The Film

“Wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men.” No statement is truer than in Captain America: The First Avenger. The fifth comic book adaptation from Marvel Studios tells the story of Steve Rogers, an unlikely hero from Brooklyn who, after being selected for the “Super Soldier” program, becomes the iconic “Captain America” and leads the fight against the “Red Skull” and HYDRA, a Nazi Research & Development organization, during World War II.

The film stars Chris Evans (Fantastic Four, The Losers), who delivers a shockingly magnificent performance as Steve Rogers. His portrayal of the character who starts out a small, feeble man with a heart of gold and transforms into an symbol of strength, courage, and perseverance shows that Evans has done his homework on the character and understands on a personal level who he is, and more importantly, who he inspires to be. The film also stars Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, V for Vendetta) as the villainous Johann Schmidt aka Red Skull. And though he does a good job in portraying such a formidable antagonist, his performance left a little more to be desired from an actor of his caliber and reputation. The all-star supporting cast includes Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Chester Philips, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes, & Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abraham Erskine. All of whom, especially Tucci, deliver standout performances of their roles.

The film directed by Joe Johnston (October Sky, The Wolfman) is an excellent presentation of visual story telling and special effects. Everything from the creation of “Skinny Steve” and the Red Skull’s makeup, to the costumes, shield, and CGI are executed with such precision. The writing and dialogue are done equally well, thanks to the work of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. And the music by Alan Silvestri is the “icing on the cake.”

The Blu-Ray

3D: The 3D looked fantastic on my 3D TV and is well worth the extra money if you’ve get a 3D TV at home.

Audio/Video: Both the audio and video quality are phenomenal.

Special Features include:

Commentary: By Joe Johnston, Shelly Johnson, & Jeff Ford, offers insight into the creative process of the film.

Featurettes: The making of the film, divided into several sections. Includes special first look at “The Avengers.”

Deleted Scenes: Or lack there of.

Marvel One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer: A HILARIOUS short film starring S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson.

The Film Rating: Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-Ray Rating: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Film:

We live in the Age of Superheroes, as Hollywood lines up big summer tent pole films based on our favorite characters, we must remember a time when Marvel didn’t dominate the box office, but instead stuttered-stepped to keep up with DC Comics’ movie adaptations like the successful Superman franchise and the surprise hit in 1989′s Batman. Marvel had animation and a TV series for The Incredible Hulk, but couldn’t get their Spider-Man film going, and gave Albert Pyun no money, no support to adapt the seemingly forgotten Captain America film, which was promised a summer release in 1990, only to come out on cable and video a year or so later.

For those who do remember the film, they recall the “so-bad-it’s-good” elements, but actually upon revisiting it now thanks to MGM’s Manufacturing-On-Demand service, Captain America had potential, which was squandered to the lack of studio help and no Marvel assistance. The super soldier experiment, the WWII battle with the Red Skull, frozen in ice, all of the stuff that comic book fans know of Captain America is present, but the big deviation from the comics, is Steve Rogers (Matt Salinger) is more self-doubting, making the film a moodier experience than the big budget Captain America: The First Avenger. But Captain America can’t be too down-and-out, as the Red Skull is still around and responsible for a slew of key assassinations and has his sights set on ruining the economy of the world.

Call me crazy, but Albert Pyun’s Captain America is a fun hoot. Flawed, yet interesting, I dare say that I enjoyed the Red Skull more here, than the incarnation that Hugo Weaving brought in The First Avenger. He’s evil and his make-up is wonderfully creepy. Salinger is a little wooden as Captain A, but the film is strictly a good old fashion live-action comic book, a style now long gone as our current superhero films are “real world” now. Goofy and cool, maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but I’ve enjoyed the movie as much now as I did when I was 10.

