The Red Hood first appeared in Detective Comics #168 (1951), “The Man Behind the Red Hood”. In the original story, the man who is to later become the Joker was a master criminal known as the Red Hood. His costume was a large domed red helmet that looked like an eraser with a matching red cape. While attempting to rob a chemical plant, his men were killed and he was suddenly cornered on a catwalk by Batman.
Left with no alternatives, he dove into a catch basin full of chemicals and swam to freedom. He survived due to a conveniently breathing apparatus built into his helmet, however the toxic chemicals in the vat permanently discolored him, turning his hair green, his skin white and his lips red. Upon discovering this, he went insane, and adopted the persona of the Joker.
However, Alan Moore wrote an alternate origin of the Joker in “Batman: The Killing Joke,” in 1988. In Moore’s fantastic, retcon change to the already accepted Batman universe, the Red Hood is portrayed as a former chemical engineer, who is also a struggling stand-up comedian with a pregnant wife. He is approached by the Red Hood gang who want him to lead them through the chemical plant he once worked at, so they can rob the card factory next door. He reluctantly accepts, in order to make enough money to start a better life for his family.
The gang gives him the costume of the Red Hood. The day of the proposed robbery police inform him that his wife died in a freak accident. He attempts to back out of the robbery, but the gang strong-arms him into keeping his commitment. During the robbery, the plant’s security men spot the intruders and shoot the other criminals dead. The engineer tries to flee, but Batman appears and corners him on the plant’s catwalk. Terrified, he jumps off the catwalk into the chemical basin to escape. As in the previous origin story, he goes insane after discovering what the chemicals have done to his face, and becomes the Joker. The Joker himself is reluctant to admit that this iteration of his story is definitive, stating: “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another… if I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!”
Under The Red Hood
In this recent storyline, a new Red Hood appears in Gotham, written by Judd Winick. To brush up on a bit of history, in 1988 “Batman: A Death in the Family” was written by Jim Starlin where Robin #2, Jason Todd was brutally killed by The Joker. Writer Judd Winick, reintroduces the Red Hood but this time the Red Hood is revealed to be the resurrected Jason Todd out for revenge.
The new Red Hood, who kills as easily as any criminal, assumes control over various gangs in Gotham City and starts a one-man war against Black Mask’s criminal empire. He actively tries to cleanse the city of corruption, such as the illegal drug trade and gang violence, but in a violent, antiheroic way. He eventually comes to blows against Batman and other heroes.
The video is actually well worth watching. The Joker’s voice takes some getting used to, but the storyline and art are excellent.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are back as Sherlock Holmes and formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room until the new criminal mastermind at Professor Moriarty (played by Jared Harris, TV’s “Mad Men,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and also played the voice of Ridley in Tales of the Black Freighter) shows up. Moriarty is Holmes’ intellectual equal with a capacity for evil and complete lack of conscience proves to give our renowned detective a run for his money.
Holmes’ investigation into Moriarty’s plot becomes increasingly more dangerous as it leads him and Watson out of London and across Europe, to France, Germany and Switzerland. But Moriarty is always one step ahead, weaving and spinning a web of death and destruction, which, come to find out, is all part of a greater evil plot that will change the course of history…. or, in their case, the future. See, it’s changing our history, or, our fictional history which ties into Holmes’ stories but since it hasn’t happened yet… ugh… it’s just like in the Start Trek movie with changing time and stuff.
Guy Ritchie returns to direct “Game of Shadows,” .. you thought I was going to say Game of Thrones, didn’t you.
In her first English-speaking role, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who gained international attention in the Swedish film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” plays Sim. Stephen Fry (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) is Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother.
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is written by Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were created by the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and appear in stories and novels by him. Go out and start reading some Sherlock, it won’t disappoint.
The Adventures of Tintin – December 23
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by the Belgian artist Georges Rémi (1907–1983). It is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, translated into more than 80 languages and more than 350 million copies of the books sold to date. Set during a largely realistic 20th century, the hero, Tintin, is a young Belgian reporter who ends up on adventures to far away places. With him is his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy.
