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John Waters, William Shatner and Martin Landau: Fan Expo 2011 Preview

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 22nd 2011 2:20PM
Filed under: Horror, Sci-Fi, Moviefone Canada


More comics, more anime and more sci-fi -- what more could a genre geek ask for? Last year's wraparound lineups and record-setting crowds finally persuaded the people behind Toronto's annual genre convention -- Fan Expo --to add an extra day. It now starts on Thursday instead of Friday, and runs from August 25 to 28.

Good thing too, since there are more high-profile guests and "one time only" events than there have ever been. Whether you're a fan of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming or all of the above, there is bound to be something for everyone.

Comic fans are in for some big announcements from Marvel and DC, and horror fans will get an exclusive screening of 'Near Dark,' the cult horror film from Best Director Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow. Plus, William Shatner returns to the big screen with documentary 'The Captains,' which features interviews with everyone who has ever piloted the Starship Enterprise.

This is just a taste of what's to come at this year's Fan Expo. For the true highlights of this year's convention, hit the jump.
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Original Boba Fett Jeremy Bulloch on Playing Sci-Fi's Ultimate Assassin

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Mar 22nd 2011 5:00PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Comic-Con, Sci-Fi
Only the 'Star Wars' faithful know Jeremy Bulloch by name, but when he dons the iconic green armor and helmet, he becomes instantly recognizable as Boba Fett. Bulloch played the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy in both 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi,' when Fett delivers Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt before meeting his unexpected demise in the sarlacc Pit of Carkoon.

Astute fans often note Bulloch's only out-of-costume appearance in the 'Star Wars' saga -- in 'Revenge of the Sith' -- when he played Captain Colton, the pilot of a rebel blockade runner. 'Star Wars' is just one of three storied franchises Bulloch has appeared in (he only needed the helmet for the one). He played Smithers, Q's assistant, in the bond films 'Octopussy' and 'For Your Eyes Only.' On TV, he graced British sci-fi favorite 'Doctor Who,' where he worked with the first and third doctor in 'The Space Museum' and 'The Time Warrior,' respectively.

No matter what he does, Bulloch will always be known for his place in 'Star Wars' canon, but in his case, infamy has been very good to him. The international fan organization The 501st Legion, whose members make and wear screen-accurate replicas of imperial uniforms at various conventions and charity events, have made Bulloch an honorary member. He has even trooped with them in his own fan-made Bobba Fett costume as part of the UK Garrison.

His experiences traveling around the world to various fan conventions and events have been chronicled in a book he wrote called 'Flying Solo: Tales of a Bounty Hunter.' The original print run of 2,000 is now down to 1,100 and the memoir is only sold through his website. Still, the book is a far cry from the man himself, which is why we caught up with him during his latest convention appearance at Wizard World Comic-Con in Toronto.
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Stan Lee Talks the Future of Comics, Comic Book Movies and Superheroes

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 26th 2010 4:00PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Geek Chic, Fan Expo
As any comic book geek will tell you, Stan Lee is the prolific creator of some of Marvel Comics' biggest superheroes, including Daredevil, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four and The Avengers, just to name a few. All are characters he co-created with a laundry list of superstar artists during the "Marvel Revolution" of the 1960s. These were the first comic book heroes to suffer from the same human problems and dilemmas of everyday life. Entrenched as members of our pop culture landscape, movie and TV audiences still can't get enough of these heroes facing real-world issues. With 'Thor,' 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'The Avengers' all soon to be released by Marvel Studios in the next two years, Stan remains "The Man," even now.

Building on a rapport with his fans that began on the Marvel Bullpen letters page all those years ago, Lee remains a vital part of superhero fandom by making routine cameo appearances in every Marvel hero movie since 'X-Men.' With Lee at the helm, Marvel became known as the "House of Ideas," and now he's bringing his latest hero-based concepts to his own company, POW! Entertainment. Moviefone recently chatted with the impresario from Vancouver, where he was filming his upcoming cameo in the SyFy TV series 'Eureka.'
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Ernest Borgnine on 'Red,' His SAG Lifetime Achievement Award and Why He Hates Today's Film Industry

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 25th 2010 4:00PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Geek Chic, Fan Expo, Coming Soon
Those who are amazed by Betty White's staying power as an actress should take a look at Ernest Borgnine. His over-50-year career is legendary, and he's still getting gigs for major motion pictures.

The 93-year-old icon has been working on stage and screens big or small since 1951. He got his big break alongside Frank Sinatra in 'From Here to Eternity' before going on to win an Oscar and Golden Globe for his lead role in 1955's 'Marty.' Since then, he has been nominated for one Daytime Emmy and three prime-time Emmys, including one as a husband-made-widower in the final episode of 'ER.'

