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| Directed by Guillermo Del Toro Screenplay by Travis Beacham & Guillermo Del Toro Starring Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi & Idris Elba Produced by Legendary Pictures |
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Directed by Colin Trevorrow
Written by Derek Connolly
Starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson & Karan Soni
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First off, the casting: As director Colin Trevorrow and producer/actor Mark Duplass have stated in multiple interviews, this was before Parks and Recreation had started its legs and skyrocketed Aubrey Plaza and her enigma of a personality into a net-generation sensation. And this was before New Girl even existed for Jake Johnson to be wooed by a huge fanbase. Good thing they did, because they for sure noticed the acting chops these two had. And Mark Duplass' expansive career as just a filmdoer (producer, director, writer, actor) helped in it as well -- and probably his character is the most impressive part of this whole endeavour. But these main guys, including the introduction of Karan Soni -- which again, kudos to the casting director for making such conscious and effective choices in the retrospect -- make this movie bounce off the screen and into your heart. For reals.
The story ties directly into these performances: Connolly has written one of the slickest scripts I've seen on screen. In terms of handling the romance of these characters, it's an onion. Layers on layers. Mark Duplass's character, Kenneth Calloway, screams off the page as this guy who could possibly be the most ridiculous fellow and push this movie into slapstick territory, but as directors and producers have stated in several interviews, Duplass managed to ground him in an honest humanity that captivates you the more screentime happens. Conolly crafted him as the tonal core of the film, and seeing all three characters orbit around him is such a fulfilling experience come the end of the film.
The film was shot on-location in Washington State, and after signing on to be cast, Duplass became executive producer and connected the crew to names he knew in Seattle. As a result, the first half of the film becomes the style I like to call "cinematic tourism" in the cinematographic sense. Static shots of obscure, tacky, tourist-y locations. The Ocean View location gives the film a calmness to it that never takes away from the energy happening over top of it. The forests and horizons are just visual treats you can't get enough of. Put a very pretty Aubrey Plaza in it, sassed up in costume design that got my roommate quite hot and bothered (can't say I didn't either), and you have some bonafide wallpaper material. It's a visual tribute for Seattle -- a noble goal indeed.
It's all slow edits, graceful pacing, and then bouts of innocent energy supported by the characters and the quirkiness of their actions. If you find this explanation pretentious, then go test it out for yourself, and see if you can find a better description of it. The visuals reflect the interior changes going on in each of these characters, and I love how seamlessly the film juggles around the dramatic changes going on in each of our characters' lives. They're intertwined so well, the satisfaction factor is high come the final act.
THE TAKE-AWAY | ||||
| Directed by Shawn Levy Written by John Gatins Based on the short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson |
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| Directed by Ridley Scott Written by Jon Spaihts & Damon Lindelof |
Directed by: Josh Trank
Written by: Max Landis
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan
Boy, did this flick come out of nowhere (at least to me, the average movie-goer). Three high-schoolers find a mysterious object in a field and discover it gave them superpowers. Sounds simple right?
Incredibly, it’s superhero film that’s been released in the past two years comes off quite complex of a piece. Chronicle is really, I think, a result of Max Landis’ being able to produce the scripts he wants produced. And maybe that’s because his dad is John Landis (the famous one), or maybe it’s because studios really want to produce his shit, but the point is, I’m glad this got out there.
I was hyped up at the beginning solely because of a small viral campaign to get awareness about this movie—apart from the whole “oh, not another one” reaction, there was a decent enough reason to get hyped. It didn’t seem to be dictated by big budget studio overheads and it seemed like a different take on something that’s been repeatedly done in recent cinematic history.
The problem with superhero flicks is that they’ve become so concentrated in numbers and so relentless in releases that audiences, globally, are becoming tired of them. Sure you have some gems like X-Men: First Class and to an extent Captain America: First Avenger, but Marvel’s been pushing their ‘cinema-verse’ initiative with probably billions of marketing and advertising dollars, and there’s a fear in my head that it’s gonna get stale before it even gets tasty.
So what adds flavour to a threatened genre? Interesting movies. And I’m also glad this isn’t affiliated with a set publisher or property, because that automatically turns people off, especially when someone utters the word ‘DC’ and it doesn’t involve anything dark, knight-like or with bats. It’s an original concept—and my God, that is so rare these days.
