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Film Review of Les Misérables

Do You Hear the Oscars Sing?

A Film Review of Les Misérables

By: Lawrence Napoli

I remember having read the original novel by Victor Hugo in high school and despite viewing class as a complete and utter task, this was a story I genuinely enjoyed. I remember having been treated to a Broadway performance of the show in NYC starring Colm Wilkinson as Valjean and being blown away by the featured performances of several “Valjeans” from around the world performing One Day More in their native tongues after the finale. I remember being incredibly impressed by Les Misérables in Concert filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in London back in 1995. I remember being somewhat disappointed by Liam Neeson’s dramatic adaptation of the character in a star studded Hollywood film directed by Bille August in 1998. I am a Les Mis super fan. Needless to say, when I saw the Anne Hathaway trailer and Hugh Jackman mini documentary at my local Regal Cinemas, I just about lost my mind with voracious anticipation.

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One more day to fight. One more day to live.

But wait! The 2012 adaptation of the musical masterpiece of Les Misérables is not a perfect film despite every legitimate production element being worthy of Oscar nomination if not gold. Weakness #1 must be the scene transitions. Like any play, Les Mis has plenty of awkward shifts in geography and time as the plot progresses, but the format of this entertainment spares the audience uneasiness due to the orchestra’s transition overtures, on-the-fly stage transformation and strategic implementation of the curtain. A movie has no such need for any of these tools as time and space is far more easily manipulated. Unfortunately, 2012’s Les Mis has several moments where a change in song is as blunt as hitting the skip track button on a stereo. Director Tom Hooper clearly wanted an authentic representation of the musical on film, but I don’t believe being a slave to the music was the way to go. Adding short lines of dialogue or exposition could have easily reconciled these jarring transitions and would not have adversely affected the end product.

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Am I to be a slave of the original score?

Weakness #2 is that not every actor in this film is an accomplished singer. You’ve probably heard it by now, but everyone has designated Russell Crowe as the weakest link, and I truly hate to kick him while he’s down, but it’s all true. Yet, I feel compelled to defend Crowe because he is still a great film actor and some very raw emotion gets conveyed by the man’s face as the antagonist Javert. However, the sound that protrudes from his mouth is the furthest from menacing, demonstrative and anything matching the proficiency of anyone else in the cast. Tom Hooper could have helped his actor out in a couple of ways. First, consider dropping Javert’s lyrics down an octave to more comfortably match Crowe’s speaking voice. Two, immediately addressed Crowe’s legato delivery which is completely out of character for Javert who is meant to be staccato; further enhancing his domineering persona. Three, consider recasting all together. Russell Crowe is one of the greatest film actors of all time, but even his legacy will be bumped and bruised as a result of his efforts here. I just hope whoever produces the upcoming Academy Awards show does not make fun of Crowe’s Javert because that man will show up specifically to knock someone out on live television – Romper Stomper style.

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Not one word! Or else someone gets a fist in the face!

Those issues aside, Les Mis uses other Hollywood tools to their maximum potential which infuses layers of pristine production value to the overall experience. The camera’s ability to get right up close into each and every actor’s face is one thing the stage will never be able to duplicate. Danny Cohen’s cinematography allows the audience to absorb every ounce of sorrow and happiness from an extremely accomplished cast that is equal to the task. It also allows the actors to use the freedom of live singing as the cameras roll to put more of their characters into their songs. The costume design by Paco Delgado reflects classic depictions of each character, but is no less proficient than any production that came before. The combined efforts of production designer Eve Stewart and supervising art director Grant Armstrong deliver the kind of set pieces that give early 1800s France an epic scale never before depicted by this musical.

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Set design: BANG!

The biggest surprise of this film was the performance of Amanda Seyfried as young adult Cosette. She’s already shown that she could sing for the silver screen with her performance in Mamma Mia (2008), but those tracks were recorded in a studio and dubbed in post production. Ms. Seyfried reveals quite the lovely soprano voice for her live recording and although I was expecting a professional acting performance, I was not expecting such an exquisite voice. I totally bought into her chemistry with Eddie Redmayne’s Marius which was no small challenge thanks to both of their characters’ limited screen time.

