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| Harrison Ford speaks at the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” panel |
Article by Adam Mast
Photos by Christian Navarrete, Jeff Sanders, and John Pugh
Another amazing Comic-Con has come to a close, and while I could have done without the excessive line-waiting and a completely aggravating (and unnecessary) wristband policy, the incredible movie presentations more than made up for it. Admittedly, we made a lot of great friends in the line too. Chatting with like-minded individuals is always one of the more memorable aspects of the Comic-Con experience, and since we camped out for three consecutive nights outside the Convention Center, there was certainly no shortage of friend-making.
As expected, there was a lot to see at Comic-Con International 2015, so let’s jump right into the recap.
BEST SIZZLE REELS/TRAILERS
“THE HATEFUL EIGHT” (The Weinstein Company)
Love Quentin Tarantino or hate him (for the record, I’m a huge fan), no one can deny this man’s pure love of the cinematic experience. In this day and age of digital movie making, not many filmmakers would go out of their way to insure that their latest film is viewable in 70 mm, but that’s exactly what Tarantino is doing.
The auteur behind “Pulp Fiction” and “Inglourious Basterds” will offer up “The Hateful Eight” in glorious 70 mm for two weeks only starting on Christmas Day. That’s right! It’s going to be a Tarantino Christmas!
Tarantino was not only on hand to talk about “The Hateful Eight” but also to show off some footage. First, though, this gifted storyteller gave us a look at a reel featuring the great Samuel L. Jackson. In this amusing trailer, Jackson went into detail about this special upcoming 70 mm release and how Tarantino was inspired to go this route because of his love for old school 70 mm motion picture events like “Ben Hur.”
After the Jackson-fronted reel came to an end, Tarantino went on to present eight whopping minutes of footage from “The Hateful Eight” (actually, it was more like seven minutes, but eight minutes sounds cooler for obvious reasons). The footage opens with an epic shot of a stagecoach making its way across a snow-covered landscape.
This was followed by an introduction to each key character in “The Hateful Eight,” a rag tag team of bounty hunters who seek refuge in a cabin in the middle of nowhere during one hell of a storm. Beyond that, this outstanding sizzle reel gave a taste of the film’s rather serious—and bleak—tone, but it was complemented by bursts of Tarantino’s trademark humor.
“The Hateful Eight” features a stellar cast, including Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, Walter Goggins, Tim Roth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Madson. The entire ensemble looks fantastic, but based on this reel, Leigh looks to be the standout. A moment in which Leigh takes an elbow to the face from Russell after popping off at him was both brutal and strangely hilarious. No, I don’t condone abuse in any shape or form, but in the context of the movie, this particular moment serves a distinct purpose.
This gripping footage was accompanied by an appropriate temp score. To be more precise, it was Ennio Morricone’s brilliant main theme from John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” which was perfectly fitting because this score gives viewers a chilly sense of isolation. The temp score seemed even more appropriate at the end of the panel when Tarantino revealed that Morricone would be scoring “The Hateful Eight.” This will be this iconic composer’s first Western score in 40 years! How cool is that?
“The Hateful Eight” sizzle reel smacked of vintage Tarantino, and if getting to experience eight minutes of footage wasn’t cool enough, we were also treated to a Q & A with the cast! Kurt Russell was there, and he was quick to talk up Tarantino in a big way (the two also worked together on “Death Proof”). In fact, the entire cast talked about what a thrill it was to work on “The Hateful Eight,” but perhaps the highest praise came from veteran actor Bruce Dern, who said: “Quentin has the greatest attention to detail as any director who ever lived. If he had a rival it would only be Luchino Visconti.”
High praise in deed.
Tarantino was asked plenty of questions from the crowd. One of the more memorable questions came from a young girl dressed as “The Bride” from “Kill Bill” (the majority of the panel agreed that this young girl had the coolest parents ever). The youngster asked if there might be a “Kill Bill” sequel, to which Tarantino replied it could happen in the future but that there’s nothing absolutely concrete at this point.
Tarantino was also asked if he was really going to stop making movies after his tenth film (“The Hateful Eight” is his eighth). He said he’d make that decision when he gets there. He implied that he’d like to go out on top and leave audiences wanting more, but he also suggested that there’s always the possibility that he might have more stories to tell.
Finally, being the huge proponent of film that he is (he even purchased the New Beverly in Hollywood so that he could turn it into a “film only” location), Tarantino discussed his desire to continue shooting on film. He even went on to say that if the landscape goes entirely digital, perhaps he’ll go to TV and make a miniseries instead.