Additional cast include cynical & grumpy Captain Haddock, the intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus, two incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson. The author, pen named Hergé, himself is featured in several of the comics as a background character, thinking of Alfred Hitchcock here. Appears to be a promising family flick.
2012
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – February 17
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter – Feb 22 Read the book. It’s pretty good.
The Avengers – May 4
Men In Black III – May 25
John Carter of Mars – March 9
Prometheus – June 8 Prequel to Alien, directed by Ridley Scott
G.I. Joe 2 – June 29
Amazing Spider-Man – July 3
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises – July 20
Total Recall – Aug 3 starring Colin Farrell
Dredd – Sept 21
The Hobbit Pt.1 – Dec 19
300: Battle of Artemisia
Akira
Dark Tower
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – Feb 17
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Nicolas Cage will reprise his role as Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider. It is the second film to be released under the Marvel Knights banner after 2008′s Punisher: War Zone.
Set several years after the first film, Johnny Blaze, a tormented soul who is convinced that his powers are a curse, is in self-imposed exile from the world. Blaze is approached by Moreau, a member of the monastic order of Michael, the warrior angel. Moreau seeks a protector for a mother and son duo who are being hunted by a figure named Roarke – a fellow with a detailed knowledge of the Ghost Rider and his different identities over the centuries
This isn’t from the movie, it’s just an ad for the book.
The Avengers – May 4
Written and directed by Joss Whedon, featuring an ensemble cast, including Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).
When an unexpected enemy emerges who threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, the director of the S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), finds himself in need of a team of superheroes and ends up recruiting Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America to pull the world back from the brink of disaster and destruction.
Tom Hiddleston is back as Norse god of mischief, and adopted brother to Thor, Loki who comes to Earth to subjugate it, to rule the human race as their king. About his character, Hiddleston said, “I think the Loki we see in The Avengers is further advanced. You have to ask yourself the question: how pleasant an experience is it disappearing into a wormhole that has been created by some kind of super nuclear explosion of his own making? So I think by the time Loki shows up in The Avengers he’s seen a few things.”
Cobie Smulders is S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill who works closely with Nick Fury. Regarding her preparation, Smulders stated, “I hired this amazing black-ops trainer to teach me how to hold a gun, take me to a shooting range, how to hit, how to hold myself, how to walk and basically how to look. I don’t do a ton of fighting in the movie, which is why I wasn’t offered a trainer, but I wanted to look like I had the ability to. And I really just got down and dirty with the character, but then I finally went on set; when you’re about to roll, all the “blubbity blue” you’ve been working on kind of messes with you. And you become a little bit detached.”
Note: S.H.I.E.L.D. the espionage and secret military law-enforcement agency was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965). The acronym originally stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division. It was changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate and when the Marvel movies started hitting the scene, it changed once again to Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Based off the Hasbro game. … no, we’re not kidding.
Battleship is directed by Peter Berg who’s done a lot of TV, Prime Suspect (TV series), Friday Night Lights (TV series) & Trauma (TV series), but not much for producing movies. Alexander Skarsgård, who’s done Straw Dogs, and played Eric Northman in True Blood (TV series). Taylor Kitsch, John Carter, Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine , Friday Night Lights (TV series) and smoking hot Brooklyn Decker, Jessica Simpson clone, plays Sam(antha).
In the Hawaiian Islands, the naval fleet engage in intense battle against an alien race known as “The Regents”. The aliens come to planet Earth, to build a power source in the Pacific Ocean. The film is to show both sides of the story, the aliens’ as well as the humans’ so the audience knows exactly where the opponent’s ships are.
John Carter of Mars – June 8
You might remember Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights (TV series), or better as Remy LeBeau/Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. What’s interesting is that Edgar Rice Burroughs, played by Daryl Sabara, actually wrote himself in his own books as a surrogate nephew to John Carter.
