The future will never be the same when the time traveling pizza boy and his friends wreak havoc on the world as they know it. Loaded with tons of fan favorite special features from the creators, Futurama Volume 6 comes to Blu-ray and DVD December 20th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring the misadventures of Phillip Fry, a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy whose life is going nowhere and fellow friends, Futurama takes off when Fry accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999, and then wakes up 1,000 years in the future. His turn of fate gives Fry a chance to make a fresh start.

Futurama Volume 6 once again features the original voice cast including Golden Globe® winner Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy) as Leela, Billy West as Fry and John DiMaggio as Bender.

Special Features (Blu-ray and DVD):

• Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentary
• Professor Farnsworth’s “Science of a Scene”
• Reincarnation Explained! With Director Peter Avanzino
• Futurama F.A.Q. (Frequently Axed Questions)
• Christopher’s Big Score: The Music of Futurama
• Futurama Fans: 101 Questions

Film/Feature: C+

With Disney’s big push to get most if not all of its animated films on blu-ray, James and the Giant Peach was next to get the digital treatment, a hybrid film that was part animation, and part live-action. It’s also the second collaboration between directors Henry Selick and Tim Burton, the first being Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton acts as a producer on this 1996 film that used similar stop-motion animation techniques that was used on Nightmare. It’s a beautiful technique that immediately casts an antique, nostalgic feel to the film. The style has this haunting, almost hollow eeriness, resembling something that would come out of the crooked minds of Selick and Burton.

The story is based on a Roald Dahl novel, VERY loosely I might add, and swirls around an orphan boy named James (Paul Terry) who has been forced to live with his evil aunts, Spiker and Sponge (Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes). He is approached by an old man who offers him a way out, gives him a sack of crocodile tongues that have been brewed all sorts of nasty ways to become the key to his escape. On his way home, James spills the tongues onto the ground by an old peach tree, which suddenly bears one fruit, one large, and continuously growing peach.

It’s as if Jack and the Beanstalk grew through the ears and mind of Dahl and Burton alike. You can see the similar arc though in Dahl’s stories, a sense of wonder overcoming a poor boy, down on his luck. And in this wonderland askew, the boy realizes lessons in life.

Here, the Peach stops swelling, and James’ aunts pounce on the peach for a money-scam but James visits the Peach at night and takes a bite of it, while one of the magical tongues enter the piece he’s eating. The enchanted piece transforms the large peach through which James crawls into where he meets a handful of insects: Grasshopper (Simon Callow), Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), Earthworm (David Thewlis), Miss Spider (Susan Darandon), and Ladybug (Jame Leeves) and they are set forth to an adventure over the Atlantic Ocean from London to New York, the place his parents told him they’d visit one day. Tying some of Miss Spider’s webbing to seagulls, they lift off above the ocean on what they hope is a one-way flight to the Big Apple, but it doesn’t work out that way.

It’s a tale of dreaming, and believing, but never limiting yourself to your surroundings. If someone made this film today, perhaps it would have been named King James and his Giant Ego. Burton and Selick unfortunately can’t work the magic they created in Nightmare Before Christmas. Two things hold the film from pushing the boundaries of what could have been.

First, Randy Newman’s music, which is appropriate most of the time, really grates in this film. It just takes you out of the creepy and dark mood the production design worked so hard to establish. Instead when the film breaks into musical numbers, it gets this “gee golly, aww shucks” piano bar feel to it. Secondly, the live action beginning and end to the film were just unnecessary. The aunts looked scary but could have been scarier had they been animated. The film went far, but not far enough and the ending felt like every clichéd Disney movie almost derailing the wickedly fun middle section of the film.

James and the Giant Peach has this strange mixture of animation and live action that places it alongside other older films that haven’t aged particularly well. It could have been better had the live segments worked, but they were too over-the-top, and too corny. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. Selick wanted there to be this separation of the “magic” world and the real world, which is noted, but when the two come together at the end, it’s to put it lightly, rough. The aunts catch up to the James in New York, setting up for a finale that tries too hard to remind you the magic’s gone.

What the film does manage to do is recharge the curiosity in Dahl’s children’s novel, and his work in particular which has gone on to other mediums such as film and TV, like Gremlins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Where those succeeded and this falls short lies in the dark, insidious fun that can be read in Dahl’s work can be felt in those other adaptations. The Giant Peach is almost like wax fruit; looks right, feels right, but you know the difference once you bite into it.

Video: C+

James and the Giant Peach is an imperfect 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.66:1 aspect ratio. As a fan of film grain, I’m glad Disney didn’t scrub it clean of all of its original integrity since there’s plenty of grain, a comfortable level to my eye, but consumers who think everything in high definition needs to look like a 2010 film, is misguided as to what blu-ray is supposed to provide. To those who want to generalize what blu-rays are supposed to look like, the colors will probably leave those uneducated disappointed at the films intended subtle color palette. It’s supposed to be on the de-saturated side.

