Recent posts

#1

Comic Film & TV / Re: X-Men'97 (2023)

Last post by The Laughing Fish - Today at 13:28

I finished watching the first season of this show. Aside from a few gripes, it's excellent! It's the best thing that Marvel has produced in years. Spoilers below.

The animation is top-notch, the storytelling is elevated to an even more mature tone that's free from the censorship that held back the original Nineties show (and that's saying a fair bit because the Nineties show was quite heavy at times!), it's full of tragedy, twists and is much satisfying than any of the live-action films that came out in the past two decades.

Bastian was a surprisingly good villain, and how his manipulation to more Mutant bloodshed reversed Magento's redemptive arc by forging him to back to villainy, how Rogue goes down a dark path herself out of grief and anger, Cyclops coming to terms that Cable is his son Nathan and the Summers family comes full circle under bittersweet circumstances, and Nightcrawler returns as a worthy member of the X-Men. Magneto pleading and threatening the UN council while persisting attempts to become a better man despite X-Cutioner robbing Storm of her powers is more poignant after the attacks on Genosha and capture by Bastian sets him off to lash out at humanity with a new-found sense of betrayal. The lighter episode of Jubilee and Sunspot stuck in Mojo's video game simulation is still a cool episode, as it contains Easter eggs of Capcom graphics and a homage of Magneto as the final boss in the 1992 Konami X-Men game.

There was one peculiar recurring thing going on with Morph in this show, however. It's heavily implied throughout the show he has romantic feelings for Wolverine, who seems unaware as the two are seen together as nothing more than buddies. The creator of the show, Beau DeMayo, confirmed that Morph is supposedly secretly in love with Logan on Twitter, but seeing as DeMayo got sacked for reasons unknown, I wouldn't be surprised if this plotline gets scrapped in the next season.

Season two is reportedly already deep in production, and the third season is in development with a new showrunner. Whatever happens next, it doesn't change my opinion the first season of X-Men '97 has been an outstanding revival.

#2

Other DC Films & TV / Re: Superman The Animates Seri...

Last post by The Laughing Fish - Today at 13:02

Interesting (if somewhat a little conflicting) comments from Bruce Timm about Superman in the Justice League animated series, I found these from archive.org.

Bruce Timm on Superman #2:  "People who want him to be more of a bad-ass are missing the point.  He was raised in the heartland of America by two wonderful, loving parents who instilled in him a powerful sense of 'right' and 'wrong.'  So, for all that everyone complains about Superman's 'boy scout' qualities, that's exactly what he is:  he's not just super-strong, super-fast, etc...he's super-good, too.  He's the ultimate man.  [As a result, his morality forces him to] live his entire life under strict self-control; otherwise the results could be catastrophic (courtesy of Toon Zone)."

Bruce Timm on Superman #3:  "It astonishes me somewhat that anyone could actually think that I could 'hate Superman outright.'  I mean, no offense, but...sorry, I'm kind of at a loss for words.  I couldn't possibly produce fifty-two episodes of a series starring a character [that] I flat-out hated, or had disdain or contempt for...life's too short!  Sure, I've worked on shows in the past whose lead characters I had no love or respect for, but to put in the kind of man-hours that I did as producer / designer / what-have-you on STAS, my commitment to the character was absolute.  My comments (from Comicology, right?) were, I thought, pretty clear on the matter:  I've loved, respected, and admired Superman since I was a kid—I even dressed up as him for Halloween and brought my lunch to school in my beloved Superman lunch-box.  It's just that, by modern standards, he can come off as quaint or corny or out-dated, if not handled properly.  Batman, by contrast, is much easier to 'get right' with that outfit, the attitude, the whole mystique...he's automatically 'cooler.'  If I had to choose one over the other, sure, I'd pick Batman in a heartbeat, [but] that doesn't mean [that] I don't like Superman too.  I just like Batman better.

