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Lucasfilm seem to have a fairly good relationship with the fan community

The same Lucasfilm that ignored then treated with utter contempt the literally millions of Star Wars  fans, myself included, who went to see at the cinema then bought on VHS the 'special edition' versions of the Trilogy, but when we simply wanted the choice to also watch the (superior) theatrical versions of said Trilogy, were spun the outright lies that "they no longer exist" (the original separation masters, usable prints, the 1993 Laserdisc masters, the 1995 remastered versions?) and then proved they clearly did by releasing sub-standard presentations of them on DVD in 2006, completely unremastered and non-anamorphic in presentation... THAT Lucasfilm, you mean?

[choice]

Protection of the voice/right of minorities: gays, race, religious belief, but none having a say over how the other should live their lives as long as it doesn't interfere with anybody else's choice?

What he said - and then some - it wasn't the fact that two guys get married in Canada (that's for the Canadians to decide), my problem is Marvel depicting in a comic-book widely read by many young kids what is a highly contentious and for some (myself included) a deeply troubling matter of the militant homosexual agenda attempting to insert themselves into every aspect of society, granted not all are like that, in fact I know many despise the militant activists in their 'community', believing it actually hinders rather than helps their cause, but One Million Moms have every right to call Marvel on it, and them doing so does not mean they are bigots nor does it mean they are trying to stifle free speech, not everyone thinks that particular lifestyle is either normal nor healthy (to the individual or society at large), it doesn't mean we want to kick the doors in and drag them out into the night, but their rights end where mine and those of a likewise socially conservative disposition begin, and that simply isn't the case at the moment where Christians are being actively prosecuted (persecuted?) by the authorities of several countries for not bowing the knee to a PC lifestyle 'choice' ... that was my point, sorry if this is dragging out a divisive argument, not trying to insult or offend anyone here, just an honest opinion...

When it comes to the women, I like it when there's purpose behind it - problem I had with past Bonds was the waste of time with the sexual shenanigans when he's on a bloody important mission, godammit!

I think the scene in GoldenEye  when Famke Janssen says to Bond "enjoy it while it lasts" and he replies "the very words I live by" is the crux of the character for me, he's committed to Queen and country but he's still willing to nail anything with a heartbeat along the way...

Anyway, enough of that 'moral majority' crap (round of applause heard all round), something much more interesting is afoot - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/scottish-politics/9290226/Campaign-for-Scottish-independence-launched.html - this is going to be a REALLY interesting next two-and-a-half years, the SNP are going to have a steep uphill climb to convince a 51%-plus majority in Scotland to go it alone, but considering what effective and canny political operators they are, I wouldn't bet against them.

Personally, I think it's a pity that Scotland wasn't always an independent nation, they always were and still are a culture apart from England and Wales, and had they remained independent, they would be more like Northern Ireland (minus the constitutional turmoil); a country divided along religious lines with sectarian tensions bubbling up every now and again, the Protestants voting largely for the center-right party(s) and the Catholics voting largely for the social democratic ones, I still feel a deep cultural connection to Scotland and I lament the fact I wasn't born and raised in a sovereign country with a strong and largely singular cultural identity (as opposed to an artificially created province like N.I. with it's sharply divided identities) to call our own, as for me, if I lived in Scotland, I'd be voting 'Yes' in 2014...   

My hope is Dredd will do a Hellboy. If it can rake in ~$70m, it'll be laughing. My hope is it doesn't do a Serenity—or worse.

Do you mean $70m worldwide, Indigo dude, if so, I certainly hope it does a heckuva lot more than that, or we'll not get a sequel, personally if it's as good as John Wagner himself thinks it is, and the trailer/advertising/marketing attracts a good crowd out to see it, plus taking into account the likely restricted rating it will receive in most territories, I think it stands a good chance of doing Watchmen  numbers at the box-office worldwide, around $180m or thereabouts, if it becomes a sleeper hit, then $200m-plus is not unreasonable (like District 9  ended up doing), in either case, we'll definitely get a sequel two or three years later with a substantially increased budget... and a certain skeletal ghoul in it hopefully!

I'd like to cordially extend one million fuck offs to those Moms.

Why?  Isn't their point of view as valid as anyone else's, or does that only apply to those of a liberal disposition, I for one wholeheartedly agree with them, kids read comics to be entertained and, like it or not, do form opinions based on what they read and see, and while Marvel have a first amendment right to print what they like (within the law), the One Million Moms also have that same God-given right to speak up when they feel someone's pushing a radical political agenda down their kids' throats, more power to 'em I say and long may they continue...

This is FANTASTIC news from John Wagner, great to know he fully approves of the new adaptation, and that the people behind it have actually listened and taken onboard his sage advice on all things Dredd, as far as the modern vehicles in the new film, I've said it here before that I for one will find it pleasantly refreshing to see a futuristic city onscreen that DOESN'T have the now-cliched airborne traffic, it will give Dredd a grittier, more realistic, end-of-century look and feel to it, as opposed to the frankly ridiculous looking taxi vehicles in the 1995 debacle, and all the better for it. 