Now what isn’t acceptable is the inconsistency in the picture like the wavering contrast throughout. Black crush is also rampant too; sometimes the picture is way too dark to see any of the intricate detail of the set designs. It’s a real shame. Details are much more noticeable in the live action sequences from the glittery costumes of the aunts, to the pores on actors’ faces can all be seen, however the pink-orange skintones in nearly everyone’s faces shows that this is not Disney’s best effort. In the live action ending, on the streets of New York, again, too much information is lost in darkness.

Audio: B

Even though the video needed a lot more work, the 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track is remarkable when it needs to be. Dialogue is stable and clear in every scene, while the large action scenes like when things get rough on the water in Chapter 16, burst through your living room with plenty of thunder and crashes for your subwoofer. Sound in the front, left to right is fabulous, though rear channels don’t get much I’m afraid. Don’t get too down on the blu-ray, for its visual shortcomings; it’s not all bad. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD DTS Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:D
The only new and exclusive extras to the blu-ray are the Games and Activities

Spike the Aunts Game is a lame interactive game that I think even kids would get bored of quickly.

Production Featurette SD (4:34) is a very basic ‘making of’ that fares in comparison to the behind the scene extras we see in today’s films.

Good News Music Video by Randy Newman HD (2:29) I’m a fan of Randy Newman but his music just seems like a mismatch with this film. The music video here is a blend of standard definition footage of Newman but all of the film clips are now in high def.

Still Frame Gallery SD a gallery of the concept art, puppets, behind the scenes and live action stills.

Original Theatrical Trailer SD (1:27) SD I’m really let down the lack of effort to give us a high definition trailer. It’s doubtful anyone will revisit this after one viewing.

James and the Giant Peach DVD the film and its original extras are on this DVD which is a great win for parents with players in their vehicles or who have portable players for traveling.

Overall Shock Value: C–

In its time James and the Giant Peach was a great trip back to when there were more stop-motion animated films. Since then we’ve seen Coraline, the Fantastic Mr. Fox, and all of the great Wallace and Gromitt shorts which have raised the bar and have since made James and the Giant Peach look somewhat outdated. The blu-ray release could have shown some more consistency in the video transfer/mastering, but the new audio soundtrack makes the film come alive. Subpar extras and a lack of effort to provide anything new or imaginative makes this Peach lacking in lasting flavor.

Taken during C2E2.

And by “co-create” I mean he’s gonna do a whole lotta things on it.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Rated: G
SRP: $44.95
Studio(s): Disney Studios
Release Date: March 16, 2010

Film/Feature: A–

You’re never too old to enjoy a Disney film, and if you find yourself at that place, then you may have lost your ability to have fun. Luckily for Disney animation, they haven’t lost their touch in making family films to lose yourself for an hour or two and let your inner-kid enjoy itself. In a brave move, Disney went against the grain and made a new hand-drawn animated feature going back to its roots to put their spin on another fairy tale. This time it was the Brothers Grimm tale of The Princess and the Frog.

Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a young and independent woman raised by a hard-working parents (Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard) and is saving up to open her own restaurant. She has been childhood friends with Charlotte, who was raised in a well-to-do aristocrat family and has taken the “wishing upon a star” literally. Tiana on the other hand, thinks good will only come to those who work for it.

Fifteen minutes in, and you might look at the cover of the box and wonder if you bought the right film. Disney’s twist of the Princess and the Frog fairy tale finally takes form when Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) and his servant, Lawrence arrive to look for a rich suitor because they are broke. Charlotte’s father gets wind that a prince is in town and gets whatever his little girl wants and throws a big ball for his daughter to meet the prince. However, New Orleans is a town of opportunists like Dr. Facilier (Keith David), a voodoo magician who promises to fulfill their wishes before showing up to the ball. But the servant has taken the form of Prince Naveen, and Naveen has been turned into a frog. Naveen is able to convince Tiana that he is a prince, and all she needs to do is give him a kiss and he’ll revert back to his human form.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that smoothly and Tiana is instead turned into a frog and the leap into the swamps and bayou with the help of Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-tooting alligator and Ray (Jim Cummings), a romantic ragin’ Cajun lightning bug to find Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), a good witch who they hope to have some answers for them. If they remain in frog form too long, they could stay that way forever. The story is light road tale of perseverance, but has enough plot elements that keep pulling along your interest throughout.

It’s impossible to avoid the attempt Disney is making to fill a lacking hole in their library of films that would appease the African-American audiences. Tiana becomes the first African-American princess that Disney has ever revolved a story around and they did it successfully with a talented cast headed by Anika Noni Rose whose strong voice and cheerful spirit fit her character’s design of a strong-minded and head strong woman. Keith David plays Dr. Facilier, a conniving conjurer, and toned-down version of the popular folklore occult Shadow Man. His voice has prominence, a chilling ring, and David’s singing chops aren’t bad either.

There’s still a gap in how much this story can touch you as opposed to what comes out of Disney Pixar Studios but that’s the difference in working off a fairy tale and doing something completely original. The Princess and the Frog’s message of ‘not just wishing and a star and waiting, but also doing something about it’ is clear enough to not feel like it’s a one-note story, and so is its other lesson of ‘not working so much you forget to have fun.’ There are themes of class, work ethic, small business, and much more. Fun characters and music by Randy Newman solidify this release as a must-see for young, old, girls and boys; and there should not be any questions one whether or not everyone will enjoy this.

