tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22624303032619173092024-03-05T23:30:53.615-05:00GEEK ZEROGEEK ZERO takes a bite out of pop-culture without compromising social skills, fashion sense or personal hygiene.Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-30773393815797228032015-05-20T23:57:00.003-04:002015-06-22T18:38:58.112-04:00THE MAXIMUM MADNESS OF ‘FURY ROAD’<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0tumuecpPk-w6YHj4G-myFeK-h6cNKIfcrYWU1YZc8CEbh34TKW4mKQ9UXxk4eFIfKRTurpnEdyN3kYfuWHlgrnEEs6Cl1avzj79hCOan_0jfvzKX3uTDyUPGKlpM8ztcwOb2Wbbhes/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0tumuecpPk-w6YHj4G-myFeK-h6cNKIfcrYWU1YZc8CEbh34TKW4mKQ9UXxk4eFIfKRTurpnEdyN3kYfuWHlgrnEEs6Cl1avzj79hCOan_0jfvzKX3uTDyUPGKlpM8ztcwOb2Wbbhes/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A film like MAD MAX: FURY ROAD only comes around once in a
generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emerging from the summer
action-movie wasteland, a chromium beacon on the hazy horizon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than a decade in the making, FURY ROAD is
the fourth film in Aussie director George Miller’s loosely-connected
post-apocalyptic series starring Mel Gibson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tom Hardy replaces Gibson as the titular road warrior, but Miller is
back in the saddle, armed with the intensity of a man who has something to
prove.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="text-align: justify;">Half
sequel, half remake FURY ROAD finds Max running-and-gunning from the
merciless clutches of a deformed warlord and his army of brain-washed
speed-demons. No time is wasted setting
up the story. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Good Samaritan Max,
forever trying to outrun his past, finds himself riding shotgun to Charlize
Theron’s Imperator Furiosa. </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">She’s one of
the warlord’s top generals, an Amazonian amputee with nerves of steel.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">When Max and Furiosa cross paths, and butt
heads, she’s in the middle of leading a clandestine jail-break of the warlord’s
harem.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Half-a-dozen women, sex-slaves,
two with child. </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Minimal exposition is
activated by maximal mayhem.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">A
chain-reaction of turbo-charged set-pieces explode onto the screen as the
warlord and his zealot freak-show attempt to run them down.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">With a devotion to nuts-and-bolts
filmmaking it’s impossible to tell where the special effects begin and end.</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">It’s a stunt spectacular full of sound
and fury… but signifying something.</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Buttressing the twisted metal, body shrapnel and exploding gear-heads is
a rapturous scorched-earth parable fueled by rabid religious fanaticism and
revolting polygamous patriarchy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMmZb4HcntPWNpXeyRUPYF_Na64zXYXllksBWGSh2lMy62SAjP5R6r_VGU5rLDiwcOrpF9JSwBdisoDOlblWRCcBLcm1X78l6LHnVJqgihtuZeuUIgoX9l8dX9YQd70ZPVw0UG8JE3qs/s1600/MM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMmZb4HcntPWNpXeyRUPYF_Na64zXYXllksBWGSh2lMy62SAjP5R6r_VGU5rLDiwcOrpF9JSwBdisoDOlblWRCcBLcm1X78l6LHnVJqgihtuZeuUIgoX9l8dX9YQd70ZPVw0UG8JE3qs/s400/MM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As if propulsive
filmmaking techniques and compelling gender politics wasn’t enough, a motley
rogues gallery fills out the post-apocalyptic hellscape. Hardy is Max (the archetypal, cross-cultural
wanderer) in a performance that is essentially silent. Hardy is upstaged by Theron’s Furiosa, the
action-heroine heir apparent to Ellen Ripley (ALIEN) and Sarah Connor
(THE TERMINATOR). A ferocious hand-to-hand
fight sequence between the two deftly reveals character through action.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Miller’s greatest accolades are
for a children’s movie about a talking pig.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Here he opens up the throttle and throws down the gauntlet.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">The septuagenarian orchestrates action with
all the inspiration, ambition and swinging-dick confidence of a filmmaker
half his age.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">He’s conducted a master
class in vehicular choreography, kinesis and destruction.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Henceforth, every action director worth
a damn will have the singular spectre of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD looming large in
their rear-view.</span></div>
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The first time Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn teamed
with former Mouseketeer Ryan Gosling, the result was <i>Drive</i>, a retro Getaway flick that
tightroped between bursts of ultraviolence and blasts of sonic pop. Their latest collaboration, <i>Only God
Forgives</i>, couldn’t be more different, and certainly won’t inspire the devotion of
scorpion jacketed cosplayers. </div>
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Refn has made a career out of crime. He directed an entire trilogy about Scandinavian
drug dealers (<i>Pusher</i>), and plumbed the depths of recidivism in <i>Bronson</i>. With the exception of <i>Valhalla Rising</i>, his
one-eyed Viking picture, Refn has cultivated a morbid fascination with sociopaths,
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This Bangkok-set fever-dream, which follows Gosling’s hunt
for the man who killed his brother, is uncomfortably Oedipal, hypnotically Freudian
and supremely stylish. There’s nothing quite
as perplexing as when pretty-boy Gosling gets his ass kicked while wearing a trim
three-piece suit. His mother, played by
Kristen Scott Thomas, watching from the shadows. </div>
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In the beginning, she storms the screen, spewing bile. Spurring Gosling’s character to exact her
revenge upon the police chief responsible for the death of her eldest son;
despite that fact he was a pedophile who had it coming. Gosling obeys, like a good little boy. That’s when the shit, and arterial
bloodspray, hits the ceiling fans. </div>
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The film is almost entirely nocturnal. A South-Asian hellscape littered with stray-dogs
and prostitutes. There are long stretches
without any dialogue, where the unsettling synth score by Cliff Martinez leads the
way through Bangkok’s festering red-light back-alleys. Violence erupts, always suddenly, amidst the
splashes of nighttime neon.</div>
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But there’s a lot more going on here than just atmospherics. Gosling and Thomas are beyond twisted and ultimately unknowable. Vithaya
Pansringarm rounds out the unholy trinity, playing the police chief who upholds the law while dismembering
thugs. His uniformed subordinates standing
idly by. Afterwards he purifies himself by
belting out ballads at a karaoke club. Again,
his uniformed subordinates standing idly by. He's the only sympathetic character, the only one with a moral centre. Despite being the guy who started this whole damn mess.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><i>Only God Forgives</i> owes a debt to Scorsese and Schrader’s complex
character studies.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">The self-loathing and
self-flagellation of <i>Taxi Driver</i> and <i>Raging Bull</i> informing Gosling’s passive-aggressive
whelp.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">But even until the bitter end he
remains a submissive cypher.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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The Davids, Lynch and Croneberg, are on display here too. Despite the hallucinations and severed limbs,
things never get quite as trippy. Refn
seem to be pulling his punches, like Gosling’s character. I can’t tell if it’s matter of restraint or a case of listlessness. Though the duo is cashing in on the cult cred of
<i>Drive</i> this is a mighty tough sell, even for the arthouse crowd. <i>Only God Forgives</i> is a sordid trip that goes straight to hell... but not back again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQg4DlN0ePk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-6387377403787849162013-07-21T14:04:00.000-04:002013-07-25T02:21:49.157-04:00GET YOUR ANGST OUT OF MY ACTION<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo2B48eXr2U1MNqpUomPBOw1oIWaqFkZG6xiif8vhkY7To-KOD4lYedfVCKFAqzulF6dsmcg1vxUoLCsh_ru-JINXMRa7Sk7pEvAgyn31JzAPlCtUUxNGfS3eEHZzOsCEI6VM_zcNjcA/s1600/cv_ex2_reed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo2B48eXr2U1MNqpUomPBOw1oIWaqFkZG6xiif8vhkY7To-KOD4lYedfVCKFAqzulF6dsmcg1vxUoLCsh_ru-JINXMRa7Sk7pEvAgyn31JzAPlCtUUxNGfS3eEHZzOsCEI6VM_zcNjcA/s400/cv_ex2_reed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Everything old is new again.
Remakes, reboots and throwbacks proliferate the pop-culture wasteland with
alarming intensity. Every 80s icon you ever
loved (even the ones you hated) are back in a big way. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Retreads aren’t anything new. Hollywood has always been notoriously
risk-averse, more willing to bank on name-recognition than on an unknown
original. Nostalgia careens headlong
into cynicism whenever another revival is announced. <i>The
Expendables</i>, for example, was simultaneously the best and the worst thing
ever mainlined into multiplexes. The
easiest thing in the world to sell, but ultimately less than the sum of its
parts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQinr0q6M42EEd77jlhGoMTu3sybxILUhPHOUYQmkByVCBeNs_MqO6wT36HC9yECmVxtk4Ojayaf4m035iNYsk9_h7ZkoLl11XZ0vQEwN6ddfKmGscD79p0mN9hKWqYB0yo7AoELQ0_fs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-21+at+1.53.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQinr0q6M42EEd77jlhGoMTu3sybxILUhPHOUYQmkByVCBeNs_MqO6wT36HC9yECmVxtk4Ojayaf4m035iNYsk9_h7ZkoLl11XZ0vQEwN6ddfKmGscD79p0mN9hKWqYB0yo7AoELQ0_fs/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-07-21+at+1.53.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Who wouldn’t be pumped by the prospect of Regan-era action
heroes sharing the screen, cracking skulls and one-liners? Problem is, throwbacks like <i>The Expendables</i> are shot through the
lens of today. That means hand-held
cameras, epileptic editing, shoddy CGI and misplaced pathos. There's just no room for Mickey Rourke's blubbering
existentialism in a movie where Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren trade punches. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stallone’s recent <i>Bullet
to the Head</i>, helmed by action-guru Walter Hill, gets it right. It packs simple, testosterone-spiked pleasures. Guns.
Blood. Biceps. Explosions.
