April | 2012 | the m0vie blog

Mondo’s Alternate Avengers Posters

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Darren

The wonderful folks at Mondo have produced a series of character posters for The Avengers. I’m a big fan of graphic design, and I love the stylised approach that they’ve taken to these characters. There’s apparently only a tiny number of them going on sale some time soon (with Hawkeye and Black Widow already sold out), so it might be worth keeping an eye out for the others on sale. They really are quite awesome.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: art, avengers, awards, Mondo, Movie, poster | 3 Comments »

What Does It Take To Get You To See a Movie Twice In the Cinema?

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Darren

Going to the cinema is expensive. In fact, it’s been getting progressively more expensive these past few years, which seems to be a contributing factor in steadily decreasing theatre attendance. (The behaviour of fellow patrons and lax enforcement of basic cinema etiquette might be another.) Still, there’s something inherently romantic about a trip to the cinema, seeing the lights go dark and the images projected on a big screen, as they were intended to be seen. While a home cinema system offers its own perks, there’s just something inherently appealing about the real deal. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of seeing Cabin in the Woods with my better half – the second time I’d seen the film. I very rarely double-dip on cinema trips, but there were a variety of factors that alleviated my guilt. What does it take you to see a film more than once in a cinema?

Cinema is a cottage industry...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: arts, Arts and Entertainment, Cabin in the Woods, Canada, Christopher Nolan, david fincher, Drew Goddard, film, home cinema, Indoor Theaters, joss whedon, Movie theater, Movies, Theaters, titanic, United States, Woods | 12 Comments »

Kurt Busiek’s Avengers – Avengers Assemble! Vol. 4 (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Darren

April (and a little bit of May) are “Avengers month” at the m0vie blog. In anticipation of Joss Whedon’s superhero epic, we’ll have a variety of articles and reviews published looking at various aspects of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”

Read our review of The Avengers here.

I don’t envy the fourth collection of Avengers Assemble! On one side of this collection, you have three volumes of work featuring the collaboration between writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Perez. On the other side, you have the epic conclusion to Busiek’s run, The Kang Dynasty. Between the two, you have this collection – which features only six actual issues of The Avengers, the rest padded out with annuals or specials or miniseries. It’s something of a transitional time. A lot of the story is about the impact of what has happened so far, while foreshadowing what’s to come.

One 4 all?

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Avenger, avengers, avengers assemble!, Busiek, captain america, code green, comic books, Comics, Dan Slott, george perez, heroes, john romita, john romita jr, joss whedon, kang dynasty, kurt busiek, mark millar, marvel, maximum security, richard nixon, Steve Epting, superheroes, the ultron imperative, U.S. Agent, ultron, US Agent | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Seamonsters

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Darren

Seamonsters makes for an interesting feature film directorial debut from Julian Kerridge, Kerridge has a long and distinguished filmography as an actor, and has directed a pair of short films before this, but Seamonsters stands out as a fascinating first feature-length effort. Working from a script by Kerridge and co-writer Martin Sadofsky, the film offers an exploration of teenage life in a quiet seaside town. While Kerridge does seem to lose a grip on the plot during the second half, Seamonsters benefits from a wonderful young cast, a mostly light approach to its subject matter and an endearing almost ethereal atmosphere, perfectly capturing the idleness of teenage life.

All at sea...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Atlantis, film, Georgia Henshaw, Jack McMullen, Julian Kerridge, Kerridge, Leila Mimmack, London, Martin Sadofsky, Moony, Movie, New Zealand, non-review review, reece noi, review, sea monsters, Seamonster, seamonsters | 2 Comments »

Carrying the Banner: Why Ed Norton Remains the Best Bruce Banner…

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

I had the pleasure of seeing The Avengers last week. It’s a solid film, and Whedon does a great job tying it all together. What Whedon does especially well is presenting us with a live-action version of the Hulk that really works. Whedon’s green goliath is treated like an actual character rather than a special effect or a plot point, and it looks absolutely incredible, appropriately enough. However, I can’t help but feel like the movie still struggles with the Bruce Banner aspect of the character, and that Mark Ruffalo isn’t a convincing replacement for Ed Norton, who was as perfect a fit for the rage-managing monster as Robert Downey Jr. was for the redeemable Tony Stark.

Distilled Banner?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: ang lee, Avenger, Banner, bruce banner, captain america, edward norton, hulk, incredible hulk, joss whedon, louis leterrier, mark ruffalo, Marvel Studios, robert downey jr, Ruffalo, Whedon | 29 Comments »

Matt Fraction’s Run on The Invincible Iron Man – Vol. 2 (Hardcover) (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

Read our review of The Avengers here.

