Tag Archive for 'Batman'

Great, You Took a Comic Book and Adapted it Panel by Panel into a Film. Who Gives a Shit?!

Published
by
nick
on August 21, 2008
in Comics and Movies
. 2 Comments

The blogosphere is buzzing about Zack Snyder’s “faithful” adaptation of the Watchmen mini series into a film. When I say mini series, I mean it. Watchmen is, in fact, a collection of single issues as opposed to an original novel-length work. But “The Most Celebrated Comic Book Mini Series of All Time” isn’t as impressive, so I understand why it’s universally referred to as a graphic novel. Watching this movie is supposed to be like the comic moving before your eyes (though they already did that with Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics and it looks like poop).

Truthfully, it all leaves me feeling cold. If the movie is just a direct adaptation of the comic, then who gives a shit? I already read Watchmen. It was great. I don’t need to read it again, let alone sit as a captive audience member for some ungodly length of time in a movie theater. By the way, three fucking hours??! Snyder, are you out of your gourd? I sat thru 2.5 hours of The Dark Poop and I almost screamed in pain after 1.5 hours. If Watchmen is going to be 180 minutes, then split it in half ala Kill Bill so I can go home for a couple months in the middle.

Continue reading ‘Great, You Took a Comic Book and Adapted it Panel by Panel into a Film. Who Gives a Shit?!’

AIMcast 03 - 90210, Skinny Jeans, Twilight, Harry Potter, and Sasha Grey

Published
by
neal
on August 5, 2008
in AIMcast Episodes
. 2 Comments

So, what’s a blogger to do when his partner in crime goes home for the weekend? Does he go on an all-out bender? Get all emo? Repress the emotional turmoil? Or, does he call up two fine young ladies and start an AIMcast? Yeah, that’s it. Join us as we discuss: 90210, How I Met Your Mother, Shia LeBeouf, Miley Cyrus, Twilight, American Apparel ads, Sia, Spring Standards, pop rocks, and waaaaaay more. Extra special thanks to my guests Rohini and Kirsten.

AIM: boomcity 8/3/08 8:14 PM
Neal has joined this chat.
Kirsten has joined this chat.
Kirsten: I meant to have the season premiere of Mad Men watched by now
Kirsten: but I don’t
Kirsten: I don’t want any spoilers
Neal: OK.
Neal: Well, let’s get started and hopefully Ro will pop in.
Kirsten: So what’s up?
Neal: Well, let’s see - NASA discovered - or claims to have discovered - water on Mars.
Kirsten: Liquid water?
Neal: Ice. But maybe a little liquid too?
Neal: I mean, even ice is a big deal
Kirsten: I thought we knew about ice?
Kirsten: I’m not super up on my Mars discoveries though
Kirsten: I thought there were traces of polar ice caps
Neal: I think no matter what, if we ever get people there it’ll just be like that movie Event Horizon
Neal: i.e. blood. dead bodies. and zero G fire
Kirsten: I never saw Event Horizon
Kirsten: so I don’t know
Neal: It was unnecessarily scary.

Continue reading ‘AIMcast 03 - 90210, Skinny Jeans, Twilight, Harry Potter, and Sasha Grey’

Am I the Only Person That Didn’t Like The Dark Knight?

Published
by
nick
on July 21, 2008
in Comics and Movies
. 5 Comments

In defense of The Dark Knight, I was predisposed to disliking it. I’ve been salty with Christian Bale ever since he said that Batman Begins wasn’t a just a comic book movie — it was better. Well guess what Bale? I thought it sucked.

Superhero movie franchises have been lucky in that their sequels often eclipse their first outings. And The Dark Knight was better than Batman Begins. But certainly not “biggest opening weekend of all-time” better.

The Batsuit. In ten years, that stiff Batsuit will be almost as laughable as Batnipples on George Clooney.

The Batvoice. “Hey Christian,” Nolan says to the film’s star, “I want you to give me a husky whisper that sounds like you just gargled with whisky and Clorox. And make sure it sounds like @#$%.”

