Bongo Comics for February 2011 include "Bart Simpson Comics #58 :
"...'Bart' attempts his most elaborate practical joke ever and becomes an Internet sensation with a little help from his friends -- about 15 million of them! Then, 'Rod' and 'Todd Flanders' believe it is their mission to save 'Homer' and Bart's souls..."
In "Simpsons Comics" #175 :
"...After destroying the entire 1970's TV video collection of 'Disco Stu', 'Homer' is ordered by the court to replace the library. Thus begins a nostalgic trip to yesteryear, featuring life on the prairie, variety show puppets, a beaten down and beaten up private eye and a whole lot more..."
Sneak Peek the new trailer supporting Universal Pictures upcoming fantasy western "Cowboys & Aliens".
Directed by Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"), the graphic novel adaptation stars Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Clancy Brown, Ana de la Reguera and Abigail Spencer.
Screenplay is by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof.
"...1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of 'Absolution'. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted 'Colonel Dolarhyde' (Ford).
"It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.
"Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force.
"With the help of the elusive traveler 'Ella' (Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Cowboys & Aliens"...
"He was a very complex person," director Clint Eastwood said about former FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, who will be the focus of Eastwood's next feature, "Hoover". The bio-pic is prepping for a February 2011 start, starring actor Leonardo Di Caprio.
"He was also very clever," said Eastwood about the former G-Man. "Whether rightfully or wrongly, he was very clever about keeping himself in a certain position in life, so it is an interesting study."
Screenplay for "Hoover" is by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black ("Milk").
"'Hoover' is not as linear and traditional as Milk – but it didn’t need to be," said Black.
"People know Hoover – or think they know Hoover – and that’s great as a writer because you’re free as a writer to explore other stuff…"
A life-long bachelor, Hoover was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation, predecessor to the FBI in 1924 and was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972.
A devoted 'freemason' since he was 26, Hoover was instrumental in building the FBI into a large and efficient crime-fighting agency, instituting a number of modern innovations to police technology, including a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories.
His critics accused him of exceeding the jurisdiction of the FBI, using the government agency to harass political dissenters and activists, to amass secret files on political leaders for blackmail and to collect evidence using illegal methods.
With Hoover's backing, the FBI spied on thousands of suspected radicals. According to documents declassified in 2007, he maintained a list of 12,000 Americans suspected of 'disloyalty'.
He also relocated agents who displeased him, including Chicago FBI Bureau Chief Melvin Purvis , the nemesis of John Dillinger, 'Pretty Boy' Floyd and 'Baby Face' Nelson, who was forced out of the organization by Hoover, then blackballed from finding any further work. Purvis eventually underwent electro-shock therapy, became a morphine addict and took his own life.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "J. Edgar Hoover"...
According to reports, producers Roy Lee and Steven Schneider are developing a feature remake of the 1978 Warners feature "The Swarm", adapting the 1975 novel "The Swarm", by author Arthur Herzog.
The new film will be directed by Ash Bolland.
The original film, directed by Irwin Allen, focused on a swarm of 'killer bees' that invade a Texas town, starring Michael Caine, Slim Pickins, Olivia de Havilland, Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Swarm"...
"The Cape" is a new one-hour 'superhero drama' TV series, expected to air on NBC during the 2010–2011 television season as a midseason replacement, following recent reports of a 13 episode network pickup:
According to reports, Emmy award winner Claire Danes ("Temple Grandin") is in talks to play the female lead in Showtime's upcoming drama pilot "Homeland", a psychological thriller, from executive producer Howard Gordon.
The "Homeland" pilot, to be directed by Michael Cuesta ("Dexter") follows the story of US Marine Sergeant 'Scott Brody' who is found 10 years after going missing during the invasion of Baghdad. Danes would play 'Carrie Anderson', a CIA case officer who receives a tip that Brody has 'turned' to lead the next big strike against the American homeland.
Sneak Peek footage from "Green Lantern" starring Ryan Reynolds:
Reynolds plays test pilot 'Hal Jordan' who is given cosmic powers to become Earth's "Green Lantern" superhero, with the ability to transmute 'green energy' into solid mass.
According to "GL" director Martin Campbell, 'alien' comic book characters set to appear in the film will include 'Kilowog', "Tomar-Re', 'Abin-Sur'and the villain 'Sinestro'.
"...In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the 'Green Lantern Corps'. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each 'Green Lantern' wears a ring that grants him superpowers.
"But when a new enemy called 'Parallax' threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: 'Hal Jordan' (Reynolds).
"Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity.
"With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart 'Carol Ferris' (Blake Lively), and if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of them all..."
'Carol', Hal Jordan's girlfriend is played by actress Blake Lively.
"All the main characters are there," said Campbell. "And it's a complex story."
"The origin story of Green Lantern is complex, probably one of the most complex, which makes it a challenge to get it right..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Green Lantern"...
Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh ("Ocean's 11") is in talks to direct Warners upcoming feature adaptation of the 1960's TV series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", starring actor George Clooney.
The new "U.N.C.L.E." screenplay will be written by Scott Z. Burns ("The Informant") for producers John Davis and Jeff Kleeman.
The original TV series, broadcast on NBC September 1964 to January 1968, followed the exploits of two secret agents, played by actors Robert Vaughn ("The Magnificent Seven") and David McCallum ("The Great Escape") , who work for the clandestine, international law-enforcement agency 'U.N.C.L.E.' ('United Network Command for Law and Enforcement').
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced 105 "U.N.C.L.E." episodes, originally developed by Sam Rolfe for executive producer Norman Felton, with "James Bond" author Ian Fleming contributing characters 'Napoleon Solo' and 'April Dancer', to series scriptwriters Robert Towne ("Chinatown") and Harlan Ellison ("The City On The Edge Of Forever").
In the TV series, American Solo (Vaughn) and Russian 'Illya Kuryakin' (McCallum) report to 'Alexander Waverly' (Leo G. Carrol'), aka 'Number One of Section One'.
U.N.C.L.E.'s archenemy is 'THRUSH' ('Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and Subjugation of Humanity'), that originated within the WW II Third Reich, believing in a '2-party' system of masters and slaves.
Bongo Comics for February 2011 include "Bart Simpson Comics #58 :
