Over the past several months I've joined the Blank Page Writer's Group based out of Marietta, Georgia (and hosted by The Blank Stage). It is a bi-monthly group in which screenwriters get together to not only discuss their screenplays but to also discuss the business and craft and screenwriting. In the last couple months the Blank Stage, through the Blank Page Writer's Group, have started to actually produce some of the short films written by some of the group members.
Although I cannot discuss the specific screenplays being written by the members of the group I do want to address that some of the writter's (through the group) are writing their fisrt screenplay while others are old pros at it. I took my screenplay THE NOCTURNAL inmto the group to try and help me fix some of the problems I was having with the story. In this regards, the group has helped me tremendously.
The format of the group's take on reading screenplays is that we will read pages from 2 different screenplays each meeting and then address what problems or potential problems the screenplay might have. Although I am not partial to this format of reading a screenplay (I prefer reading the whole thing in one sitting and then allow the time for discussion),
Regardless, this is a small price to pay in terms of the tremendous support and atmosphere of the group which has helped the group expand and become a very group atmosphere for writers.
The group has helped me see some of the problems in THE NOCTURNAL which is a good thing considering I needed that feedback in order to help the re-write process and hopefully get the screenplay into a better selling (or perhaps filmable) place.
Now all I have to do is get the re-writers done using the notes generated from the writer's group.
CITY GARDEN - "The Old Woman & The Park"
On the set of the short film "A Gift"
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
IS ZOMBIELAND GOOD?
IS ZOMBIELAND GOOD?
It dawned on me that after I posted my comment about the film ZOMBIELAND I got a lot of backlash, so, a friend of mine (being both the writers that we are) told me that I should post a note about my opinions on the film (although now that I think about it he probably meant it as a joke).
First off, let me just say that I’m probably a bigger fan of the genre then most people as I have made it abundantly clear that I not only watch zombie films but I study them as well and unlike most audience members and friends of mine, I’ve seen zombie films from countries all over the world from New Zealand (BRAINDEAD), Australia (UNDEAD), Japan (JUNK, ONE-CHANBARA), Norway (DEAD SNO), France (OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES), Ireland (BOY EATS GIRL), UK (28 DAYS LATER, SHAUN OF THE DEAD), Italy (ZOMBIE), and countless others, so, suffice it to say that I’ve been exposed to a lot of different cultures and the way in which zombies have been portrayed over the years.
American zombie films have up until recently been relegated to only two types – those of the traditional slow moving variety and those of the fast moving, and with the exception of Georgia A. Romero (writer/director of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD -1968) the slow moving have all but become extinct. Funny zombie movies have always been around (as it wasn’t until Romero’s influential NOTLD that the genre was even taken seriously) with such notable films as MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, DEATH BECOMES HER, NIGHT OF THE COMET, FIDO, AMERICAN ZOMBIE, and countless others.
When ZOMBIELAND was announced it was reminiscent to the successful UK film SHAUN OF THE DEAD (which coined the term “zomcom”) even though the filmmakers claimed in numerous interviews (from FANGORIA to RUE MORGUE magazine and beyond) that they were trying not to make a film in which characters throw records at zombies. The trailers for the film are actually a testament to the brilliant marketing plan for the film as it describes a fun and entertaining horror comedy. And the final result is all that and a bag a popcorn…but that’s all that it is.
I applaud the editor and the opening credits team for creating one of the best credit sequences since the one crafted for S7VEN or FIGHT CLUB but the problem is that the trailer was everything in the opening credits. That’s a little disconcerting considering it gives the impression that there will be zombie-madness and mayhem throughout the film. This is not the case.
For the first half of the film the filmmakers do a great job crafting a “road trip” film as we get to meet all the characters. The flashbacks for both the Woody Harrelson and Jessie Eisenberg’s characters do a great job in introducing how they ended up in the place that they are when the film begins but the two female characters’ flashback is nothing more than an incident in which we learn that they are con artists and at which case can take place at any time prior to the US becoming The United States of Zombieland. This is a great disservice to these characters especially when all the other scenes prior already show the audience that these two women are very cunning and smart. What was needed was a scene similar to that given to the other characters which is a flashback in which defines their reaction to the zombie plague.
The second half of the film is where everything falls apart. Most great road movies are all about the journey to the location but in this film when they get there they decide to go to “BM’s” house for rest and relaxation before going to the theme part where zombies have not over run. The concept for the film about of group of people coming together to find a place where zombies have not invaded is a brilliant concept. It’s one explored by Romero himself not only in his DAWN OF THE DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD films (among others), but neither of those are in the “road trip” style of film (although DAWN starts off that way but spends most of the film at the mall). ZOMBIELAND was born to be a road trip film and while the characters are on the road it is a great film but the emergence of the “BM” characters destroys the momentum of the film to a dead stop (pun intended). The film then becomes a drab character film which doesn’t do much for the main characters other then suggest the fanboy appeal of the filmmakers to “BM.” The scene goes on for far too long and it just drags the movie (which is surprising since the running time is only 80 minutes).
And then for no good reason the two females (who displayed more common sense then the men throughout the rest of the film) go off on their own adventure to find the theme park by themselves in the middle of the night. These two females then persist in turning on every ride and light in the building as if they were ringing a dinner bell for the zombies. This is surprising since this tactic is used not once but twice earlier in the film as a means to “call” the zombies from their hiding place. This all goes contrary to how the females have been envisioned thus far. They go from cunning and smart at the beginning of the film to making every dumb decision a person can make by the end just so that Eisenberg’s character has someone to save at the end of the film and Harrelson has a bunch of zombies to kill.
The ending of the film has many great death scenes but by having his females “de-evolve” by the end of the film it does everyone a great disservice and cheapens the film as a whole by allowing it to become nothing more than a “fun” and “entertaining” film. It’s clear that the filmmakers are fans of the horror and zombie genres with their homage to everything from Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER (Harrelson makes for a great Jack Brooks), SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and numerous others but what ZOMBIELAND doesn’t have that those films do is a great screenplay with smart characters that are not only fun and entertaining but great films as well. ZOMBIELAND makes no excuses for being simply an entertaining joy ride but let’s face it, it’s neither original nor the best of what the genre has to offer so we shouldn’t look at it like it is.
Many of the people whom I’m talked with about the film do not watch many zombie films nor horror films at all for that matter and many have told me that they wouldn’t have seen it if it wasn’t marketed as a comedy (kudos to the marketing department), so, in their eyes it delivers the goods and let’s face it, the majority of movie goers don’t go to watch “good” movies at the theater, they go to be entertained and if there is one thing ZOMBIELAND does do well it is to entertain despite its many flaws.
Will ZOMBIELAND be a part of my “Best Of” list? – No, it will not as there are plenty of better films out there from all over the world but will I dismiss the film in its entirety? That depends upon how good the next zomcom is which I’m sure is right around the corner (or at least the sequel to this film) and how soon this one evaporates from memory in the meantime.
It dawned on me that after I posted my comment about the film ZOMBIELAND I got a lot of backlash, so, a friend of mine (being both the writers that we are) told me that I should post a note about my opinions on the film (although now that I think about it he probably meant it as a joke).
First off, let me just say that I’m probably a bigger fan of the genre then most people as I have made it abundantly clear that I not only watch zombie films but I study them as well and unlike most audience members and friends of mine, I’ve seen zombie films from countries all over the world from New Zealand (BRAINDEAD), Australia (UNDEAD), Japan (JUNK, ONE-CHANBARA), Norway (DEAD SNO), France (OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES), Ireland (BOY EATS GIRL), UK (28 DAYS LATER, SHAUN OF THE DEAD), Italy (ZOMBIE), and countless others, so, suffice it to say that I’ve been exposed to a lot of different cultures and the way in which zombies have been portrayed over the years.
American zombie films have up until recently been relegated to only two types – those of the traditional slow moving variety and those of the fast moving, and with the exception of Georgia A. Romero (writer/director of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD -1968) the slow moving have all but become extinct. Funny zombie movies have always been around (as it wasn’t until Romero’s influential NOTLD that the genre was even taken seriously) with such notable films as MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, DEATH BECOMES HER, NIGHT OF THE COMET, FIDO, AMERICAN ZOMBIE, and countless others.
When ZOMBIELAND was announced it was reminiscent to the successful UK film SHAUN OF THE DEAD (which coined the term “zomcom”) even though the filmmakers claimed in numerous interviews (from FANGORIA to RUE MORGUE magazine and beyond) that they were trying not to make a film in which characters throw records at zombies. The trailers for the film are actually a testament to the brilliant marketing plan for the film as it describes a fun and entertaining horror comedy. And the final result is all that and a bag a popcorn…but that’s all that it is.
I applaud the editor and the opening credits team for creating one of the best credit sequences since the one crafted for S7VEN or FIGHT CLUB but the problem is that the trailer was everything in the opening credits. That’s a little disconcerting considering it gives the impression that there will be zombie-madness and mayhem throughout the film. This is not the case.
For the first half of the film the filmmakers do a great job crafting a “road trip” film as we get to meet all the characters. The flashbacks for both the Woody Harrelson and Jessie Eisenberg’s characters do a great job in introducing how they ended up in the place that they are when the film begins but the two female characters’ flashback is nothing more than an incident in which we learn that they are con artists and at which case can take place at any time prior to the US becoming The United States of Zombieland. This is a great disservice to these characters especially when all the other scenes prior already show the audience that these two women are very cunning and smart. What was needed was a scene similar to that given to the other characters which is a flashback in which defines their reaction to the zombie plague.
The second half of the film is where everything falls apart. Most great road movies are all about the journey to the location but in this film when they get there they decide to go to “BM’s” house for rest and relaxation before going to the theme part where zombies have not over run. The concept for the film about of group of people coming together to find a place where zombies have not invaded is a brilliant concept. It’s one explored by Romero himself not only in his DAWN OF THE DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD films (among others), but neither of those are in the “road trip” style of film (although DAWN starts off that way but spends most of the film at the mall). ZOMBIELAND was born to be a road trip film and while the characters are on the road it is a great film but the emergence of the “BM” characters destroys the momentum of the film to a dead stop (pun intended). The film then becomes a drab character film which doesn’t do much for the main characters other then suggest the fanboy appeal of the filmmakers to “BM.” The scene goes on for far too long and it just drags the movie (which is surprising since the running time is only 80 minutes).
And then for no good reason the two females (who displayed more common sense then the men throughout the rest of the film) go off on their own adventure to find the theme park by themselves in the middle of the night. These two females then persist in turning on every ride and light in the building as if they were ringing a dinner bell for the zombies. This is surprising since this tactic is used not once but twice earlier in the film as a means to “call” the zombies from their hiding place. This all goes contrary to how the females have been envisioned thus far. They go from cunning and smart at the beginning of the film to making every dumb decision a person can make by the end just so that Eisenberg’s character has someone to save at the end of the film and Harrelson has a bunch of zombies to kill.
The ending of the film has many great death scenes but by having his females “de-evolve” by the end of the film it does everyone a great disservice and cheapens the film as a whole by allowing it to become nothing more than a “fun” and “entertaining” film. It’s clear that the filmmakers are fans of the horror and zombie genres with their homage to everything from Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER (Harrelson makes for a great Jack Brooks), SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and numerous others but what ZOMBIELAND doesn’t have that those films do is a great screenplay with smart characters that are not only fun and entertaining but great films as well. ZOMBIELAND makes no excuses for being simply an entertaining joy ride but let’s face it, it’s neither original nor the best of what the genre has to offer so we shouldn’t look at it like it is.
Many of the people whom I’m talked with about the film do not watch many zombie films nor horror films at all for that matter and many have told me that they wouldn’t have seen it if it wasn’t marketed as a comedy (kudos to the marketing department), so, in their eyes it delivers the goods and let’s face it, the majority of movie goers don’t go to watch “good” movies at the theater, they go to be entertained and if there is one thing ZOMBIELAND does do well it is to entertain despite its many flaws.
Will ZOMBIELAND be a part of my “Best Of” list? – No, it will not as there are plenty of better films out there from all over the world but will I dismiss the film in its entirety? That depends upon how good the next zomcom is which I’m sure is right around the corner (or at least the sequel to this film) and how soon this one evaporates from memory in the meantime.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Film Review: TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Let me just first say that the first Transformers I cared nothing for. It was a film with great special effects and action scenes but that was about it. It had stupid child humor and some of the most ridiculous comedic films of any Michael Bay film and I’ve seen all of his films. This being sad, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is better, but still not a very good film.
I could try to explain the story and plot of the film but why bother, no one cares about that any ways. They only care about the action, which I must say is a vast improvement over the previous film. I found myself engaged in the action scenes of the film. The battle scenes were slowed down and I could actually see what was going on (I’m not one of those action film junkies that need a cut or a close up every 2 seconds). The other thing is that the main Autobot Optimus Prime actually had a story behind him (even though none of the other transformers I could care less about).
Director Bay obviously thought hard about what was needed to improve the franchise as this is by far a better film then the first (despite the over convoluted background story) and the few problems I have with this film (mainly that the transformers are still nothing more then background fodder for Shia LeBeouf’s Sam character when the film is called “Transformers” and not “Sam Witwicky & The Transformers.” I’m nitpicking here as I am a fan of the ‘80s cartoon rather then any of the modern cartoon series of which these films are modeled after, so, I can’t complain too much.
