Tag: Comics

Cameron/Tyler Winklevoss to Play Batman?

Once upon a time (2007), Armie Hammer was set to play Batman in a Justice League movie. Unfortunately, that project died. The role was supposed to launch Hammer to stardom. Instead, he’d have to wait until The Social Network in which he impressed critics and fans alike as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. After that blockbuster hit, praise for his work in Mirror, Mirror, and a starring role in The Lone Ranger, Hammer might get a second chance to play Batman. According to MovieHole:

The studio need a new guy to guard the cave now that Christian Bale has hung up the cowl. And with plans to reintroduce a younger take on the character in the upcoming “Justice League” movie, a draft of which has been completed by Will Beale, the studio has Hammer atop of their list of potentials. It’s really, when you think about it, a no-brainer. Thus, I wasn’t much surprised when informed this morning that he’s in with a good chance to play the part in the superhero tag-team movie.

It’s a win win, really. Hammer apparently wears the suit smartly, has already rehearsed for the gig before, but more so, is a much bigger star than he was three or four years ago.

Hammer is a big, strapping dude that has a naturally deep voice. He looks the part. He has played rich people and heroes. I think he can pull off Batman (without sounding like he has marbled in his mouth).

What do you think of the possibility of Armie Hammer playing Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie?

Source

Emily Blunt To Play Ms. Marvel in Avengers 2?

Super sexy Emily Blunt is rumored to be in the running for the role of Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel in The Avengers 2. Once a C-lister in the Marvel Universe, Ms. Marvel has been a major player since the “House of M” storyline. She has been a big part of the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers series. Sadly, she has gotten rid of her ridiculous swimsuit-like costume to coincide with her name change to Captain Marvel. As for Blunt, here’s more from iO9:

Emily Blunt, who famously missed out on the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 — insofar as any Emily Blunt casting decision is really capable of attaining fame — is reportedly back in contention for a major role. Specifically, she is rumored to be one of two main contenders for the part of Carol Danvers, better known as Ms. Marvel.

I’m a big fan of Blunt. She’s beautiful, smart, talented, and environmentally conscious. That said, I haven’t seen any of her performances where she hasn’t used her native British accent. Carol Danvers is very much an “american pie” type of character. She’s a former United States Air Force officer that has also served with S.H.I.E.L.D. It would be strange to hear her with a British accent. Blunt certainly has the presence for the character and for all I know she has a dynamite American accent from her extensive studies. However, I’m sure that that average male moviegoer doesn’t give a rat’s ass since she’s so pretty.

What do you think of the possibility of Emily Blunt playing Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel? Me likey.

Source

Coffee Talk #522: On Lorne Lanning and Alan Moore

The other day, I was reading this excellent GI Biz interview with Oddworld Inhabitants’ Lorne Lanning. As many of you know, I’m a big fan of Lanning and his company’s games. It was great hearing him talk about games after a hiatus from the business. It was awesome to hear that he appears to be stubborn as ever and that he’s still thinking about ways to empower videogame creators. Here’s a clip from the interview:

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the exciting last day of the MLB regular season, T-Mobile USA merging with MetroPCS, or waiting for Thai NanoSIMs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The other day, I was reading this excellent GI Biz interview with Oddworld Inhabitants’ Lorne Lanning. As many of you know, I’m a big fan of Lanning and his company’s games. It was great hearing him talk about games after a hiatus from the business. It was awesome to hear that he appears to be stubborn as ever and that he’s still thinking about ways to empower videogame creators. Here’s a clip from the interview:

Rather than having to have 1.5 million units in the opening week or suffer death, now if we have 50,000 sales and we’re still in business. People are still employed and we’re able to keep making content. When we released box product we would get 20 percent of the revenue. After that 20 percent paid back the entire development budget, if it was still selling at $60 we would start seeing $7 a unit. Because of the bricks and mortar, the plastic, the manufacturing, the gas involved in taking games to the store, the store itself and all those extra costs — not one of those costs makes a better game for the player.

