A moment like this: Alba, 'Lost' and 'Beowulf' teasers -- all at the same time. RYAN PEARSON surveys this year's festivities.
During the annual geekfest Comic-Con International, which starts today in San Diego, pop culture fans are going to wish they had the Silver Surfer's speed or at least Hiro's time-stopping ability.
"Lost" producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will be dropping hints about upcoming happenings in the ABC series, revealing a whole new flash-forward gambit in last season's finale.
Jessica Alba, she of "Dark Angel" and "Fantastic Four" fame -- not to mention a few magazine covers -- is signing autographs at a convention floor booth to promote her new movie "Good Luck Chuck."
And not far away, Paramount will screen 20 minutes of footage from its upcoming adventure epic "Beowulf" (yes, based on the poem you read in middle school), featuring a scantily clad Angelina Jolie -- in 3-D, no less.
All at exactly the same time!
It's enough to make the "Simpsons" comic book guy hyperventilate: "Worst. Comic-Con scheduling. Ever."
Speaking of which. Matt Groening and his crew will stop by the show to talk about the movie version of their beloved series, set to open Friday.
What more could a comic geek want?
A new Superman movie, for one. There's a screening of a new straight-to-DVD Superman cartoon with a voice cast including Adam Baldwin and Anne Heche.
Times are allotted for "Harry Potter" fans to gather and quietly discuss the final book in the series, and for collectors of "Star Wars" paraphernalia to show off their Yoda Magic 8 Balls to each other.
The Comic-Con remains at its heart a trade show revolving around comic books -- top artists and writers are featured prominently.
Yet it's managed to fold in video games, movies, TV shows, toys, music and more, albeit while becoming a scattershot and somewhat chaotic affair.
The most accessible panels and presentations to folks outside the comic world are those hosted by Hollywood studios. This year will feature hints about or previews of films including the next "Indiana Jones," that untitled alien movie being produced by J.J. Abrams dubbed "Cloverfield," Robert Downey Jr.'s "Iron Man," and the new "Halloween," "Star Trek" and "Narnia" flicks.
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asap staff reporter Ryan Pearson has vowed to both see Jessica Alba in person and avoid getting trampled on the Comic-Con show floor.
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