Two weeks ago, David Edelstein attracted ridiculously outsized ire from the fanboy community for daring to do his job––ie, give his considered opinion on the cinematic value of The Dark Knight. Still, even the most vocal critics of Edelstein’s criticism didn’t really do anything more hostile than declare his review to be “bullshit.”

But other critics who reviewed the latest Batman film less than positively aren’t getting off so easily.

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Thus concludes our coverage of the 2008 Comic-Con International. If you missed anything, here it all is:

• Porn on the floor
• Jabba the Hutt
• Hoverboard for sale
• LEGO Batman
• Star Wars stamps
• Guy Ritchie’s comic book
• Pineapple Express and a brief history of stoner films
• Max Payne/Wolverine
• Twilight
• Red Sonja
• Nerd Barbies
• Tron 2
• Scream Like a Girl, hosted by Kevin Smith
• RocknRolla panel
• Guy Ritchie press conference
• Fanboys
• Watchmen
• The Wolfman
• Dr. Horrible (including sequel info)
• The Spirit
• Keifer Sutherland and Mirrors
• Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith, Zach Snyder, Frank Miller
• Watchmen: Dave Gibbons on Alan Moore
• Terminator Salvation
• Disney/Pixar
• Heath Ledger, the bobblehead
• Mummy 3, Death Race, Land of the Lost, Drag Me To Hell, Evil Dead
• Pineapple Express, Underworld, Quarantine
• Harold and Kumar
• Wes Craven and David Boyer
• Nightmare on Elm Street Part 209
• Hamlet 2
• Terminator Salvation press conference
• Troma at Comic-Con, Toxie in Iraq
• Interview with Gil Kenan, director of City of Ember
• Girls at Comic-Con
• Tropic Thunder
• Where was Star Trek?

Kevin Spacey was on hand to introduce the movie he produced two years ago, and which has become the film that won’t come out, and the movie that wouldn’t die. Spacey joked during the introduction, “I’d like to welcome you to our third annual Comic-Con screening… and wait until you see what we have for you next year! More footage! Then we’ll have a DVD release with more extras! And then… we’re going to series!”

It ain’t too far from the truth. This little movie about friends who take a roadtrip from Ohio to Skywalker Ranch in Northern California in order to steal a copy of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace for their friend who is dying of cancer has had two major bonuses that have turned into setbacks. First, George Lucas saw the movie, basically gave his blessing to the film and offered up the chance to use actual Star Wars sound effects. Then the filmmakers got more money, and decided to add some scenes which required reshoots. However, the actors weren’t available, so that affected the setback even more.

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Two of the biggest stories populating the movie blogs this week have to do with George Lucas. Well, the Fanboys controversy has less to do with the Star Wars director, but obviously he’s connected in some way. The other story has to do with Lucas’ statement that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is (gasp) just a movie. Here is the quote, from USA Today, that’s putting fear into the minds of movie geeks throughout the galaxy:

“When you do a movie like this, a sequel that’s very, very anticipated, people anticipate ultimately that it’s going to be the Second Coming,” Lucas says. “And it’s not. It’s just a movie. Just like the other movies. You probably have fond memories of the other movies. But if you went back and looked at them, they might not hold up the same way your memory holds up.”

Yes, he goes on to reference the reception of The Phantom Menace, which is obviously fair, but also a bit unbalanced. Certainly our disappointment with the Star Wars prequels had enough to do with their stand-alone quality (or lack thereof), in addition to but separate from them coming with such high expectations.

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• Get out your violins: Hollywood is depressed! Seems that an expected post-WGA strike production boom hasn’t happened, due to some mix of the shitty economy and impending SAG-strike anxiety. An anonymous lawyer quoted in this story describes the situation thusly: “There’s a huge amount of crankiness right now, and everybody — particularly agents — feels like they’re getting screwed.”
• The Weinstein Company, acquiescing to protests from Star Wars nerds, has announced they’ll release both the director’s version of Fanboys (which includes a subplot about cancer), and the studio’s cancer-free cut on DVD. The nerds have yet to release a statement, but Fanboys producer Keith Mann is not pleased. “This is more about avoiding picket lines at [Weinstein's Superhero Movie, which opens this weekend] than it was about making a decision about the release of our movie,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
• Killer Films and Moxie Films are joining forces to spin a feature out of Anthony DePalma’s book, The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert Matthews of the New York Times.

Last week a photoshop of Harvey Weinstein as Darth Vader made my birthday. Today, a whole video featuring “Darth Weinstein” has made my week. And it’s only Monday. The animated companion to the Stop Darth Weinstein! campaign comes to us via Harvey’s biggest fan, Stu Van Airsdale of The Reeler, now in his second full-time week over at Defamer (in case you haven’t been paying attention). Though the video is pretty stationary for the most part, it’s worth at least listening to for its dead-on parody of where Harvey’s head is likely these days. Be sure to watch the opening intro, though, and the end, which gives more details on the Weinstein Co. boycott protests happening in NY and LA (and, if you organize, your town) this Friday. I might just have to venture up to the AMC in Times Square for my own look at the protesters who attend in costume (it’s being encouraged).

And don’t forget, if you love Star Wars and want to see Fanboys as it was meant to be seen, then boycott Superhero Movie this weekend.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard a movie fan, blogger, filmmaker or anyone else complain about Harvey Weinstein, I’d be as rich as George Lucas. And speaking of Lucas’ money, the Star Wars creator ought to take some of his coin and throw it at ol’ “Harvey Scissorhands” — to purchase Fanboys, that is.

Turns out Weinstein is once again guilty of taking a film into his own “hands”, as it were, according to Wired’s Underwire Blog. This time it’s with Kyle Newman’s Fanboys, which tells the story of some uber Star Wars fans who attempt to see The Phantom Menace before it’s official release date, because one of them is terminally ill with cancer and might not be around by then. Apparently, in the latest edit the boy’s illness is played down (notice how it isn’t mentioned in the trailer above either) and the overall tone of the film is more mocking towards Star Wars fans in general.

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