Look out your window right now. See any missing stars? That's because they were all at Comic-Con in San Diego. An explosive third day rocked Hall H as the casts of 'Let Me In,' 'Resident Evil: Afterlife,' 'Paul' and 'Cowboys and Aliens' whipped up the crowd into a frenzy and standing ovations. But that was just the beginning.
Marvel Studios provided the weekend's eye-popping trifecta when the ensembles of 'Captain America,' 'Thor' and, yes, all of 'The Avengers,' walked the stage to greet the amazed crowd. And, what about that exclusive footage? The Internet is about to melt with anticipation.
Say what you will about Comic-Con, or the Con. What happens yearly in San Diego is more than just fan worship taken to the nth degree. And, perhaps the Hollywood presence has overshadowed some its quirks and nuances. Still, you only had to experience today's series of panels and presentations to understand what makes the Con a singular event and a pop culture institution. Day Three of the event blew all expectations and traditions out the window. Here's a quick recap of the day's highlights:
LET ME IN (Overture Films/Hammer) -- While Marvel dominated the day with its glammy array of stars, no other film presented this weekend carried the profound emotion of this title. Adapted by Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield") from the acclaimed Swedish film "Let The Right One In," this American incarnation does not seem to suffer from the translation malaise that bloggers have been moaning about since its announcement. Reeves was on hand with stars Richard Jenkins, Kodi Smit-McPhee and the extremely talented Chloe Grace Moretz (pictured left), who were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. Following its powerful trailer, Reeves presented two extraordinary clips that only hint at what looks be the film of the fall season. Forget about the saccharine romantic angst of "The Twilight Saga." "Let Me In" taps into the universal angst of youth with a clear-eyed perspective and genuine feeling.
Will "Let Me In" sink its teeth into awards season, too? Find out after its debut on October 1, 2011.
(By the way, an interesting side note. In between panels, trailers were run to fill the time. "Devil," which looks to be quite a fun, "Twilight Zone" lark of a film, played like gangbusters...until the name M. Night Shyamalan filled the screen and was greeted with...derision and laughter. Seriously, could this mean the end of Night's run as a filmmaker of relevance? One word: Oof!)
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (Screen Gems) -- While Milla Jovovich's late arrival into San Diego meant she couldn't greet the gathered press at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront that morning, she did participate in the Hall H panel later in the afternoon.
Jovovich, who has attained iconic status as Alice in the popular film series based on the video games, is no stranger to the Con. Ebullient and full of praise for attending co-stars Ali Larter (looking quite fetch in serious stilettos and pregnant) and Wentworth Miiler, she stirred up the crowd by extolling how "Afterlife" was a new peak in the franchise. And it wasn't hyperbole. Directed by husband Paul W.S. Anderson, who returns to helming chores for this new installment, the main selling point was how he took great advantage of the 3D format.
In the 3D trailer presented for the first time, "Afterlife" does what a lot of the recent converted films have not been able to do right: thrill an audience. Using the same systems devised for "Avatar," Anderson's use of the format looked and felt organic because the entire production was designed specifically for 3D from the outset. It made a huge difference and audience response reflected their relief and approval. Armed with enough action and firepower to satisfy the genre fans and entice newcomers, expect "Afterlife" to prove the most successful in the series (and not just because of higher ticket prices).
"Resident Evil: Afterlife" opens citywide on September 10, 2011.
How about this for a buzz killer. After "Afterlife" walked off the stage, the frantic cries for a "medic" began to ring out from the back of Hall H. The cause? Someone was actually stabbed in the eye with a pen. The reason? It was an argument over saved seats. As incredible as it sounds, the delay did little to dampen what was still to come. Best rumor? Someone in a Harry Potter costume (or maybe as Dumbledore) stabbed the victim with a wand!
