After a good night's sleep in San Ysidro, it was time for Day 2. We actually got to the Convention Center at about 10:15 A.M., approximately forty five minutes before the Warner Brothers presentation was to start. This particular presentation would take place in the enormous Hall H, a massive ballroom with a 6,500 person capacity. Upon arrival, we were shocked at the size of the line making it's way into Hall H. There were a few thousand people hanging out on the side walk, and we were at the end of the line. By the time we got in, it was after 11:00 A.M. but thankfully, the place was so damn crowded, they decided to start things late. We were pretty much in the back of the ballroom, but the huge screens set up all around the place, made it easy to see. One thing was for sure though - we'd be getting up much earlier the next morning so we could avoid this madness.

WARNER BROTHERS PRESENTATION

V FOR VENDETTA

Based on the graphic novel by David Lloyd and Alan Moore, this film Stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving. First up was the trailer. I'm not very familiar with the source material, but the film looks very stylized. The preview would suggest that it's a sort of a fusion of Zorro and The Matrix (and in fact, The Wachowski Brothers worked on this picture). Following the trailer, the gorgeous Natalie Portman hit the stage to discuss the film. What a peach. Not only is she more beautiful in person but she's incredibly genuine. The hall full of geeks were frothing at the mouth at the mere sight of her. One questioner asked Portman to show a "completely original moment." Portman obliged the eager fan by repeating her cute little snake dance from Garden State. I'm not quite sure what to make of V For Vendetta, but I know what to make of Natalie Portman. She's the genuine article. I'll go see the movie just for her. On a side note, it has been widely reported that Alan Moore is not happy with the film and has distanced himself from it. But then he is quite often disenchanted with Hollywood's treatment of his work (i.e. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman).

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE

I can't wait for this movie. I'm a huge fan of Nightmare Before Christmas and if this movie is even half the film that one was, sign me up. Burton wasn't able to make it to Comic-Con because he's busy completing Corpse Bride, but some of the team behind the movie were on hand with a couple of special treats. First, we were shown the new trailer and it's just stellar. Secondly, we were shown an eight minute sequence from the picture. What can I say? What we saw is just extraordinary. The film is based on an old fable involving a deceased bride (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) who comes back to the world of the living when she is accidentally awoken by a man (voiced by Johnny Depp) on the way to the altar. The sequence screened to us begins with the rebirth of the bride. It is followed by a rousing musical number performed by a bar full of skeletons in a toe tapping homage to Cab Calloway. Thank god this style of animation is not dead, because it really is a breathtaking art form. Corpse Bride opens in September,

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

No panel, but we did get to see the new trailer, and it looks like Mike Newell knocked it out of the park. I've never read the books and wasn't overwhelmed by the first movie, however, I believe each film has been considerably stronger than the previous one. I can honestly say I can't wait to see The Goblet of Fire.

THE FOUNTAIN

I love Darren Aronofsky. Pi is a true American original, and Requiem For A Dream is one of the most unsettling (and effective) films about addiction that I've ever seen. It's been a long road for The Fountain. A few years back, the sci-fi love story was set to shoot with Brad Pitt on board but things fell through and Pitt eventually left the project. Now the film stars Hugh Jackman in what looks to be a career highlight for the X-Men star. We got a look at the trailer, but the big kicker came in the form of the first ten minutes of the film. That's right! Aronofsky graced us with the beginning of the movie. While still in an extremely raw state, I was personally blown away by what I saw. This isn't a big, commercial, summer time blockbuster. This is uncompromising , provocative and complex. The film zips around from one time frame to the next keeping the audience on their toes. While it is unfair to compare this to other films, I would offer this tidbit up as a frame of referrence. Some of what I saw reminded me a bit of Highlander, 12 Monkeys and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Fountain zips around from the past to the future, but the constant in the film is an epic and intimate love story between Jackman and Rachel Weisz. While I'm first to admit that the first ten minutes alone didn't make a lot of sense, it certainly gave me a distinct feel for what Aronofsky is going for, and the director was quick to point out that by the end of the film, everything will make sense. The general consensus from industry people and those who have read the script is that this film is going to blow audiences away. A special shout out to Warner Brothers for supplying Aronofsky with the budget he deserves and for taking a chance on something original in a time when sequels and remakes reign supreme. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE.