"I've admitted elsewhere that we dropped the ball with Superman's portrayal in Season One of Justice League, not out of malice, but merely inattention; thus we did end up temporarily with the slightly daft, bland, cornball boy scout, [but] when we all realized what was happening, we took steps to re-vitalize him in Season Two.  I, personally, may have gone a little overboard in that area, as I wrote the entire Superman / Darkseid verbal thrown-down scene in 'Twilight' myself—including the notoriously over-the-top 'greasy smear on my fist' line—I even wrote his, 'Y'know, Bruce, you're not always right,' line, allowing him to one-up Batman (my 'favorite' character, remember), in one of the rarest instances in the entire DCAU canon.  I wouldn't have gone to the trouble for a character I hated.  Anyhow, I hope this clears that up (courtesy of Toon Zone)."

https://web.archive.org/web/20190423180546/http://jl.toonzone.net/superman/superman.htm

I don't quite remember Superman in STAS being a complete boy scout. He was definitely responsible with his abilities and approachable after rescuing people, but not he wasn't corny either. I do understand where Timm was coming from with his regrets of handling George Newbern's Superman in JL seasone one, however. For example, I remember Tim Daly's Superman was completely stern and highly suspicious of Lex Luthor. In constrast, when Lex was diagnosed with cancer due to exposure to Kryptonite in JL season one, Newbern's Superman was empathetic, much to Lex's contempt. That alone showed a significant contrast between the two versions of Superman.

Timm may have reasoned that every attempt to harden Superman up was a challenge to escape from the cheesy stereotype, but the changes are quite natural, in my opinion. You look at how Superman grieved over Dan Turpin's murder at the hands of Darkseid, to Darkseid brainwashing to become his puppet in an attempt to conquer Earth, it makes sense why Superman would cut loose and unleash his rage and full power on Darkseid in both JL and JLU cartoons. Depicting him as a forgiving boy scout wouldn't be as palatable for the general audience.

The late Dwayne McDuffie reasoned the desire for Superman to be less than perfect compared to the purists' idea of the character:

Dwayne McDuffie on Superman:  "Superman constantly learns from his mistakes and, when it comes down to it, takes appropriate actions (even when they make him look bad, as in many of the situations that Luthor has engineered to that purpose).  He does what's right, not what's easiest.  Consider:  Superman is powerful enough to end Cadmus right now.  Why doesn't he?  He tells Huntress why in 'Question Authority.'  Later, in 'Panic in the Sky,' despite his understandable anger and frustration, rather than going after Cadmus he talks about it with the rest of the Justice League, who he knows will disagree with attacking.  As J'onn points out, Superman came there to be talked down.

"Our version of Superman is far from perfect.  He makes mistakes but, eventually, gets the right answer.  He might walk right up to the precipice, but he'll never fall in.  [...] I like for my heroes to be tempted, and I tend to forgive them for their mistakes, just like I do my real-life friends.  Some people see Superman as absolutely incorruptible and incapable of human foibles.  That's a reasonable way to go with him, there have been lots of terrific stories over the years that treat him that way, but we're more interested in showing him struggle to overcome his weaknesses, as opposed to not having any other than kryptonite (courtesy of Television Without Pity)."

#3

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) / Re: Post positive reviews

Last post by The Laughing Fish - Today at 12:26

Here's a blog entry arguing how BvS has stood the test of time than Captain America: Civil War.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN HAS OUTLIVED CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Looking back, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice vs Captain America: Civil War fight had a clear winner.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War both debuted in theatres around the world in 2016, and eight years later, the former has had a far more long-lasting impact.

Batman v Superman and Civil War were released in very close proximity, with the former debuting on March 25th, 2016. The latter, arriving on May 5th of that year, and their close release to each other stoked the DC vs Marvel fandom war to its boiling point. This was in large part due to the two films, each being the big "heroes vs. heroes" chapters of their respective cinematic universes.

When all was said and done, Civil War emerged as 2016's biggest box office hit with a largely positive reception. Batman v Superman, meanwhile, instantly became one of the most divisive superhero movies ever made. While it was a huge hit with its $873 million worldwide haul, the fact that it did not join the $1 billion club, along with its love-it-or-hate-it reception and never-ending lampooning of the "Martha" moment, gave Warner Bros. cold feet about Zack Snyder's vision for the DCEU.

