graeme Revell and his work on the Sin City movie at ign.com. Check it out!

Ultraman Max Update

Ultramanlah.com has posted the official web site to the newest Ultraman: Ultraman Max! There's not much on the site yet except for a couple pcitures of Max and some familar kaijus, but then again I can't read Japanese or Chinese. Ultraman Max is decked out in the usual red and silver colors. I like his chest design and his fancy guantlet, but I'm not too thrill with his face design. This series looks like a back to basics, fun for all ages type of show.

You can check out the official site at:

http://hicbc.com/tv/max/main.htm

CD Review: The Phantom Menace

First of all, I'd like to point out that all three prequel "albums" are roughly seventy minutes of music, but in my opinion fail to capture the overall scope of John Williams's brilliant scores which run at least double that time. Only Phantom Menace has received the 2 disc "ultimate" edition, and probably the one that least deserved it.

As always, it opens with the traditional Star Wars title theme and then cuts to a totally different cue, Arrival to Naboo: a grandiose motif that's reprised in track 13. Next are two concert pieces for the main new themes: Duel of the Fates and Anakin's Theme. While it's nice to have these stand alone versions of the new themes, they are very similar to their arrangements in the end credits. If the concert pieces are taken out, then there would have been more room for more unique tracks.

Duel of the Fates alone makes the soundtrack worth a listen. Its use of vocals and orchestra is breathtaking. One of my other favorite new themes is the droid army theme, a proto-Imperial March that's also reused as the Flag Parade. Most of the old themes are also present such as: the main theme, the Force theme, and even hints of the Imperial March (Darth Vader's theme). The Municipal Band is an unique composition, similiar to Cantina Band, with its fun combination of vocals and percussion that leads into the main theme.

The Phantom Menace is an excellent example of John Williams "lite." There's a lot of solid themes and bombastic sounds, but it just lacks the emotional depth that I expect from Williams and his recent works on A.I. and Minority Report. Anyone who loved this soundtrack should also check out the first Harry Potter score. B

Comics This Week

Another great episode of Eyes last night with the same pathetic ratings. But that's not what I'm going to be talking about today...

Klarion #1 (of 4): The newest series from the Seven Soldiers saga, Klarion depicts a strange world of pilgrims and the undead under threat from the Sheeda or something far worst. It hasn't really impressed me as much as the Guardian and Zatanna series, but shows potential. C

Metal Gear Solid #8: Will Snake and Meryl survive the deadly Mantis and Sniper Wolf? No? Oh, well. Includes a cool cover of Sniper Wolf. More of the same action yet little actual plot movement. B

Spectacular Spider-Man #27: In the final issue, Paul Jenkins reunites with Mark Buckingham to tell a very touching tale of Peter Parker. Jenkins was always talented at showing a very human portrait of Parker, and not the usual self-hating version littering current comics. This is proof of why Jenkins and Buckingham will always be my favorite Spider-Man team. A

Star Wars: Episode 3 #3 (of 4): Why are all that fuss about keeping the plot of Episode 3 a secret when you're going to release a comic book adaptation before the movie even comes out? Anyway, Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader. Palpatine is evil. Obi-Wan kicks butt. Is there anything I missed? (Didn't read to keep a movie a surprise, but the Dave Dorman covers make it an automatic A.)

Superman #215: I don't read Superman, but I've read the last twelve issues because of one of my all-time favorite artists, Jim Lee was doing the art. The storyline was a lot better than that lame Hush series, but it seemed that both story and art had begun to detoriate during the second half of the story arc. This conclusion left me unsatsified. C-

X-Men #169: The X-Men suffer against their inner demons and each other. Nothing that hasn't been done before in some story. I was kinda of expecting more out of Milligan. B-

A New Doctor Already?!

The new Doctor Who series has become a big hit in Great Britain, and it has already been renewed for a second series (season). Unfortunately, the offical ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, will not be returning. Eccleston cites that he's not returning because of a "grueling" schedule and the large amount of attention the role's brought him, including the tabloids.

Billie Piper, who plays companion Rose Tyler, will be returning for the second series. David Tennant has been offically chosen as the tenth Doctor.