Organized crime in Gotham City. It’s strangely segregated and full of stereotypes. When the Russian, Italian, and black mobsters held a joint meeting with a Chinese corporate criminal, I cringed throughout the whole scene. Most of white characters were stereotyped heavily too — they were all righteous control freaks that went mad with power (from Batman to Harvey Dent to Jim Gordon to even the Joker).

Rachel Dawes. She’s was as stiff as the Batsuit and a total snoozefest.

Excessive runtime. I was ready for The Dark Knight to be over after an hour and a half. To my surprise, I still had AN HOUR TO GO. I would have preferred a “Previously in The Dark Knight…” showing a quick montage of the boring @#$% from the first half of the film, and then BAM! the movie actually starts in as the Joker busts out of jail.

When did Batman stop being fun? Both The Dark Knight and its predecessor are stalwarts of the serious. They struggle to remove any and all camp from the concept of Bruce Wayne and his billionaire’s hobby of crime fighting. C’mon, the guy dresses up like a freakin’ bat! He punches a psychotic clown in the face for fun! Batman is naturally campy. And that’s not a bad thing.

To all the people who produced The Dark Knight and to all those who celebrated its “realistic” qualities while overlooking the fact that the movie was largely devoid of smiles, laughter, and fun:

Why so serious?

The Dark Knight - TXT Message Review

Published
by
neal
on July 18, 2008
in Comics, Movies and TXT Message Reviews
. 1 Comment

As I came out of the 4pm show today, I received a text message asking me if I wanted to see Batman at 9:15, with a 7:15 dinner/ticket pickup. I curtly informed the gentleman that I had just screened the very same film. When he inquired as to how I had already performed this feat, I promptly replied, “I am a man. I make time for important things.”

It is with this same level of personal duty or dharma, that I bring you my mobile review. As per the usual, 160 characters or less and typed out to Nick with a quickness known only to Jay Garrick and his successors.

Now that’s what im talking about! dent and joker were well cast. twoface makeup is wacker than batman’s voice though. brutal film. savage.

WHY SO SERIOUS?!

Tuesday’s podcast will be heavily focused on The Dark Knight. I hope that isn’t a problem.

Podcast Episode 039

Published
by
nick
on July 15, 2008
in Interviews and Podcast Episodes
. 3 Comments

Double interview action kicks off as Neal and Nick talk with author Marc Tyler Nobleman about his new Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster illustrated biography, Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, and his proposed biography on Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman. Next up, Nick talks with Josh Blair about his latest minicomics anthology, Candy or Medicine Volume Three. And then Justique, Neal, and Nick take it home after the end theme as they share their feelings about Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

 
 AudioShocker #39 [37:15m]: Play Now | Download

The Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies (Note: You Will Disagree With This)

Published
by
nick
on June 20, 2008
in Comics, Movies and The Top 9
. 1 Comment

Here, in painstakingly particular (and genius) order, are the Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies of all-time:

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
8. Blade (1998)
7. Batman: The Movie (1966)
6. X2 (2005)
5. Batman Returns (1992)
4. Iron Man (2008)
3. Batman (1989)
2. X-Men (2000)
1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

I know what you must be thinking. “Nick,” you’re saying to yourself, “You are completely out of your @#$%ing mind.” But go back and reread the list. The effect should sound something like, “Wait… this list is actually quite brilliant.”

So here’s the thing: I KNOW that people out there will disagree with me. If you think there’s a better Top 9 Best Live-Action Superhero Movies, then post your version in the comments.

However, if you don’t post your own version of this Top 9, I will consider my list as unchallenged and therefore the definitive list of Best Live-Action Superhero Movies by default.

Next: The Top 9 Best B-Movies!

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is a better number. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.

Podcast Episode 034

Published
by
nick
on June 3, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Speed Racer, Susan Sarandon, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tim Curry, Jennifer Beals, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Holes, Tremors, Roger Dodger, Batman comic books, Andre the Giant, Ron Paul, Street Fighter, Coolio, Jezebel Jet, superhero strength, VitaminWater Formula 50, Fat Joe, Avengers: The Initiative, The Gauntlet, Martin, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Aiwa, Bose, way too much more.

