“My philosophy is very simple. To feel young, you must work as long as you can.”

Today is a sad day for film fans everywhere. Dino De Laurentiis, the legendary Italian movie producer who brought the world a wildly diverse and unique library of cinema and was considered to be one of cinema’s most daring and controversial figures in his six decades in the film industry, died Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 10PM at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 91 years old. No cause of death has been given at the present time.

Although De Laurentiis had not produced a feature since 2007, the legendary Italian movie producer who brought the world a wildly diverse and unique library of cinema of over 160 films, credited and not, and was considered to be one of cinema’s most daring and controversial figures in his six decades in the industry.

At the age of 17 De Laurentiis left home to enroll in film school and supported himself for the next three years with a series of industry jobs until he earned his first producer credit at the age of twenty. He then left the movie business to serve in the Italian army during World War II but soon returned to film production after his service was up [...]

With the holidays quickly approaching, the hunt for the perfect gift for the geeks in our lives has begun. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing lots of gift ideas and deals on great items. But once you snag those gifts, what are you going to wrap them in?

This is where I direct to you Merrypranxter’s Etsy shop for a selection of handmade wrapping paper of a most geeky nature.

At Merrypranxter’s (aka designer Lauren Castor) etsy shop, you can choose Doctor Who, Star Wars, or Star Trek wrapping paper.

See here at right a sample of the Doctor Who TARDIS design.

There’s also Star Wars Rebel Alliance wrapping paper; Star Trek Holiday Orion Slave Girl Christmas Cards; and plenty more, so check it out [...]

Back in May it was reported that Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions had acquired the rights to make a feature-length film based on Pixels, the wildfire viral video from director Patrick Jean that took the world by storm earlier this year (Read: Atari Apocalypse: ‘Donkey Kong’ & Other Classic Arcade Games Invade New York In ‘Pixels’).

Sandler’s company isn’t waiting around to get things moving, having now hired longtime friend and writer Tim Herlihy to pen the script for the movie. Herlihy started writing for Saturday Night Live while Sandler was still a cast member, and the two went on to work with each other many more times. Titles that Herlihy helped write for Sandler include Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Big Daddy, Little Nicky, and Mr. Deeds.

The short video for which the movie will be based showed a world where classic arcade game characters and elements coming to life and wreaking havoc on the city. In Happy Madison’s feature, it’s said that they want to take a Ghostbusters action/comedy approach to their take. [...]

It’s being reported that Jon Favreau, director of the Iron Man movies and the upcoming Cowboys & Aliens, is now on a course to direct Magic Kingdom for The Walt Disney Company.

The movie has been around for a couple of years now, with a first draft of the script being penned by Battlestar Galactica genius, Ronald D. Moore. That script didn’t play out quite how Disney wished, and a new writer will be brought in to work on another new draft under Favreau and what his vision for the movie might be.

The movie is of course based on the popular Disney theme park, and will tell a story where the various attractions in the park magically come to life. Possibly Disney’s own version of Night at the Museum?

It’s unclear whether or not this will be the next project for Favreau. He’s currently in post production on Cowboys & Aliens, and has a few other projects lines up as well. There’s always the possibility of Iron Man 3 jumping up, but at the moment that still looks to be off in the distance. [...]

Amazon is offering up Doctor Who: Season 5 for purchase for only $9.99 through their Video On Demand service.

This digital deal is only for today, Thursday, November 11 until midnight PST, so grab it while you can.

Visit the Doctor Who: Season 5 product page to purchase the season; there’s also the HD version for only $12.99.

Each episode is sold separately for 99 cents right now, so if you buy the entire season bundle — all 13 episodes — you’re already saving a few bucks. Season 5 is selling for double this price in iTunes (triple for HD). To emphasize what a great sale this is, the DVD and Blu-ray are $53 and $63, respective (yes, they come with loads of bonus features, but still).