In many ways, Matt Fractions’ Invincible Iron Man run feels like a spiritual counterpart to Ed Brubaker’s celebrated Captain America tenure. Of course, there’s similar thematic ground covered by the character arcs, with both leads dealing with the fallout from Marvel’s crossover-driven continuity, but there’s something more fundamental in the style and goals of the works. Indeed, both read better in big chunks, with each of the “acts” in Brubaker’s Captain America saga conveniently broken down and released in their own omnibus collections (his opening Captain America run, The Death of Captain America and Captain America Lives!). I can’t help up feel like perhaps Matt Fraction drew the short straw when it comes to collected editions, with the release of his material dictated by Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2 and Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, as the two hardcovers seem strangely structured, creating a second volume which seems to contain the end of one act and the start of another.

$fractionironman3$

It's got a lot of heart...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Avenger, avengers, captain america, ed brubaker, history, iron man, joss whedon, kenneth branagh, Marvel Comic, marvel comics, matt fraction, robert downey jr, Stark, thor | Leave a comment »

Bealtaine Film Tour Schedule

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

I’m always a fan of bringing cinema to as wide an audience as possible, especially to those who can’t or wouldn’t normally attend. After all, I think it’s a wonderful thing to share – but then you probably suspected as much, given you’re reading a blog about film and pop culture. Anyway, I just received the schedule for the Bealtaine 2012 festival. It celebrates creativity as we age, and involves a rich slate of cultural activities aimed at sharing culture with those who wouldn’t normally have access to it. accessCinema and the wonderful folks at the Irish Film institute (with support from Seven Seas Active 55) will be taking three films on tour, including Maggie Smith in My House in Umbria, the classic Gene Kelly film An American in Paris and the underrated Last Chance Harvey. I am quite fond of that one. For those in Dublin, the IFI will also be screening Little Miss Sunshine and Cinema Paradiso, both of which are genuine classics.

The full schedule for the May festival is below. I’d just like to reiterate how cool it is that they do this, and to encourage any readers with any elderly friends or relatives to consider checking out some of these. Visit their official website here. Continue reading →

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: art, arts, CaherciveenLibrary, Cloughjordan, CountyMuseum, dublin, last chance harvey, Maggie Smith, Maynooth, Movie, Organizations, paris, Tralee, United States | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Albert Nobbs

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Darren

This film was seen as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2012. It’s getting its Irish theatrical release this weekend, so I thought I’d re-post this one.

Albert Nobbs is a fascinating little film that plays host to two fascinating central performances. It’s no secret that the movie has been something of a passion project for Glenn Close since she first played the role on stage, and she relishes the opportunity to bring the eponymous character to the big screen. Just as impressive is Janet McTeer as her confident and an unlikely friend. However, the movie suffers a little bit from a script that offers clever and enticing symbolism and metaphor, at the expense of offering an accessible narrative.

Close call...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Albert, Albert Nobbs, brendan gleeson, dublin, film, Glenn Close, Janet McTeer, John Banville, Mia Wasikowska, Movie, non-review review, review | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Café de Flore

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Darren

Café de Flore is very much a game of two halves. The first half is almost a psychedelic stream of consciousness collecting a series of intriguing and interesting moments that seem to refuse to add up. It perfectly evokes Pink Floyd, somewhat appropriate given how frequently the movie returns to the haunting opening of Dark Side of the Moon and even incorporates the iconic prism into its logo. However, the second half not only fails to live up to the promise of the more surreal first part of the film, it comes with several worrying implications that seriously undermine what had been a fascinating meditation on the way that music shapes our experiences.

Taking steps in the right direction?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Antoine, Café de Flore, Disc jockey, Down syndrome, Flore, Jacqueline, jean-marc vallée, johnny depp, Laurent, paris, Pink Floyd, Vanessa Paradis | Leave a comment »

Captain America by Jack Kirby Omnibus (Review)

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Darren

“All the years of combat against forces of overwhelming power have done little to prepare Cap for the terrifying experience of being thrust under the Klieg Lights amid an undulating sea of precision dancers…”

– Oh no! Cap’s fatal weakness! Precision dancers!

It seemed like a bit of a no-brainer. With America’s bicentennial celebrations approaching, Marvel decided to put comic book legend (and co-creator) Jack Kirby on the comic book. Publishing two annuals, twenty-two issues of the on-going Captain America and Falcon book, and the iconic Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, Kirby celebrated two centuries of the United States in style, crafting Captain America stories that were at once anchored in the past, yet boldly forging forward. He also seemed to embrace the crazy and energetic potential of the medium he helped define, producing a run on the character that was borderline surreal, occasionally crazy, but never boring.