C’mon, tell me that wouldn’t make for a great tagline for a Hellstorm (aka the Son of Satan) movie.
When I started thinking about comic books that I’d like to see made into a movie, I ran into the problem of most everything I’d like to see having already been made, or I’d rather not see them made into a movie. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Hellstorm movie. It would have to be titled Hellstorm since “Son of Satan” would obviously stir up more controversy than would be desired.
Fleet has suggested to me that Chris Pine should play Daimon Hellstrom, aka the Son of Satan, aka Hellstorm, and I could certainly see that working. I automatically would have it set here in St. Louis where the character spent a significant amount of time in the 70’s as a professor of anthropology at the fictional Gateway University. I would have this be an element of the film: professor by day, supernatural investigator by night when his hell-spawned powers are used to fight the forces of darkness thrown at him by his father, Satan, while delving into his eventful birth in Salem Massachusetts throughout the film.
I would not recommend retaining the costume he wore in the 70’s however, I could see the film version sporting a dark suit and black trenchcoat, perhaps a noticeable change in his facial structure when he goes into full demon-mode wielding his Hellish trident. The atmosphere should be more like a suspenseful horror movie, and a demonic detective story. Let’s not go too over the top. I’d say the films climactic scene could certainly be a duel to the death on the arch-grounds between him and his fathers highest –ranking lieutenant since you really can never get rid of the devil.
This is a film I’d like to see directed by David Lynch, who I think could bring his unique sense of atmosphere, and could handle such dark subject matter without making it corny and unoriginal. I get a little tired of the action/superhero formula sometimes, so it would be refreshing to see an art-house take on a Marvel movie.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World was quite possibly the best indie-comic-based movie I’ve ever seen. Sadly it didn’t rock the world in the box office which is not a precise measurement of the quality of any given film to begin with. I suppose no one expected older crowds to get it, and perhaps there aren’t as many hip 20-30 somethings out there to broaden the appeal. It was a face-meltingly good movie and a very faithful adaptation of the books.
I was rooting for Scott Pilgrim to do well since I’m a fan of the source material and it looked really damn good before I finally saw it. Here at the shop, we’ve had trailers for the film playing on a loop on a computer on a very visible display which we’ve done for both Watchmen and Kick-Ass before they came out in the theaters. I got tired of seeing/ hearing those trailers despite being excited about each film but the Scott Pilgrim trailer still has me stopping to take in all that eye candy.
I also have a bit of a gripe about 2 of the movies that were far ahead of SP in the box office, both of which prove that box office numbers are NOT a good indication of quality of film. At #1 was the Expendables, which I know has a cross-appeal, but I don’t care. It’s a big, dumb, predictable action movie with lots of explodey stuff and bad one liners. We saw everything this had to offer in the 1980’s. Next gripe: Eat Pray Love which is based on a novel I became all too familiar with during my Barnes & Noble days. This one’s a penultimate chick-flick which follows a spoiled suburban lady who travels to Italy and India to “find herself.” Barf.
A film that is as high quality as Scott Pilgrim deserves better treatment than it’s received in the box-office and by critics. Well, whatever, screw them. Like so many of my favorite movies, I have a feeling that Scott Pilgrim will go on to the “Cult classic” status which usually equals staying power. As for the Expendables and Eat Pray Love, well, I have a feeling you’ll see them both in the bargain bin in a few years.
I don’t really know how to explain it, but I’ve been on a real 90’s kick lately. I’ve recently brought you a couple of blasts from the past in the form of MANTIS and the Night Man but this week I thought I’d bring you a really dated comic-esque inspired movie that actually wasn’t that bad, if not just full of notable guest stars. I speak of the fine work of cinema that is the Meteor Man.
Meteor Man is about a mild-mannered school teacher from Washington DC who is struck in the chest by a meteorite after rescuing a woman from some neighborhood hooligans. He soon discovers that he has developed extraordinary abilities and as people with new-found abilities often find themselves doing, he decides to don a costume and fight crime. But enough about plot points, it’s essentially a comic-hero spoof with a little life lesson thrown in for good measure. The most important thing about this movie is the numerous cameo appearances and guest stars. First of all, it has Bill Cosby as a vagrant, esteemed thespian James Earl Jones plays a major part, Frank Gorshin who played the Riddler in the Adam West Batman show is a villain in this one as well, Robert Guillaume from the 1980’s series Benson is also featured, and even a young Don Cheadle. Then there’s the musical figures who appear that were definitely a moment in time themselves: Luther Vandross, Big Daddy Kane, Another Bad Creation, and even Cypress Hill got in on the action. This was a huge, star-studded cast for a movie that has for the most part fallen off into obscurity.