If you’re the gamer, where do you want the money of the game you’re buying to go? I want it going to help make more games. But the majority of that money is not going to games in the boxed product market.

The tone of Lanning’s comments reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t place my finger on it right away. The feeling I got from this interview was that this is a man that loves videogames and loves the creative process, but is fed up with the videogame business. Then it hit me. Lorne Lanning is just like comic-book scribe Alan Moore! Like Lanning, Moore loves the comic-book medium and the creative process, but has often been frustrated with the business of comics. Here’s a Moore quote from Bill Baker’s Alan Moore Spells it Out:

I love the comics medium. I pretty much detest the comics industry. Give it another 15 months, I’ll probably be pulling out of mainstream, commercial comics.

Although Moore is best known for his works published by DC Comics, he had numerous conflicts with the publishing giant and found more freedom with smaller, independent publishers. Similarly, Lanning has had numerous clashes with big videogame publishers. He believes that digital distribution will give him the creative freedom he wasn’t able to enjoy with Microsoft and EA.

Lanning and Moore are both supremely creative individuals that aren’t cut out to deal with the establishments in their respective businesses. They both recognize that the suits take advantage of the creatives and that there must be a better way. Through smaller publishers, Moore found a way that allowed him to make money and create freely. Hopefully digital distribution will enable Lanning and Oddworld Inhabitants to thrive once more. The videogame business would be better and more fun with a flourishing Oddworld Inhabitants.

Random Thoughts on The Dark Knight Returns Part I

Based on one of the most critically acclaimed Batman stories of all time, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is the latest in a long line of high-quality animated features from DC Comics. Animating a beloved and respected book like The Dark Knight Returns was a huge risk. No matter what, some comic book fans will have a problem with the adaptation. Fanboys are just wired that way. While it’s not perfect, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is a superior animated movie that succeeds more than it fails. Here are some random thoughts on the latest Bats Blu-ray.

Story: For the most part, Frank Miller’s grim-and-gritty story is intact. This is a dark tale of an over-the-hill Batman that comes out of retirement. The world has changed and he’s unsure if his methods are still effective. The script does a good job at creating a bleak (bleaker?) Gotham City and showing Batman’s vulnerabilities. Of course some liberties were taken in translating it to an animated feature. The tone is all there and some parts of the narrative actually work better. The clips from the newscasts and talk shows are much more vibrant. They felt too static to me in print and are much more effective with voice acting.

Speaking of which, the voice acting is quality and helps bring the story to life. Some fans will have an issue with Robocop Peter Weller playing Batman, simply because he’s not Kevin Conroy. If you can get past that then you’ll enjoy a good portrayal of Batman. The supporting cast is great too. I enjoyed the actors that played Carrie Kelly/Robin, Alfred Pennyworth, and Commissioner Jim Gordon.

As a big fan of the book, I’m happy with the script for The Dark Knight Returns Part I.

Animation: It took a while for me to get used to the movie’s art style. Frank Miller’s pencils and Klaus Janson’s inks gave the book a distinct look. It felt artistically dirty, if that makes any sense. The movie looks a bit too clean and loses the semi-abstract feel of the comics. The lines are too straight and everything feels a bit too bright. It’s technically well done, but very different from the source material. After 20 minutes or so, I got used to the art style and appreciated it, but wasn’t completely sold on it.

On the plus side, the animation does a great job of showing how brutal and intimidating Batman can be. The fight scenes are excellent. You really get a feel of the bone-crushing impact of the punches thrown. You can almost taste the fear villains have for Batman.

The mutants, especially the leader, benefitted from the translation to animation. In the comics, they always looked borderline silly to me. In animated form, they looked more intimidating and less ridiculous.

While the art was good, I wanted something grungier, though I understand that the masses probably prefer the techniques used in the movie.

Value: With a run time of 76 minutes, The Dark Knight Returns Part I is inline with other DC animated features. However, I would have preferred getting the whole thing at once. I understand the economics of it all, but from a storytelling standpoint it would have been more enjoyable as a whole. As it stands, the cliffhanger isn’t that dramatic, though I wonder if newcomers will feel that way. As a fan of the comics, I was all, “Wait…I want the rest of it!” which is both good and bad. I’m looking forward to the next installment, but feel somewhat shortchanged by this one.

