the m0vie blog

Geoff Johns’ Run on Green Lantern – Sinestro Corps War & Tales of the Sinestro Corps (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on September 5, 2009 by Darren

Okay, now we’re into the meaty stuff. After quite a bit of set-up, Johns finally lets loose. Sinestro Corps War is a summer blockbuster in comics form, but it’s a summer blockbuster with ideas and characters that make it rich and fulfilling. Every inch an ‘event’ comic (right down to an arguably unnecessary spin-off), it manages to be perhaps the best event comic book that has been produced in quite some time. Most importantly, it seems to start to tie together a lot of the work that Johns had put into the earlier issues.

Red and yellow together? A confident choice, sir!

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: comic books, Comics, dc comics, geoff johns, green lantern, review, sinestro, sinestro corps, sinestro corps war, Sinestro Corps War: vol 2, Sinestro Corps War: vol. 1, Sinestro Corps War: Volume 1, Sinestro Corps War: volume 2, Sinestro Corps War:vol 1, Tales of the Sinestro Corps | Leave a comment »

Geoff Johns’ Run on Green Lantern – No Fear, Revenge of the Green Lanterns & Wanted: Hal Jordan

Posted on September 5, 2009 by Darren

Talk about a turn-around in fortunes. I remember the days when the Green Lantern was a cult figure – beloved by a few core devotees and mocked ceaselessly by anyone who knew the character well enough to know that he had a weakness to the colour yellow. That’s lamer than Kryptonite and led to all manner of hackneyed set-ups and resolutions since the rebirth of the series in 1960 (the original Green Lantern had a similar weakness to wood – yes, wood). However, he’s now one of DC’s flagship properties, managed to be the one to watch even in a summer where DC ‘killed’ Batman and has a mega blockbuster movie coming out starring Ryan Reynolds and directed by the man who saved James Bond (twice). There are a variety of factors that explain this massive reversal in fortune, but I’m going to go ahead and throw a name on them: Geoff Johns.

Don't worry, he's just out of practice... He'll figure it out...

Yeah, exposition tends to really kill those big moments, doesn't it?

Note: As Green Lantern: Rebirth is receiving an Absolute Edition next year, I held off on buying the trade. So I’ll get that in 2010 and review it then. I just wish I’d held off on buying the Sinestro Corps War books – they’ll likely get the Absolute treatment too. Still, this collection actually makes a better “jumping on” point.

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: batman, branded, Comics, dc comics, geoff johns, green arrow, green lantern, green lantern: no fear, hal jordan, mystery of the star sapphire, no fear, revenge of the green lanterns, review, revival, silver age, sinestro corps war, tpb, wanted: hal jordan | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: District 9

Posted on September 5, 2009 by Darren

It was good, but not great. That’s about it. I was somewhat underwhelmed by what is being hailed as the most fresh and original science fiction film since… well, Moon way back in June. Maybe I’m being harsh though. A lot of it was very good, some of it was great, but some of it made my very uncomfortable. And not in the way that social commentary is meant to make you feel uncomfortable.

Illegal aliens...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: aliens, apartheid, district 9, films, Movies, neill blomkamp, nigerians, non-review review, peter jackson, prawns, racism, review, science fiction, shane copley, sharlto copley, south africa, xenophobia | 1 Comment »

Going Nutz Over Nazis…

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Darren

Ah, Nazis. The most typical of Hollywood villains. It seems that whenever you want the audience to cheer at what your morally ambiguous hero is up to, just stick his opponent in a Nazi uniform and you can guaruntee that the viewers will know which side they’re on. It used to be in the old days that simply putting a villain in a Nazi uniform was a regular past time for any big director. You didn’t need characterisation or complexity. If they’re German between 1941 and 1945, they’re a bad guy. Well, at least that used to be the way. In recent years it seems that we have accepted that things may be slightly more complex than those black and grey uniforms that they wore. There are many shades. So much so that the ‘thoughtful Nazi flick’ has pretty much become guarunteed Oscar bait. Given the minor furore which surrounded the release of Inglourious Basterds, is the time of the one-dimensional cardboard cutout passed into history? And has political correctness gone too far?

Don't make a song and dance about it...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: films, germany, good, history, hitler, indiana jones, inglourious basterds, national socialism, nazis, political correctness, quentin tarantino, schindler's list, sterotypes, the holocaust, the reader, the sound of music | 1 Comment »

Pleasing All of the People Some of the Time – Oscar Voting for Dummies…

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Darren

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

John Lydgate

The above quote is frequently attributed to Abraham Lincoln (though Lincoln actually substituted ‘fool’ for ‘please’, in a bit of West Wing-style trivia for you, say what you will of “Honest Abe”), and applies to many things in life. Since this is a movie blog, and the Oscars changed the practice of counting votes for the Best Picture, today it applies to the practice of counting votes for the Best Picture. The Academy used to adopt both approaches – favouring all in the selection of nominees, but only some (as little as 18%) in its selection of winners – but now it looks like the academy is shifting towards adjusting the selection of winners to allow all (well, a lot more than before) members some say in the matter.

Anyway, we’ve put together a little maths guide to how the new system will work in practice.

If I have three Oscar statuettes, and Meryll Streep moves in with her thirteen Oscar statuettes, how inferior am I going to feel?

If I have one Oscar statuettes, and Jack Nicholson stands next to mewith his three Oscar statuettes, how inferior am I going to feel?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: academy, AMPAS, awards, best picture, cinema, democracy, elections, examples, film, maths, Movies, Oscars, plurality, single transferable vote, stv, voting, voting for dummies | Leave a comment »

Should Harvey Dent Return in Batman 3?

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...

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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 »

Non-Review Review: X-Files – I Want to Believe

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...

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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 »

Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween (Review)

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...

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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 »

The Palmers: A Reflection of the Kennedys?

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.

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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 »

It Was the Summer of ’09… BIGGEST. SUMMER. EVER…

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.