Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Friday, November 06, 2015
Six Months Til Captain America: Civil War
I'm ridiculously excited about the May 6th debut of Captain America: Civil War. I really liked the first Cap film, and then absolutely loved Winter Soldier, so I've probably got unrealistically high expectations about CW but I can't help it... Captain America, when done right, has always been one of my favourite comic book characters, dating all the way back to him being in the first comic I remember buying. So how can I not be jazzed that the next installment is now only half a year away?
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Nothing Good Ever Lasts: Scene Points Edition
As Tammy pointed out to me this morning, it sounds like Cineplex is soon going to be devaluing their Scene point system! Premium tickets will soon require 1500 points and VIP 2000 points, where both had previously only needed 1000 for a ticket.
For years now, we've been building up 100 points per General Admission movie that we paid for, and then redeeming 1000 points to attend a VIP screening (usually on opening weekend) for some big budget blockbuster like Avengers or Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The economics of it worked wonderfully, as we'd spend between $70 and $110 on 10 General Admission tickets (depending on how many cheap Tuesday shows we went to) and then redeem our 1000 points for a show worth about $20. I sort of knew that was too good to last, and now it seems I'll soon be proven right in that assumption.
If you've got points built up right now that you've earmarked for a VIP show, you may want to use them before Nov 4. Unfortunately for us, that rules out Star Wars Episode VII (December), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 2016) and Captain America: Civil War (May 2016). Bummer!
For years now, we've been building up 100 points per General Admission movie that we paid for, and then redeeming 1000 points to attend a VIP screening (usually on opening weekend) for some big budget blockbuster like Avengers or Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The economics of it worked wonderfully, as we'd spend between $70 and $110 on 10 General Admission tickets (depending on how many cheap Tuesday shows we went to) and then redeem our 1000 points for a show worth about $20. I sort of knew that was too good to last, and now it seems I'll soon be proven right in that assumption.
If you've got points built up right now that you've earmarked for a VIP show, you may want to use them before Nov 4. Unfortunately for us, that rules out Star Wars Episode VII (December), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 2016) and Captain America: Civil War (May 2016). Bummer!
Friday, April 10, 2015
My Long Wait Is Almost Over
On this, the first day of Daredevil being available on Netflix, I just ordered 2 tickets for Avengers: Age of Ultron for the night of its premiere, Friday, May 1st. We're going to see it at the VIP theatre, reserved seats, and hopefully avoid having any of its surprises spoiled beforehand. I'm ridiculously excited about this movie, just as I was for the first Avengers flick, and it didn't disappoint... at all!
Just 21 days to go now...
Just 21 days to go now...
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
The New 52
Well, I've made it to another milestone, turning 52 today. I had a wonderful day, starting with Vicki joining me for my Tuesday yoga class, and ending with the two of us watching one of the last House M.D. episodes together on Netflix (just 3 to go, now). In between those two thrills, I also got homemade brownies, a new hoodie and T-shirt, take-out fish & chips for dinner, another awesome viewing of The Avengers on Blu-Ray and even a Rangers win over the hated Islanders (which I could've watched on TV but opted for the movie instead). I don't think the day could've been any better, really, thanks to my lovely wife.
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Alien Sequel Coming From District 9 Director?
This all seems a little out of left field to me, but Variety is reporting that District 9 director Neil Blomkamp is going to start work on a new Alien sequel. I liked District 9 well enough but it was pretty low-budget and I'm not sure that I'd trust its director with one of my favourite movie franchises, personally. Not that there haven't already been some bad films in the series but... oh, who am I kidding? Considering how much I adored Prometheus and the recent Alien: Isolation video game, I'll probably be one of the first in line to see this, whenever it comes out.
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Sherlock Holmes As An Old Man
I'll be all over this particular interpretation of an aged Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed by Ian McKellen:
It looks awesome, based on the trailer! Speaking as one Mr. Holmes to another, that is...
It looks awesome, based on the trailer! Speaking as one Mr. Holmes to another, that is...
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Boyhood Receives 6 Oscar Nominations
The 2015 nominations for the Academy Awards were announced this morning, and Boyhood, my personal favourite film of 2014, received 6 big nominations:
I somehow failed to write a blog post about Boyhood right after Vicki, Tammy and I saw it in Toronto last year, but I can say that it was one of the best movie-going experiences I've ever had. I was emotionally drained by the end of it. There's something surreal about watching the characters, especially the two children, age a dozen years over the course of a few hours. I think the story itself could've been slightly more compelling, but that's a very minor complaint against an otherwise amazing production. I encourage anyone who enjoys good movies to seek Boyhood out (I have a Blu-Ray copy that can be borrowed by anyone with the appropriate player, including a PS3 or PS4).
With the competition for all of the awards as fierce as always this year, it's possible that Linklater's classic will be shut out completely in terms of golden statues. But here's hoping that isn't the case, and that it takes home at least a couple of them. It definitely deserves the accolades.
