Film Review: "A Separation"

This should be a textbook example of how a character-focused film can tell a compelling story with a small cast, strong acting, and no music. Asghar Farhadi crafted a story dealing with the separation of two parents, and an incident as a result of that that eventually makes that separation permanent.

The strongest aspect of this story is the characters, and their specific flaws and motivations. The story's central focus is an incident where Nader (Peyman Mooadi) pushes Razieh (Sareh Bayat) out his door, and she suffers a fall. Subsequent to this, she suffers a miscarriage, leading her husband Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) to accuse and threaten Nader. It is only after Nader's wife, Simin (Leila Hatami), agrees to pay Hodjat off that we start seeing the true colors of everyone. Nader lied about him knowing Razieh's pregnancy, Razieh never mentioned getting hit by a car the day before the incident, Hodjat is hot-tempered and suffering from depression, and Simin is torn leaving her daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), as she lives with her parents. Termeh even goes against her principles and lies in court, just to save her father. She even lives with him, all in an attempt to not have her parents separate. In the end, they do, and she's left to choose who to live with, but we the audience at left waiting, in quite a powerful ending.


The major characters here are all flawed, as humans are, but we can also see why they did what they chose to do. We see their stresses, such as Nader's father with Alzheimer's, and we see their priorities. We see their love, and their fear. This is a beautiful portrait of these different characters. And I also love how it captured this specific society, especially since it was a society based, to my knowledge, on Islamic principles. I also liked the way it was told, and what we got to see and what we didn't. We ourselves aren't sure what happened. We never saw Razieh get hit by the car. We don't see how she fell after Nader threw her out. We are left in doubt as to what exactly happened. Did she get pushed onto the steps? Maybe she slipped on the water that was there after she mopped. Maybe he did push her. Just like her, we just aren't sure. Powerful.


This is true film art. I love movies like The Avengers, but to me, films like A Separation are truly film at its finest, and proof that film can truly be an art form. You don't need music, you don't need fancy effects, or epic storylines. You need characters you can care about, whom you come to understand. This film deserved much more recognition by AMPAS, although I am very glad it won the oscar for best foreign film.


 

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DW Review: "Pond Life"

Pond Life is a short web series taking place before the seventh series premiere, Asylum of the Daleks. It focused a bit too much on the doctor at first, showing his solo adventures encountering such people as Mata Hari. Later, it went a bit comedic focusing on an ood found in the Pond home. In the final installment, we see Amy visibly upset and distraught, and calling out to the doctor for help, unaware that he was just there looking for her, and left a message which he then deleted. Why is she so upset? Why did he leave after visiting them during the holidays? Overall, it was just decent, not nearly as insightful into the Pond's life as I'd hoped it would be. But it serves as a good cliffhanger for the premiere. I can't believe DW is back, and I'm so excited to delve back into that world again!

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Review: "Les Miserables" 25th Annivesary Concert

The music of Les Miserables is totally stuck in my head, after I watched the 25th anniversary concert on DVD. For the 25th anniversary, they staged three separate productions: the original at the Queen's Theatre, the touring production at the Barbican, and a special anniversary version at the O2 arena. The one on DVD was the O2 arena version, which was largely arranged as a concert production. Given the sung-through nature of the musical, most of the story was still present. I really like Norm Lewis as Javert, as well as Matt Lucas as Monsieur Thenadier. I felt like Samantha Banks, who played Eponine, looked like the girl from the upcoming film's trailer, so a google search confirmed my suspicions; she is playing Eponine in the film as well.

It's nice seeing the stage adaptation on TV, especially some of the acting, which despite being a concert format, was so palpable on their faces. And the music is just so good. Varying from somber, to uplifting, to just plain jolly, it's really such a nice range of music that really gets stuck in your head. I think before the film in December, I'm going to delve into more Les Mis stuff, including the multiple film versions, and the 10th anniversary concert with the dream cast. Funny how one solid film trailer introduced me to the wonderful world of this musical. I'm so glad I got to see it in London!