An insightful panel, and “The Hateful Eight” sizzle reel was probably my favorite film footage from the 2015 Comic-Con International.
“STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS” (Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Pictures)
In all honesty, I don’t think there was a panel I was more excited about at Comic-Con 2015 than this one. Funny enough, after Disney and Marvel announced that they wouldn’t be attending the Con this year, I thought Lucasfilm would be a no-show. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
A couple of weeks before the Con, though, Lucasfilm dropped the disappointing news that they wouldn’t be premiering the new trailer at the Con, nor would there be any new footage showcased. Disheartening to say the least. Still, the studio promised appearances by J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Lawrence Kasdan, and “special guests,” and they weren’t kidding. Those “special guests” included stars John Boyega, Daisey Ridley, Oscar Issac, and Adam Driver. But it was the one, two, three punch of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and “surprise SURPRISE guest” Harrison Ford (Han was a no show at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year because he was recovering from injuries sustained in a terrifying plane incident) that truly left attendees speechless.
I have to tell you, seeing Luke, Leia, and Han on stage together was a thrill of a lifetime for this “Star Wars” fan. It really was an amazing sight. What’s more, a generally grizzled Ford looked incredibly happy to be there. He even smiled a lot more than usual.
As previously mentioned, there was no new trailer—Abrams said fans can expect one in the fall—and no new footage from the film, but Lucasfilm did bring something that was in some ways even better: a three-minute behind-the-scenes reel. Pure magic, I tell you. Rather than try and describe it, you can click here to see it for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTNJ51ghzdY
Abrams also brought along one of the practical creatures from the film, a part-puppet, part-animatronic marvel that I won’t soon forget. The stunning creation walked the length of the stage to the delight of the packed Hall H crowd.
Having said all this, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the way Lucasfilm opened the panel. They should have gone big. Something like stormtroopers entering from the back of the stage, a light saber fight, something of that nature. Instead, it was a very low key opening. Moderator Chris Hardwick hit the stage and simply introduced Abrams, Kennedy, and Kasdan. But what Lucasfilm lacked in sheer presentation showmanship, they more than made up for by way of a special surprise at the end of the panel.
All 6,500 attendees were walked to an outdoor venue across the street from the convention center and invited to attend a live “Star Wars” concert presented by the San Diego Symphony. The concert was preceded by a live message from the legendary John Williams, who’s currently busy scoring “The Force Awakens.” Adding to the overall coolness of the evening, attendees also received light sabers. In the end, Lucasfilm offered up a “Star Wars” presentation for the ages.
“SUICIDE SQUAD” (Warner Brothers)
All eyes were on “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” but in my humble opinion, “Suicide Squad” walked away with the WB/DC presentation. Seriously! Consider me officially excited for this one.
Director David Ayer hit the stage, and his use of the word “shit” was only rivaled by the “Deadpool” casts’ use of the “F” word. Ayer was visibly excited to be on hand to talk about his DC villain-on-a mission movie, “Suicide Squad,” but it should also be noted that this guy is as intimidating as…well…shit! Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be on this man’s bad side.
Ayer brought along his stellar cast: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jai Courtney, Adam Beach, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, etc. Pretty much everyone was there, save for star Jared Leto. While it was disappointing that the Joker himself opted to not attend, we got a glimpse of him in what was one of the very best sizzle reels of the Con this year.
Ayer looks to be doing something quite different with the DC universe here, and I, for one, am incredibly excited. This movie looks to be edgy, and I’m positively giddy at the idea of an all-star villain movie. The setup in this picture was giving me an “Escape From New York” vibe, and I liked it.
Robbie’s work as Harley Quinn looks positively hypnotic, and while I’m still not entirely sold on the Joker’s overall look in this picture, I’m digging the hell out of Leto’s performance.
[Sidenote: The sizzle reel we were treated to was created exclusively for the Comic-Con crowd, but some asshole in the audience decided to bootleg it. WB and Ayer were incredibly upset by the leak, but they decided to make the footage officially available to the public in HD. While I don’t condone the actions of the idiot who decided to betray the studio’s trust—quite frankly, I hope he or she is brought to justice—I’m happy that WB counterattacked by simply making the reel available. Now we can all watch it over and over!]