Again, of all the dated faux comic franchises I’ve covered recently, Meteor Man isn’t all bad. I mean yeah, it’s pretty bad but it’s a good clean comedy about super-heroes which can be a genre that takes itself too seriously. I mean it’s not one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, but I’ve seen sooo much worse.
How many comic book movies are too many comic book movies? The answer comes in the name Jonah Hex, a film that had close to no demand to be brought to the silver screen, but was made with the DC seal of approval, what should be a shining endorsement in the day and age of comic book movies. Unfortunately, it’s seal now stands for, “comic book adaptation equals quick return on investment,” and that wasn’t even true since Jonah Hex was unequivocally the first box office bomb of 2010, ranking 8th in its opening weekend and only generating a meager (relative to summer blockbuster standard, at least) $5.8 million. Even with the tough guy acting chops of Josh Brolin, the T&A of Megan Fox (sadly one of the biggest attractions of the Transformers films), and odd-ball draw of John Malkovich (with his role being widely panned as the worst of his career), Jonah Hex didn’t even come close to ranking in the top 5 films of its weekend. The apathy towards the film was so abysmal that an enter-to-win box for free tickets at Star Clipper only had a pathetic 14 entries, with only 3 customers actually picking their free tickets up. Who knows if they actually used the passes? When there is this type of indifference towards a film like Jonah Hex, what does it say about the state of comic book movies?
This was not the first instance this summer of a general lack of interest towards comic book films. Kick Ass got the summer started and though it rank number one at the box office in its opening weekend it just barely won the top position, which is unfortunate because I really liked this one. The Loser was another movie that came and went without any real understanding as to why it was made in the first place (any producer that thought a film titled The Losers would resonate with a middle-America audience needs to be fired immediately). Obviously, Iron Man 2 is the exception of this argument, being that it is the top film of the summer thus far. By now, it should be clear however that for every good comic film that comes out, the market is also oversaturated with multiple mediocre films to flat out failures. I think this rush for a quick short-term profit generated by a completely forgettable film is only going to hurt the comic industry in the long run, as is being demonstrated for the lack of interest in the source material i.e. comics (people just weren’t clamoring for the Losers section since the rushed film only created a bad taste for it’s source).
There are a lot of issues here… First and foremost, if there is no demand for a comic-to-film adaptation i.e. Jonah Hex, why make it? That money could have been better spent elsewhere. A perfect use would be for better marketing of comic films to get it past the fanboy audience. Kick Ass suffered from a confusing marketing campaign that made the film look like a light-hearted comic book romp, not the disturbing Tarentino-esque black comedy that it actually was. The Losers bombed because of its name alone. It might appeal to the comic shop niche, but no beer drinking, good old boy is going to want to see a film about a bunch of losers even if they do totally kick ass. All this time and effort should really be used to make sure the hits aren’t just flash in the pans, but are classics. Yeah, Iron Man 2 was good, but that last fight scene left a little something to be desired. It is great comics are being considered a legitimate source for mainstream popcorn-gratification, but lets hope the film industry doesn’t get too bogged down in mediocrity or Jonah Hex’s slogan “Revenge just got ugly” might take on a whole new meaning for the comic industry as people stay away in droves.
You can all thank my wife-to-be (very soon) Jenni for bringing this to my attention. We all know about a Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds is coming relatively soon. I’m never one to get excited about these kinds of things until I see production photos or find out about someone with respectable credentials attached to something. Well, I’ve finally got a little of both from GL.
Yes, that is Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond. So I can officially look forward to seeing the Green Lantern movie whenever it comes out. Usually, speculative talk about comic book related movies makes me roll my eyes a bit as I am a seeing-is-believing type. I like GL, so I don’t want to set myself up for a disappointment. Something I’ve heard mention of when it comes to DC films is the idea of a full fledged Justice League feature film, or at the least a Batman/Superman film in the near future. To this idea, I would like to put out a hearty NOOOOOOO!!!!!! It would be one thing to provide some fan service, but the idea just makes me think of a plot-less cluster$&%# that would ultimately be a really bad movie. These kind of team-ups are indeed entertaining in the pages of comic books and even animated features but in live action movies, you’re asking an awful lot to get the average movie goers to suspend their disbelief. I can see just a Green Lantern movie in two or three installments as well as any other DC character for that matter, but all those characters together in on live action film would be too much for my tastes. DC characters work best within their own world with perhaps a wink and a nod to their other characters, but I don’t think that these larger than life characters can co-exist in the same film the way Marvel characters can.