Wise-cracks. Roll credits. Sure, the script is shitty and the performances even shittier. But at least Sly knows how to toss
a bon mot the same way Hill knows how to conduct a coherent shoot-out. The bloodshed is copious, the body-count
relentless. Clocking in at ninety
minutes, <i>Bullet to the Head</i> is
refreshingly lean and mean.</div>
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And that’s all I’m asking for in an action movie aping the
80s. Lose the pretention. Cut to the chase. Get in, shoot shit, blow shit up, and get out.</div>
<br /></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-84442041804501823222013-07-17T13:49:00.000-04:002015-05-10T18:15:38.471-04:00'THE LONE RANGER' RIDES AGAIN, ENTERTAINS, FLOPS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It should have been a sure thing. A grand-scale Western, based on an enduring
pop-culture icon, starring one of the most bankable movie-stars of the
modern age. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But <i>The Lone Ranger</i> flopped. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The flick will likely finish its box-office run limping to
less than $100 million domestically.
Which is nightmarish in this era of billion-dollar worldwide grosses. It’s certainly bloated, and overwrought, and unsettlingly
violent -- especially for a PG-13 Disney family film starring Johnny Depp. But not so much for a Jerry Bruckheimer production. </div>
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Despite being DOA, <i>The Lone Ranger</i> is one
of the most purely entertaining movies of the summer.</div>
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Depp, who's been sleepwalking in the decade since <i>Pirates Of The Caribbean</i> canonized him as a Hollywood heavyweight, is as compelling
as ever here playing the Lone Ranger’s noble Cherokee sidekick, Tonto. He’s channeling Buster Keaton instead of Jack
Sparrow, which is a relief. He’s never
bumbling, his actions always calculated.
His stone-face is counterpoint to Armie Hammer’s stammering reluctant
hero, the big-city lawyer turned titular wild-west vigilante.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The production was hobbled by <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/shocker-disney-scraps-johnny-depps-lone-ranger/" target="_blank">high-profile delays</a> that slashed the ballooning budget and scuttled an entire sub-plot about werewolves. There’s still evidence of this missing story thread,
including (baffingly) carnivorous bunnies, a cursed silver mine and an amputee Madame
played by Helena Bonham Carter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like <i>Rango</i>, this is director Gore Verbinski riffing again on
his favourite Spaghetti Westerns. The
fingerprints of genre grandmaster Sergio Leone are all over this sucker. Breathtaking vistas, grotesque close-ups, a
twisted sense of humour… even the score by Hans Zimmer cribs the immortal
themes Ennio Morricone composed for Leone’s legendary dusters. When Zimmer’s take on the classic Lone Ranger <a href="http://youtu.be/3LiaXIAwemk" target="_blank">theme</a> finally kicks in the movie doesn’t just sing, it soars.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Verbinski is one of the greatest directors of elaborate action
sequences since Steven Spielberg. His
set-pieces may be frightfully overstuffed, but they’re always clear-eyed and kinetic in the
way most modern action movies aren’t. <i>The Lone Ranger</i> is like the giant steam engine which figures so prominently in the film’s
climax. It takes a while to get going,
but once it’s chugging the ride is quicksilver smooth and a helluva lot of
fun. It barrels along breathlessly,
fueled by daring-do, off-beat laughs and a propulsive climax that left me
wanting not just more, but more of the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-27263834551425907092013-03-10T07:13:00.001-04:002013-03-10T07:16:27.731-04:00GEEK ZERO Podcast – March 8, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s1600/SETI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s320/SETI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Geek_Zero" style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Justin</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> & </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JustinGoulet21" style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Justin</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> drop BIG </span><a href="http://latino-review.com/2013/03/03/exclusive-dcu-takeover-huge-developments-justice-league/" style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Justice League</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> movie news! We also discuss… new trailers for </span><a href="http://youtu.be/Ke1Y3P9D0Bc" style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">IRON MAN 3</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> and </span><a href="http://youtu.be/NKE-RXR_XIs" style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">THE HANGOVER – PART III</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">. Casting News. And what we’ve been watching this week.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eyeonsheridan/geek-zero-podcast-march-8-2013" target="_blank">UP, UP AND AWAY!</a></span></span>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-42744779197669043432013-03-03T23:42:00.001-05:002013-03-03T23:45:45.403-05:00GEEK ZERO Podcast - March 1, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s1600/SETI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s320/SETI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Interstate, 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Justin & Justin are back with their <a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees" target="_blank">Oscar recap</a>. Plus <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2387433/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Dark Skies</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772341/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Wreck-It Ralph</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1704292/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome</a> and Weekly Hollywood Casting News.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eyeonsheridan/geek-zero-podcast-march-1-2013" target="_blank">EXCELSIOR!</a></span></span><br />
Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-87328672203566222212013-02-22T17:21:00.000-05:002013-03-10T07:14:19.860-04:00GEEK ZERO Podcast - Feb 22, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s1600/SETI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s400/SETI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">This week </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Geek_Zero" href="https://twitter.com/Geek_Zero" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">Justin</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"> & </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/JustinGoulet21" href="https://twitter.com/JustinGoulet21" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">Justin</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"> discuss Sony's </span><a data-mce-href="https://us.playstation.com/ps4/" href="https://us.playstation.com/ps4/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">PlayStation 4</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"> announcement, Green Lantern comics, Hollywood Casting News, </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2053463/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2053463/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">Side Effects</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">, </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.republicofwadiya.com" href="http://www.republicofwadiya.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">The Dictator</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"> and </span><a data-mce-href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees" href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">Oscar</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"> Predictions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/eyeonsheridan/geek-zero-podcast-feb-22-2013" target="_blank">GERONIMO!</a></span><br />
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Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-57872795588258240032013-02-14T03:04:00.000-05:002013-02-14T03:18:21.863-05:00GEEK ZERO Podcast - Feb 8, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s1600/SETI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifek7B-D01HAdftTD8mbUfPYMQ27gtw8ziI1NnS2G1UabMVUlnLng_zrKV2HEgtC8ieq-TIbySNtEGG9oDaErb-AB5x67w1ezwxrSNxbuU9QvXWdSa0TLdaOsIEzScq0t1XYEXu3J3Cq0/s400/SETI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">On this week's show <a href="https://twitter.com/Geek_Zero" target="_blank">Justin</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinGoulet21" target="_blank">Justin</a> discuss <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/super-bowl-movie-trailers.html" target="_blank">Super Bowl Movie Trailers</a>. <a href="http://latino-review.com/2013/02/04/superbowl-exclusive-the-hulk-fit-marvels-phase-2-phase-3-plans/" target="_blank">Smashing Marvel Movie News</a>. <a href="http://starwars.com/news/new-spinoff-films-set-to-expand-the-star-wars-galaxy.html" target="_blank">Star Wars Spin-Offs</a>. The return of The Walking and Community. And we hail 2013 the year of Dwayne "<a href="https://twitter.com/TheRock" target="_blank">The Rock</a>" Johnson.</span><br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/eyeonsheridan/geek-zero-podcast-feb-8-2013" target="_blank">INTO THE BREACH!</a></span>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-53332469598852475732012-07-19T09:04:00.001-04:002012-07-19T12:18:44.805-04:00WILL HYPE MAKE OR BREAK THE DARK KNIGHT?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjX4XEiXvvVN4nj7UICtcgckygclfk0STzV22EhVDFLY6WxKoD-Hq115707fWuzwEuKlNcNIOYDGIeOXzHx-s-wnLAZ4UoU6EO0zzjcEOL458KaV-4brDUj4ShhbMylKsotyV1XKyP04/s1600/trilogywallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjX4XEiXvvVN4nj7UICtcgckygclfk0STzV22EhVDFLY6WxKoD-Hq115707fWuzwEuKlNcNIOYDGIeOXzHx-s-wnLAZ4UoU6EO0zzjcEOL458KaV-4brDUj4ShhbMylKsotyV1XKyP04/s400/trilogywallpaper.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It’s
official. The Internet doesn’t give a flying shit about the Syrian stalemate, Mitt Romney’s alleged financial misconduct, escalating
climate change or the looming Summer Olympics.
Right here, right now, it’s all about Batman. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dark Knight Rises</i>, the third and final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s
monumental franchise, opens in wide-release at midnight tonight. Anticipation has reached a frenzied pitch. Everywhere I click are articles, interviews,
reviews, trailers, production stills and <a href="http://www.memecenter.com/search/batman/" target="_blank">memes</a> galore. I’ll never understand how this particular
incarnation of the Caped Crusader managed to capture our popular imagination so
completely. Or, in some unfortunate
instances, inspire such <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/criticwire/dark-knight-rises-critic-receives-death-threats#" target="_blank">vitriolic fanaticism</a>. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman Begins</i>, which launched this
newfangled spin on the 70 year-old vigilante icon, was a modest success. It was dark without being depressing, and
inflected with just enough comic-book camp.
But it was the sequel, which preyed upon post-9/11 anxieties, that propelled
the series into the pop-culture stratosphere.
I’m one of the film’s few detractors.