Video: A+
Disney’s triumphant return to drawn animation is supported by this terrific high definition 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Backgrounds have layers of painted detail, characters have loads of vibrant hues and color that are as visually stunning as some of the very best Disney films. Nice touches like opaque reflections in water, the amber glow of an oil lamp and smoke from a shotgun have no banding or signs of artificial enhancement. I want to call to attention three chapters which make for good visual tests of this blu-ray (as well as audio). Chapter 4 is Tiara’s first big musical number and the animation goes from the “Disney” style to 1940′s deco art full of bright oranges and yellows only seen on gerber daisies. Chapter 5 is Dr. Facilier’s introduction and his lair is full of the occult and voodoo magic. Rich purple hues and psychedelic imagery that are reminiscent of a Victor Moscoso painting. Every scene has something much deeper to look at and other good stuff like deep blacks and smooth gradient color will impress. And shadow delineation, accentuated by the shadow monsters have clear definition.

Audio: A+
Accompanying the strong visuals is the equally impressive 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. The music reflects each of the delicious flavors of the southern creole cooking pots. From the dixie jazz, to the gospel chorals, and the rhythm and blues will have you snapping your fingers, clapping your hands and shaking your thang down Bourbon Street. Your ear will be able to place where the instruments were from the drums to the sharp brass section. Dialogue is flawless as distinct accents don’t make the words any less difficult to hear but instead make them that much more memorable. Mama Odie and Louis for example, have subtle but very different accents that help distinguish not only who they are, but what region of New Orleans they’d be from. The shadow monsters have an eerie and haunting sound that swirls all around. Ray’s buzzing moves around the room as he moves on the screen and every musical performance is over-the-top with highly active sound movement, native surround effects heard in the swamps and a well-balanced mix of it all. Again, pay attention to Chapters 4, 5, and 11 offer up some of the very best this blu-ray has to offer. Other audio selections include: French, Spanish, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and a English 2.0 DVS track; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: B
I’ve got to knock Disney a few on their extras department which left lots to desire. First of all what’s on the disc is very short. We’re talking about a family film which should have a wealth of material, that will not only consume time, but shed a lot of light on the film. For being one of the first hand-drawn films in a long time, most of the featurettes could have been grouped together for one sitting or allow the option of playing them individually instead of forcing to view it in two-to-five minute segments. Another thing I have to take down on is for a Disney musical film, where are the Sing-a-long extras? A big-big-big misstep there. When I compare these to say, a Disney Pixar film and the hours of material there, I wonder why so little was given to The Princess and the Frog.

Disc One
Audio Commentary by Co-Directors John Musker and Ron Clements and Producer Peter Del Vecho is a scene-specific, on point track that covers a variety of subjects from Randy Newman’s musical contribution, the setting of New Orleans, and creating a brand new story, with new characters with the Disney twist of a classic fairy tale. All three men contribute equally, do not talk over each other and give a fine diversion for budding animators or Disney loyalists.

Work in Progress Track HD Here’s a neat blu-ray exclusive track which allows you to view the film alongside in-progress storyboards, pencil layouts, and rough animations as a Picture-in-Picture feature. I think what would have made this even better though would have been the ability to view this during the commentary. In fact, they should have fused the two tracks as a CineExplore commentary, often seen on other family films.

Deleted Scenes HD (11:43) There are five deleted / alternate scenes in storyboard form with different voices that were cut before animation and voices were recorded. The reasons they didn’t make the cut were mainly due to time constraints.

Music and More HD (4:04) Here’s where I really took issue with the extras. In this section there is only one option, so I’m not sure where the “and More” comes into play, but this is just the music video for “Never Knew I Needed” by Ne-Yo, which is only used on the closing credits. Where are the extras on the songs, the musical elements of the film? This is where a sing-a-long extra needed to be placed, a usual staple of classic Disney releases.

Bringing Life to Animation HD (8:08) Two scenes, “Dig a Little Deeper” and “The Proposal” are broken down with live action sequences used as visual references for the animators, a technique that was used throughout the golden age of Disney. They show different angles and choreography, along with commentary by Musker and Clements.

Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess HD (22:11) John Lasster joins the production party to discuss the creative energy behind The Princess and the Frog and the universal buzz among the cast and crew that a new hand-drawn animated feature was pumping through the veins of the Disney offices, as well as the all of the major themes and elements of the film.

The Return to Hand Drawn Animation HD (2:43) The excitement of the return to a 2D film lit a fire under the animators because it’s what brought so many people to work at Disney in the first place. The animators of the film talk about wanting to continue the art of Disney filmmaking.

The Disney Legacy HD (2:31) A look at the great animators of Disney and their impact on the current animators who were able to work with people who worked alongside Walt Disney.

Disney’s Newest Princess HD (2:51) The attention swings to actress Anika Noni Rose and the 1920′s inspired character, who is a strong and independent woman who little girls can aspire to.