While all of the above factors gave Civil War the crown for 2016, eight years later, it is Batman v Superman that has cemented a much greater legacy in the long run. Ironically, the polarized reception to Batman v Superman itself helps explain why that is.

THE SNYDER CUT PHENOMENON

The divisiveness of Batman v Superman led directly to Warner Bros.'s decision to pivot away from the tone Zack Snyder had started the DCEU within 2013's Man of Steel, with the studio bringing in Joss Whedon to extensively reshoot and rework 2017's Justice League. However, the massive retooling of Justice League (along with the seedy behind-the-scenes situation during the reshoots) lit the fire of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign, which eventually led to Snyder's version of the film being released as Zack Snyder's Justice League in 2021.

Amid the Snyder Cut fan campaign, the debate about the themes of heroism, power, corruption, and sacrifice in Batman v Superman raged day in and day out online, a trend that still continues to this very day. By itself, that is testimony that Batman v Superman has maintained a presence within the zeitgeist seldom achieved by most superhero movies. Even with a split audience reaction, Batman v Superman has done anything but recede from the public's memory.

CIVIL WAR: A PASSING CHAPTER?

By contrast, Captain America: Civil War has arguably come and gone even within the context of the MCU itself. Despite its generally positive reception and box office triumph in 2016, Civil War has not left a comparably visible pop culture footprint. After all, when was the last time you saw nerds furiously debating whether they would fight on Captain America or Iron Man's side? Within the MCU, Civil War also has not been referenced or returned to much, if at all, especially after Thanos showed up to threaten the entire universe, effectively forcing the divided Avengers to put their baggage from the Sokovia Accords aside and team up again.

In measuring the impact the two films had, Batman v Superman has survived years of slings and arrows and simply seared itself into the collective consciousness. Moreover, the push for the Snyder Cut also bolstered the legacy of Batman v Superman even more.

Since its 2021 release, Zack Snyder's Justice League has enjoyed an all-around positive reception, with even many detractors being won over and the public stock of Batman v Superman noticeably rising due to the pay-off its follow-up brought – even to the point of many still hoping to see Snyder's intended conclusion to his five-movie Justice League story concluded at some point.

None of that is to say that Civil War is a bad movie or didn't help move the MCU's larger story forward. However, with eight years for both films to embed themselves in the public's consciousness, nerds and the general public alike continue to talk about, debate, dissect, and ruminate over Batman v Superman far more than Captain America: Civil War.

However many Martha jokes it may have had to overcome, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may have lost the battle of 2016, but it has clearly won the war.

https://www.fortressofsolitude.co.za/batman-v-superman-has-outlived-captain-america-civil-war/

#4

Batman: TAS (1992 - 1995) / Re: BTAS 30th Anniversary Thre...

Last post by The Laughing Fish - Today at 12:11

Haha, BTAS was the only show that could get away with Batman disguising himself as a cop and fool everybody while still wearing the cape and cowl. I've seen Batman disguising himself like this in some Bronze Age comics, and it's the only visual that could only work in animation. It's impractical, yet a charming little shot that demonstrates Batman as a master of disguise.

[One of the things that led you to create Dark Knight Returns was a series of muggings. What happened?]

#5

Graphic Novels / Re: The Dark Knight Returns

Last post by The Laughing Fish - Today at 11:35

Back in 2016, Frank Miller described how symbolic Batman is in the midst of the all the chaos and political subtext in DKR, and dismissed suggestions that Batman is a fascist.

One of the things that led you to create Dark Knight Returns was a series of muggings. What happened?

There's something demeaning about the first time you're knocked to the ground and punched in the stomach and have a gun waved in your face and realize that you're completely at somebody's mercy. And they can take your life. And at that point, you'll do anything. There's something so humiliating about that. And to me that made me realize that Batman was the most potent symbol DC had in its hands. Sure, Superman can fly, but Batman turns me back into that guy who is scared and at the same time the guy who can come and save him. It's a perfect myth.

What makes him so mythic?

Batman isn't interesting because he has a cool car. It's great that he has a cool car. But he's interesting because he straightens the world out. And he brings order to a very chaotic world. Especially when you're a child. You need somebody, even if it's a fictional character, to tell you that the world makes sense and that the good guys can win. That's what these heroes are for.