MASTERS OF HORROR

Masters of Horror is a project I'm extremely excited out. I'm an unabashed fan of the horror genre and the prospect of this new Showtime series has me completely pumped. Created by Mick Garris (The Stand), this anthology series will feature thirteen one hour shorts directed by some of the best in the horror business. What's more, what you will see in the case of each short, is a single director's vision untainted by test audience comments and studio head tampering. Bless you Showtime. We were shown a brief trailer for the project. Following the preview, we were treated to a horror lover's wet dream. The panel consisted of Mick Garris (Critters 2), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), and Don Coscarelli (Phantasm). This was an incredibly diverse panel with one thing in common; a pure love for the horror genre. The entire panel have contributed shorts to the series along with other legends including John Carpenter (Halloween), George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and Dario Argento (Suspiria). I eagerly await the entire season, but I'm looking most forward to a segment directed by Bubba Ho-Tep helmer Don Coscarelli. From what I gather, his will be the most straight forward horrific and I can't wait to see it. I don't know much about the story he's tackling but I do know that it's based on a story called Incident On and Off a Mountain Road, by Bubba creator Joe R. Lansdale, and that it will have a twist of sorts. Of course Coscarelli was quick to point out that twists are tough and he doesn't want that to be the emphasis of his short. All the film makers chimed in on what an audience member referred to as the "M. Night Shyamalan" band wagon. This particular attendee was speaking of the twist endings that plague many films (mostly in the horror genre) these days no doubt because of the success of Sixth Sense. John Landis, who provided the crowd with the most lively bravado, went on to discuss his immense dislike for Signs suggesting that he didn't buy into the fact that a superior alien race would attack a predominantly blue planet even though they have a deathly allergic reaction to water. He then went on to take numerous but well thought out jabs (mostly revolving around censorship) at the current White House administration. This was met with mostly resounding approval by the gore loving crowd. In keeping with the political theme, Stuart Gordon brought up his proposed House of Re-Animator project which he says would take Herbert West to Washington, more specifically, The White House. The entire panel was insightful until they brought William Malone on stage. I hate to sound like a dick, but the director of Feardotcom doesn't exactly fit on the panel of the previously mentioned names. Many might argue that Landis isn't exactly a horror icon either (he's more known for comedies like Animal House and Blues Brothers - which, by the way, will get a huge 25th Anniversary upgrade on DVD later this year) given that he really only has one genre picture under his belt (unless you include the hilarious Schlock or the mediocre Innocent Blood), but he made his mark in a big way with American Werewolf. While were on the topic of schlock, Landis quipped that he made a film called Schlock and has gone on to make other schlock through the years. Funny dude. Anyway, Malone made Feardotcom and House on Haunted Hill, not exactly classics. But then it could have been much worse. They could have asked Uwe Boll (House of the Dead) to come on board. That would have been pure torture. At any rate, I'm still very excited about this series and the title Masters of Horror (a title many directors in the genre make fun of) is perfect. Garris and crew hope the series will be a big hit. If it is, they have many other directors on their wish list for a second season including the legendary Roger Corman (he was actually supposed to be involved in the first season, but due to personal issues, he had to bow out). Masters of Horror will debut on Showtime in October. Support this show. It's gonna kick ass!

DISNEY PRESENTATION

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 2

Since Pirates of the Carribean 2 has only been in production a short while, we didn't get a trailer. However, Disney did present a pretty cool behind the scenes featurette. Depp looks amazing, but then what else is new? In my opinion, the first picture would have been absolute mediocrity without his involvement. It was far too long. I'm hoping director Gore Verbinski tightens up the screws this time around. Whatever the case maybe, the movie does look awesome. The art direction and various locations are absolutely gorgeous.

SKY HIGH

Coming on the heals of Fantastic Four, I can only hope this is a better movie. At the very least, it appears to have a cheery, lighthearted tone. It's also cool to see Kurt Russell (who got his start in Disney films such as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man in the World) get back to his roots as it were. Disney showed us the trailer, and while this is hardly a work of original art, it looks humorous enough. Following the trailer, the director came out to say a few words, but the crowd truly came alive when co-star Bruce Campbell hit the stage. I've met Mr. Campbell in person before and lets just say that he acts as if he's above all this Comic Con nonsense. Still, he was good enough to grace us with his presence and I remain a huge fan. Word to the wise though. Should you ever cross paths with this man, don't ask him if there's going to be another Evil Dead movie. Not unless you have money to produce the project. Anyway, Disney showed us a hilarious sequence from the film in which Campbell plays a sort of coach at a high school for superheroes. In this particular sequence, Campbell has various students showcase their powers, then he decides whether they're a superhero or a sidekick. It was pretty damn funny.