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PAUL (Universal) -- After becoming a global sensation with "Shaun of the Dead," Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have done quite well with tapping in the genre well with intelligence and expertly timed wit. After skeweing the action film with "Hot Fuzz," they take on hallowed sci-fi ground with "Paul." What to expect? "E.T." with an R-rating. Joining Pegg and Frost were co-stars Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Jeffrey Tambor, Joe Lo Truglio, the great Sigourney Weaver and Seth Rogen, who voices the foul-mouthed alien that is the centerpiece of the film. Dropping F-bombs and other risque bits with hilarious precision, the extended trailer hit the right notes that you've come to expect from a Pegg and Frost film and a few inspired ones for good measure. File this under cheeky fun: the opening of the trailer takes place at...Comic-Con!
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"Paul" arrives on Earth in March 2011.
COWBOYS AND ALIENS (Dreamworks) -- After an abbreviated but comic riot with "Paul," music filled the hall and director Jon Favreau took center stage. It was time for the world to see the first minutes of "Cowboys and Aliens." And who joined him to introduce the exclusive reel? How about Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell...and Harrison Ford!!!
The legendary Ford, who made his first ever appearance at the Con, earned an instant standing "o" that lasted for several minutes. By the way, the iconic star was actually led in handcuffed and with police escort, which drew the crowd into a bigger frenzy. (The backstory? He pretty much jokingly said he'd have to be cuffed before he would ever go to Comic-Con. Guess what? He was.)
The excitement carried over into Favreau's introduction of an extended sequence of moments that revealed a decidedly modern take on the Western genre with an alien attack. Fans of the graphic novel seemed to approve of the footage, which is one of the most anticipated films of 2011.
MARVEL STUDIOS: "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Thor" and "The Avengers" -- By now, the Internet is ablaze with reports from the Marvel trifecta. This is one instance where you truly had to be there to appreciate the concussion caused by its gathered stars and filmmakers.
As for "Captain America," while the teaser featured just a fleeting glance at Chris Evans and a flying shield, the footage of his costume test appeased the crowd just enough to scream out loud. As a bonus, a scene featuring Hugo Weaving before his transformation into Red Skull was unspooled. So fresh was the material, it still featured timecode as production is just eight days old.
Marvel's Kevin Feige stepped up a notch further with the second title. Fans need to keep an eye out for the soon-to-be-revealed "Thor"trailer. Director Kenneth Branagh's beautifully stylized and epic vision made such an impact on the crowd, it was shown twice due to popular demand.
Then you hear Feige say this momentous phrase: "There is one more thing."
The crowd barely had enough time to take a breath when the lights dimmed down again and a teaser for "The Avengers" blazed across the screen. With the booming voice of Samuel L. Jackson filling the air, the logo that flashed across the hall sparked another roar from the crowd. Then Feige introduced Jackson himself, who roll called actors Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr.
Now center stage, an exuberent Downey commented on how he agreed that current box office sensation "Inception" as being the most ambitious ever made. Then, he changed his mind.
"I thought," he said, "wait a GD second. Marvel Studios is going to take all of their top superheroes and they're going to put them all together in 'The Avengers?' That's the most ambitious movie I have ever seen. I can't help myself. I don't know why!"
Then, the Iron Man himself confirmed the rumors of Jeremy Renner and new Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, who stepped out to join the ensemble. Last, but not least, director Joss Whedon addressed the standing crowd.
"I have had a dream all my life," Whedon said. "And it was not this good...This cast is more than I could ever have dreamed of working with and I am going to blow it...See you soon!"
Without question, the 2010 edition of Comic-Con was offically owned by Marvel. Watch this space for a series of folllow-up reports with exclusive Personalities Interviews and more on some of the most buzzed about titles at the Con.
Keep reading the Personalities page for more Comic-Con 2010 coverage, plus exclusive celebrity news and interviews.
Check out Jorge Carreon's Entertainment Industry page on Examiner.com for the latest movie reviews & box office updates and other industry news.
Comments
Super coverage, man. Wish I could have seen it myself. Sounds like it was a blast. Can't wait for "Thor," but "The Avengers" is going to be massive. Go Marvel!
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