Comics Review: "Batman: Earth One"

A retelling of an old story, with a modern twist, Earth One is the latest in a series of re-imaginings of DC's classic characters. As the story begins, we see Batman on his first mission, which was simple but didn't go too well. Then, we flashback to the past, as we see the Waynes welcome Alfred into their life. But this isn't your father's Alfred; this man is an experienced and hardened war veteran, who came to help provide security for a man whose life he once saved, Thomas Wayne. Unfortunately, during a movie theater outing, Bruce becomes impatient and angry, and leads his parents into a dark alley, where they are killed. Years later, Bruce discovers a man possible behind the attack, and finds that the mayor, Oswald Cobblepot, is in on the plot as well. Meanwhile, new celebrity detective Harvey Bullock partners with veteran cop James Gordon, but his naivety leads to Barbara Gordon, James's daughter, to be kidnapped by the birthday boy, a serial killer of little girls who works for Cobblepot. Eventually, Batman and Gordon's stories collide, as Batman helps saves Barbara. Alfred comes through in the end, killing Cobblepot to save Bruce's life. And Bullock, not having seen the true nature of Gotham, starts his road of alcoholism that helps define the original incarnation. Bruce isn't the most suave and experienced Batman, and he's just a man. At the end, Alfred says they need to help him become a legend. And the very end is an excellent tease, showing a man trying to figure out the riddle of who Batman is.

This story was so nicely illustrated, it was almost like watching a movie. I like how Geoff Johns took a classic story, and spun it around, keeping the core intact but changing what we know as familiar. Alfred is an especially strong standout, serving as not only an advisor to Bruce, but also the man who trained him, and forced him to realize what he needed to be in order to serve Gotham. Fox as a young genius was also a nice touch. The riddler tease at the end was akin to the joker's tease at the end of Miller's Year One. Both books captured the gritty, dark, and corrupt feel of Gotham, and used that as a foundation for the dual stories of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon. But here, instead of Gordon being the more naive cop drawn into this corrupt world, we see a new guy, Bullock, take that plunge as Gordon, already a victim, watches helplessly. I also liked how Bruce's desire for vengeance is what initially make him don't the cape and cowl, and only after that did he decide to keep being Batman. Overall, a stellar story, in line with the deeper, psychological, and character-focused takes of Year One and Batman Begins.

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DW Review: "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe"

I fell asleep during last year's holiday special, which I attributed to being tired. But upon watching it again, I realize it's because it wasn't the most invigorating story, but ended up being charming and heartwarming, which was probably the intention. It follows the story of Madge, who finds and helps a stranded doctor. Years later, after her husband is reported dead during the war, the doctor helps create a magical holiday for Madge and her kids, but ends up leading them to a planet of living trees about to be decimated for fuel by acid rain. The kids and Madge help save the day, guiding the trees through the time vortex to a safe haven, and inadvertently guiding her husband towards their home as well. In the end, the doctor goes to visit Amy and Rory, and upon finding that they saved a place for him, knowing via River that he did not die at Lake Silencio, he cringes happy tears, which according to him are so human. The last part was really heartwarming, with my favorite companions showing how close they are with the doctor. But it's also bittersweet, because he's about to lose them.

On a side note, some of the "Night and the Doctor" segments on the DW blu-ray set are really stellar. Especially the one with multiple Rivers and doctors coinciding on the same night. And mostly because we see the doctor taking River to see the singing towers, which we know was where he took her before she had her final mission in the library. When addressed regarding that event, he only said spoilers, making it unclear whether that was their nearly final time together. I like how Moffat mentioned that, and I hope that particular story is clearly resolved and clarified before his tenure is done, if or whenever that may be. Along with other things, like what is so important about his name, and now River knows it.

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"The Hunger Games" vs. "Battle Royale"

The Hunger Games has often been compared to a Japanese novel and it's film adaptation from many years ago, called Battle Royale. While there are many similarities in terms of plot structure, there are also key differences.

Battle Royale involves a class of 7th grade students, who enroute a class field trip are sent to an isolated island. As part of the battle royale act, instituted after a massive school walkout, a competition is held among schoolchildren, in which they fight to the death. The main protagonist is a boy, who's mom left him and who's dad committed suicide recently. The story follows the forty kids as they die, one by one, in quite gruesome means. Making it even worse is that these kids know each other from school and their friendships. In the end, three of the remaining students, including the protagonist, survive and outsmart the system. The protagonist and the last girl standing become fugitives on the run for murder.