Okay, well not completely original, this is a strikingly similar film to the Japanese animated Akira from 1988—which was and still is an amazing science fiction film, anime or otherwise. Max Landis, I’m guessing, loves that movie, and probably Josh Trank too. These guys look young, so I’m gonna say that they’re not tainted by the life-sucking powers of Hollywood industry yet. So be lucky for that.
But enough with presumptions, apart from uniqueness or difference, this film offers a lot more in terms of cinematic quality.
I found it to be two big things that really drove the core of this movie: the aesthetic, and the characters. I’m pretty sure that without one or the other working together so closely, this film would have fallen short on its intentions and not been as good as it was.
Andrew, Matt, and Steve are the central characters, and their the ones who get the superpowers, and they’re the ones that form the close friendship because of it. There’s a deliberate pacing to how they grow to know each other and discover the extent of their abilities, and with that comes the second element of the naturalistic cinematography and the ‘found-footage’ style that this movie pushes. And pushes it well.
That pacing plays off the distinct look of the movie—it’s unconventional because this movie wants to set itself up as an unrecognizable plot progression; in other words, something not constructed. This heavy investment in crafting a naturalistic look was key in making an enjoyable experience.
The way I see it, to pull off ‘found-footage’ successfully, it either has to imitate reality as closely as possibly (like with The Blair Witch Project) did, or tie it very closely to the actual narrative. Chronicle did the latter, it did it very cleverly.
This is an interesting movie because firstly, it’s different, and secondly—at least for me—we’re completely in the dark regarding what it’s really about during the opening credits. That helps it a lot. We’re thrown into the life of Andrew, the real core of the movie, as a deeply troubled teen and is literally seeing the world through his lens.
I love the constant thematic value of cameras and video taping that Chronicle presents—again, engraining the aesthetic into a deeper meaning helps audiences get past the gimmick of ‘found-footage’ and present it with purpose.
So back to character—these three guys have obvious chemistry. From interviews about the film, they said they were to live together for three weeks prior to filming to know each other inside and out. Jordan boasts with charisma, Russell puts forth a 
It’s actually pretty terrifying when things go that certain way. More than anything, this movie gets down to the core question that we all have when we’re talking about superpowers: What would you do with them?
Chronicle plays with that question with some progressive answers—it shows that it’s not what you would do with your powers, it’s how you would use them. What makes a villain and a hero? How does one deal with power? Where does responsibility lie when you’re in such deep shit as these three guys end up?
Who’s fault is it when someone snaps?
Those were the questions running through my mind during the movie, and after the movie especially. That’s when you know it made you think, and you can tell its a good movie from that.
It’s an honest, unpretentious presentation of a genre that’s been raped by big budgets and extreme corporate measures. It’s a step back to say “Wait a minute, there’s another way to go about this” and I’m glad Max Landis and Josh Trank hooked up for this idea and made it mostly independent. It wouldn’t have had the depth it does without it.
A thinking man’s superhero flick, who would have thought?
Look for it in your local show listings—if you’re a fan of sci-fi, superheroes, or something that’s not like what’s usually out there in cinemas today, this is your money’s worth.
The video game industry doesn’t have much of the exposure and awareness that other entertainment mediums have, such as film or television—having grown to the size and popularity it has over the past 20 years, I’m surprised a project like this hasn’t been capitalized on by a bigger studio.
Then again, that’s probably a good thing. This trailer seems particularly earnest about its subject matter and those being talked about. Indie game developers logically would be the most mentally driven and have the most internalized struggle in getting their game out there. Without support from investors, a large development team, or higher-ups choosing a production timeline, it’s really a free for all for indie game developers to bring their baby—in the form of an innovative digital experience that’s unique to them and their players—into the real world.
By that notion, it should be full of drama, intrigue, and struggle.
Don’t know about you, but it felt dramatic enough.
A good exposé into a field of work that you might not know particularly well is a good way to expand your perceptions and notions of what goes into something.
Which is a nicer way of saying this documentary might make prejudiced or ignorant people outside of gaming culture a bit less so.
More importantly, HBO has picked up this concept, as rumours have said, for it to be a fictional series in a thirty-minute format (thankfully not a sitcom), about an indie game developer building up their game from ground up.
Hit or miss, it could go down to how much consulting HBO does with the gaming industry. You do something like this wrong and—as recently demonstrated about the Internet—if you fuck up, there will be consequences. And gamers are not a particularly forgiving bunch of demographic. It’s HBO though, so fingers crossed.