CHICKEN LITTLE

Chicken Little is the next big animated feature from Disney. It's a computer animated feature and will be released in November in both regular theaters and Imax 3-D. The film sort of fuses Animal Farm with Signs and has a more manic tone than some of Disney's more recent efforts. Given that this film was directed by the team behind the underrated Emperor's New Groove, it totally makes sense.

Disney also did presentations on Cars and the 10th Anniversary Edition of Toy Story, but due to another panel, we had to duck out early.

LIONS GATE PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE OF HORROR

We were actually a tad late to this presentation. As we arrived, a panel on a new film had already begun. This dark and gritty horror picture is being co-distributed by WWE, which is not all surprising given that the movie stars wrestling fave Kane. In the picture, Kane plays a crazed (is there any other kind?) serial killer. Both Kane and the director promise unrelenting horror, gallons of blood, and a psycho with a purpose. Lion's Gate also premiered the teaser trailer to Saw 2, due this October. Following the trailer, some of the film makers involved in Saw 2 hit the stage to field questions. The film makers promise some answers to a few questions raised in the first movie and they also promise some truly twisted and horrific deaths. Original Saw screenwriter James Wan even discussed one of those deaths, but I refuse to talk about it here. Lets just say it's...disturbing. Lions Gate briefly talked about Devil's Rejects. When I say briefly, I mean briefly. It seems they had an entire panel devoted to the Rob Zombie flick the next day, so they didn't want to give too much away. I've actually seen the film, and I quite liked it despite it's perverse tone.

I've got to raise a glass to Lions Gate. They do what most other studios haven't as of late. They take chances. They're the only ones really gung ho about producing R rated horror flicks, but they're also sensible enough to know that it's not just about the rating. It's about quality. Case in point. I maintain that High Tension is a fantastic work of horror even though it offers up one of the dumbest, most unnecessary (not to mention nonsensical) twists in movie history. It's still a well executed slice of unbridled terror. It actually made the hair on my neck stand on end. Scary stuff. Keep up the good work Lions Gate. We love you.

STAR WARS EXTRAVAGANZA

John and Tyler headed up to the Gaslamp 15 theater to get in line for a screening of Michael Bay's The Island, while I opted to catch the last thirty minutes of the big Star Wars presentation. While Revenge of the Sith has already graced multiplexes, and while it is fairly clear (at this juncture anyway) that there will be no more Star Wars films, I was still hoping for a little juicy gossip on the two Star Wars TV shows that are apparently in development (one animated and one live action) but more importantly, I was hoping for some information on Indy IV. Sadly, very little was revealed on the Star Wars television projects. They are happening, but there in the earlier stages. As for Indiana Jones, things are looking brighter. An attendee asked Steve Sansweet (Head of Lucasfilm Fan Relations) if The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles would ever make it to DVD. Mr. Sansweet suggested that there were plans to release them in the next couple of years. He went on to reveal that the DVD release might be in conjunction with the announcement of a new film featuring the fedora wearing archeologist. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, to cap the presentation off, fans were treated to a short film on the history of Star Wars and it's legions of fans. It was quite touching, and I'm quite confident it will appear on the Revenge of the Sith DVD which is slated for release sometime in November.

THE ISLAND

I attended this screening without much expectation. It was either this or see a screening of Stealth which happened to be playing the same time at another theater, but since I had already seen the first half of Stealth at ShoWest earlier this year (I was rather underwhelmed by what I saw) I figured I'd give Michael Bay a shot even though I'm hardly his biggest fan. Strangely, there hasn't been a sufficient amount of buzz surrounding this movie. Generally, when a Bay movie hits theaters, it's after months of enormous marketing. Not the case here. Ultimately though, that's a good thing. The lower the expectation, the better the experience, and I can happily say, I had a relatively good time at this movie. In fact, dare I say it's probably my favorite Bay movie (although I do have a soft spot for The Rock).