 
 AudioShocker #34 [67:41m]: Play Now | Download

Damn It! I Got Burned By DC Comics Again!

Published
by
nick
on May 10, 2008
in Comics
. 0 Comments

Do you have one of those friends or relatives that YOU KNOW is the last person you should be letting borrow money? You keep your distance for a few months and then you get a familiar phone call: “Hey what’s up, man?! You wanna hang out this weekend?”

With no recent disappointment burned into your memory, you figure it’s okay. So-and-so can’t possibly be trying to hit you up for money again, right? And it seems like everything is going well for most of the night. Then it gets to the end and it’s time to pay for the drinks: “Awww man I’m totally broke! Could you cover for me? It’ll get you next time.”

DAMN IT! They did it again! Well guess what? DC Comics just did that to me this Wednesday with Detective Comics #844. I reviewed Detective Comics #843 last month and the issue was awesome. When I didn’t get #844 sent to me for free with last weekend’s advanced comic books for my reviews, I decided to buy the issue.

How bad could it be? Last issue was a genius display of storytelling by Paul Dini. His Zatanna was incredible. She stole the show and I wanted more. Detective Comics #844 seemed like such a good bet that I didn’t even flip through the book in the store. I just tossed it into my short stack and took it up to the register.

And then I read it. SON OF A BITCH! Burned again by DC Comics! This happens almost every time I try out a new DCU book. It happened on Green Arrow by Judd Winick and Scott McDaniel. It happened on Wonder Woman when it relaunched.

Hell, it’s even happening now with Dwanye McDuffie on Justice League of America. His story arc started off great, and then it just got average. Then there were unexpected fill-ins. Then he was randomly gone for a month! Now he’s back, but I’m hesitant to believe that it’s going to get better…

You know it’s bad when DC Universe #0 only costs $0.50 and you still want your money back. I should have known better than to pick up Detective Comics #844, let alone a DC Comics set in the DCU. And you know what the worst part is? I’m going to do it again! In about a month, I’m going to forget how pissed I am right now and I’m going to pick up something and hate it. It’s a never-ending cycle of pain.

P.S. For the record, I am enjoying Green Arrow / Black Canary right now. If they @#$% that up I’m going to be really pissed.

Podcast Episode 029

Published
by
nick
on April 29, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

We converse about Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, EuroTrip, Baby Mama, The Love Guru, Romany Malco, Juno, Dane Cook, Hellboy II The Golden Army, The Dark Knight, Joker, your first supervillain, Madame Masque, Magneto, Penguin, Harley Quinn, Stockholm syndrome, Poison Ivy, Lex Luthor, Arkham Asylum, Batman, Shutter, American remakes of Asian films, horror movies, Mamma Mia, ABBA, Tripping the Rift, Afro Samurai, Captain Planet, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, hipsters, Spike Lee movies, Clockers, Crooklyn, Jungle Fever, Mya, Lil Wanye, getting your face tattooed, Cash Money, Juvenile, Manny Fresh, Rachel Ray, extra virgin olive oil, EVOO, whiskey, New Avengers 40, Avengers The Initiative 12, X-Men Legacy 210, Immortal Iron Fist 14, and more than you care to know.

 
 AudioShocker #29 [70:58m]: Play Now | Download

Podcast Episode 026

Published
by
nick
on April 8, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

We schmeer on about recipes, Sriracha sauce, Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story, Spy Kids, Clerks 2, Soul Plane, Leatherheads, Renee Zellweger, George Clooney, Mr. Brooks, Dane Cook, Dan in Real Life, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee, Chris Farley, David Spade, Joe Dirt, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Southland Tales, Battlestar Galactica, Invader Zim, Ren and Stimpy, Rocko’s Modern Life, Beavis and Butthead, Devon the Dude, Unlicensed Attorneys at Law, Feist, celebrity crushes, Antonio Banderas, Run Fat Boy Run, Last Defenders 2, Nova 12, Pride of Baghdad, Y the Last Man, Batman Death in the City, Batman Unauthorized, and more.

 
 AudioShocker #26 [74:09m]: Play Now | Download