Alternate universe movie posters that your alternative universe self watched, or should have watched.
There’s a bunch more from a guy who does a ton of these at his Blogspot.
This is cool because of re-appropriation and the pondering of things that would happen if something else were different and it’s really just fucking cool to think about these things because otherwise life is just boring, you know?
If you’re not into this kind of thing, then you are a really boring person.
Go fix yourself.
If you’re looking for a new drug for your police procedural buzz, then I’m going to taunt you with what could have been, had this show been picked up by NBC.
As with recent news, a la Whitney getting a prime-time slot in the fall comedy line-up and sidelining Community, NBC has really been goofing on their executive television decisions.
Ratings may matter, but targeting the dumbest demographic isn’t always the best decision. If you kill smartly written and produced series, somewhere a long the way the market is going to decline. Can’t ride the success for too long.
Exhibit B: Ron Moore—creator of 2004’s Battlestar Galactica, you may have heard of it—had a show in the works that would blow all of its contemporaries out of the water. Adding to the fact that the show’s premise effectively blends two completely different genres of fiction into something that you can actually see on screen, this pilot throws around some ambitious concepts, and it’s exciting.
Full pilot below, albeit not the best quality.
The final few minutes throw a curveball that, whether you were expecting it or not, would be a pretty awesome storyline to play out.
The sceptics can suck it, this looks way too fun to have passed up. Thanks, NBC.
Thanks for all you do to kill good television programming.
It’s a damn good month to be a geek.
Along with the assload of amazing video games releasing/released this month, and the New 52 still going strong from DC’s print side, the televised world of geekiness has steam running in its engines too. If you hated Green Lantern movie like I did, and looking for some redemption, or just some faith that the property isn’t completely dead after that debacle, look no further.
This is the review of Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ first sneak peek.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Episode 1x01 “Beware My Power”
Directed by: Sam Liu, Rick Morales
Written by: Jim Krieg, Ernie Altbacker
Executive Producers: Sam Register, Bruce (fuckin’) Timm
I actually chanced upon the season opening, thinking Cartoon Network shows wouldn’t be automatically syndicated over the border to Teletoon so I could set aside my time to catch the entirety of the show. Fate would have it that I’d watch it anyways, and it glued me to my seat until the credits rolled.
This is a new kind of cartoon. Not just a superhero cartoon, a cartoon in general. I’m making a bold statement because this is a bold move by both Warn Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment, to venture so far up into the space of wild creative ideas without tethering it in whatever’s been half-working for the network executives and higher-ups. Now, I don’t have one tiny particle of an insider look at what’s going on at the roundtables and the board meetings, but hell, the final product shows us something—things are changing for weekend children’s television.
Because of my late entrance, shameful, I know, I didn’t catch the first few minutes, but when I did flip to it, it seemed pretty much already in full swing. The show centers around everyone’s ‘favourite’ Green Lantern—Hal Jordan, ace pilot, sometime jerk-wad, cocky-yet-goodhearted star corpsman of our wonderful little 3,600 strong space force. He’s already an established character within this universe—it’s not a coming-of-age tale. Considering what didn’t work with the Green Lantern movie, there really wasn’t any other way to go.
Rudimentary comic book knowledge aside—if you’re a complete newbie to the Green Lantern mythos, or comic books in general, you won’t have problems with this. This is a condensed, approachable series from the get-go. That’s reflected in both the visual elements and the narrative ones, at least from this pilot episode. Given the projected demographic I’m assuming they’re trying to reach, maybe somewhere around 12-18, that’s a necessity to do this in order to hold onto those viewers I think they’ve indeed hooked in with this premiere.
Down to the nitty-gritty. As the plot in this pilot goes, Hal along with hardened, no-nonsense drill sergeant Kilowog choose to investigate a missing Lanterns case out on the fringe sectors, despite the threats of reprimand from the Guardians of the Universe (their bosses). From there, the narrative trajectory is straightforward for older audiences, but for the kid in all of us, it’s still a thrill ride from the start since the villains of this episode are featured prominently in the opening sequences.
Here’s where the backstory kicks in that propels this into an ambitious endeavour. These guys are Red Lanterns—a ‘Lantern Corps’ that only recently appeared in the Green Lantern publications by DC. These are new ideas from comics being translated into television. Hyperaccelerated creative syncretism. The television industry is rigid. This doesn’t happen often. But, the creative minds behind this project—Sam Register (one of the big guys at DC animation) and Bruce Timm (the Stan Lee of DC’s animated properties) propped these characters up as golden for the show.