Another great thing about the film is that the special effects have come a long way since the first film as the transformations are more defined and interesting to watch whereas in the previous film they came off as a blur many times. With the rate at which Bay is improving the ways in which these films are made by the next film I should actually be able to say that I like the film.
Film Review: A PERFECT GETAWAY
After the heavy science fiction films The Arrival, Pitch Black, and The Chronicles of Riddick, writer & director David Twohy has decided to take it a little easy with his new suspense thriller A PERFECT GETAWAY. Although this film may look like another vacation in paradise that goes to hell, Twohy has decided to go a different route with his film. The structure for the film is very different from his usual film as it follows three couples on vacation in Hawaii who soon learn that a young couple just married were recently murdered and that the murders are still at large. What follows is a tense psychological journey as the couples interact with one another and soon think that the other is the murderers.
A PERFECT GETAWAY is anything but that. Twohy takes his time with allowing the audience to meet all three of the couples and how they interact with one another. His screenplay is very tight and walks a fine line of being a suspense thriller verses being a top notch mystery thriller. This is made even more apparent by the better then expected performances from the cast (which includes Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, and Kiele Sanchez, to name a few) whom all are playing against type adding to the mystery surrounding the film.
Twohy proves with this film that he is just at home with a suspense thriller as he is with science fiction and that his psychological ghost story Below wasn’t just a fluke.
Film Review: THE COLLECTOR
The is a lot that can be said from horror film which are a relentless roller coaster ride from start to finish and this new (and I hate to say this) torture porn film THE COLLECTOR (2009) is a perfect example as one. There are many people who despise this sub-genre of horror film believing it to be nothing more then an excuse to show extraneous gore and nudity. Let me be the first to say that this film, at least, has no nudity.
THE COLLECTOR is in the genre of film that includes such films as High Tension, P2, Saw, Captivity, Hostel, and countless others. It is also a very dark film about desperation. The film is about a handy man Arken (Josh Stewart), a man who struggles to pay his bills and support his family and whose estranged wife is in trouble with her loan shark. In order to pay off the debt, he decides to rob the people whose house he just finished doing work on, while they are away on vacation. Arken has some unique skills as he is a safe cracker who knows the house has a walled in safe just ripe for the picking.
That night when he believes they are gone, Arken breaks into his employers house and realizes that he isn’t alone in the house. He discovers that a deranged killer has captured the residents of the house and is holding them hostage inside a house he has booby trapped with deadly traps. Now Arken must find a way out of the house because once you enter no one leaves…and least not alive.
Written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan this film has the tone of a Saw film which isn’t surprising since they are behind the latest Saw films (Parts 4-6, with a 7 on the way) but where this film differs from those films is in the fact that the traps in the house were never intended for him as he soon learns that this killer is searching for a worthy addition to his collection of living humans. Making his directorial debut, Dunstan’s tone for the film is very similar to the ‘80s renaissance of horror films reaching the big screen (i.e. Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Hills Have Eyes, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to name a few) except that there are no stars in this film. This is a great ploy as the audience never knows who is going to die or when.
Dunstan put together a great team behind the camera as the production design of the house itself is some of the best seen in quite some time and the cinematography is ahead of most of the horror films I’ve seen this year(and I’ve seen almost all of them). This film truly is suspenseful and has a lot of moments that will have you squirming in your seats. A surprise in this film is complete lack of comedy or black humor in this film which has become customary to Melton and Dunstan’s films (which can be seen in the Saw franchise not to mention the Feast films, which got them noticed). Because of the lack of humor this film may be a little too much for some audience members but I for one welcomed a horror film that wasn’t afraid to be too serious like a lot of our foreign counterparts behind the films Inside, Frontiere(s), and Martyrs.
Be prepared and be scared of The Collector.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Graphic Novel Review: THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES
THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES
Dark Horse Books collection of the Itlaian Dylan Dog comics THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES is a great introduction for people who are not familiar with the character. In 1994 there was an Italian film based on the character starring Rupert Everett called Dellamorte Dellamore (more commonly known as Cemetery Man) which became an International success and helped Everett become a star. Created by Tiziano Sclavi (with art by Angelo Stano, Andrea Venturi, Giampiero Casertano, Luigi Piccatto, and Bruno Brindisi) Dylan Dog is a womanizer who investigates strange and unusual cases that revolve around everything from zombies, monsters, freaks, vampires, and anything else that he stumbles upon. Much like Sherlock Holmes, Dog has a knack for both getting into trouble both with and without his trusted sidekick Felix, whose even stranger then Dog and whom provides most of the comic relief in the stories provided in this collection.
At an amazing 680 pages this is a huge collection to sink your teeth into both for mystery fans and horror fans. Unlike the film version, the stories contained within this collection are more focused on dark comedy and the unusual fantasy (although the film is filled with a lot of fantasy). Anyone watching the film will see very little resemblance to the graphic novel other then in the character itself which is fine since the stories contained in this collection are more entertaining then the film (and I really like the film). Dog comes off as a poor man’s James Bond mixed with a Sherlock Holmes who cares more about women then he does about solving the next case or paying the bills. This is not to say that the material isn’t dark because the stories “Dawn of the Living Dead” and “Morgana” are particularly dark while “Johnny Freak” is tragic and heartfelt. “Zed” is another standout as it deals with an alternate world that may or may not be better then our own as. Along the way Dog discovers many different loves (hince the Bond reference) and has many brushes with the law, whom don’t take him seriously half the time.
Another great aspect of the book is the fine black & white artwork, which is a compliment to the dark nature of the stories. It’s like reading a film noire (which the tone of many of the stories border upon). This collection for the first time allows many readers to finally have access to a comic which has sold over 56 million copies worldwide and since there is a Hollywood adaptation in the works (as of this writing) what better place then here to get acquainted with this detective then right now.
Dark Horse Books collection of the Itlaian Dylan Dog comics THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES is a great introduction for people who are not familiar with the character. In 1994 there was an Italian film based on the character starring Rupert Everett called Dellamorte Dellamore (more commonly known as Cemetery Man) which became an International success and helped Everett become a star. Created by Tiziano Sclavi (with art by Angelo Stano, Andrea Venturi, Giampiero Casertano, Luigi Piccatto, and Bruno Brindisi) Dylan Dog is a womanizer who investigates strange and unusual cases that revolve around everything from zombies, monsters, freaks, vampires, and anything else that he stumbles upon. Much like Sherlock Holmes, Dog has a knack for both getting into trouble both with and without his trusted sidekick Felix, whose even stranger then Dog and whom provides most of the comic relief in the stories provided in this collection.
At an amazing 680 pages this is a huge collection to sink your teeth into both for mystery fans and horror fans. Unlike the film version, the stories contained within this collection are more focused on dark comedy and the unusual fantasy (although the film is filled with a lot of fantasy). Anyone watching the film will see very little resemblance to the graphic novel other then in the character itself which is fine since the stories contained in this collection are more entertaining then the film (and I really like the film). Dog comes off as a poor man’s James Bond mixed with a Sherlock Holmes who cares more about women then he does about solving the next case or paying the bills. This is not to say that the material isn’t dark because the stories “Dawn of the Living Dead” and “Morgana” are particularly dark while “Johnny Freak” is tragic and heartfelt. “Zed” is another standout as it deals with an alternate world that may or may not be better then our own as. Along the way Dog discovers many different loves (hince the Bond reference) and has many brushes with the law, whom don’t take him seriously half the time.
Another great aspect of the book is the fine black & white artwork, which is a compliment to the dark nature of the stories. It’s like reading a film noire (which the tone of many of the stories border upon). This collection for the first time allows many readers to finally have access to a comic which has sold over 56 million copies worldwide and since there is a Hollywood adaptation in the works (as of this writing) what better place then here to get acquainted with this detective then right now.
Graphic Novel Review: MARVEL ZOMBIES 3
MARVEL ZOMBIES 3
The zombies of the Marvel Universe are back again but this time they have found a way into our universe and plan to take over in a very big way. I’ve written about all the previous instalments of the series, but it is here in the new story MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 that the story starts to take a new turn. Under the guidance of new writer Fred Van Lente and artist Kev Walker a small band of zombified super heroes lead by zombie-Deadpool have invaded the swamps of Citrusville, Florida prompting the military unit known as A.R.M.O.R. to send Machine Man and Jocasta to the zombies alternate home world to find a cure for the zombie plague so that the “real” Marvel Universe does not become infected by the zombie plague.
That’s generally what this new story is about. If you’ve read the previous stories in the saga you’ll know that these series have lots of violence and lots of blood. It is a zombie story after all, but unlike previous instalments more story is spent on the Machine Man story as he is a borderline drunk robot who wants nothing to do with humanity. There is lots of great action as Machine Man tears through the zombies as if they were nothing, but there in lies one of the problems of this story – Machine Man is indestructable and thus becomes an odd choice as the main character of the story. The more interesting aspect of the story revolves around Doctor Mobius (the Living Vampire) who is held captive at A.R.M.O.R. by his zombie doppleganger, who wants to secretly infect the Marvel Universe with the plague.
Much of the Zombie-Marvel Heroes carnage is absent from this story although Zombie Deadpool, Kingpin, Mobius, and Captain America, do have their moments to shine. This story just comes off lite considering everything that came before it. This and the fact that this story is just a bridging story for the next story in the series makes this a less interesting instalment on the whole, but it’s fun and crazy and good zombie-fun which should keep anyone entertained.
Although this series was lite I am looking forward to the next series as it reunites the Midnight Suns characters which haven’t been seen in quite some time and were hinted at early in this series with a guest appearance by Man-Thing (one of the Marvel Universe’s most under used characters in my opinion). This is a graphic novel that fans of the series will like but not altogether love.
The zombies of the Marvel Universe are back again but this time they have found a way into our universe and plan to take over in a very big way. I’ve written about all the previous instalments of the series, but it is here in the new story MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 that the story starts to take a new turn. Under the guidance of new writer Fred Van Lente and artist Kev Walker a small band of zombified super heroes lead by zombie-Deadpool have invaded the swamps of Citrusville, Florida prompting the military unit known as A.R.M.O.R. to send Machine Man and Jocasta to the zombies alternate home world to find a cure for the zombie plague so that the “real” Marvel Universe does not become infected by the zombie plague.
That’s generally what this new story is about. If you’ve read the previous stories in the saga you’ll know that these series have lots of violence and lots of blood. It is a zombie story after all, but unlike previous instalments more story is spent on the Machine Man story as he is a borderline drunk robot who wants nothing to do with humanity. There is lots of great action as Machine Man tears through the zombies as if they were nothing, but there in lies one of the problems of this story – Machine Man is indestructable and thus becomes an odd choice as the main character of the story. The more interesting aspect of the story revolves around Doctor Mobius (the Living Vampire) who is held captive at A.R.M.O.R. by his zombie doppleganger, who wants to secretly infect the Marvel Universe with the plague.
Much of the Zombie-Marvel Heroes carnage is absent from this story although Zombie Deadpool, Kingpin, Mobius, and Captain America, do have their moments to shine. This story just comes off lite considering everything that came before it. This and the fact that this story is just a bridging story for the next story in the series makes this a less interesting instalment on the whole, but it’s fun and crazy and good zombie-fun which should keep anyone entertained.
Although this series was lite I am looking forward to the next series as it reunites the Midnight Suns characters which haven’t been seen in quite some time and were hinted at early in this series with a guest appearance by Man-Thing (one of the Marvel Universe’s most under used characters in my opinion). This is a graphic novel that fans of the series will like but not altogether love.
Graphic Novel Review: SAVAGE
SAVAGE
From creator Jeff Frank comes a new horror saga in called SAVAGE. Frank co-plotted this story with Steve Niles (one of the creators behind the phenomenal hit 30 Days of Night) and co-wrote this story with Dan Wickline. SAVAGE concerns Sam, a man with a deep urge and secret that compells him to kill people he deems “evil.” You see, Sam is a hunted of all manner of monsters that prey on the human species. In the beginning of the story we see Sam savagely kill a banshee by cutting off her head (he then carries the head around with him throughout the rest of the series). Once completely that mission Sam then heads towards Arcana, a place he has visited in the past but is now here on a recruitment mission.
Sam is in the town no longer then ten minutes before he begins to once agin sense evil and the urge to kill begins to surface. Sam has come to Arcana to inlist Peter, a family man with a wife and kid, to help him fight the evil of the world. You see, Sam is a shapeshifter who can change into a “bigfoot-like” creature and the evil he senses in Arcana is of the werewolf kind, which have taken up residence in town and kill whenever the moon is at its fullest. As Sam waits for the moon to be full and the werewolves to reveal their true nature, he tries to hold off his killer urges by selectively killing off the werewolves one by one until the killings raise the suspicions of the covert military group Sam is working for. Now time is running out as Sam realizes he has very little time to show Peter his true nature and how to use his own shapeshifting abilities to not only hunt down evil but to protect his family from those who would see them harmed.
Although not one of my favorite graphic novels as the story is very simple and direct and leaves much to be desired since this would be the first chapter of a much larger story, SAVAGE isn’t terrible bad as the werewolves verses bigfoot idea is very interesting. I do like the fact that the story spends a lot of time developing the Sam and peter characters but the werewolves come off a cliched characters with very little interest. It will be interesting to see where this story goes in subsequent chapters.
