The Munsters

The MunstersNBC is reviving the classic '60s comedy The Munsters and will present it as a weekly comedy/drama. Bryan Fuller of Pushing Daisies fame has written the story loosely based on the original but with a modern twist, while Bryan Singer (Superman Returns) will produce and direct the pilot.

Moviehole.net has some spoiler-ish details about the plot and background of the story that make for an interesting read, but let's just say that this will be Eddie Munster's story who, as a young pre-teen with a "condition" is faced with finding a way to cope with his hirsute alter-ego. Think Parenthood as told by Anne Rice! Though this sounds interesting and seems like something right up our quirk-loving alley, we still can't see this thing appealing to a large audience for an extended amount of time unless they can find a way to get a lot more mileage out of the normal-as-abnormal hook that only worked in the original series for a couple of years.

But with Singer and Fuller as the masterminds, it really couldn't be in better hands. We'll reserve judgment.

Lost Keaton

Buster KeatonBeginning in 2012, Kino International will begin bringing Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts to home video on the blu-ray format. These shorts come from a not-so-bright period in Keaton's career which saw the advent of talkies and a series of personal setbacks for the The Great Stone Face. Beginning in 1934, Keaton signed with Earle Hammons's Educational Pictures which specialized in comedy shorts and allowed the comedian to return to his comedic roots.

Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937 represents three year's worth of Keaton's work that, while definitely at the low point of his career, still feature the comedian in a consistently funny light. All sixteen films he made at Educational are included in the collection, and were transferred from 35mm negatives and fine grain masters revived from archival sources. The collection was previously released as a two-DVD set back in the summer of 2010, but will be made available in sparkling blu-ray on March 12th of 2012. The shorts to be included in the set are as follows:

  • The Gold Ghost
  • Allez Oop
  • Palooka from Paducah
  • One Run Elmer
  • Hayseed Romance
  • Tars and Stripes
  • The E-Flat Man
  • The Timid Young Man
  • Three on a Limb
  • Grand Slam Opera
  • Blue Blazes
  • The Chemist
  • Mixed Magic
  • Jail Bait
  • Ditto
  • Love Nest on Wheels

Kino has yet to announce any of the technical specs for the blu-ray set, but has promised the following extra features and supplements on the two-disc blu-ray release:

  • Film notes on individual shorts
  • Why They Call Him "Buster" feature
  • Photo gallery

Alan Taylor to Direct Thor Sequel

Alan taylor - Thor 2Marvel Studios announced earlier this month that it had parted ways with Patty Jenkins, who had been named to helm the second film in the Thor series after Kenneth Branagh opted out of the sequel. Apparently the split was an amicable one brought about by creative differences. Well, now the superhero studio says it is bringing aboard Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor to helm Thor 2. What's with all the TV directors? Hopefully it's not being looked at as a way to cut corners and save a little jack now that Marvel is part of Disney. No word on a potential plot, but Don Payne is again attached to write the sequel. Stay tuned.