the m0vie blog

Superhero Movie Fatigue? I Tire of This Argument…

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

It’s becoming a frequent complaint that there are “too many” superhero films. When Green Lantern crashed and burned last year, there were a rake of articles lauding it as “superhero fatigue.” Even before this summer kicked off, people were asking if “fatigue” had kicked in. Ignoring for a moment that The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises are the two most successful films of the year, I’ve never quite understood that argument. There were, after all, three (or four, if you count the dire Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) superhero-themed blockbusters this year. Do audiences get “period drama fatigue” if more than four high-profile period dramas are released in a year? Are there widespread cases of “cop movie fatigue” if more than half-a-dozen movies feature a law enforcement official in a lead role? Is there a cap on the number of films that Ryan Gosling can produce, lest he inspire an epidemic of “Ryan Gosling fatigue”?

Twilight of the superheroes?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amazing Spider-Man, art, avengers, batman, Christopher Nolan, Dark Knight Rises, DarkKnight Rises, Fatigue (medical), Fritz Lang, green lantern, katherine heigl, Movie, richard donner, Ryan Gosling, superhero, Superhero film | 17 Comments »

Dan Slott’s Spider-Man – The Amazing Spider-Man & Human Torch (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

The Amazing Spider-Man and Human Torch is a sweet little book, if just a little bit too nostalgic for my tastes. A five-issue miniseries, it allows Dan Slott to show us five vignettes exploring the relationship between Marvel’s iconic webhead and the youngest member of the Fantastic Four. Slott leans a little bit too heavily on continuity in places, trying too keenly to fit the story inside an established mythology, but The Amazing Spider-Man and Human Torch reads like an affectionate homage to the relative innocence of the Silver Age. I don’t doubt that Slott’s solid character work here helped secure the writer his current position as author of The Amazing Spider-Man, and the story is a fun (if light) look back on the hokey adventures of yesteryear.

At liberty to discuss it…

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Amazing Spider-Man, Aunt May, Dan Slott, Doctor Octopus, fantastic four, Human Torch, Johnny, marvel, Marvel Comic, marvel universe, Mary Jane Watson, Mike Allred, Silver Sable, Slott, spider man, Spider-Man's powers and equipment, Spidey, Torch | Leave a comment »

Jameson Cult Film Club: The Silence of the Lambs

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

I had the pleasure, on Wednesday evening, of attending the Jameson Cult Film Club screening of The Silence of the Lambs. Any excuse to see Jonathan Demme’s masterpiece is worth taking up, but this was a wonderful night for two reasons. The first is that fact that although I am a huge fan of the film, I had never seen it before on a big screen. I’d only ever seen it on home media. The second reason is, as you might expect, that the guys and girls at the Jameson Cult Film Club really surpassed themselves in creating a powerfully immersive experience.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anthony hopkins, arts, Clarice, Clarice Starling, Demme, film, hannibal lecter, jameson cult film club, jodie foster, Lecter, Memphis Police Department, Movie, Silence of the Lamb | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Shadowlands

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

Shadowlands is, at its core, a very typical “weepy” romantic drama. However, it’s an exceptionally well-executed example of the genre, one that demonstrates a rather uncanny understanding about the complexities of love and loss that help it stand out from a lot of its fellow films. A superbly powerful central performance from Anthony Hopkins certainly doesn’t hurt, and Richard Attenborough’s elegant, yet unintrusive, direction allows the story to flow without ever feeling too emotionally manipulative. It’s an intelligent and well-constructed exploration of a tragic love affair, one that feels distinctly human in its approach to its subjects and themes.

Does Hopkins deliver a superb performance? You can bank on it…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: anthony hopkins, arts, Atheism, C.S Lewis, Christian, film, Health, Joy Davidman, Lewis, Movie, New Atheism, non-review review, Online Writing, Oxford, Oxfordshire, poetry, Remains of the Day, review, richard attenborough, Shadowland, United States, Writers Resources, Yes (band) | 6 Comments »

Win! Tickets to the Jameson Cult Film Club Screening of Snatch in Galway…

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Darren

Would you ‘adam and eve it’, the Jameson Cult Film Club is coming to Galway, and we’ve teamed up with Jameson to offer tickets to one lucky geezer and three of his mates to the ultimate screening experience of Snatch in a secret location in Galway on August 23rd.