Boy, were they right. Not only do the concept of Red Lanterns fit perfectly and easily into the structure of the plotline, they retain their thematic value from the comics—for the hardcore fans, that’s major points. They seem natural, even if we’ve never seen them before on the screen. They’re even new to the Green Lanterns who first battle them, Kilowog’s on the same boat as the audience is. But he’s intrigued by these raging, blood-vomiting vengeance seekers, and so are we.
Most of the debate beforehand came from the approach that the animation style was way improper for the content of the show. After the impact of Justice League, helmed by Bruce Timm in the early 2000’s, his set style as lead animator paved the way for all comic book animated properties to follow. With this foray into CGI, heads were shaking. I can see where they’re coming from, but the argument me and many others have made in support, is the ‘why not?’ aspect of it.
If this is Green Lantern, the source of their power is two-fold, willpower to wield the green energy in their rings, and the imagination required to utilize it. GL’s can create anything with their minds—it’s all just light from a ring. In a 2D world, sure, that would look fine—but Bruce Timm’s already done 2D worlds, three times over. The change is a chance for the team and for this show. The producers consciously decide on this creative direction because it’s a way to separate and diversify a visual style.
But most people just want a pretty cartoon. Well, for you guys, it’s sleek, polished, and clean. The influences from The Incredibles and stylistic throwbacks to early CGI like Toy Story, as my friend compared it to (although with negativity attached) aren’t attempted to be hidden behind embellishments. It’s simple and shiny. It’s Timm’s style made into three dimensions, and the eyes just have to adjust a little.
This is seen in those character designs of our two other, non-comic Green Lanterns that act as the plot points that push the story forward. This is where the writing comes in and adds a layer of sophistication that’s desired so much as a formula for success. The fast version: they have depth. They’re not beats on a script for our leads to have something to do. The story pushes character development for everyone, including these ‘one-offs’. They mean something by the end, as characters, and not footnotes.
Diversity in character weaves in with diversity of design—those alien looks are the traditional varied humanoids you’d expect from a space opera. Bottom line is, it’s cool—that should be one of the reasons you come to this cartoon. It presents itself within this visual style with elegance. Nothing’s overtly wonky with design and the look—static or moving. The digital lighting effects add those touches of detail, but their soft and implied, the presence is on the shapes and figures.
The animation side of it is the shaky area, you’d think, it’s handled beautifully here. The scarcity of detail in the look of the whole thing is an opportunistic decision. It allows for swift, fast-paced action that hits hard and keeps hitting, because our eyes don’t have to wander too long. It’s easy on animators and pleasing to my eye. The clean-cut nature of it allows for denser, faster movement. And with the fact that these are guys using mind-made hard light weaponry, the cleanliness is a treat.
Plus, the believability of the whole thing is stemmed into the performances. The casting director, a veteran at the studio, casted it perfectly. The actors working on this are established (Lucius Malfoy among them), and their voices work synonymously with the animation. It’s probably my favourite part of this episode—having voices that fit the character. They sound like that in my mind when I flip through comic pages.
These guys aren’t scared either, or safe or cautious—like I said, they’re bold. They’ve introduced new characters, thrust viewers into an established world that they’re confident they can craft for us, and used the mythology cleverly enough that it works despite the preconceptions. That should get some respect.
Then again, these are super-experienced, seasoned veterans at animated television tactics, with a double major in superheroes and awesome. Why would they do more of the same? They’re pushing boundaries, getting new viewers, spreading awareness, and coming up with new ideas.
It’s a excitedly fresh move from these producers, and I’m down. I’m so very down.
“Beware My Power” can be found online everywhere, soon probably. The rest of season will commence Spring 2012. So you have lots of time to brood and reread this to convince you ten times more to watch it. Just you wait.
In brightest day, motherfuckers.
Created/Produced by Greg Weisman & Brandon Vietti
The resurgence of the superhero genre in entertainment is certainly something to be excited about. Franchises like Spider-Man and X-Men began pushing for more presence on the big screen, while Justice League brought back almost everything that cartoons like X-Men: The Animated Series did for comic book properties in the 90’s. When I was growing up, there were only about three superhero shows to watch, and probably never at the same time.