<o:p></o:p><br />
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That’s
not to say I don’t appreciate Nolan’s craftsmanship, or Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning
turn as the Joker. But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight</i> is as schizo as its
anarchic villain. Moments of singular cinematic
showmanship are punctuated by stretches of unreasonably clunky plotting, and even
clumsier execution. Despite his best
efforts, Nolan has never been much of an action director. Which is fine, I guess. But what I can’t suffer is his humourlessness
and bloated moralizing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFer2JdGpnx5UIesOzjBX0MB8rp377kWQsXLtmEg0rca9t-p_xgDI6TFbSEYYjzP96V2IUSr70xUreLun_6R5hoyflqDZe_FW5iPCgTH9605x66hscxh-aDohE1aWYkrmAbccrNjTRAo/s1600/Joker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFer2JdGpnx5UIesOzjBX0MB8rp377kWQsXLtmEg0rca9t-p_xgDI6TFbSEYYjzP96V2IUSr70xUreLun_6R5hoyflqDZe_FW5iPCgTH9605x66hscxh-aDohE1aWYkrmAbccrNjTRAo/s400/Joker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Regardless,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight</i>’s arrival resonated with
critics and audiences alike. It was a
box-office juggernaut and a cultural touchstone. Its grim grandiosity and pervasive gloom
played as a direct counterpoint to Marvel’s fleet-footed escapism (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain America</i>). It was the film we needed, but not the film
we deserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">My anticipation for <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> is
based exclusively upon the promise of a definitive conclusion, not just another
episode in Batman's endless adventures. I trust Nolan will drawn his
weighty themes full-circle, and deliver some technically proficient IMAX set-pieces. But how will audiences react to this finale, especially
in the wake of <i>The Avengers</i> and its infectious optimism? Is there still
room for ambiguity in escapism? Or will months of lofty expectations
be dashed by changing appetites? The Bat broken by his own hype. </span>
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/1T__uN5xmC0/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1T__uN5xmC0&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1T__uN5xmC0&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-88042677737008904252012-07-16T14:23:00.000-04:002012-07-17T16:54:28.378-04:00THE ART OF THE CON: SAN DIEGO COMIC CON POST-MORTEM<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptWyR7Ax4N8Lfb8p55RMUUfj8qZHrN2ExtxSvcJ1awR6I4wsk9SmgvVYHKMqog4Mn-Zpu2d0iRokjxQ7yJpnmTWSLzyg73lS1HCleyivm-tp6H8MivF1umCKaHG9Ah5Iuq1YcAgJ9TnI/s1600/comiccon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptWyR7Ax4N8Lfb8p55RMUUfj8qZHrN2ExtxSvcJ1awR6I4wsk9SmgvVYHKMqog4Mn-Zpu2d0iRokjxQ7yJpnmTWSLzyg73lS1HCleyivm-tp6H8MivF1umCKaHG9Ah5Iuq1YcAgJ9TnI/s400/comiccon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This
past weekend a seething swarm of fanatics descended upon San Diego, the seaside SoCal
city discovered by German explorers in 1904 and named for the most intimate part of
a female whale’s anatomy. Geeks from
every race, religion, creed and species have been attending Comic-Con International
since 1970. Some make the pilgrimage hoping
to meet their favourite comic book artist, others to buy limited edition
collectibles. Many arrive costume-clad,
eager to share their unbridled enthusiasm for highly insular corners of
pop-culture. This year though, the vast
majority were there so Hollywood hucksters could shotgun the latest
blockbusters directly into their nerdy cerebral cortices. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve
been to conventions both large and small, and it can be an overwhelming
experience. The pulsing mass of
humanity. The blatant consumerism. And, of course, the lines that stretch into
infinity. But San Diego, the great white
megalodon of comic conventions, is Geek Mecca.
A place where fandom is magnified to epic proportions. Thankfully, between the countless
entertainment blogs, my fully customizable Twitter feed and G4’s TV coverage, I
was able to enjoy this year’s Con from the relative safety and absolute comfort of my own Fortress of Solitude here in Toronto, Canada.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUprNUL4ucyLSa-0WzKXHB7ET_lDTY5T6QosRe5KaFk9okwSsIc5CGqX4cyUG3IXbt3RyOusKvvUrekBA7H0ySv_KEB-91HYOso4qN0VRo_CS23H-oAUiA3Azl5xUB8sk-TXecpRJYGFU/s1600/HallH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUprNUL4ucyLSa-0WzKXHB7ET_lDTY5T6QosRe5KaFk9okwSsIc5CGqX4cyUG3IXbt3RyOusKvvUrekBA7H0ySv_KEB-91HYOso4qN0VRo_CS23H-oAUiA3Azl5xUB8sk-TXecpRJYGFU/s400/HallH.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tortuous Hall H line-up.</td></tr>
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Of
all the bloggers, <a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/" target="_blank">AICN</a>’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ericvespe" target="_blank">Eris Vespe</a> (aka Quint) delivered the most exhaustive and
enthusiastic coverage. On Saturday he
spent eight full hours live-tweeting, mostly from Hall H, the cavernous
headquarters through which parade an endless army of icons. He also pumped out six thorough panel
reports, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> managed to find time to intro
a screening of John Hillcoat’s latest film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lawless</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/devincf/" target="_blank">Devin Faraci</a> of <a href="http://www.badassdigest.com/" target="_blank">Badass Digest</a> wasn’t quite as prolific as Vespe, but his reports were informative
and concise. Early in the Con he popped up
on YouTube, demonstrating a finely honed self-deprecating sense of humour. Later, while tweeting from Saturday’s surprise <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ant Man</i> test-footage presentation, he coined
the term “Size-Fu”, when describing Ant Man’s mass-shifting fighting
style. Director Edgar Wright
subsequently embraced the phrase, saying that he plans to use it in every
production meeting henceforth.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a> had the market cornered on live-streaming <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/package/0,,20399642,00.html" target="_blank">interviews</a>. Their corporate
overlords (Time/Warner), enabled them to score Matt Damon and Jodie
Foster from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elysium</i>, Neill Blonkamp’s
first film since directing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">District 9</i>. Core cast members from TV shows as wide-ranging as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Game Of Thrones</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breaking Bad</i> also swung by. While many of the interviews consisted of
shameless glad-handing, EW did managed to snag a great scoop from director
Guillermo Del Toro and actor Ron Perlman, who were in the house promoting their
upcoming Giant Monsters vs. Mechs movie, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pacific
Rim</i>. It appears that they’ve
finally come to a consensus regarding another <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hellboy</i> sequel, and are intent on making a grand climax.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other convention highlights included...</div>
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• 10th anniversary cast reunion of <i>Firefly</i>, Joss Whedon's southern-fried space-opera.<br />
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Friday in Hall H</div>
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• The <i>Total Recall</i> remake presentation failed to impress, while Ryan Johnson's <i>Looper </i>and Neill Blomkamp's <i>Elysium</i> thrilled fans of original science fiction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saturday in Hall H...</div>
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• Quentin Tarantino and his cast showed the Cannes sizzle-reel for <i>Django Unchained</i>. Tarantino also announced there will be a DC Comics tie-in.</div>
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• Peter Jackson, flanked by Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood, presented about 15 minutes of footage from <i>The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</i>.</div>
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• Guillermo Del Toro knocked the audience flat on their collective ass
with <i>Pacific Rim</i> footage. Be
prepared for the Japanese word “Kaiju” (strange beast) to enter the mainstream
lexicon. <o:p></o:p>It's no coincidence that on Twitter, the hashtag #HolyShit was trending. </div>
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• Zack Snyder (<i>300</i>, <i>Sucker Punch</i>) debuted a teaser
for <i>The Man Of Steel</i>, next year's Christopher Nolan-produced Superman
reboot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Marvel Studios outlined Phase 2 of their Cinematic Universe, which will culminate with the release of <i>The Avengers </i>2<i> </i>in the summer of 2015.</div>
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- <i>Iron Man 3</i> - 05/03/2013</div>
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- <i>Thor: The Dark World</i> - 11/08/2013</div>
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- <i>Captain America: The Winter Soldier</i> - 04/04/2014</div>
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-<i> The Guardians of the Galaxy</i> - 08/01/2014</div>
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- <i>Ant Man</i> test-footage, directed by Edgar Wright (<i>Shaun of the Dead</i>, <i>Hot Fuzz</i>).</div>
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Comic Book News </div>
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• Neil Gaiman is <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=39735" target="_blank">returning</a> to <i>Sandman </i>with<i> Promethea </i>artist J.H. Williams III.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Brian Wood (<i>DMZ</i>, <i>Northlanders</i>) is penning an ongoing <i>Star Wars</i> series for Dark Horse Comics, set during the beloved Original Trilogy era.</div>
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• <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.php" target="_blank">Eisener Awards</a> announced. Best Continuing Series : <i>Daredevil</i>, by Mark Waid, Marcos
Martin, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT4aMCjahy62xdgOZUwx1yMNK684ppduMn-qjd0q0GD021fu6q0tTCh3YsEcPUKptUUiEPOFy8cJsaNhHUrksGqa3e5u4sH21MTWcVv8emMQcPCqFKm_NEkTd4tjm78EoshscTLkvXJA/s1600/day1_gordon_batman_banegroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQT4aMCjahy62xdgOZUwx1yMNK684ppduMn-qjd0q0GD021fu6q0tTCh3YsEcPUKptUUiEPOFy8cJsaNhHUrksGqa3e5u4sH21MTWcVv8emMQcPCqFKm_NEkTd4tjm78EoshscTLkvXJA/s400/day1_gordon_batman_banegroup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.mtv.com/photos/amazing-cosplayers-san-diego-comic-con-2012/1689306/7326748/photo.jhtml</td></tr>
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Strangely absent from the Con was <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>, which screened earlier in the week for select members of the press. Not to worry, when the film finally opens this weekend, Batman is sure to dominate the pop-culture conversation for the remainder of
the summer.</div>
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Some nattering naysayers lament that with
each passing year comic-book collectors have fewer reasons to attend the San
Diego Comic-Con. The sad truth of the
matter is that people would much rather watch a superhero movie than read a
superhero comic. Ever since Hollywood figured out this paradigm, they’ve learned how to play the
crowd, mount a full-scale invasion and hijack the zeitgeist. It’s a strange turn of events, really, that
has tens of thousands of pop-culture enthusiasts spending hundreds of dollars
to cue up for fleeting glimpses of films
that will be in wide-release in less than a year. Yes, the result is that comics have been
relegated to a sideshow attraction, but it also means that real fans of
sequential storytelling have more room to play.
With everyone else clamouring to squeeze into Hall H, this leaves the
rest of the Con up for grabs. Comic-Con
has reached a point where it caters to wide spectrum of interests. It’s all-inclusive. There’s something for everyone. And that’s a mighty beautiful thing.</div>
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<br />Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-33693091184714108922012-07-10T17:02:00.003-04:002012-07-17T07:19:32.168-04:00WELCOME TO THE GRINDHOUSE<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt8XsUuQswPpUgSVbxlmU3tGNzucZVA_c5_eMzygxCP-0z-Ci7fueu9jcZg2p19G80Zw49vIEG7rc-LjIQg7Q4MgDZtdhj5z9EtOLSWiN4h0PneBZc8qAi_3qQPLzorn9lK2Nlpjf_5M/s1600/grind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt8XsUuQswPpUgSVbxlmU3tGNzucZVA_c5_eMzygxCP-0z-Ci7fueu9jcZg2p19G80Zw49vIEG7rc-LjIQg7Q4MgDZtdhj5z9EtOLSWiN4h0PneBZc8qAi_3qQPLzorn9lK2Nlpjf_5M/s400/grind.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It’s been half-a-decade since Quentin Tarantino and Robert
Rodriguez unleashed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grindhouse</i>, their
festering love letter to no-budget drive-in B-Movies. Sitting in that empty theatre on opening
weekend, Easter 2007, I never imagined we were perched on the rusty razor’s
edge of a new era in Exploitation cinema.
