Hey folks, Harry here... Since Quint posted that story and Variety broke it... I've been getting interviewed all day about what I thought of it. Well... It sorta comes down to this. Often times with these MARVEL movies, when they end up sucking the ass end out of a rotting donkey... it's usually the terrible decision of folks in the studio that just don't get the heroes they're dealing with. I mean - take DAREDEVIL - the film was butchered to a PG-13, and if you've seen the original R, you probably agree it is a FAR superior film. Most of the problems with the first and second X-MEN (two movies I really really like) come down to not being financed at the level they should have been given, and with the insane schedule that the suit monkeys in charge of Fox have given X3 - we just have to pray that Matthew Vaughn manages to pull a miracle. Then there's FANTASTIC FOUR which studio dweebs felt needed to be hipped up and sexed up and systematically fucked a once great script with good directors attached, and reduced it to a hack helmed unfinanced quickie. Again - let's pray it comes out better than ELEKTRA - also a Fox monstrosity. Avi Arad and Kevin Feige - the big boys behind Team Marvel tend to get their characters - even if the studios don't. They also live on the sets and helping in every way they can... or are allowed to given the various studios they're working through.

I'm actually quite happy about Marvel's decision to finance and produce their films independently with a distribution deal worked out with Paramount. Mainly because - this is what George Lucas did that allowed him to really build SKYWALKER RANCH, ILM, SKYWALKER SOUND, THX and even PIXAR - speaking of whom, they're going under this same model too. Independently producing product that, in a yet to be announced deal, they'll probably have a distribution and promotion deal to put it out there.

Starting with CAPTAIN AMERICA is a ballsy move. In most of these interviews I'm getting, they are laying out the question about how viable is CAPTAIN AMERICA in the foreign territories given the image crisis America is suffering abroad given it's well lack of "good P.R."? It's a very good question, and my answer was... if they make the Captain America movie that I think most of us would prefer to see - it wouldn't be a rah rah flick set in the modern day, but a full on World War 2 adventure that would pit Cap and Bucky versus either The Red Skull and/or Baron Zemo - that would leave us set up for heading to the modern day. Cap vs Nazis would be as internationally popular, if made to the absolute height of potential as the Indiana Jones adventures. I know that it is that version of the character that most geeks that I know would prefer to see. How about you. Well, this isn't new - but as I said, I've been asked to chime in - here's the details of what has happened...

hi there, aicn

first time scoop (hope it is) by fleshmeatdoll, long time reader from good old germany.

this morning an austrian news agency reports that marvel attempts to build their own film studio.

after having had a share of only 3 percent with ticket sales on spiderman and only 1 percent with dvd sales on the same title, marvel thinks its time to make big money. Marvel says they want to produce their own superhero movies. that is the offical reason. Distribution and marketing will be done by paramount.

First of, they have lend money from merrill- lynch. It is a 525 million credit and most interestingly, the backdrop security are the rights to 10 of their most famous characters, namely Captain America, Nick Fury and the Avengers. The others were not mentiond in this report.

Now, CAPTAIN AMERICA will also be the first film to be produced!!! Read todays Wall street journal for more.

I hope thats cool news...

fleshmeatdoll