Indiana Jokes @ Cowboys and Aliens

Hans Solo - One Armed Man - Solo Hand - Solo Arm - Where am I going with this? Niagra Falls - Viagra Calls?

COWBOYS AND ALIENS (2010 COMIC-CON)

One thing is certain; If Jon Favreau has a movie coming out, you can bet your sweet ass that he'll have a massive presence at Comic-Con. The Swingers star knows how to get the fans going and this year was no different. As the lights dimmed in Hall H and AC/DC started blaring on the PA, it was clear that Favreau was going to knock it out of the park...again. After dazzling crowds with early sizzle reels for both Iron Man and Iron Man 2 months before their respective releases, everyone was wondering what Favreau would have up his sleeve this year. As Favreau hit the stage, fist raised in the air, he was met with a resounding round of applause. Upon arriving to the podium, he revealed that since Cowboys and Aliens had only been shooting for four weeks, he was unable to put a reel together, but he did redeem himself by revealing that he brought a bunch of the cast with him. Included; Daniel Craig, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, and Adam Beach.

After introducing the four co-stars, Favreau would go on to say that he brought one other guest with him, but that this particular guest was a bit shy because it was his first Comic-Con appearance. Without missing a beat, he asked the eager Hall H crowd to give a nice warm round of applause for...HARRISON FRIGGIN' FORD! Out walked Indiana Jones himself, in hand cuffs and accompanied by two police officers. It was a brilliant gag inspired by the stabbing that hadn't happened but ninety minutes earlier. CLASSIC! Ford sat down alongside his co-stars. The sound of the Hall H crowd was positively deafening. Ford was all smiles. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the applause died down. Then, Favreau offered up surprise number 2. As it turns out, he didn't come to Comic-Con empty handed. He told the crowd that he expressed to the studio that he had to have something put together for the convention because this was home to the very same fans who made the Iron Man films such a huge success. With that, Favreau presented a sizzle reel that was put together just for Comic-Con. In fact, the footage still had time code on it.

What none of us realized, was that we were about to watch nearly 10 MINUTES of footage! Miraculous considering the film had only been shooting for four weeks. To put that into perspective, Favreau was pretty much showing us the majority of what he's shot! In one sequence, Daniel Craig's Zeke Johnson cautiously wanders through a deserted ghost town. Convinced that he's probably being watched, he continues to wander all while looking over his shoulder. Upon realizing he's probably alone, he ultimately lets his guard down, and that's when it happens. He feels the the hard, steel tip of a shotgun pressed against his back. He slowly turns to see Clancy Brown looking him dead in the eye. In a following scene, Zeke is locked in a jail cell and being harassed by a smarmy Paul Dano. Without missing a beat, Zeke reaches through the bars, grabs Dano by the collar, and slams him into the jail bars knocking the little smart ass out cold. There was another sequence featuring Harrison Ford as a vengeful townsman looking to snatch Zeke from the authorities. As he tries to do so, the science fiction element is adventurously introduced into the equation. There's more, but I've already said too much. Suffice it to say, Cowboys and Aliens is the perfect title for this movie.

What was most striking about the footage was how authentic it was. It truly feels period. That is until the sci fi bent occurs. Getting to see this early raw footage was a real treat, particularly for the hardcore movie fan. Cowboys and Aliens doesn't open until two weeks after next July's Comic-Con so that made the entire presentation even more special. And getting to see Harrison Ford in person...well...that was an adventure in of itself. On a final note, the audience Q&A was rather short, but one audience member did ask Daniel Craig about the status of the next James Bond film. While Craig admitted the financial woes at MGM have slowed the project down, he believes Bond will return soon. What a panel!!!!