Joss Whedon ... working ... on movies?

There was tons of great news out of Comic Con, which I of course did not attend, but I tend to focus in on only the things I get singularly obsessed with. And Joss Whedon very often tops that list.

Lately, of course, he's been putting out those great (so far) Buffy Season 8 comic books, but now comes word that he may (finally!) be getting back into movies, with help from a very talented friend.

Again, remember that I have to get this all second-hand, but it seems that he let slip at Comic Con that he has just finished writing "Cabin in the Woods," "the horror film to end all horror films -- literally" with "Buffy" and "Angel" vet Drew Goddard. Mr. Goddard, of course, is also the scribe behind that mysterious JJ Abrams-produced "Cloverfield"/"1/18/08" monster flick, so just call him the man of the moment.

Whedon working on a horror movie? Or any movie at all? That news alone would be good enough, but of course there's more.

It seems like I've been hearing rumors about a "Ripper" TV series/TV movie starring Anthony Stewart Head (a k a Giles) ever since "Buffy" went off the air, but now it seems it may really come to life. Whedon let loose at Comic Con that our British friends (lucky bastards!) will be getting "Ripper" as a 90-minute BBC movie in 2008. Here's hoping it gets a quick turnaround to DVD, and then maybe morphs into a series here in the U.S.A. Hey, one can dream, right?

And, just in case that wasn't enough, there's also a free Joss Whedon-penned comic that has cropped up on the Dark Horse Comics Myspace site. It's called "Sugarshock" and it's about ... well, it's really hard to tell, but it's well worth a few minutes of your time to click here and read the first issue.

And, for a much more well-rounded Comic Con report (yes, there were just a few other things going on out there), you can read Crystal Green's fine reportage here.

Johnny Depp's back on the rum

I'd have to count that "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" with Mr. Depp and Benicio del Toro as one of the most criminally underappreciated movies of all time, so this new tidbit can only come as good news.

Almost 10 years after Terry Gilliam brought that Hunter S. Thompson work to the big screen comes word that Depp will be starring in another Thompson flick, this time "The Rum Diary." And, though Terry Gilliam isn't back this time, they've got a more than worthy subsitute in "Withnail and I" director Bruce Robinson, who will also be writing the script (if you somehow haven't seen the maginificent "Withnail and I," and can somehow still get your hands on a copy, watch it immediately!)

Now, I have to admit I haven't read "The Rum Diary," but as best as I can tell it's an early, autobiographical Thompson novel about his work for a rundown newspaper in 1950s Puerto Rico. Depp will play Thompson's character, who in the book was named Paul Kemp.

Now, that alone would probably be cool enough, but I'll leave you today with a little extra. I'm cautiously optimistic that Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" won't just suck hard. Coming for Christmas, it's set to star Mr. Depp, Borat, Bellatrix Lestrange and, apparently, Rupert Giles. And, here below (click on it to see a much larger image), is the fairly sinister-looking poster. Enjoy, and have an entirely suckfree Monday. Peace out.