He has joined the all-star ensemble cast of the much-anticipated 'Red,' based on the Warren Ellis graphic novel about a retired black-ops CIA agent who must re-assemble his old team after being targeted by an assassin. While peers like Sean Connery have announced their retirement, and Doris Day hasn't appeared in the public eye for years, Borgnine continues to knock out film after film. Moviefone caught up with him just as it was announced that he will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 SAG Awards.
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Toronto Fan Expo 2010: More Than Meets the Eye

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 23rd 2010 5:27PM
Filed under: Cheat Sheet , Geek Chic, Fan Expo

Muslims go to Mecca, Jews go to the wall, Christians go to Bethlehem and once a year, Canada's geeks converge on Toronto's Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the Fan Expo -- Canada's largest pop culture convention -- that combines comics, horror, sci-fi, anime and gaming all under the same roof.

This year's Fan Expo promises to be the biggest one yet. Not only does the convention boast the largest masquerade costume contest in Canada, where men and women bring their best fashionable interpretations of characters from each of the represented genres to the stage for prizes and bragging rights, but this year, they're bringing some serious celebrity heavyweights, including the father of the Marvel Universe, Stan Lee, and 'A History of Violence' director David Cronenberg. Oh, and did we mention Summer Glau, James Marsters, Ernest Borgnine and a cast reunion from the '60s-era 'Batman' TV series?

With so many stars in the same room, the floor may start to look like a living wax museum. But hob-nobbing with celebrities isn't the only thing Fan Expo has to offer. Read on for our picks for the best things to see and do.


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Famous Movie Locations: The Nightclub from 'Scott Pilgrim' (Toronto, Canada)

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 13th 2010 1:00PM
Filed under: Geek Chic, Made in Canada, On the Scene
Many movies have been shot on location in Toronto, including 'True Lies', 'Good Will Hunting', 'The Incredible Hulk' and all of the 'Police Academy' movies, but very few actually take place there. Like many Canadian cities with bustling film industries, Toronto is often the stand-in for recognizable American cities like New York or Boston.

This is what's unique about 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World': It's one of only a handful of films, not funded by the National Film Board of Canada, shot entirely in Toronto that also unabashedly takes place there. The city's landmarks are well-utilized for what they actually are.

None more so than Toronto's legendary alternative music venue Lee's Palace, where, in Bryan Lee O'Malley's original graphic novels, Scott and his Sex Bob-omb bandmates show up to witness a performance by rival band Clash at Demonhead, lead by Scott's own ex-girlfriend Envy Adams on vocals and featuring Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend Todd Ingram on bass. With this in mind, the film christens Lee's Palace as the site where many an evil ex-boyfriend showdown goes down.
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'Scott Pilgrim' Creator Bryan Lee O'Malley on What Started It All and Why Superhero Movies Suck

By Aaron Broverman (Subscribe to Aaron Broverman's posts), Posted Aug 4th 2010 10:52AM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Geek Chic, Made in Canada
July 19, 2010 (a few minutes to 12:00AM): It was a scene reminiscent of the 'Harry Potter' launch parties of years past -- hundreds of fans dressed as their favorite characters lining both sides of the street, waiting with breathless anticipation for the clock to strike 12 as a man with a megaphone counted down the remaining seconds before the mob launched into a book-buying frenzy.

But this wasn't the second coming of the boy wizard. It was the launch party for 'Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour' -- the sixth and final volume in the anime- and arcade game-inspired 'Scott Pilgrim' graphic novels. Scott is a 24-year-old slacker and garage band singer who, in order to win the girl of his dreams, must fight her seven evil ex-boyfriends, 'Dragon Ball Z' style. Canadian creator Bryan Lee O'Malley came up to Toronto (where the movie was shot) to end it where it all began.

Just around the corner from the launch party was Honest Ed's, the infamous giant discount store where Scott had his showdown with Todd -- the vegan boyfriend with psychic powers -- in Volume 3. Next to Ed's was Suspect Video, the real-life counterpart to No Account Video, so-named because the store's management would not allow O'Malley to take reference photos for the series. In charge of the launch was The Beguiling comic shop, operated by Chris Butcher. He is O'Malley's former roommate and the inspiration behind Scott's roommate Wallace. More than that, he is the one who passed on O'Malley's work to Oni Press editor-in-chief James Lucas Jones -- and the rest, as they say, is history.

The comic was launched on this small Toronto side street. Then, O'Malley literally had to beg his friends to attend, and now it ends with hundreds of people clamoring for his autograph, and with a movie/video game based on his characters about to be released. In anticipation of the release of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,' Moviefone caught up with the artist, a few hours before the release of 'Finest Hour,' to talk about ending his most recognized and critically acclaimed book at the zenith of its success.
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