Synopsis: The Doctor has regenerated into a brand-new man, but danger strikes before he can even recover, as Doctor Who returns for a new series. With the Tardis wrecked and the sonic screwdriver destroyed, the new Doctor has just 20 minutes to save the whole world – and only Amy Pond to help him. [...]

It’s no longer a secret that AMC’s new zombie series, The Walking Dead, is one of the best new shows on TV. After only two episodes, a 13-episode second season has already been ordered by the network, and fans are salivating for more as you read these very words.

If you’re one of the lonely folks who have yet to discover this gruesomely wonderful new show, it’s not too late to remedy this mistake. If you do not have the option of jumping On Demand and catching up there, AMC has announced that this upcoming Sunday at 8pm they will air a Walking Dead mini-marathon that will feature the first two episodes with limited commercial interruption leading into the brand new episode at 10pm.

The first season will only feature six episodes, so this is you chance to jump on the bandwagon before it comes and goes and your opportunity has passed! [...]

For what seems like an eternity now, an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan‘s incredible graphic novel series, Y: The Last Man, has been in the works.

For most of that time, Disturbia and Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso has been attached along with his star from those two movies, Shia LaBeouf. At first, LaBeouf seemed a perfect fit for the lead role of Yorick Brown, but as time has moved on and the actor has become a much bigger star, this team has felt less and less fitting and things never played out.

Since then, The Incredible Hulk and Clash of the Titans director Louis Leterrier‘s name has been said to be in the mix to take it on, and while nothing official has come of that, MTV was able to talk to him recently about where things stand in the ever-difficult task of bringing a live-action version of the graphic novel to our eyes. [...]

My favorite author in the entire world, Neil Gaiman, turns 50 today, so for this most special occasion, I thought I’d point out to you one of his stories that’s available to read online right now for free (legally, of course).

This short story is called Cinnamon, and it’s never been collected in print, only as an audio narrated by Gaiman. You can read it online at at the link above, where it’s accompanied by beautiful color illustrations by Jill Schwarz. (The audio version is available here for a very low price).

Cinnamon is a fable about an exotic princess who refuses to speak. There’s also a parrot, an angry aunt, fields of mango, and a tiger.

If you want more free Gaiman works, check out The Graveyard Book Video Tour, a collection of videos of the author reading from the book, which won the Newbery Medal in 2009.

For Gaiman’s birthday in 2008, we pulled together A Beginner’s Guide to Neil Gaiman, so if you’re not that familiar with the author, take a gander at that list and jump on! There’s something on it for every age group [...]

DC Comics announced today that superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski was coming off as main writer on two of DC’s namesake titles, Superman and Wonder Woman. JMS is stepping back on these two regular comic book series in order to concentrate on a sequel to the previously released Superman: Earth One graphic novel, which furthers the creation of the new DC Universe.

Along with this news, DC also revealed that upcoming writers Phil Hester and Chris Roberson would be stepping in on these titles using JMS’s story outlines for Wonder Woman‘s reboot, and Superman‘s “Grounded” storylines, respectively. Roberson’s first issue will be Superman #707, while Hester will begin with Wonder Woman #605.

JMS also talked about his plan for the next few years, which includes time off from writing monthlies [...]

Anyone who knows and loves Futurama is aware that one thousand years in the future, Santa Clause is very real and also happens to be a very evil robot.

For fans who don’t know, while we wait for the second half of this gift of a new season to get going (and wish and hope for more new seasons to come), there will be a holiday special for the show set to air on November 21 at 10pm on Comedy Central. The special, titled The Futurama Holiday Spectacular, will see the Planet Express crew on a mission to save the X-Mas, Robanukah, and Kwanzaa holidays.

To help us get excited for this special, Comedy Central is releasing lots of goodies including clips from the show, images, and concept art. You can see the first of these goodies — a video clip showing the return of the evil Robot Santa — right now by clicking on over to the other side! [...]