The Princess and the Animator HD (2:26) The supervising animator for Princess Tiana, Mark Henn talks about creating another strong princess character for Disney having worked on Ariel, Belle, Mulan and Jasmine.

Conjuring the Villain HD (1:50) Animators and Keith David talk about the story’s villain, Dr. Facilier.

A Return to the Animated Musical HD (3:13) a short featurette about the musical score for The Princess and the Frog involving Randy Newman’s composition of jazz, gospel and the blues.

Art Galleries Peruse a number of the developmental, conceptual, and design art for the film including Character Design, Visual Development, Layouts and Backgrounds and Storyboards.

What do you See: Princess Portraits is a guessing game where images are created by fireflies and you have to guess which Disney princess it is. Hosted by Mama Odie, after ten tries

Disc Two: DVD
The DVD includes the full film, deleted scenes, audio commentary, the Princess Portraits game, and the music video by Ne-Yo. If you have a family and you have outfitted your fan or travel packs with the ability to watch DVDs on the go, you will love this added option. However, to those thinking that the DVD version will suffice, the digital sound and vision of the blu-ray is unmatched.

Disc Three: Digital Copy Disc
Take The Princess and the Frog with you on the go to watch it on your laptop, desktop computer, or portable media player.

Overall Shock Value: A–
As a fan of all types of animation, Disney’s hit it our of the park with another musical twist on a classic fairy tale and presenting an enjoyable film that should connect with plenty of families on family night. There some real delightful performances especially by Keith David and Anika Noni Rose both in their acting and singing. The visuals are splendidly classic but also has that jolt of high definition pop. The Princess and the Frog offers a diverse option for families who want to expand from the classic Disney canon with a great message and a infectious blend of music ranging from jazz, gospel and blues. A definite Buy it! especially with every format imaginable is available in one package.

Female Force: Michelle Obama Year One

Amazon link to buy Female Force V1 TP

clip from The Simpsons (3.21.10) featuring Angela Bassett as Michelle Obama

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Also this week:

Hardware: The Man in the Machine TP

Political Power: Nelson Mandela

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Fool’s Gold #4

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Also notable:

Green Lantern #52. Blackest Night tie-in.

Avengers: The Initiative #34, New Avengers #63. Siege tie-ins.

Animal Crackers: A Gene Yuen Lang Collection TP. The American Born Chinese creator gets a re-release of some of his older comics work.

Archie Wedding TP

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Directors Ron Clements and John Musker promote the DVD release of The Princess and the Frog.

Here are the advance solicitations for the new editions of Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. Note the differences in sizes and prices for the two different versions:

SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI FACSIMILE EDITION HC
Advance-solicited
On sale November 10
Facsimile edition: 80 pg, 10” x 13.25”, FC, $39.99 US
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL & NEAL ADAMS
Art by NEAL ADAMS, DICK GIORDANO & TERRY AUSTIN
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
The legendary science fiction epic that brought together The Man of Steel and The Greatest is back in two spectacular hardcover editions!
In 1978, an alien race called the Scrubb demands that Earth’s greatest champion battle their world’s own greatest fighter. Both Superman and Muhammad Ali step forward — and to determine who is truly Earth’s greatest fighter, Superman temporarily loses his powers and faces Ali in the ring. Ultimately, the duo must work together to defeat the Scrubb, with Ali taking on their champion while Superman battles their space-armada.
The facsimile edition hardcover reprints this hard–to–find title at its original size of approximately 10” wide by 13.25” high!

SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI DELUXE EDITION HC
Advance-solicited
On sale November 10
Deluxe edition: 96 pg, 7.0625” x 10.875”, FC, $19.99 US

The deluxe edition hardcover is printed at 7.0625” x 10.875” and features a new cover by Neal Adams, previously unpublished artwork and more!

Also advance-solicited is Mat Johnson’s Hurricane Katrina GN Dark Rain:

DARK RAIN: A NEW ORLEANS STORY HC
On sale AUGUST 18
160 pg, 2-Color, $24.99 US
MATURE READERS
Written by MAT JOHNSON
Art by SIMON GANE
Cover by NESSIM HIGSON
“DARK RAIN has the twists of The Treasure Of the Sierra Madre, the political punch of When The Levees Broke and the character interplay of The Defiant Ones.” – Reginald Hudlin, writer of Black Panther, director of Boomerang
From Mat Johnson, writer of the acclaimed INCOGNEGRO, comes a graphic novel thriller set in the days after Hurricane Katrina. Two small-time ex-cons with big dreams get the idea that this would be the perfect time to rob a bank. Catch is, the bank is in New Orleans, and they’re on parole in Houston. Now, as every sane person tries to get out of The Big Easy, Emmit and Dabny will do whatever it takes to get in.
As they journey through a tide of human suffering, Dabny wants to help, and Emmit sees only the money. But a rogue commander of the ruthless security force “Dark Rain” has his sights set on taking down the same bank. If Emmit and Dabny don’t outrace him, their last hope for a second chance could be washed away in the floodwaters – along with their lives.