The Hunger Games differs in certain respects. In there, the competition is between children who don't know each other, for the purpose of keeping order in the land and showing them that the Capitol is boss. Our main character is Katniss Everddeen, and at least from the novel, we get a good feel for her character, and her motivations. The entire background behind the competition is different than in BR. The main similarity is a competition among kids to the death, and not much more.


Which do I prefer? After having seen both just now, back to back, I side with The Hunger Games, probably because I have a deeper understanding of it from the novel and the sequels. However, Battle Royale was interesting in that it was a much more intimate struggle to kill each other, to murder your friends and lovers. The violence was also much more explicit, and would likely have garnered an R rating here, which The Hunger Games avoided by masking the violence through shaky camera work. Overall, both are good films, with unique strengths.

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Second Look: "The Dark Knight Rises"

On a second viewing, The Dark Knight Rises remains a flawed film, but a much better one with knowledge of the complete story. Many of the issues I had the first time around are more palatable this time. There are still some things that are illogical, particularly things like Gordon sending 3000 police officers into the tunnels. Others, like Blake deducing Wayne's alter ego, or Bane planting his headquarters under Fox's R&D warehouse, are more acceptable. Blake understood Wayne, shared a similar past, knew the benefit of hiding under a smile, and he saw that in Wayne. Add that to the fact that Batman was likely rich to afford all his gadgets, and it's believable, but still a stretch, to see that he discovered his identity. And, he had no reason to reveal it, as he believed Batman was innocent the entire time. As for Bane, perhaps Talia was able to garner inside information, despite Fox having the whole warehouse off the books. It's a moot point in the overall story, as is Wayne's return from the prison without any resources.


The key criticism I had with TDKR the first time was based in its characters. Alfred wouldn't have left Bruce. Selina and Bruce got together without much development. And Bruce was Batman, not a man wanting to live a full life. Some of these are a bit more understandable, particularly Bruce's journey.

Bruce Wayne was a man scarred by his parent's death, and he wanted to rectify that. Anger was not the right path, but he learned to channel this anger into justice, using an image of fear that was linked to his own past. But Bruce did see a life beyond Batman, when Gotham would no longer need its dark knight. Bruce saw that in Harvey Dent, and he sacrificed Batman's reputation to uphold that belief. The only life Bruce saw beyond Batman was Rachel, and when she died, and Batman retired, he was left a hermit. Alfred saw this as no excuse, and yearned for Bruce to go out and live his life. When Bruce learns that a dangerous mercenary exists, and is linked with the League of Shadows, he dons the cape and cowl again, only to find his body broken. A man who did not fear death, who perhaps in a way, welcomed it in his quest to save his city. But now, he watches his city die, on multiple levels. A bomb threatens to level the city, and Bane's revelation about the truth of Harvey Dent plunges the city into despair. Only by sacrificing himself, being the hero Gotham needs, could he save the city. First, he had to realize the value of his life through realizing the fear of death, and once he accomplished this, he was able to save his city. Bruce felt, from the start, that Batman wasn't just a man, but a idea, a legend. And in Blake, he saw a kindred spirit, someone to carry on his mantle. So, having sacrificed himself, he was finally able to lead a life outside of the cowl and cave.


I still don't quite buy that he's suddenly willing to live with Selina. Maybe he wasn't as attached to Talia as I thought the first time around. And I see where he could relate to Selina, as she's a vigilante, someone outside of the law as well. But that's a stretch. At least Bruce's overall journey makes more sense. As for Alfred, I still don't buy that he leaves Bruce alone, but my cousin brought up a valid point, that Alfred may have tried to return, but couldn't as the city was blocked off.


Overall, TDKR is the weakest of the Batman trilogy, and one of Nolan's lower films, but that really speaks to the quality of his work overall. Because TDKR is a well-paced, well-acted film, that, despite its flaws, tries to focus most of its efforts on the story of Bruce Wayne, whether you agree with his overall journey or not. It's not as cohesive as Batman Begins, or as shocking as The Dark Knight, but it finds its own place within the trilogy, and is something Nolan should be commended for.

