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Star Trek Movie Prequel Comes to iPhone

(San Diego, March 19, 2009) -- Star Trek: Countdown, the official prequel to the new Star Trek movie being released by Paramount Pictures on May 8, 2009, is going to mobile devices! The four-issue mini-series is now available on Apple�s iPhone and iPod touch, and Google�s Android Mobile Devices through iVerse Media�s digital distribution technology. Visit IDWPublishing.com for more information about Star Trek: Countdown.

From director/producer J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, Lost and Alias), producer Damon Lindelof (Lost) and screenwriters and executive producers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, MI: III) comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek, featuring a young, new crew boldly going where no one has gone before. The film stars Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Zoë Saldana, John Cho, and Eric Bana.

The first three issues of the Star Trek: Countdown mini-series, including the completely sold out Star Trek: Countdown #1, are available now. Issue #4 will be available digitally April 1, 2009 - the same day the print version goes on sale.

�Star Trek: Countdown has been one of IDW�s most anticipated titles this year and I�m happy to make it available to as broad of an audience as we can,� said IDW Publishing�s CEO, Ted Adams.

Star Trek: Countdown is a must read for Star Trek fans of any kind, offering important details relating to the upcoming feature film. The story is presented by J.J. Abrams and plotted by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is written by Mike Johnson (Superman/Batman) and Tim Jones, and features stunning art by David Messina (Star Trek: Mirror Images). Messina also provides covers for the series.

�As a die-hard �Trekkie� myself, I can�t tell you how excited we are to bring this series to Apple and Google�s mobile platforms,� said iVerse founder Michael Murphey. �The scripts by Tim Jones and Mike Johnson are fast paced and compelling, and the artwork by David Messina looks amazing on these devices.�

Star Trek: Countdown is published by IDW Publishing in conjunction with Paramount Pictures, J.J. Abrams� Bad Robot Productions, Kurtzman/Orci Productions and CBS Consumer Products.

DVD Reviews: Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain

Escape to Witch Mountain
Years ago, I met Bob Young, a retired TV writer who needed a computer tutor. Once a week I scheduled an hour and a half to go to his home above La Costa, California, but we usually took much longer than that. When we were finished going over what he wanted to learn that week, we'd speak French as best we could remember, look at old home movies, or he'd tell me about his experiences writing for television. I eventually looked him up online and found what he had left out. While he had written for quite a few television shows, he neglected to include that he had written one feature film, one that I and all the kids of my generation had seen multiple times growing up. The next time I saw him, I showed him his entry on IMDB and he was surprised to see how many shows they listed as scripted by him. I mentioned how impressed I was that he had written a film from my youth. I wish I remembered more details. I tried to contact him for an interview to go along with this review, but when I called his number, the young woman who answered claimed that this was her number and she'd had it for twenty years. Emails just bounced, but that's not surprising since I know his old ISP went out of business. I just hope he's okay. He is about to be 85 this year after all.

In 1975, the film based on Robert Malcolm Young's feature screenplay debuted in cinemas, and Tony (Ike Eisenmann - Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan) and Tia (Kim Richards - Black Snake Moan) showed us that the innocence of the 1970s was far enough from the alien paranoia of the 1950s and the mutant hysteria of future decades to where vulgar public displays of supernatural abilities by schoolchildren did not result in said children being immediately whisked off to Area 51 or Level 33.1 at the time.

The first film begins with Tony and Tia being brought to their new orphanage. Tony displays his telekinetic powers in catching a long fly ball in a baseball game, and when the loudmouth bully calls him out on it, Tony flagrantly uses his TK in front of a playground full of kids to defend himself. Tia uses her telepathy to warn and then chastise Tony about this. Soon after, Tia demonstrates her other power, precognition, when she warns a man to not get into his car. Right afterward his car is smashed by an oncoming truck. He is impressed by the children's powers and soon returns with fake papers claiming to be the children's uncle.

Soon enough the children are on the run from those who would exploit them and they hook up with a retiree in an RV who after a movie's worth of adventure, helps them escape to Witch Mountain for real. Once there, they meet their real Uncle ~~Jesse~~ Bene, played by Denver Pyle (The Dukes of Hazzard) and return to their alien civilization.

Extras:
* ALL NEW Pop-Up Fun Facts
* Making the Escape
* Conversations with John Hough
* Disney Sci-Fi
* "PLUTO'S DREAM HOUSE"
* Disney Effects - Something Special
* 1975 Disney Studio Album * Audio Commentary by John Hough, Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards

ComicsOnline gives Escape to Witch Mountain 4 out of 5 telekinetic power stunts.