Well, I dunno, if this is true, it hardly seems like a legitimate reason to abandon musicals altogether, although this line of reasoning is consistent with the rationale behind Disney buying Marvel – to attract the boys.

Dwayne McDuffie

Related: Video interview with voice actress Gina Torres.

Time article from 2002 on Ho Che Anderson’s King

HCA page @ Fantagraphics’ site

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Also this week:

The Brave and the Bold: Milestone TP

Nextwave: Agents of HATE Ultimate Collection TP

War Machine: Dark Reign TP

Escape from Wonderland #4 (of 6). Written by Gregory.

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Also notable:

Human Target #1.  With the TV show now revived, co-creator Len Wein relaunches the comic as well. (I don’t think this has any connection to Peter Milligan’s Vertigo version.)

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The Princess and the Frog won three Annie Awards this weekend.

A second Onyx Con has been announced, to be held in mid-August.

A couple of pieces by two of this year’s GCA judges: David Brothers talks about the history of Milestone on the occasion of the release of Milestone Forever, and Brian Cronin talks about an unused Barry Windsor-Smith Storm story that was remade with new characters.

Zapiro puts the shower head back on Jacob Zuma’s head.

Here’s an interesting look at how blackface is applied to other minorities in other cultures.

Check out this strip about boxing legend Joe Louis by Golden Age legend Irwin Hasen.

Best Animated Feature and two nominations for Best Song. No big surprises.

Full list of nominees here. Precious gets six nods including Best Pic, Morgan Freeman (Invictus) gets a nod for Best Actor.

In other news: An update on Kevin Grevioux’ screenplay for I, Frankenstein.

Milestone Forever

5-page preview

Dwayne McDuffie interview @ Comics Bulletin

Wikipedia entry on Milestone Media

The long-awaited mini-series that closes the book on the Milestone Universe (prior to the merger with the DC Universe, anyway).

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Also this week:

Buffy TVS #32. Pencils by Jeanty.

Authority #19. Co-written by Bernardin.

Gold Digger #114, GD Tech Manual #11. By Perry.

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Also notable:

Siege #2 (of 4)

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The submissions period for this year’s Glyph Comics Awards is now over. Thanks to everyone who submitted stuff. We’ll announce the nominees two weeks from today, including the Fan Award, in which you get to vote on the winner.

I totally forgot to post the trailer for Sylvain White’s The Losers, which looks like a lot of fun.

Animator Floyd Norman will be making an appearance at a northern California comic shop later this month. (Thanks to Pam for the tip.)

Darryl Hughes talks about his new webcomic The Continentals, which has landed a publishing deal.

Off-topic: To follow up on last week’s post about performance-capture acting, here’s an actors roundtable featuring a group of probable Oscar nominees for this year discussing the subject. Morgan Freeman calls it “cartoons.”

Year: 2009
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $ 39.95
Studio(s): Sony Pictures
Release Date: January 5, 2010

Film/Feature: A-

Even though a lot of emphasis has been put on Pixar’s Up, one of this past year’s most memorable animated features was Sony’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Kids, parents and those on Weight Watchers have their dreams realized when Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) invents a contraption that is designed to save the town of Swallow Falls, a city where it’s ’round the clock, nonstop sardines. The machine is called the FLDSMDFR (an acronym too long to list out) that turns water into food and sends it into the sky where it can rain down whatever the starving desires, bringing new life and public interest to Sallow Falls. Flint gains newfound fame and credit for making life worth living in Swallow Falls. Flint was picked on as a kid for his scientific breakthroughs but for the first time, something he created brought happiness to the world.

If not for the sudden scientific and culinary phenomena, barely anyone would know about this fishing town located under the “A” in Atlantic Ocean on the world map. A weather girl named Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) catches the bizarre and delectable events on camera and the Mayor Shelbourne (Bruce Campbell) thinks he can exploit this in a facelift of the town and drive world tourism to his front door. Greed and gluttony wreak havoc on the city as the FLDSMDFR is put under a great deal of stress and misuse and it’s up to Flint to save the day, and repair his estranged relationship with his father (James Caan). Enlisting the help of Sam and her Guatemalan cameraman Manny (Benjamin Bratt), Flint and his pet monkey Steve (Neil Patrick Harris) who can talk through a Flint-modified Speak and Spell, this motley crew tries to fix the unstable FLDSMDFR, which threatens to destroy and bury the world in tons of food.

Cloudy had two solid nondescript performances by leads, Hader and Faris, but Campbell and Mr. T deliver two performances that remind the audience that this is a film where you can have fun. Campbell is just creepy as the mayor and the more gluttonous he gets, the more frightening he becomes but you can imagine him relishing in the villainy motives. Mr. T on the other hand is a scene stealer and really is the heart of the film, playing Officer Earl Deveraux as the over-the-top, authoritative figure balanced with his devotion to his “keyd” tugs at the heartstrings.