John Carter
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the Barsoom series of John Carter from 1912 – 1964. Captain John Carter is an Earthman, was a Virginian who fought in the American Civil war as a Confederate soldier. After the Civil War, Carter moved to the SW United States to work as a prospector. In 1866 he and his prospector partner strike wealth; but the partner is killed by Indians and Carter takes refuge in a cave where he is overcome by smoke produced by an Indian woman. Carter wakes up to find himself on Mars. While on Mars, Carter was believed to be dead by those who knew him on Earth, but he re-emerges in New York 10 years later in 1876, settling on the Hudson River.
John Carter appeared to die in 1886, leaving instructions for a Burroughs, who refers to him as an ‘uncle’ of the family, to entomb him in a crypt, and leaving Burroughs with the manuscript of A Princess of Mars with instructions not to publish it for another 21 years. He has no memory before the age of 30 and seems never to age. If you haven’t read the books, you can start with A Princess of Mars or you might be interested in the recent John Carter comic book, Warlord of Mars.
Ridley Scott‘s Prometheus – Jun 8
Director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi pic Prometheus has been shrouded in mystery for some time, up till now as the first crop of actor-revealing images appear in this week’s EW. We get a look at stars Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender in spacesuits on an unknown planet, a gigantic head statue, and what look to be primitive forms of the eggs seen in Alien. “What are they?? …. they look like eggs of some sort that house a creature that might kill all of us. .. let’s take a closer look and see.” We also get a peek at Charlize Theron and Idris Elba.
Long said to be a prequel to Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic Alien, the director recently revealed that the last eight minutes of Prometheus will “evolve into a pretty good DNA of the Alien one.” Keep an eye out for the trailer. Prometheus opens in 3D on June 8th, 2012.
Dredd - Sept 21
In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO
As in, Judge Dredd! Karl Urban, who played McCoy/Bones in Star Trek (2009), Vaako in The Chronicles of Riddick, and Eomer in The Lord of the Rings, is playing Judge Dredd. Apparently, all you’ll see is his lower face since he’s not removing his helmet through the entire movie since it is verbotten, says the comic geeks, to show Dredd without his helmet. Directed by Pete Travis, who directed Endgame & Vantage Point. Also starring Olivia Thirlby, from Juno,
Dec 19 – The Hobbit Pt.1
2013
The Wolverine – Jan 1
Iron Man 3 – May 3
Man of Steel – June 14
RED 2 – Aug
Hancock 2 – 2013
The Flash – 2013
Teen Titans – 2013
X-Men Origins: Magneto – 2013
The Hobbit Pt.2- Dec 1
Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam
Venom
Flash Gordon
Luke Cage
Justice League – Mortal
Runaways
Lobo
Die Hard 5
Dorothy of Oz
Dracula 3D
Flash Gordon
Gambit
Green Lantern 2
HALO
Star Trek 2
Hellboy 3
Logan’s Run
Oblivian
R.I.P.D. – A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. Based on the comic by Peter M. Lenkov. R.I.P.D. is a Dark Horse publication. Staring Ryan Reynolds. … yes, Ryan Reynolds.
Deadpool (2014)
Sin City 2
Ant-Man (2014)
Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall
Wanted 2
Doctor Strange
Iron Fist
Nick Fury
Silver Surfer
Sub-Mariner
Thundercats
Chris Evans (The Human Torch in Fantastic Four) Plays Role Of Captain America
Chris Evans, the comedic Human Torch in both Fantastic Four movies, is filling the boots of Steve Rogers/Captain America. Evans signed for at least three Captain America films as well as 2012′s “The Avengers,” which will bring together Evans’ Captain America Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Ed Norton’s the Incredible Hulk and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.
Paramount is backing the first Cap movie “The First Avenger: Captain America,” but it’s directed by Joe Johnson, the guy who brought us 2010′s “The Wolfman” (Rotten Tomatoes RT:32) which apparently sucked raw eggs through a nasty bung hole! Captain America is scheduled to hit screens July 22, 2011, (yeah baby!) but COME ON… Joe Johnson??