Return From Witch Mountain
In the 1978 sequel, it's about 3 years later and the children return to the Mundy world for a vacation. They're dropped off by Uncle ~~Jesse~~ Bene in his flying saucer on the 50 yard line of the Rose Bowl, like ya do, and from there, they are picked up by a cabbie that seems to be made up of equal parts annoying braggadocio and deus ex machina. Naturally he runs out of gas, and the children wander off while he walks back a few blocks to get some gas for SIXTY-ONE CENTS A GALLON! Sadly, the gas prices might very well be the most exciting part of this film for adults.

Tony is captured by the bad guys pretty much immediately after wandering off, as he's too much of a hero and saves the bad guy flunky from the bad guy boss pair, played by Christopher Lee (Dracula 1958, Captain America II: Death Too Soon, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) and Bette Davis (All About Eve, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?). Okay, so maybe the villains might be even better than cheap gas.

Tia is separated from Tony, having instead taken refuge in the hideout of a "gang" comprised of what seem to be sixth grade boys playing dress-up. One of the boys calls himself "Dazzler" but unfortunately doesn't even have shiny disco skates, much less convert sound to light. Most of the rest of the film, Tia and Tony are speparated, with Tony under the mental control of the dastardly duo and their mind control box. In the end, justice is served, and preteen gangs around the world are a little safer from evil senior citizens bent on world domination.

Extras:
* ALL NEW Pop-Up Fun Facts
* Making the Return Trip
* The Gang's Back in Town
* Disney Kids with Powers
* "The Eyes Have It"
* Lost Treasure: Christopher Lee: The Lost Interview
* 1978 Disney Studio Album
* Audio Commentary by John Hough, Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards.

ComicsOnline gives Return from Witch Mountain 2.5 out of 5 mind control devices.

Press Release: Viz Media

SPUNKY NINJA RIDES DIGITAL CONVERGENCE WAVE WHEN THE LATEST EPISODE OF NARUTO SHIPPUDEN STREAMS ON OFFICIAL U.S. NARUTO WEBSITE

SIMULTANEOUS TO AIRING IN JAPAN

Fans Are Invited To View The Simulcast At NARUTO.com On March 26th And Watch The Newest NARUTO Shippuden Episode For FREE!
San Francisco, CA, MARCH 19, 2009 � VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry�s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, continues to generate tremendous interest in its animated NARUTO series and the property�s latest story arc � NARUTO Shippuden � with a special announcement that the newest Shippuden installment, Episode 101 (English subtitled), will stream for free in the U.S. on March 26th on the company�s official NARUTO web site, www.naruto.com, the same day the episode is scheduled to air in Japan. This episode of NARUTO Shippuden can be viewed in Canada on March 26th on www.Joost.com.

This is the first time that the official U.S. NARUTO web site will simulcast an episode with the broadcast in Japan. NARUTO is one of the most popular Japanese anime and manga properties in the world and this special simulcast is part of VIZ Media�s ongoing plan to bring hit animated properties and the latest content to its audience via the web. NARUTO is a co-production of TV TOKYO, VIZ Media parent company Shueisha Inc., and Pierrot Co., Ltd.

�We invite NARUTO fans across the U.S. to visit NARUTO.com on March 26th for this very special presentation,� says Ken Sasaki, Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. �The web site is the ultimate destination for anything NARUTO and currently contains nearly 100 full-length NARUTO episodes, all offered in high quality streaming video, and is completely free for viewers. For those who have yet to check out the newest NARUTO Shippuden story arc, there�s still plenty of time to get up to speed before the latest episode debuts later this month!�

MORE AFTER THE CUT! Click "Read More..."

Movie Review: Dismal

So when you�re failing College Biology what do you do? Study hard? Get a tutor? Date the T.A.? No, we go on an extra credit field trip to The Great Dismal Swamp.

In Dismal that�s what Dana (Lydia Chandler) does, against her domineering boyfriend Brady�s (Brent Lovell) wishes. Teaching Assistant Curt (Tim Morris) leads Dana along with new couple Gary and Shelly (Will Triplett and Capel Kane) and jock Jamal (Jade Arnold) and special friend Eve (Meagan Reedy) in to The Great Dismal Swamp to identify wildlife for extra credit. When the group finds an alligator that has been killed by poachers and partially dressed, they feel something isn�t right even though the park ranger Dale (Bill Oberst Jr.) tells them they are in no danger from the poachers. It doesn�t take long for things to go wrong for the group after that. What ensues is a buffet of terror with a serving of revenge for desert.

