This past summer a huge fire broke out at Universal Studios Hollywood and destroyed a large chunk of the property (see Fire Raging At Universal Studios Hollywood). Now comes word that things are going very well in the efforts to rebuild the backlot and that productions will resume this summer.

While rebuilding what they lost in the blaze, Universal also went further and added a whole lot of new attractions and sets to their lot so that filmmakers have even more options to work with and so that people who take the Universal backlot tour will have more features to look out for.

Check out the image here to see the construction underway at USH [...]

Ghoulish news, horror comic geeks! Independent comic publisher Chimaera Comics has formally announced the creation of a new horror imprint. The horror line has been aptly named Nightmaera and has announced half a dozen forthcoming titles, including A Violent End and Happy Panda Funtime Show.

The next bit of info actually gets me a little vaklempt, but as good as news of as a bunch of new horror comics is to a geek like me, equally amazing news is that Chimaera made the genius move of naming one of Geeks of Doom’s favorite independent comic writers and advocate, Stephen Lindsay (Jesus Hates Zombies, Ham & Eggs) as Nightmaera’s editor-in-chief. I’ve been a huge fan of Lindsay’s work since the moment I stumbled upon it on ComicSpace a few years back and I couldn’t think of a better choice to undertake a project like this. Lindsay has proven his mettle time and again and I, for one, am really looking forward to the stillborn two-headed mongrel thing that will be birthed from the loins of a dead ghoul.. uh, I mean… looking forward to checking out what a Lindsay-guided Nightmaera Comics will bring to the horror comic genre.

Continue reading to check out all the details in the official press release [...]

Alright, so apparently we were lied to with that final Watchmen poster that came out last week. I guess they actually meant final poster for the conventional theatrical release, because now Warner Bros. has now released the new Watchmen IMAX poster for everyone to enjoy.

Basically, the new poster is exactly the same as the last poster with Rorschach, Nite Owl II, Ozymandias, The Comedian, Silk Spectre II, and Dr. Manhattan. The only difference is, in the last poster, they were all standing around like some f’d up looking street gang about to break out into their best West Side Story rendition — while in this new IMAX poster, they’ve all gotten very, very close, as if we just stumbled out of a bar and exclaimed that “Masks are men’s gymnastics enthusiasts and greatly enjoy modeling spandex while listening to the latest Yanni masterworks.” As you can plainly see, they didn’t enjoy the remark. I’m scared to think of the beating the next poster may hold [...]

With the New York Comic Con just around the corner, Geeks of Doom is poised to cover the convention for readers and provide wall to wall coverage of the event. I will be manning the convention floor providing video coverage of the event but, loyal readers, I need your help.

I am planning to do video interviews with various comic artists, writers, and just about anyone who wants to do an interview with me. Here are some of the interviewees I have lined up so far: Artist Khoi Pham , Artist Mitch Breitweiser, Southpeak Games, Atari, DC universe online (possible interviews with Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, and mystery guest), the cast of Dead Like Me and S. Darko.. and more.

The Duchess (Blu-ray)
Directed by Saul Dibb
Starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling, Hayley Atwell
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 27, 2008

How wonderful would it be to be that free?

It is one of those quotes that can sum up an entire film and leave a lasting impression on you. It occurs when the Duke of Devonshire looking out his window of his estate finds children playing and laughing in his garden that is so well kept and groomed that the garden doesn’t even possess qualities of freedom. The wealth and power that certain people consume can’t give them freedom or happiness. Whether worrying about politics, wars, love affairs, or what to wear to an extravagant party, adult life, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, comes with shackles that can’t be undone. William Cavendish, the fifth Duke of England, of all people, wishes to wash his hands of all that surrounds him just so he can have what his power can’t buy: freedom.

The subplot involves talk of abolishing slavery and making citizens of England free, or somewhat free according to one politico, Mr. Fox. He discusses his thoughts at a dinner party at the Duke’s home. The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana (Keira Knightley), injects her beliefs by indicating that one person can’t be partly free. A person is either free or not free according to Georgiana, who also believes strongly in revolutions. This is a woman before her time. Even though women at the time weren’t allowed to vote or state their opinions openly, she wasn’t going to let none of that burden her opinions on manly topics. l Grey (Dominic Cooper) [...]

Repo! The Genetic Opera
Starring Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Stewert Head
Written by Darren Smith & Terrance Zdunich
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release Date: January 20, 2009

If you are in the mood for a slasher-esque feature tied together with a rock-opera theme, look no further than Repo! The Genetic Opera. Originally an actual rock opera, it attracted a cult following that caught the eye of Lionsgate Pictures and was turned into a full blown movie.

