Coming off the relative triumph that was ‘Wonder Woman’ this summer, DC Comics and parent company Warner Brothers had the opportunity to turn the page on its’ poorly received, yet still financially viable, extended comic book superhero universe. Instead, with ‘Justice League,’ they give audiences an absolute mess of a film that fails on… Continue reading ‘Justice League’ – Is DC/WB Ruining the Superhero Genre?
The first season of Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’ came out of nowhere last summer, yet quickly became culturally ubiquitous as an example of the ‘right’ way to present nostalgia and genre homage. Set firmly in 1983, complete with period accurate design and callbacks, the cinematic eight-part maxi-series claimed its’ well-earned place in the zeitgeist. … Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’– Can Lightning Strike Twice?
Is there and has there ever been an extended franchise/film universe more successful and exciting than the MCU? Critics and audiences looking for more meaty, adult entertainment have been decrying the prevalence of superhero comic book films for the past few years (and yes, there have been problematic movies **ahem . . .… Continue reading ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ – Marvel’s Version of an Adventure Picture?
Ridley’s Scott’s 1982 film, ‘Blade Runner,’ remains a masterpiece of science fiction cinema even to this day. It re-defined the vision of a future for a whole generation of filmmakers and fans, overlaying breathtaking visuals over a film noir plot. The film’s relatively simple bounty hunter storyline may be the driving force bridging scene… Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049’ – Is a Return to a Sci-Fi Masterpiece 35 Years Later a Good Idea?
With the newest reboot of the lucrative ‘Spider-Man’ franchise, subtitled ‘Homecoming’, Sony finally wised up and let Peter Parker play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s sandbox. After sadly mishandling the property with its’ ‘Amazing’ series, the studio lent its’ cash cow to Marvel in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ to widely lauded results. Fans… Continue reading ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ – Teen Comedy Disguised as Super-Hero Flick?
Twenty-seven years have passed since ABC first aired the miniseries ‘It’, a somewhat restrained television version of the ‘80’s Stephen King classic novel that freaked out an entire generation of teens. Some might even say that ‘It’ induced a collective coulrophobia (fear of clowns) that urban pranksters and the current season of ‘American Horror… Continue reading ‘It’ – Delivering on Re-tread Chills?
Christopher Nolan has become a signature filmmaker of the modern era, crafting popular entertainment that redefines the source material and challenges the audience experience, whether it has been the comic book superhero film (‘The Dark Knight’ Trilogy) or film noir (‘Memento’, ‘Inception’). With ‘Dunkirk’ he turns his lens and pen (he’s the sole credited writer… Continue reading ‘Dunkirk’ – Masterpiece of Time, Sound, & Fury
Writer/Director Edgar Wright’s sensibilities are on full display in his latest pop-comic-thriller-adrenaline ride of a film, ‘Baby Driver.’ This is his take on the heist movie; the one-last-job story so prevalent in gangster films, but here in a unique celebration of music and romance that is so packed with scene after scene of excitement, it… Continue reading ‘Baby Driver’ – A Pop Symphony of Exhilaration?
In studio Warner Brothers’ haste to create their own linked comic-book superhero universe to rival Marvel, with iconic DC characters Superman, Batman, etc. in films like ‘Batman V. Superman’ and ‘Suicide Squad,’ they went for style over substance, visual excess over character build. With the arrival of director Patty Jenkins’ stellar origin film, ‘Wonder… Continue reading ‘Wonder Woman’ – Beauty, Grace, True Heroism, the Whole Package?
The ‘Alien’ franchise may have been shepherded by director Ridley Scott way back in 1979, but it certainly has taken on a life of its’ own, complete with a complex fictional xeno-biological mythology. Scott explored the universe of his original film through 2012’s prequel ‘Prometheus,’ prompting a decidedly divisive response from fans who weren’t… Continue reading ‘Alien: Covenant’ – What Makes Ridley Scott and his Xenomorphs Tick?
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