For a complete and thorough look at the film, its troubled history, and the production, re-read my Action Packed Flashback – Captain America with an interview with director Albert Pyun here.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Sadly, the video isn’t good. The picture is full frame, as it was cropped to 4:3 for VHS in the states in 1992 and that is what is on this DVD-R, the colors are washed out, no real definition, and night sequences are darker than they should be. No restoration work here. It’s okay in spots, but I guess it’s just cool to have it out on DVD. The stereo audio is good; no hisses or pops.

The only extra is a trailer that you can select from the main menu, but again, I encourage you to re-read my extensive article on the film for rare photos and the “lost” scenes.

The Film: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

This is the first real concrete bit of business in regards to a Doctor Strange movie. The character was created in 1963 during Marvel’s Silver Age reinvention as is known as Sorcerer Supreme.

Minds Eye Entertainment has bought the movie rights to the Canadian comic book Captain Canuck, the Canadian hero which began publication in 1975. Says creator Richard Comely: “I’ve had a great beginning with Minds Eye. I’m confident we can make a movie that will appeal to audiences both in Canada and around the world.”

This hero is often confused with Marvel’s leader of Alpha Flight. Captain Canuck patrols Canada in the (then) futuristic world of 1993, where “Canada had become the most powerful country in the world.” He was the costumed agent of the CSIS (Canadian Secret Intelligence Services). Sound…awesome?

Source: Vancouver Sun

The premise is that aliens have invaded Earth and nearly succeeded in conquering it and stripping it of its resources. A scientist discovers a process which can provide humans with superhuman powers, effectively creating a group of defending superheroes. However, the process would also ensure that the empowered humans would die within a year of being empowered. The series thus focused on the heroism of the main characters in fighting the invaders, while living with the knowledge that their fates were sealed regardless of whether or not they prevailed.

The original comic writer for the series, Peter B. Gillis, will help with the screenplay. CBM notes a little more about this relatively unheard of title: “While the setting of Strikeforce: Morituri resembles no future seen in any other Marvel title, the Horde appear to have gathered trophies from residents of the Marvel Universe, including Captain America’s Shield, the Silver Surfer’s board and Galactus’s helmet, as well as shelves of what appear to be power batteries used by DC’s Green Lantern Corps. At the time, that appeared to be an in-joke rather than a serious plot point. But it is now considered serious since Marvel has designated the Strikeforce Morituri universe as Earth-1287 of its shared multiverse, as seen in Marvel Alternate Universes 2005.”

I guess it’ll be interesting to see what becomes of this. Thoughts?

Largely forgotten by today’s comic book fans, especially since the film never made it to theaters as promised in that summer, it’s time to dig this film out of the Arctic snow and re-examine this long-lost superhero film, as Action Packed Flashback continues with Captain America (1990) as Killer Film is chatting once more with director Albert Pyun (Cyborg – here).

Menahem Golan had lost out developing a Spider-Man film due to Cannon Films losing the rights to the Marvel character, but prior to this, screenwriter Stephen Tolkin already had worked on a Captain America story that intrigued director Albert Pyun since he was a long-time fan of the Jack Kirby character. Pyun was originally penciled in as director of that ill-fated Spider-Man project after another Cannon Films vet director in Joseph Zito dropped out.  But if he wanted to make this movie, he had to do it fast since the the rights were about to expire for Golan, something Marvel wished would have happened sooner than later.

“We knew we had to hurry, because there was a date when Menahem’s option would expire,” explains director Albert Pyun. “And Marvel was very uncooperative with us as a result. The principal problem coming out of that pressure was Menahem was never able to lock in the film’s funding.” Money would be a daily issue for the shoot that lasted about three months. “[There were] no changes as it was a Marvel pre-approved script,” Pyun recalls once he got the final script. “The changes I made were done on the fly due to the lack of funding.” Marvel fans recall a similar situation with Roger Corman and his unseen Fantastic Four film.