- Richard Linklater got 2 nominations, for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director
- Ethan Hawke is nominated as Best Supporting Actor
- Patricia Arquette seems to be a favourite for Best Supporting Actress
- Sandra Adair is up for Best Film Editing
- and the film itself is nominated for Best Picture
I somehow failed to write a blog post about Boyhood right after Vicki, Tammy and I saw it in Toronto last year, but I can say that it was one of the best movie-going experiences I've ever had. I was emotionally drained by the end of it. There's something surreal about watching the characters, especially the two children, age a dozen years over the course of a few hours. I think the story itself could've been slightly more compelling, but that's a very minor complaint against an otherwise amazing production. I encourage anyone who enjoys good movies to seek Boyhood out (I have a Blu-Ray copy that can be borrowed by anyone with the appropriate player, including a PS3 or PS4).
With the competition for all of the awards as fierce as always this year, it's possible that Linklater's classic will be shut out completely in terms of golden statues. But here's hoping that isn't the case, and that it takes home at least a couple of them. It definitely deserves the accolades.
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Rarified Air
It's not every day that I get to see my name in a list of acknowledgements that includes J Bone (the comic artist), John Cassaday, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore, but today is that day:
This is the first page of the Dave Gibbons Watchmen Artifact Edition that I contributed a scan to, back in March of last year. It's a monster of a coffee table book, only equaled in size by the Alien Illustrated hardcover that I bought in Las Vegas a couple years ago. And it has my name it! Sweet.
This is the first page of the Dave Gibbons Watchmen Artifact Edition that I contributed a scan to, back in March of last year. It's a monster of a coffee table book, only equaled in size by the Alien Illustrated hardcover that I bought in Las Vegas a couple years ago. And it has my name it! Sweet.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
As 2014 Ends, Let's Look Into The Future (Of Movies)
Specifically, I've been meaning, for awhile, to post a calendar of upcoming films that I'm looking forward to or am otherwise intrigued by. These are mostly superhero flicks but with a few other types thrown in for good measure.
2015
May 1st - Avengers: Age of Ultron - This is probably my most eagerly-anticipated entry on this list, as Ultron has long been one of the scariest Avengers villains, and of course the first Joss Whedon-directed film was unbelievably cool. The fact that they've retained all of the original characters and added Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Watch makes me very happy. I sincerely hope not to be disappointed by the sequel, and for now I'm confidently placing my faith in Joss.
June 12th - Jurassic World - I want this to be good, even though the previous Jurassic offering was pretty crappy. The original, on the other hand, like the book it was based on, was quite excellent. I'll wait and see what the early reviews on this one are like before committing any cash to it.
July 1st - Terminator: Genisys - I'm a sucker for the Terminator franchise, having seen each of the films many times and sticking with the TV show right to the bitter end. This film came about after the rights were sold off to the highest bidder, I believe, which makes it an interesting experiment, if nothing else.
July 17th - Ant Man - Marvel Studios can seem to do no wrong lately, as even Guardians of the Galaxy was much better than I'd expected. I liked GotG well enough as I watched it, though I've yet to have any desire to see it again. I expect Ant Man may fall into the same category, although anything with Evangeline Lily in it usually warrants a second look, so who knows.
August 7th - Fantastic Four - This is either going to be an utter train wreck or something quite... fantastic, I think. It's a reboot, which isn't bad in and of itself considering how lackluster the two previous FF movies were. However, I've read just enough about its setup and approach to cause me to scratch my head, as it doesn't appear to stick at all closely to what's been done in the 50+ years of comic stories. If I had to put money down right now, I'd put it on train wreck. Happy to be proven wrong, though.
December 18th - Star Wars: The Force Awakens - As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the prequels, I clearly don't have the highest standards (or expectations, at least) when it comes to Star Wars installments. I personally consider The Empire Strikes Back to be the peak of the franchise, which seems to be a pretty common stance, but I also find the original Star Wars to be fairly blah. Plus I remember well how excited the fans of the original trilogy were when the first trailer for The Phantom Menace debuted, and we all know how that worked out. But having said all that, I'm mildly excited at the thought of a new Star Wars movie to take us out of 2015.
2016
March 4th - Prometheus 2 - I'd call the existence of this film and its release date both tentative at this point, because neither have been officially confirmed. However, I really, really want to see Ridley Scott deliver a sequel to 2012's Prometheus. While I readily acknowledge the many flaws in that feature, I'm not sure I could love it any more than I do! Vicki and I went to the theatre to see it twice, something we almost never do. And then we promptly watched it a third time as soon as the Blu Ray for it came out. I think we may have even seen it again since then, which would make four viewings in just two-and-a-half years! Like the video game Alien: Isolation which came out this year and became my obsession for awhile, Prometheus totally scratched the itch that I have for anything Alien-related, and did it very well.