In other news, U.S. fans may only get a look at the newest series from a DVD release sometime after the U.K. release in late Fall of 2005. There will be separate episodic DVDs and a collected DVD season set with extras.

The Last Star Wars Soundtrack

John Williams' last score for Star Wars wll be available to buy the first week of May. In the next couple weeks, I'll try to review the previous two prequel scores that have been written in the last six years. There are already reviews from critics who have gotten preview copies of the soundtrack. I recommend checking out the Filmtracks.com's detailed, yet ultimately negative, review of the score.

To find out more of the release, check out the John Williams Fan Network at jwfan.net.

The Newest Ultraman?

Go to Ultraman Lah and see pictures of the Ultraman, who is rumored to replace Ultraman Nexus (once that show has finished its run) Ultraman Max. Pictures include Ultraman Max in a familiar pose and some close-ups of his face. The Ultraman Max series is supposed to start this July.

WOW

Just when I thought Eyes's ratings couldn't get lower...

It's a shame too, because last night's episode is my favorite so far. While introducing Daly's wife, soon-to-be ex-wife, and hightlighting more of Daly's evil ex-boss's plotting, the episode also juggled the main plot of a stolen plane and a much more rounded sub-plot about a mysterious bag of money that was found.

Ultraman is Coming!

Henshin Online has reported that the Ultraman the Next movie will premiere in America during the Japanese Giant Monsters Festival, held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA from June 24th through the beginning of July. Other films being shown with it are Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla (1974), Terror of MechaGodzilla, Godzilla VS Megalon, and King Kong Escapes to name a few. Ultraman the Next will be shown during "Ultraman Day" with short features and a live stage show before the movie.

Ultraman the Next will then be shown at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA on June 26th, and at the FanTasia Film Festival which runs throughout July in Canada. (Will there be English subtitles or French ones?) Finally, at the end of August, it will be shown as a part of an "Ultraman Event" during the Bay Area Film Events in San Francisco. It's also rumored that it might be shown at this year's G-Fest in Chicago.

I would be really excited if I had the money, resources, or even time to run across the country to see it. It would be a great thrill to see Ultraman the Next on the big screen, with hopefully no dubbing, but I'd be happy if it just got a domestic video release, done with respect by a company like Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters.

You Haven't Been Watching "EYES"

According to Zap2it.com, repeats of Law and Order and CSI: NY had better ratings Wednesday night than Daly's new show. Now, that's sad. Why is no one watching "EYES?" Is it because it's stylish, fun, and I like it? Or is there some kind of government conspiracy against Tim Daly being in a nicely written show that doesn't last more than a season. (And being very optimistic when I say that "EYES" will even last for one season.)

Wednesday's episode was great, with their client being an old roommate of Daly's whose mistress was kidnapped and held for ransom for a large sum of money that the roommate claims he can't pay. Of course, Daly finds out he's lying, and wants to make a deal with the kidnapper... The only thing that I was disappointed with is that the subplot, the "B" plot if you will, seemed rushed and not as well written, like it needed more time than it was given to fully develop itself, just like last week's subplot with the hate crime.

Still, I'm going to enjoy this series for as long as it lasts. Which may not be much longer...

Hugh Laurie NOT in new Superman Movie

The British actor, best known for his roles in Blackadder and other Brit comedies, was going to be Perry White in Bryan Singer's new Superman movie, but due to an unforseen act of God, (House was renewed for a second season) Laurie now can't fullfill his contract with Singer and must bow out. He's being replaced by veteran actor Frank Langella.

I have mixed feelings about this. First, I couldn't really picture Laurie as White, but then again, being Dr. House, Laurie has shown us that he has a profound gift for portraying irascible bosses. But I'd rather have him in a new season of a good show, than in one movie. Perhaps Singer will hire him in a future role, such as X4 or Usual Suspects 2 or ... well, you get the idea.

Tim Daly on "Ellen"

The former "Wings" star was on the talk show promoting his new series. While it was only a five minute interview, it was nice to actually see him on a talk show. Besides talking about his new show, Ellen showed off his embarassing high school photo.

Anyway, he will also be on the Jimmy Kimmel's show tonight with, I hope, a longer interview segment. More on this tomorrow.