hannibal | the m0vie blog

Fall of the Mutants: Uncanny X-Men (Review/Retrospective)

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Darren

With our month looking at Avengers comics officially over, we thought it might be fun to dig into that other iconic Marvel property, the X-Men. Join us for a month of X-Men related reviews and discussion.

Part of me does feel a little bit sorry for Chris Claremont. After all, his Uncanny X-Men run was trapped in a perpetual second act. He hadn’t introduced the franchise, inheriting it from a bunch of other writers and artists, and he couldn’t resolve it either. So, as a writer, Claremont was charged with keeping readers interested in an on-going narrative that spanned well over a decade. Occasionally, the writer would try to keep things fresh, and Fall of the Mutants represents just such an attempt. Trying to transition his team from one status quo to another, you have to give the writer credit for pitting the team against an enemy who is (effectively) God, even if it does make this chapter in his on-going saga the equivalent of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

United we fall…

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: chris claremont, Claremont, cyclops, fall of the mutants, Forge, hannibal, Jean Grey, Louise Simonson, marvel comics, matt fraction, Mister Sinister, mutant massacre, Mystique, Psylocke, Sinister, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Storm, uncanny x-men, uncanny x-men: fall of the mutants, vietnam, wolverine, x-men, x-men comics, x-men: fall of the mutants | Leave a comment »

Minor Miracles: Supporting Characters & The Lesson of Hannibal Lecter

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Darren

“Less is more.” Or so we’re often told at least. It generally seems to be used in a polite way to limit our exposure to things we don’t like. However, I can’t help but wonder if it is true of supporting characters. After all, those interesting side characters in movies that happen to capture our imaginations with a relatively minor roles. Indeed, I reckon that I could probably name more supporting characters I took a shine to, rather than iconic lead characters. While we undoubtedly relish every moment they appear on-screen, and perhaps lament that we only get so limited an exposure to them, I can’t help but wonder of that somewhat restricted presence might be precisely what makes them so appealing in the first place.

Bloody brilliant…

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Anthony Hopkin, anthony hopkins, Boba Fett, Clarice Starling, forgetting sarah marshall, george lucas, hannibal, hannibal (book), hannibal (film), hannibal lecter, hannibal rising, jason segel, Katy Perry, kristen bell, Movies, mystery, Nicholas Stoller, People's Choice Awards, russell brand, Sarah Marshall, silence of the lambs, supporting character, the silence of the lambs, thomas harris, will graham | 20 Comments »

The Silicon Chip Inside Her Head Gets Switched to Overload: On-Screen Mania and Off-Screen Motives….

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Darren

And daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reasons
‘Cos there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be show-ow-ow-ow-own?

– I Don’t Like Mondays, The Boom Town Rats

I have to admit, I have a soft spot in my heart for cheesy horror films. Not necessarily all of them, as there’s a lot of dross out there, but I have to admit that there’s nothing like a well-constructed scary movies. I was watching Scream again, this time with my gran in preparation for Halloween, and I enjoyed it yet again – I think it’s a fascinatingly clever look at the slasher genre, and a movie which is as relevent today as it was when it was released, untouched and unspoilt by the wave of inferior imitations that we’ve seen in the years since. There’s a line towards the climax of the film which got me thinking about these sorts of films, and how they’re scary. Asked to provide a motive, the killer responds, “Did we ever find out why Hannibal Lector liked to eat people? Don’t think so! See, it’s a lot scarier when there’s no motive.” Is the unknowable that much scarier?

Psyche!

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: bruce wayne, Christopher Nolan, films, halloween, hannibal, hannibal lecter, horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, Movies, ridley scott, scary, tim burton, unknowable, Unknown | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The A-Team

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Darren

The A-Team is the latest in a long line of attempts to adapt successful television series (preferably from years or decades past) to the big screen. It essentially suffers from the same weaknesses as other adaptations – it struggles with tone. Much as attempting to remake Miami Vice as a dry and overly self-important drug movie was a mistake, or making Starsky & Hutch as a full-blown comedy misunderstood the appeal of the original series, The A-Team feels too much like it’s working with a premise that it isn’t overly familiar with, trying to fit it into the blockbuster mold – it’s essentially trying to cram a round peg into a square hole. The film does have its charms, but it feels distinctly uncomfortable and more than a little uneven.

"'old on lad's, I've... oh, wait, wrong remake..."

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: a-team, bradley cooper, Dwight Schultz, film, hannibal, liam neeson, Movies, non-review review, review, sharlto copley, star trek: the next generation, starsky & hutch, Television, the a-team | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Red Dragon

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Darren

I have a confession to make: I don’t much care for Manhunter. I know I love the work of Michael Mann, but the film just left me cold. Maybe it’s Brian Cox’s stale performance as Hannibal, or the final action sequence choreographed to Inna Gadda Vida, but I don’t react well to the film. I loved the original book – I’d argue that Harris’ Red Dragon surpasses even The Silence of the Lambs as the greatest forensic thriller ever written – and, I have to confess, I certainly quite enjoyed Red Dragon.

Guess whose back...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: anthony hopkins, brett ratner, edward norton, francis dolarhyde, Frankie Feason, hannibal, hannibal lecter, hannibal the cannibal, harvey keitel, Ken Leung, manhunter, Mary Louise Parker, non-review review, philip seymour hoffman, ralph fiennes, red dragon, review, silence of the lambs, sir anthony hopkins, the silence of the lambs, thomas harris, will graham | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Silence of the Lambs

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Darren

A modern classic. The finest portrayal of one the greatest villains ever created. Only the third film to win all of the “big five” Oscars. The first horror film to win the Best Picture Oscar. The movie which kickstarted Hollywood’s grim fascination with gory and sexually frustrated serial killers and those who hunt them. The movie which energised an ageing veteran’s career and confirmed one of Hollywood’s youngest female actors as one of its greatest stars. One of the most often referenced and quoted movies ever made.

It’s pretty good.