September | 2009 | the m0vie blog

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

Posted on September 26, 2009 by Darren

What we have here is an interesting companion story to Alan Moore’s seminal The Killing Joke, a sequel of sorts to Frank Miller’s classic Year One, a direct follow-on to the two Matt Wagner miniseries Batman and the Monster Men and Batman and the Mad Monk and a bit of an introduction to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween. That’s one hell of a nexus to find your story at the centre of, even if you weren’t trying to tell the definitive first encounter story between Batman and the Joker. So, does Brubaker pull it off?

What a Joker...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Comics | Tagged: batman, Batman: The Man Who Laughs, brubaker, comic, ed brubaker, graphic novel, joker, made of wood, review, the joker, the man who laughs | 3 Comments »

Are Bloggers Critics?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Darren

Is any profession less secure than film criticism? Really. I mean, I was depressed about the box office success of Transformers 2 as well and was disappointed no one heeded you, but I didn’t begin to doubt my very profession. Similarly I was upset that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was marketed around film critics, but I didn’t become openly petty about you guys not seeing the film for free. This time, it’s the fact that critics are being grouped with bloggers that has prompted a rather severe reaction from some quarters. Is there any point to be made?

The film critic on new media...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: awards daily, bloggers, blogging, criticism, critics, film criticism, films, hollywood elsewhere, indieWire, jeffrey wells, Movies, roger ebert, sasha stone, tiff, toronto international film festival | 34 Comments »

Still Dead Set on Deadpool…

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Darren

Looks like Robert Downey Jnr. isn’t Hollywood’s only two-franchise man at the moment – apparently Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is still on the cards, at least according to the character’s creator. This is interesting not just because Reynolds will be the leading man in two major superhero productions (and possibly franchises) in the coming years, but also because he will be the first leading man to work with both DC Comics and Marvel Entertainment at the same time. Sure, he was in Blade III, but we don’t count that. It never happened. And I doubt he’d disagree with us on that.

Apparently Green Lantern's secret identity is Deadpool...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: comic book movies, Deadpool, film, green lantern, marvel, Movies, ryan reynolds, x-men, x-men origins: deadpool | Leave a comment »

Tommy Tiernan and the Art of Self-Censorship…

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Darren

Ah, an Irish comedian has said something stupid and distasteful that has garnered massive media attention. Whodda thunk? This time quintessential Navan man Tommy Tiernan chose to make an ill-considered joke about efficiency and the Holocaust at Electric Picnic. Yep. As you can imagine – this being the country that now has an anti-blasphemy law – everyone has jumped all over it, and they’re right to. In fairness, most commentaries have been fairly reasoned, but I still roll my eyes when people talk about how we should have laws to stop these sorts of things. Yes, he shouldn’t have said what he said. But he should be able to.

Up to his neck in it...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Opinion | Tagged: electric picnic, free speech, freedom of speech, holocaust, holocaust denial, self-censorship, stand-up, stand-up comedy, tommy tiernan | 2 Comments »

Non Review Review: Cliffhanger

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Darren

I picked up Cliffhanger on bluray because it was €9 and because I’d never seen it before. My aunt and uncle both suggested that the film would look absolutely stunning in high definition – and they were right. Say waht you (and even I) will about Renny Harlin’s storytelling ability or his difficulties with actors, he does shoot good scenery. The scenery gives the best performance in the film, with the aerial photography give a huge sense of scale to proceedings. Nice mountains, shame about the movie.

No, don't let go! Being in the movie isn't THAT bad...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: action movie, cinematography, cliffhanger, films, john lithgow, Movies, non-review review, renny harlin, review, stunts, sylvester stallone | 1 Comment »

The Ambiguous Ending of The Usual Suspects…

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Darren

This post is somewhat prompted by an interesting discussion over at MCarter’s review of The Usual Suspects, concerning the ending. Some people remarked that while they were impressed with the ambiguity of the film, they thought that the ending was just a little bit too clear cut. I have no problem with a definite ending to a film, but I’m not so sure that The Usual Suspects is as open and shut as it might seem. But wait! you protest, as someone who has seen the film, That ending was fairly clear. Maybe it was. But maybe it wasn’t.