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The blonde beauty of Seyfried

For the record, the biggest disappointment is technically Russell Crowe’s Javert, but he wasn’t the only one. Thénardier and his Mrs. played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter respectively were amusing playing the comic relief of this production, but neither was hysterical and I felt their acting and singing seemed to be holding something back, muffled in projection, diminished in capacity. I respect that Borat was the only member of the cast to attempt a French accent whilst singing his tunes, but a man that has made a career out of shock, despicable and disgust should have been able to produce a more repulsively delicious rendition of Thénardier. Granted, both Cohen and Carter have very limited screen time, but anyone playing a character not named Valjean or Javert has to deal with that reality and others did so with greater success.

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Lazy, mailed-in, or something else? You decide.

Speaking of which, Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Fantine was inspired, so much so that I must begin to reevaluate my general disdain for her as a result of her work in Les Mis. Her performance of I Dreamed a Dream is easily one of the most emotional moments in the entire film as any viewer can tell that Hathaway is digging deep into her own soul to produce the face of despair and desperation. Now, I could never claim to have tasted the kind of real world horrors like homelessness, disease and physical abuse, but I can certainly identify with the endless toiling of mind-numbing work where the only reward is keeping the bill collectors at bay. However one identifies with Fantine, it is Hathaway that compels us to sympathize. Even Victor Freeze would be hard pressed to hold back the tears.

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Is the dream truly dead?

The Co-MVPs of this production are an obvious choice and an unexpected one. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean/24061 was just about the biggest no-brainer of the decade in Hollywood Land. The man’s experience in musical theater, his physical stature, his experience in films in addition to the wide variance of his roles makes him the perfect actor for the perfect role. Jackman buys into his role heart, body and soul as is frighteningly obvious as Valjean, the prisoner is almost Machinist skinny in the beginning of the film and I have never seen Hugh in any kind of physical condition other than prime. Jackman puts the entire spectrum of human emotion on display and maintains a high level of intensity as only the best leading men of Hollywood have done. It will be a stretch for Wolverine to triumph over Abraham Lincoln for this year’s best actor in a leading role, but it is very possible and quite deserving. Also, his chemistry with Valjean Legend Colm Wilkinson, who plays the bishop in this film adaptation, is remarkable for its brevity and a proper homage to the history of this musical’s significance.

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Machinist Valjean

The other MVP happens to be Eddie Redmayne as Marius. I was misty eyed for most of the film, but when he sang Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, it was all over and the waterworks began to flow. This moment is the emotional climax of the film and with only 50% of the film’s overall screen time to work with; Redmayne steals just about every scene late in the game because the intense sincerity in his eye is second only to Jackman. Best known for his recent role in My Week with Marilyn (2011), Redmayne is coming up on the Hollywood power charts and I certainly expect his name to be nominated for best actor in a supporting role for his excellent work in Les Mis.

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Red: the color of the carpet. Black: the color of my tux.

Even the most casual fan of Les Misérables, the musical will be stunned by the vibrant life this film breathes back into the tale. For those unfamiliar with the play or the novel, expect to see a powerful tale of the downtrodden attempting to rise above poverty, greed, hunger and hate to find a higher cause in life for themselves and others. It is a story that reminds us that life will always throw danger, complication and hostility in our direction, but even a simple act of kindness given by or to us can give us the strength to carry on. Those familiar with the story will be very forgiving of the transition gaps so viewer beware. You may have to simply accept the plot jumps on faith alone, but also know this. If you are willing to suspend that disbelief and open your heart you will bear witness to one of the best dramas that expose the essence of humanity: the dichotomy of grace and disgrace.

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Spike TV 2012 VGA Fallout: The Good & The Bad

2012 Spike TV VGA Fallout

By: Lawrence Napoli

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what did Spike TV do now?

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4553:]]Last year, my underlings at Cosmic Book News and I discussed several failings regarding the 2011 VGA’s and the kind of improvements that were needed to make this televised event simply better. This year, we prefaced December 7^th with a 3 part podcast that raised several concerns regarding the games that were represented, the categories themselves and which games we thought should be recognized as the best.

After watching last night’s show I was left befuddled, in the middle of the arid wasteland, alone with my thoughts, completely convinced that I was living in another world in the year 2012 where I played video games that no one else apparently played and experienced things that no one else did.

Then I had my moment of clarity and realized that once again, the Spike TV VGA award show reaffirmed its static role in the videogame industry as a dedicated marketing tool and nothing more. As such, the following truths reveal themselves to be self evident and unwavering:

1) The show is barely an awards show and merely a lengthy, cross promotional commercial.