The Jameson Cult Film Club is all about watching your favourite cult films at spectacular screenings staged to transport the audience right into the world of the movie. These free events are not just your typical screening, it’s an experiential viewing experience with clever use of props, staging and live action to ensure the audience in the venue are transported right into the world of the movie! Characters from the movie, live theatre and special effects timed perfectly with on-screen action help to create an electric atmosphere and leave movie fans wanting more.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: arts, competition, films, galway, jameson cult film club, jameson cult film galway, Movies, silence of the lambs, Snatch, snatch galway, win | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Expendables 2

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Darren

There’s a very thin line between being a tribute to something and becoming an example of it. The Expendables sold itself as an affectionate homage to the cheesy eighties action movies that you’d find populating the godforsaken post-midnight hours on a local television station. They’re the kind of movies we remember with a sense of casual fondness – we don’t lie to ourselves that they were great, but focus on the cheesy one-liners and the ridiculous stunts and the scenery-chewing bad guys. Unfortunately, those movies generally weren’t as good as we remember them. We omit certain details – the terrible pseudo-political subtext shoehorned in, the cringe-worthy character work, the pacing issues, the performances that aren’t so bad they become good, but are instead so bad that they remain bad. The Expendables felt like a revived eighties late-night action movie, rather than a tribute to our cultural memory of one.

So I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed The Expendables 2, the sequel to the all-star actioner. It seems to have learned a lot from its predecessor and feels like exactly the sort of light and brainless entertainment we remember, rather than the mind-numbingly bad films we actually watched.

Eighties action movie reunion!

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: bruce willis, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, expendables, expendables 2, film, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, mercenaries, Movie, non-review review, review, Stallone, sylvester stallone, the expendables 2 | Leave a comment »

Meme of the Moment: The Movies Sing “Baby Got Back”…

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Darren

Proof that there is no such thing as “too much free time” and that the internet, I present to you, the movies singing that underappreciated nineties classic, Baby Got Back. I can’t imagine how much time and research it took, but it’s worth it hear Tim Roth finish the line “flat butts are the thing.” And Anthony Hopkins contributing to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s pop masterpiece.

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Non-Review Review: Psycho (1960)

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Darren

Psycho is a masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock, a uniquely American horror story that redefined and codified the horror genre. Even after one has already seen the film, and knows the twists and the plotting detours that Hitchcock’s adaptation of Robert Bloch’s novel might make, it’s still a powerful and compelling piece of cinema. Hitchcock laid a template here that would inform generations of horror films that followed, with the DNA of Psycho to be found even in the most unlikely of places.

“You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave…”

Note: Hitchcock famously guarded the ending to this project. “Don’t give away the ending — it’s the only one we have!” he pleaded in advertisements. However, it has been fifty-two years, so I fear that the statute of limitations on potential spoilers has expired. After all, Psycho has been so massively influential it’s hard not to know what happens. If, by some fluke, you know nothing about the film… see it! See it now! We’ll still be here when you get back.

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: alfred hitchcock, art, AT&T, Edward Hopper, film, graphic design, Graphic Designers, gus van sant, halloween, hitchcock, Janet Leigh, Movie, non-review review, Norman, Norman Bates, Psycho, review, Robert Bloch, Saul Bass, United States, wes craven | 4 Comments »

Watch! Seven Psychopaths Trailer…

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Darren

We’re big fans of Martin McDonagh here at the m0vie blog, so the arrival of the trailer for his latest effort is kinda a big deal. With a cast including Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, it looks delightfully ridiculous, with the writer and director’s distinctive brand of black humour on display. It’s arriving soon (but not soon enough), and the trailer is below.

Filed under: Movies | Leave a comment »

Untold Tales of Spider-Man by Kurt Busiek Omnibus (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Darren

I am of two minds about Kurt Busiek’s and Pat Olliffe’s celebrated Untold Tales of Spider-Man run. On the one hand, Busiek manages to affectionately evoke the spirit of those classic Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Spider-Man stories, without getting too bogged down in minor or confusing continuity. On the other hand, the stories feel somewhat trapped and confined by having to contort around the existing storylines. Naturally, for example, Busiek can’t resolve any plot threads he doesn’t keep exclusive to the book, and we all know how various situations unfold. It’s a strange cocktail, and it works slightly more often than it doesn’t work. It’s very much in the spirit of the author’s much-loved work on the Avengers, and there’s no denying the skill and love that went into crafting the issues collected here, but I find that I respect The Untold Tales of Spider-Man more than I love it.