I don’t have anything against this guy, other than he’s slated to make the Cap movie and I’ve never heard of him until I googled his butt, and a quick perusal of his past work on IMDB.com shows that the last time this guy ever sat behind a camera was friggin’ Hidalgo, (RT: 46), the story about the white half Indian horse rider starring Aragorn from LOTR, which didn’t totally suck but COME ON! that was in 2004! What the hell?! Where’s Johnson been these LAST 6 YEARS?
It gets better, the last movie before that was Jurassic Park III, (RT: 49) in 2001. Oh Jesus Christ! This movie better not suck. You haven’t seen angry until until you’ve seen 15 million angry, fat, disillusioned comic book geeks crawl out of their mother’s basement all jacked up on, Mt. Dew and Hot Pockets, to voice their expert dissent and disappointment at some director or actor totally FING up a superhero movie. It ain’t pretty. This better not suck!
Enough of my whining… Hugo Weaving (V, Mr. Smith (in The Matrix), Elrond LOTR) is s’posed to play the Cap’s arch-nemesis and Nazi butt hole/criminal mastermind Red Skull, which is a FANTASTIC pick. I can’t wait to see him all in red bloody makeup!
The Red Skull
“Who’s the Red Skull?” you ask? Well, if you’re not a comic book geek, then this gets complicated. Hell, I read comics and I still don’t fully understand it completely. See, there were three Red Skulls, apparently there was a drop in comic readership so Marvel needed more bad guys to spur sales.
The first two Red Skulls were Nazi agents and the third is a goddamn Communist… (word is we should expect the fourth to be a radical knife wielding Muslim). The Red Skull was first introduced in1941 in Captain America Comics #1. The first Red Skull was an American industrialist turned butt hole Nazi saboteur. The second Red Skull was just a long-time enemy of Captain America, something about sleeping with his ex or something.
The third Red Skull is the one behind the deaths of Peter Parker’s (Spider-Man) parents, which resulted in Peter being orphaned to then live under Aunt May and Uncle Ben’s roof, to later date a girl who was killed by either Green Goblin or Spidey himself, to eventually marry smokin’ hot supermodel MJ but then loose her to Mephisto changing reality taking it all back just so Spidey can save Aunt May who’s been shot, all after he came out of the superhero closet. .. told you it was confusing. Marvel will never, ever, EVER let poor Peter have an easy life. That poor sap.
Well, according to S.H.I.E.L.D. files, Johann Schmidt, (the original and current Red Skull) “is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity.” Guess someone should just give the Joker a crowbar, pistol and camera and Red Skull’s address and send him on his way to take care of ol big bad Red.
Regarding Steve Roger’s love
Captain America's Girlfriend
interest, the role of the Cap’s
sweetheart, Peggy Carter , is going to come down to choice between Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League) and Hayley Atwell (British actress from critically-acclaimed films like The Duchess and Mansfield Park – as well as parts in the TV events The Prisoner and The Pillars of Earth.)
There isn’t a man alive who didn’t love Conan, and Arnold playing Conan, back in the ’80s. We all wanted to be both… but just lacked the intestinal fortitude and due diligence needed to manifest such a beast of a body. Especially when there were hundreds of hours of Gilligan’s Island and Brady Bunch, to watch.
If you needed a reminder of how cool both were, way back then, then here’s a little YouTube vid.
Well, Arnold may be a legend, but even legends need to recognize that the world needs a new actor to fill the boots that Robert E. Howard created. The new Conan to be is Jason Momoa, the guy who plays the dreadlock-wearing Ronon Dex on Stargate Atlantis. Momoa is currently in negotiations with the Conan the Barbarian team. If you’re like me, and you’ve never watched any of the umpteen Stargates, except for the 1994 movie, then you won’t know anything about Jason Momoa. But after doing a quick search for him on YouTube, I found this.