The movie paired Rodriguez’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Planet
Terror</i> with Tarantino’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Death Proof</i>. Sandwiched between the John
Carpenter-inspired zombie flick and the country-fried killer car movie was a
trio of hilarious fake trailers directed by genre acolytes Edgar Wright, Eli Roth and
Rob Zombie. But this three-hour
magnum-opus of oozing viscera, perky tits, big guns and twisted metal unceremoniously
<a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=grindhouse.htm" target="_blank">bombed</a> at the box-office. While guys like
Ti West (<i>House Of The Devil</i>) and actor-turned-director Michael Biehn (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Terminator</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aliens</i>)
have done their best to perpetuate retro-cool in the intervening years, hope is stirring on the horizon.</div>
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Rodriquez and Danny Trejo are gearing up for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Machete Kills</i>, a sequel to their 2010
grinder about a Mexican migrant-worker turned assassin. Mel Gibson has been recruited to play the
heavy, while fellow train-wreck Charlie Sheen joins the cast as the President
of the United States. Immediately after
wrapping, Rodriguez will jump into production on the long-awaited sequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sin City</i>.</div>
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After months of relative radio-silence, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Man With The Iron Fists</i> has finally laid its cards on the
table. An action-packed trailer for the Kung-Fu epic debuted last week. Directed
by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and co-written by Eli Roth (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cabin Fever</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hostel</i>), the
flick appears to be wallowing in the same cinematic gene pool as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kill Bill</i>. In addition to shepherding The
RZA’s directorial debut, Roth is currently prepping <i>The </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Green Inferno</i>, his ode to the long-dormant Cannibal sub-genre.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This weekend The Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim banner
will debut an animated spin-off of Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White’s
Blaxploitation spoof, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Dynamite</i>. White starred in the original film, and will return
as the titular soul-brother. While he’s best
known for playing the live-action version of <i>Spawn</i>, I prefer to remember
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These are all fairly mainstream offerings, inspired by the shitty Chop-Socky Horror Western Slashers of yesteryear. You know the stars, and by now you know the score. These flicks are made to entertain, salacious tongue planted firmly in cankerous cheek. The production values are robust, even when they're made to look like they aren't. But if you're looking for the real deal, <a href="http://mondoexploito.com/" target="_blank">Mondo Exploito</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/revokcom" target="_blank">Revok</a> are great places to start delving deeper into the Grindhouse cesspool. Just remember, there are some things that can't bee unseen.</div>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-69473144316833987542012-07-09T03:17:00.000-04:002012-07-15T13:49:51.568-04:00MOVIEBALL: BASEBALL ON THE BIG SCREEN<br />
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Now that both the L.A. Kings and LeBron have been crowned,
sports-fans can finally turn their undivided attention to America’s favourite
pastime. The summer may have only just
begun, but the regular baseball season is already in full swing. And while I only follow MLB with a passing
interest, cultural osmosis has cultivated in me a profound appreciation for the
game itself. The history of Baseball is
the history of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century.
Its past is our prologue. Baseball
is mythical. Anyone who’s made the
pilgrimage to Cooperstown, and wandered the halls with hushed reverence, can
attest to this inalienable truth. It’s
also cinematic. I may not love the
sport, in its current hyper-corporatized incarnation, but I love baseball on
film.</div>
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It's a genre of simple pleasures. From the classics (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Pride of the Yankees</i>) to the comedies (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Major
League</i>), from the kids-flicks (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Sandlot</i>) to the Kostners (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bull
Durham</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For Love Of The Game</i>),
baseball movies spin timeless tales of fathers and sons, brothers and best friends. They’re most effective when waxing poetical
rather than statistical… baseball as a metaphor for life. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Natural</i>, starring Robert Redford, gets me every time. When he cracks the climactic homer --
unleashing a cascade of sparks upon the diamond -- I lose control, more
blubbery than a can of tuna.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A man’s tears are shielded from fraternal heckling on all but a
few occasions; when his child is born and when his team wins the championship. But I’ve yet to meet a real man who’s eyes
don’t mist up at the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Field Of
Dreams</i>. Proof positive there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> crying in baseball.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-28233608395338795282012-06-28T10:17:00.002-04:002012-06-29T06:37:53.370-04:00BRUCE LEE'S TAO OF CHOP SOCKY<br />
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Let’s be real. No one
watches a Bruce Lee movie for the story.
The plot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big Boss</i> (his
first major role) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enter The Dragon</i>
(his crowning achievement) are essentially the same, and decidedly
threadbare. Both films pit Lee against
shadowy drug cartels. He preaches fortune-cookie
inspired anti-violence, before dispatching the goons in escalating video game-like
fashion. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Big Boss</i> (aka: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fists of
Fury</i>) couldn’t be more low-rent. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enter The Dragon</i> is only superficial sophisticated,
filling the frame with anonymous day-players, and flirting with a ham-fisted flashback
structure. Victims of the era in which
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But a funny thing happened in the intervening decades. The shitty film-stock, dodgy performances, lazy dubbing, distracting zoom-lenses, porn-caliber music and flare-legged fashion has actually enhanced their charm. Some of the violence, and the accompanying ketchup-soaked gore, is laughter-inducing. But again, that’s half the fun. The other half is the unadulterated joy of watching Lee leap into nunchuk-swinging action.</div>
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Regardless of the storytelling deficiencies, Lee’s physical
showmanship is unparalleled. What he lacks in traditional action hero brawn, he makes up for in preternatural athleticism. Unassisted by wires or CGI, his weapons are
speed, dexterity, coordination. Lee is a
coiled whip that snaps with surgical precision. His paradoxical aversion to conflict is broached by an effortless sense of humour. Far-East mystique meets Western star power. The result is that Lee's screen presence, and his legacy, remains unmatched.</div>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-91812171361131918272012-06-21T00:43:00.003-04:002012-07-20T08:47:29.784-04:00GOTHAM’S MAYOR SIGNS SWEEPING CRIME BILL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITHjNIhFvJwytokeRt9gcjZHPxYFvLvtMgTeZzrmBcahaM_T6jrVj4nl11nSHTq4bu8G8flOaJwW58yAONx-ClbDULs5TyHvrlFG0S_46MDMSsqTrTzkbOGuVNhSIUmrDGDFyZ630KTc/s1600/mayor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITHjNIhFvJwytokeRt9gcjZHPxYFvLvtMgTeZzrmBcahaM_T6jrVj4nl11nSHTq4bu8G8flOaJwW58yAONx-ClbDULs5TyHvrlFG0S_46MDMSsqTrTzkbOGuVNhSIUmrDGDFyZ630KTc/s400/mayor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotham City Mayor, Anthony Garcia</td></tr>
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This morning, Gotham City’s Mayor, Anthony Garcia, signed
the controversial Dent Act into legislation. The
sweeping bill, which was passed unanimously by the City Assembly, targets
organized crime. Named in honour of
Gotham’s deceased District Attorney, Harvey Dent, the act authorizes stiffer sentencing, including a moratorium on parole. It also closes a loophole that hinders the city’s ability to
prosecute individuals who commit crimes that are part of a larger network. "[Harvey Dent’s] courage in taking on
the criminal empires that ruled our streets saved our city. It would be
inappropriate for us not to honor his sacrifice", said the Mayor. </div>
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The legislation provides Police Commissioner Jim Gordon with
a broad-based range of extra-judiciary powers that many critics believe turns
Gotham into a police state. Referencing
the mysterious avenger, known in some circles as The Batman, the Mayor boldly disagrees. “Before the Dent Act, our city was so desperate that we placed our
trust behind a masked vigilante who ultimately murdered the man who was truly
Gotham's shining hope.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Mayor has also introduced a Bill making the date of
Harvey Dent's death an official holiday.
With the municipal election just months away, opponents are
calling this a shameless attempt to woo voters who disapprove of the civil
liberties the Dent Act infringes on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-21225905300742920202012-06-20T18:14:00.002-04:002012-06-29T06:40:49.564-04:00DMZ: AN EXPLOSIVE LOVE-LETTER HURLED AT NEW YORK CITY<br />
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In the future, Manhattan isn’t a maximum security Federal
penitentiary, nor is it ruled by costumed street gangs. Instead, The Big Apple has become a Demilitarized Zone,
the neutral no-man’s land in a second American civil war. That’s the provocative premise of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DMZ</i>, Brian Wood’s long-running Vertigo
comic-book series. A rookie reporter named
Matty Roth is our hapless tour-guide.
When stranded in this hellacious concrete jungle he has no choice but to navigate a
warren of shifting alliances and ulterior motives. Matty isn’t an iconoclastic gonzo-journalist like <i>Transmetropolitan</i>'s Spider
Jerusalem. He’s a confused kid who has bit of more than he can chew, and is forced to man-up or be put down. Elevated by Riccardo Burchielli's distinctive art-style, the story investigates Matty's struggles as an embedded journalist in a terrifying what-if scenario, but it also chronicles the war for the soul of an entire city.</div>
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To put it in no uncertain terms, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DMZ</i> is a masterwork of speculative fiction. But it’s also Wood’s gut-reaction to the
events of 9/11 and the fallout of the intervening decade. While Matty trudges through scorched boroughs and desolate
hoods, interviewing survivors and documenting the lives lost, Wood is free to explore hot-button topics like the War in Iraq, Homeland
Security, Blackwater, Halliburton, Hurricane Katrina, and Red-State/Blue-State
partisanship. But with an emphasis on
character instead of situation, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DMZ</i>
becomes a reflection of modern America and the cacophony of voices that are
clashing when they should be melting.</div>
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Readers
who prefer trade-paperbacks will welcome the recent release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Five Nations of New York</i>, which
collects the final pages in <i>DMZ</i>'s epic 72 issue run. Action-packed and politically-charged, <i>DMZ </i> resembles the best episodes of <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>. It raises more questions than it answers, which is what any storyteller worth a damn should strive for. More
than just a love-letter to NYC, more than just another comic-book, <i>DMZ</i> is a riveting cautionary tale that kicks ass and takes names, and broke my heart along the way.</div>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-78329460323908372682012-06-20T10:14:00.000-04:002012-06-29T06:46:37.213-04:00VAMPIRE BONES UNEARTHED IN BULGARIA<br />
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As <a href="http://www.geek-zero.blogspot.ca/2012/06/zombie-apocalypse-is-fucking-nigh.html" target="_blank">zombie fever</a> sweeps across North America, <a href="http://www.thesundaily.my/news/409855" target="_blank">vampire mania</a>
is brewing in Eastern Europe. The <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/06/vampire-bulgaria-tourists-dracula-transylvania.html" target="_blank">LA Times</a> is reporting that the discovery of a 700-year-old skeleton, with its chest punctured by a
metal stake, has visitors flocking to the Bulgarian town of Sozopol.
