* Warner Bros. has announced that DC Comics is now DC Entertainment, and Paul Levitz is no longer in charge of it. Stepping in for Levitz is Diane Nelson, previously best known for overseeing Warner Bros.’ multimedia Harry Potter empire. She’ll be reporting to Jeff Robinov, the president of WB Pictures. Levitz will be taking over Adventure Comics from Geoff Johns after just one story arc. I am for shit at industry prognostications, though I suppose it’s worth noting that when Disney bought Marvel, no one stepped down.
* CBR and my friend Kiel Phegley landed Joe Quesada’s one and only interview about the Disney/Marvel acquisition until the completion of the deal. I found it funny how Kiel dutifully asked question after specific question about the future of Marvel and Disney’s various comics enterprises only for Quesada to offer variations on “no comment” due to legal concerns. But it’s still an interesting interview in terms of the tick-tock of Quesada’s involvement with the merger, and his repeated and adamant assertion that this will change Marvel’s existing creative direction not one iota.
* Allegedly, the rapturously reviewed horror mockumentary Paranormal Activity will receive a limited release on September 25th. Jason Adams, it’s a date.
* Pitchfork is still on the Beatles beat, with reviews of Rock Band and everything from Rubber Soul through Magical Mystery Tour. Scott Plagenhoef’s reviews of those records aren’t quite as revelatory as were Tom Ewing’s takes on the earlier albums, but it would be tough to be since so much more has been written and thought about these ones. It’d be very, very difficult for me to find a new in for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, you know? But the Magical Mystery Tour review comes pretty close, articulating that childlike-wonder, storybook feel I allude to from time to time. And it was nice to see all four albums get wall-to-wall 10.0s–no earlier-funnier-stuff revisionism for Sgt. Pepper, no “it’s nice, but not really an album” for Magical Mystery Tour. Best band ever, best albums ever, why fuck around? I’m really curious as to what they’ll say about the White Album and Abbey Road, for which I see more and more detractors because of the fractured nature of the band at the time of their recording. But who cares, honestly? I must have missed all the complaints that Big Boi should have had a bigger role in the recording of “Hey Ya.” The White Album contains every emotion I’ve ever had, so I don’t care if they weren’t holding hands while they recorded it, or if John, George, and Paul’s songs all sound different. That’s the appeal!
Thanks for the very nice comments on my reviews – I’m definitely a revisionist on the later, post-Pepper Beatles (well, in that I’ve never loved them, I’m not a revisionist of my *own* opinions though I’ve tried plenty of times!). I started loving pop in the one time and place – 80s england, pre-CD reissues – that didn’t really care *that* much about the Beatles, which I guess colours it.
Are you really gonna see something opening weekend? I didn’t think you did that, Collins. But yes, I will strap on my wrist corsage for you in a heartbeat!