Comic Review: "Amazing Spider-Man #692"

"Point of Origin"

This story introduces Alpha, one of the most powerful heroes to date. The story starts with the doldrum life of Andy Maguire. Get it? Based on the names of the two recent actors to don the web. Andy's a quiet geek, but on a trip to visit Peter Parker's introduction of the new parker particles, an accident causes him to develop powers. Peter feels responsible, and the Fantastic Four task him with training the kid. Parker tries to instill in him responsibility, but during a big fight with some monster, Spidey told Alph to stay put. Instead, he beat the creature with one blow, shaming the FF and Spidey. The jackal seems to have take a special interest in the kid as well. I didn't like the introduction to Alpha, it seemed rushed how they suddenly made Spidey care for perhaps the most powerful superpowered person on earth. Everything just felt rushed, without much development.

 

"Spider-Man For A Night"

This was a short but sweet story. Probably picking up around the time of "Spider-Man No More," it shows a robber picking up the costume and using it to get some money. Unfortunately, he's chased out. Apparently he's doing it for a girl he loves, Olivia. After getting no money and getting beat up by those he tried to rob, he returns home. Olivia is his sick granddaughter, and he pretends to be Spidey to give her some hope. At the end, he puts the suit back, realizing that there's more to being a hero than a costume.


 

"Just Right"

Parker is having a bad day, mishap after mishap, until he saves a kid from bullying, takes him out on the town, and realizes how blessed he is to have his life. Deferment story, with a nice moral at the end. And fitting artwork.

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Film Review: "The Prestige"

Christopher Nolan is a craftsman, knowing how to structure a story through characters, themes, and dialogue to form a work of art. This has been demonstrated numerous times, from Inception to Batman Begins, and it's on full display in The Prestige. I saw this film in theaters, and may have seen it again at some point. Given my poor memory, I forgot much of it, although I remembered the major twists. What strikes me when watching it now is how well-structured the story is around the two main characters. Both magicians, but with very different lifestyles. One is dedicated to his art, true devotion. The other is dedicated to success, true obsession. Borden lived a half life, hurting those around him in order to ensure his art succeeds. Angier, however, became so obsessed with outdoing Borden, he was willing to risk his own life night after night.

Jackman and Bale played their roles so well, but they were also served by excellent material. The little hints throughout the story, such as when Borden's hand was rebleeding, or the subtle changed in the way he acted towards his wife, was a sleight of hand, a trick played on the audience. It is fascinating watching this film with knowledge of the twists. It's almost a wholly different perspective, you see the subtle differences, the tricks. Most of them, at least, as I still missed a few.


It's based on a novel, a novel which takes the forms of letters written by the magicians, probably akin to the journals used in the film. According to the Wikipedia summary, however, the story takes a different turn at the end, here. I really like the Nolan brothers' use of dialogue, how it bookends the film. Is the as same thing he did so successfully in Batman Begins.


I've often considered Tarantino my favorite director, but Nolan may be my favorite now. There are some Tarantino films I just don't enjoy, like Jackie Brown or Death Proof. I have to reevaluate Insomnia, but otherwise I like Nolan's films a lot, my disappointment in The Dark Knight Rises notwithstanding.


The Prestige is a truly beautiful film. Obsession is an fruitless path, a series of hats that won't fit. Devotion to what you love most takes true sacrifice. As a film fan, I used to think that I had to love looking at cinematography, editing, and so on. While I do enjoy those things, my love for film comes from the use of the medium to tell a good, thematically deep, character-centric story that simultaneously transports you from this world, but helps you relate to it as well. And a movie like The Prestige sort of embodies what I love about film so much.

