'SPIRIT' TEASER LEAKED - MILLER'S NEW HERO IS COMING

Hmmm... As much as I like the tone and feel of retro, Depression-era superhero tales, they've never really done well at the box office. Anyone remember the ill-fated film incarnations of "The Shadow," "The Phantom" or "The Rocketeer"?

That said, the above films didn't have the magic touch of comic book legend Frank Miller, famous for such celluloid extravaganzas as "Sin City" (which he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez) and "300" (which he didn't helm but write the comic).

His next movie project is "The Spirit" (also known as Will Eisner's 'The Spirit'), an upcoming 2009 film adaptation based on the vintage newspaper strip of the same name. It centers on a rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime in Central City from the shadows. Check out its "Sin City"-esque teaser below. Looks way cool...




Frank Miller wrote and directed the film, which stars Gabriel Macht as The Spirit and Samuel L. Jackson as his nemesis, The Octopus. Scarlett Johansson is Silken Floss, a femme fatale secretary and accomplice to the Octopus and sexy Eva Mendes stars as Sand Saref (pictured, at left).

Miller says that the film will be more contemporary than the '40s and '50s era of the strip and will aim for a "timeless feel." The protagonist will be involved in a love triangle with Sand Saref and Ellen Dolan, the daughter of Central City's Police Commissioner Dolan.

On the hero, Miller says: "The character has a terrifying side to him. This is a man who’s died and came back to life. So it twists into fantasy. And of course there are tons of women in it. There have to be — it’s The Spirit. They’re all in love with him, and he’s in love with all of them. You might say he’s a bit of a slut."

Filming began in October 2007, with release scheduled for Jan. 16, 2009.

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SINATRA AT THE GRAMMY'S

While the latter part of Sunday night into Monday was a whirlwind life-changing day/night, I have to quickly post this personal highlight of Sunday's Grammy's. Its opening paired songstress Alicia Keys with the one and only Chairman of the Board 9ala Nat King Cole and daughter Natalie).

It was the perfect opening and Keys proved herself not a bad jazz singer. And as for Frank... Well, just watch. His late '50s, early '60s rendition of "Learnin' the Blues" is right on the money.

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CARNAHAN SEES 'SIN CITY 2' TEASER (LOVES IT)

Get ready Sin City fans. It's sequel is coming.

Recently, "Sin City" director Robert Rodriguez showed his teaser trailer for the comic film's sequel and Joe Carnahan loved it.

For those not-in-the-know, "Sin City" is based on a series of comics by Frank Miller, told in his trademark Neo-noir style. The first story originally appeared in Dark Horse Presents comic book from April 1991 to June of 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts.

All the hard-boiled yarns take place in Basin City, with frequent recurring characters and intertwining stories.

For the scoop, check out the link below at Super-hero hype.

Carnahan Sees Sin City 2 Teaser - Superhero Hype!

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WARNER BROS. OPTIONS MILLER'S EPIC 'RONIN'

You can say it's a combo of a couple of things...

While fanboys always bowed to the altar of comic genius Frank Miller, it took the masses a little longer. After years of churning out comic classics, notably "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," Hollywood fell under the Miller spell when director Robert Rodriguez turned his "Sin City" comic series into a living and breathing work of art.

So, with his newfound fame, you can say the comic guru's hotter than a two buck pistol outside a Western gin mill.

What's more, Warner Bros. know they've got hold of a good thing. After all, their recent release "300," based on Miller's work, performed high above expectations. For an obscure graphic novel adaptation with no bankable stars, the ancient story of 300 Spartan warriors connected. We geeks knew "300" was the shit, but let's face it, the real world had no idea what it was.

So, that all said, the grand dame of Hollywood - The WB - just optioned the rights to Miller's epic DC Comics graphic novel "Ronin," reports Variety.

Hemingway's Lounge isn't referring to the kick-booty Robert De Niro flick the same name, but the tale of a 13th-century disgraced samurai reborn as a cyborg in a corrupt New York City in the year 2064.

The studio will turn to Sylvain White ("Stomp The Yard") to helm the live-action flick. I dunno about this choice. The brutha-from-anotha-mother don't have to much under his belt. We'll keep our eye on him.

In the tale, Miller's hero must find a mystical sword with powers in order to destroy his reincarnated foe, the ancient demon Agat.

Like everything else in La-La Land, "Ronin" has been down this path before. Darren Aronofsky ("The Fountain") was to develop and direct way back when for New Line Cinema. With CGI graphics what they are, let's hope this time out, the project will come to fruition.

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