Increased tourism and interest from occult groups has prompted authorities
to move the remains to a special display case at the Natural History Museum in
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Archaeologist and museum director Bozhidar Dimitrov says
approximately 100 impaled skeletons have been discovered during modern-day
archaeological excavations. "A
group of brave men would reopen their graves and pierce the corpses with iron
or wooden rods. Iron rod was used for
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Anti-vampirism funeral rituals are still practiced in
Bulgaria <a href="http://www.thesundaily.my/news/409855" target="_blank">according</a> to ethnologist and “vampirologist”, Rachko Popov. Local folklore has perpetuated the myth that vampires are elderly or deformed individuals who feed on the blood of livestock,
but can also attack humans. It’s
believed they fear water, and entire villages in Bulgaria’s mountainous south-eastern
region have actually relocated to opposite rivers banks for protection. Some funeral customs in Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania
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<o:p></o:p>The mayor of Sozopol, Panaiot Reizi, hopes "The
archaeological finds will have a positive effect on tourism." But
what he's failed to account for is the swarm of teenage <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/" target="_blank">Twilight</a></i> fanatics who will inevitably descend upon his sleepy resort town. That's the most terrifying prospect of all. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yIp0fE5QyBIf2oSeuEdoicwL_1j3uxo6WlR-VdEncDqBwxIFiV86dEE9BQFNZ2IoJaRiQJtYbakvIxTLr4ghWt2MTSVehKt94x3d_J55VlHRa-M1dqS2YvrCtzNg1DNcL-ELA1BuGzI/s1600/paramount-logo-100-years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yIp0fE5QyBIf2oSeuEdoicwL_1j3uxo6WlR-VdEncDqBwxIFiV86dEE9BQFNZ2IoJaRiQJtYbakvIxTLr4ghWt2MTSVehKt94x3d_J55VlHRa-M1dqS2YvrCtzNg1DNcL-ELA1BuGzI/s400/paramount-logo-100-years.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.paramount.com/" target="_blank">Paramount Pictures</a> is celebrating its 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary
this year. From <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/" target="_blank">Titanic</a></i> to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/" target="_blank">Top Gun</a></i>, they've shown an uncanny ability to produce Oscar-winners and
crowd-pleasers in equal measure. Vanity
Fair’s recent <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/07/paramount-pictures-100th-anniversary-photo" target="_blank">photo shoot</a>, which assembled a diverse roster of Hollywood
heavyweights, reminds us of the talent, both on-screen and off, who have
contributed to Paramount’s legacy. But
after a century of hit-making, the studio that gave us <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/" target="_blank">The Godfather</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/" target="_blank">Indiana Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060028/" target="_blank">Star Trek</a>, appears to be in serious trouble.</div>
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A series of costly production delays has reduced Paramount’s
2012 release schedule to a handful of anaemic winter berths, their once-formidable
summer slate evaporating into thin air.
December boasts <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0031976/" target="_blank">Judd Apatow</a>’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478311/" target="_blank">Knocked Up</a></i>
spin-off, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1758830/" target="_blank">This Is 40</a></i>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/" target="_blank">Tom Cruise</a>'s
latest actioner, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/" target="_blank">Jack Reacher</a></i>. But neither possess the kind of box-office muscle
generated by a tentpole like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1583421/" target="_blank">G.I. Joe: Retaliation</a></i>, which was unceremoniously bumped from this June to March 2013. The studio claims the last-minute move is to
accommodate a 3D upgrade. But with the
ad campaign in full swing and toys already hitting store shelves, can
a stereoscopic post-conversion really offset the cost of the delay? Rumours abound that the production is
actually taking the next nine months to rejig the entire movie, shooting new
scenes with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1475594/" target="_blank">Channing Tatum</a>, now a hot commodity in the wake of back-to-back hits, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1606389/" target="_blank">The Vow</a></i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232829/" target="_blank">21 Jump Street</a></i>. Insider chatter also places novice director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160840/" target="_blank">Jon M. Chu</a> on the outside looking in, even though the trailers suggests he’s a filmmaker
with substantial action chops.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/" target="_blank">World War Z</a></i>,
starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/" target="_blank">Brad Pitt</a>, has also been postponed until next year. Which is a shame considering the extent to
which zombies have captured the zeitgeist.
This big-screen adaptation of Max Brooks' post-apocalyptic novel already
went through a series of lengthy rewrites before cameras even rolled. Now, production has halted as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/" target="_blank">Prometheus</a></i> scribe <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0511541/" target="_blank">Damon Lindelof</a> tries
to salvage the troubled ending. Blame is
being foisted on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286975/" target="_blank">Marc Forster</a>, a director who’s known for intimate drama rather than epic action, but it sounds more like the studio simply rushed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WWZ</i> into production without an effective
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://nebezial.deviantart.com/art/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-121465691</td></tr>
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Script problems have also plagued the latest incarnation of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1291150/" target="_blank">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</a>. This may come as
relief to fans though, who revolted when producer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000881/" target="_blank">Michael Bay</a> announced the movie
would reinvent the character's beloved origins.
Then there’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1428538/" target="_blank">Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters</a>, starring<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719637/" target="_blank"> Jeremy Renner</a>,
which will probably be the only film of the bunch to actually benefit from
being delayed. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i> star has experienced a meteoric rise since appearing
in this summer’s biggest movie, and shows no sign of fading now that he’s taken
over <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000354/" target="_blank">Matt Damon</a>'s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194173/" target="_blank">Bourne</a></i> franchise. </div>
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<o:p>All of these schedule-shuffles and false-starts are symptomatic of an </o:p>industry trend that has release dates locked down and productions ramped up before scripts are even finished. But at Paramount the habit has become chronic. The consequences are dire, as they bleed millions trying to get these projects back on track. So much so, that after a century of entertaining the masses, their days may be numbered. 2012 could be the year that levels The Mountain, unless these delays do the trick, turning train-wrecks into blockbusters. </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-45644003108630218782012-06-14T13:43:00.000-04:002015-05-10T18:21:26.732-04:00“THE GIRL AND THE FOX” IS A MINI MASTERPIECE<br />
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Short films are the red-headed bastard step-children of
feature-length motion pictures. Over the
years they’ve been relegated to the realm of experiment and curiosity. All too often they’re half-hearted exercises
produced by eager amateurs just trying to get a foot in the door. It’s obvious they’d rather be doing something
else entirely. It’s a rare feat when a short
is able to convey a fully realized story, let alone display professional-quality
production values. But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.girlandthefox.com/" target="_blank">The Girl and the Fox</a></i>, a new animated
short from the talented team at <a href="http://base14.com/blog/" target="_blank">Base 14</a>, manages to do both, embracing short
form storytelling with quiet confidence and gentle observation. It’s a sublime marriage of image and idea
that evokes the films of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/" target="_blank">Hayao Miyazaki</a>.
Although, director <a href="http://www.tylerkupferer.com/" target="_blank">Tyler Kupferer</a> hadn’t seen any of the Japanese
master’s work when he began developing the story.</div>
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Kupferer had an all-American upbringing in Columbus,
Indiana, weaned on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/" target="_blank">Simpsons</a></i> reruns and
newspaper comic-strips. He grew up on a
lake, where his family took full advantage of their surroundings. Hiking, fishing and sledding were central childhood
activities for Kupferer. And you can see
his affinity for the outdoors in every frame of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Girl and the Fox</i>. In
addition to telling a charming tale warmed by magic realism, the film also reflects
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writer/Director, Tyler Kupferer</td></tr>
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Kupferer displayed his creative side at an early age, but
his life almost took another, more logical path. “I was good enough at math and science that I
almost became an engineer, but I was fortunate to work in an engineering
company the summer after high school and realized I hated it.” Instead, he decided to study computer
graphics at Purdue. After his experience
at the Big 10 university he relocated to Georgia where he pursued his Masters
Degree. Kupferer eventually moved over to animation at
Savannah’s College of Art and Design, a school renowned for its graduate film and
television program. “In the end
Purdue gave me the technical skills and leadership to know how to make films,
and SCAD gave me the actual talent to make good ones. It took a while but in
the end I'm glad I stayed in school long enough to produce something I can be
proud of.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Heart Teslacoil (2009)</td></tr>
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Before he was a serious filmmaker, he drew a daily comic for
his college newspaper, which was heavily influenced by the writings of <a href="http://scottmccloud.com/" target="_blank">Scott McCloud</a> and work of Bill Watterson (<i>Calvin And Hobbes</i>). When
he made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424768/" target="_blank">Duck Heart Teslacoil</a></i>, he drew inspiration from the award-winning animator, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381116/" target="_blank">Don Hertzfeldt</a>. “Obviously not
aesthetic-wise, but in a sense of timing and using pregnant pauses to build
suspense and comedic effect. I simply carried this over into <i>The Girl and the
Fox</i> and applied it in a dramatic way instead of comedic, and it worked."</div>
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The original idea for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Girl and the Fox</i> hit Kupferer in September 2009. He spent five months working 60
hours weeks, directing a crew of about 50 dedicated artists, putting the film ahead of his studies and social life. Employing a seamless<i> </i>blend of old and new animation techniques, the film was drawn by hand, which was achieved
primarily using Adobe Flash, a program not actually designed for hand-drawn animation. This decision was made based
on the team's access to the software. Flash was at their disposal in nearly every lab on campus, which allowed them to work around the
clock. All the painting was done in
Flash, completely frame-by-frame and by hand, which took an enormous amount of
manpower. Any limitations encountered as
a result of using Flash (bad color management, terrible line fidelity and no
opacity options) were availed with Toon Boom, a program tailored specifically
for animation. Base 14’s next film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rain Dance</i> will be completed entirely
with Toon Boom. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Girl and the Fox (2011)</td></tr>
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Kupferer says the experience was simultaneously thrilling and exhausting. He spent the majority of his time directing others and not doing any real animation or painting himself, which he found extremely difficult. “But directing a team of real artists was probably the most fun I've ever had. I like inspiring and motivating others and I like creating cool, artistic stuff, so this sort of project really appealed to me.” Once the main crew had moved on to other projects, he flew solo for about two months, polishing and touching up every part of the film in an effort to create a flow between shots. He picked it up again earlier this year, to do some re-scoring and color-correction, minor tweaks compared to the principal production. The festival cut of the film was finished in January 2011. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Girl and
the Fox</i> is <a href="http://www.girlandthefox.com/festivals.html" target="_blank">touring</a> all summer long, including a stop at the <a href="http://taafi.com/events/taafi2012/films/?id=46" target="_blank">Toronto Animation Arts Festival International</a> in July. At which point<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Rain
Dance</i> should be finished and ready to jump immediately into the fall festival
circuit. After that, Kupferer has no
intention of resting. He plans on developing
some new ideas and doing a lot of writing.