Not really a whole lot in terms of news, here, but for you fans of Robert Downey Jr. comes an amusing new TV ad for Planters Nuts using the always enjoyable stop-motion animation style presentation.

In the commercial, Downey Jr. offers up his voice for the famous Planters mascot, Mr. Peanut, as he and some friends spend some festive holiday time together at a local watering hole. And then comes the awkward moment when none other than The Nutcracker shows up, apologizing for a little incident involving Mr. Peanut the weekend prior. It of course doesn’t take long for another incident-in-the making to unfold, forcing Peanut to use his ninja skills as a deterrent.

We all have our own primal instincts; who can blame Nutcracker for having trouble controlling his own?

You can see the funny commercial featuring Downey Jr. as Mr. Peanut by clicking on over to the other side now! [...]

At the end of October, it was reported that summer blockbuster extraordinaire, Roland Emmerich, was set to begin filming a secret new alien invasion movie called The Zone that would channel the likes of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity (Read: ’2012′ Director Roland Emmerich Wants To Make ‘Paranormal Activity’ … With Aliens).

The “found footage” style movie was said to tout a $5 million micro-budget, hundreds of millions of dollars less than Emmerich is used to having on his movies, such as Independence Day, Godzilla, and 2012. We all wondered if this tiny budget would be a good thing for the director, who has been critically assaulted quite often (deservedly so), forcing him to worry about quality over just attention-grabbing effects.

Now we may never know.

It’s being reported that Emmerich’s involvement in The Zone is now non-existent after he decided to walk away, and that production on the movie has currently come to a halt. “This is not a project (Emmerich) is pursuing at this time,” said one of the director’s representatives, which has those involved with the production stunned. [...]

Grunge rock superstars Soundgarden performed live last night on Conan.

Watch the video here below of their live performance of “Black Rain,” a single from their new album, Telephantasm, which was released in September. Also embedded below is a web-only video of them playing another song, “Hunted Down,” which did not air during the Conan broadcast.

On January 1, 2010, the band announced their plans to reunite after a 12-year break. The current line-up of Soundgarden is Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd [...]

The MP3 album deal of the day over at Amazon today is Black Label Society‘s Berzerkus Tour Sampler for only 69 cents!

Yes, 69 cents!

Note, this sale is only for today, Wednesday November 10, until midnight PST.

For less than a dollar you get this 26-song double live album from the metal band, which boasts former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde on guitar and vocals.

Do I really even have to do the math on this? Ok, fine, Math Time = $0.69 divided by 26 songs = $0.265 per song. That’s less than 3 cents per song, c’mon, buy it now! You’d be insane not to.

If you’re a fan of Black Label Society, then there shouldn’t even be a moment’s hesitation. Grab this now. If you’re not that familiar with the band, well, for 69 cents, you can take a chance on them.

The songs on the album were recorded earlier year during the band’s Berzerkus Tour, in support of their latest album Order of the Black, which was released in August 2010. The Berzerkus Tour is still underway in the United States and will soon make its way to the UK [...]

The Gold Box deal of the day over at Amazon today is Red Dwarf: The Complete Collection for only $59.99 (that’s 70% off the list price of $199.98).

Note, this sale is only for today, Wednesday November 10, until midnight PST while supplies last.

This 18-disc DVD box set contains all 8 seasons of the British science fiction-comedy television series Red Dwarf, which ran from 1988 – 1999. The set also contains 24 hours of bonus features (listed here below).

Math Time: $59.99 divided by 8 Seasons = appx. $7.50 per Season. C’mon, that’s a steal! [...]

Recorded November 9, 2010.

Our November Doom Of The Month will be Joe Kelly’s I Kill Giants! If you want to read along with us, head on over to Instocktrades.com or DCBService.com to pick up I Kill Giants for a super price! Be sure to check back at the end of November for our special review episode.

Check out Episode 29 of Comics of Doom, the official comics podcast of Geeks of Doom. Click HERE to open the podcast player in a new window.

