Movie News

From 'X-Files' to 'The Incredible Hulk,' this fest has something for every kind of geek

By Don Kaye
Special to MSN Movies

Walking into the New York Comic Con for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. The show is held at the Jacob Javits Center, a long glass monstrosity in an otherwise dreary and little-used part of Manhattan. But walk inside and suddenly the universe (or the multiverse, as DC Comics fans might say) is a dazzling kaleidoscope of lights, sounds, colors, toys, comics, games, artwork, costumes and anything else you could possibly think of that has anything to do with the imaginative life -- a sensory overload of fantasy coming at you from all sides.

Banners and posters hang everywhere, advertising upcoming movies like "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk," while a life-sized statue of Superman presides over the main entrance area. The main convention hall is a staggering, stadium-sized space filled wall to wall with exhibitor booths and displays of all kinds. Video games flash and explode. A 13-foot Hulk broods menacingly over the Marvel Comics booth. Men and women in costumes ranging from the frightening to the scandalous hand out flyers, buttons and free comics until you can't hold anymore.

Trivia game: Test your knowledge of comics-to-film facts

This is, in other words, a sort of mecca for what is commonly called "geek culture." Tens of thousands flock to this event and the even bigger San Diego Comic Con, which drew more than 100,000 dreamers last July. It's not just comics of course: Video game companies, graphic designers, book publishers, filmmakers and movie studios all descend upon these events, knowing they can reach a massive aggregation of their target audiences in one three-day blitz. The sheer immensity of the crowds, the convention floor, and the enthusiasm of the fans is infectious. This is truly a universe of its own, just slightly to the left of mainstream culture.

"X" Marks the Spot

Most of Friday's programming was closed to all but comic-industry professionals, so I arrive late in the afternoon to take a quick spin around the main exhibition hall before settling down for a couple of evening events. This is probably the last time one can traverse the floor in relative comfort; by noon tomorrow even this massive place (think about a dozen football fields laid end to end) will feel like Los Angeles' Santa Monica Freeway at rush hour.

A quick peek inside the main theater finds a panel starring the legendary Ralph Bakshi, creator of the X-rated "Fritz the Cat" cartoon, as well as ambitious animated spectacles like "Wizards" and the first attempt at "The Lord of the Rings." I can only spend a few minutes watching Bakshi, however, before it's time for a short round of interviews with "X-Files" creator Chris Carter and his longtime right-hand man, executive producer Frank Spotnitz.

They're here to promote the new film, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," while actually saying as little about it as possible. Spotnitz admits that he wasn't sure if the fans would still be around five years after the series ended (and 10 years after the first movie), saying that it's the power of the stories that keeps fans loyal to "The X-Files" and its ilk. "It's about ideas," he says. "And I think that's why all these people are here today. All these genres are about ideas, and these are smart people -- it's not an accident that they're drawn to this type of thing, and that's why I like it, too."

Sure enough, Carter and Spotnitz are given a hero's welcome by the adoring crowd -- the first of many heard over the weekend -- as they enter the theater, taking their seats on the stage after the creepy, enigmatic trailer is unspooled. They are more than happy to take questions from audience members, but give away few details about the story line. Carter tells a story about meeting a woman who informed him that the series was a source of comfort to her father during the last year of his life; the man's name was Dean Martin.

From Robots to "Robot Chicken"

Saturday is truly movie day at Comic Con, as one studio after another showcases its upcoming summer fare. At last year's Comic Con, held in February, all we got were previews of two lousy horror movies: "The Hills Have Eyes 2" and "Hostel II." This year, with the show held closer to the starting bell of the summer blockbuster parade, we get lots, lots more (we also noticed that next year's Comic Con is back in its February berth again -- bad move, guys).

First up is the Disney presentation, focusing on "WALL-E" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." I confess to suffering from a little Pixar fatigue, but that quickly turns to exhilaration while watching the beautiful imagery of "WALL-E" pouring across the screen in a generous five (lengthy) clips -- think "2001: A Space Odyssey" meets "Toy Story." It's both adorable and poignant.

(Story Continues On Next Page...)