As good as the Batman movies were, and considering the disappointment that Superman was received with, I hope Green Lantern can live up to the hype it has already generated with as little information that has been provided. Also, I just realized that as frustrated with talking comic-movies over comic books as I can get, I just posted three blogs in a row talking about comic book movies. I genuinely enjoy watching them, it’s just that over-analyzing them seems can get old. My time can be better spent over-analyzing why Green Lantern is a science based character and not based in some form of mysticism. But that might be a discussion for a later day. Maybe.
I’ll admit my awareness of street artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey came a little after the fact. Honestly, it probably wasn’t until I started doing inventories on art books at Star Clipper that I realized that they were very recognizable names in the graffiti art community. I had previously know some of the more iconic images by Shepard Fairey, like the Andre the Giant Obey design, but for all the interest I have in subversive art and skateboarding culture (where Fairey got his start) I was pretty clueless about the rising street art phenomenon when it was actually happening in the early 2000s. So be it. I’ll still say I’m a fan now, especially of the controversial Banksy. If I were you I wouldn’t feel bad if you missed out on the actually happening either, because Banksy’s new film “Exit Through the Gift Shop” allows you to see an absolutely fascinating portrait of the rise and arguable fall of street art.
“Exit Through the Gift Shop” is billed as a Banksy film, and though it does features Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader, and many more influential street artists, the film is really the story of Thierry Guetta aka Mister Brainwash. The eccentric Frenchmen made a small fortune selling cheap off-brand cloths as high-fashion designer items in his retail store in the hippest bohemian district in Los Angeles. Yet, the quirk that defined him more than anything else was his obsessive need to film nearly every aspect of his life, from mundane to remarkable. The remarkable happens when Guetta discovers his cousin is artist Space Invader and he films some of his early projects. Shortly thereafter Guetta becomes fully immersed in street art culture, jeopardizing his family and business with his new full-fledged compulsion. He soon films nearly everyone in the street art scene, with the exception of the notoriously elusive Banksy. The first act of the film leads you to believe “Exit” will be entirely about Guetta quest to find Banksy. Yet, on a chance encounter in L.A., Guetta quickly is taken under Banksy wing with the guise that he is making a street art documentary. Guetta is soon given full access to Banksy secretive studio and unlimited coverage of his controversial exploits throughout the world. In proving to Banksy he would never give up any information after an installation goes haywire in Disneyland, Banksy gains full trust in his accomplice and is ready to see what the filmmaker has planned for the documentary.
The film changes direction completely when it is revealed that Guetta has no clue how to actually make a film, and his thousands of tapes are turned over to Banksy to finish the project. In the interim, Banksy causal assigns Guetta to make some art on his own. From this point on the film is entirely focused on Guetta. Adopting the persona Mister Brainwash, Guetta transfers his obsession to becoming a second generation (or second rate) street artist. He soon embarks on creating an enormous Street Art exhibition in L.A. called “Life is Beautiful,” despite the fact that he is not actually an artist. His retail shop is shut down and turned into an industrious art factory employing graphic designer to create Mister Brainwash’s schemes, and subsequently churns out thousands of art pieces faster than many more established artist create in their entire career. Ultimately, Guetta’s gamble is a success making him a millionaire and the toast of the L.A. Art community, regardless of his lack of authenticity.
The audience is left with a love/hate feeling towards Guetta. Is he deserving of his fame, praise, and even the film itself, or is he just a clumsy obsessive-compulsive fool who stubbled across a gold-mine? Nonetheless, Thierry Guetta aka Mister Brainwash is a provocateur, and a fascinating one at that. The film stands on his story, and having worked on documentaries myself, I know how important it is to have a thought-provoking protagonist. Yes, Banksy and Shepard Fairey are inspiring, but their art speaks for them. You really don’t need a movie to tell their story. Pick up any of their art books, or be so lucky to see a piece in person, and their story is there. Guetta, on the other hand, was meant for the silver screen. Even if you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth of Mister Brainwash, you can’t fault him for capturing the most essential footage of street art ever documented.
Check out “Exist Through Gift Shop” while it plays this week at the Tivoli.