March 25th - Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - A film that pits Superman against Batman, with Wonder Woman somehow involved as well, and which is a lead in to the first ever Justice League feature? My drool bucket runneth over! I liked but didn't always love Man of Steel, so that's a bit worrisome considering that its director and star have carried over to this, but maybe Zack Snyder can rise to the occasion this time around. And Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, while raising a lot of eyebrows when it was announced, could end up being brilliant considering that Affleck is often a very good actor. I'm frustrated that this film is still almost 15 months away, considering that it's been filming for ages already, but if taking their time adds to the quality of the final product, I'm all for it. In terms of anticipation on my part, BvS is nearly as high as the 2nd Avengers flick.
May 6th - Captain America: Civil War - Did I mention my drool bucket was quickly filling up? The second Cap film, The Winter Soldier, was mind-blowingly good and didn't have a bad scene or dull moment in it. So any sequel with the same production crew is sure to grab my attention right out of the gate, and then adding Robert Downey, Jr to the mix is just incredible. To think that just a few weeks after we get Batman fighting Superman on the big screen we're going to be similarly treated to Cap versus Iron Man, I sometimes wonder if this is all just a dream I'm having back in 1978. I honestly wouldn't have believed, back then, that we'd ever get this many high quality treatments of superhero stories at the movie theatre.
May 22nd - X-Men: Apocalypse - The last two X-Men films, First Class and Days of Future Past, upped the ante on the franchise something crazy. Each of them put the original three to shame, and I say that as someone who liked that first trilogy and thought the second part was especially good. Therefore, my expectations are high on Brian Singer's next foray into mutant territory, even though I couldn't really care less about Apocalypse (the villain) as he was introduced into the comics after I'd stopped following anything X-related.
August 5th - Suicide Squad - The comic series by this name that started in the 80s and ran for several years was a real sleeper. It didn't have any hype behind it and I actually ignored it for the longest time, until I started hearing some of the buzz around it. When I finally checked it out, what I quickly realized was that the strange concept behind it - a secret government agency blackmails imprisoned supervillains into running potentially-suicidal missions for it by promising them their freedom if they succeed or instant death if they try to make their escape - was actually the secret to its appeal. Many of the members of the team were third- or even fourth-tier villains, and therefore the writers could do virtually anything with them over the course of a story / mission. The upcoming film, on the other hand, seems to be leaning toward bigger name villains - Lex Luthor, the Joker, Harley Quinn, for example - and that probably means there won't be quite as much freedom for the characters to be killed off, maimed, or otherwise damaged. Still, with some of the interesting actors involved (including Jared Leto), I can see a lot of potential here.
November 4th - Doctor Strange - I've become a huge Benedict Cumberbatch fan following his three seasons (and counting) on Sherlock. At this point, he pretty much walks on water as far as I'm concerned, so while he wouldn't have been my first thought for playing Stephen Strange, I can certainly see him pulling it off. Strange is one of those characters who's always been hit-and-miss for me, as most comic writers who've tackled him haven't really known what to do with a Master of the Mystic Arts. Given Marvel Studios' recent track record, though, I'll extend them the benefit of the doubt and assume that won't be the case with his big screen debut.
December ?? - Avatar 2 - I loved Avatar, so I welcome more magic from Canada's own James Cameron. Bring it on, I say!
2017
June 23rd - Wonder Woman - Now we're two-and-a-half years into the future, and about all we really know about this feature film is that Gal Gadot will play the Amazonian warrior and Canadian Michelle MacLaren will direct her in it. I guess we'll all have a much better idea where Warners plans to go with the character once Batman V Superman drops, but until then I'll remain cautiously optimistic that the greatest superheroine of all time will get good treatment at their hands.
July 28th - Thor: Ragnarok - With 2014's Sexiest Man Alive in the starring role, what's not to like about a third Thor movie? (The ladies who get dragged to these things by their boyfriends and husbands deserve at least that much, don't they?) The first two features were solidly entertaining fare, and that's what I expect from Ragnarok. That title (meaning the end of the world for the Norse gods) certainly suggests that it could be the final installment, making room for other Marvel characters to get films. I'm OK either way, personally.
November 3rd - The Black Panther - Speaking of new characters, T'Challa is an amazingly rich one to tell stories about, being an African prince, spending time as an Avengers, and having been married to Storm (of the X-Men) for awhile, to name but a few elements. I have no idea which parts of his history they'll choose to explore in the screen version, but I look forward to finding out.
November 17th - Justice League Part 1 - A film so great, they had to... split it in half? What the -? Oh never mind, it's what all the cool kids are doing these days (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Hobbit, etc, etc, etc) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. My initial reaction to this news, I'll admit, was excitement. After all, getting two films has to be better than one, right? More room to tell a more complete story, to focus on character development or just have more cool action scenes. At least in theory. I've dreamed of a big budget JLA film since I was a kid, and in a little less than three years it looks like I'll finally get my wish. Please please please don't blow it, Warners!