Jason Momoa Is Conan
I actually think Momoa can pull it off. The Hawaiian/German-Irish-Native American is a massive 6’5″ tall. If he added another 20 pounds of muscle, he’d be the perfect shoe-in for Conan. In the vid above, you actually see some of his sword play.
Leo Howard is Young Conan
The actor who will play Conan as a child is none other than the black belt pre-teen Leo Howard who played a young Snake Eyes in flashback scenes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And yes, Howard does actually have a black belt.
Also from the G.I. Joe team is smokin’ hot actress Rachel Nichols, she was red headed, uber-brainiac Scarlet.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, created by Marvel Animation, a division of Marvel Entertainment, is going to be one of the break-in synergies between Marvel & Disney.
The crappy looking animated series, which appears to be a take on the WB big-jawed, 2D animation, is just a step backwards in what’s considered, “good art.” Come on, yeah, we love the Avengers and I’m sure the story line is right on the money (.. pray.. hope) but enough of this Hannah Barbera art already! Seriously, this simpleton art is like… from the 60s and is only done to save money. Yeah, we’re in bed with Marvel and DC. And Yeah we love Spidey, Iron Man, Bats and Superman. And who could say “No” to Wonder Woman or Scarlet Witch, or Black Widow… Rawrrrrr, for that matter? Regardless… someone just has to say, “NO! GIVE US BETTER ART!”
Not that we can really do anything about it, but still. Take a look-see at a simple comparison between “bad art” and “good art.” Looking at the WB style, you have the Fred Flintstone type of thing going on, where the artists used to paint a picture of Fred’s body and then rotate between 3-4 different images for the mouth and legs to give the impression that Fred was actually saying something or moving from one place to the other, like from the bowling alley to Barney’s place.. while Barney’s at work.
Seriously, this is maybe one step forward in the “can do” direction because you can see a little reflection on Bats’ and Supes’ undies… see that little blue and red stripe? That’s skill baby! Quality work.
You want more? … Too bad, neither do I, but we’re gettin’ it. Let’s take a look-see at what Marvel/Disney’s feeding us. Dissecting the Avengers image, you can see the masterful work that goes on in the new animated series. … notice reflection in Iron Man’s helmet conotating superior quality art as they are implying a rounded, metallic surface. Whatevah. I’m not EVEN going to go on about Thor. … note two-tone hair color, another reflection on his shiny, conditioned hair. Thunder gods use Head & Shoulders.
You get my point. To see “good art.” We don’t have to go no further than opening an over priced Ultimate Alliance 2, video game! You HAVE to check out the vid.
To get an idea of the quality of work they got going on, just take a look
at how much love they put into Spidey, Hulk and Iron man. It doesn’t get ANY better than this. The entire video is like this. Yeah, sure it costs lots of money. Yeah, it took the geek designers, who were obvious Marvel fans, tons of man hours to complete… but so what! In this economy, we should expect the best at export labor prices. Come on! You tell me that’s not the best rendition of Spidey! It’s perfect!
… sigh…. so, Disney XD will be showing Fred Flintstone and Snagletooth on…. I mean… the Avengers, this fall (2010) .. personally, I can’t wait! They also got, The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series, can anyone say Kim Possible art work?But I’m not going to rag, cause I actually like Kim Possible. .. it’s the fact that she’s tough and always rescues her friend with the stupid pink rat. Tough girls are sexy. … I shouldn’t be saying that since Kim’s still in high school … but I’m not going to analyze it too much.
Disney XD also has the X-Men cartoon too. Aside from not watching it, no high school kick-ass babes, I can’t say much more than what the hell 70s outfit is Jean Gray/Phoenix/Marvel Girl wearing? And Cyc looks like he’s been eating steroid chewables a little too often. They also have, what looks like the 1995 Spider-Man series along with Spider-man And His Amazing Friends from way back when. Hey, at least they had an excuse for crappy art, it was way back when, when they made it. … but what the hell is Spidey doing hanging with Ice man and Firestar any way? … jeeze, Marvel’s answer to the Wonder Twins.
