Comic-Con Movie News ITEMS

This year, Cultureshark continued its decades-long tradition of not attending Comic Con in San Diego. We're starting a new tradition of scouring the web for movie-related news from the Con and sharing our takes in this space.

ITEM: Mark Ruffalo introduced as new Hulk for "Avengers" movie.
--Ruffalo as the brooding, tortured Bill-Bixby-ish Banner? Yeah, I see that. Ruffalo as brilliant scientist Banner? Hmm, that might be a little tougher to buy, though in this movie, that aspect might not be relevant. Ruffalo as smash-happy green behemoth with cut-off purple pants? Hey, it doesn't matter much if the effects are good. Overall, this ought to work.

ITEM: "Tron" looks like it kinda might be cool.
--So we can't make fun of the "Tron" remake and treat it like a big flop-in-the-making. OK, we'll adjust accordingly. Carry on.

ITEM: Thor actor Chris Hemworth does publicity.
--I am intrigued by a Kenneth-Banagh-directed movie of Marvel's Norse God of Thunder. I don't know if this Hemworth guy has the gravitas I want to see in the character, though. Perhaps I shouldn't pre-judge a movie in a 5-minute interview the lead does with "Attack of the Show," but I got more of a Heath Ledger vibe than anything else. I don't want to see Young Thor, but I guess for marketing purposes, that's probably what they're going for here. We'll see.

ITEM: Green Lantern movie with Ryan Reynolds is really gonna happen, isn't it?
--I have to come to terms with this and try to accept Reynolds. He didn't turn my stomach in "The Proposal," so I'll give him a chance. Actually, the bigger news out of Comic-Con may be that, if her appearance is any indication, Blake Lively is apparently transitioning from her role in "Lantern" to a starring role in "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze."

ITEM: Marvel Anime to premiere on G4 next year.
--Normally, I'd feel excitement about the prospect of 4 new Marvel cartoons coming to TV, but anime...eh. I'm not really feeling it. Maybe the anime thing is more a marketing label than a style.

ITEM: Haunted Mansion "reboot" coming from Guillermo Del Toro.
--And he may or may not direct it. Who cares? If ever a potential franchise warrants a "wait and see" approach, it's this one. The only reason I don't gripe about rebooting such a recent movie is that I forgot there even was a recent movie till Del Toro made a snide comment about Eddie Murphy. I know for many people, Del Toro's name alone is enough to stir anticipation, but not for me. If he can make a good "Haunted Mansion" film, great, but I'm not circling my calendar.

ITEM: Scott Pilgrim sneak preview wows con attendees.
--The graphic novels aren't really my cup of tea, but I see why they're popular, and when I see the movie clips, I see something fresh and innovative. It may not actually be either of those things, but the concept of combining video game fighting with manga sensibilities and young romance looks like it could produce a real winner. It just looks like fun, and fun is a good thing.