Some have said you turned Batman into a fascist. Agree?

Anybody who thinks Batman was fascist should study their politics. The Dark Knight, if anything, would be a libertarian. The fascists tell people how to live. Batman just tells criminals to stop.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/a-rare-interview-frank-miller-871654/

#6

Movies / Re: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2...

Last post by Kamdan - Today at 08:37

There's something to that. The theater experience does play a factor in how someone thinks of, or remembers a movie. Simply due to their own personal experience with seeing the film in a theater for the very first time. I mean, there are movies that I don't believe are particularly great movies, but did have a good theater experience with, and as a consequence, have since had some partiality towards ever since.

"The Haunting" from 1999 is one of these. Not something I've honestly had any interest in rewatching over the years, but I did have a very good theater experience with. Truth be told, the entire night after seeing the movie was fun as well, but the night got kicked off by that movie. So, subsequently, whenever I've seen something about that film pop up, I can't help but think about that night/theater experience. Definitely influencing my opinion about the movie for sure. I definitely can't deny that.

This part stood out for me. It makes me wonder if we should kick off a Fun Moviegoing Thread.

Not necessarily movie theater experiences. But positive experiences had while watching a film for the first time, whether it was in a theater or at home (or wherever).

One question I've always grappled with is to what degree is my affection for a given movie about the film itself and how much is it to do with the circumstances under which I saw the movie.

There's a lot to say, frankly. But before starting a Fun Moviegoing Experiences thread, I thought I'd at least float a trial balloon and see if anyone has any kind of interest in that.

To be clear, the criteria would be:

1- First time seeing a movie (theater or not)
2- What a positive experience that was
3- Is the movie objectively good? Or do you like it because seeing it that first time was such a vivid experience?

It could be that this is only interesting to me. But even so, I thought I'd ask.

That's a terrific idea! During COVID, I got bored one day and decided to make a complete list of every movie I ever saw at the theater by going through year by year on Wikipedia and compiling every movie ticket I've kept since I turned 20. Would be fun to reflect on them and hear from others.

#7

Movies / Re: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2...

Last post by thecolorsblend - Today at 02:46

There's something to that. The theater experience does play a factor in how someone thinks of, or remembers a movie. Simply due to their own personal experience with seeing the film in a theater for the very first time. I mean, there are movies that I don't believe are particularly great movies, but did have a good theater experience with, and as a consequence, have since had some partiality towards ever since.

"The Haunting" from 1999 is one of these. Not something I've honestly had any interest in rewatching over the years, but I did have a very good theater experience with. Truth be told, the entire night after seeing the movie was fun as well, but the night got kicked off by that movie. So, subsequently, whenever I've seen something about that film pop up, I can't help but think about that night/theater experience. Definitely influencing my opinion about the movie for sure. I definitely can't deny that.

This part stood out for me. It makes me wonder if we should kick off a Fun Moviegoing Thread.

Not necessarily movie theater experiences. But positive experiences had while watching a film for the first time, whether it was in a theater or at home (or wherever).

One question I've always grappled with is to what degree is my affection for a given movie about the film itself and how much is it to do with the circumstances under which I saw the movie.

There's a lot to say, frankly. But before starting a Fun Moviegoing Experiences thread, I thought I'd at least float a trial balloon and see if anyone has any kind of interest in that.

To be clear, the criteria would be:

1- First time seeing a movie (theater or not)
2- What a positive experience that was
3- Is the movie objectively good? Or do you like it because seeing it that first time was such a vivid experience?

It could be that this is only interesting to me. But even so, I thought I'd ask.

#8

Movies / Re: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2...

Last post by The Joker - Today at 00:02

A lot of my opinions about the first Beetlejuice film are colored by the circumstances under which I saw it in theaters. And it would be fair to say that they were less than ideal.

There's something to that. The theater experience does play a factor in how someone thinks of, or remembers a movie. Simply due to their own personal experience with seeing the film in a theater for the very first time. I mean, there are movies that I don't believe are particularly great movies, but did have a good theater experience with, and as a consequence, have since had some partiality towards ever since.