Dismal borrows heavily from other movies. The key word is borrows. There are concepts from Hostel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there�s even a diatribe reminiscent to Otis� in House of 1000 Corpses. But I stress �borrows�. This movie feels familiar but fresh and new. Horror directing newcomer Gary King has marked this film as his with a new outlook on classic horror that will be his trademark in films to come. The film work is classically magnificent, the cutaways are just right, and the lighting perfect, so instead of relying on characters coming out of shadows they have some extremely slick writing and camera work to introduce cast. And while the effects could be more polished, like maybe Shelly�s last scene, but Eve's was amazing. This cast of unknown up-and-comers will be ones to watch in the future. They seemed to feel comfortable and right at home in front of the camera and that helps to draw the viewer into the film.

So all that�s left is to thank Fearmakers Studio for letting this future classic be my first pre-released film review. And to everyone else, where do you fall in the food chain?

ComicsOnline gives Dismal 5 extra credit stars out of 5.

DVD Review The Midnight Meat Train Unrated Director's Cut

Before you were born, or the birth of any other human thing, that�s how long, or longer. And now you found us, as only a few before you have. The intimate circle that keeps the secret, we protect and nurture them and order is thereby preserved. It must be done, to keep the worlds separate. You�ll understand soon enough. Now serve, as we all do, without question.

The Midnight Meat Train is the latest adaptation of a Clive Barker, The Books of Blood, short story. This time vegan, Leon (Bradley Cooper - Alias) is struggling for his big break as a photographer, and friend Jurgis (Roger Bart - Desperate Housewives) has introduced him to art aficionado Susan Hoffs (Brooke Shields), who wants intensity from his pictures. This drives him into the subways where besides photographing hoodlums in the act of bothering people, he becomes obsessed with a mysterious gentleman called Mahogany (Vinnie Jones - X-Men: The Last Stand). Between taking pictures and following Mahogany, Leon discovers he�s a butcher on several levels. But why? Who else knows? And there�s the girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb - Wristcutter: A Love Story) who supports his ambitions, but worries when his obsession changes him to the point where he starts eating meat.

The Midnight Meat Train is your standard Clive Barker story put to film. You�re dragged into the story, with absolutely no idea why anyone is doing the things that are happening, and just like a traffic accident you can�t look away. And just like the past Barker flicks it�s well worth the watch. How can you pass on apparently senseless slaughter, blood flowing like a mountain stream, implements of the trade used in ways the will make your body parts quiver, and how can you pass up seeing Ted Raimi get bashed so hard his eyeballs pop out.

Bonus Features

Audio Commentary with Clive Barker and Director Ryuhei Kitamura

Clive Barker: The Man Behind The Myth

Anatomy Of A Murder Scene

Mahogany�s Tale

Widescreen Presentation

English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio

English and Spanish Subtitles

The first time I watched this movie I thought I had missed something. There were no Cenobites, none of The Breed, and no demons of revenge. Just Leon, Mahogany, and the subway. And another memorable Clive Barker tale on film. Watch it more than once.

Please, step away from the meat.

ComicsOnline gives The Midnight Meat Train 5 subway tokens to hell out of 5.

A Tribute to May Parker aka Spider-Girl

Today, a very special Marvel series will come to an end (again). The current series, starring May "Mayday" Parker, ends an amazing run because Marvel has canceled Spider-Girl's current series Amazing Spider-Girl #30. This will conclude the stand alone adventures of our favorite Alternate Reality heroine. Spider-Girl is the longest running series with a female lead that Marvel has ever published!

The character will live on in Spider-Man Amazing Family release, but honestly, who knows how long that will last for. For a character that started off as a What If story, I think she has come a long way. Her first appearance was in What If Volume 2 #105 released in 1998. For those of us who picked up that book when it hit the shelf, we knew right away that there was something different about this character. No one could have predicted that this character would have lasted for more than ten years after her initial appearance.

During the 90's there was this thing called "The Clone Saga" where Marvel tried to convince us that Peter was a clone and that a clone was really Spider-Man. While this story was playing out we also learned that MJ was pregnant with a baby girl...who didn't quite make it through the story. Peter and MJ were denied a daughter (and eventually their marriage). The House of Ideas then pitched the idea "What If they had their daughter and what if she grew up to have her father's powers??!?!?" and with that May Parker became the Amazing Spider-Girl. May's first adventure had her face the newest heir to the Green Goblin Legacy, Little Normie Osborn! Normie is all grown up and not happy to learn that Spider-Man was responsible for his dad and grandfather's deaths. He sets out on a quest for revenge and May and the Parkers get caught in the crossfire. Normie eventually reforms and becomes one of May's supporting cast along with Phil Urich (the 3rd Green Goblin), Felicity Hardy (daughter of Felicia Hardy and Flash Thompson), Jack Jameson (you can figure this one out), Kaine, and many more!