From creator Jeff Frank comes a new horror saga in called SAVAGE. Frank co-plotted this story with Steve Niles (one of the creators behind the phenomenal hit 30 Days of Night) and co-wrote this story with Dan Wickline. SAVAGE concerns Sam, a man with a deep urge and secret that compells him to kill people he deems “evil.” You see, Sam is a hunted of all manner of monsters that prey on the human species. In the beginning of the story we see Sam savagely kill a banshee by cutting off her head (he then carries the head around with him throughout the rest of the series). Once completely that mission Sam then heads towards Arcana, a place he has visited in the past but is now here on a recruitment mission.
Sam is in the town no longer then ten minutes before he begins to once agin sense evil and the urge to kill begins to surface. Sam has come to Arcana to inlist Peter, a family man with a wife and kid, to help him fight the evil of the world. You see, Sam is a shapeshifter who can change into a “bigfoot-like” creature and the evil he senses in Arcana is of the werewolf kind, which have taken up residence in town and kill whenever the moon is at its fullest. As Sam waits for the moon to be full and the werewolves to reveal their true nature, he tries to hold off his killer urges by selectively killing off the werewolves one by one until the killings raise the suspicions of the covert military group Sam is working for. Now time is running out as Sam realizes he has very little time to show Peter his true nature and how to use his own shapeshifting abilities to not only hunt down evil but to protect his family from those who would see them harmed.
Although not one of my favorite graphic novels as the story is very simple and direct and leaves much to be desired since this would be the first chapter of a much larger story, SAVAGE isn’t terrible bad as the werewolves verses bigfoot idea is very interesting. I do like the fact that the story spends a lot of time developing the Sam and peter characters but the werewolves come off a cliched characters with very little interest. It will be interesting to see where this story goes in subsequent chapters.
Graphic Novel review: EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
Creator Steve Niles has a new vision of vampires different from the ones he created in the 30 Days of Night series in this graphic novel EPILOGUE, with art by Kyle Hotz. There is a new vigilante on the streets of the city and he cannot be killed as he so boldly demonstrates when he gathers all the crime lords of the city in one place. When the crime lords try to blow him to pieces they realize that all of his wounds heal automatically and he is more vicious then them as he feasts on their blood. This vigilante has plans to clean up the city at all costs. He is a vampire and he feeds off the blood of the guilty
The story as written by Niles and illustrated by Hotz is at first cryptic with the revealing of who the vigilante is but through fashbacks we learn that he was a family man on a camping trip who watched his two kids and wife be slaughtered by a gang of vampires . He was bitten in the struggle and left for dead and barely found a way to survive in the wild. When he returns to the city he vows to find the ones responsible for the death of his family and for making him into a creature of the night. In the meanwhile, he will protect the innocent and kill anyone who gets in his way.
One of the most unique aspects of the book is that you never really know what this guy’s name is but you get a glimpse into who he was and what he has become through the flashbacks and by the end of the story it’s not important what his name is but what he stands for. Like many of Niles’ previous work this is but an opening chapter to a bigger story should he choose to go further with the material. This being a story about vampires there are buckets of blood and gutts all over the place and will make all of Niles’ fans happen who enjoyed his 30 Days of Night.
Creator Steve Niles has a new vision of vampires different from the ones he created in the 30 Days of Night series in this graphic novel EPILOGUE, with art by Kyle Hotz. There is a new vigilante on the streets of the city and he cannot be killed as he so boldly demonstrates when he gathers all the crime lords of the city in one place. When the crime lords try to blow him to pieces they realize that all of his wounds heal automatically and he is more vicious then them as he feasts on their blood. This vigilante has plans to clean up the city at all costs. He is a vampire and he feeds off the blood of the guilty
The story as written by Niles and illustrated by Hotz is at first cryptic with the revealing of who the vigilante is but through fashbacks we learn that he was a family man on a camping trip who watched his two kids and wife be slaughtered by a gang of vampires . He was bitten in the struggle and left for dead and barely found a way to survive in the wild. When he returns to the city he vows to find the ones responsible for the death of his family and for making him into a creature of the night. In the meanwhile, he will protect the innocent and kill anyone who gets in his way.
One of the most unique aspects of the book is that you never really know what this guy’s name is but you get a glimpse into who he was and what he has become through the flashbacks and by the end of the story it’s not important what his name is but what he stands for. Like many of Niles’ previous work this is but an opening chapter to a bigger story should he choose to go further with the material. This being a story about vampires there are buckets of blood and gutts all over the place and will make all of Niles’ fans happen who enjoyed his 30 Days of Night.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Opinions Do Mater
It's amazing to me how much we as a film & television culture have an opinion about everything and believe that our opinion is somehow morevalid then everyone else's. Before the immersion of film into our culture opinions were religated to the elite few who had studied such works of arts as music, art, and architecture, to name a few. Sure the general public had a "public opinion" but it was never really taken that serious by the upper echilon of society. In fact, there are few instances in history where public opinion ever really mattered when it came to the creative arts.
Then came film. In it's earliest form it was crude and looked down upon by the upper class yet found a home in the poor lower class of vaudville and carnivals as a novelty act. The first few films were experiements that lasted no longer then a few seconds long yet captured the imagination of those who had never been subject to such great spectacle. When filmmaking techniques were honed and perfected (by then times) films became longer and instead of relyng mainly on real life events for entertainment sinereos and stories and plots were crafted and films became longer and the lower classes came in the bus loads to see the amazing moving pictures. The upper class still looked down upon the "novelty act" yet in the privacy of their own homes they became enamored with the "moving picture" as it became one of the newest and fastest speading forms of entertainment in the world.
The funny thing about the moving image is that it was not confined to only one area but people all across the world were developing their own version of the film camera, some successful while others still needed a little tweaking, but nevertheless the "moving picture" was here to stay and it would continue to amass a great following not only in the lower and middle class but soon in the upper class as well and that's when theaters began to pop up. There needed to be a place where all people of all classes could go to watch these moving pictures and the moving pictures thus needed to be longer then just 2-3 minutes. They soon began to be feature length films (at the time) ranging in length up to an hour in many cases.
With the wide spread epidemic that moving pictures became so to did the opinions come to rise. There were (and still are) many publications about films (because films had to travel from town to town at the time instead of being screened via day and date like today) to get the word out when a particular film would be in any given state and with this mass production and distribution of films so rose the "star" and the "star system."
Although I could go into details about this I will only briefly mention the fact that the star system was created through audiences' reaction to certain characters and actors that they liked to see on the screen. This helped early filmmakers decide not only who to put in their films but what type of films to make (in order to get the most buck out of the bang), so, public opinion has always determined the general evolution of the moving pictures (aka motion picture).
Taking this into account you can now see how modern day audiences' opinions matter more then any pofessionally school educated critic. Real critiques don't get people's buns in seats but public opinion does. When a film has good word of mouth it can do extremely well at the Box Office (i.e. THE HANGOVER, UP, or TAKEN) whereas all the great praise in the world can't make people go see a film (i.e. DOUBT, DUPLICITY, or THE READER). We live in a world where everyone (at least in terms of film) has an opinion and their opinion counts for something if not at least can translate into big Box Office grosses.
We may not like it but that's the reality of the world. Long gone is our reliance and dependence on the arthouse critic who has spent a lifetime dedicating oneself to the "art" for art's sake. We, as an audience, know what we want and know what we like whether it be Rob Zombie's HALLOWWEN remake, THE HANGOVER, MONSTERS Vs. ALIENS, or the latest film with Ashton Kurcher.
Then came film. In it's earliest form it was crude and looked down upon by the upper class yet found a home in the poor lower class of vaudville and carnivals as a novelty act. The first few films were experiements that lasted no longer then a few seconds long yet captured the imagination of those who had never been subject to such great spectacle. When filmmaking techniques were honed and perfected (by then times) films became longer and instead of relyng mainly on real life events for entertainment sinereos and stories and plots were crafted and films became longer and the lower classes came in the bus loads to see the amazing moving pictures. The upper class still looked down upon the "novelty act" yet in the privacy of their own homes they became enamored with the "moving picture" as it became one of the newest and fastest speading forms of entertainment in the world.
The funny thing about the moving image is that it was not confined to only one area but people all across the world were developing their own version of the film camera, some successful while others still needed a little tweaking, but nevertheless the "moving picture" was here to stay and it would continue to amass a great following not only in the lower and middle class but soon in the upper class as well and that's when theaters began to pop up. There needed to be a place where all people of all classes could go to watch these moving pictures and the moving pictures thus needed to be longer then just 2-3 minutes. They soon began to be feature length films (at the time) ranging in length up to an hour in many cases.
With the wide spread epidemic that moving pictures became so to did the opinions come to rise. There were (and still are) many publications about films (because films had to travel from town to town at the time instead of being screened via day and date like today) to get the word out when a particular film would be in any given state and with this mass production and distribution of films so rose the "star" and the "star system."
Although I could go into details about this I will only briefly mention the fact that the star system was created through audiences' reaction to certain characters and actors that they liked to see on the screen. This helped early filmmakers decide not only who to put in their films but what type of films to make (in order to get the most buck out of the bang), so, public opinion has always determined the general evolution of the moving pictures (aka motion picture).
Taking this into account you can now see how modern day audiences' opinions matter more then any pofessionally school educated critic. Real critiques don't get people's buns in seats but public opinion does. When a film has good word of mouth it can do extremely well at the Box Office (i.e. THE HANGOVER, UP, or TAKEN) whereas all the great praise in the world can't make people go see a film (i.e. DOUBT, DUPLICITY, or THE READER). We live in a world where everyone (at least in terms of film) has an opinion and their opinion counts for something if not at least can translate into big Box Office grosses.
We may not like it but that's the reality of the world. Long gone is our reliance and dependence on the arthouse critic who has spent a lifetime dedicating oneself to the "art" for art's sake. We, as an audience, know what we want and know what we like whether it be Rob Zombie's HALLOWWEN remake, THE HANGOVER, MONSTERS Vs. ALIENS, or the latest film with Ashton Kurcher.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Indie Film Review: PAPER BOYS (2009)
Sometimes I dislike reviewing indie films because I tend to screen earlier versions prior to a released version which has had the luxury of a test screening that would then constitute re-shoots and/or extensive editing. I say this in good faith as many films that I’ve screened could do with some trimming of the fat in order to get to the heart of the story being told.
This could go with the Aware Production release of PAPER BOYS (formerly BOYS OF THE WRECKING CREW), which was filmed in Georgia and had its World Premiere at the famous Plaza Theater, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA on Saturday, June 20th, 2009. There are some good things to say about the film and some bad but I give indie films a little more leeway (from Hollywood films) because of their unique nature of sometimes reveling in more risqué and unconventional stories. This is such a film.
The film begins with a subtle bang as after a young couple appear to be in the throws of love the woman commits suicide and the young man Sean is left broken. Sean’s (Louis Lavdas) way of dealing with the situation is to return to his job as a paper boy solicitor who goes door-to-door selling newspaper subscriptions. He is just one of a crew of young men guided by Ray (Chris Whitley) who try to make a living at this day in and day out. Sean has more to deal with then just a lover who killed herself but he also is haunted by his estranged relationship with his abusive father, he’s addicted to just about every drug known to mankind, and he’s having a sexual identity crisis. That’s a lot for one person to deal with and therein lies the biggest problem with the film.
The film has many technical issues as in many shots that linger on the screen for far longer then they should – one scene in particular is a POV shot of Sean in a drug induced state walking through a house in which he just participated in an orgy, not to mention that several shots are handheld and pan from one actor to another with no finesse or control and sometimes it’s even on background characters who aren’t even participating in the conversation at hand. Many of these incidents could be fixed if they were trimmed or cut altogether.
Technical issues aside (since many indie films suffer from this) I do have to say that the post-sound is excellent for the most part. There are very few incidents where the volume and quality were not at top form. Since sound is one of the biggest problems with indie productions it’s good to hear that the filmmakers took care with the post-sound work on this film.
Getting back to the plot of the film, PAPER BOYS suffers from trying to say too much with so little. Sean’s plight as an abused kid with a dead-in job that only helps to fuel his drug habit because his girlfriend killed herself and he’s not sure whether he’s gay or straight just makes it seem like the entire world is against him and he should just go ahead and join his girlfriend in a suicide pact. The story is best when it focuses on Sean’s inability to cope with the childhood abuse done to him by his father heavily handled in many of the flashback sequences (some of which are the most compelling in the film). If the film had stuck with this as it’s background and conflict and then handled Sean’s inability to cope through either drug abuse of sexual identity then the film’s theme might have come off stronger but the issues are defused because no time is given to any one of Sean’s problems. He just seems to be a kid with too many problems. This inability in the film’s focus also contributes to its lackluster and unsatisfactory ending (which I won’t give away here) but needless to say the film’s climax is all too easily solved and there is no satisfying closure with Sean’s character in terms of any of the problems that the film presents that he has. They just all seem to nicely go away.
The film’s climax is the real let down as it opts for a “feel good” ending that is not warranted due to everything that came before it not to mention that it is 15 minutes too long. The film wants to say so many things about sexual identity, drug abuse, physical abuse, and even suicide yet never really says anything about any of them as the message is lost in translation amongst the film’s other problems and the “happy ending.”
