Compiled By: Ken Hulsey
Here we are with 2011 about to begin within the next few hours, so I thought this would be the perfect time to post about the top stories published during 2010 here at MIN.
How do I know what are the top stories of the year are? Well, I am a control freak, so I constantly keep track of the number of hits that each article gets. Based on those hits, here are the stories that got the most visits and were linked to by the most "outside" news sources and web sites.
If you are a fan of giant monster movies, either with or without 80s pop stars in them, namely "Godzilla", then 2010 was your year. Fans all over the world went loco when Legendary pictures announced that they were going to produce a brand-new "G" film in 2012. Also the numerous monster epics produced by The Asylum for the SyFy channel were very popular.
The top story, however, did not involve a giant lizard, but a group of popular paranormal investigators, who have their own TV show, that manged to walk through the busy hallways of Comic Con undetected.
Here is this years top stories:
10. Long Lost Print Of KING KONG Discovered In London Cinema
It seems that a rare print of the 1933 classic film "King Kong" has turned up in a rather unlikely place, buried in the wall of a London cinema.
During recent renovations to the Grosvenor Cinema, a worker named Ross McMillan was working on knocking down a partition wall in the projection room when he noticed something odd looking in the rubble. To his amazement he discovered that it was a copy of "King Kong." Not just any copy, mind you, a copy that has been missing from the vaults of RKO for more than seventy years. An original print, that may very well contain scenes cut out of the film, including the long-lost Lizard and Spider canyon sequences.
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9. Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound
It seems that I may have been duped? Earlier today I posted an article about the possible hiring of Keith Melton as the director of Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros upcoming "Godzilla" movie.
Now, that I have had time to do some research, it seems that this report was in error......or was it? Frankly, I'm not sure, there seems to be some confusion.
Now, first off, my source for the Melton hiring, was IMDB, which I have learned from fans, is about as reliable a source for movie info as a drunk at a party.
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8. "Xena" The Movie? Lawless Still Wants To Resurrect The 'Warrior Princess'
Back in 2008 actress Lucy Lawless made it public that she wanted to reprise the role that made her a fanboy....and fangirl....favorite, that of "Xena, The Warrior Princess."
Well her we are almost two years later, and Lawless is echoing the same desire to strap on the leather again. This time, however, the New Zealander doesn't think that reviving the series is the answer. No, Lawless thinks that it is time for a "Xena" movie.
The actress recently told reporters, "I love that character. I would do it if it was a movie. I doubt I would do it as a TV series. I can't see how you would make it fresh."
Just like before, Lawless understands that she isn't getting any younger, and the time may be now to get the ball rolling on any "Xena" related projects.
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7. The First Look At Roger Corman's 'Dinoshark'
Isn't it wonderful that giant mutant monsters are popular again. After J.J. Abrams unleashed his giant monster movie, "Cloverfield", in theaters two years ago, there has been a non-stop parade of independent features where the motto, "bigger is better", has really been taken seriously.
Last year, The Asylum, made a huge media splash with their film "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus". The film featured former 80s pop sensation, Debbie Gibson, playing second fiddle to a titanic shark and an equally gigantic octopus. Likewise, films of the same vein like, "Dinocroc vs. Supergator", "Megaconda," and even The Asylum's follow-up to "Mega Shark", called "Megapiranha", were all rushed into production by the end of 2009.
Now it seems that the king of B movie monsters, Roger Corman, was feeling a little left-out by all of this, so he has developed his own giant monster film for the SyFy Channel called, "Dinoshark."
Lets see....Megaconda....Dinocrock.....Mega Shark........Dinoshark. Makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things, doesn't it?
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6. New Legendary Pictures GODZILLA Design To Be Revealed At Comic Con!
Many things can be determined from looking at this really cool artwork, the most important of which is the fact that the studio is going to go with the 'classic' Japanese Godzilla look, instead of trying to reinvent the monster like Tristar tried to do back in 1998.
That should put a lot of the fears expressed by the fan base to rest.
It is obvious from this that Legendary is taking this project very seriously and like in the very first Godzilla film (Gojira 1954) the monster will be 'true' bringer of mass destruction.
Which means plenty of city stomping action that should make all of us Godzilla movie fans very, very happy.
Am I reading too much from just a simple t-shirt image. Possibly, but at least you can gauge the 'general' idea of where Legendary Pictures is intending to go with this.