Conclusion: The Dark Knight Returns Part I is true to the source material in terms of story and a bit different in terms of art style. I was mostly happy with the movie, putting it up there with my favorite comic-book animated-features, though behind the outstanding Batman: Under the Red Hood. I recommend it, but caution fans of the comics to be prepared for the visual changes.

I know that some of you have watched this movie. Kindly share your thoughts on The Dark Knight Returns Part I in the comments section.

Geoff Johns Writing Arrow Episode, More Trailers

Here’s a bunch of assorted news on Arrow, CW’s upcoming series about DC Universe bow-slinger Green Arrow. Comic-book fans will be pleased to learn that Geoff Johns, one of the most consistently great writers of the last decade, will be penning an episode of the show. On a recent post on DC’s blog Johns is quoted as saying, “I’m thrilled to be writing this episode of Arrow, and while I can’t give too much away, I think comic fans are going to like what we have in store for them — keep an eye out for the Huntress.”

CW has also released some new trailers for the show. The first one is pretty sweet. It makes Oliver Queen look like a modern-day warrior (as opposed to a guy with outmoded weapons and an Errol Flynn fascination).

The next one is…not so good. It’s cheesy and more along the lines of what I expect from The CW.

Hopefully the show’s tone is more like the first trailer and the second is something that’s being used to attract the frau.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the two Arrow clips. Are you excited that Geoff Johns will be writing an episode of the show?

R.I.P. Michael Clarke Duncan

I was sad to hear that Michael Clarke Duncan passed away at age 54. He’s best known for The Green Mile, but nerds will remember him for playing Kingpin in Daredevil and voicing Kilowog in Green Lantern. In both those cases, he was one of the few great parts of otherwise bad movies. While many moviegoers enjoyed his performances as a gentle giant or a menacing brute, he was lots of fun in comedic roles too. I loved him in Talladega Nights and The Whole Nine Yards. Most will remember his moving performance in The Green Mile, but I’ll remember him for cracking me up in comedies.

What are some of your favorite Michael Clarke Duncan performances?

Coffee Talk #514: Your Favorite Comic-Book Cop-Outs

Unstable molecules. Wolverine’s healing factor. Pym Particles. Those are just a few devices comic-book writers use to explain the inexplicable. Comic-book cop-outs have a long and glorious history. Many readers just accept them; after all, we’re talking about a hobby where you must believe (on some level) that a boy can get great powers from a radioactive-spider bite and a jetpilot can be gifted a magical ring from a dying purple alien. Let’s take a look at some comic-book cop-outs in today’s Coffee Talk and share some of your favorites when you have a chance.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Ka’u Coffee Mill’s semi-washed medium roast, hoping Roger Federer pulls off a U.S. Open victory, or watching injuries take their toll on the Yankees’ season, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Unstable molecules. Wolverine’s healing factor. Pym Particles. Those are just a few devices comic-book writers use to explain the inexplicable. Comic-book cop-outs have a long and glorious history. Many readers just accept them; after all, we’re talking about a hobby where you must believe (on some level) that a boy can get great powers from a radioactive-spider bite and a jetpilot can be gifted a magical ring from a dying purple alien. In some cases, they’re just convenient excuses used to explain things that make absolutely no sense. However, there are times when creative writers make the best of a silly situation and make these devices interesting (Geoff Johns excels at this). Let’s take a look at some comic-book cop-outs in today’s Coffee Talk and please share some of your favorites when you have a chance.

Unstable Molecules: Never mind that he took his fiance, fiance’s little brother, and best friend on a hazardous joyride to space. Reed Richards is a frickin’ genius. After his nearest and dearest get bombarded with cosmic rays — giving them four fantastically different super-powers — Richards developed unstable molecules. When used in a fabric, these molecules can adapt to cover up all kinds of powers. They turn invisible when the Invisible Woman uses her powers. They stretch when Mr. Fantastic uses his. They’re impervious to the extreme heat generated by the Human Torch. They also hide the Thing’s embarrassing rock boners.