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Movie Re-Review: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"

MI4 is a well-done action movie that hits the nails in the right spots. Is a good mix of different aspects. You have comedy, with Pegg and Renner offering different but equally entertaining comedic elements. Action is a given, but some of the scenes here are breathtaking, especially Dubai, from the opening Dubai scene, to the Berj, to the sandstorm. The MI series is a contrast to Bond in that it's a team effort, despite Hunt being the main focus. Peggy's character, Dunn, was the Q equivalent, if Q became a field agent. Looking forward to how Q is reinterpreted for Skyfall. The music is also very good, with exceptional themes for the Russian scenes. Some parts are silly, namely Kapoor's character. The villain, on second viewing, is actually interesting. Hendricks lacks personality, but his view of nuclear war to create peace on earth is very interesting. It is almost as if he feels he is doing the world a favor. The alternate opening, with him practicing his speech, may have even made for a better opening. Overall, MI4  hits the right spots, and earns its spot as a top action film series aside the Bonds and Die Hard movies.

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Comics Review: Captain Marvel #1

First off, why does Pete look like Andrew Garfield? I think IGN said online that this may hint at Danvers in a potential role in some marvel film, that's why she got her showcase comic. I guess we will see. The story starts with a battle between Absorbing Man, Ms. Marvel, and Cap. Danvers makes a lot of jokes, but saves the day in the end. Cap urges her to take on the name of Captain Marvel. Although initially against it because of the late Mar-Vell who held it before her, some reflection caused her to adopt the name. She talks about her hero, a female pilot named Helen who held many records. We get a flashback of her visiting Helen as a child. While visiting her friend in the city, Carol hears about Helen's death, and then scatters her ashes in space. So far, a decent story, I'm interested to see where it goes for here. I really started reading it because IGN gave it a good review.

 

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Trailer Watch: "The Master"

Ever since reading the description of the film, I've been interested in possibly seeing it. Dealing with a cultish leader, it sounded intriguing, but I didn't delve into the plot past this. The trailer gives a bit more to chew on, seeming to focus on the downward spiral of a man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls prey to this charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The trailer has a old, classic style to it, almost like a more modern period piece. The strength, however, seems to be the acting, because already, I'm invested in Hoffman's character and want to see more. Hoffman is such a good actor, and I look forward to what he does with this role.

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Comics Review: "Batman: Year One"

Batman: Year One

Widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best story about Batman to date, Miller's "Year One" starts as both Bruce and Gordon travel to Gotham. Gordon is coming from another city, where he was transferred from after bringing up accusations about a cop without full evidence. Gordon's wife, Barbara, is coming by plane. Bruce also comes by plane, after a twelve year absence. Gordon tries to play by the books, but doesn't fit in with the corrupt police force. When Flass tries to teach him a lesson, he takes the beating, but retaliates, leaving Flass beaten and naked on the side of a road. Bruce, meanwhile, tries to fight crime with just some slight facial alterations, marking a scar on his face. Bruce gets beat in the red light east end of Gotham, losing blood fast, but somehow makes it back to Wayne Manor. Bruce is teetering on the edge of death, unsure whether to call Alfred or not, when a bat flies through his window. Bruce decides to become a bat, to instill fear in his enemies, and then rings Alfred for help.


The second part begins as Jim Gordon heads for work, trying to stop a schizophrenic from attacking some kids. Gordon bursts in, sans weapons, and defeats the guy. Meanwhile, Bruce is testing out his finesse as Batman for the first time, attacking some thugs who turn out to be kids. It takes all he has to save them from hurting themselves while attacking him. Later, with Gordon relaxing at home with Barbara, he gets a call about a giant bat. During a police briefing, Flass describes Batman's attack while he was busting, or more likely involved in, a drug deal. Gordon tries to get more men to find Batman, but Commissioner Loeb is resistant. Its only after Batman crashes Loeb's party with Falcone and other slime that Loeb takes note and forces Gordon to grab the bat. Batman foils all of Gordon's traps, while moving up the ladder, allying with Dent, and taking out Falconi's car. Finally one day, Detective Essen tells Gordon that Bruce Wayne should be a suspect for Batman, not Dent as Gordon believed and tried to interrogate him for. Then, they see a truck going high speed, driver incapacitated for unknown reasons, about to hit an old lady. Batman saves the lady, but Gordon's rescue attempt leaves him knocked out, and upon wakening, Essen has Batman at point blank range. Batman flees into the building nearby, but Essen already called for backup, and Loeb orders the building demolished, as Batman is inside.