December ?? - Avatar 3 - Yes, assuming # 2 is good.
2018
March 23rd - The Flash - Doesn't he already have a TV show? Oh wait, this is the completely different version that's in the Justice League movie, which shouldn't be at all confusing to fans. Hmmm. Reserving judgement on this because... it's still more than four years away, for crying out loud!
May 4th - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 - Again with the breaking the story up over two films! Still, it's Avengers, and it'll probably rock!
July 6th - Captain Marvel - Not to be confused with the Captain Marvel who says Shazam! to change between Billy Batson and his superhero identity, this is Marvel Comics' current iteration: a strong female character who has a ton of potential. I love seeing non-white and/or non-male heroes being developed, and both Black Panther and Captain Marvel (not to mention Wonder Woman from Warners) are great steps in that direction.
July 27th - Aquaman - Another Justice League spinoff, with more still to come. They've cast one of the Game of Thrones actors for this role, and he was fine in GoT so... sure, let's see what he's got! Done right, the king of the seven seas can be a fantastic vehicle for telling great stories.
November 2nd - The Inhumans - Fans of the SHIELD TV show have already seen the seeds being planted for this, I think, as the blue alien that Coulson and the rest have discovered is actually a Kree. They're the alien race who created the Inhumans in the comics, you see, which is likely where that storyline is headed. Rumour has it that the Inhumans basically replace the X-Men (or mutants in general) in the Marvel TV and film universe, since they can't use any of the mutant characters who 20th Century Fox currently own (in terms of cinematic rights).
December ?? - Avatar 4 - I'm sensing a pattern here, perhaps inspired by Peter Jackson and a little trilogy you may have heard of, called The Lord of the Rings...
2019
April 5th - Shazam - Hey, we were just talking about you! My guess is that Warners will call the character 'Shazam' rather than 'Captain Marvel' in order to avoid confusion with the other one. But they really shouldn't, as this Cap was Cap long before Marvel Comics even existed. In the comics, Shazam was the old wizard who told Billy Batson to say his name (SHAZAM!) whenever he wanted to change between boy and superhero. Anyway, I hope they don't blow this too badly.
May 3rd - Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 - I can hardly wait to see what kind of cliffhanger we were left with at the end of Part 1!
June 14th - Justice League Part 2 - Ditto, although this one at least comes out on a great date!
2020 (No, I'm not kidding!)
April 3rd - Cyborg - Another Justice League member, leaving only one more to go...
June 19th - Green Lantern - ... and here he is! Not Ryan Reynolds this time around, thankfully, but probably Hal Jordan once again. This means that all of the JL heroes will get their own chance to start or continue franchises... Wow. That's a lot of faith in the brand, on the part of Warners.
Whew.
And this expansive list doesn't even touch on the upcoming Netflix series starring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and them teaming up as the Defenders, nor any of the other TV shows, some of which have turned out be great.
2015
May 1st - Avengers: Age of Ultron - This is probably my most eagerly-anticipated entry on this list, as Ultron has long been one of the scariest Avengers villains, and of course the first Joss Whedon-directed film was unbelievably cool. The fact that they've retained all of the original characters and added Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Watch makes me very happy. I sincerely hope not to be disappointed by the sequel, and for now I'm confidently placing my faith in Joss.
June 12th - Jurassic World - I want this to be good, even though the previous Jurassic offering was pretty crappy. The original, on the other hand, like the book it was based on, was quite excellent. I'll wait and see what the early reviews on this one are like before committing any cash to it.
July 1st - Terminator: Genisys - I'm a sucker for the Terminator franchise, having seen each of the films many times and sticking with the TV show right to the bitter end. This film came about after the rights were sold off to the highest bidder, I believe, which makes it an interesting experiment, if nothing else.
July 17th - Ant Man - Marvel Studios can seem to do no wrong lately, as even Guardians of the Galaxy was much better than I'd expected. I liked GotG well enough as I watched it, though I've yet to have any desire to see it again. I expect Ant Man may fall into the same category, although anything with Evangeline Lily in it usually warrants a second look, so who knows.
August 7th - Fantastic Four - This is either going to be an utter train wreck or something quite... fantastic, I think. It's a reboot, which isn't bad in and of itself considering how lackluster the two previous FF movies were. However, I've read just enough about its setup and approach to cause me to scratch my head, as it doesn't appear to stick at all closely to what's been done in the 50+ years of comic stories. If I had to put money down right now, I'd put it on train wreck. Happy to be proven wrong, though.
December 18th - Star Wars: The Force Awakens - As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the prequels, I clearly don't have the highest standards (or expectations, at least) when it comes to Star Wars installments. I personally consider The Empire Strikes Back to be the peak of the franchise, which seems to be a pretty common stance, but I also find the original Star Wars to be fairly blah. Plus I remember well how excited the fans of the original trilogy were when the first trailer for The Phantom Menace debuted, and we all know how that worked out. But having said all that, I'm mildly excited at the thought of a new Star Wars movie to take us out of 2015.