“Sitting on your laurels is like sitting in a lawn chair. It's a lot
more comfortable than standing, but long term, not nearly as productive as
getting up and walking to somewhere with real seating." </div>
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Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-38694661557985119112012-06-09T13:57:00.001-04:002012-06-09T20:38:38.938-04:00"PROMETHEUS" PROVES RIDLEY SCOTT IS LOST IN SPACE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The name <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000631/" target="_blank">Ridley Scott</a> is synonymous with lowered
expectations. No other filmmaker has
achieved more success, or is more respected, despite directing some of the
shittiest mainstream movies of the last thirty years. The past decade in particular, has not been
kind to the prolific septuagenarian, who’s fumbled around in every genre
except the one that jump-started his career. </div>
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From political thrillers, to romantic comedies, to
historical epics, Scott has churned out some of the best looking bad movies of
all time. Even though his career has been loaded
with misfires, his craftsmanship continues to inspire generations of filmmakers. Though his ad-man's devotion to aesthetics has clearly come with a price. Movies as recent as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800320/" target="_blank">Clash of the Titans</a></i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735898/" target="_blank">Snow White And The Huntsman</a></span></i>, are profoundly indebted to Scott’s particular brand
of filmmaking. They are ravishing design
triumphs, but utterly vacant. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/" target="_blank">Alien</a></i> introduced
audiences to his patented byzantine production design, while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/" target="_blank">Blade Runner</a></i> secured his status as a
great stylist. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/" target="_blank">Prometheus</a></i>, which opened this weekend, is a return to Scott’s
Sci-Fi roots. Shot in state-of-the-art
3D, and billed as a prequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alien</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prometheus</i> is surely his best film in
a decade. It leaps off the screen, invested with wonder and optimism, but quickly devolves into an aimless body-horror
funhouse. There are so many half-baked
ideas on display, the movie inevitably collapses under the weight of its own hubris. Scott has embraced pop-existentialism (and the
latest stereoscopic gimmickry) in his effort to get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prometheus</i> off the ground.
But at 74 year-old, his time is running out. For once, I wish he’d just concentrate on telling
a coherent story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-26403973509219627382012-06-07T07:05:00.000-04:002012-06-11T08:03:53.837-04:00THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE IS NIGH!<br />
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Whether you like it or not, zombies are here to stay. They’ve overwhelmed our pop-culture, lurching
(sometimes sprinting) inexorably into our movies, TV shows, comic-books and
video games. <a href="http://www.amctv.com/" target="_blank">AMC</a>’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1520211/" target="_blank"><i>The </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Walking Dead</i></a>, based on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/RobertKirkman" target="_blank">Robert Kirkman</a>’s long running <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com/" target="_blank">Image</a>
comic series, is a ratings juggernaut. A blockbuster <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/" target="_blank">adaptation</a> of <a href="http://maxbrooks.com/" target="_blank">Max Brooks</a>’ bestselling <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://maxbrooks.com/books-wwz.php" target="_blank">World War Z</a></i> , starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/" target="_blank">Brad Pitt</a>, is set for release next summer. With a new game
in stores and a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1855325/" target="_blank">fifth film</a> on the way, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resident
Evil</i> franchise is alive across multiple platforms, and shows no sign
of stumbling. But a recent string of
disturbingly gruesome real-life incidents has some people wondering if an actual Zombie
Apocalypse is just on the horizon.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">•</span>In <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html" target="_blank">Miami</a>, a naked attacker was shot and killed by police when they found him chowing down on a homeless man's face.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">•</span>Authorities
in <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/31/maryland-cannibal-alexander-kinyua/" target="_blank">Maryland</a> have arrested a man who confessed to dismembering his roommate, and then feasting on his heart and brain.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">•</span>In <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/30/new-jersey-man-throws-intestines-at-cops-after-repeatedly-stabbing-himself/" target="_blank">New Jersey</a>, a crazed man stabbed himself repeatedly with a
12 inch knife, and threw his intestines at police who were trying to subdue
him.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_375288905"><o:p></o:p></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">•</span>A <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Luka+Magnotta+begin+extradition+process/6731784/story.html" target="_blank">Montreal</a> man sparked an international manhunt after
allegedly killing a university student with an ice- pick, dismembering the body, and eating
some of the flesh.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;">•</span>Across <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/krokodil-the-drug-that-eats-junkies-2300787.html" target="_blank">Russia</a>, a lethal homegrown heroin-like drug called
Krokodil is turning junkies into corpses at an alarming rate. The narcotic reduces skin to scales (hence
the reptilian moniker), and in some cases, has caused users flesh to rot away,
exposing bone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last week, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">Centers For Disease Control</a> spokesperson, David
Daigle, contacted <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/03/zombie-apocalypse-after-g_n_1566257.html" target="_blank">The Huffington Post</a>, calming fears that an army of mindless flesh
eaters is poised to rise from the dead. "CDC
does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present
zombie-like symptoms)." The CDC
does, however, maintain a <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm" target="_blank">Zombie Preparedness</a> page on their website. Thankfully, I'm not an alarmist. I know, that in the event of worldwide pandemic, zombies are the least of my worries. The sad truth is, death would come in the form of my friends and neighbours, struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. But if repeated screenings of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082694/" target="_blank">The Road Warrior</a> has taught me anything, it's that there's nothing a full tank of gas and sawed-off double-barrel can't solve.</div>
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<br />Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-2000538146615777912012-06-06T15:26:00.003-04:002012-06-06T21:14:17.145-04:00RAY BRADBURY, FROM THE HEART<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8cCHIYTSYdO18FYbU9KRUbfrnnxaY3fAECxLomHFOwvezEgJBoP3qE807o1wiyO5-j19l0pcjZQCqVyFv7J31LO55eI2GyXHOtmka2MKkEEZ7AI4D1jiXXVhCaouu5ez3tyDHlUyRac/s1600/Brad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8cCHIYTSYdO18FYbU9KRUbfrnnxaY3fAECxLomHFOwvezEgJBoP3qE807o1wiyO5-j19l0pcjZQCqVyFv7J31LO55eI2GyXHOtmka2MKkEEZ7AI4D1jiXXVhCaouu5ez3tyDHlUyRac/s400/Brad.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray Bradbury 1922-2012</td></tr>
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The blazing globe we orbit, that celestial source of light
we call The Sun, has dimmed today. Here
on earth. There, on Mars. Across the stars. Ray Bradbury, the incomparable author has
passed away. He was 91 years young,
lived a full life and brought immeasurable joy to millions of readers. Bradbury is best known for sci-fi classics like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fahrenheit 451</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Martian Chronicles</i> and hundreds of short stories. Although it’s set in a dystopian future, where
books are banned and burned, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fahrenheit 451</i> doesn’t reflect the optimism that colours most of his work. No other 20<sup>th</sup> Century author captured
the joy of childhood, the melancholy of adolescence and the wonder of the
universe like Bradbury did.</div>
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His stories aren't so much about fantastical concepts or ideas (oh, but what ideas!). Instead, they're an evocation of what it means to live, to breath and to feel. I still read <i>The Halloween Tree</i> every
October. As the days grow shorter and
the nights longer, I find comfort in Bradbury’s poetry flavoured prose. The tales he told -- and spun, and wove -- are peppered with mystery and bursting with middle-American idealism. Sitting down to ponder Mr. Bradbury’s life and legacy, I recalled how he helped me through some particularly difficult
adolescent years. And I’m probably going to rely on him to get me through many more. He will be missed.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Halloween Tree" - Illustration by Ray Bradbury</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-59195275167907048112012-06-06T02:33:00.000-04:002012-06-06T09:15:12.125-04:00"BEFORE WATCHMEN" IS BEYOND REASON<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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DC Comics is doing the unthinkable. This week they’re launching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before Watchmen</i>, a multi-issue prequel
to the seminal superhero comic-book by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It’s comprised of seven separate miniseries
and a one-shot epilogue, and will unfold over the next thirty-five weeks. DC has assembled a formidable team of talent
to tackle the project, including writers Darwyn Cooke and J. Michael
Straczynski , and superstar artist Adam Hughes.
