The Fever for the Flavor...
I have always been a comic book fan.
Even as I entered into my "rent is more important than comic books" adulthood, there was always an occasional graphic novel or comic shop on the way to an appointment that would catch my eye and at least a few-minute read of not an actual now-and-then buy.
Movies about heroes of all kinds have been around one way or another since the Keystone Cops, Tarzan and the inevitable BATMAN in 1990. All of them had their "flavor", all had a vision of what would be their icons, stars and in some cases - decent stories.
That all changed in my not so humble opinion, with the release of "XMen" in 2000, directed by someone, a man named Bryan Singer, that finally understood the comic book fan viewpoint - that flavor was everything. Less than four minutes into the movie, we had flavor delivered to us in the guise of Logan (aka Wolverine) while being introduced ready to kick some drunk cannuck ass in a bar in Bumbleville, Ontario. Each and almost every shot of that sequence has the flavor of the comics just as sure as I can taste salt on a potato chip. Absolute classic in the works movie-making. This hallmark has carried over into Xmen II, and has been sprinkled into the variety of comic book-based movies that have been released in recent years. The Spiderman efforts, Daredevil, Blade franchise, Hellboy - all of them, even "Elektra" that is being panned this week during it's opening, have at least the flavor that gets asses in seats and people paid.
I have just seen the trailers for two more entries into comic book-spawned movies that look to at least match the efforts of Bryan Singer and his venture into the world of cinema scribed heroism - the first of which is near and dear.
"BATMAN BEGINS", directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale and a gaggle of others is on its way and will be arriving in mid-June this year and I have to tell you - I am enthused. For those that know anything other than the flavor delivered in the ultra-campy television show, this movie will make your hair stand on end. It looks to be following the lines of "Tales of the Dark Knight" series, where there is so much more to know about the reasons for Batman, than there is about his utility belt and kick-ass car. There is much in the way of psychology, skill, and drama that has been lost in translation in previous films featuring the caped crusader, but this one my friends? Look for something that will make one's collective comic book geek's thighs steam.
Just when you thought this year couldn't possibly get more "Fantastic" we're also in store for the arrival of the quad quarry and their nemesis, he-who-is-with-steel-face, "THE FANTASTIC FOUR." Directed by Tim Story (of Barbershop fame, among other smaller titles), and starring (though not top-billed) Michael Chiklis, this movie has been in my rear view mirror since about a year ago when sneak shots of The Thing began to emerge. First, I'm a Michael Chiklis Phreak. The man is a genius in the way of the craft and is so underated that it makes my head spin. There are others involved (including the ridiculously easy on the eyes Jessica Alba) but there was an initial fear at the beginning of that project. How do you turn a guy into a guy that is a giant hunk of rock with hands and thick eyebrows? How do we burst a guy into better-than-Saving-Private-Ryan-flame-throwered guys fire with the words "flame on?"
As of right several minutes ago, after viewing the trailer that is in place, that fear has been completely erased.
A quick couple of notes about it: The quality of the lit and appropriately-framed Ben Grimm/The Thing: Oh, my Gawd: They did it. There he is with an 18 wheeler wrapping around his rock hard ass in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge.
That little "dude on fire" thing mentioned above? Consider it taken care of.
The flavor continues, true believers, and it is TRULY fantastic.
Click here to check out the "BATMAN BEGINS" Trailer, and give this one a sniff for the "FANTASTIC FOUR" Trailer.
'Nuff said. :)
Even as I entered into my "rent is more important than comic books" adulthood, there was always an occasional graphic novel or comic shop on the way to an appointment that would catch my eye and at least a few-minute read of not an actual now-and-then buy.
Movies about heroes of all kinds have been around one way or another since the Keystone Cops, Tarzan and the inevitable BATMAN in 1990. All of them had their "flavor", all had a vision of what would be their icons, stars and in some cases - decent stories.
That all changed in my not so humble opinion, with the release of "XMen" in 2000, directed by someone, a man named Bryan Singer, that finally understood the comic book fan viewpoint - that flavor was everything. Less than four minutes into the movie, we had flavor delivered to us in the guise of Logan (aka Wolverine) while being introduced ready to kick some drunk cannuck ass in a bar in Bumbleville, Ontario. Each and almost every shot of that sequence has the flavor of the comics just as sure as I can taste salt on a potato chip. Absolute classic in the works movie-making. This hallmark has carried over into Xmen II, and has been sprinkled into the variety of comic book-based movies that have been released in recent years. The Spiderman efforts, Daredevil, Blade franchise, Hellboy - all of them, even "Elektra" that is being panned this week during it's opening, have at least the flavor that gets asses in seats and people paid.
I have just seen the trailers for two more entries into comic book-spawned movies that look to at least match the efforts of Bryan Singer and his venture into the world of cinema scribed heroism - the first of which is near and dear.
"BATMAN BEGINS", directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale and a gaggle of others is on its way and will be arriving in mid-June this year and I have to tell you - I am enthused. For those that know anything other than the flavor delivered in the ultra-campy television show, this movie will make your hair stand on end. It looks to be following the lines of "Tales of the Dark Knight" series, where there is so much more to know about the reasons for Batman, than there is about his utility belt and kick-ass car. There is much in the way of psychology, skill, and drama that has been lost in translation in previous films featuring the caped crusader, but this one my friends? Look for something that will make one's collective comic book geek's thighs steam.
Just when you thought this year couldn't possibly get more "Fantastic" we're also in store for the arrival of the quad quarry and their nemesis, he-who-is-with-steel-face, "THE FANTASTIC FOUR." Directed by Tim Story (of Barbershop fame, among other smaller titles), and starring (though not top-billed) Michael Chiklis, this movie has been in my rear view mirror since about a year ago when sneak shots of The Thing began to emerge. First, I'm a Michael Chiklis Phreak. The man is a genius in the way of the craft and is so underated that it makes my head spin. There are others involved (including the ridiculously easy on the eyes Jessica Alba) but there was an initial fear at the beginning of that project. How do you turn a guy into a guy that is a giant hunk of rock with hands and thick eyebrows? How do we burst a guy into better-than-Saving-Private-Ryan-flame-throwered guys fire with the words "flame on?"
As of right several minutes ago, after viewing the trailer that is in place, that fear has been completely erased.
A quick couple of notes about it: The quality of the lit and appropriately-framed Ben Grimm/The Thing: Oh, my Gawd: They did it. There he is with an 18 wheeler wrapping around his rock hard ass in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge.
That little "dude on fire" thing mentioned above? Consider it taken care of.
The flavor continues, true believers, and it is TRULY fantastic.
Click here to check out the "BATMAN BEGINS" Trailer, and give this one a sniff for the "FANTASTIC FOUR" Trailer.
'Nuff said. :)
posted by Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking at 11:01 PM
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