2016
March 4th - Prometheus 2 - I'd call the existence of this film and its release date both tentative at this point, because neither have been officially confirmed. However, I really, really want to see Ridley Scott deliver a sequel to 2012's Prometheus. While I readily acknowledge the many flaws in that feature, I'm not sure I could love it any more than I do! Vicki and I went to the theatre to see it twice, something we almost never do. And then we promptly watched it a third time as soon as the Blu Ray for it came out. I think we may have even seen it again since then, which would make four viewings in just two-and-a-half years! Like the video game Alien: Isolation which came out this year and became my obsession for awhile, Prometheus totally scratched the itch that I have for anything Alien-related, and did it very well.
March 25th - Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - A film that pits Superman against Batman, with Wonder Woman somehow involved as well, and which is a lead in to the first ever Justice League feature? My drool bucket runneth over! I liked but didn't always love Man of Steel, so that's a bit worrisome considering that its director and star have carried over to this, but maybe Zack Snyder can rise to the occasion this time around. And Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, while raising a lot of eyebrows when it was announced, could end up being brilliant considering that Affleck is often a very good actor. I'm frustrated that this film is still almost 15 months away, considering that it's been filming for ages already, but if taking their time adds to the quality of the final product, I'm all for it. In terms of anticipation on my part, BvS is nearly as high as the 2nd Avengers flick.
May 6th - Captain America: Civil War - Did I mention my drool bucket was quickly filling up? The second Cap film, The Winter Soldier, was mind-blowingly good and didn't have a bad scene or dull moment in it. So any sequel with the same production crew is sure to grab my attention right out of the gate, and then adding Robert Downey, Jr to the mix is just incredible. To think that just a few weeks after we get Batman fighting Superman on the big screen we're going to be similarly treated to Cap versus Iron Man, I sometimes wonder if this is all just a dream I'm having back in 1978. I honestly wouldn't have believed, back then, that we'd ever get this many high quality treatments of superhero stories at the movie theatre.
May 22nd - X-Men: Apocalypse - The last two X-Men films, First Class and Days of Future Past, upped the ante on the franchise something crazy. Each of them put the original three to shame, and I say that as someone who liked that first trilogy and thought the second part was especially good. Therefore, my expectations are high on Brian Singer's next foray into mutant territory, even though I couldn't really care less about Apocalypse (the villain) as he was introduced into the comics after I'd stopped following anything X-related.
August 5th - Suicide Squad - The comic series by this name that started in the 80s and ran for several years was a real sleeper. It didn't have any hype behind it and I actually ignored it for the longest time, until I started hearing some of the buzz around it. When I finally checked it out, what I quickly realized was that the strange concept behind it - a secret government agency blackmails imprisoned supervillains into running potentially-suicidal missions for it by promising them their freedom if they succeed or instant death if they try to make their escape - was actually the secret to its appeal. Many of the members of the team were third- or even fourth-tier villains, and therefore the writers could do virtually anything with them over the course of a story / mission. The upcoming film, on the other hand, seems to be leaning toward bigger name villains - Lex Luthor, the Joker, Harley Quinn, for example - and that probably means there won't be quite as much freedom for the characters to be killed off, maimed, or otherwise damaged. Still, with some of the interesting actors involved (including Jared Leto), I can see a lot of potential here.
November 4th - Doctor Strange - I've become a huge Benedict Cumberbatch fan following his three seasons (and counting) on Sherlock. At this point, he pretty much walks on water as far as I'm concerned, so while he wouldn't have been my first thought for playing Stephen Strange, I can certainly see him pulling it off. Strange is one of those characters who's always been hit-and-miss for me, as most comic writers who've tackled him haven't really known what to do with a Master of the Mystic Arts. Given Marvel Studios' recent track record, though, I'll extend them the benefit of the doubt and assume that won't be the case with his big screen debut.
December ?? - Avatar 2 - I loved Avatar, so I welcome more magic from Canada's own James Cameron. Bring it on, I say!
2017
June 23rd - Wonder Woman - Now we're two-and-a-half years into the future, and about all we really know about this feature film is that Gal Gadot will play the Amazonian warrior and Canadian Michelle MacLaren will direct her in it. I guess we'll all have a much better idea where Warners plans to go with the character once Batman V Superman drops, but until then I'll remain cautiously optimistic that the greatest superheroine of all time will get good treatment at their hands.
July 28th - Thor: Ragnarok - With 2014's Sexiest Man Alive in the starring role, what's not to like about a third Thor movie? (The ladies who get dragged to these things by their boyfriends and husbands deserve at least that much, don't they?) The first two features were solidly entertaining fare, and that's what I expect from Ragnarok. That title (meaning the end of the world for the Norse gods) certainly suggests that it could be the final installment, making room for other Marvel characters to get films. I'm OK either way, personally.