The highest quality photo of the "real" Keyser Soze...

Note: Seeing as how this is a discussion on the ending of The Usual Suspects, it will obviously contain spoilers on the film. Don’t read this if you haven’t seen the movie. Really. Go, rent or borrow or buy the movie, watch it and come back – and give us your thoughts. The Usual Suspects is a movie you owe it to yourself not to ruin.
Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: ambiguous, discussion, ending, films, gabriel byrne, keyser soze, kobayashi, Movies, noir, Opinion, Pete Postlethwaite, surprise, suspects, The usual suspects. kevin spacey, twist ending, verbal kint, who is keyser soze | 61 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Good, The Bad & The Weird

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Darren

That was fun. Really, pure unadulterated fun. A skewed trip through the Sergio Leone Westerns with the ingenuity of Raiders of the Lost Ark thrown into the mix, filtered through a modern Tarantino-esque filter of pop cultural awareness and thirst for action and violence. It’s a jumble of a million and one different things, a fresh and mostly original cocktail that leaves a rather pleasant taste in the mouth. If it doesn’t quite measure up to the classics it seeks to emulate, it can take great pleasure in the fact that it is a much more fitting tribute than anything Hollywood has produced in the last two decades.

Naked gun...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Byung-hun Lee, film, Ji-woon Kim, Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom, Kang ho-Song, korean cinema, Movies, non-review review, review, sergio leone, the good the bad and the ugly, the good the bad and the weird, the good the band & the weird, western, world cinema | Leave a comment »

Neil Jordan at Trinity College

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Darren

I had the great pleasure to pop along to a discussion with Neil Jordan hosted by the University Philosophical Society in Trinity College last night. I didn’t have a pen and paper handy, but I did make a few notes on the conversation which at least offer an interesting perspective or two from the Irish autuer. The Phil website normally has recordings of event up fairly promptly, so I’ll add a link to them soon. In the meantime, there are a few interesting thoughts in what the man said.

Irish film legend...

Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: 3d, an interview with a vampire, autuer, breakfast on pluto, cinema, director, film, interiew with a vampire, interview, irish cinema, michael collins, Movies, neil gaiman, neil jordan, the crying game, the grave yard book, the graveyard book, tifff, toronto | Leave a comment »

Ever Ben Lost?

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Darren

I have mixed feelings about the Emmy awards. On one hand Bryan Cranston is awesome, but on the other Hugh Laurie is due a statue, albeit probably not for this lacklustre year. On one hand 24 deserved recognition, but on the other Anne Wersching was the best actress on the show – certainly not Cherry Jones. it was awesome to see Brendan Gleeson get some over due love. And there is one decision I’m glad that the Academy made. Michael Emerson deserved an award for his role of everyone’s favourite sociopath.

Ben, the two of us need look no more… We both found what we were looking for.

Where have you, Ben?

Continue reading →

Filed under: Television | Tagged: Anti-hero, antihero, ben, ben linus, benjamin, character, emmys, jacob, linus, lost, michael emerson, supporting actor, Television, villain | Leave a comment »

Grumpy Old Men – Bad-Ass Geyzers in Revenge Flicks…

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Darren

What is it about the revenge flick? There have been tonnes of them made, but there hasn’t really been a definitive one produced to date. The trailer for Michael Caine’s latest effort (does the man ever sleep?) Harry Brown has appeared on-line and looks to be released fairly shortly. It’s interesting to see Caine – at his present age – playing a riff on his classic Get Carter role as he plays an ex-army man who tries to avenge the death of his best friend. I’d run out of fingers listing movies with that plot, but I can’t really think of a really, really, really good one. What is it about rip-roaring rampages of revenge that we can’t get behind? And, if we are so disturbed by them, how come they keep getting made?