These guys are among the best in the business, but that doesn’t change
the fact that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before Watchmen</i> is
ill-conceived and utterly blasphemous.</div>
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The original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watchmen</i>, released as a 12 issue limited series between 1986 and 1987, is arguably the medium’s
crowning achievement. <a href="http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10/16/all-time-100-novels/?hub=1951946#watchmen-1986-by-alan-moore-dave-gibbons" target="_blank">Time Magazine</a>
listed it as one of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923
(the year Time was founded). It has influenced an entire generation of creators, and managed to endure a quarter-century
without falling prey to the kind of sequels and spin-offs that has become the industry's backbone. The big-screen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/" target="_blank">adaptation</a> by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0811583/" target="_blank">Zack Snyder</a> is one of the <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=watchmen.htm" target="_blank">highest grossing flops</a> of all time. After months of pre-release hype, mainstream audiences were baffled by the film's moral ambiguity, speed-ramped fight sequences and giant blue genitalia. It's a miracle the movie made any money at all.</div>
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In February, when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before
Watchmen</i> was <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/tags/dan-didio" target="_blank">announced</a>, DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim
Lee said, "It's our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep
all of our characters relevant." Call my crazy, but after 25 years <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watchmen</i>'s relevance has never wavered. It's a singular piece of storytelling, comic-book
or otherwise.<br />
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While I'm fundamentally
opposed to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before Watchmen</i>, I am somewhat conflicted. My
favourite comic-book writer, Joe Stracsynski, is tackling my favourite
comic-book character, Dr. Manhattan. But
I plan on standing fast against this creative bankruptcy. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scott
Pilgrim</i> creator, <a href="http://radiomaru.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Bryan Lee O’Malley</a>, has also taken a hardliner approach. He recently tweeted his position, urging his
followers to avoid the forthcoming books.
“Apologies to all the creators and retailers, but people, don’t fucking
buy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before Watchmen</i>.” Even a casual comic-book fan, like Collin Van
Ooeyn, who runs <a href="http://www.goodhustlesports.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Good Hustle Sports</a>, is keen enough to realise that, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before Watchmen</i> is the equivalent of making
a prequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Citizen Kane</i>."</div>
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Scams like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Before
Watchmen</i> is one of the reasons why my interest in comics has waned in recent years. I'm not saying the writers and artists involved aren't capable of telling compelling stories about Rorschach and the Minutemen. I'm just saying those stories don't warrant the telling. The beauty of <i>Watchmen</i> is that it's a self-contained story with a beginning, middle and end. It's a complete work. And it’s
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<br /></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-87709356405432089072012-06-05T10:57:00.000-04:002012-06-09T00:43:03.585-04:00A CALL TO ACTION: GEEK ZERO CHATS WITH THE CREATOR OF “THE EXPENDABLES 2” FAN-TRAILER.<br />
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With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/" target="_blank">The Avengers</a></i>
currently lighting up the global box-office and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/" target="_blank">The Dark Knight Rises</a></i> poised to invade theatres, you’ve got to
wonder were all the action movies aimed at men are? Forgive me if I’m nonplussed by this
decade-long fascination with superheroes.
I prefer my summer entertainment to feature car chases, endless
ammunition and testosterone-fueled explosions.
As our Reagan-era icons reach retirement age, action movies have been hijacked by costumed
ubermensch and low-rent Euro-thrillers. Parkour
has replaced bulging biceps and body-shrapnel.
A recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/magazine/how-the-american-action-movie-went-kablooey.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1" target="_blank">New York Times</a> article by Adam Sternbergh chronicles the rise and fall of America’s greatest cultural export, lamenting a bygone era of guts, glory and distilled machismo. <br />
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But hope is on the horizon.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764651/" target="_blank">The Expendables 2</a></i>, which drops
in August, may be the bullet-riddled reprieve we’ve all been looking for. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000230/" target="_blank">Sylvester Stallone</a>’s original film co-starred
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005458/" target="_blank">Jason Statham</a> and a stellar supporting cast, including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000216/" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>
and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/" target="_blank">Bruce Willis</a> in a much-ballyhooed, but all-too-brief cameo. While the sequel re-assembles the same red-blooded roster
of forgotten action heroes, it also throws <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000241/" target="_blank">Jean-Claude Van Damme</a> and Chuck <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001569/" target="_blank">“Fucking”</a>
Norris into the fray.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A few weeks ago, a <a href="http://youtu.be/W1RUH7DHFMk" target="_blank">fan-made trailer</a> for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables 2</i> kicked up a stir across the web. It was created by <a href="http://www.garrisondean.com/" target="_blank">Garrison Dean</a>, and presents
a refreshingly gung-ho point of view. Schwarzenegger
himself says the insanely jingoistic trailer “is without a doubt the best fan
video I've seen.”. The Governator even goes so far as to suggest it should be the official trailer for the film. I couldn’t agree
more. I recently traded punches with
Garrison Dean, who currently works at an ad agency in Kansas City. We chatted about his creative sensibilities,
his career aspirations, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000881/" target="_blank">Michael Bay</a> and the sad state of American action
movies.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GEEK ZERO: What was
your motivation for re-cutting <i>The Expendables 2</i> trailer in the first place?</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GARRISON DEAN:</b> Sheer, raw, arrogance. I feel that
I can do a better job selling the film than "they" can. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Expendables</i> isn’t a gritty <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bourne</i>
movie. It’s classic action, a bunch of
dudes fucking shit up, and I wanted to get that across. The first one (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZTgUxVa28" target="_blank">Call To Arms</a></i> trailer) definitely made a splash, and I was wondering
if I could do a sequel. I wanted to capture that same vibe, same feeling
and same call to action that the first one had, while not being a blatant copy
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When I made the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Call
To Arms</i> trailer, I was thinking about the last <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punisher: War Zone</i>,
and a few other films that came and went without any fanfare. I wondered why guys weren’t seeing
these? And with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i> I really felt that if this collection of movie
stars can’t pull men in, then action films may have been lost to video games,
or sports, or God knows what. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So for this, when I saw that NYT article, it reignited that
feeling in me of, “dammit, this is America and Hollywood’s bread and
butter. This is what we do!” So I felt I had to do a response.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: Music is so instrumental (no pun intended) to
the effectiveness of the trailer. Tell me about the song choice, “Totally
Stupid" by Andrew W.K..<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> Music, for
everything I do really, is very important. And I fight like hell for it
when I'm doing collaborative work on things other than trailers.
I also try to pick something that isn't obvious and will hopefully give
people something familiar, that they'll like, but that they probably haven't
heard. But for this, I really wanted to
use Andrew W.K. again because he worked so well for the first one. I
think he's fucking brilliant. If you listen
to his album, "The Wolf", it's basically what would happen if
Meatloaf and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Top Gun</i> soundtrack
had sex and made their kid grow up listening only to Oi! Music. So when
it comes to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i> and that
80’s style action, there is an optimism, a lack of irony and cynicism. And there’s an aggressive push towards almost
violent positivity in Andrew W.K.’s music that really calls back to the 80's
action films that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i>
echoes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the 80's, for whatever reason, they knew to
temper their insane violence and mindless action with synth pop or
power ballads. I guarantee if every film from the past 10 years that
thought about putting Drowning Pool's "Bodies" in their movie had
instead put something by Robert Tepper or Frank Stallone in there, they
would've seen their Box Office go up 10%. That's a Garrison Dean
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But for this, I knew it had to be big and sweeping. I tried his song "Ready to Die" and
it kind of worked, but it wasn't anthemic enough. So I stuck with this and really tried hard to
make it work, and I gotta say, it did. And for people complaining about
it and saying it’s not manly enough? Well. You’re wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew W.K.</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: You currently work in advertising, and
you’ve created a collection of fan trailers. Is legitimate trailer
cutting something you want to pursue, or do you have other movie-related career
aspirations ?</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> The ultimate goal is, that at some point down
the road, I hope to direct a film that I can make my own trailer for. How long can I sit and piss and moan about action
movies, or chick flicks, or how people "don't get it" without trying
to really prove it myself? It would have
cool cars, fights, explosions and boobs. That much I promise. My second
film would probably have spaceships too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It'd be fun to cut real trailers, but from what I know about
advertising, I think that as soon as I enter into that world, all that crazy
shit I can do in my house that everyone loves would become a victim
of committee and Nervous Nellies. I also think that there is a lot
more than just good editing going on in my trailers. I think people are
too smart to be fooled anymore. I try to
think creatively about how to sell a film, and I don’t know if studios or
agencies would respond well to my strategies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: How do you honestly feel about the current
state of American action movies? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> How do I feel
about the current state of American action flicks? The NYT article wasn’t
exactly wrong (despite my loud line in the trailer). I do think there are some other countries who
are doing great action films. France and England for sure. I think
a lot of it has to do with them having a smaller budget which allows them to be
truer to their vision and not have to please as wide an audience. I think
we’ve definitely veered towards the softer more family friendly superhero
films. I think a lot of Hollywood films try to pander to as many people
as possible and end up alienating a bunch of people in the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But America still kills it when they get the chance. Big, loud, and bold (and sometimes stupid) is
what the other countries can’t do. Every <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fast and Furious</i> movie gets bigger and meatier and they just get
better and better and keep making more and more money. There is something truly unique about American
films that allows us to just go for it, and I find that endearing. The
foreign films come in and work with the underdog status, they never achieve
that certain something American films have. When we go big, we go big.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sylvester Stallone, The Rock and a few other people are
really keeping the flame going. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo</i>,
for my money, is one of the best action films of the past 20 years. And
with the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i>, Stallone is
able to bring together such a collage of people beloved around the world that
anyone outside of Hollywood wouldn’t be able to do. But I do think that
when these films are made they are often marketed with their head hung low as
if they are ashamed that they are carrying the torch of the 80’s. As if
its passé.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: Any thoughts on the cinema of Michael
Bay? I have a morbid fascination with him. I own all his films, but
love them and hate them simultaneously. </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> I fucking love Michael Bay. Yes, many
of his films have issues with plot and character development, so I won't sit
and endlessly argue with the haters on that point, but he is in a class all by
himself. He's the type of auteur filmmaker normally found in indie or art
films, he just makes those films about shit blowing up not
about internal strife and struggle. Nothing exceeds like excess
and he exceeds them all. While I say it tongue in cheek, I do stand by
the stuff I say in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transformers</i> trailer
I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think it needs to be pointed out that to successfully
manage films that big, and drive action the way he does takes a lot of talent.
We can see with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Battleship</i> that just
copying what he does, doesn't get results. And one can look at just about
anything he shoots from film to commercials and know immediately that he did
it. That kind of visual signature is rare and has to be respected.