November 3rd - The Black Panther - Speaking of new characters, T'Challa is an amazingly rich one to tell stories about, being an African prince, spending time as an Avengers, and having been married to Storm (of the X-Men) for awhile, to name but a few elements. I have no idea which parts of his history they'll choose to explore in the screen version, but I look forward to finding out.
November 17th - Justice League Part 1 - A film so great, they had to... split it in half? What the -? Oh never mind, it's what all the cool kids are doing these days (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Hobbit, etc, etc, etc) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. My initial reaction to this news, I'll admit, was excitement. After all, getting two films has to be better than one, right? More room to tell a more complete story, to focus on character development or just have more cool action scenes. At least in theory. I've dreamed of a big budget JLA film since I was a kid, and in a little less than three years it looks like I'll finally get my wish. Please please please don't blow it, Warners!
December ?? - Avatar 3 - Yes, assuming # 2 is good.
2018
March 23rd - The Flash - Doesn't he already have a TV show? Oh wait, this is the completely different version that's in the Justice League movie, which shouldn't be at all confusing to fans. Hmmm. Reserving judgement on this because... it's still more than four years away, for crying out loud!
May 4th - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 - Again with the breaking the story up over two films! Still, it's Avengers, and it'll probably rock!
July 6th - Captain Marvel - Not to be confused with the Captain Marvel who says Shazam! to change between Billy Batson and his superhero identity, this is Marvel Comics' current iteration: a strong female character who has a ton of potential. I love seeing non-white and/or non-male heroes being developed, and both Black Panther and Captain Marvel (not to mention Wonder Woman from Warners) are great steps in that direction.
July 27th - Aquaman - Another Justice League spinoff, with more still to come. They've cast one of the Game of Thrones actors for this role, and he was fine in GoT so... sure, let's see what he's got! Done right, the king of the seven seas can be a fantastic vehicle for telling great stories.
November 2nd - The Inhumans - Fans of the SHIELD TV show have already seen the seeds being planted for this, I think, as the blue alien that Coulson and the rest have discovered is actually a Kree. They're the alien race who created the Inhumans in the comics, you see, which is likely where that storyline is headed. Rumour has it that the Inhumans basically replace the X-Men (or mutants in general) in the Marvel TV and film universe, since they can't use any of the mutant characters who 20th Century Fox currently own (in terms of cinematic rights).
December ?? - Avatar 4 - I'm sensing a pattern here, perhaps inspired by Peter Jackson and a little trilogy you may have heard of, called The Lord of the Rings...
2019
April 5th - Shazam - Hey, we were just talking about you! My guess is that Warners will call the character 'Shazam' rather than 'Captain Marvel' in order to avoid confusion with the other one. But they really shouldn't, as this Cap was Cap long before Marvel Comics even existed. In the comics, Shazam was the old wizard who told Billy Batson to say his name (SHAZAM!) whenever he wanted to change between boy and superhero. Anyway, I hope they don't blow this too badly.
May 3rd - Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 - I can hardly wait to see what kind of cliffhanger we were left with at the end of Part 1!
June 14th - Justice League Part 2 - Ditto, although this one at least comes out on a great date!
2020 (No, I'm not kidding!)
April 3rd - Cyborg - Another Justice League member, leaving only one more to go...
June 19th - Green Lantern - ... and here he is! Not Ryan Reynolds this time around, thankfully, but probably Hal Jordan once again. This means that all of the JL heroes will get their own chance to start or continue franchises... Wow. That's a lot of faith in the brand, on the part of Warners.
Whew.
And this expansive list doesn't even touch on the upcoming Netflix series starring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and them teaming up as the Defenders, nor any of the other TV shows, some of which have turned out be great.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
The Perils Of An All-Digital Movie Future
Here's an interesting article on how the movement from physical film to digital could be setting up a disaster for the movie industry in terms of archival. It's quite the ironic turnabout, as digital was seen as the salvation from decaying film prints of the past.
I can relate to this personally as I was recently thinking about the VHS tape we have that contains home movies from the 90s, which I'd be hard pressed to watch right now as I'm not sure we have a working VCR. I would guess, tho, that the explosion of people recording video on their phones over the past decade will likely lead to a cottage industry of format converting utilities, as there will be millions (billions?) of customers out there who desperately want to retain access to their children's music recitals, Christmas mornings and stupid human tricks.
I can relate to this personally as I was recently thinking about the VHS tape we have that contains home movies from the 90s, which I'd be hard pressed to watch right now as I'm not sure we have a working VCR. I would guess, tho, that the explosion of people recording video on their phones over the past decade will likely lead to a cottage industry of format converting utilities, as there will be millions (billions?) of customers out there who desperately want to retain access to their children's music recitals, Christmas mornings and stupid human tricks.