Let’s just hope that the Mouse will be footing the bill for some quality art work that’ll follow in the footsteps of the Ultimate Alliance video game. </rant>
Spider-Man 4 Cancelled, Raimi, Toby and Kirsten gone.
Marvel, Sony and Columbia have decided to kill Spider-Man 4. The film had originally been scheduled for May of 2011. Now… pfffft. At first the studio stated that production was “Delayed”. But ultimately, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has actually been let go. Also gone are, Tobey Maguire/Peter Parker and girlfriend Kirsten Dunst/Mary Jane.
What seems to be in the forefront minds of studio execs is the axing of over priced actors and staff as well as assimilating a “Smallville” type theme that focuses on Peter Parker in high school. …Just like Clark Kent, but different. Check out Ultimates Spider-Man comics, to get a good idea of what’s around the corner. It is quite awesome, at least up to issue #100 or so. I think it was Brian Michael Bendis who wrote it. Definitely NOT Smallville-Spidey by any means. Way cooler, edgier. Like way, way cooler-edgy.
Spiderman, MJ and Raimi
Columbia’s deal with Marvel states that Columbia needs to keep “actively developing” Spider-Man films or else Marvel yanks their license and either makes the movie themselves or sells it another party… or simply sits on it just to piss us Spidey fans off. But DC is the one notorious for that more so than Marvel. Of course, Columbia had a card up their sleeve, just in case the actors were tanked. Call it the, “Just in case the director and all the primary actors of Spider-Man get fired,” plan. Or the, “Let’s do Spider-Man over again but more cheaper and just like Smallville… but different! Ok!?” plan.
This contingency, or “reboot,” has James Vanderbilt writing the script. A quick jaunt over to IMDb has Vanderbilt already slated for Spidey 5 and 6! Ouch! Talk about fast movers; Toby’s not even done opening his pink slip and eating his Wheaties while ol’ Vanderbilt’s working on a new script with Flash Thompson giving Peter a swirly.
You remember Vanderbilt, don’t you? He wrote all those movies you never saw, like. … The Losers, Zodiac, The Rundown, Darkness Falls and the one everyone remembers, Goodbye Toby & Kirsten.
The new teenage Spider-Man movie, staring absolutely nobody famous whatsoever, which could be a good thing [remember Hugh Jackman/Wolverine], is currently looking for a director to fill Raimi’s shoes. One thing is for sure though, Marvel has a hell of a track record when it comes to reboots not cutting the mustard! Let’s hope ol’ Vandi can do a better job on Spidey than Marvel did with The Hulk the second time around or The Punisher the second time around or The Fantastic Four the second and third time around or even Captain America the second time around. …. Oops, forgot… they didn’t mess that one up again yet.
Through all of this, Raimi could have been a real sphincter, having been let go, but he instead showed the world how a class act gets kicked in the teeth, “While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.” Good form Sam.
So… how does all of these changes affect you and me? Well, we get more Spidey, which is a good thing, and, Marvel Studios moved the debut of the Thor movie into the recently vacant Spidey 4 slot, which could possibly be a bad thing due to the rushing of the story for the sake of having another superhero movie under their belt.
If only they could put as much love and commitment into honoring the superheroes in their true form as comic geeks come to expect. In short… “Do your damn job and do it well.” How many of us would like to forget Spider-Man3? Batman Returns? Batman Forever? Batman & Robin? Superman: III? Superman: The Quest for Peace? The Punisher (1989 w/Dolph)? The Punisher (2004 w/Thomas Jane)? The Punisher War Zone? Or Hulk by Ang Lee? I mean, … COME ON! It shouldn’t be that hard to make a movie out of comics. All the content and history is already done and laid out for you.
Spider-Man Web-Shooters!
All I want is for Marvel to bring back the friggin mechanical web-shooters and drop the stupid spider talons that come out of Parker’s finger tips and toes that allow him to climb walls. Those were two of the biggest mistakes Raimi ever did, along with putting Maguire and Dunst in for Parker and MJ. Yeah, they’re great actors, but Toby simply isn’t Peter Parker and Kirsten aint no drop drop drop dead supermodel like MJ is supposed to be!