Now you might be asking yourself, "what happened to Peter?" and "why isn't Peter Spider-Man anymore?" During his final battle with the original Goblin, Peter becomes injured and looses his leg during the fight. Peter has dedicated his life to his family and has determined that he will "never" sling webs again (yeah that doesn't last too long...)

This original Spider-Girl issue was such a successful issue for that Marvel decided to create an entire Universe for the character called MC2. This new branding lead to the creation and eventual individual comic book releases of other future versions of classic teams and characters including A-Next (The Next Generation of the Avengers), the Fantastic Five, J2 (The Son of the Juggernaut) and others.

The Amazing Spider-Girl is the second volume of May's stories, as she concluded an incredible run of 100 issues in Volume 1! The series was slated for the chopping block not once, not twice, but atleast three different times. By the time issue Volume 1, issue 60 came around and everyone thought that the book was over. They even did an issue rapping up stories just incase this was May's final bow. Well issue 61 was a huge surprise and even sported the tagline "Spider-Girl: The Series They Couldn't kill!" and then started a new storyline called "Marked For Death". Nuff Said.

Well Marvel, I just wanted to say that I appreciate the fact that you let us have this character for as long as you did. It has been a great ride. This is coming from someone who bought every single issue of this series and was satisfied with EVERY SINGLE ISSUE of this series. You created such a strong, entertaining, and important female character with May and I am very happy to have spent my money on this book month after month. To Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, I salute you. This couldn't have been any better.

We at ComicsOnline hope that Spider-Girl will be back again in a full comic format, and not just as a backup story. May deserves better than that. If you missed out on any of May's adventures we urge you to go out and find whatever back issues you can. At a time when Spider-Man books were not at their best, this one stood tall and stay consistent issue after issue. Don't miss out on this character...because we haven't seen the last of her.

Blu-ray and DVD Giveaways: Bolt and Lilo & Stitch

You know ComicsOnline is your place for DVD giveaways pretty much every week, but what about those of us that have crossed over to Blu-rays? What about those who want to cross over, but haven't quite yet?

You know we've been talking about Bolt ever since Comic Con 2008 when we met with the folks behind the Bolt video game. You know that we love Disney/Pixar movies. So what's an awesome idea for a first Blu-ray giveaway at ComicsOnline?

BOLT in the Three-Disc Edition with Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy!

Keep checking back here for the Bolt review. The review will contain a link to the giveaway announcement in the Forums.

WAIT! What about Lilo & Stitch?!?

Same deal, except this one's DVD only. Keep an eye out for both of these reviews, and find the link embedded within the reviews.

Our normal giveaway rules apply and you only get one hint as to when they'll post: sometime in the next 7 days!

Blu-ray Review: Watchmen the Complete Motion Comic

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months then you are probably aware of the hype that the Watchmen Movie has been getting. Well in case you hadn't read the graphic novel before venturing out to the movies you might want to check out the new DVD and Blu-ray Release of Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic.

This release contains all 12 chapters of the Watchmen in a new animated format. Now you must understand that when I say animated I mean that it is just that...animated. It is not a cartoon. It is like they have cut the characters out of the background of the comic and are just moving them around on the screen. It is not fluid like current animation. It is an interesting way to maintain the integrity of the comic while still doing something new with the imagery. Each chapter is about 15 minutes long and given limited animation by Dave Gibbons, co-creator of the original Graphic Novel. Tom Stechschulte provides all narration and the voices for the series (including the female ones).

I feel that having one person provide all of the voices takes away from this release. It really is like reading the comic as you only have the voice in your head as a narrator, as opposed to having different voices. You picture it one way but hearing someone else narrate it just feels a bit off.

Special features on this release include Watchmen Production Diaries #4 with Dave Gibbons (in HD) and a special Sneak Peek at DC Universe's Animated Wonder Woman DVD release.

After watching this I have an even better appreciation for the book and the new movie. The choices for the actors were really quite perfect. They really looked and sounded the part. Tom Stechschulte just really doesn't do justice to these characters. He doesn't really try to change his voice much between characters...they could have hired some voice actors and done a great job with this but it feels like they just went for the cheap and easy choice. But if you would like to see what was missing from the theatrical release of Watchmen and truly are a fan of the graphic novel then this is worth watching (regardless of the narrator).