2) The show does not provide an adequate venue for the industry professionals that make games.

3) The show is more interested in looking ahead than appreciating the present.

4) The winners determined have less to do with quality and more to do with economic power plays that fabricate trends and enhance already popular ones.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4557:]]The Host

Samuel L. Jackson’s return as the host of Spike TV’s VGA award show is most welcome in light of past curiosities such as Zach Levi and Doogie Howser, er . . . Neil Patrick Harris. The man conveys equal parts confidence and eccentricity and this show needs his type of energy. I enjoyed his frequent cursing (would have loved to actually hear it). I enjoyed the fun a 64 year old man clearly demonstrated in being the temporary focal point for an industry he may or may not have genuine interest in. Either way, he’s an excellent actor and an exceptional host. Kudos, Samuel L! The audio clips of your most iconic dialogue in films set the tone for a very entertaining evening and those in attendance were truly privileged.

The Musical Performances

There was a lot to talk about in regards to the music of the 2012 VGA’s. It all starts with the orchestra that was featured multiple times (as well as that hot, blonde 1^st violinist in the leather dress) that played a musical homage to all of the game of the year nominees. They even had the girl who sang the vocals for the Dishonored theme, which was a neat add-on. Then there was DJ Wolfgang Gartner who kept the tech, pop, beats pumping throughout the show which was very acceptable, but by no means exceptional. I enjoyed Gustavo Santaolalla’s live performance presenting another introductory trailer for The Last of Us which is set to be released May 7^th 2013. I also got into Linkin Park’s performance of Castle of Glass, the theme for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. I honestly don’t care if Linkin Park isn’t what they used to be as a band, but their performance was solid. Finally, Tenacious D gave the show a nice bookend with their signature 80s rock sound. I’ve never been the biggest Jack Black fan in the world, but he’s a decent showman.

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Right off the bat we are all greeted by 3 cast members of The Walking Dead TV show: Steven Yeunn (Glenn), Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Danai Gurira (Michonne) make the presentation for the Best Shooter Category. I didn’t care for Zach Levi and his weird haircut making some color commentary (and promoting his nerd website) with Alison Haislip. Zach needs to stay away from this show. Jessica Alba presenting the world premier of Dark Souls 2 was funny due to every male in attendance achieving simultaneous erections, but odd because it had no connection to her little intro story concerning her “love” of Super Mario Bros. Marlon Wayans shows up to shamelessly promote his dumber than Scary Movie, scary movie who simply presents (Rasta) Snoop Dogg who talks about how much he loves Tekken Tag Tournament and then introduces Assassin’s Creed 3’s Tyranny of King Washington expansion. Before Tenacious D got to playing music, they presented the first ever Game of the Decade recipient which I completely disagreed with, but we’ll get into that later. Yet another curious celebrity cameo was Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) presenting Game of the Year (which I also disagreed with) who claimed it took some extra effort for her to be at the awards, but wouldn’t miss it for the world. Overall, the celebrities seemed out of place and for the awkwardness to end, they’d be better off staying home in the future.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4556:]]The Good

The best thing I saw all night was the world premier of The Phantom Pain by Moby Dick Studios, a Swedish company that no one has apparently ever heard of before. It featured a haunting trailer of a man attempting to escape a hospital that was besieged by murderous soldiers as well as some supernatural force which had many speculating as to what this game could be. The internet has recently provided a possible explanation via conspiratorial links to Hideo Kojima and Konami in order to shroud what this game may really be: Metal Gear Solid 5.

Possible link #1) Later in the show, cameras cut to Kojima’s table, making note of the 25^th anniversary of the Metal Gear franchise. Link #2) Moby Dick’s CEO is listed as Joakim Mogren. “Joakim” is an anagram for “Kojima.” Link #3) “Mogren” contains the word “ogre” as in Kojima’s secret “Project Ogre” which Kojima himself refutes having anything to do with Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, further suggesting that Project Ogre is, in fact, Metal Gear Solid 5. Link #4) The main character bears a striking resemblance to Solid/Old Snake or Naked Snake/Big Boss. Link #5) Several on the internet suggest the man on fire shown in the hallway is Colonel Volgin from MGS3 and Psycho Mantis from MGS1 is seen briefly towards the end of the trailer. Whatever the rumor and speculation concerning The Phantom Pain suggests, the trailer looked amazing, mysterious, suspenseful and everything gamers want to see in new projects.