Then, when the 21st century hit, I’m assuming the creative professionals in the field started to realize there was a market in people like me, and hopefully you. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited carried the weight of having a critically and commercially successful property. Then Teen Titans came along and reinvigorated the range of viewership that a superhero cartoon could attract. They were all great, and I wasn’t even a little kid—well into my teens, and I was still hooked on those characters.
So coming back to the animated comic book universes, after dipping my feet into the actual comic book universes, is a good feeling. To see how everything’s developed since the 90’s when I first got my childhood glimpse into those worlds, till now, when the demand and ability for animation to reach new heights is, well, higher than ever.
The premise of a show like Young Justice isn’t new. Like the names I just dropped above, superhero teams strike a cord with wide-eyed kids and nostalgic comic book fans alike. When the announcements for this series first hit the net, people were either screaming foul, or screaming it’s been done before. Little was there the notion that it could a breath of fresh air. And fifteen episodes in, that’s exactly what it’s become.
The show follows a new team of teenage heroes from the DC universe, not explicitly the Teen Titans, and not something you’ve seen together before. The roster consists of Robin (Dick Grayson), Aqualad, Kid Flash (Wally West), Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis (Tigress in the DC Universe). Existing on what the producers call Earth-16, as in not the actual main DC Universe, the show features many familiar DC characters amidst a slew of classic villains that the team has faced since their pilot episode.
The problem with team-based anything from a production standpoint is establishing distinct characters that the viewer has to care about, and especially in a superhero cartoon, those characters have to balanced both narratively and with their action. This is where my biggest praise comes to this show. As it’s travelled from pilot episode to where it is now, the character development has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it culminates in the most recent episode, “Failsafe”, which many fan sites, and critics, are citing as the best episode of the season.
When you compare it to a show like Teen Titans, the levels of competency in establishing and fleshing out character relationships is on par with is predecessor. The archetypes are played with throughout the season, keeping it direct and accessible to its demographic, yet there’s enough substance for even older viewers to latch onto. At least that’s how I see it. Teen Titans was aimed at a pre-teen crowd, while Young Justice’s more ambitious visuals and older characters are to attract the more mature teenage audience. With that, the producers understand the necessary steps to take in order to present their characters. They know their stuff.
The examples can be found if you dedicate yourself to watching the show. I’ll admit, it’s kind of a rocky start from the beginning five or so episodes, but the over-arching plot and classic cliff-hangers sure do give enough incentive to come back. But, it’s the characters that are at the core of the show.
The voices, while at the start of the season, may seem even grating to some (it did to me for a while), they collectively pull of convincing teenage tones. Each cast member brings a vibe to their voices that helps distinct personalities from one another, that only builds upon the strength of character for Young Justice. They have a pretty good writing team to work from too, including comics great Peter David on board. The plot they’ve hashed out, that recently has finally reared its head, is worthy of a fist-pump, but still, the crew has taken the narrative for this team in new directions.
They work with an established universe, and distil it into how a team of kids fighting for validation are slowly becoming the centre of it. It’s the ultimate fantasy for any teen watching it. I find myself now hooked on seeing how they triumph too.
An equally praiseworthy element of the show is the extensive action that it packs into every episode. Again, like Teen Titans, this one’s got its fair share of fights. While the stylistic choices of Teen Titans were very angular and simple, Young Justice finds its stride in the incredible movement it puts into its sequences. And the costume designs are a kicker—they’re a chance to see familiar faces in different outfits—perfect for the comic book geek (stop whining, haters).
The animation is headed by an overseas production company, MOI Animation Inc, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Animation studios. The combined effort gives, if anything, a satisfactory amount of superhero badassery in showcasing all the talents of the team members, including the antics of the 150+ other characters that have shown up since the premiere.
The acrobatics of Robin, the dynamics of Artemis’ archery, digital effects showing off Miss Martian’s abilities, Kid Flash’s speediness, and Aqualad’s water constructs are all juicy visual treats that any kid, and any adult, can get down with.
If the witty quips from Robin or the catchphrases from Miss Martian throw you off, their battle sequences will get you back on, trust me on that. It’s got the features you want, and the cameos a show like this needs. There’s something for everyone.
So if you want to ignore the challenge of writing team-based superheroes on television, and that Young Justice achieves its goal in representing them in a way that works (wait till you get to “Failsafe” to see that in action), then the impeccable animation should hook you in for when the series really gets rolling. It’s worth the wait.