I think in a decade or two people will look at his films and have a bit
more respect for them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I really didn't like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pearl
Harbor</i> though. And you could've cut out almost all of Sam's storyline
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transformers 3</i> and had one hell of
a mean action film. Also, I find it interesting that no one has pointed out
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TF3</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers</i> have pretty much exactly the same plot? Right
down to space portals on the top of skyscrapers bringing in alien armies and
gigantic robotic space snakes/slugs? Just sayin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: Other than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables 2</i>, what summer movies are you looking forward
to?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> Well, I was looking forward to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">G.I. Joe</i>… but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Rises</i> for sure. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prometheus</i>, but I'm worried about that one despite how beautiful it
looks. The trailer for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Total Recall</i>
surprised me in that I didn't hate it, but not expecting miracles there. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter</i> I want to be
excited for, but I know it's probably going to be essentially a fantasy movie
with no real suspense or immediacy so I will just end up sitting there watching
the cool slo-mo. Boy, you just forced me to go look through the list of
films coming out this summer and it's pretty slim fuckin’ pickings. I'd love for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Savages</i> to be great old school Oliver Stone, but we'll see.
Oh and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Looper</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GZ: Anything else you'd like to add, about movies
in general?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GD:</b> I’d like to add to the record, that I love
comic book movies. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Man</i> are classics in my mind.
But they are a definite departure from classic "Action" films.
When it comes to action films we need heroes who can die, and we've lost that.
We have so many Franchises, and Franchises can't die. Think about
how all our heroes look at the end of all those classic American Action movies,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Die Hard</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lethal Weapon</i>(s), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Commando</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rambo</i> etc… The hero looks like
death. They have been beaten, stabbed, shot, and stagger to the finish line and
we feel that with them and root for them because of it. When John McClane takes out a building full
of terrorists and jumps off the roof looking scared as shit as it explodes,
it's unrealistic, but it's not fake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If I could leave people with anything… have fun. Don’t take
things so seriously and go to the actual theater as often as possible, seriously.
There is nothing like a big screen, big stars, and popcorn and soda and a room
full of people all enjoying something at the same time. That experience,
whether it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables</i>, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twilight</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moonrise Kingdom</i>, is one of America’s greatest gifts to the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://shutupandeatyourawesome.tumblr.com/">http://shutupandeatyourawesome.tumblr.com/</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Garrison Dean has done every self-respecting man (and babe) a favour by compiling a mix-tape of all the music he's used in his trailers thus far. </b><b>Let this be your Summer soundtrack. </b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.garrisondean.com/">www.garrisondean.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMonocularGroup">http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMonocularGroup</a></div>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-19843470965262778022012-06-03T20:53:00.001-04:002015-04-26T14:39:37.375-04:00"RANGO" REVEALS THE REAL GORE VERBINSKI<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893659/" target="_blank">Gore Verbinski</a> is a filmmaker I’ve never given much
consideration. Until I screened <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1192628/" target="_blank">Rango</a></i>, his Oscar-winning animated Western
featuring the neurotic vocal styling of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/" target="_blank">Johnny Depp</a>, I regarded him as little
more than a high-priced director-for-hire.
Say what you will about his bloated (but successful) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325980/" target="_blank">Pirates Of The Caribbean</a></i> trilogy, his
deft touch was sorely missing from Captain Jack’s most recent adventure. There’s no doubt Verbinski has the ability to
marshal a massive, special-effects laden production. But what else is he capable of? Quite a lot, it would seem. And it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rango</i>
that snaps his entire filmography into perspective. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rango</i> is the
weirdest "Kids" movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a screwball Spaghetti Western that
echoes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/" target="_blank">Chinatown</a></i>, and has a flying
bat-shit sense of humour. Not all the
gags stick, but enough of them hit their mark. And many of them are side-splitting bulls-eyes. Verbinski and his collaborators, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517589/" target="_blank">John Logan</a>
and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126096/" target="_blank">James Ward Byrkit</a>, wisely emulate <a href="http://www.pixar.com/" target="_blank">Pixar</a>'s formula. They’re concerned less about plot mechanics,
and more about character, story and theme.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Johnny Depp gives his best performance in
a decade, which is no small feat, considering he doesn’t even appear
on-screen. The result is a quirky comedy
with heart, that manages to reference <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/" target="_blank">Sergio Leone</a> and <a href="http://authors.simonandschuster.ca/Hunter-S-Thompson/1314568" target="_blank">Hunter S. Thomson</a>
without skipping a beat.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rango</i> prompted me
to seek out Verbinski’s early work, so I could piece together exactly why I'd previously dismissed him. I managed
to find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Ritual</i>, a fairly accomplished short he made
upon graduating from UCLA. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Ritual</i> is Verbinski’s
Rosetta Stone. It’s about Voodoo and
anti-consumerism, and is inflected with chatty <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000233/" target="_blank">Tarantino</a>-inspired Gen-X
rambling. Even at this early stage, his madcap sense of humour and byzantine
production design was already on full display. The morbid flights of fancy and droll humour
resembles <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000600/" target="_blank">Sam Raimi</a> and early <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001054/" target="_blank">Coen</a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001053/" target="_blank">s</a>.
But above all else, it’s about people embroiled in a hyper-convoluted
situation, which is a theme he continues to visit.</div>
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Reflecting on Verbinski’s career, it’s clear he’s one of our most offbeat mainstream filmmakers. He’s a capable storyteller with a distinctly modern voice. His smaller films, like <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384680/" target="_blank">The Weather Man</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236493/" target="_blank">The Mexican</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298130/" target="_blank">The Ring</a></i>, are intimate and keenly observed. They’re contemporary character-driven commentaries. And despite its Western trappings, there's nothing at all old-fashioned about <i>Rango</i>. Next, Verbinski and Depp will saddled up for a newfangled take on <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210819/" target="_blank">The Lone Ranger</a>. </i>The project may have fallen prey to production delays, budget cuts and re-writes, but don't expect that to stop Verbinski from subverting another Disney tentpole. The marketing machine will undoubtedly focus on Depp's star-power and the relentless action sequences. And while that may accurately represent the finished film, I'm almost certain <i>The Lone Ranger</i> won't play like your typical Hollywood blockbuster, the same way <i>Rango</i> isn't your typical family film.</div>
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Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262430303261917309.post-62891527219785538312012-06-01T12:17:00.001-04:002012-06-05T19:07:14.197-04:00"STAR TREK / DOCTOR WHO" CROSSOVER A CREATIVE BLACK HOLE<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkn9bIU1n_fgmtKVAW8cI6TZLIoLVJDQkAFuRBSJrOWtlyS4tmFEqiACnSetOvZVU0VI4ik9wsVVt-590gJZBEODAXHL7ezFAdl5ljQ_zzVQJKZppjL73rJrhVi0ZUV4iqjj4u4g7GIE/s1600/DoctorWho-StarTrek_01-CvrA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkn9bIU1n_fgmtKVAW8cI6TZLIoLVJDQkAFuRBSJrOWtlyS4tmFEqiACnSetOvZVU0VI4ik9wsVVt-590gJZBEODAXHL7ezFAdl5ljQ_zzVQJKZppjL73rJrhVi0ZUV4iqjj4u4g7GIE/s400/DoctorWho-StarTrek_01-CvrA.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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Crossovers have been a comic book industry staple for
decades. There’s nothing terribly objectionable
about in-house mergers, like <a href="http://www.marvel.com/" target="_blank">Marvel</a>’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Avengers
Vs. X-Men</i>, which currently sits atop sales charts. After all, Captain America and Wolverine
exist in the same continuity, and have interacted countless times before. Even a title as blatantly money-grabbing as
<a href="http://www.darkhorse.com/" target="_blank">Dark Horse</a>’s original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aliens Vs. Predator</i>
has some appeal. There is some gratification to be had from seeing these two formidable extra-terrestrial species
throw down in a Darwinian battle of gnashing teeth and slashing blades; although
subsequent instalments, including two big-screen flops, have fallen prey to the
law of diminishing returns. These pulpy
fusions certainly have a time and a place, but the launch this week of <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/" target="_blank">IDW</a>’s <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/" target="_blank">Star Trek: TNG</a></i> / <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436992/" target="_blank">Doctor Who</a></i> crossover, smacks of pandering fan-fiction.</div>
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Trekkies, because they’ve weathered so many shoddy
incarnations, can be an understandably fickle bunch. They’ve had to suffer a film franchise where
every odd numbered entry disappoints beyond belief. Not to mention the entirety of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244365/" target="_blank">Enterprise</a></i>, a show that didn’t even last
long enough to earn syndication rights (a first for <i>Trek</i>). Despite being a cash cow for Paramount, the
studio habitually treated <i>Star Trek</i> like a sacred one instead. The
series stagnated as each new version drifted further and further away from
creator <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0734472/" target="_blank">Gene Roddenberry</a>’s core conceit, to the point where it scarcely
resembled the original television mission Captain Kirk and his crew embarked upon
in September of 1966, three full years before man landed on the moon.</div>
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The franchise spent more than a decade languishing in
suspended animation until <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009190/" target="_blank">J.J. Abrams</a> injected some much need <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Red_matter" target="_blank">Red Matter</a> into the mix,
and rebooted the whole damn universe. Abrams
has had to dodge a lot of flack, lens-flares notwithstanding, despite
delivering the invigorating shot in the arm the franchise so desperately
needed. His version might have rubbed raw
some lifetime fans. It’s more space-operatic,
but less didactic, than it’s predecessors. It's also, dare I say, a helluva lot more fun. Now, just as <i>Star Trek</i> has begun to reclaim a relevant place in contemporary pop-culture, along comes this crossover. </div>
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And it's embarrassing for everyone involved. Not because <i>Doctor Who</i> isn’t worthy of association; it’s a great show, by all accounts, and more vital now than it's ever been before. All this ill-conceived cross-pollination does is cheapen both
parties. It plays like a lame marketing stunt, and a last-gasp gimmick normally reserved for properties that have been put out to pasture. The point is, both franchises are robust, and what this multi-panelled mind-melding does is disservice both Trekkies and Whovians. Besides, is anyone really clamouring to see
Picard, Worf and the good Doctor stuffed shoulder-to-shoulder inside a blue police call-box, zipping <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096928/" target="_blank">Bill & Ted</a>-like trough time and space?</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span>Justin T. Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810461588308224770noreply@blogger.com0