With the script finalized, and at least some money to start production, the film needed its Steve Rogers/Captain America. Rumored stars were Val Kilmer, Dolph Lundgren, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I don’t remember going after Val or Dolph or even Arnold. Those sound like Menahem’s ideas, but not mine.” Finally, the parties agreed to cast actor Matt Salinger as Captain America, who at that time was mostly known for his role as Danny in Revenge of the Nerds. “I wanted Howie Long for the after experiment of Steve Rogers into Captain America, and Matt for the before role. But Marvel nixed the idea of two actors playing the part,” recalls Albert Pyun. Salinger’s square jawline, blonde hair, and blue eyes, made him a perfect fit for the super soldier, something of a real-life Jack Kirby character. Despite the character’s heroic nature in the comics, the script called for Steve Rogers to earn the title of hero, through self-doubt and emerging confidence, as he develops into the role as American Hero. It’s a quirky, interesting take, certainly a moodier version of the character fans haven’t seen before (as you can in the rare photos below).

With Salinger cast, other roles filled out with Ronny Cox (from Robocop), Ned Beatty (from the Superman series), and Darren McGavin (A Christmas Story, The Night Stalker) in key roles. But it was the casting of Scott Paulin, a veteran TV and film character actor as the Red Skull, that steals the show every time he is on screen. While the film has the spirit of the comic, there were some liberties with the origin of the Red Skull, like making him Italian and a victim of a Fascist super soldier program, mirroring our hero’s origin. For added fun, the script tied the Red Skull to key American assassinations, as if we need to hate the Fascist bastard anymore, he ordered the deaths of JFK, RFK, and Martin Luther King, Jr. as well.

Despite the lack of proper funding, the Red Skull’s look was aided by Greg Cannom’s wonderful make-up, in which he worked wonders on the dimes and pennies he had. While not a direct translation of the character from page to screen, Cannom’s make-up was equally as eerie with its surgically stitching and deep red tones. “I had worked with Greg on The Sword and the Sorcerer and really enjoyed his work,” remembers Pyun,” as well as our collaboration. He’s fussy about his work, but flexible to the needs of the production. He wanted me to cast an actor with small features but when I went with Scott, who has a pronounced nose, he threw a short-lived fit. I think they’re both talented artists and they created a magical character.” Cannom has gone on to numerous Academy Award nominations, while winning the Oscar for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Despite not having the needed budget and sometimes no money at all, the production was completed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Captain America, and widely promoted in teaser posters advertising the iconic shield and a date (pictured above). But when 21st Century Films’ finances took another big dive, the film only showed theatrically in some international markets, before coming to America – two years later – on direct-to-video.

Most might remember seeing the film on paid channels like Cinemax or HBO, but furthering its obscurity was that the film never came to DVD when the format took over VHS. “I have no idea as I was long removed and would never have been a part of that decision process anyway,” explains Pyun.

Luckily, fans don’t have to watch those low-res, washed-out clips on Youtube anymore, as both MGM will be releasing the film for the first time on DVD via their Manufacturing On Demand program on July 19th, and Albert Pyun via his official site will release an Extended Cut of the film on Blu-ray, giving fans a great chance to see a rare look at his work print version of the film.

Below are a few never-before-seen stills of this work print Director’s Cut from Albert Pyun’s Facebook:

“This is a screen grab of Steve Rogers standing on the beach with a heavy cloud of smog hanging over him. Keep in mind this is a telecine from a 35 mm one-lite work print, meaning its just a raw image with minimal color and exposure corrections plus its got dirt and scratches. It looks pretty good in the final master I made from the telecine,” says Pyun.

“This new scene is where Steve Rogers works at Gold’s Gym – he’s gotta pay rent, right?” jokes Pyun in the above photo. “Here’s Steve Rogers with his old Colonel. The old age make up and the Red Skull make up was by Academy Award winner – Greg Cannom who’s worked on many of my films,” states Pyun.

Until the next flashback…

But what about short films in front of their movies or on the Blu-ray/DVD releases like Pixar does? That’s what Film School Rejects believe after Thor‘s upcoming Blu/DVD specs got released, and two mysterious features were announced – Marvel Studios – The Avengers (Bonus Featurette) and Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant.