This is the second children’s’ book to be expanded successfully into a feature-length film. Spike Jonze’s “live” + CG-animated adaptation of Where the Wild Things had a much darker and grim abstraction that takes time to digest and ponder, where Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs took the opposite approach and aimed straight for the all-ages group and this film will score a hit with that audience. Seeing all of that food bury and destroy the city captures the imagination with memorable visuals and top-notch animation. Cloudy’s funny, it’s intelligent and is a timeless story especially for those whose eyes are bigger than their tummies.

Video: A
This is one of the most satisfying visual experiences of the year. Cloudy has a high definition, 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in the original 2.39:1 aspect ratio on blu-ray. The colors will parade and dance on your display and need not pull to hard on the corners of your smile because it’s awesome. The city of Swallow Falls has this muted color palette but when the food falls from the sky—wow! I want to draw attention to two scenes of note which caused my eyes to lock open: when the the sky was raining with ice cream and when Flint and Samantha went into the orange Jello palace. One of the most impressive visual effects though is the storm clouds which roll and plunder in the sky with this billowing purple, pinks, and yellow and anyone with a proper display will see that this has as much visual pop to it that Pixar films have. Also, give credit to the animators for putting in the detail on the food, like lighting, reflection, and proper texture to makes it look appetizing, and mouth watering. I do think that in the lower lit scenes (in the meatball) there could have been more light to show some of the detail (and there’s lots of it) gets lost, but overall blacks are stable and deep, shadows are clearly defined. The set of Swallow Falls is one of the largest mapped environments in an animated film and the hard work is showcased in this transfer.

Audio: A+
You cannot knock this film for being technically deficient. The audio is heard through a lovely 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track with a beefy and robust showing in the lower range of sound. Rear channels are continually being sent plenty of active sound effects to give a pleasurable and memorable audio experience. The storms are the high point as the food that comes flying down to the ground all of the surround channels get active and help recreate those scenes in your screening room. It all culminates to the climax where the spaghetti tornado is hurtling objects all around, you’ll see why this is reference material audio. The music has a triumphant, overachieving feel to it that pulls the emotions at just the right moments and climbs up from behind. Other audio selections include: 5.1 DTS-HD French, 5.1 Spanish tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, with English and Spanish subtitles for the commentary.

Extras: B+
Audio Commentary by Writers/Directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord and Actor Bill Hader is a fun, light-hearted chatty commentary track that easily accessible, full of stories about the pre/post production and animation, and facts pointed out during specific scenes and moves along at a brisk pace. It won’t go down as an all-time must listen track, but it goes along with the enjoyable spirit of the film its filmmakers.

A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs HD (10:51) is your classic EPK that discusses how the project started as a children’s book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett.

Key Ingredients: The Voices HD (12:39) Each principal cast member is interviewed on how they were drawn to the project and their experience voice acting. Hader, Faris, Caan, Campbell, Samberg and Mr. T are gathered to shed some light on their characters. You get the sense that each member genuinely had a good time working on this film.

Extended Scenes HD Elevator Joke (0:38) and Early Cut with Awesome Food Fight (1:59) are two scenes that are referenced in the commentary and can be seen. They aren’t look but even in animated films, sometimes even more so, edits are quite hard to do given how much work is put into them.

Early Development Scenes HD (5:47) Two scenes can be seen in their early storyboard / animatic stage. Flint’s Letter to Super Scientist Vanca LeFleur and the Twister action sequence.

Progression Reels with Introductions by Visual FX Supervisor Rob Bredow HD (9:08) is a tour of the some of the visual effects challenges presented to Sony Imageworks’ animators such as the color palette, making food look delicious to the viewer, and making a tornado out of spaghetti. This to me, was the most interesting and enjoyable extras on the disc.

Miranda Cosgrove’s Raining “Sunshine” SD (3:45) is a music video of the movie’s song which viewers are able to sing-a-long with it.

Make it Rain Food HD (0:32) is an brief PSA.

Flint’s Food Fight Game is a hybrid of Space Invaders and Asteroids in a Cloudy theme. It’s not sophisticated by any stretch and the only person playing it after five cycles is just stubborn.

Splat Vision The producers of this blu-ray really understand their audience because this is a fun way to watch the film again. You can fling food with cross hairs during any part of the film. Is your screen covered in goop? Then just take the squeegee to wipe the screen clean and do it all over again. Again, there’s not a lot of levels to this feature but it’s fun, and I can see a family having a scream over this.

The second disc is a DVD+Digital Copy Disc combination which is great for those long travel trips or if you just want to sneak it in on your wok computer during lunchtime. While it is in standard definition, you have admire what many of these studios are doing in ensuring families need to only buy one version of the films so that they can enjoy it in every way possible.

Trailers for Planet 51, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, Monster House, Surf’s Up, Open Season, Open Season 2, Hachi: A Dog’s Take.

Overall Shock Value: A
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is another example of how much room is still left to make a great, animated films despite the market being dominated by the two big animation houses. This film looks and sounds unreal, and I urge you not to see the film on an empty stomach because the food looks that good, and the story will make your belly hurt even more from having a good time. Something tells me that this will get a re-release once 3D capable televisions become more common, since this was initially released in that form. Until then, this is a great release and whether you’ve got kids, or your just a big kid at heart, this Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs blu-ray+DVD combo gets one easy Buy It recommendation.