This is a show for a comic book fan, or a comic book cartoon fan, if you want to get back the nostalgia from the 90’s or just miss Teen Titans and all its glory. Give it to your kids to watch, and watch it with them cause it will probably hook both parties.
There’s enough in this show to quell the fears of doubters who seem weary for another superhero cartoon, but really, where else can superheroes be successful off the panel? Young Justice is doing its fair share of introductions into comic book universes for potential fans, and that gets my respect any day.
Don’t do a disservice to comics and superheroes and the fantasy of capes, go watch Young Justice.
One thing I am, aside from a geek, gamer, and sometime gnome enthusiast, is a student of media production and theory. So I see a video like the one above that I really do hope you watched, especially if you’re into one of the following:
So yeah, I just heard about Iam9Bit today, but what I’ve learned from Machinima’s coverage of the art initiative/independent collective/grassroots start-up is that the limits of artistic expression can be continually pushed into regions that our traditional understanding may not be able to grasp yet.
Throughout history, artistic movements have pushed past scrutiny and criticism to bring upon new ages of creative expression, and therefore affect the entire culture that it draws from and vice-versa. I get good vibes from this collective. Will it achieve such iconic status? Probably not. But I can agree with that they’re pitching in that video; there is no other group doing something like this.
It’s an amalgamation of art and culture, in that it brings two worlds that are incredibly similar on principle, though worlds apart in perception and cultural significance and combining them how they should be seen: awesomsely.
What do they exactly do? Well watch the video if you haven’t already. But if it’s not clear, they make/collect/share art inspired by video game culture. If you check their site, linked here, you can see their most recent stuff includes commissions by top game developers to promote/market their products.
Shit like recreating Newt’s doll from Aliens to celebrate the release of Aliens: Colonial Marines, and also a kick ass NERF-replica pulse rifle, customized and detailed to resemble the movie props. Badass? I think so.
Their earlier stuff includes and underground community event promoting the then-upcoming Street Fighter 4 with what better than a fight club?
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 FIGHT CLUB (LA) from iam8bit Productions on Vimeo.
Their site has tons more in their portfolio and gallery, and just looking at all this awesome stuff blows my mind, as a student and as a appreciator for gaming and art.
These guys combine the two and really transcend preconceptions and assumptions about both. They throw those in the bin and cut off the binds that tie them down. The result is amazing art pieces and attention from major industry players from both the gaming and artistic communities locally and abroad. They are how you do entrepreneurship, and it all starts with the grand idea and the passion required to pull it off.
New role models? Hell yes. Thanks, iam8bit.
Come to Toronto to show us how it’s all done!
They’re based in Los Angeles. Reach if you’re near. You won’t be disappointed.
Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Joel Egerton
Antarctica, 1982. It’s cold, snowy, and isolated. There’s hardly a soul, and where there are, they’re countless miles away from anyone else in the icy landscape of the loneliest continent. But, they’re less alone than they think. A team of Norwegian researchers find something in the ice, something big. Something not from here.
They dig it up, bring it back, and study it. They find out too late that it probably wasn’t a good idea. And they slowly discover what they’re dealing with; a thing that can hide in plain site, prey on whoever it wants to, and keep coming back without you knowing. It makes you scared. It keeps you on your toes. It pits you against your friends. It feeds off paranoia. And it doesn’t stop until it’s gotten everyone.
In 1982, John Carpenter produced a film that stands as my favourite movie of all time. It made me love science fiction and special effects. It was an inspiration for me to immerse myself in everything I do today, and it sparked my imagination. It was a great movie, and still is. It was digusting, terrifying, heart-pounding, and throught-provoking. It was like no other horror I’d seen.
So this prequel had a lot to live up to.
Purely from a fan’s point of view, did it? Well, yeah.
Coming into this film, when I first heard about it I was incredibly cautious. I didn’t know what to make of it through the early news releases and the rumours that it was a remake, that it would be all CGI, that it was actually a sequel. It was scary at first preparing for the worst, that your favourite movie would be tainted by modern day horror sensibilities and the filtration of quality through the lens of mass appeal.
Initially, I was on the fence, and the closer it got to the release date, I was getting more optimistic. Would it be a film for the fan? Or simply an exploitation of cult value? Would it be an honest take? Or take everything away from the original?