From the source: Marvel Studios may be getting into the short film business to help boost their already bustling feature film trade. According to a source close to Marvel Studios, the company is setting some of their staff writers to developing smaller characters in the Marvel universe for future projects. These projects, only proposed as short films at this point, could lead to certain ancillary characters making appearances in future features or even becoming popular enough to headline their own film. hat is certain, though, is that two shorts have already been shot, both featuring actor Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson. These are to be included as special features on the Thor & Captain America DVDs & Blu-Rays that will release later in the year.

Sounds cool to me. Thoughts?

The Avengers assemble with their trucks May 2012.

Source: Facebook

While there’s been a couple of rumors like Terrence Howard (here) and Idris Elba (here), Mustafa has gone on to even claim Marvel’s highly interested in him. Was that just blowing smoke? Possibly, but this campaign to play the character has been taken up a notch, as here’s a fake trailer for the film, with Mustafa in the role as Luke Cage.

Check it out:

Thoughts?

Source: DailyBlam

Collider was able to speak with President of Production of Marvel Studios Kevin Fiege about the release of their future films. “It probably won’t be too long from now as we are figuring that out now,” he said about setting release dates for future films. “Clearly, if you look at the Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the X-Men films, two or three years between sequels is usually what we like to do. You don’t know if you are making sequels till the movies come out or not. So I will say that there is flux in what the release schedule could be for 2013, 2014, and maybe 2015,” he continued. Fiege mentions that Iron Man 3 is “for sure” to be released in 2013, and is currently putting that film together as right now. However, he’s not sure where it will got beyond that. “What happens beyond that? We will see,” he said.

Marvel really has grown since Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were first released, and the studio is now looking to make film adaptation of numerous characters such as Black Panther (here), Black Widow (here), and not to mention sequels for Thor (here) and Captain America (here and here) already in development. And that has somewhat become the problem with choosing what films to do next. “But for the first time…frankly, when we did Iron Man and Hulk we had two movies in development – Iron Man and Hulk. Now, there is more of a selection. So we can go, “What scripts are we feeling good about? What properties do we now feel that we want to bring into the forefront,” Fiege said. However, Fiege did mention he’s “not sure about Doctor Strange” coming to the big screan despite writers already attached (here).

“Thor will go off into a new adventure,” says Feige, “and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. — all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”

I, for one, hope that comment of “debuts” and “world of martial arts” means Iron Fist. Thoughts?

There was no word on any Avenger involvement or date. The source believes this won’t be his next directorial effort.

Source: The Playlist

Chris Hemsworth is looking mighty as Thor, no?

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the comic book adaptation also stars Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Stellan Skarsgard, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, and Clark Gregg (via CS).

“It’s not enough that Marvel attacks conservatives values, now mythological Gods must be re-invented with black skin,” says the Council of Conservative Citizens. “It seems that Marvel Studios believes that white people should have nothing that is unique to themselves. Marvel has taken their anti-white, radical campaign even further. They cast a black man as a Norse Deity.”

The Council has also vowed an online boycott of the film and Marvel, a company that have had “issues” with in the past, like a recent Captain America comic that had our hero undermining the Tea Party, and for the Black Panther comics, who they feel offer sympathy towards an independent South Africa.

“Thor’s mythical, right?” says Elba. “Thor has a hammer that flies to him when he clicks his fingers. That’s OK, but the color of my skin is wrong?” Exactly. See people, you can only be idiotic for so long. This so-called Council believes in the American people and a government that should remain European in their composition and character.

Have they ever consider that fact that Idris Elba might have just been the best actor for the role? Or that racism hasn’t ever been cool? The last major leader in Europe was a dictator named Adolf Hitler. That went well.

My advice: See Thor as many times as you can to make it such a huge hit that these idiots go back to the rock they’ve been living under, so we logical and normal people, can oh, I don’t know, enjoy a movie and worry about more important issues like who’s going to direct Iron Man 3.