The film does have some questionable performances amongst its huge cast of Georgia actors but there are some great moments with Joe (Justin Riddick), who steals many of the scenes in the film with his womanizing ways and picture-perfect life (not mention lifestyle) but Whitley as Sean’s crew leader of the paper boys and in a sense “older brother” also gives a noteworthy performance.
Writer, producer, and director Bryan E. Hall has a great many cast and location to contend with on this film, which is good for the film as he doesn’t rely on the single location film shoot that can plague many an indie film. There are many great comedic moments in the film that release some of the tension from the heavy-handed subject matter (and sometimes I wish there was more). Overall PAPER BOYS is a film that’s sometimes over convoluted with what its trying to say that needs a little trimming and cutting in some places but it’s not a film completely devoid of any redeeming value.
This could go with the Aware Production release of PAPER BOYS (formerly BOYS OF THE WRECKING CREW), which was filmed in Georgia and had its World Premiere at the famous Plaza Theater, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA on Saturday, June 20th, 2009. There are some good things to say about the film and some bad but I give indie films a little more leeway (from Hollywood films) because of their unique nature of sometimes reveling in more risqué and unconventional stories. This is such a film.
The film begins with a subtle bang as after a young couple appear to be in the throws of love the woman commits suicide and the young man Sean is left broken. Sean’s (Louis Lavdas) way of dealing with the situation is to return to his job as a paper boy solicitor who goes door-to-door selling newspaper subscriptions. He is just one of a crew of young men guided by Ray (Chris Whitley) who try to make a living at this day in and day out. Sean has more to deal with then just a lover who killed herself but he also is haunted by his estranged relationship with his abusive father, he’s addicted to just about every drug known to mankind, and he’s having a sexual identity crisis. That’s a lot for one person to deal with and therein lies the biggest problem with the film.
The film has many technical issues as in many shots that linger on the screen for far longer then they should – one scene in particular is a POV shot of Sean in a drug induced state walking through a house in which he just participated in an orgy, not to mention that several shots are handheld and pan from one actor to another with no finesse or control and sometimes it’s even on background characters who aren’t even participating in the conversation at hand. Many of these incidents could be fixed if they were trimmed or cut altogether.
Technical issues aside (since many indie films suffer from this) I do have to say that the post-sound is excellent for the most part. There are very few incidents where the volume and quality were not at top form. Since sound is one of the biggest problems with indie productions it’s good to hear that the filmmakers took care with the post-sound work on this film.
Getting back to the plot of the film, PAPER BOYS suffers from trying to say too much with so little. Sean’s plight as an abused kid with a dead-in job that only helps to fuel his drug habit because his girlfriend killed herself and he’s not sure whether he’s gay or straight just makes it seem like the entire world is against him and he should just go ahead and join his girlfriend in a suicide pact. The story is best when it focuses on Sean’s inability to cope with the childhood abuse done to him by his father heavily handled in many of the flashback sequences (some of which are the most compelling in the film). If the film had stuck with this as it’s background and conflict and then handled Sean’s inability to cope through either drug abuse of sexual identity then the film’s theme might have come off stronger but the issues are defused because no time is given to any one of Sean’s problems. He just seems to be a kid with too many problems. This inability in the film’s focus also contributes to its lackluster and unsatisfactory ending (which I won’t give away here) but needless to say the film’s climax is all too easily solved and there is no satisfying closure with Sean’s character in terms of any of the problems that the film presents that he has. They just all seem to nicely go away.
The film’s climax is the real let down as it opts for a “feel good” ending that is not warranted due to everything that came before it not to mention that it is 15 minutes too long. The film wants to say so many things about sexual identity, drug abuse, physical abuse, and even suicide yet never really says anything about any of them as the message is lost in translation amongst the film’s other problems and the “happy ending.”
The film does have some questionable performances amongst its huge cast of Georgia actors but there are some great moments with Joe (Justin Riddick), who steals many of the scenes in the film with his womanizing ways and picture-perfect life (not mention lifestyle) but Whitley as Sean’s crew leader of the paper boys and in a sense “older brother” also gives a noteworthy performance.
Writer, producer, and director Bryan E. Hall has a great many cast and location to contend with on this film, which is good for the film as he doesn’t rely on the single location film shoot that can plague many an indie film. There are many great comedic moments in the film that release some of the tension from the heavy-handed subject matter (and sometimes I wish there was more). Overall PAPER BOYS is a film that’s sometimes over convoluted with what its trying to say that needs a little trimming and cutting in some places but it’s not a film completely devoid of any redeeming value.
Book Review: TALES FROM THE CRYPT: THE OFFICIAL ARCHIVES By Digby Diehl
Author Digby Diehl’s book Tales From the Crypt: The Official Archives is one of the most comprehensive books on the history of EC Comics and their downfall to the creation of the cult HBO television show Tales From the Crypt, which ran for seven seasons. Diehl’s book starts by giving the reader a background of the EC publishers and how their comics opened the world and the industry to a different kind of comic from the Famous Funnies and Popular Comics titles of the ‘30s and ‘40s to when William “Bill” Gaines inherited the company and started producing what would eventually become the infamous Tales From The Crypt, Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror, and Weird Science titles (to name a few), in which Gaines and his company of dedicated artists produced some of the most strikingly original and grotesque comics and stories to ever be committed to page. With the popularity of these comics to pre-teens everywhere came the backlash of parents and religious groups all across America. The book traces this history and causes of what brought down the Gaines Empire and EC Comics eventually leading up to the creation of both the British feature films Tales From the Crypt (1972) and The Vault of Horror (1973) and eventually to the American television series Tales From the Crypt (1989-1996).
The book goes into great detail about the creation of the HBO produced television show and how close it honored the source material (all 93 episodes were based on a story from one of the EC comics titles). The book also gives a complete television guide to the series not to mention it highlights the inspiration for every episode. Diehl’s book not only is a library of information but he has extensive interviews with many of the artists involved with the original comics not to mention the people behind the television series giving the book everything a reader needs to know about history of EC Comics and the television series.
An added bonus to the book is the abundance of photos and artwork throughout not to mention that four complete stories from the comics are reprinted with the inclusion of a never before published story hidden away in the EC Vaults that never made it to the printed page. Diehl’s book is a book for any fan of the EC Comics world as well as those who just want to know a little bit of history about one of the greatest (and infamous) publishing companies in the business.
Book Review: THE WILD TREES By Richard Preston
Few books make me want to spring into action after reading them like Richard Preston’s non-fiction book The Wild Trees, which is the account of several botanists and scientists who spend their lives studying the life of some of the tallest trees in the world. Although not exclusively about the tree climbing specialist who climb trees in excess of 350 feet tall to study the canopy of some of the tallest organisms on the planet which is the redwood tree (among many others featured in the book), Preston weaves the stories of several of these scientists whose worlds and lives collide through time and different locations all across the globe to give not only a comprehensive look at the lives of these dedicated (and sometimes under paid) scientists but the worlds that they discover that have never been seen by any human being. Preston presents these people as the true adventurers exploring the strange new worlds right in our own back yards.
As Preston’s own exploration of these dedicated individuals grows deeper, he becomes not just a chronicler of their stories but a willing participant who soon finds his way as one of the team members of tree climbers. This is a far cry from his previous non-fiction books The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer (where he is far removed) revealing a more personal journey in the process. In addition to the wonderful stories of his subjects (especially the couple that get married 350 feet in the air in the canopy of one of the great redwoods) there are extensive drawings and sketches of what the world of some of these trees are really like (since the location to many of these greatest discoveries remain a guarded secret from the greater public who would destroy the natural habitat of such great organisms of nature).
The Wild Trees is one of Preston’s most personal works that not only gets into the lives of its subjects following them over years of discoveries and history but it also gives an inside look into the man whose life was forever changed by the experience especially when you consider that the joy of tree climbing has infected several of his children (although he makes great mention that the sport is not for his wife). This is an adventure that we all want to make after reading the book.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Book Review: SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Akira Kurosawa
Few books seem to be actually written by the author like this book does (because so many of them are ghost written). Akira Kurosawa is one of the most respected directors in cinema and his book Something Like an Autobiography is less about his techniques in filmmaking and more about what incidents shaped his life and helped him craft the stories that he’s told through film for so many years.
His stories (which is the best way to describe them because of the way in which he recollects his life) are told in such a way that they could be fables about how his decisions not only as a human being but as a filmmaker are discovered. Kurosawa has a very whimsical way of describing his life which is at times extremely funny and humorous but is also very moving and tragic especially in terms of how real life events shaped the way he saw the world and thus translated what he saw in film.
Many times he ventures away from filmmaking to describe his family life and childhood and these seem to be the more interesting aspects of the book as his recollections of his filmmaking experiences (especially in the later years) do not seem as fanciful. It’s a wonder he even got into filmmaking as it was by chance but Kurosawa has a way of telling the story of his life that reminds you of a film and that is where the heart of his book truly lies.
He is so vivid with details about people and experiences about his life and experiences that you feel like you’re in a dream world and everything is like in a movie that you just can’t help but to glue your eyes to. Kurosawa’s book is an excellent example of an autobiography that’s told by one of the greatest visionaries that cinema has ever known.
His stories (which is the best way to describe them because of the way in which he recollects his life) are told in such a way that they could be fables about how his decisions not only as a human being but as a filmmaker are discovered. Kurosawa has a very whimsical way of describing his life which is at times extremely funny and humorous but is also very moving and tragic especially in terms of how real life events shaped the way he saw the world and thus translated what he saw in film.
Many times he ventures away from filmmaking to describe his family life and childhood and these seem to be the more interesting aspects of the book as his recollections of his filmmaking experiences (especially in the later years) do not seem as fanciful. It’s a wonder he even got into filmmaking as it was by chance but Kurosawa has a way of telling the story of his life that reminds you of a film and that is where the heart of his book truly lies.
He is so vivid with details about people and experiences about his life and experiences that you feel like you’re in a dream world and everything is like in a movie that you just can’t help but to glue your eyes to. Kurosawa’s book is an excellent example of an autobiography that’s told by one of the greatest visionaries that cinema has ever known.
Book Review: BORRIS KARLOFF: THE MAN REMEMBERED By Gordon B. Shriver
I’m a huge fan of the highly regarded character actor Borris Karloff whom most people will remember played the immortal character of Frankenstein’s monster in the James Whale directed film Frankenstein (1931) but I remember him most from another Whale’s film The Old Dark House (1932) and Scarface (1932), which are both two of my all time favorite films. In writer Gordon B. Shiver’s book Borris Karloff: The Man Remembered we get a look at who the man – Karloff, really was through some of the stories told about him and from conversations recalled by the people who met and worked with him.
Shriver’s book is a very basic account of Karloff’s life not only in films but in radio, commercials voice over, and just about anything else that he could get his hands on. Karloff is described in the book as a very soft spoken person whom people loved to work with and was well liked by everyone. If there was anything disheartening about the man it’s that he over worked himself up until the day that he died but working on films no mater how great or how small was the greatest joy that the man ever felt.
Although Shriver has a very dry way of putting down the life of Karloff it is befitting a man that was so well admired and respected among his peers even though the industry itself was not always kind to him. Karloff starred in every known type of film and genre but was always known as the man who played Frankenstein’s monster and thus never escaped that image which marked his career even though he starred in such films as The Strange Door (1951), Black Sabbath (1964), and most importantly Targets (1968).
Although the book is short it is concise and to the point and a very easy read for those who know little about the man and just are curious. For those who know much about the man already, the book may seem a little repetitive and mundane but the book is filled with 15 pages of photos throughout his career and has an extensive list of all the projects and productions that Karloff was ever involved it. This alone is worth picking up the book.
Shriver’s book is a very basic account of Karloff’s life not only in films but in radio, commercials voice over, and just about anything else that he could get his hands on. Karloff is described in the book as a very soft spoken person whom people loved to work with and was well liked by everyone. If there was anything disheartening about the man it’s that he over worked himself up until the day that he died but working on films no mater how great or how small was the greatest joy that the man ever felt.
Although Shriver has a very dry way of putting down the life of Karloff it is befitting a man that was so well admired and respected among his peers even though the industry itself was not always kind to him. Karloff starred in every known type of film and genre but was always known as the man who played Frankenstein’s monster and thus never escaped that image which marked his career even though he starred in such films as The Strange Door (1951), Black Sabbath (1964), and most importantly Targets (1968).
Although the book is short it is concise and to the point and a very easy read for those who know little about the man and just are curious. For those who know much about the man already, the book may seem a little repetitive and mundane but the book is filled with 15 pages of photos throughout his career and has an extensive list of all the projects and productions that Karloff was ever involved it. This alone is worth picking up the book.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
FIGHTING Can Be Good For You
It’s easy to dismiss this by-the-books action film Fighting but then you’ll miss one of the more fun and entertaining films of the year. Starring Channing Tatum as Shawn MacArthur, a down on his luck street urchin, just trying to survive from day to day. When Shawn gets into a street brawl with several thugs a street hustler by the name of Harvey Bourden (Terrence Howard) sees potential in the young man.
Harvey’s idea of potential though is underground street fighting, which he has connections to. He sees in Shawn the opportunity to make some money and get back on top after being disgraced many years ago (since everyone seems to look down on him). After several lucky wins on the underground circuit, Shawn has the opportunity not only to make a lot of money but to redeem himself when he must fight an old acquaintance in his final battle.