Other show highlights involved the video skits that put Samuel L. Jackson’s likeness in various video game videos. They were all quite funny featuring Sam’s affinity for the F-word, but my favorite was the digital composite of Sammy in The Walking Dead: The Game graphics. I also enjoyed the overall flow and format of the show despite the fact they make precious few “award presentations.” I also want to make note of the really cool commercial for the game Metro: Last Light which presented it in a very dramatic fashion, but almost zero game footage to prove it.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4558:]]The Bad

Here’s the short list:

1) Anything that continues to make South Park into a game, 2) Zach Levi’s hair, 3) the world premier of Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 — Castlevania in the world of today? 4) Marlon Wayans, 5) too many Playstation All Stars commercials, 6) the “new” voice of Lara Croft making an appearance without much of an English accent despite her claiming to be very British, and 7) Ken Levine pushing the release of BioShock Infinite (which looks AMAZING!) further into 2013.

The Ugly

The results, ‘nuff said! And now we roll up the sleeves:

Best Shooter: Borderlands 2?– I never agreed with this game being in this category in the first place. If Borderlands 2 was subjected to Goldeneye’s award system, it would win the “Where’s the hit detection” award every time it is turned on. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Borderlands 2 and it is worthy of winning Best Multiplayer, but come on! Shooting needs more precision than that.

Character of the Year: Claptrap?– Ok so I guess this was a bit of a fan favorite and Claptrap is hysterical, but I bring this result up to make a further point regarding Borderlands 2 as a production. What does it say about your game when none of your main characters get considered for this category and the annoying comic relief gets the victory representing all characters for the year of 2012?

Best Individual Sports Game: SSX?– Do we even need stupid categories like this?

Best PS3 and Xbox Games: Journey and Halo 4? – The biggest “no duh” moments of the evening and totally worth mentioning only in passing.

Best PC Game: XCOM: Enemy Unknown? – I’m pretty sure Guild Wars 2 is amazing and XCOM is just pretty fun. I have no explanation for this.

Studio of the Year: TellTale Games?– No.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4559:]]Game of the Decade: Half-Life 2?– Entertainment Weekly compiled a list of 10 games since 2002 which were deemed worthy of the title “Game of the Decade.” Unfortunately we don’t exactly know what this means because it clearly doesn’t mean “the best.” Such a title implies the best incorporation of all elements of a video game that creates a truly seminal work of art. Wii Sports (2006) was on this list because it sold a hell of a lot of copies considering its simplicity both as individual software and with every Wii bundle that is currently collecting dust in your grandmother’s basement. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) was considered because someone really fell in love with cell-shading Link (FYI, I didn’t). World of Warcraft (2004) was considered because it is the biggest money making juggernaut (from a purely software perspective) of all time. Shadow of the Colossus (2005) was on the list for its “alternative art” status. BioShock (2007) was considered because of its twisted take on art design, its kick-ass gameplay and giving shooters more intelligence. Batman: Arkham City (2011) was considered for being the best video game adaptation of all time. Red Dead Redemption (2010) was here simply for being the best offering Rockstar could muster up. Portal (2007) was here to fill out another “different type of game” slot. Mass Effect 2 (2010) SHOULD have won because its combination of graphics, gameplay, narrative, characters and scale redefine what it means to be a videogame and is on the short-short list of best games ever.

But, Half-Life 2 won because a lot of nerds out there sleep next to a blow up doll of Gordon Freeman.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4560:]]Game of the Year: The Walking Dead: The Game?– Thank you Robert Kirkman.; AMC and TellTale Games have relevance thanks to adapting your comic book. And make no mistake! 2012 is the year of TWD; good or bad, right or wrong and it is that shear fact alone that explains how this game took home the title of Game of the Year for 2012. If you require an explanation, I refer you to my review of TWD’s final chapter and thoughts concerning the game overall right here. Despite the insane ridicule suffered by Mass Effect 3, it is a superior game in EVERY respect. Of course, I could say the exact same for Assassin’s Creed III and Dishonored (both of which I am enjoying very much right now). The only Game of the Year contender I haven’t experienced is Journey, but simple games like that are lucky to have been made, let alone win for GOTY. This was simply the wrong choice and I loved The Walking Dead: The Game. But it is an extremely flawed game and to a large extent, doesn’t fully qualify as a game in the first place.