Afrodisiac

CBR article

Amazon link to buy Street Angel, the GN that Afrodisiac spun off from

This was originally solicited for December, and creator Jim Rugg told me that some copies did make it out then, but it looks like everyone else will get it this week.

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Also this week:

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Four #1 (of 4)

Teen Titans #79. Written by Henderson.

Unknown Soldier #16

Gold Digger Tech Manual #10, GD Spellvis: Return of the King Special. By Perry.

President Evil #4

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Also notable:

Justice League of America #41. Yet another line-up change.

Avengers: The Initiative #32, New Avengers #61. Siege tie-ins.

Captain America: Reborn #6 (of 6)

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The animated Black Panther series has debuted in Australia, but no US airdate has been named yet. At least you can look at the theme song.

SLJ finally achieves his destiny and co-writes an actual comic book. Plus, he talks about the Thor movie and whether he’ll appear as Nick Fury in it.

The Sundance Film Festival is screening this Kenyan sci-fi short film.

South African cartoonist Zapiro continues to go after President Jacob Zuma.

Year: 2009
Running Time: 54 Minutes
Rated: Not Rated
SRP: $ 29.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 5, 2009

Film/Feature: B+
After Family Guy’s successful spoof of Star Wars: A New Hope called Blue Harvest (2007), a follow up poking fun at Empire Strikes Back was as much a sure thing as a sunny day in California. In Family Guy Something Something Something Dark Side, we get to see Stewie as the venomous little Darth Vader again and see Peter Griffin as Han Solo, Lois as Leia, Cleveland as R2D2, Chris as Luke Skywalker, and Quagmire as C3PO, Brian as Chewie, and Meg… well, she has a minor role. And Mort, well Mort has an incredibly funny role that I won’t spoil.

In fact, I will try not to spoil any of SSSDS, because it is best seen with as little knowledge as possible. Just brush up on your familiarity with Empire Strikes Back, and the usual barrage of 80′s and 90′s pop culture references which drive the comedy of Family Guy. As someone who also enjoys Seth Green’s Robot Chicken Star Wars spoofs because they are little stories that fit perfectly in the told story, I was pleased to see Family Guy do something different by doing a direct parody of the Original Trilogy. It’s a boon for anyone who enjoys that inappropriate (but hilariously funny), crass edgy material that Family Guy dips into and wants to see this beloved animated family in the classic Star Wars parts. I couldn’t stop laughing and in an hour’s time, you can relive all that’s great about Empire Strikes Back. It’s true that this watches like three straight episodes of Family Guy, but it is uncensored, it is in glorious high definition, and the animation is so good that some scenes look almost identical to scenes in the live-action movie.

I know Star Wars parodies can be found as common as a penny lying on the street, but Something Something Something Dark Side hits all the right notes and stays within its own little universe thankfully Far Far Away. When the inevitable follow-up We Got A Bad Feeling About This comes out, I’ll be the first one in line to complete the Griffin remix of Star Wars.

Video: A-
This is the first time Family Guy has been seen in high definition and SSSDS gets a1080p AVC-encoded transfer in its original full frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio.If there’s any doubt at how good an animated series can look, then just compare this blu-ray with one of the early season DVDs. The separation of animated objects is crystal clear, black outlines are stable and straight. With the scenes set on the planet Hoth in the winter landscapes, there’s a thin sheer veil of white snow mist throughout and just adds enough to the image to make for an impressive image. Colors are quite brilliant especially in the infamous light saber fight with the grated floor and fiery lights below. The swampy and muddy Dagobah scenes with Yoda show a lot of intricate work as well–not to mention the handful of live action scenes that are inserted (that will not be spoiled here) look incredibly crisp. And since many of the scenes are done in outer space, the blacks are Vader-dark and are lovely in this transfer. In all of its seasons and specials, Family Guy has never looked so good.

Audio: A-
Done equally well is the audio mix for SSSDS. It has a surprisingly active 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track, that has plenty of bells and whistles you’d normally expect out of a Star Wars film. Action sequences like the At-At battle the front and rear channels come alive with lots of activity. Especially when there are ships that zoom by in Cloud City or whenever the Millennium Falcon takes flight all of the classic Star Wars sound effects can be heard in HD-audio glory. John Williams majestic score also gets its spotlight on center stage as this is the first time it’s being heard on blu-ray and for those waiting for Lucas’ Original SW Trilogy, this will help the agonizing wait for its eventual arrival. There are no other audio selections and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Suomi, Dannish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish.

Extras: B
For an episode that runs just shy of an hour, there’s a good amount of extras to dig into. All of the extras are in high definition, AVC-encoded and are in 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo.

Audio Commentary by Executive Producers Seth MacFarlane, Mark Hentemann, David A. Goodman, Writer Kirker Butler, Director Dominic Polcino and Actor Seth GreenThere is also subtitles available for the commentary which helps distinguish who among the six guys is talking because outside of Green and MacFarlane it’s difficult to know who’s who. The commentary is full of extra laughs and uncensored hilarities that are at times screen specific but full of side conversations and Hollywood stories. And there might be the slight influence of Patron. It’s also revealed in the commentary that a Clue spoof is in the works and will probably see the light of day later in 2010.