I saw Iron Man 2 last night, and long story short; I had a lot of fun watching it. I was a little wary after hearing a few bad reviews until I realized that these are probably the same kind of critics who only enjoy movies in subtitles and pretend to enjoy pretentious Oscar-bait. I wasn’t expecting Iron Man 2 to be Citizen Kane or anything, but it surprised me that there was some depth and substance to what on the surface is another comic-book action movie. I just came for the nerd-gasm, and got a little more than I expected.
The character of Tony Stark came across as a much more charismatic, steampunk version of Steve Jobs who owns a metal super-hero suit. Downey’s Stark comes off as a little more arrogant than he was in the first movie, which serves to have him knocked down a peg and make him a better person. He’s a jerk, but you still kind of feel for him. Now that the origin story is out of the way and we’ve established the characters and the world they live in, we can get right to a meat and potatoes Iron Man story and introduce elements of classic Marvel tales. Two classic Iron Man stories came to mind while watching this movie; Demon In a Bottle, which saw Starks battle with alcoholism and led to James Rhodes filling in as Iron Man while Tony got sober, and Armor Wars in which Justin Hammer steals Stark tech in order to make his own iron-person armor. I even caught a hint of Warren Ellis’ Extremis storyline as Tony deals with a biotech-virus.
Believe it or not, Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash was one of the most enjoyable elements of the movie as he played a deadpan Russian criminal. Throughout the film I would whisper to Jenni, my Fiancee’, that it’s not a character he’s playing, it’s just Rourke being himself with a Russian accent. Best quote from the movie; “I want my bird!” In the comics, Whiplash is just a dude in tights and a cape with a regular old whip. The souped up Mickey Rourke version is much more menacing than the original, and less pervy than the gimp-mask incarnation from more recent continuity. I had read in Entertainment weekly that Whiplash’s ever present cockatoo was Mickey Rourke’s idea, and I gotta say that it worked. Meanwhile, Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer is weasly and hilarious. Also, how fitting is it that John Slattery (aka Madmen’s Roger Sterling) plays Tony Starks dad?
The way Marvel Films, and particularly the Iron Man movies are establishing an expanded universe in a way that is similar to how the comics have a cross-over continuity is really cool to me. I spazzed out at the end of the first Iron Man when Sam Jackson came strolling in as Nick Fury like he was right out of the pages of the Ultimates, and Downey as Tony Stark was present briefly in the Incredible Hulk. We know that there’s going to be a Thor movie pretty soon that will be followed by a Captain America movie, leading to an Avengers team up film. I really like how the movies tie together the wide world of the comic book version of the Marvel U. by introducing characters like the Black Widow, Nick Fury, and the agency of SHIELD. You can tell this is all leading to the Avengers movie. Hopefully they can maintain the quality of story-telling they’ve set in motion in the past decade.
If there is a lesson to be learned from the first Iron Man movie, it’s this: Stay after the credits roll. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m just going to say it again. STAY AFTER THE CREDITS. It’s amazing.
We have a widescreen TV at the store that we play movies on every day. The film selection is, as you would guess, comic book movies or at least something that has some relevance to what we do here. One movie that has been on rotation for the past couple of days is Spider-Man 2 which features some pretty well known actors portraying classic, well established characters. What you may not have really noticed, and what I gradually realized, is the number of actors who are either really big in their own projects, or would go on to further notoriety.
The first actor in the movie to catch my notice was the brief appearance of frequent Chappelle Show funny man Donnell Rawlings during the pizza gag. At the end of the very same pizza gag is Emily Deschanal as the receptionist who refuses to pay moped traveling Peter Parker for the pizza that was delivered just a little too late. Deschanel is probably best known for playing alongside former Angel star David Boreanaz in the forensic show Bones as Temperence Brennan, aka “Bones” And as many times as I’ve seen Spidey 2, It took a while to realize that one of Doc Ock’s lab assistants is none other than Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim aka Jin Kwon, who also had a role in Angel. Another face that took me a while to make an association with is Pete’s boss at the pizza place played by Asif Mandvi, who is a personality on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. But of course, the most notable cameo is Bruce Campbell who played a “snooty usher”.
Besides being the best Spider-Man movie, Spidey 2 featured folks from some of my favorite TV shows, or had a connection to one especially in regards to Lost and the Buffy-verse. Spider-Man 3 however…
One of my favorite bookstores in St. Louis. Star Clipper offers not only the best selection of comic books and graphic novels in the city, but also a cornucopia of art, design and pop-culture related books and magazines. 
