MNPP Does NYCC: Part 2

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As I mentioned in the first part of my coverage of 2012's New York Comic Con, I spent the majority of Saturday cooped up inside the IGN Theater, which is where all of the big movie and television presentations happen. I corralled myself inside earlier than I needed to be so I could guarantee myself a decent seat to the later festivities, since they don't bother clearing the room all day and people tend to camp out for the more exciting stuff that happens later - I managed to score rather prime placement in the fifth or sixth row center, in reward for my vigilant nerdiness.

It actually worked out well for me though, because there was something on the program that I'd missed while poring over the schedule, so I got a happy surprise. James Wan was with The Conjuring, the "true life" story of the Warrens, a married team of parapsychologists played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who get called to the possibly haunted home of Lily Taylor and Ron Livingston to work their magic. I've posted a lot about this movie, so how I missed it being on the schedule I dunno, but there suddenly James Wan was, and then two minutes later there was Patrick Wilson, Lily Taylor and Ron Livingston in the flesh!

Very exciting. Especially the Patrick Wilson part. That makes twice I've been in the same room with him - three times means we're married, right?

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't think that the footage they showed for this has made its way online yet? I haven't noticed it yet, at least. Maybe that's since the movie's not out until July of 2013. (Ugh!) Anyway they showed us both a trailer and an extended clip and it seems very much in line with what Wan did with the marvelous Insidious (my review), only it seems a little bit more grounded in reality (read: no silly marionette people). The clip involved Lily Taylor playing a game with one of her daughters in the house, gone very wrong. Lots of what seemed like long takes and slow atmospheric settling in for the jump - very fun. I can't wait. Next up...

... was Barry Levinson with The Bay. you may recall I've already seen The Bay, I saw it at the New York Film Festival, here's my review. It's a terrific little creep-machine, is the gist. The audience at Comic Con didn't seem all that enthralled by the two brief clips they showed, but it's a hard movie to get a handle on in small pieces - there's a lot of set-up and it needs the slow-build and the claustrophobia from the way Levinson closes it in around you slowly but brilliantly. Anyway point being poor dear Barry didn't really ignite the auditorium the way the starrier panels did, but I'm in his corner. Next up...

... was this thing called Beautiful Creatures, which is I guess the next big Twilight slash True Blood-ish series of books to make the jump to the screen. I knew zip about this going in but it looked like it could be fun, honestly. Emma Thompson, Viola Davis, and Jeremy Irons, yo! Plus the girl who's not Elle Fanning in Ginger and Rosa! 

None of these people were at the panel though. What we got were Emmy Rossum (the collective unfurling of fan-boy tongues at the sight of her was kind of unsettling) and Alden Ehrenreich (okay my tongue was wagging as well). Oh and writer-director Richard LaGravenese, who wrote Living Out Loud, and is therefore an American Hero.

Coming Up Next: The remakes of Carrie and The Evil Dead,

and then The Walking Dead and the Firefly 10th Reunion special!

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