Friday, December 19, 2014
George Clooney On The Sony Cyber Attack
Deadline has published a brief interview with George Clooney in which the actor/director talks about his attempts to get studio execs to sign a petition declaring their opposition to what the North Korean hackers have done regarding Sony's film, The Interview. As he says, "Not a single person would sign." Clooney goes on to point out, very intelligently, what this sort of acquiesence to terrorism means in the big picture of standing up to extortion and threats.
It's definitely worth a read.
It's definitely worth a read.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Alien: Isolation Sequel At Least Being Discussed
I absolutely loved Alien: Isolation this fall, despite some obvious flaws. It played shamelessly on my obsession with Ridley Scott's Alien film, and I was joyfully sucked right in. Therefore I'm glad to hear that a potential Alien: Isolation 2 is something that the development team is discussing, although it sounds like it's far from a given at this point. Also of interest to me in that interview is news of two new difficulty settings for the original game: Novice and Nightmare. I can't imagine playing on the latter, but having an even easier / less deadly setting in which to explore the space station definitely appeals.
I really hope AI wins some 2014 gaming awards, as I find it hard to imagine there was a better game released this year.
I really hope AI wins some 2014 gaming awards, as I find it hard to imagine there was a better game released this year.
Thursday, December 04, 2014
The Latest On The Preacher TV Series
It seems like the project that will never happen: getting Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's amazing Preacher comic series adapted to either television or film. There have been several aborted attempts, and it's still very much up in the air as to whether the latest one will fly, but at least now a pilot has been ordered for the proposed AMC series. I still have my doubts that anyone can successfully translate the material out of its original medium and deal with the inevitable push back from religious types, but time will tell.
My love for Preacher is nearly boundless, and it's one of the very few long comic series (75 issues) that I've re-read multiple times. It's also on my short list of comics that I won't be selling as long as I still own any comics. That's how good it is.
My love for Preacher is nearly boundless, and it's one of the very few long comic series (75 issues) that I've re-read multiple times. It's also on my short list of comics that I won't be selling as long as I still own any comics. That's how good it is.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Alien: Isolation Just Keeps On Giving
Minutes ago, I finished the main campaign for Alien: Isolation, my pick for the best Alien-based video game of all time. Alien Vs Predator, the original 1999 First Person Shooter, was probably better but it wasn't as true to the source material nor as much of a love letter to the fans. I've been so hooked on AI over the past couple weeks (as has Vicki, as an observer), and so absolutely in love with it even as it sometimes frustrated the hell out of me!
I still have more to enjoy with it, too, as there's a short second campaign, Crew Expendable, that allows you to play as Ripley, Dallas or Parker from the original film as they try to drive the xenomorph off their ship. Incredibly, the game makers got the cast members of Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien to come into the studio and provide their voices to this part, lending it a degree of authenticity that I can't wait to experience.
And then there's something called Survivor Mode which I think is an online Nazi Zombies-style adventure that always ends badly but manages to provide some great fun along the way. [Update the next day: Nope, Survivor Mode is single player, as well, and basically times you while you try to escape an area and achieve objectives as you go. Not quite as much fun as I'd hoped, but still OK.]
All of which means I expect to be playing this game for at least another several days, making it more than worth the money I spent on it. For me, this has definitely been the Game of the Year!
I still have more to enjoy with it, too, as there's a short second campaign, Crew Expendable, that allows you to play as Ripley, Dallas or Parker from the original film as they try to drive the xenomorph off their ship. Incredibly, the game makers got the cast members of Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien to come into the studio and provide their voices to this part, lending it a degree of authenticity that I can't wait to experience.
And then there's something called Survivor Mode which I think is an online Nazi Zombies-style adventure that always ends badly but manages to provide some great fun along the way. [Update the next day: Nope, Survivor Mode is single player, as well, and basically times you while you try to escape an area and achieve objectives as you go. Not quite as much fun as I'd hoped, but still OK.]
All of which means I expect to be playing this game for at least another several days, making it more than worth the money I spent on it. For me, this has definitely been the Game of the Year!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Alien: Isolation - Never Has Dying Been This Much Fun!
I've now owned Alien: Isolation for almost a week, or perhaps I should say, it's owned me! It's easily the scariest and most difficult video game I've ever played, and I couldn't be happier with it.
As someone who normally hates stealth missions in games, it's taken me some time to adjust to AI's style. It really is all about survival, pure and simple. Although he takes his time showing up initially, once the titular xenomorph appears on the scene you're pretty much screwed if you don't buy into the strategy of sneaking around slowly and making as little noise as possible. I've been killed by the big-headed bugger dozens of times by now after trying numerous methods to terminate him (knowing all along that you can't, but it's still fun trying) as well as discovering countless ways to unintentionally draw his attention. What a great ride! Rarely frustrated, and never deterred.