Podcast player is here below, along with an Episode Guide.

Listen now!

E-mail us at comicsofdoom [at] gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter – @ComicsOfDoom
Subscribe to the Podcast: RSS | iTunes | Zune [...]

Oh boy, do we have an amazing contest for you, dear readers!

Here at Geeks of Doom we’re big fans of Spartacus: Blood and Sand (see our review), and we know a lot of our readers are too. That’s why we’re so very excited to be able to bring you this contest in conjunction with the recent release of Season 1 of the series on DVD and Blu-ray where we’re giving away some prizes, including a Sony Playstation 3!

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive:

- One (1) Sony Playstation 3
- One (1) Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 Blu-ray

Two (2) runner-up winners will each receive:

- One (1) Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 DVD

“SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND,” the most highly anticipated original series in the history of Starz Entertainment, premiered on January 22, 2010 and was an instant hit with viewers and critics. The Miami Herald called it “compulsively watchable,” while the Associated Press remarked that the series “grabs you with visual pizzazz.” Entertainment Weekly declared it “the not-at-all guilty pleasure of the season,” while US Weekly gave it “3.5 out of 4 stars.” With a renowned international cast including John Hannah (the Mummy films), Peter Mensah (300), Manu Bennett (30 Days of Night), Nick E. Tarabay (“Crash”) and Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”), and a star-making turn by UK-born and Australia-based Andy Whitfield in the title role, “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND” literally re-wrote the book for television series. [...]

Not that it’s much of a shocking result, but Conan O’Brien‘s brand new late night talk show on TBS, Conan, debuted last night to big results.

The show brought in higher ratings than all other late night contenders, including Jay Leno and his Tonight Show, David Letterman and his Late Show, John Stewart‘s Daily Show, and all others.

Conan lured 4.2 million sets of eyeballs (3.3 million in the coveted ages 18-49 demographic) to his new show, while Leno had 3.5 million and Letterman had 3.4 million. Even more interestingly perhaps, is that the median average age of O’Briens viewers was 30 years old, while competition Leno’s median age was 59 and Letterman’s was 53. It’s becoming more and more clear what late night shows the Fox News crowd is into.

It’s worth keeping in mind that there’s been a ton of attention on the drama that unfolded between O’Brien, Leno, and NBC, and after a long summer with a growing fanbase strongly behind Conan, the show’s debut was bound to dump big numbers on the late night ratings. [...]

A second theatrical trailer has been released for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Watch the trailer here below.

The first trailer debuted online back in June, but there’s been little buzz about the third film in the Narnia film franchise.

In the upcoming film, we see the return of Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), along with two of the four Pevensie children — Lucy and Edmund — who are accompanied on this nautical journey with their young cousin Eustace Scrubb.

Directed by Michael Apted, this new film is the first of the bunch to be financed by Fox, instead of Disney, which backed the first two movies, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, for Walden Media. There’s a lot of pressure for Dawn Treader to do well, otherwise it’s unlikely that further Narnia adaptations will be made (there are seven Narnia books in author C.S. Lewis’s novel series). [...]

The latest trailer for Disney‘s upcoming 3D release, Tron Legacy, the sequel to Tron , has finally been released on the internet, and this time, the clues of the teaser begin to move towards giving viewers and fans more of an idea of the story that will unfold in the film.

Watch the full trailer here below.

Fan feedback across the web, at a glance, seems to be highly positive– as it should be: the footage contained in this trailer is nothing short of breathtaking and, personally speaking, makes me very excited about seeing this movie. Now, while I do mention breathtaking, bear in mind this trailer is not only full of effects like the last two that had been released; in this teaser, we get more in touch with the two characters played by Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn and CLU2 of course) in the film, as well as the other characters.

Like most of you, I’ve been waiting for this sequel for many years, and so far all the teasers seem to indicate this movie might just match (or hopefully exceed) expectations [...]