ComicsOnline gives Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic 3 out of 5 dead Comedians.

DVD Review: Andy Richter Controls the Universe

Once upon a time on network prime time TV, sitcoms ruled the entire prime-time landscape. Families use to look forward to sitting down after dinner and watching the hilarious adventures of their favorite TV family and possibly learn a couple life lessons along the way. As time has gone by, these series became too formulaic and the public's interest in them started to wane. Now sitcoms on TV are very scarce and most don't even make it past their first seasons. In order to try and break up the normal formula of how a sitcom is, we started to find shows that took on gimmicks such as That 70s Show, Scrubs and Greg the Bunny.

In 2002, we were introduced to Andy Richter Controls the Universe, a show about a writer named Andy who works for a big company and writes Technical Manuals but he also writes small stories about his life using his overactive imagination. Most of the show is him narrating over his life giving him some personal enjoyment of his drab, dull life he has been forced into. Most of the show comes from his interaction with his co-workers who fill out a lot of the normal office archetypes who Andy then uses and exaggerates in his stories he tells to the viewer.

The best episodes make use of this quite a bit, such as the episode where Andy makes a cartoon character to insert into one of their manuals and the idea is stolen from him... despite it resembling Andy or the episode where Andy gets his supervisor to date another co-worker who has a twin brother just to prove that the twins will try and share her.

Special Features

-Commentary by Andy Richter and Victor Fresco on selected episodes

-How Andy Richter Controlled the Universe...Featurette

-What if Andy Richter Controlled the Universe? Featurette

Overall
In truth the show is very much hit and miss with its jokes and humor style and not for everyone, but for those of you who give this one a shot, you may find a quirky little sitcom which has become a slowly dying breed.

ComicsOnline gives Andy Richter Controls the Universe 3.5 out of 5 shows canceled too soon.

DVD Review: Marley & Me

Story
This quippet of a story is an autobiography of a real life columnist in South Florida. It begins on his wedding night with his wife and follows trough the trials and tribulations of a growing family. The first addition to this family is a �clearance� puppy they name Marley. The story that follows is a sequence of anecdotes about their life together. It is an honest look at a typical quirky family that has no idea what they are doing or what they want to be when they grow up. They are also the typical new dog owner, biting off way more than they can chew in the case of Marley the Labrador.

Highlights
The Grogans (Jennifer Aniston as the wife Jennifer, Owen Wilson as husband John) do not take long to show their complete ineptitude as dog owners. Their attempt to stave off having children by owning a dog just proves why many parents today should not be parents. This is a redeeming and reoccurring point in this film and why the audience reached is much wider than one would assume by the title. It�s not just a dog-lover�s movie. It�s a movie that humorously pokes fun at all couples as they grow up together.

One of John�s friends, Sebastian played by Eric Dane, is the polar opposite of John. He remains the single playboy that John never was and scores the jobs that John always wanted. This plays as an entertaining backdrop to a chaotic family life that at points, seems too hard to be worth the effort. Not to downplay the dog in this film, all the characters play a part but Marley, oddly, does not take an overwhelming limelight. Rather he is there as a partner in crime, an integral part of the family unit. At some point Jennifer�s patience is lost with him and, as with many a Labrador owner, she tells her husband to send him to the farm. It is the perfect example of life in a family where, at times, everything just becomes too much. The dog is not sent to the farm since it doesn�t take Jennifer long to realize that the Marley is not �just a dog� to be sent away and all the problems of life will disappear.

Special Features
-deleted scenes

-Finding Marley (casting)

-Breaking the Golden Rule (working with animals and babies)

-On the set with Marley: dog of all trades

-Animal Adoption

-Purina Dog Chow Marley & Me Video Contest Finalists

-Purina Dog Chow Video Hall of Fame

-Gag Reel

-When not to pee (dog behavior film anecdote)

-Trailers

All in all this is a wonderful film that most people will find a common thread with, even if they aren�t �dog people�. The relationship between Marley and John, serves as a catalyst for all other life changes, moves, births, and eventual deaths seen in every family. Owen Wilson plays a regular every day guy with out his normal overly goofy personality getting in the way and Jennifer Aniston portrays a stay at home mom even better than many at home wives I know. This is a nod to her acting capabilities since she is most often known for her failed relationships in real life which, sadly, overshadow her quality as an actress. As a previous fan of Friends but not seeing her in much else that she�s done I think she has given a wonderful performance in this film, a very endearing role performed well by her.

ComicsOnline give this a 4 out of 5 star review for all around great quality and entertainment for all age groups and backgrounds.