Family Guy Fact-Ups is a trivia track done in VH1 Pop-up that’s full of outrageous and hilarious minutiae about Family Guy and Star Wars.

The Dark Side of Poster Art HD (9:18) is a brief featurette about how Joe Vaux painted the blu-ray/DVD covers as a beautiful homage to Roger Kastel’s original iconic posters. Character designer Mick Cassidy also joins in on the discussion and eventually beers are drunk and shirts are being taken off. I will say that there is enough chest hair in this extra to last a lifetime.

Animatic Scene-to-Scene with Commentary by Director Dominic Polcino HD(6:36) Polcino compares side-by-side animated penciled storyboards before color is put in to the finished product.

Family Guy-Something Something Something Dark Side Table Read Act 1 and 2 HD (49:27) In a conference room, are at least 50 people packed with cast and crew in practice run of the script. I love animation table reads, because you can partially see the actors really get into character; you can see how well the script is based on the genuine laughter in the room and to actually see all of the interactions of the actors. Many times actors record their parts separately so this is a great prelude to what the finished product will sound like. There are also plenty of scenes and lines that got cut out too, some of which were very funny, so make sure you check all these out too.

Sneak Peek of Family Guy Episode VI: We Have a Bad Feeling About This Table Read HD (2:26) is a very short taste of what’s to come in the eventual third installment of Family Guy Star Wars specials. The camera is tight into Seth MacFarlane so you can really see him play Peter Griffin as Han Solo who is being defrosted from his carbonite tomb.

Disc Two is a Digital Movie Disc that makes portability easy. Normally on the sheet that holds the confirmation code also lists the expiration date and there was not one listed, but if these Digital Movie Discs are your thing, make sure to see when that is (it may show on the download).

Overall Shock Value: A-
While it’s hard to justify a separate purchase for a Family Guy movie, (especially when it will eventually be packaged together with the other Star Wars spoofs once they’re all completed, or in a complete series set), but this is a lovely first foray into high definition for Family Guy and if you’re a fan of the show AND a fan of Star Wars, then I don’t see how you can pass this up. If you’re a casual fan, then perhaps you give it at least a rental; but for my money, I’m going to recommend the curious to Buy It.

Approximately.

“…On one hand I think the scenes portraying Voodoo will really scare young children. On the other hand, I was concerned that both children and adults unfamiliar with Voodoo would come away from ‘The Princess and the Frog’ believing it to be evil rather than a belief system akin to Buddhism or Hinduism or what have you. I didn’t appreciate the African masks in the one Voodoo scene either. It indirectly linked Africa to evil... Although the character who practiced Voodoo—Dr. Facilier aka Shadowman—is clearly evil, the woman Tiana and Naveen visit to undo his work (turning them into frogs) is portrayed as a wise, caring old woman.”

“The opportunity presented itself for us to present our company to Disney as a potential partner with this film, with making products associated with the film.  And it was one of those situations where it was great to have the meeting and it was great to be in the room.  If something comes of it, great, but, wow, wasn’t it a great step to at least have the meeting. My marketing team left the meeting with a deal in place.  Not all the details worked out, but [they had] an agreement to move forward.  It was amazing to have that opportunity and to be affiliated with something as the first African American princess.  It’s wonderful. To have the opportunity to make products that Mom doesn’t have to worry about, that perform… there are so many levels as to why I’m excited to be a part of this project:  the history of it, collaborating with a company like Disney, getting to make products for kids that are great that have a really nice fragrance.  I have a three-year-old daughter:  she tested everything, so she had a lot of fun.”

a mother-(5-year-old) daughter conversation about the film

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Fool’s Gold

CBR piece about IDW’s STDS9 comic (w/3-page preview)

Amazon link to buy the complete first season of STDS9 on DVD

episode guide to STDS9

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Also this week:

Azrael #3

Vixen: Return of the Lion TP. Glyph Comics Award winner.

Black Panther #11

Doctor Voodoo #3

Marvel Illustrated: Kidnapped TP. Art by Gully.

Escape From Wonderland #3 (of 6). Written by Gregory.

Gold Digger Christmas Special #3, GD T&C – Second Semester #4 (of 4). By Perry.

NOLA #2

REH’s Thulsa Doom #4

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Also notable:

Green Lantern Corps #43. Blackest Night tie-in.

Captain America: Reborn #5 (of 6)

X-Factor #200

Incorruptable #1. Mark Waid’s new series.

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The Princess and the Frog opened wide this past weekend and it finished at number 1! Here’s some more links related to the film.

Another Geoffrey Thorne article about Prodigal.

Here’s a great Publishers Weekly piece about the current state of African American books. (Among those interviewed include 2010 GCA judge Carol Burrell.)

Zoe Saldana interview.

George Tillman Jr., who directed, among other things, the wonderful film Soul Food from 1997, is attached to an adaptation of this comic.