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Some Kevin O'Neill Nemesis awesomeness...

Tons of stuff that would make the transition with this movie version:

Hotdog Run
Graveyard Shift
Angel Gang and Fink
Shanty Town
The Pit
Captain Skank
Diary Of A Mad Citizen
Block Mania (Not so sure about Apocalypse War, to be honest but Orlok spreading chaos throughout the city...? Hell yeah.)
Rico (Exile on Titan might be too much but no reason forced labor camps in the Cursed Earth can't explain Rico's physical makeover, no...?)

The city is such a key element of the comic strip - I hesitate to say it's the real main character of Dredd as some tend to do - and to have it reimagined as a desolate slum, verging on collapse seems a missed opportunity to me. Parts of MC1 no doubt are depressing shitholes, but there's so much more to it than that - it has this larger than life playground quality to it and has been so explored and expanded over the years it really feels like a tangible, fully-realised location.

Well let's face it: the Judges are going to have more work to do in the run-down areas anyway, even in the comic's version, so makes sense that's what the movie's going to focus on. Doesn't mean the other aspects of MC-1 aren't there in this version though. We just may not get to see them this time out.

I've always imagined MC-1 to be a fucking nightmare anyway. The humor and satire have always just lightened up some really depressing and frightening concepts over the years. League Of Fatties, Otto Sump, etc are really pretty bleak ideas when you look at them.

Also, I think MC-1 being portrayed as a civilization on the edge just works better from a dramatic standpoint. The Judges rarely seem too stretched when it comes to upholding their laws in the strip. The people always lose because the presence of The Law is so overwhelming in their lives. Turning that on its head for the movie adds some real danger and, dare I say it, some relevant social commentary for the world we're living in now.

You can't see anything of it, just a brief shape turning into the alley behind the van...

The aintitcoolnews brigade are on top form with this footage, as usual. Arseholes.

Just to be clear: I'm not bagging on anything we've seen so far. Apologies if that's how my post read. On the contrary, I love the choices they've made so far. Seeing a glimpse of the lawmaster in that chase clip gave me goosebumps. Very excited to see how this turns out.

A huge part of me says I should be disappointed the vehicles look twenty years old for a story that's supposedly set in the near-future but it really is evoking the first Mad Max/Escape From New York for me and it all works in my head when I think about it. Great stuff. Going to be a real interesting take on Dredd. Might be too stripped-down for the die-hard fans.

Nothin' but people getting their heads blown off! Haha! Fucking love it! The thing I'm most excited about is the violence we've seen snippets of so far already distinguishes this from every other comic-movie adaptation out there. Everyone else tries to appeal to the lowest common denominator when it comes to marketing their comic book movie to get everyone's bum on a seat and this is the exact opposite: Here's the level of violence and tone you can expect. Either you're in or you're out. Can't fucking wait for a trailer now...

On the head shot I just noticed the secondary eagle wing under the main pauldron. If you look at the shot of Judge Lex in the Empire article there appears to be another set of eagle tail feathers moulded on the arm of his leathers. I did wonder if Dredd Anderson would be unclipping those Austrialpine Cobras. and slinking out of that bulky vest.

Have two (probably stupid) theories about that. Didn't Wagner make a suggestion early on about the costumes being altered to match the comic a little better? Wonder if the vests and pads are part of that and they cover up what the original costume had in place?

Also, think how much BIGGER those helmets would look on someone's head without that added padding and armor. I think it looks fucking excellent as it is but wonder what the first pass at the costumes looked like.

And gore too! Nice to see Justice being dispensed by Cassandra

"PG-13 this!" <Blam!!!>

Oh fuck me, I can't wait for this. Middle pic's my favorite, to be honest. Looks perfect. BRING IT ON!!!

Hate to say it but beyond a hardcore bunch of comic fans, Dredd isn't well-known at all over here in Los Angeles...
Also, I know we've been through the whole "director locked out of Dredd" nonsense and come through the other side but that story really seems to have stuck in people's consciousness. It made pretty big news here when it came out and I'm willing to (sadly) take bets that practically every review will begin with that story.

Was it pretty big news to people who never heard or Dredd?

Y'know, it kinda was.

Hate to say it but beyond a hardcore bunch of comic fans, Dredd isn't well-known at all over here in Los Angeles. Even finding Dredd material in the well-known comic stores is a tough slog. People may not know the ins and outs of Green Lantern but they are at the very least aware he's a comic property in the same way they know that with Thor and Iron Man. Dredd is associated first and foremost as a movie Stallone was in that cost way too much and everyone laughed at as his career flew into a mountain. And everyone mixes it up with Demolition Man. So that's great.

To be honest, as we get closer to September, I'm starting to get a little concerned about what kind of reception it'll get. I don't know what Priest brought in box office wise but I can't help but think it'll be treated, marketed and received similarly as in an extreme niche release.

Also, I know we've been through the whole "director locked out of Dredd" nonsense and come through the other side but that story really seems to have stuck in people's consciousness. It made pretty big news here when it came out and I'm willing to (sadly) take bets that practically every review will begin with that story.

I've always seen the influence in Mad Max, particularly the second one, myself. Just never heard it mentioned directly from anyone on the production. Good stuff.

Just to hark back to movies Dredd and 2000ad might have influenced for a second: Went to a screening of the Mad Max trilogy last night which had a Q & A with Mel Gibson and was nice to hear Dredd get a mention as an influence on the style of the movies. George Miller was reading a ton of comics while he was making the movies and Dredd got a nice mention from the moderator when he was asking Mel about influences. Naturally, I clapped (like a fucking gobshite) and the moderator was like "Oh. There's one Judge Dredd fan here. Not talking about the movie." Like I needed him to tell me that! Anyways, good stuff...