I’ll say right now, if you’re like me, you’ll like this prequel. It does its job. Does it do more? Not really, no. But that’s really the crux, if you expect more than John Carpenter’s version, you’re pretty naive as a fan. The producers, I highly doubt, wanted to achieve the same status and fame. More so, I think, they were fans first and moviemakers second. It’s a love letter to the original. That I could get on board with.
That status of the horror genre in contemporary cinema is a daunting one to examine. Franchises dominate box offices, the same tropes and formulas are rehashed under new attractive casts and big-name directors. Scare factors come in the form of cheap thrills and superficial shock value. The horror that thinks is long over. The time of The Thing, the original, seemed over too.
But, this prequel supersedes those tropes, if not only for the reliance on its parent film to guide its every move. It brought back a lot of what The Thing from 1982 gave to the sci-fi and horror genres. It was a competent effort, devoid of those resemblances to current contemporaries. It was a stand-alone film in its genre, it was tunnel vision from the producers, ignoring the surroundings and getting straight down to the gory, paranoid business.
Things like a strong female lead, in Winstead who does a superb job of not being like any other female protagonist in recent horrors, to the atmosphere that it tries to match as closely as it can to the original, to the lack of useless sub-plotting and a swift script. For that, it gets some points.
But as much as it tries to achieve that validation from the original, like a little kid looking for a compliment from his dad, it tries a bit too hard. It does go over the top a bit, and it suffers.
It’s easy to determine where a fan might pick out the downfalls, which says a lot about the film as a whole. For the average movie goer unfamiliar with the legacy this film tries to live up to, chances are it might be more tolerable and enjoyable—it’s a fresh take (or reminder) on horror nowadays. It’ll be different from other ones.
But for the fan, the list is pretty substantial. Won’t spoil anything, but there’s definitely more presence to the antagonist, if you catch my drift. The original was built on staggering suspense and tension between characters and the environment—here it was sacrificed for the more immediate and shocking. The problem here is the original had the equal amount, but still had those former elements framed around it. Another big pointer is obviously the special effects. There’s a huge dichotomy between processes and the subsequent impact. For both the 80’s version and this one, they have a central importance.
The question is, will the average movie-goer or the fan like or dislike this movie more? Some argue that it’s a bland re-hash, following the exact same footsteps of the original providing no variation or interest. Others say its a faithful, respectful companion piece meant to be just that, an add-on for an already established universe.
The impossibility of examining it as a film by itself poses concerns, since I have a bias already to begin with. The detracting qualities don’t overwhelm the necessary elements to make it a “Thing” film. The real concern was, did The Thing need another one at all? That’s where some predispositions might be up in arms.
Breaking it down into a T-chart of what worked and what didn’t work, what it maintained and what it was missing, I think is beside the point. Personally, I think the special effects were tastefully (if it can be called that for these effects) done—they respected the process and look for the original creature design. The CGI is in inescapable truth, it’s the environment movies are made in now, like it or not. Again, taking the viewpoint of a newcomer, I’d say it’s the same reaction whether it was prosthetics or not—even with that, datedness doesn’t work well in today’s audiences. It’s an argument about this film that will be a big one, but I think it’s taken without a context, which takes away from its worth.
As a whole, the film acts like a blend. A mixture of modern day horror and a big bag of cues from the original. It’s easy to go down for some, tough for others. I liked it, because of the Easter eggs it gave me, and the competence I can live with from the production. It was decent, to say the least, but I’ve said much more than that.
It’s a recommendation definitely for the fans, because the temptation is probably already too much. And for a horror fan, this is a breath of fresh air in the current situation for horrors, it’s a unique entry for the theatres (despite its nature). For sci-fi, it’s a jumpstarter I hope for more originals to come along and debunk those tropes that keep the genre in a stand still at the moment.
Walk into it with open, tolerant, unassuming arms, and you’ll exit with a good taste in your mouth.
This time, we’re surpassing dimensions.
I’ve always been a fan of alternative art—the creative phenomenon where many fans and artists alike visually reimagine some our most beloved characters. The result? Hours of browsing interpretations, and how cool and weird and incredibly well done they are, more often than not.
Well, this time Futurama steps up to the plate once more, and it’s a common subject for visual reinterpretation. Deviantart (or deviantsculpt?) user artanis-one takes it to…
A whole.
Notha.
LEVEL.
Is the one you get to watch following your favourite movie.
Posted a few days ago about The Thing’s prequel, with a news article almost a year old. Well, they were well into production then, and now they’ve updated with some more news from the production set.