It's derivative to be sure. Right out of the gate, I can tell you that the film was inspired by Logan's Run, Blade Runner, Minority Report, THX 1138, 1984, Gattaca, Truman Show, Total Recall, and Multiplicity just to name a few. I can also say that, with the exception of Harold Ramis' Multiplicity, the films that inspired The Island are considerably better movies. The fact remains though that this is the first Michael Bay flick I've seen that actually has ideas flowing through it. And while they are borrowed ideas, an idea is an idea nevertheless. And an idea in a Bay movie is virtually unheard of so I have to give the guy his props.

Now I'm going to tread lightly here as this movie will be most enjoyed if you haven't seen the ads or read any of the spoiler filled reviews. The trailers in particular lets the cat out of the bag which is a shame, because had I gone into this film not knowing where it was headed, I would have been more entertained.

Essentially, The Island breaks down into two very different halves. The first half of the movie, which is clearly the most interesting, is primarily the set up. We're introduced to a futuristic society confined to a rather large boisphere. The residents of this massive development are the survivors of a contaminated world. To venture beyond the walls of their fortress would mean certain death. So, these survivors spend their days repeating various routines including working in an in- house chemical factory and playing futuristic video games. While these routines become unfulfilling and almost boring for the thousands of on hand residents, they push forward in the hopes that they will eventually win the random lotteries that occur almost daily. These lotteries afford the chosen winner the opportunity to live out the rest of their days on "The Island", a sort of sanctuary paradise beyond the walls of the fortress.

The second half of The Island is more of a Michael Bay greatest hits package. In other words, there are plenty of car chases, gun fights and explosions, as the fearless heros of this tale learn that things aren't always as they seem.

The focus of the picture is Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor). He's lived in the confinement of this utopian society for over three years and has began to question his existence. What happened to the outside world? Why can't he remember where he came from? And most importantly, what is his purpose in life? The idea of remaining hopeful that he might win the lottery no longer appeals to him, so he begins to question those around him including potential love interest Jordan Two Delta (played by Scarlett Johannson), the head of the facility (played by Sean Bean), and a grunt worker (played by Steve Buscemi). Before long, his eyes are opened as he and Jordan Two Delta are plunged into a most unexpected adventure.

Michael Bay has fashioned his most non-Michael Bay movie to date. Not only is Jerry Bruckheimer no where to be found but neither is the MTV style cutting that's usually associated with his movies. I suppose he uses a little bit of that style, but it isn't nearly as rampant here as it is in his other pictures. The first half of the movie is surprisingly mysterious and very character driven, hardly a time-honored Michael Bay trademark. In the second half of the movie, the Bay that most of us are familiar with, comes out, but it didn't really bother me. Sure, there are outlandish hijinks to be found (none more so than a sequence in which two of the film's main characters dangle from a huge building sign thirty stories up), but they are extremely well executed. In particular, I love the big car chase. Even though it's basically a variation of car chases that Bay has fashioned in other films (most notably Bad Boys 2), it still worked for me. It's a true adrenalin pumper. It is, however, unfortunate that Bay felt compelled to settle into the confines of his normal routine when The Island opens up in such an interesting manner. Rather than allowing his characters to truly discover things (something that he only hints at), he opts to throw them in intense situations so that he might blow the audience away. I think a little more subtlety should have been exercised. Still, I like where The Island ends up. Rather than having Lincoln Six Echo run away from his problems the film makers have him face them dead on in a true display of compassion and humanity.

Ewan McGregor is extremely playful here. As Lincoln Six Echo, he's inquisitive, charismatic, and almost childlike. The actor even livens up the proceedings in dual roles, one as the curious Lincoln Six Echo and the other as a Scottish adrenalin junkie. Scarlett Johannson is simply stunning to look at, but in The Island, she's more or less just along for the ride, although her little intimate moments with McGregor are very cute. She too is very child like and when she experiences her first kiss, she's like a kid in a candy store.

The Island ain't perfect, but the lack of media blitz surrounding the film allowed me to enjoy the movie in a way I wasn't expecting. And in fact, if Michael Bay would have fired composer Steve Jablonsky (his mostly techno oriented score is incredibly intrusive), I might have even liked it more. In the end, The Island was a good enough time. It isn't exactly intellectual science fiction, but for a Michael Bay movie it just as well be the smartest flick of all time.

Grade: B-

Watch for Comic Con Report #3. This is the big one. Looks at Superman Returns, Kevin Smith, King Kong, and a live performance from the greatest rock band on the planet, Tenacious D!