Linkapalooza - July 25, 2008... the onslaught of comic book movies is coming.

Some light Friday reading for all of you... just some more links, news and information that I thought you'd all be interested in.

Comics-Based Movies Keep on Comin' on Wired.com: This is a pretty cool article from Wired that looks ahead at all the movies coming out soon that are based on comic books. I can't decide if this is troublesome or good news, here's why... A few years ago, Marvel Entertainment was just licensing out their characters for use by the studios and taking a licensing fee. Then, it dawned on Marvel, why don't we make our own films? We own the characters, why take a small cut, when we can take the whole thing and control the whole deal? So, they took out a massive loan ($525Million, if I remember) and set out to make "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" on their own, both of which were considered huge successes. Now, they've got a huge slate in development and they're off to the races as an indie studio. What they figured out is that things like built in audiences, existing characters and the idea of a franchise is where the money is. There's opportunities to expand beyond just a film and into, well, everything... now, all the comic book companies want in on the action and the studios are chomping at the bit to get involved. Here's why I think it's both troublesome and good news at the same time. It's good because the studios are starting to think and look outside the box for new ideas on new projects, it's bad because with all the recent success, they'll be playing in this sandbox for a while. Having said that, I think it's a matter of time before they start looking under them at all the indie shit being made and start grabbing ideas from that pool... until then, think like the comic book companies do and create characters and franchises. When the time finally rolls around where the studios look down for new ideas, you'll be ready.

Horror-Movie Directors To Make Short Films For Xbox on imdb.com: From out of the box thinking on getting ideas for films, let's look at out of the box ideas on distributing films. As you know, new forms of distribution is one of those things I follow closely... We knew that Microsoft and Sony wanted their respected gaming consoles to be the hubs of your living room by connecting to the internet and being able to stream films, but... guess what? They're looking for short form content now, as well. Side note: I really think short form will be the future of film. I mean, there will always be room for massive films like "Dark Knight", but there's going to be a whole new market for short form soon. Anyhow, a bunch of big name horror directors signed on to make short horror films for Xbox Live. If it's successful, maybe they'll be looking at short horror films from lesser known directors?

ZeeVee Introduces ZvBox PC-To-TV System on twice.com: My voice is hoarse from talking about all the new devices that will connect your PC to your TV. Here's another... this one looks to be doomed, though, as it suffers from the same things that's ailed all it's predecesor's, basically high cost and limited content. However, they way I read it, they're not looking to partner with a distributor. They just want to be able to connect the PC to the TV and let you decide what you watch. So, it must have an interface that allows you to browse your PC through your TV. Hmmm... interesting. I like that, putting the power into the hands of the consumer. Like I've been saying for a while, definitely a category to keep watching.

New Magid Survey: Short-Form Dominates Online Video Consumption and Hurts TV Viewership on videonuze.com: This just in, people are watching short form content online and it's hurting TV viewership. Is that really a surprise? Probably not... note this quote from the article, "short-form (is) a legitimate alternative entertainment format that creatives are embracing and audiences are adopting". Enough said... now, let's all go make some short horror films.