Gerry Conway, over at Newsarama, said it best, … who’s Gerry Conway? He’s not only known for co-creating The Punisher along with DC’s Firestorm and for scripting the first major, modern-day Marvel/DC crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man but is most famous for single-handedly killed off Gwen Stacy! during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. This guy has balls!
“Well, of course, I hope this time they kill Gwen Stacy.
About the third movie. Never really got behind Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man — he’s a great actor, did a great job with the part, but didn’t have the internal energy that I’ve always associated with Peter Parker. He just didn’t impress me as someone who’d wisecrack in the face of death.
I also was never fond of Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. Again, a terrific actor, but she didn’t strike me as the right casting for MJ — MJ, in my view, is a woman who’s cursed by the expectations others have for her based on her appearance. She should appear to be a vaguely slutty babe, and whatever one might say about Dunst, wonderful actress that she may be, a babe she’s not.
Both Dunst and Maguire are actors who bring a great deal of internal intelligence to their performances, but not a lot of charisma. I’m not in favor of casting this like a CW show, but it seems to me Peter Parker should be a charismatic character underneath his shy, homebody exterior — that’s the internal energy that bursts out when he’s Spider-Man, that’s what becomes liberated when he puts on t he mask, but it should be apparent, as a potential, even when he’s not in superhero mode.
As for MJ, she should present as a Bad Girl, as misunderstood and underestimated by the world as Peter is. Recasting these actors can only improve the impact of the franchise.
Have you ever felt the urge to make a difference? To do something profound, something more than what is the sum of who you are as a person? Have you ever wanted to be a superhero; helping others, stopping crime, and maybe … kick some ass in the process?
KickAss Comic #1
In a world where Spider-man, Batman and Superman exist only in comics, Kick-Ass brings you Dave Lizewski, an average kid with no powers, much less super powers, and no professional training in anything necessary to fight crime, who decides to put on a green and yellow mask and become … a superhero. Dave learns very quickly that being a superhero isn’t as easy as it is in comic books.
KICK-ASS, the comic book, is a realistic take on superheroes, but without the “super.” Dave Lizewski is just such a guy. He’s the stereotypical high school kid, lacking self esteem and confidence, afraid to talk to girls and using video games and comic books as an escape from reality. In the process of escaping into comics he becomes obsessed with the thought of becoming a real live superhero and eventually dons a costume. All he needs now is a cool name.
Kick-Ass Comic #2
The first few weeks were spent prowling around rooftops, working up the nerve to get involved and stop a crime when the time is right, acclimating to his newly made costume, secretly enjoying wearing it under his “civilian” clothes, like Peter Parker, Clark Kent and even Bruce Wayne.
In the process of finding himself, Dave spots some teenage taggers on the street. Our soon to be hero works up the courage to get involved and jumps in to stop these hoods from spray painting the neighborhood. It goes bad for Dave as he gets stabbed and then hit by a car while stumbling home, suffering a crushed spine and two broken legs.
Kick-Ass Comic #3
Such is the life of a Superhero-wannabe in the first Kick-Ass comic that hit the streets way back in 2008. Now it’s a movie that’s hitting theaters in April 2010.
The first vid below is a montage of the comic itself. Very cool to see John Romita Jr. (who I’m not a real big fan of, but whatevah) and Mark Millar do their magic. The others are trailers for the movie and a link to the official movie site.
We’re still trying to get the Kick Ass t-shirts at the moment.
If you’re old enough, like some folks around here, you probably yell at the local kids, “HEY You kids, STOP THAT!” from your porch. But you might also remember Mickey Rourke from old movies like Angel Heart and Nine 1/2 Weeks and The Pope of Greenwich Village back in the 80s.
Mickey Rourke To Play Villain in Iron Man 2
But most of yous guys probably remember him from his fantastic role as Marv in Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005)… notice who the priest is in the movie?