Already, it's easy to see where Nolan got his inspiration from. The tone and style, the focus on character, all are seen here. The supporting characters, like Barbara, Flass, Loeb, and Falconi, all play a role here. And the importance of Gordon is also prevalent. Perhaps Nolan shouldn't receive as much credit as he does, since he basically took the tone of Year One, changed bits of the story and added some parts, and filmed it. Ys, he deserves credit, but a greater share should go the the source material. For instance, the bat sonar attractor from BB was taken from this comic.


Miller continues to impress with the depth of characterization, especially of Gordon, in the third chapter. Batman avoids death by fire, but several people who lived in the derelict building weren't as fortunate. After hiding from the police, he is eventually found and wounded, but not before activating the aforementioned sonar device, which gives him the cover he needs to escape, and go to Switzerland for some R&R. Meanwhile, Gordon is having issues with Loeb, who's using the cops to kill a man who saved a cat, saved an old woman, and is now a hero of the people. Gordon also falls for Sarah, his partner, and they kiss, and Gordon undergoes an internal conflict. As he starts to believe in Batman's good for the city, Bruce realizes he needs to ally with Gordon. Meanwhile,Selina Kyle, a prostitute and cat lover, sees the batman and is inspired to don a suit of her own.


As the final chapter begins, Gordon breaks off his relationship with Detective Essen. Meanwhile, Gordon captures a drug dealer, but Dent let's him go without an explanation. Then, we see Batman go after him, and the dealer offers to rat out Flass. Loeb doesn't like this, and he blackmails Gordon with a picture of him and Essen kissing. Gordon then visits Wayne, to try and tease out if he's Batman. This is something I liked about Gordon, the man is multi-faceted. Not a wholly good person, because he cheated on his wife, but good enough to admit it to her. Smart enough to see through Wayne's mask, and suspect the bat underneath, although Essen helped with this. Unlike the way Gordon found out in TDKR. Anyway, Wayne has an alibi for everything Gordon asks, and upon leaving with Barbara, he feels compelled to tell her about the affair. Meanwhile, Flass tries to kill the drug dealer, but fails. Barbara gives birth to a boy. Selina decides to go after the roman, and take his secret collection. Batman is spying on them when she does this, and the media sees her as Batman's assistant. The roman wants Gordon's head, so he devises a plan to capture his family. Bruce Wayne, sans suit, helps save the day, earning Gordon's trust, and possibly revealing his identity to Gordon, although Gordon claims he can't see well without his glasses. We learn that subsequently, Flass rats out Loeb for his collusion with the crimes. And, in the last few panels, we learn a new villain, the joker, is poisoning the reservoir, but Gordon has someone who may be able to help.


This was a really strong work of art. It took Batman, focused on Wayne's origins, but really focused the story through the eyes of Jim Gordon, the eyes of a newcomer to Gotham City, a compatriot, a fellow flawed man trying to make the city better. Thorough Gordon's eyes, this story receives its strength. It wouldn't work as well in a film, because Bruce almost becomes a supporting character at times here. I'm not a huge fan of the artwork, but it actually fit the story very well, the tone and mood. Much, much, much better than the art for "The Dark Knight Returns."


Miller really crafted a deeper look at the origin of Batman, Gordon, and order in Gotham City. The city itself had its own character, corrupt and shady, with glimmers of hope. And the introduction of Catwoman, while not my favorite part, felt deep enough for her role as a secondary supporting character. Seriously good stuff.

 

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Comics Review: "Batman #12"

Batman #12

This story is wedged during the early days of NOTO, focusing on a character named Harper Row. She's a young lady who lives with her homosexual brother, a target of local bullies. She works on fixing Gotham's wiring under the streets, and one day, she got a ticket to the Wayne event where Bruce discussed his plans for the city, from the first issue. She goes there, meets Alfred, and returns to her home, to find her brother beat up, badly. She decides to take matters into her own hands, and next time they encounter the bullies, she tases one of them. They start to gang up on the siblings, but Batman comes to save the day. Harper becomes obsessed with Batman and discovers he wired special bat boxes into the city's electrical system, helping to sustain it, while allowing him to disappear from CCTV cameras via remote access. At one point, Harper discovers his bat box isn't working, and he's visible, so she goes to save the box. Turns out Batman had the box disabled to allow the police to help him in the case, and he tells her to stay out of his way. But, she decides, she won't. And the story ends there. The artwork, not by Capullo this time, is far from the style I like. It doesn't look as good. The story is fine, but I was expecting something more along a epilogue of sorts to NOTO. This will be good if Harper becomes a supporting character in future issues. Next time, we see Bruce's beginnings in Gotham in Batman #0.