Just a question though, the budget for Dredd is $45million, whereas the budget for the 1995 debacle was (according to Danny Cannon) just over $80million, how does the former equate to being "less than a fifth" than the latter, or does the budget mentioned for Dredd also include advertising/marketing?  Don't get me wrong, it's not important, John Wagner's thumbs-up is the last word for me in terms of the seal of approval, one last thing though, I hope there's midnight screenings of Dredd, anyone here going to one in Belfast, let me know and I'll see ya there... 

Interesting little titbit I came across, take it with a pinch of salt, believe it or don't - http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/nailbiter111/news/?a=60391 - personally, I'm hoping for a running time around the 160-170 minutes mark, if you're going to end it, end it on a truly epic note and make The Avengers (Assemble) look like an extended television movie by comparison, but how long will TDKR be, as long as Sir Christopher of Nolan deems it appropriate to be, and that's enough for me...

[Quantum of Solace]

Oh and the Quantum of Solace song was terrible.  Who'd have thought you could do a worse job than DIE ANOTHER DAY (which has since grown massively on me).  I'd rather they used Adam and Joe's version.

Agreed, a drunken Amy Winehouse (God rest her sozzled soul) slurring her way through a Bond theme tune would've been the ultimate in that category, I dare say...

Hhhmmm, either...

..or...

... and the winner is... I can't decide, they're both masterpieces, but I guess it's Joe's contribution for just sheer entertainment value, but special mention to the prince of darkness' contribution, if THAT was the Lawmaster in Dredd, we'd be very happy indeed, especially the ridiculously huge tyres...

realized it's exactly two months between the release of Prometheus and the U.K. release of Dredd

Think it's prudent to point out here I got the above wrong, it's actually THREE months between the releases of Prometheus and Dredd, damn my numerical deficiencies , that humble admission aside, I don't think it likely that the Dredd trailer will be released a whole three months in advance of release, I'm no longer going to make predictions about the trailer, I'll just clam up and wait for it in good and due course, when it arrives it arrives, good enough for me...

According to someone on AICN's GI Joe forum the Dredd trailer's in front of Prometheus next week. Take that with as big a pinch of salt as you need...

Just back from the AICN board, and that's He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named posting under another of his many pseudonyms, but the 'scoop' didn't originate with him and I still believe/hope this news is correct...

According to someone on AICN's GI Joe forum the Dredd trailer's in front of Prometheus next week. Take that with as big a pinch of salt as you need...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/board/thread/199475064
Up on IMDB as well...

OH BABY... HERE WE GO!  I really hope that's the case, it certainly makes a lot of sense if it is, I was actually thinking about this sitting on the bog tonight , and realized it's exactly two months between the release of Prometheus and the U.K. release of Dredd, and most trailers are issued around that time prior to release so the timing's right, plus the fact both films are adult-oriented sci-fi movies (in 3-D) also gives credence to this little scoop... is it just me or does anyone else here feel a little giddy right now at the prospect of FINALLY seeing some major Dredd footage of Karl and Olivia giving Lena what for?

That said, Solace was garbage, so I hope this film is closer to Casino than its semi-sequel.

I totally understand the negative views of Quantum of Solace, I myself was pretty disappointed when I first saw it, thought it was nowhere near in the same league as the magnificent Casino Royale, but after repeated viewings, it really grows on you, and now I like it a great deal (the hyper frenetic editing notwithstanding), you have to look at it not as a self-contained film, but rather an extended epilogue to it's predecessor, wherein Bond has to reconcile himself to and make peace with the aftermath of events in Casino..., whilst still determined to get the people responsible for Vesper's fate, working his way up the food chain of the shadowy organisation until he finds the person(s) culpable for the [spoiler]betrayal by and ultimate demise[/spoiler] of his soulmate... 

The situation they faced going in to production with the writer's strike meant they had about two months less scriptwriting time than they should have had, meaning the script was somewhat underdeveloped, but all things considered, considering what they had to deal with, the final film turned out pretty darn well, the only minor faults I have with it is; firstly, it's just too short and feels truncated, 106 minutes is too short for a modern Bond film, it could have done with an extra five or six minutes of character beats and a little more breathing room throughout to balance out the relentless action, and secondly, they should have kept the original (filmed) ending where Bond confronts one of the syndicate's top people and finally plugs Mr White in the process, with the the last shot of the film being the 'gun barrel' motif as is currently, it would have ended the movie on a more balanced and marginally more conclusive note, providing a nice bookend to Bond's capture and interrogation of White at the beginning of the film, and wrapping that story arc up in a way that is both satisfying and leaving the door open ajar to potentially pick it up in future films, just my thoughts anyway...

I was looking forward to the first glimpse of footage from this, very interested to see what the first Bond movie to be shot digitally would look like, and it looks just dandy to me, Roger Deakins' cinematography is gorgeous and beautifully lit as always, gives a real classic and elegant look to it, I have a real good feeling about this one, could well equal the awesome Casino Royale  if it's as good as everyone involved seems to think it is...

Tordelback dude, Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond is probably the most Fleming-esque of all Bonds to date (with the underrated Timothy Dalton a close second), he's not miserable, he's a cold-blooded killer who's effectively a paid assassin working for the Crown, a flawed character who's often his own worse enemy, doesn't suffer fools gladly, and would put a bullet in your skull rather than negotiate the situation... exactly as Fleming conceived the character.  I think criticisms that the Craig movies are humorless and overly-serious simply don't hold water, there is humor in his movies, it's just more wry, a little blacker, and more sardonic in nature...