This film is very much in the vein of the Cuba Gooding Jr. & James Marshall Gladiator (1992) and like that film the fun of the film is watching at times real and brutal fights. This is far different from the over choreographed Jason Statham films and the over reliance of CGI in the more recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is why the film is such a pleasure to watch.
One of the worst things about most Hollywood films of today is that they feel over-produced and you never feel like the characters are ever in any real danger. This is not the case here as Shawn barely makes it out of his fights winning some simply by luck. Street fighting hurts and you feel bones crack in this film. Writers Robert Munic and Dito Montiel (who also directs) do an excellent job with the film in terms of presenting a gritty look at the under belly of the city. The story itself may be simple and straight forward but life for these characters is anything but.
Harvey’s idea of potential though is underground street fighting, which he has connections to. He sees in Shawn the opportunity to make some money and get back on top after being disgraced many years ago (since everyone seems to look down on him). After several lucky wins on the underground circuit, Shawn has the opportunity not only to make a lot of money but to redeem himself when he must fight an old acquaintance in his final battle.
This film is very much in the vein of the Cuba Gooding Jr. & James Marshall Gladiator (1992) and like that film the fun of the film is watching at times real and brutal fights. This is far different from the over choreographed Jason Statham films and the over reliance of CGI in the more recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is why the film is such a pleasure to watch.
One of the worst things about most Hollywood films of today is that they feel over-produced and you never feel like the characters are ever in any real danger. This is not the case here as Shawn barely makes it out of his fights winning some simply by luck. Street fighting hurts and you feel bones crack in this film. Writers Robert Munic and Dito Montiel (who also directs) do an excellent job with the film in terms of presenting a gritty look at the under belly of the city. The story itself may be simple and straight forward but life for these characters is anything but.
ADVENTURELAND is in the Blood
This film first interested me because I worked at a theme park myself so I had an inherent need to see how accurate to theme park life the film actually is. Adventureland is an interesting mix of drama and understated comedy in a coming of age story about James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) who is forced to take a summer job in order to pay for his college education. James represents the ideal “virgin” who has a lot of naïve ideas about love and relationships who comes to learn about living real life through his experiences with the people he works with at the theme park none more then Em (Kristin Stewart), whom he slowly falls in love with.
Written & directed by Greg Mottola (who directed Superbad) this new film is a mixed bag as it has the same charm of his previous film but falls short in the comedy department as it stirs closer to the dramatic category, which may turn away some audiences looking for another Superbad. The film is peppered with a great supporting cast including Ryan Reynolds as Mike Connell, a former musician who works as a repair man at the park and dreams of the halcyon days of his former glory. Reynolds is channeling Monty from his film Waiting in this film and is a boon for those who liked that film.
After the over publicized Twilight, Stewart shows more range in this film as a woman who finds herself numb to true love and living a lie at a dead in job with no means of escape until James enters her life.
The film has its charm and for people like me (who spent some time of their life at a theme park) it’s nostalgic and bitter sweet at its core (despite its flaws).
Written & directed by Greg Mottola (who directed Superbad) this new film is a mixed bag as it has the same charm of his previous film but falls short in the comedy department as it stirs closer to the dramatic category, which may turn away some audiences looking for another Superbad. The film is peppered with a great supporting cast including Ryan Reynolds as Mike Connell, a former musician who works as a repair man at the park and dreams of the halcyon days of his former glory. Reynolds is channeling Monty from his film Waiting in this film and is a boon for those who liked that film.
After the over publicized Twilight, Stewart shows more range in this film as a woman who finds herself numb to true love and living a lie at a dead in job with no means of escape until James enters her life.
The film has its charm and for people like me (who spent some time of their life at a theme park) it’s nostalgic and bitter sweet at its core (despite its flaws).
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Is STAR TREK the Best Summer Movie of 2009?
I’m not a “Trekkie” and I’ve only seen a handful of the various television series (I’ve not even seen that many of the original Star Trek series) but I’ve seen all the films and am very familiar with the characters through the movies. Being a little bit fed up with the whole remake/reboot and sequel mentality of Hollywood’s current brain-trust, I was not interested in this new Star Trek film. In fact, the only reason why I even bothered to go see it was because J.J. Abrams was directing and Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman were writing and these are the people behind the exceptional television shows Alias, Lost, and now Fringe. The movie had such great talent behind it that I couldn’t pass it up even if I wanted to. I’m so glad I didn’t as Star Trek has thus far been the best film of the summer season.
Prequels, in my opinion, rarely work and can destroy a franchise by claiming to go back to the beginning to explain how certain characters became who they are. Star Trek is no different as it takes our familiar crew of the Starship Enterprise back to the days of Starfleet Academy where many of them first met. Having learned most of this info from the original television and the films you’d think that there would be no where for the new film to go but Abrams and crew have crafted a familiar story that’s retold through a past that is changed when Romulans from the future journey back in time to change the past and thus their own future.
Now the whole time traveling thing has been done numerous times in the television show not to mention several of the big screen movies, so, using the same device in the new film felt a little like cheating at first but Orci and Kurtzman decide not to dwell on this device too long but instead focuses on its effect on the past (the present of the film).
I could go into more details about the plot but frankly its better if you watch it yourself as Star Trek is the best of all the Star Trek films thus far produced as it is not only a great sci-fi film but a great dramatic film as well with the peppered humor of Abrams Alias and Felicity through in for good measure. The other thing is that audiences of all ages and people who don’t even like sci-fi will enjoy this film. This cannot be said for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, which is now the second best film in the franchise (this film is liked by Trekkies the most). Before this new film general audiences only connected with the Erath friendly Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (which also relied on time travel) but this film has dated the most over the years of all the films.
Abrams cast is point on perfect at the iconic original crew of the Enterprise and all the characters get their moment to shine in this film (whereas in the later films the supporting characters became mere background characters at times). Abrams and crew should be commended in changing my views on remakes/reboots because up until this film I was willing to give up all hope on a summer with an actual good film.
Prequels, in my opinion, rarely work and can destroy a franchise by claiming to go back to the beginning to explain how certain characters became who they are. Star Trek is no different as it takes our familiar crew of the Starship Enterprise back to the days of Starfleet Academy where many of them first met. Having learned most of this info from the original television and the films you’d think that there would be no where for the new film to go but Abrams and crew have crafted a familiar story that’s retold through a past that is changed when Romulans from the future journey back in time to change the past and thus their own future.
Now the whole time traveling thing has been done numerous times in the television show not to mention several of the big screen movies, so, using the same device in the new film felt a little like cheating at first but Orci and Kurtzman decide not to dwell on this device too long but instead focuses on its effect on the past (the present of the film).
I could go into more details about the plot but frankly its better if you watch it yourself as Star Trek is the best of all the Star Trek films thus far produced as it is not only a great sci-fi film but a great dramatic film as well with the peppered humor of Abrams Alias and Felicity through in for good measure. The other thing is that audiences of all ages and people who don’t even like sci-fi will enjoy this film. This cannot be said for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, which is now the second best film in the franchise (this film is liked by Trekkies the most). Before this new film general audiences only connected with the Erath friendly Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (which also relied on time travel) but this film has dated the most over the years of all the films.
Abrams cast is point on perfect at the iconic original crew of the Enterprise and all the characters get their moment to shine in this film (whereas in the later films the supporting characters became mere background characters at times). Abrams and crew should be commended in changing my views on remakes/reboots because up until this film I was willing to give up all hope on a summer with an actual good film.
I'm Seeing ANGELS & DEMONS! Please help Me!
I’ve never read a Dan Brown book and I didn’t really care all that much for The Da Vinci Code but it was entertaining and I generally like Tom Hanks, whom I can always trust when it comes to films (he can make a mediocre film watchable which is why I saw The Da Vinci Code). The only reason why I bothered with Angels & Demons was because Hanks was in it and I tend to give more credit to a film if it has Ewan McGregor in it since I think (like Hanks) this is an actor who can do just about any genre of film.
I have to say that I enjoyed Angels & Demons a whole hell of a lot more then The Da Vinci Code. Although both films move at a break neck pace Angels & Demons has streamlined the film to make it more accessible to mainstream audiences. This could have been disastrous but in Hanks and director Ron Howard’s hands the film has a great energy that the film lacked (and in my opinion slowed it down). This film also has more interesting supporting characters and a story that is neither clean cut nor too overly complication (unlike its predecessor which got convoluted in its own terminology and far too many occasions).
Unlike The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons is a fun and entertaining summer film with just the hint of a great murder mystery behind it which bolds well with its box office future.
I have to say that I enjoyed Angels & Demons a whole hell of a lot more then The Da Vinci Code. Although both films move at a break neck pace Angels & Demons has streamlined the film to make it more accessible to mainstream audiences. This could have been disastrous but in Hanks and director Ron Howard’s hands the film has a great energy that the film lacked (and in my opinion slowed it down). This film also has more interesting supporting characters and a story that is neither clean cut nor too overly complication (unlike its predecessor which got convoluted in its own terminology and far too many occasions).
Unlike The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons is a fun and entertaining summer film with just the hint of a great murder mystery behind it which bolds well with its box office future.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE a Waste of Time
Let me first say that growing up in the '80s & '90s I read a lot of comics one of which was The X-Men from Marvel so I'd like to think I know a lot about the characters. I know that sometime at the end of the '90s and '00s Marvel's brains were scrambled and they decided to re-boot their comics (most of which from what I've heard was a disaster but some did stick).
I love comic book films of which BLADE, SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-MAN 2, HELLBOY & HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY are among the best recent examples. If you notice none of the X-Men films are included on this list and that is for good reason as none of the films are all that good (although I do consider X2: X-MEN UNITED the best). The only reason why any of the films suceeded is because of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ian McKellen as Magneto because the screenplays are pedestrian at best with no sense of what the X-Men truly were, which was a team of mutants who banded together in order to combat majot atrocities to their kind as well as humankind. Now the theme is present in all three films but the word "team" is lacking in all except the 2nd film (hince why I think it is the best). The first film is nothing more then a film about Wolverine and Rogue who just so happen to meet the X-Men (since no one in the team is given nearly as much screen time as Wolverine & Rogue nor as much of a story/plot). The 2nd film managed to have plenty of great subplots amongst the great action set pieces and actually tried to be a good and well rounded film and Wolverine didn't hog all the screen time (although Cyclops the leader of the X-Men is still under used). The 3rd film was a total mess as old characters from the first two films are killed or completely discarded to make room for all the new characters who were just on hand as popcorn eye candy. It was one big action film mess withy no redeemable qualities.
The same can be said of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE which rewrites X-Men lore to suit whatever the filmmakers thought would be "cooler" in a story that's so uninspired that I almost fell asleep in the theatre. Fleshing out events already alluded to in X2 this new film tries to explain the origins of Wolverine which is the least interesting story to try and tell. With so much history to pull from with the Wolverine character the filmmakers decided to go with a story that pretty much told itself it the previous film. Let's not even mention the complete overhaul done on the Sabretooth character and the complete misuse of the Gambit character (another one of the X-Men's most popular characters who bares has a comeo in this film). The film comes off as nothing more than a marketing ploe to get butts in the seats with lots of things that go "boom" and "pow" and I for one never bought it.
The film is an uninspired mess of which I'm shocked that Jackman didn't have more input into (especially since they plan on making a trilogy of these films). I don't recommend this film to any one unless you ust love Jackman or just can't wait to see the film on video.
Seeing Robots Everywhere in TERMINATOR SALVATION
Am I a TERMINATOR fan?
Having enjoyed both of the James Cameron films I delved into the continuation of the franchise in the four-colored world of comics first throw NOW comics original series TERMINATOR: THE BURNING EARTH and later through Dark Horse Comics who published various limited series based on the franchise (all fairly good although like most franchise tended to run out of steam towards the end of their run).
Then came TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (2003) directed by newcomer Jonathan Mostow who did an excellent job small thriller BREAKDOWN (1997) and U-571 (2000) but T3 ended up an ill-fated mess only enjoyable to those who have never seen the first two films. This film had a bigger budget but no brains and ended up nothing more then a very good paycheck for the current Govenor of CA. Sorry to say that I no longer was a Terminator fan.
Then in 2008 TERMINATOR showed up on the small screen with THE SARAH CONNER CHRONICLES, a spin-off with a great cast but messed with the continuity of the franchise so much that I'm not sure that in even belongs in the TERMINATOR franchise or if it's just a bad dream (like what eventually happened with HALLOWEEN 4, 5, and 6 to that franchise). Although this show was cancelled after only two seasons it has its fans (because frankly the show wasn't that bad).
Now we have TERMINATOR SALVATION (2009) a film that tries to be a sequel while also trying to reboot the franchise (ala STAR TREK). I'm not going to say the film is great but it's a whole hell of a lot better then the previous film which is mainly because of the good writing and great cast on board. Whereas the 3rd film poked fun at itself on several occassions this film is a gritty war film that asks the question - in a world ruled by robots is humanity dead? After watching that 3rd film you'd think so but stars Christian Bale (as prophet of doom John Conner) and Sam Worthington are great foils for one another. It's tuff to play opposite rising star super giant Bale but newcomer Worthington does a great job of holding his own in the film which is a testament not only to his talent but also to the great screenplay by John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris.
It film not only has a gripping (and intellent) story behind it but it also has the action and excitement required of a summer popcorn film. I give great praise to director McG for putting together such a great team of experts (especially after the rumors of how hard he worked to get Bale interested in the film). Some people only see him as the guy who directed the CHARLES ANGELS films but I was willing to give him a chance (especially since Mostow - whom I like - screwed up the 3rd film).