Graphic, epic, disgusting news.
That cautious optimism? Yeah, that’s now become giddy excitement. I am so down for this shit. Bring on the writhing bones, gargling flesh, painful screams, and assimilating awesomeness.
BODY STATUS: READY.
[via Bloody Disgusting (among others), more nasty pics at the link)]
Ever wondered what my favourite movie is, you nosy bastard?
Well it’s this:
And a few months ago, I found out somebody was making this:
So I was like this:
It’s difficult to say what exactly there was to expect from a remake—what it was thought to be at the time of the first news breaking out—but to have your favourite movie modernized with contemporary horror tropes that ensure profitable returns (aka. turned into shit), you have to take it with a pinch, or entire bowl, of salt.
But, as it turned out, not a remake, but a prequel. For those of you who haven’t watched the original 1982 The Thing, go do it, and you’ll get what I mean. Seriously. Now. Look, I’m giving you a fucking download link.
Last year in October, the horror movie/games/comics news site Bloody Disgusting had extensive coverage on the developmental process of the prequel so far. Fun tidbit, the production studio was actually located on the Harbourfront in downtown Toronto, at Pinewood Studios. Passed by it a couple times, big-ass building. Wanted to go inside, but there was a big-ass gate too. Sucks.
I digress. It was a pretty comprehensive article, if you have enough attention span and interest to read the whole thing, be my guest. But here are some excerpts.
"No matter what you do, somebody is going to come after you. You say 'The Thing Begins' and they go, 'John Carpenter's is the beginning, asshole. Yours is like 'The Thing Bullshit'. Why don't you call it that?" – Producer Marc Abraham on possible fanboy reactions to a new title
I like their attitude, and self-awareness. The producers behind the prequel are the guys who remade Dawn of the Dead back in 2004, still one of my favourite zombie flicks—and cited alongside 28 Days Later as reviving the genre and the emergence of ‘fast zombies’.
"Matthijs [the director] has on his laptop…screen captures of that entire movie", he said. "He's so careful about where the axe is in the door or what the ice block looked like, or the spaceship, where they stand when we see the spaceship…when it [comes] to being anything that was referenced in that movie, we have absolutely stayed with it. Thousands of hours he's spent looking at that movie. He knows and is respectful of every aspect."
This is why I’m queasy over it as much as I was when it was announced. If that kind of care is taken into recreating and respecting the original as much as possible, and because it’s not a remake—and thusly, not changes in the original narrative can happen—the risk-reward ratio for a viewer like me is much better. Maybe, like 10/1. Nah, that’s bullshit, it’s just better when I read that.
Now, before you get your panties all up in a bunch about the use of CGI in the film, keep in mind that had Carpenter and his team enjoyed access to the modern computer effects technology that's available today, you can be 99% sure they would've taken advantage of it. It's all a question of whether it's used judiciously - that is, utilizing it in a way that doesn't overwhelm the practicals and take you out of the movie. Luckily, Image Engine – the studio behind the fantastic CG effects in last year's District 9 - is holding the digital reins here, so hopefully they'll be able to adhere closely to the type of work they pulled off so brilliantly in Neil Blomkamp's movie.
This was probably initially my greatest concern after the first announcements. Practical effects are a huge part of the original, and to rely on CGI to recreate those iconic monsters in the original would be doing a great disservice to the astounding effort put into those creature designs and prosthetics—most importantly, it’d be a disservice to Rob Bottin, the lead SFX artist on the original The Thing, who worked overtime seven days a week during production on the various monsters on the set.
Anyways, that’s just some of the tidbits the full interview, in two parts, tells about the production. The point is, it was a good way to quell my concerns at least a little bit, and since that was from a while ago, I was sure that so early into the production they already had that positive mindset in relating it back to the original, that they can’t deviate much from what the original meant to a lot of its fanbase.
And, just recently, the first trailer popped up looking pretty damn good, sporting the soundtrack emulator from the original trailer and movie, and having some awesome Mary Elizabeth Winstead footage—I mean, reason enough to watch it, forget being my favourite movie of all time.
Norwegian actors, detailed recreations of original set pieces, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Splitface, Image Engine, flamethrowers, mass paranoia, connecting the dots—not much to be pessimistic about. I’m downskies.
October 14th, 2011, folks. Two days from the season premiere of The Walking Dead? Gonna be a pretty sick October.
