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Pop Rocks

Pop Rocks: What We Learned From Comic Con 2011

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For Some Reason, Rhys Ifans Has An Entourage Look, it's very likely The Amazing Spider-Man will make stupid cash, but for now it's just another hastily assembled reboot of one of the few comic movie franchises that's proven profitable over the long run. Ifans plays the Dr. Curt Connors, who becomes the Lizard (Dylan Baker played Connors in the Raimi films but never got the chance to reptile out). All well and good, but we're still a year out from him becoming a household name. Maybe drunkenly pushing around a female security guard should wait until you can legitimately ask, "Do you know who I am?" Because right now...nobody does.

Stan Lee Is Not Dead There was apparently a rumor circulating on Twitter that comicdom's professor emeritus had suffered a heart attack and been rushed to the hospital. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if most media organizations released periodic death notices about elderly celebrities (Lee is 88) in the hopes of scooping their rivals on death notices.

Olivia Wilde Is The New Megan Fox At least, that would seem to be the aim of the marketing folks at Universal, who are certainly emphasizing Wilde's nakedness in Cowboys & Aliens. No word on whether or not Wilde will eventually score some similarly embarrassing tattoos or accuse Jon Favreau of being a Nazi.

It's Gonna Get Dark Vampires, zombies, "Winter is [still] coming," rebellious apes, a darker Logan's Run, Ridley Scott's return to dystopian science fiction...gonna be a fun several months.

Celebrities Love Surprises You had Peter Jackson making an unannounced appearance at the Tintin panel with Spielberg (after previously declaring he wouldn't be attending), the (lesser) cast members of Twilight: Breaking Dawn serving breakfast to the alpha dorks who camped out for their panel, there was even Hugh Jackman popping up in a parking lot to pimp Real Steel. What better way to promote your movie without subjecting yourself to uncomfortable Rock 'Em/Sock 'Em Robots comparison questions?

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Peter Vonder Haar writes movie reviews for the Houston Press and the occasional book. The first three novels in the "Clarke & Clarke Mysteries" - Lucky Town, Point Blank, and Empty Sky - are out now.
Contact: Pete Vonder Haar