My interest in the TERMINATOR franchise has been rekindled, for now, and I hope that they continue to do it right with any subsequent films.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Graphic Novel Review: FEDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH
The most anticipated sequel to a horror film never made it to the big screen but instead was relegated to the four color world of comics. After the huge success of the film Freddy Vs. Jason there was takes about a sequel, the most talked about being the proposed Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash story that would combine the two kings of the slasher genre with that of the hero of The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness films. This never fully materialized (for various reasons) but the treatment for that proposed film was the outline for this six issue limited series that makes up the graphic novel. Published by Dynamite Entertainment and Wildstorm the story of Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash is one that every fan of any of the series would have loved to have seen as a film.
The story begins after the events in the Freddy Vs. Jason movie where Freddy finds himself trapped in the mind of Jason. Freddy’s only hope of getting out is through the help of the Necronomicon, The Book of the Dead which currently resides in the old Voorhees home (as witnessed in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday). At this same time S-Mart is opening a new Super S-Mart on the former stomping grounds of Camp Crystal Lake and Ash is on hand to help the store get in shape before the grand opening. Ash, being the hunter of deadites that he is, believes that he is being lured there by the Book of the Dead for some nefarious reasons. It is not long before Ash encounters what’s left of some of Jason’s victims and he believes it is his destiny to rid the world of Jason (whom he thinks is a deadite). It doesn’t take long before Ash realizes that Jason is only the tool of a greater evil, Freddy, who with the Book of the Dead will be able to meld the dream world and the real world together so that he will have total reign. In true Army of Darkness fashion, Ash will blunder and kill anything and everything that gets in his way from destroying the Book of the Dead once and for all.
One of the reasons why this story works so well is the care with the story (Story by Jeff Katz & Script by James A. Kuhoric) and art (by Jason Craig) given to book which references all three film franchises both in terms of story and visuals. For The Evil Dead fans there are a lot of visual nods to The Evil Dead II, which just allow the comedy to flow. Surprisingly, Freddy is wisely not seen as the comic element in the story (although he does have his moments) but instead he is the grand mastermind behind an elaborate plot that’s more complex then anything seen in his films. Jason is given plenty of room to kill…well, just about everybody as this series has more blood flowing then any of the films (thank the heavens). This is definitely a Hard-R rated comic with plenty of surprises by the end.
Having only read a handful of the various comic book series based on these characters now being released by Dynamite Entertainment and Wildstorm it was a relief to know that I didn’t have to have read any of those series to enjoy this story. In fact, you don’t really need to have seen the film Freddy Vs. Jason as the series gives a quick recap of the events of the film for those readers just familiar with the characters.
This is one of the few books I think should have been made into a film but if all I have is this graphic novel then I’m not really going to complain any more.
The story begins after the events in the Freddy Vs. Jason movie where Freddy finds himself trapped in the mind of Jason. Freddy’s only hope of getting out is through the help of the Necronomicon, The Book of the Dead which currently resides in the old Voorhees home (as witnessed in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday). At this same time S-Mart is opening a new Super S-Mart on the former stomping grounds of Camp Crystal Lake and Ash is on hand to help the store get in shape before the grand opening. Ash, being the hunter of deadites that he is, believes that he is being lured there by the Book of the Dead for some nefarious reasons. It is not long before Ash encounters what’s left of some of Jason’s victims and he believes it is his destiny to rid the world of Jason (whom he thinks is a deadite). It doesn’t take long before Ash realizes that Jason is only the tool of a greater evil, Freddy, who with the Book of the Dead will be able to meld the dream world and the real world together so that he will have total reign. In true Army of Darkness fashion, Ash will blunder and kill anything and everything that gets in his way from destroying the Book of the Dead once and for all.
One of the reasons why this story works so well is the care with the story (Story by Jeff Katz & Script by James A. Kuhoric) and art (by Jason Craig) given to book which references all three film franchises both in terms of story and visuals. For The Evil Dead fans there are a lot of visual nods to The Evil Dead II, which just allow the comedy to flow. Surprisingly, Freddy is wisely not seen as the comic element in the story (although he does have his moments) but instead he is the grand mastermind behind an elaborate plot that’s more complex then anything seen in his films. Jason is given plenty of room to kill…well, just about everybody as this series has more blood flowing then any of the films (thank the heavens). This is definitely a Hard-R rated comic with plenty of surprises by the end.
Having only read a handful of the various comic book series based on these characters now being released by Dynamite Entertainment and Wildstorm it was a relief to know that I didn’t have to have read any of those series to enjoy this story. In fact, you don’t really need to have seen the film Freddy Vs. Jason as the series gives a quick recap of the events of the film for those readers just familiar with the characters.
This is one of the few books I think should have been made into a film but if all I have is this graphic novel then I’m not really going to complain any more.
Graphic Novel Review: ELFQUEST: THE DISCOVERY
The Wendy & Richard Pini creation ElfQuest has been around for over 35 years in one form or another and with ElfQuest: The Discovery the two have crafted a story that’s true to the heart of creation while also bringing it up to date for new readers.
Having read the ElfQuest series sporadically I know all the main characters but didn’t know much about all the newer characters. The Pini’s have crafted a world overwhelmed with characters which are all distinct and three-dimensional whether they appear in one scene or two or more scenes in the story. All the main characters are here in The Discovery from Cutter, the leader of the Wolf Pack of elves, Skywise, Timmain, the last of the High Ones, and the newly found elves the Wavedancers. Since this story is concerned less with the original elves, The Discovery is more about Cutter’s son Sunstream who has fallen in love with Brill, a Wavedancer whose tribe has hidden away from the outside world due to the cruelty placed upon them by humans. Cutter, whose life long journey is to unite all the elf tribes, sees this as a great opportunity to unite one of their brethren regardless of the fears. Brill is put in an awkward position as she and the rest of the Wavedancers are forced into hiding by her tribe’s former leader Surge.
The story may sound complicated at first of the Pini’s do a great job with streamlining the main story about two tribes who must overcome their differences in order to become one. It’s a similar story to the one the Pini’s have been telling for years but it’s also the driving force behind what makes the ElfQuest stories so interesting to read and universal to everyone. Regardless of how many characters are introduced (and believe me there are a lot) newer readers shouldn’t be put off as this is a great story (however brief).
Having read the ElfQuest series sporadically I know all the main characters but didn’t know much about all the newer characters. The Pini’s have crafted a world overwhelmed with characters which are all distinct and three-dimensional whether they appear in one scene or two or more scenes in the story. All the main characters are here in The Discovery from Cutter, the leader of the Wolf Pack of elves, Skywise, Timmain, the last of the High Ones, and the newly found elves the Wavedancers. Since this story is concerned less with the original elves, The Discovery is more about Cutter’s son Sunstream who has fallen in love with Brill, a Wavedancer whose tribe has hidden away from the outside world due to the cruelty placed upon them by humans. Cutter, whose life long journey is to unite all the elf tribes, sees this as a great opportunity to unite one of their brethren regardless of the fears. Brill is put in an awkward position as she and the rest of the Wavedancers are forced into hiding by her tribe’s former leader Surge.
The story may sound complicated at first of the Pini’s do a great job with streamlining the main story about two tribes who must overcome their differences in order to become one. It’s a similar story to the one the Pini’s have been telling for years but it’s also the driving force behind what makes the ElfQuest stories so interesting to read and universal to everyone. Regardless of how many characters are introduced (and believe me there are a lot) newer readers shouldn’t be put off as this is a great story (however brief).
Sunday, April 12, 2009
WATCHMEN - An Epic in the Making!
Before viewing the epic comic book adaptation of Watchmen viewing must be aware of a few things before they can truly enjoy this film. First, is that director Zack Snyder has tried his best to present as faithful an adaptation to the material as he so well did with his last film 300, second - that this film was made for the fans of the graphic novel, three – that there are a lot of parallel stories and themes in the film (thus the almost 3 hour running time), and four – that this film is definitely not for children. If you understand these few things then you’re in for one of the best films of 2009.
Everyone who watches this film will compare it to last year’s mega-blockbuster The Dark Knight, but you must remember that The Dark Knight and the Batman franchise has over 35 years of stories to pull from not to mention all the television series, theatrical serials, and theatrical films, so, there is not a whole lot of originality when it comes to the Batman franchise. Instead, those films rely on the way they are presented and the assurance that all audiences no matter how great and wide know of the character in one form or another, whereas with Watchmen, it’s more of a cult and underground thing that’s been raped and pillaged over the years by other storytellers (just look at The Incredibles which is a watered-down version of this story made for children and families). Watchmen takes place in an alternate universe (i.e. V For Vendetta) that looks as if it is on the brink of World War III (which in the story it is). Needless to say, Watchmen is a film that many audiences just won’t be able to enjoy.
This is perfectly fine as it isn’t made for all audiences. I’m sure Snyder wants as many people to see his movie as possible but lets be honest, most audiences just aren’t going to want to think to enjoy the movie, which this film makes you do. The original 12 issue series by writer Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons was a complex history of an entire alternate world in which the murder of a former super hero sparks what can only be described as the events leading up to a possible World War III. There are multiple characters with multiple stories and flashbacks after flashbacks after flashbacks that left many readers needing to read the series several times just to be able to digest everything that the story had to offer. The film, with its running time of almost 3 hours, had a lot of ground to cover and Snyder does an excellent job of adapting the series to film and like his previous film 300 many of the images are lifted completely from the comic book itself.
I could go into details about the story but suffice it to say that no amount of words here will be able to give the film true justice. The film works on so many levels because of the dedication of not only Snyder but his cast and staff as well who try so hard to be faithful not only to the comic but to the vision of Moore and Gibbons’ creation. More then this alone is one reason why this film is such a vastly different animal then The Dark Knight.
The film has garnered lukewarm reviews but I see this film on par with that of the equally misunderstood sci-fi classic Blade Runner. That film was a box office disaster that could only be truly appreciated upon multiple viewings and I believe that with Watchmen the same thing can be said. Truth be known, I never finished reading the graphic novel and have thus gone back to it after having seen the film and I enjoy both equally well.
Everyone who watches this film will compare it to last year’s mega-blockbuster The Dark Knight, but you must remember that The Dark Knight and the Batman franchise has over 35 years of stories to pull from not to mention all the television series, theatrical serials, and theatrical films, so, there is not a whole lot of originality when it comes to the Batman franchise. Instead, those films rely on the way they are presented and the assurance that all audiences no matter how great and wide know of the character in one form or another, whereas with Watchmen, it’s more of a cult and underground thing that’s been raped and pillaged over the years by other storytellers (just look at The Incredibles which is a watered-down version of this story made for children and families). Watchmen takes place in an alternate universe (i.e. V For Vendetta) that looks as if it is on the brink of World War III (which in the story it is). Needless to say, Watchmen is a film that many audiences just won’t be able to enjoy.
This is perfectly fine as it isn’t made for all audiences. I’m sure Snyder wants as many people to see his movie as possible but lets be honest, most audiences just aren’t going to want to think to enjoy the movie, which this film makes you do. The original 12 issue series by writer Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons was a complex history of an entire alternate world in which the murder of a former super hero sparks what can only be described as the events leading up to a possible World War III. There are multiple characters with multiple stories and flashbacks after flashbacks after flashbacks that left many readers needing to read the series several times just to be able to digest everything that the story had to offer. The film, with its running time of almost 3 hours, had a lot of ground to cover and Snyder does an excellent job of adapting the series to film and like his previous film 300 many of the images are lifted completely from the comic book itself.
I could go into details about the story but suffice it to say that no amount of words here will be able to give the film true justice. The film works on so many levels because of the dedication of not only Snyder but his cast and staff as well who try so hard to be faithful not only to the comic but to the vision of Moore and Gibbons’ creation. More then this alone is one reason why this film is such a vastly different animal then The Dark Knight.
The film has garnered lukewarm reviews but I see this film on par with that of the equally misunderstood sci-fi classic Blade Runner. That film was a box office disaster that could only be truly appreciated upon multiple viewings and I believe that with Watchmen the same thing can be said. Truth be known, I never finished reading the graphic novel and have thus gone back to it after having seen the film and I enjoy both equally well.
Neil Gaiman's Fairytale CORALINE Makes it to the Big Screen!
It’s been eight years since the release of writer & director Henry Selick’s infamous film Monkeybone (2001), but he returns with great grace with the animated adaptation of writer Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. This 3D stop-motion CGI animated film is a wonder in modern day American animation and storytelling from beginning to end.
It’s hard to believe that the film version of the celebrated novel took so long since the film rights were grabbed up as soon as the book was published, but Selick (who got famous with his stop-motion film Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas) has a knack for dark and humorous children’s fables that audiences of all ages tend to enjoy, which makes the pairing of him and Gaiman’s material so natural.
The story is about Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) who moves into a new house with her family who unwittingly finds a doorway into and alternate world that’s just like her own world except that the people who inhabit this world have buttons for eyes. Everything in this alternate world is infinitely better then in her own world but when the inhabitants of this alternate world refuse to let her return to her own world, Coraline must find a way back to her own world as well as find a way to lock the doorway between the worlds forever. Now there is more to the story then described here (infinitely more) but if you haven’t read the novel then its better to just watch the film for yourself for all the details.