I just read IGN's review of the comic, and it changes my mind. I have to check, but Harper apparently was here before. This was a good story to show Batman and Bruce's perspective from an outsider, and also tackles issues like bullying and homosexuality, real world issues. Good stuff in hindsight.


Ohh, it's the girl who defibrillated batman in issue 7. Super cool! Makes much more sense now, nice tie in. Sweet. Good issue in hindsight, still not a fan of the art though.

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Trailer Review: "Life of Pi"

I can't tell you how excited I am for this upcoming winter movie season. After the disappointment of TDKR, I'm in the mood for some quality films, and Lincoln, Django Unchained, and Les Miserables will deliver, I feel. Life of Pi? I'm not so sure. It's better than that sneak peek I saw in theaters, with the boy, the tiger, and some bag CG fish. I didn't even know that was a film, it looked that poorly done. Why that was a sneak peek, I don't know, but I was expecting that random phone call, as in the spoofs they used to have to warn people to turn their phones off. This trailer, almost needless to say, looks much more promising. We see many other scenes. In fact, I only caught a glimpse of the fish scene. I'll probably wait for reviews before this one, but perhaps it'll be good.

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Discussions on TDKR

The folks over at MUBI posted an interesting discussion about TDKR, which they consider Nolan's weakest film. Having seen all his features, aside from Insomnia which I ironically fell asleep in, I can say I agree. Nolan's films have had a certain charm, something unique about them. Memento had its novel storytelling, The Prestige was a magic trick of a film. Following captured its tone and mood well, helped by being filmed in black-and-white.  Inception took an inventive idea and kept you thinking, and the previous two bat-films delved into the character and nature of Batman. TDKR is where Nolan fails. We don't delve into Batman or Bruce Wayne. Bane is fleshed out, only to discover later he's just a henchman, albeit a loyal one. Alfred abandons the one person he cares about. Selina Kyle is barely fleshed out, and "Robin" is some sort of detective genius (figuring out Batman's identity), who decides to become a vigilante. I don't claim to have thought about the overarching themes in the film as much as these MUBI guys, but I care a lot about characters, which is a major point where Nolan fails. Among many others. I'm glad I'm not alone in my dislike of this potentially final Nolan bat-film.

First (Official) Look At Lincoln!

Here's our first look at Abramam Lincoln, as portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis, in Speilberg's upcoming film, detailing the last days of Lincoln's life, supposedly. It looks simply stunning. As if Lincoln himself, from the photographs, came to life. I can't wait to see this. With this, Django Unchained, and Les Mis, it's looking to be a stellar winter film season.

Trailer Review: "Zero Dark Thirty"

Where is bin Laden? That's the line we are left with at the end of the first teaser for Oscar winning director Bigelow's next feature, focusing on the hunt and capture of Osama bin Laden. The trailer was more tone than substance. It feels gritty, raw, and violent, just from the background soundtrack and the style of the words and film title, and the dialogue. It feels like "The Hurt Locker." Truth be told, I'm not overly excited for this, I felt "The Hurt Locker" was good but not as amazing as the academy felt it was. The same tone and style is likely appropriate here, though. Despite this, it's something to keep and eye out for, and here's to hoping, along with others like the author of the article regarding this trailer at AICN, that it is historically accurate,

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"Doctor Who" Series 7 Trailer

BBC posted a new trailer for the upcoming series of DW, and it looks stellar. We got our first look at the premiere, "Asylum of the Daleks," where the doctor seems trapped in the center of hundreds of daleks. Then, we get dinosaurs on a spaceship, and the western episode. The best images from from Amy and Rory's swan song, where we got a peek at a weeping angel alien baby. Creepy. The end hints towards a darker side of the doctor, especially when he insinuates, with an almost dark smile, that he killed all the daleks that captured him. Can't wait!