So who were the losers of the 2012 VGA’s?

Assassin’s Creed III and Ubisoft got absolutely zero love from Spike TV this year. This is quite stunning considering the quality of the game and the dedication of the company, but I somehow feel this is backlash for producing annual titles for a series that I affectionately refer to as suffering “The Madden Effect.” Madden comes out every year, they charge $60 bucks for it and how much of a “new game” are you really getting for your money? The Madden Effect has already taken a hold of Call of Duty. Apparently Assassin’s Creed needs to go into hibernation for a while to get back some respect.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:4562:]]Who were the “winners” of the 2012 VGA’s?

The Walking Dead and TellTale Games are the obvious choices besides winning Game and Studio of the Year they also took home Best Adapted Game, Best Downloadable Game and Best Performance by a Human Female (Melissa Hutchinson as Clementine). The real winner, however, is Robert Kirkman because his children’s children can easily afford to eat as well as he clearly does without concern for health risks because they are now (or will soon be) super rich thanks to The Walking Dead. I’m happy for Kirkman because the success of the comic book is warranted.; however, I give one warning to heed in regards to selling his license out as shamelessly as the local hooker. TWD: The Game is already showing a lesser polish to its product and the more hands that are stretched out, begging for a piece of TWD, the greater the chance for dilution pissing the brand away. I realize Kirkman’s comic series is soon coming to a close, so I guess it’s cool to take whatever money he can grab now and run, but that doesn’t mean TWD will be truly dead. If someone pays Kirkman more than enough money, you bet your ass he’d come up with more TWD stories. The fans love TWD specifically because its tone is the polar opposite of the concept of “selling out.” Please don’t break our hearts Robert. It’s ok if you feel the need to kill off Carl.

Movie News Reviews

Video Game Review: The Walking Dead: No Time Left (Episode 5)

A Video Game Review of The Walking Dead: No Time Left

By: Lawrence Napoli

Chapter 5 of TellTale Games’ The Walking Dead is a proper, although not so very surprising, end to this adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s signature IP. Originally, I was intrigued by the concept of an episodic game being presented over the course of time because A New Day showed so much dramatic promise, compelling characters and yet another zombie themed game I could get into. As new chapters were released, new mechanics (like shooting) were integrated and I wondered how this game could grow on the player when the “game play” aspect was simply not consistent. The execution of every chapter has left much to be desired and not just because the “timed release” aspect of this project seemed more like “whenever TellTale wanted.” Lee Everett moves like a tank, even when he’s running. Action is sparse. Scene transitions frequently freeze up or glitch out. Voices blink out of sync. Oh, and lest I forget the whole “illusion of choice” phantom mechanic at work which merely presents the player with multiple ways to reach the SAME exact plot twists. Say what you will about the Mass Effect series and its morality mechanic; at least it delivers variance in the journey and at the end of the game (we will pay no attention to the end of ME3 for the time being).

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It doesn’t matter how many you shoot in the head!

So here we are: you, me and a copy of this episodic game which may or may not be installed on your hard drive at this very instant. But before you wipe your HDD in disgust or purchase it hastily let me tell you my feelings regarding the value TWD: The Game. DO NOT pay more than $20 if you are thinking of making a purchase. Season passes on Xbox Live and PSN had every episode in your hands for $19.99 while Steam featured sales for much less than even that. When I heard that TellTale was releasing physical copies the game this upcoming December 11^th and charging $29.99 for them, I was flabbergasted. No one will ever convince me that TellTale’s offering equates to a 50% value of the average AAA game when they (as formulaic as they have become) deliver so much more than TWD such as multiplayer, larger environments, smoother mechanics, polished single player campaigns (for the most part), better graphics, better sound AND equivalent VO performances & enthralling stories. All of these standard AAA elements may not be interesting to the player by themselves, but their collective presence provides entertainment options of which TWD has only one in comparison: drama.

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To be avoided at the $29.99 (or more) price point.