“Suicide Squad” sizzle reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3hecGO_04
“DEADPOOL” (20th Century Fox)
20th Century Fox closed out the movie portion of Comic-Con’s massive Hall H presentation lineup in a time slot usually held by Marvel Studios. With the showcasing of iconic super hero properties like “The Fantastic Four” and “X-Men: Apocalypse”—both of which included footage and cast appearances—it was clear that Fox was out to dominate the Con.
While a couple of the studio’s bigger title spotlights didn’t quite live up to the hype, there is absolutely no question that an advanced look at “Deadpool” was the ultimate fan favorite at Comic-Con this year.
The panel included stars Ryan Reynolds, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, and director Tim Miller. While the majority of the Hall H movie festivities proved to be family accessible, the “Deadpool” panel was—as is the movie itself—a decidedly R-rated affair. The cast and crew playfully took potshots at each other, and it was a hilarious sight to see. When Ryan Reynolds wasn’t accusing director Miller of being a big cry baby on set, co-star T.J. Miller and panel moderator Chris Hardwick were engaging in off-color quips about the mating habits of horses. It was R-rated comedy at its very finest.
Before unveiling the sizzle reel, Reynolds was quick to point out how grateful he was that “Deadpool” test footage leaked online early last year. It was because of that reel and the enthusiastic response it garnered from fans that Fox decided to greenlight the project.
And with that, attendees were treated to an extended peek at “Deadpool.” This lesser known—but no less grand—superhero flick weaves its tale around a wisecracking crime fighter who loves to sarcastically badger his opponents before bringing them to justice. But Deadpool has no problem cutting himself down to size either. At one point in the clip, he likens his own facial deformity to a testicle with teeth. Hilarious!
While the irreverent humor looks to be plentiful in “Deadpool,” so does the stylized action. There are plenty of high-octane chases, combat sequences, and gobs of cartoony violence to speak of, and it all looks to be handled with the utmost precision by Tim Miller. The “Deadpool” sizzle reel even offered up a surprising bit of drama revolving around Deadpool’s origin. In short, this obscure Marvel property looks to have a little bit of everything.
The “Deadpool” footage was so popular that it garnered a frenzied standing ovation, forcing spirited moderator Chris Hardwick to insist that the studio replay the footage, which they did. The second showing proved to draw an even more enthusiastic response than the first.
With its irreverent shock to the system, Fox’s “Deadpool” sizzle real appeared to wake up an exhausted Comic-Con crowd in a big way. It received the same kind of rapturous response that the “Kick-Ass” presentation received a few years back. While that Matthew Vaughn-directed movie ended up only being a moderate hit at the box office, the inclusion of star Ryan Reynolds, a feverishly high energy tone, and an undeniable sarcastic sense of humor should elevate “Deadpool” to larger-than-life status when it hits theaters next February.
[Special side note: While it is true that Marvel didn’t host a presentation this year, it should be mentioned that at the end of the 20th Century Fox presentation, Stan Lee, whose “Deadpool” cameo is his strongest Marvel movie appearance yet, walked out on stage and proceeded to round up the casts of “The Fantastic Four,” “X-Men: Apocalypse,” and “Deadpool” and had them all pose for the world’s biggest Marvel super hero photo. What’s more, Channing Tatum—soon to appear in “Gambit”—took the picture! Lee then ended the presentation with a prophetic statement: “This is how you end a panel!”
So yeah, in the end, Marvel was very well-represented at Comic-Con 2015.
“KRAMPUS” (Legendary Pictures)
Michael Dougherty, creator of the outstanding Halloween horror anthology “Trick ‘r Treat,” returns with the Christmas horror tale, “Krampus.” Dougherty was on hand all too briefly to talk about his upcoming film. He even brought along a sizzle reel to share with attendees.
In the horror/comedy “Krampus,” a demonic creature sets out to punish those who have been naughty during a terrifying Christmas season. The movie stars Adam Scott and Toni Collette, but its the youthful cast and special make-up effects that look to dominate what I suspect will be a yuletide classic for years to come.
This thing has Amblin written all over it, and I can’t wait to see it! Meshing horror and comedy can be tricky business, but clearly, Dougherty knows what he’s doing. If “Krampus” is half as good as the creepy cool sizzle reel made it look, we’re in for one hell of a cinematic treat this holiday season.
Watch for our second and final “Comic-Con 2015 Highlights” report tomorrow! It will include a first time Comic-Con appearance by one of the funniest men on the planet, a look at “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” a full photo gallery, and much more!