This truly is the ultimate gaming experience for fans of Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece like me.
As someone who normally hates stealth missions in games, it's taken me some time to adjust to AI's style. It really is all about survival, pure and simple. Although he takes his time showing up initially, once the titular xenomorph appears on the scene you're pretty much screwed if you don't buy into the strategy of sneaking around slowly and making as little noise as possible. I've been killed by the big-headed bugger dozens of times by now after trying numerous methods to terminate him (knowing all along that you can't, but it's still fun trying) as well as discovering countless ways to unintentionally draw his attention. What a great ride! Rarely frustrated, and never deterred.
This truly is the ultimate gaming experience for fans of Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece like me.
Monday, October 06, 2014
Best And Worst Of Alien Videogames
Tomorrow, Alien: Isolation launches and my copy for the PS4 is already on its way to me! Unlike the relaunched Aliens Vs Predator and Alien: Colonial Marines of recent memory, this Alien game is actually getting very good reviews (averaging around 8/10 or so) and has me very excited... as well as more than a little bit scared! Not scared that it'll suck, but rather that it'll be so hard that I won't be able to get very far in it.
Anyway, in anticipation of that momentous arrival, we have this lovely article, reminiscing about the best and worst of the games in the genre til now. And yes, the original, 1999 AvP game really was every bit as great as the reviewer says!
Anyway, in anticipation of that momentous arrival, we have this lovely article, reminiscing about the best and worst of the games in the genre til now. And yes, the original, 1999 AvP game really was every bit as great as the reviewer says!
Friday, August 15, 2014
The Many Dimensions Of Robin Williams
I've been on an on-again, off-again fan of Robin Williams since I first saw him playing Mork the alien on Happy Days before spinning off into Mork & Mindy, way back in my adolescent days. I loved him in Awakenings, Dead Poets Society and Goodwill Hunting, though at other times his schtick would completely take me out of a film.
Vicki and I were eating dinner at Crabby Joe's this week when I looked up and saw the TV screen showing CNN with the banner, "Breaking News: Robin Williams Dead at 63." I actually said, "What the Hell?" to Vicki then, which was kind of cruel as she couldn't see what I was looking at. Within minutes, of course, incredulity turned to realization and sadness, as usually happens in these situations.
In the wake of his death, we've learned all kinds of things that most of us would prefer to have never learned, such as the fact that one of the funniest people on the planet suffered from deep bouts of depression, and that his death was likely a suicide. Maybe something good will come of it, though, as mental health is a topic that desperately needs to be discussed more and stigmatized less.
On a more positive note, I saw this wonderful article today, in which it's revealed that Mr. Williams required that all events and jobs that wanted to book him also commit to hiring a certain number of homeless people to work on it, as well. Imagine that: a celebrity who made it a condition of his employment that some of the less fortunate members of society also benefit. And considering that I've never heard this before now, I'm guessing he didn't exactly broadcast the fact, either. Wow. That's a good man for you.
Vicki and I were eating dinner at Crabby Joe's this week when I looked up and saw the TV screen showing CNN with the banner, "Breaking News: Robin Williams Dead at 63." I actually said, "What the Hell?" to Vicki then, which was kind of cruel as she couldn't see what I was looking at. Within minutes, of course, incredulity turned to realization and sadness, as usually happens in these situations.
In the wake of his death, we've learned all kinds of things that most of us would prefer to have never learned, such as the fact that one of the funniest people on the planet suffered from deep bouts of depression, and that his death was likely a suicide. Maybe something good will come of it, though, as mental health is a topic that desperately needs to be discussed more and stigmatized less.
On a more positive note, I saw this wonderful article today, in which it's revealed that Mr. Williams required that all events and jobs that wanted to book him also commit to hiring a certain number of homeless people to work on it, as well. Imagine that: a celebrity who made it a condition of his employment that some of the less fortunate members of society also benefit. And considering that I've never heard this before now, I'm guessing he didn't exactly broadcast the fact, either. Wow. That's a good man for you.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Boyhood Currently Has A 99% Fresh Rating On Rotten Tomatoes!
99%! I can't remember the last time I saw something even close to that level. It's kind of insane how critically acclaimed this film is, and yet most movie-goers will never see it. Whereas drek like Transformers: Age of Extinction, totally devoid of any artistic value at all, continues to rake in millions... Sigh. Sometimes I weep for us as a species.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Can't Wait For Boyhood... But May Have To
The good news is that the reviews for Richard Linklater's Boyhood have been overwhelmingly positive and often downright gushing. The bad news is that it doesn't appear to be slated for a wide release when it opens in the next week, meaning that Vicki and I, for example, will have to either travel to Toronto to see it or wait for it to come out on DVD. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait, no matter when we finally get our chance, but dang, something's broken somewhere in the system when a film with this kind of reputation and moderate star power (Ethan Hawke) can't get a foothold in any but the biggest of markets.
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