"Old School"
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5. Gemma Arterton To Replace Sigourney Weaver In New ALIEN 3D?
Ever since Sigourney Weaver turned down a chance to reprise the role of Ripley in Ridley Scott's upcoming "Alien 3D" prequel, the film maker has been searching for a strong, yet beautiful, woman to take on H.R. Giger's most famous creation.
There have been plenty of names floating around, but none of them seemed to be in any serious contention for the lead role in the film, that is, until now.
Though her publicists were trying to deny it like mad, "Prince Of Persia" star Gemma Arterton has come forward publicly to announce that she has the inside track to land the coveted role. At the Toronto International Film Festival this past weekend, where Arterton was in attendance promoting her new film "Tamara Drewe" the actress let it slip that, "The honest truth is that Ridley Scott has approached me to meet with him about something in the next few weeks."
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4. Zack Snyder To Helm New Superman Movie
While the last Superman movie, Superman Returns, had spectacular special effects and it made over $200 million, it is considered a flop as it failed to re-start the franchise.
It is rumored that the movie is to feature the Kryptonian villain, General Zod. Right now, Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers are being tight-lipped.
But who will play the Man of Steel? Whomever it is, he has to look like Superman, not Superboy. And ditch that last costume design!
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3. Jurassic Park 4 Has Risen From The Grave..And So Has 5 & 6?
Back in 2008, immediately after the death of Jurassic Park author writer Michael Crichton, Universal and producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy announced that they had decided to abandon any hopes of producing a fourth film.
That was two years ago, it it seems that everyone involved has gotten over mourning the loss of Crichton and are now ready to go forward with "Jurassic Park 4", plus "5" and "6", for that matter.
"Jurassic Park 3" director Joe Johnston has now come forward and announced that Universal is ready to launch a brand new trilogy that will be a whole new bread of cat.
"There is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three - it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way.
"If you think of the first three as a trilogy, number four would be the beginning of a second trilogy. We just want to make them justified in their own right. We don't want to make sequel after sequel just because there's a market for it. We want to tell different, interesting stories."
The last time anyone heard about "Jurassic Park 4", was way back in August of 2007. At that time, Laura Dern had been reportedly cast to reprise her role as Ellie Sattler from the first film.
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2. It's Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012!
Rumors that Legendary Pictures were in the process of making a new, American, "Godzilla" film first surfaced last August, and now they have been officially confirmed.
Yes, my friends, the studio has just announced that they have struck a deal with the famed Toho studios in Japan to produce a brand-new "Godzilla" movie, which will be released through Warner Bros in 2012.
According to the deal, Warner Bros will co-produce the film, and pony up some of the cash for it, while Toho will release the film in Japan.
There isn't a director yet, but the studio has announced that Dan Lin, Roy Lee Brian Rogers, Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will all serve as producers.
Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures, commented, "Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise. Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."
Sources close to the deal note that it will be similar in scope to other Warner/Legendary films, co-productions, such as "The Dark Knight" and "300".
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1. GHOST ADVENTURES - Zak Bagans, Nick Grof And Aaron Goodwin At Comic Con 2010
Like I mentioned in my previous article, my experience at Comic Con was a little 'different' than that of the 'typical' fan. Instead of lusting after the 'trendy' movies and shows, my family and I were excited about a lot of things that weren't so mainstream.
One of these was the television series, "Ghost Adventures", and my wife April, son Christopher and I were really looking forward to meeting the shows stars Zak Bagans, Nick Grof and Aaron Goodwin at an autograph signing later in the afternoon.
As luck would have it, the very same people, Zak, Nick and Aaron,that we so strongly wanted to see, arrived at the convention at the exact same time that we did. Amazingly, they were just milling around in the area adjacent to the check-in and autograph areas. To our delite, we were able to snap a few photos and talk to Aaron for a few seconds. My wife was very happy to have told him that 'he was the shit!'
To our surprise, no one else even recognised them.
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Above, a lobby card for Superman and the Mole Men.
Above, Supervisor Antonovich with Jack Larson and Noel Neill.
Above, Supervisor Antonovich and Robert Rockwell (Jor-El). I am sandwiched in-between the two and Jack Larson is in the background at right.
Above, Paul Levitz and Joanne Siegel at the Cafe Pinot luncheon.
Above, the Los Angeles Daily News photo article on the ceremony.