Although I was unable to see the 3D version of the film, the 2D version is just as good and doesn’t loose anything in translation as the story is strong enough that it doesn’t have to rely on the 3D gimmick to sale itself. The film has a great voice cast with Teri Hatcher, Keith David, and Ian McShane as some of the standouts (although everyone doesn a fantastic job).This is truly one of the major highlights of 2009 whether animated or live action films.
It’s hard to believe that the film version of the celebrated novel took so long since the film rights were grabbed up as soon as the book was published, but Selick (who got famous with his stop-motion film Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas) has a knack for dark and humorous children’s fables that audiences of all ages tend to enjoy, which makes the pairing of him and Gaiman’s material so natural.
The story is about Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) who moves into a new house with her family who unwittingly finds a doorway into and alternate world that’s just like her own world except that the people who inhabit this world have buttons for eyes. Everything in this alternate world is infinitely better then in her own world but when the inhabitants of this alternate world refuse to let her return to her own world, Coraline must find a way back to her own world as well as find a way to lock the doorway between the worlds forever. Now there is more to the story then described here (infinitely more) but if you haven’t read the novel then its better to just watch the film for yourself for all the details.
Although I was unable to see the 3D version of the film, the 2D version is just as good and doesn’t loose anything in translation as the story is strong enough that it doesn’t have to rely on the 3D gimmick to sale itself. The film has a great voice cast with Teri Hatcher, Keith David, and Ian McShane as some of the standouts (although everyone doesn a fantastic job).This is truly one of the major highlights of 2009 whether animated or live action films.
Film Review: UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS
The Underworld franchise is one of the most popular werewolf v. vampire films to ever grace the movie screens mostly because of their reliance on action over horror and of the star power of Kate Beckinsale but the latest film in the franchise Underworld: Rise of the Lycans does not have a return visit from Beckinsale because this film is a prequel to the previous films. Instead it relies on the returning cast members of Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Kevin Grevioux, and Steven Mackintosh, and newcomer Rhona Mitra, to tell the story that started the war between lycans and vampires.
Lucian (Sheen) is chief lycan to Viktor (Nighy) whose reign is being threatened by rogue lycans that lie just outside Viktor’s gates ready to kill anyone who gets in their way. Viktor’s daughter Sona (Mitra) is a warrior at heart but is also having a secret affair with Lucian. This love affair is forbidden as the two are from different species of which Viktor is stop at nothing to prevent the union from happening even if it means killing his own daughter. Now Lucian finds himself having to bring all lycans together as one unified species in order to be free of Viktor’s tyranny and to save the woman he loves. Along for the ride is Tannis (Mackintosh), who returns in this film after being introduced in the previous film Evolution, and Raze (Grevioux), one of the most popular lycans from the first film, whose origins are seen here.
Screenwriter Danny McBride returns for the third go around with assistance from writers Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain and it shows as this third film effortlessly returns audiences to the Underworld universe (and it ends with the events at the beginning of the first film). Nighy, who has been in all three films, is a welcomed assurance that this new film won’t just be a means to squeeze every dime out of the franchise.
The film works on many levels and for those who were missing the lycans from the previous film there is plenty of lycan carnage in this film. Rise of the Lycans is a welcomed continuation of the series and leaves certain things of the story open for another sequel.
Lucian (Sheen) is chief lycan to Viktor (Nighy) whose reign is being threatened by rogue lycans that lie just outside Viktor’s gates ready to kill anyone who gets in their way. Viktor’s daughter Sona (Mitra) is a warrior at heart but is also having a secret affair with Lucian. This love affair is forbidden as the two are from different species of which Viktor is stop at nothing to prevent the union from happening even if it means killing his own daughter. Now Lucian finds himself having to bring all lycans together as one unified species in order to be free of Viktor’s tyranny and to save the woman he loves. Along for the ride is Tannis (Mackintosh), who returns in this film after being introduced in the previous film Evolution, and Raze (Grevioux), one of the most popular lycans from the first film, whose origins are seen here.
Screenwriter Danny McBride returns for the third go around with assistance from writers Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain and it shows as this third film effortlessly returns audiences to the Underworld universe (and it ends with the events at the beginning of the first film). Nighy, who has been in all three films, is a welcomed assurance that this new film won’t just be a means to squeeze every dime out of the franchise.
The film works on many levels and for those who were missing the lycans from the previous film there is plenty of lycan carnage in this film. Rise of the Lycans is a welcomed continuation of the series and leaves certain things of the story open for another sequel.
The IMAX Experience - MONSTERS VS. ALIENS in 3D
It’s hard to love a movie that as filled with so many over stuffed clichés as MONSTERS VS. ALIENS but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t at least a fun and entertaining film. It was a novel idea to do a animated monster film as it hasn’t been done since Monsters, Inc. so audiences aren’t tired of them just yet. With over five writers to its credit the film comes off as being too over written and formulaic as we follow Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) who is turned into a 49’ 11” tall women by a unknown meteor. She is then captured by the government and hidden away in a secret government facility run by General Monger (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland), whom has captured several monsters over the years and hidden them away from the public eye. These monsters include B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), an artificially created lifeform with no brain, Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a former scientist who accidentally turned himself into a cockroach during an experiment, and The Missing Link (Will Arnett), who was thawed out of a piece of ice and has wrecked havoc ever since. If you don’t already see all the references to ‘50s B-movies yet then shame on you as the film is filled with ‘50s references as well as references to all manner of sci-fi and pop-culture films from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Beverly Hills Cop to Godzilla and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.
Most of the references will be lost on younger audiences but people with a great appreciation of films will recognize most if not all of the references, which is the film’s biggest problem. It has so many references to other films that it never seems to have a mind of its own and everything from plot to character to story seems like something lifted from something else. Having seen the film on an IMAX screen in 3D I was able to forgive many of the films’ problems as I thoroughly enjoy watching films in digital 3D in the IMAX format. Somehow it makes many films better then they should be (i.e. when I saw The Day The Earth Stood Still on an IMAX screen). I’m sure that when and if I see the film again I won’t have the same experience.
Children will enjoy the film (especially those that loved Monsters, Inc.) but after the novelty of the 3D wears off and you’ve had enough of memory lane with the film references most older audiences may not enjoy the film as much as they wanted to. I will say that the antics of B.O.B. and The President (as voiced by Stephen Colbert) are some of the best in the film and recommended for this alone.
Most of the references will be lost on younger audiences but people with a great appreciation of films will recognize most if not all of the references, which is the film’s biggest problem. It has so many references to other films that it never seems to have a mind of its own and everything from plot to character to story seems like something lifted from something else. Having seen the film on an IMAX screen in 3D I was able to forgive many of the films’ problems as I thoroughly enjoy watching films in digital 3D in the IMAX format. Somehow it makes many films better then they should be (i.e. when I saw The Day The Earth Stood Still on an IMAX screen). I’m sure that when and if I see the film again I won’t have the same experience.
Children will enjoy the film (especially those that loved Monsters, Inc.) but after the novelty of the 3D wears off and you’ve had enough of memory lane with the film references most older audiences may not enjoy the film as much as they wanted to. I will say that the antics of B.O.B. and The President (as voiced by Stephen Colbert) are some of the best in the film and recommended for this alone.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009) Tries To Bring New Life To The Remake Genre!
Having not been a big fan of the original Wes Craven film I had mixed expectations about this modern day remake The Last House On The Left (2009). The original film written and directed by Craven is a cult classic more because of the taboos it broke when originally released especially in terms of the rape and murder brought upon to the main characters. It is a film more remembered for its exploitation aspects and the fact that it is Craven’s first major motion picture then it is for actually being a good film.
The new film written by Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth and directed by Dennis Iliadis couldn’t rely on breaking cinematic taboos or violent carnage because its all been seen and done before (just take a look at what the French have been releasing over the last few years with Inside, High Tension, and Frontiers). The new film expands on the original story while also relying mostly on mood, suspense, and very good performances by the entire cast.
Craven, who produces the remake, has made it a career with polished horror films for the main stream audience from the Scream franchise to the more recent Red Eye and The Hills Have Eyes remake (and its sequel) and that same aesthetic is on display here. This film has none of the low budget trappings of Craven’s earlier films but is refined and has a few name actors with Monica Potter (of Along Came A Spider and television’s Boston Legal) and Tony Goldwyn (of Ghost, Kuffs, and for you horror film-fans Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives), to name a few.
I could go into detail about the plot of the film but when it comes to remakes the plot never really changes from the original and I don’t like to sound like a broken record but I will say that this film, as directed by Iliadis, is more suspenseful and exciting then the Craven original and actually makes for a better cinematic film. Unlike the Craven film (which isn’t really a film for everyone), this newer version is a film that most audiences can enjoy in the same guilty pleasure as Craven’s more recent Scream franchise or films like Saw, Hostel, or Halloween (2008).
The new film written by Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth and directed by Dennis Iliadis couldn’t rely on breaking cinematic taboos or violent carnage because its all been seen and done before (just take a look at what the French have been releasing over the last few years with Inside, High Tension, and Frontiers). The new film expands on the original story while also relying mostly on mood, suspense, and very good performances by the entire cast.
Craven, who produces the remake, has made it a career with polished horror films for the main stream audience from the Scream franchise to the more recent Red Eye and The Hills Have Eyes remake (and its sequel) and that same aesthetic is on display here. This film has none of the low budget trappings of Craven’s earlier films but is refined and has a few name actors with Monica Potter (of Along Came A Spider and television’s Boston Legal) and Tony Goldwyn (of Ghost, Kuffs, and for you horror film-fans Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives), to name a few.
I could go into detail about the plot of the film but when it comes to remakes the plot never really changes from the original and I don’t like to sound like a broken record but I will say that this film, as directed by Iliadis, is more suspenseful and exciting then the Craven original and actually makes for a better cinematic film. Unlike the Craven film (which isn’t really a film for everyone), this newer version is a film that most audiences can enjoy in the same guilty pleasure as Craven’s more recent Scream franchise or films like Saw, Hostel, or Halloween (2008).
The Rock RACES TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
Disney is not above recycling there own films so its of now surprise that the novel “Escape to Witch Mountain” by Alexander Key is now the new pre-summer film Race To Witch Mountain starring everyone’s famous former wrestler Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock).
In the summer film tradition this new film has a lot of special FX and a lot of action and like the title suggests it “races” from one moment to the next at the pace of a Michael Bay film. Like last year’s Journey To The Center of the Earth in 3D, Race is a no-brains action kids film that easily forgotten after viewing. Kids will probably love it but anyone over the age of 13 will just wish they’d gone and saw something else.
The film concerns two aliens who crash to Earth in search of a secret experiment left on Earth that will help their own planet survive imminent danger. If they don’t get the experiment back to their planet in time then the people of their planet will invade Earth. Johnson plays Jack Bruno, the cab driver who drives them from place to place and inevitable gets himself caught up in trying to help the aliens get back home to their planet before the government gets a hold of them.
Although the special FX are really well done and there are some comic moments to be had between Johnson and Carla Gugino (from Watchmen), the film never seems fresh or new since most of what happens has been seen and done before in other Disney movies. As directed by Andy Fickman (with a screenplay by Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback), the film has very little to offer anyone with an extensive background in old Disney films. The only people that will enjoy this film are children who haven’t had the chance to watch all the classic Disney films yet (or fans of The Rock).
In the summer film tradition this new film has a lot of special FX and a lot of action and like the title suggests it “races” from one moment to the next at the pace of a Michael Bay film. Like last year’s Journey To The Center of the Earth in 3D, Race is a no-brains action kids film that easily forgotten after viewing. Kids will probably love it but anyone over the age of 13 will just wish they’d gone and saw something else.
The film concerns two aliens who crash to Earth in search of a secret experiment left on Earth that will help their own planet survive imminent danger. If they don’t get the experiment back to their planet in time then the people of their planet will invade Earth. Johnson plays Jack Bruno, the cab driver who drives them from place to place and inevitable gets himself caught up in trying to help the aliens get back home to their planet before the government gets a hold of them.
Although the special FX are really well done and there are some comic moments to be had between Johnson and Carla Gugino (from Watchmen), the film never seems fresh or new since most of what happens has been seen and done before in other Disney movies. As directed by Andy Fickman (with a screenplay by Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback), the film has very little to offer anyone with an extensive background in old Disney films. The only people that will enjoy this film are children who haven’t had the chance to watch all the classic Disney films yet (or fans of The Rock).
Film Review: THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
With so many ghost and haunted house films being released since The Ring (2002) was a huge hit it’s kind of easy to dismiss this “Based on Real Events” film based on the experience of a family going through the hardship of having a child with cancer who move into the perfect house that just so happens to be haunted.
If you’ve seen one American ghost story then this move will not seem like anything new…on the surface that is. This film follows all the trappings of the haunted house film – 1) a desperate family moves into a house that harbors a dark secret, 2) “shock moments” approximately every 10 minutes as if the audience really needs a “fake” shock moment to remind them of the type of movie they are watching, and 3) you think you know what’s behind the haunting until the big reveal at the end. As written by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe the film doesn’t miss a beat at it follows the conventions of all American ghost/haunting films, which makes it had to believe that anything in the film actually “really” happened.
