G.I. Joe #1

G.I. Joe #1

© The Weirding, 2017

Transformers, G. I. Joe Coming to DVD

Hasbro signed a deal with Shout! Factory, the guys who bring us Mystery Science Theater 3000 (the ones without rights issues, anyway), to allow them to bring us the Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoon series on DVD. The agreement actually covers several animated series, including My Little Pony.

First up is the Transformers: The Complete First Season - 25^th Anniversary Edition, set for release 16 days (June 16^th) before Michael Bay's giant Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits screens nationwide. The set includes all 16 episodes with remastered audio and will run $29.99. The set will be followed by complete series from both cartoons later this summer..

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

The Baroness Has Real Boobs

A widely-circulated Web report said Sienna Miller was forced to wear "things that looked like chicken fillets" to enhance her female... ness in the upcoming G.I. Joe flick. Sienna Miller's hotter than a $3 Mexican pistol in an Arizona pawnshop, so... you know, just putting that out there. Still, director, Stephen Sommers, was reported to have told her "I like girls with big boobs." So does The Rundown, so... again, just getting that out of the way.

However, Sommers denies the claim: "I would NEVER say that to an actress. I guess the costume department gave her a tight fitting bra, but no one gave her rubber breasts or whatever. It is 100% Sienna Miller." I would put 100% of my... you know, just - let's move on.

Miller is fine as hell, but also known to be a little... "actressy." If you're into such things (as The Rundown most certainly is), you could see 100% of little Miss Miller's boobs - sans chicken fillets - after she was caught cavorting with a married man. She sued the papers which took (and ran) the pictures, but they're still out there. Whether or not the whole thing is true is debatable, but - again - Miller's good looks are indisputable.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

GI Joe Teaser Flack Worrying Studio?

A blogger from Nuke the Fridge saw a screening of the GI Joe trailer and just panned the living hell out of it. The studio sent them a "cease and desist" letter and they removed the post. The Blogosphere was suddenly up in arms over copyrights, censorship, and why Paramount really didn't want the post to be read. Well, the post is back up now and the truth is that it describes the trailer pretty much shot-by-shot and says it's bad. That's the "review," really - it "sucks." I can see how the company found this to be a violation (even though it is not), since the entire post basically just describes every camera angle in the footage and the real meat of the "review" is that it was "bad."

But that hasn't stopped most everyone from insisting Paramount didn't want the post read because they're afraid GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra will bomb. The Rundown would just like to allay our readers' fears by offering the following:

This "review" is for a 60-second trailer that hasn't even been greenlighted yet. Studios focus group their trailers for the same reasons they do their movies: to see how audiences will react. If the trailer is received as poorly overall as it was with this blogger, Paramount will recut it; you will probably never see this trailer. Further, lots of good movies have shoddy - even downright bad - trailers; the movies you don't want to see are the ones with good trailers, because you've already seen the best parts. The real reason this is getting all this attention is because Paramount asked him to take the post down, not because he panned the trailer.

At least one magazine made a good point about the whole mess, though: watch to see if any trailer for GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra is played during the Superbowl. If not, it may very well mean executives are hedging their bets and GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra may end up GI Joe: DOA.

I know all of you are smarter than the average webhead (because you're here, if nothing else!), but there's the Rundown on this little fiasco.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

G.I. Joe News

With the G.I. Joe movie in-production as you read this, the hype is gearing-up.

USA Today released a first-look at Snake Eyes last weekend (USA Today has more pop-ups than one of those pop-up kids' books, so I hate linking to them - just be aware, you may have to sift through dozens of pop-ups and wait for like 20 seconds for full-screen ads to present, etc. - completely spammy) and the article stated that the movie is going to focus on the origins of the team and the characters.

Originally a Hasbro toy line of generic 12" "army men" in the 1960s, G.I. Joe was relaunched in the 1980s, along the lines of the Star Wars action figures which were so popular then. The figures were individualized and the franchise spawned a popular comic book title (Marvel) and after-school cartoon (Yo, Joe!). Larry Hama wrote the series for years and became synonymous with the franchise. In fact, he recently stated in a CBG interview that the little dossiers which appeared on the backs of the figures' packages were taken directly from his own notes for the comic. Many of the characters were based on actual veterans and/or people Hama knew and he, himself, was even made into an action figure (Fletch Adams).

G.I. Joe became one of the longest-running comics titles in history, lasting 155 issues and spawning several one-shots and a spin-off series. It cemented its place in mainstream Comicdom with the famous "silent issue," (#21) featuring the mute ninja himself. There is even an annual JoeCon, celebrating all things G.I. Joe!

Hama returned to the Devil's Due imprint of the revived title for a run in 2006 and recently took over the scripting duties full-time. The movie, set for a 2009 release, features a bevy of talent, including Christopher Eccleston (Destro), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Dennis Quaid (Hawk), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more. One of the few lines of toys aimed at boys that featured female characters and figures, G.I. Joe has always appealed to a wide audience and the movie's director says it will have something for everyone.

G.I. Joe is a true piece of Americana which breaks the mold: originally generic "army men" for little boys to play war with, a comic book writer almost single-handedly imbued it with a depth which propelled it into a multimedia franchise that became an integral part of 1980s' pop-culture, alongside the Smurfs and Transformers (also recently revived and made into a box-office-breaking live-action flick). And, depending on the success of the movie, it may become a mainstay of this new generation's pop-culture, as well. At any rate, it has definitely earned a place in American pop-culture history.

And that's The Rundown on G.I. Joe, so now you know.

And knowing is half the battle. Yo Joe!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Joe Con 2007

The coolest thing about conventions - and this hobby, in general - is that they feature/incorporate any number of things. While most of them just go the whole route (like this blog) - toys, movies, comics, RPGs, and more - there are several that pertain to one or more specific venues. The Hasbro International G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention is one such event.

That’s right: there is a G.I. Joe con and it is actually in its 25^th year! It will be held in Atlanta, GA, this September, the weekend of the 27^th (27^th - 30^th) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel and will have the regular run of convention events, including panels and seminars, dealers’ room, and celebrity guests. Meet Larry Hama (comic book artist) and former professional wrestler, Rowdy Roddy Piper, then you can compete in the G.I. Joe Obstacle Course... don’t ask me!

In fact, if you want the low-down on the JoeCon and all events, check out their website.

Because knowing is half the battle. YO JO!