"The Haunting" from 1999 is one of these. Not something I've honestly had any interest in rewatching over the years, but I did have a very good theater experience with. Truth be told, the entire night after seeing the movie was fun as well, but the night got kicked off by that movie. So, subsequently, whenever I've seen something about that film pop up, I can't help but think about that night/theater experience. Definitely influencing my opinion about the movie for sure. I definitely can't deny that.

Without turning this post into a blog, I'll say that I saw it with a friend, his brother and his mom. His mom absolutely hated my guts and only took me along to the movie reluctantly. In retrospect, I'm not 100% sure she didn't abuse me or her sons.

I figure you and I are roughly the same age, and yeah, I wouldn't call that experience a fond memory to have by any means. Mine was just the opposite. The day started out with my uncle getting married (I believe I was ring bearer at the wedding). Following the wedding, and reception, my folks and I were back at home by that evening, and soon after my mom asked me if I felt like going to the movies? Going to the movies was a treat, so that was obvious. I seem to remember us sorta rushing to get to the next showing, and I had literally no idea what Beetlejuice was to be perfectly honest. but I distinctly remember it being me, my mom, her friend/work colleague, and her friend's two blonde teenage daughters. Being that it was essentially always just me and my mom going to the movies together (my dad wasn't a theater guy), I do remember having the thought that going to the movies with a group was atypical but cool. So, yeah, it was a fun experience, and of course I loved the movie itself as well. I *think* by that Christmas the same year, a couple of Christmas presents was the VHS tapes of "Back to the Future", and "Beetlejuice". Both of them got watched quite a bit over the next year whenever I wasn't watching cartoons or TMNT, and then of course "Batman" got released on VHS in late 1989.

Actually seeing the movie was fine on its own merits. I enjoyed the production design and gothy Winona Ryder. But I always believed the first Ghostbusters film provided a far superior mix of authentic horror and genuine comedy than Beetlejuice. The characters never made a huge impression on me and I don't recall watching much of the animated series precisely because of the fact that I wasn't overly taken by the film.

I remember watching the animated series quite a bit, but always leaned more into the film than I did the cartoon. I do remember thinking it was 'different' with Beetlejuice and Lydia being friendly with one another, but it was easy to roll with as well. It wasn't like the 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie was a spitting image of the Fred Wolf '87 TMNT cartoon, but like Beetlejuice, I liked both. Course you might like one just a little more than the other, but each had their appeal. With the "Ghostbusters" comparison, I just believe there was more to sink one's teeth into with GB over Beetlejuice (Ghostbusters was an instant cultural phenomenon, where Beetlejuice was successful, but not a smash hit like GB, though continued to age like fine wine). I recall the Beetlejuice toy line, and though it was fine, I wasn't any where near as interested in that as I was the Kenner Ghostbusters toy line from years before. From a kids perspective, perhaps the GB concept/ideas come across as much more grand, where Beetlejuice comes across as a bit more low key by comparison? I don't know.

#9

Movies / Re: Matrix 4 Coming Soon

Last post by The Joker - Yesterday at 23:16

After all this time and only one bona fide classic movie, I think it's only fair to ask if the time for The Matrix has come and gone.

Perfectly justified question to ask, and I thought we pretty much got our answer following "Resurrections", but I guess with Hollywood, anything is possible these days. Especially with franchises with name recognition.

#10

Graphic Novels / Re: The Dark Knight Returns

Last post by The Dark Knight - Yesterday at 10:07

I completely relate to Miller's mindset here.

Then a really strange thing happened to me. All of the sudden I realized I was about to turn 29 years old, Batman's age. Then I realized I was one year away from turning older than Batman. The more this year went on the more it bothered me that I might be older than him. So finally I [decided] to fix that, and make him older than me once and for all. So I conceived of a story where Batman was at the impossibly old age of 50.

Mixed in with this I'm not interested in the younger generation or appealing to them at all. My focus is on the people I grew up with, the journey we're on and what's happening with us now. The reality of getting older I suppose, but indeed, these feelings clicked in hard for me recently.