The thing that holds the film together and actually makes it worth watching is the on screen chemistry between Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner as Sara and Matt Campbell (mother and son, respectively). Matt is battling cancer while Sara is his mother who is trying to be strong and keep it together not only for her son but for her other two younger children and over-worked husband (played by Martin Donovan). With lesser capable actors the film would have been derivative but these two actors play the smaller and quieter moments extremely well and give their characters a humanity that is missing from most other films of this genre.
The film has its chilling moments especially when you learn the nature of the haunting but like most modern day horror films this film suffers from its reliance to end on a big action-packed moment (which also comes off as very unlikely and unreal) and therefore looses some of the intimacy that it had created earlier. This is a small element that can be over looked in an otherwise very entertaining, yet predictable, haunted house film.
If you’ve seen one American ghost story then this move will not seem like anything new…on the surface that is. This film follows all the trappings of the haunted house film – 1) a desperate family moves into a house that harbors a dark secret, 2) “shock moments” approximately every 10 minutes as if the audience really needs a “fake” shock moment to remind them of the type of movie they are watching, and 3) you think you know what’s behind the haunting until the big reveal at the end. As written by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe the film doesn’t miss a beat at it follows the conventions of all American ghost/haunting films, which makes it had to believe that anything in the film actually “really” happened.
The thing that holds the film together and actually makes it worth watching is the on screen chemistry between Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner as Sara and Matt Campbell (mother and son, respectively). Matt is battling cancer while Sara is his mother who is trying to be strong and keep it together not only for her son but for her other two younger children and over-worked husband (played by Martin Donovan). With lesser capable actors the film would have been derivative but these two actors play the smaller and quieter moments extremely well and give their characters a humanity that is missing from most other films of this genre.
The film has its chilling moments especially when you learn the nature of the haunting but like most modern day horror films this film suffers from its reliance to end on a big action-packed moment (which also comes off as very unlikely and unreal) and therefore looses some of the intimacy that it had created earlier. This is a small element that can be over looked in an otherwise very entertaining, yet predictable, haunted house film.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
"My North Star"
Through the clear darkness
That consumes me
A faint glimmer gives me hope,
Of reassurance,
A desire,
That I am not alone
That no single star
Is ever truly alone
But they’re surrounded by their
Significant other
Their brethren
Together they could glisten
The sky with light
Imagine when I look into
Your eyes –
That glimmer like Rigel or
Orion’s Belt or
Saturn with it’s many rings;
A desire
Overcomes me and like
The stars in Heaven
You will shine!
Brighter than the North Star
Or all the stars of the Big Dipper
It may seem that we
are as far apart
as the Sun to Pluto –
it’s warm rays never
reaching Pluto’s cold surface.
Whereas in reality
we are as close
together as a
mother to her child;
two interlocking
warm bodies
forever en raptured
Distinguishing
Your shining star
from those other
faint glimmers
in the sky –
and I will
continue to
dream of the day
when I am up there
with You.
That consumes me
A faint glimmer gives me hope,
Of reassurance,
A desire,
That I am not alone
That no single star
Is ever truly alone
But they’re surrounded by their
Significant other
Their brethren
Together they could glisten
The sky with light
Imagine when I look into
Your eyes –
That glimmer like Rigel or
Orion’s Belt or
Saturn with it’s many rings;
A desire
Overcomes me and like
The stars in Heaven
You will shine!
Brighter than the North Star
Or all the stars of the Big Dipper
It may seem that we
are as far apart
as the Sun to Pluto –
it’s warm rays never
reaching Pluto’s cold surface.
Whereas in reality
we are as close
together as a
mother to her child;
two interlocking
warm bodies
forever en raptured
Distinguishing
Your shining star
from those other
faint glimmers
in the sky –
and I will
continue to
dream of the day
when I am up there
with You.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE - A Book of Adapted Stories by Edgar Allan Poe!
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION OF EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SHORT STORIES
This collected volume of illustrated Edgar Allan Poe short’s is a great addition to lover’s of the great writer’s works. Some of the stories featured in Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories include The Raven, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Each story is tackled by a different creative team and the only unifying agent is that they are all adapted from Poe’s work.
Some are more satisfying then others as The Raven (by Dan Whitehead & Stuart Tipples; art by Stuart Tipples) was easily one of my favorites, but The Oval Portrait (by David Berner; art by Natalie Sandells), which I had never read before in any form, and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Jeremy Slater; art by Alice Duke) were also very good additions.
The great thing about this collection is the fact that it brings to life some of Poe’s greatest works for a new generation to appreciate. Poe’s work has been adapted throughout the ages in many different forms from comics to movies to television and audio books but it never ceases to amaze me how many emerging artists still find his work so inspirational. I grew up reading Poe at an early age and his work has been a great influence on me (even if I haven’t read everything he wrote). Another great addition to this collection is the Edgar Allan Poe’s Biography segment at the end of the collection with art & script by Laura Howell, which gives a few key insights about the man to new readers. Also, the book gives historical context for each of the stories just prior to their presentations, which is great knowledge for the young readers who have only a passing knowledge of the man & his work.
This collected volume of illustrated Edgar Allan Poe short’s is a great addition to lover’s of the great writer’s works. Some of the stories featured in Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories include The Raven, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Each story is tackled by a different creative team and the only unifying agent is that they are all adapted from Poe’s work.
Some are more satisfying then others as The Raven (by Dan Whitehead & Stuart Tipples; art by Stuart Tipples) was easily one of my favorites, but The Oval Portrait (by David Berner; art by Natalie Sandells), which I had never read before in any form, and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Jeremy Slater; art by Alice Duke) were also very good additions.
The great thing about this collection is the fact that it brings to life some of Poe’s greatest works for a new generation to appreciate. Poe’s work has been adapted throughout the ages in many different forms from comics to movies to television and audio books but it never ceases to amaze me how many emerging artists still find his work so inspirational. I grew up reading Poe at an early age and his work has been a great influence on me (even if I haven’t read everything he wrote). Another great addition to this collection is the Edgar Allan Poe’s Biography segment at the end of the collection with art & script by Laura Howell, which gives a few key insights about the man to new readers. Also, the book gives historical context for each of the stories just prior to their presentations, which is great knowledge for the young readers who have only a passing knowledge of the man & his work.
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: CORALINE Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russell
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: CORALINE Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Neil Gaiman’s glorious novel Coraline has been adapted & illustrated by Harvey and Eisner Award winner P. Craig Russell who goes out of his way to present a faithful adaptation to the celebrated fantasy novel.
Now a major motion picture Coraline (whether you read the original novel or the graphic novel) follows the exploits of a young girl Coraline who moves into a new house where her self absorbed parents want nothing more then for their child to find something to do with her time then to pester them when they are trying to work. Coraline is an adventurous young girl whose life is turned upside down when a door that opens to a bricked in apartment next door suddenly opens up to a wondrous new world inhabited by people claiming to be her Other Mother and her Other Father. Coraline finds this new world strange but wonderful even if her Other Mother & Father do have buttons for eyes and cats can speak.
When Coraline wants to leave to be with her real parents she realizes that her Other Mother has other plans and kidnaps her parents forcing young Coraline to stay in the other world. Now Coraline must find a way to save her real parents and out smart her Other Mother before she has buttons sewed where her eyes are.
Coraline is a story filled with signature Gaiman motifs of fantasy and adventure like many of his stories in Smoke & Mirrors not to mention his novels Stardust and Neverwhere. Russell does a great job at bringing Gaiman’s world to life on the page. His character designs are realistic yet retain all the visual flair of Gaiman’s prose. Since this is not a very dark story (say like Gaiman’s Sandman series) Russell uses a lot of light colors to his palette and doesn’t crowd the paneling with unneeded details (a testament to his reserved style with compliments the work perfectly).
Coming in at just 186 pages Coraline is a fast yet enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more (or at least wanting to read it again) and is perfect for reading to younger children for that slightly scary yet fantastic bed time story.
Neil Gaiman’s glorious novel Coraline has been adapted & illustrated by Harvey and Eisner Award winner P. Craig Russell who goes out of his way to present a faithful adaptation to the celebrated fantasy novel.
Now a major motion picture Coraline (whether you read the original novel or the graphic novel) follows the exploits of a young girl Coraline who moves into a new house where her self absorbed parents want nothing more then for their child to find something to do with her time then to pester them when they are trying to work. Coraline is an adventurous young girl whose life is turned upside down when a door that opens to a bricked in apartment next door suddenly opens up to a wondrous new world inhabited by people claiming to be her Other Mother and her Other Father. Coraline finds this new world strange but wonderful even if her Other Mother & Father do have buttons for eyes and cats can speak.
When Coraline wants to leave to be with her real parents she realizes that her Other Mother has other plans and kidnaps her parents forcing young Coraline to stay in the other world. Now Coraline must find a way to save her real parents and out smart her Other Mother before she has buttons sewed where her eyes are.
Coraline is a story filled with signature Gaiman motifs of fantasy and adventure like many of his stories in Smoke & Mirrors not to mention his novels Stardust and Neverwhere. Russell does a great job at bringing Gaiman’s world to life on the page. His character designs are realistic yet retain all the visual flair of Gaiman’s prose. Since this is not a very dark story (say like Gaiman’s Sandman series) Russell uses a lot of light colors to his palette and doesn’t crowd the paneling with unneeded details (a testament to his reserved style with compliments the work perfectly).
Coming in at just 186 pages Coraline is a fast yet enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more (or at least wanting to read it again) and is perfect for reading to younger children for that slightly scary yet fantastic bed time story.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (FantaCo) #1-4 & Prequel
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (FantaCo) #1-4 & Prequel
I rarely ever do reviews of individual comic books but this one warrant’s it since it has yet to be gathered into a graphic novel or trade paperback form. FantaCo’s official adaptation of the original 1968 film Night of the Living Dead is a testament to how a film adaption can go so right instead of so wrong (which is the norm). Having read many comic book adaptations of films (i.e. Batman, Willow, Darkman, Arachnophobia, Star Trek 6, and the list goes on and on) very few strive to be more then the film itself. This four issue prestige format series debuted in 1991 (even though I just recently got my hands on all the issues) from writers Tim Skulan & Eric Stanway, artist Carlos Kastro (with Eric Meheu), and letterer Mary Kelleher. Based on the original screenplay by George A. Romero & John Russo this comic book adaptation is a testament to great storytelling not only through words but through pictures and art.
Anyone who has seen the original film will know that there are many instances where very little dialogue is spoken as you watch the characters go through there personal revelations of a world plunged into the darkness of the undead. The film is everything from the film (most of the dialogue is lifted straight from the film) but the film also goes to a lot of the back story of the characters that is just hinted at in the film. When Ben tells Barbara his first encounter at the diner you see the events unfold in the comic and the Prequel issue shows you everything that happens to the Tom & Judy characters and the Coopers just before they arrive at the house.
Katro’s artwork is haunting at times and perfect for the unsettling imagery of the undead killing the living and the black & white artwork is a perfect compliment to the film. Some of the images are even more haunting on the page then in the film. I was reminiscing about the great artwork from the EC Comics era and how much Katro’s work mirrors that. And for those wanting to see a little color to their horror, the four covers to the issues are rendered in contrasting color tones (although the Prequel issue is still in black & white).
This is truly a great series to have in any collection, which is why it is a shame it hasn’t been collected as yet. FantaCo also produced only (non-related) issues in this series but it is Avatar that picked up the mantel by doing sequels to the landmark film (so be on the look out for those). Great film to comic book adaptations are rarely done right so it would be in your best interest to pick up this one.
I rarely ever do reviews of individual comic books but this one warrant’s it since it has yet to be gathered into a graphic novel or trade paperback form. FantaCo’s official adaptation of the original 1968 film Night of the Living Dead is a testament to how a film adaption can go so right instead of so wrong (which is the norm). Having read many comic book adaptations of films (i.e. Batman, Willow, Darkman, Arachnophobia, Star Trek 6, and the list goes on and on) very few strive to be more then the film itself. This four issue prestige format series debuted in 1991 (even though I just recently got my hands on all the issues) from writers Tim Skulan & Eric Stanway, artist Carlos Kastro (with Eric Meheu), and letterer Mary Kelleher. Based on the original screenplay by George A. Romero & John Russo this comic book adaptation is a testament to great storytelling not only through words but through pictures and art.
Anyone who has seen the original film will know that there are many instances where very little dialogue is spoken as you watch the characters go through there personal revelations of a world plunged into the darkness of the undead. The film is everything from the film (most of the dialogue is lifted straight from the film) but the film also goes to a lot of the back story of the characters that is just hinted at in the film. When Ben tells Barbara his first encounter at the diner you see the events unfold in the comic and the Prequel issue shows you everything that happens to the Tom & Judy characters and the Coopers just before they arrive at the house.
Katro’s artwork is haunting at times and perfect for the unsettling imagery of the undead killing the living and the black & white artwork is a perfect compliment to the film. Some of the images are even more haunting on the page then in the film. I was reminiscing about the great artwork from the EC Comics era and how much Katro’s work mirrors that. And for those wanting to see a little color to their horror, the four covers to the issues are rendered in contrasting color tones (although the Prequel issue is still in black & white).
This is truly a great series to have in any collection, which is why it is a shame it hasn’t been collected as yet. FantaCo also produced only (non-related) issues in this series but it is Avatar that picked up the mantel by doing sequels to the landmark film (so be on the look out for those). Great film to comic book adaptations are rarely done right so it would be in your best interest to pick up this one.
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