Well, well see more of him in Sin City 2 in 2010. I can’t wait! Many of you also remember Rourke’s most recent role of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson in The Wrestler (2008) about an aging professional wrestler, decades past his prime, who ekes out a living working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee who attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring. He struggles with his new life as a nobody when an offer of a high-profile wrestling rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, comes his way.
Mickey Rourke To Play In Iron Man 2
So, that Mickey Rourke has just signed up with ICM for the role of the Russian villain in Iron Man 2! Rumor has it that Rourke was low-balled by the studio to the unsavory tune of $250K. Jesus, give the guy a break! Fortunately, Rourke’s agent, David Unger, got the quote up to a “significant” level in spite of the current melting economy where the studios are taking advantage of talent, attempting to screw them to the pool table… stupid studios!
Mickey Rourke As Marv in Sin City
Rumor also has it that Rourke is tapped to play the villain in Spider-Man 4. Apparently, Marvel did the same thing to Samuel L. Jackson, low-balled him hell’s canyon! … Stupid Marvel! They low-balled him, but then eventually came up from their pathetic offer and secured in a long-term, 9 film commitment for Jackson to play Nick Fury. One of those films Jackson is expected to be in is Iron Man 2. Go Jackson!
Samuel L. Jackson is Nick Fury
As for Samuel’s Nick Fury role in the 9 Marvel films, they haven’t all been announced yet, but so far they include Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers(!!!), and perhaps even a S.H.I.E.L.D movie with Jackson’s Fury as the lead. Any of you people out there remember who played Nick Fury before? … No?…. David Hasselhoff! He might look the part but he ain’t no cigar chompin’ Fury.
I leave you with Mickey Rourke’s Marv.
… Oh COME ON! You tell me that doesn’t look like Hasselhoff!!
The crappy looking animated series, which appears to be a take on the WB big-jawed, 2D animation, is just a step backwards in what’s considered, “good art.” Come on, yeah, we love the Avengers and I’m sure the story line is right on the money (.. pray.. hope) but enough of this Hannah Barbera art already! Seriously, this simpleton art is like… from the 60s and is only done to save money. Yeah, we’re in bed with Marvel and DC. And Yeah we love Spidey, Iron Man, Bats and Superman. And who could say “No” to Wonder Woman or Scarlet Witch, or Black Widow… Rawrrrrr, for that matter? Regardless… someone just has to say, “NO! GIVE US BETTER ART!”
Not that we can really do anything about it, but still. Take a look-see at a simple comparison between “bad art” and “good art.” Looking at the WB style, you have the Fred Flintstone type of thing going on, where the artists used to paint a picture of Fred’s body and then rotate between 3-4 different images for the mouth and legs to give the impression that Fred was actually saying something or moving from one place to the other, like from the bowling alley to Barney’s place.. while Barney’s at work.
Seriously, this is maybe one step forward in the “can do” direction because you can see a little reflection on Bats’ and Supes’ undies… see that little blue and red stripe? That’s skill baby! Quality work.
going to go on about Thor. … note two-tone hair color, another reflection on his shiny, conditioned hair. Thunder gods use Head & Shoulders.
notorious for that more so than Marvel. Of course, Columbia had a card up their sleeve, just in case the actors were tanked. Call it the, “Just in case the director and all the primary actors of Spider-Man get fired,” plan. Or the, “Let’s do Spider-Man over again but more cheaper and just like Smallville… but different! Ok!?” plan.
[remember Hugh Jackman/Wolverine], is currently looking for a director to fill Raimi’s shoes. One thing is for sure though, Marvel has a hell of a track record when it comes to reboots not cutting the mustard! Let’s hope ol’ Vandi can do a better job on Spidey than Marvel did with The Hulk the second time around or The Punisher the second time around or The Fantastic Four the second and third time around or even Captain America the second time around. …. Oops, forgot… they didn’t mess that one up again yet.
