Posted on September 3, 2009 by Darren
I’m having what might be termed ‘a Batman day’. I finally managed too tear open and read my copy of Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween and I’m a little giddy about it – and the fact Batman was just named Britain’s favourite superhero. In fact, it reminds me of just how much I want a sequel to The Dark Knight to at least be announced officially – the steady stream of increasingly inane rumours (Eddie Murphy, Megan Fox, yeesh) aren’t quite satiating my thirst. There’s been (understandably) a lot of discussion about the villains in the new film. I honestly don’t know who Nolan will pick (though my money is on Catwoman if only to adjust the gender ratio), but I am fascinated by the on-line discussion surrounding whether the characters of Harvey Dent and The Joker will (or should) return. My opinion of the Joker is simply: if he does, he does. Heath Ledger won an Oscar and gave us a fantastic portrayal of the character. If Nolan wants to bring him back recast, I’m cool. On Dent, I’m more sure: I don’t want to see him again.
Bringing back Harvey is a half-brained idea...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Comics, Movies | Tagged: batman, Batman 3, batman 3 villain, batman villains, Christopher Nolan, comic books, dc comics, films, harvey dent, Movies, The Dark Knight, The Long Halloween, tragedy, two face, Twoface | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 3, 2009 by Darren
The title just about says it all. I want to believe in The X-Files. I want to believe in Mulder and Scully. I want to believe in Chris Carter. But I’m looking for proof. Proof that the franchise that held the entire world’s attention for a few minutes in the mid- to late-nineties still has some life in it. Proof that a ridiculous complicated and illogical and poorly written final few seasons on the air had not sucked the marrow entirely from the bones of a once unique pop cultural entity. So, what does the movie give me? Not concrete proof, but a little hint of faith. The film is not as bad as the final two years of the show. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it isn’t as good as the first five.
"X" doesn't mark the spot...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: billy connelly, chris carter, david duchovny, films, franchise, gillian anderson, i want to believe, ludacris, Movies, mulder, non-review review, review, scully, series, Television, the x-files, the x-files: i want to believe, x-files | 2 Comments »
Posted on September 3, 2009 by Darren
Say what you will about the Caped Crusader, as well as having the finest rogues gallery in comicdom, he also gets most of the best storylines and plots. The Long Halloween is widely considered a classic, a true Batman story for the ages and a perfect companion to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One. In many ways, both stories heavily influence the two Christopher Nolan Batman movies (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) to the point where the notoriously shy-about-his-work Nolan actually provides the introduction to this collection. There’s a mark of quality right there. The story is so highly regarded for a reason, and has helped define one of the most enduring depictions of the Batman.
Batman might not be able to leap buildings in a single bound, but that won't stop him trying...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Comics | Tagged: absolute batman, absolute batman: the long halloween, absolute edition, batman, Christopher Nolan, comic books, dc comics, graphic novels, harvey dent, jeph loeb, the caped crusader, The Dark Knight, The Long Halloween, tim sale, two face | 2 Comments »
Posted on September 2, 2009 by Darren
Senator Ted Kennedy passed away last week amid a media frenzy. What interested me most about the Senator’s passing was the revelation of how he spent his final days: watching Bond movies and the entire run of 24. There are worse entertainments to be found, to be sure. I wonder if he watched that hallmark American television show enthralled by the actions of Jack Bauer, or if he saw something more hidden away? He wouldn’t be the first to find parallels between the show’s African-American Presidential family and the illustrious Kennedy dynasty. Did he see a reflection of what might have been, in another life?
I like the flag. Patriotic touch.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Television | Tagged: 24, bobby kennedy, charles logan, david palmer, edward kennedy, jack bauer, jack kennedy, jfk, john f kennedy, john fitzgerald kennedy, kennedy dynasty, kennedy family, politics, president, richard nixon, senator ted kennedy, ted kennedy, Television, the kennedys, wayne palmer | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 2, 2009 by Darren
Well, at least one of my predictions worked out. Waaaay back when this blog was just starting I called this year to be the biggest summer at the American Box Office ever and – with one weekend still to go – I was right about that one.
Well, I was due after Shutter Island was moved to February scuttling my Oscar forecast. Now, if the Academy could come around to nomination Inglourious Basterds (yeah, right!), I might forgive them for that whole fiasco with The Reader.
I’m quite proud of myself, but that isn’t really a good enough reason to post (at least on its own), so I’ve brought some facts and figures and observations below.
Christian Bale isn't going to happy about this...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Movies | Tagged: blockbusters, box office, films, finances, money, Movies, summer, summer 2009, summer blockbusters | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 1, 2009 by Darren
I was away in Florida when the whole Armond White thing broke last month. For those out of the loop, users of film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes decided that they’d had enough of White’s contrary approach to film reviews after he ‘ruined’ the perfect Tomatometer for District 9 – and generated quite the reaction on the site. With District 9 being released in the UK and Ireland this week, it seems almost the perfect time to revisit the discussion, with the benefit of hindsight. Plus, film criticism is one of those topics that I take a great deal of recreational interest in.
Somehow I doubt we'll ever see eye-to-eye...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Movies | Tagged: armond white, cinema, criticism, critics, district 9, film critics, Movies, popularism, roger ebert, rotten tomatoes, taste, tomatometer | 2 Comments »
Posted on September 1, 2009 by Darren
I wrote in my review of the original X-Men that the first film in the saga still holds up quite well, even after a decade of superhero movies built off the back of it. It is by no means as spectacular as some of those that followed, nor is it as bad as some of those that followed. X-Men II is something similar. It wasn’t quite as revolutionary, but it did jumpstart another style of summer blockbuster, arguably a subgenre of the type sparked by the original film: the bigger and better superhero sequel.
No need to get your claws out...
Continue reading →
Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: brian cox, comic books, films, god loves man kills, ian mckellen, kurt wagner, magneto, marvel, Movies, nightcrawler, non-review review, review, william stryker, wolverine, x-men, x-men 2, x-men united, x2: x-men united | Leave a comment »
the m0vie blog 