Wolverine’s Healing Factor: Wolverine is popular because he’s a bad-ass (and Canadian…the world loves Canadians). One of the primary reasons that he’s a bad-ass is because he can take a beating due to his vaunted healing factor. It protects him from virtually any injury conceivable in hand-to-hand combat. It makes it difficult for him to get drunk and prevents cigars from giving him cancer. Most conveniently, it fights off any side effects from having (a fictitious) metal bonded to his bones. When said metal was briefly removed from Wolvie’s body, his healing factor kicked into overdrive. It was said that the only way to really kill him in bestial form was to chop off his head and get it very far away from his body so he couldn’t reattach it. Uh huh.

Pym Particles: When he’s not busy creating evil robots that continuously try (and fail) to take over the world, Hank Pym has fun with Pym Particles. These particles are responsible for his various size-changing aliases (Ant Man, Giant Man, Goliath, etc.). They allow the user to lose or gain mass, storing or receiving said mass in an alternate dimension (which must suck for the occupants of that dimension, what with all the appearing and disappearing mass). They’re also versatile enough to allow Pym to graft wasp-like wings onto his significant other. The kicker is that the wings only appear when she shrinks. Pym Particles have been known to cause schizophrenia and wife beating, as illustrated by Dr. Pym himself.

The Multiverse: DC has the grandaddy of all comic-book cop-outs with the multiverse. On one hand, it allows storytellers creative freedom by having different versions of superheroes exist in different universes. On the other hand, it’s hard to keep track of all the happenings on Earth One, Earth Two, Earth Scarlett Johansson, etc. The multiverse has been used to create big events that generated big sales (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis). It also allowed characters purchased from other comic book companies to be integrated into the proper DC Universe. The company has used the multiverse as an excuse to wipe the slate clean, which has angered many purists while also making books more accessible to new fans and liberating writers from the shackles of (sometimes ridiculous) continuity. What worked and what was cool in the ’70s might not work in 2012. Need to get rid of something silly while generating more sales? Use a multiverse summer crossover!

The Lazarus Pit: Batman foe R’as al Ghul discovered a restorative phenomenon that he calls The Lazarus Pit. It has allowed him to live for centuries, amass tremendous knowledge, and grow some nifty facial hair. It doesn’t matter how old R’as gets or if he picks up any STDs (hey, it happens to everyone that has lived for centuries). A swim in a Lazarus Pit will wipe away any ailments he suffers from. It can also be used to bring people back from the dead (see Todd, Jason). Repeated use of the Lazarus Pit may lead to megalomaniacal delusions and an addiction to wearing capes. Please consult your doctor before using a Lazarus Pit.

Anyway, those are a few comic-book cop-outs that have been bugging me for decades. I’d love to hear about some of your favorites. Please leave a comment when you have a chance!

Justice League Movie: No Affleck, Yes Wachowskis?

Looks like we dodged a bullet there, fellow comic-book fanboys. io9 has reported that Ben Affleck is definitely not directing the Justice League movie. Many JLA fans feel that his strengths aren’t suited to a spandex superhero movie, while others simply hate him for Daredevil. Either way, he claims that he was never in the running. Most would agree that Affleck not directing this movie is good news. The arguable news/rumor is that the Wachowski…uh…siblings are the leading candidates for the job. While many comic-book nerds loved The Matrix, opinions were split on the two sequels and most people hated the Wachowskis’ take on Speed Racer.

Personally, I’m intrigued but not yet sold. I loved The Matrix and enjoyed parts of the two sequels. I actually didn’t mind Speed Racer either. Having said that, I acknowledge that the Wachowkis are maddeningly inconsistent. They have the potential to make a killer Justice League film, but they also have the potential to make a disappointing one.

What do you think of the possibility of a Justice League movie directed by the Wachowskis?

Source