The film/opera takes place in the dark dystopian future where death and other physical ailments are an easy fix. Genetic company Genco can provide you with extra spare parts needed to survive this cold soulless future as long as you have the cash. But whatever you do, do not try to stiff Genco on the bill. Otherwise, they might just send a repo man in a hazemat suit to repossess these organs, spilling your guts in the process.

Yes, the premise is quite goofy but we are talking about a rock opera here. It couldn’t exist without a certain amount of goofiness. Along the way, however, the film does take audiences to different territory. Written by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, who also penned the stage opera, the film is about as close of a merge of rock show and opera that I think could be mustered. All the music in the film is very entertaining, particularly the songs. They are very catchy and sound very professional. My only issue is with the opera dialogue that comes with it. In some instances, it works and flows but on many other occasions, the dialogue was not meant to be sung and as a result, falls flat [...]

Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) are both in negotiations with 20th Century Fox for roles in the upcoming adaptation of Jonathan Swift‘s tale, Gulliver’s Travels.

The movie will feature Jack Black as Lemuel Gulliver, an adventure-loving writer who while on an assignment to the dreaded Bermuda Triangle, washes up on the shores of Lilliput — a whole new world where the people are equal in their evolution, but just so happen to be incredibly small.

As for who the two will play if negotiations are successful, the big trades seem to be confused (as they were with Iron Man 2‘s Sam Rockwell/Mickey Rourke castings) — both have Emily Blunt playing a native princess and Jason Segel playing a man named Horatio, but THR has Blunt as Horatio’s love interest and Variety has Blunt as Gulliver’s love interest with Horatio playing Gulliver’s best buddy. While it would indeed be interesting, I’m assuming a G.I. Joe-sized princess and a massive Jack Black would make some weird-ass lookin’ babies, so I’m going to dance with the former here [...]

It’s usually the biggest TV day of the year: Super Bowl Sunday. If you’re a sports fan, you’re excited about the game, and if you hate sports, you still watch to see the legendary commercial lineup in hopes of seeing some marketing brilliance.

Among all of these commercials each year, we also get some peeks at the year’s biggest upcoming movies and this year is no slouch. In fact, this may just be the BIGGEST Super Bowl for movie previews that we’ve ever seen.

Personally, I’m a huge sports fan, so I’m usually watching the big game… but this year is a pretty boring match-up, so it’s fitting that the telecast will be riddled with huge movie peeks.

We’ve already posted the one for the new Star Trek preview, but here you can see the Super Bowl spots for massive summer fare such as: Up!, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Year One, Race to Witch Mountain, Land of the Lost, and yes, oh yes… Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Venture to the other side for all of the TV spot video goodness! [...]

A new TV spot for Paramount’s upcoming Star Trek, which will air during tonight’s Super Bowl XLIII broadcast, is now online — watch it here below!

I know what you’re thinking, it’s a TV spot so it probably has the same old footage from the trailer. I thought that too, til I checked out the 31-second clip and discovered a bunch of new scenes!

Late last year, director JJ Abrams held preview screenings of several scenes from the film, which serves as a prequel to the original series and movies. One of the scenes shown was of James T. Kirk as a young man (Chris Pine) before he joins Starfleet in a bar room brawl, and we get a hint of that in this TV spot. There’s a young Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) introducing himself to Kirk and a glimpse of the cadets outside the Academy in San Francisco. Plus, we get to see the interaction between Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and James Kirk, which we only heard as a voiceover in the trailer.

There’s a few more tiny shots of new footage, so definitely check it out [...]

To coincide with Super Bowl XLIII today, the Gold Box spotlight deal of the day is NFL Super Bowl I-XL Collector’s DVD Set for $54.99 (down 63% from the original price of $149.98).

This 20-disc collector’s DVD set contains 40 Super Bowl games, plus the seasons leading up to them, along with defining highlights, enhanced content, and exclusive memorabilia. This DVD set is obviously a great item for any football lover, but for this sale price — which is valid today only (February 1, 2009) — just the 40 Super Bowl games alone is worth having for even the average fan and a fun thing to throw on the big-screen TV for gatherings of family and fans during the off season.

There’s also a Super Bowl DVD Sale where you can get 60% off select Super Bowl DVDs from now til February 14, 2009.

Also, from now through February 28, 2009, if you buy a DVD from Amazon, they’ll give you a subscription to Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, and Men’s Journal magazines for just $1 each [...]