Drama is TellTale’s saving grace amidst what might seem like a scathing review thus far. This software produces one of the best narrative stories I have ever experienced in the presentation of a video game. Writers Sean Vanaman, Mark Darin and Mark Whitta outdid themselves in carving out a perfect niche of Krikman’s zombie apocalypse by maintaining perfect tonal synergy with the fiction fans of the comics and TV show are familiar with. If the player enjoys audio/visual entertainment and does not have a heart of stone, this story will make you feel sympathy and suspense; hurt and happy. The common man character type, which TWD as a franchise has made its very own, carries over in full effect for the game. No one is spectacular which means everyone is relatable. The fact that zombies are littered all over the place is merely a zesty garnish to give the plot some edge. Every chapter of TWD brings A-game drama to the plate and as much as this is its biggest strength, it could also be its fatal flaw. The determining factor will forever be if the player accepts the presentation of this drama as entertainment enough. If the concept of “a really good drama without much action” turns the player off, then this game never gets turned on.

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Not exactly a high wire, but certainly high tension.

This brings me to Chapter 5: No Time Left in particular as confirming the determination (or stubbornness) of TellTale’s same-old/same-old approach to every chapter. The one thing that jumped out as different for me was the implementation of dynamic camera angles as the player’s avatar navigated certain scenes. Otherwise, No Time Left had the exact same quick time controls and wretched environmental navigation as always. Combining these elements with one of the most obvious endings in the history of fiction leaves a bitter taste in the player’s mouth by the end. It was during the final credit scroll that I realized that I barely needed to be present while playing this game as the choices I made throughout ultimately impacted nothing. Characters that were meant to die were dispatched and those meant to live would do so. I didn’t care so much about using a tazer or a sickle to take out a cannibal from a previous chapter. I didn’t care about exploring one room over another, taking one tool instead of another, chastising one member of the group over another. Why should choice matter when it doesn’t change the character, the journey or the outcome?

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Hopefully you don’t feel like doing this after playing.

TWD by TellTale Games is a lazy interactive drama that requires the most pedestrian of hand-eye coordination to complete. To a very large extent I question TellTale’s need to present this story in the form of a game in the first place. An animated feature would have been a much more satisfying experience because it would have deleted EVERY negative aspect of this production: the game play. TellTale would be good to remember the effort made by the good folks at Quantic Dream who invented the term “interactive drama” with one of the most unique and successful games of all time: Heavy Rain. The game play mechanics at work in both games are similar, but not the same. The main reason it worked for Heavy Rain (without getting too much into it) was because the quick time controls were more organic to better reflect the action on the screen (of which there was plenty).

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Drama yes; action no.

I can only recommend TWD by TellTale to the rabid followers of all things TWD. The average gamer more interested in shooting digital people will get very little out of this entire series. TellTale will release a second season to continue the story with the characters that survive. It is only a matter of time. However, if TellTale thinks it can pull the exact same gags on THIS gamer/reviewer then it has another thing coming. It needs to improve on every programming element to this game short of graphics. The action needs to pick up, transitions need to be polished and either mature the choice tree options or be done with them all together. TellTale gets 1 chapter of season 2 to change my mind, otherwise it will get the worst press imaginable: no press.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Lincoln (2012)

The Legend of Lincoln

A Film Review of Lincoln

By: Lawrence Napoli

To quote fictional President Andrew Sheperd, “America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad.” Of course, the most common perception of “citizenship” in today’s America is layered with apathy, entitlement, conspiracy, cynicism and a general opinion of “my vote doesn’t count.” It’s easy to presume that this zeitgeist has always existed through the course of American history, but if we are to presume any historical accuracy of a film such as Lincoln (and the impressive list of institutions at the end of the credit scroll certainly suggests it), I would have to disagree with that statement. One key difference between the Civil War era and today was the existence of bold and true leadership in the past. Few American politicians are recognized in a positive light for any reason and fewer still are noted as such in the course of their active civil service. This film, however, is clear about identifying the genuine love and respect for Abraham Lincoln within the remaining union by his constituents and opponents respectively. Make no mistake, politicians of yesteryear are portrayed as no less agenda-affiliated, arrogant and underhanded as they clearly are today, but there was and will never be “another” Abraham Lincoln as this individual’s resolve, intelligence, charisma and presence places him above and beyond the eternal rat race that is American politics.

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The man, the myth, the legend.

Lincoln’s script was penned by Tony Kushner which is partly based on the novel Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The story is a biopic period piece that centers on the presidency of Abraham Lincoln during the time preceding the passage of the 13^th Amendment to the American constitution and the formal end of the Civil War. Although the story does center on Lincoln, the president – Lincoln, the man; it is also happens to be a very thorough observation of the day to day operations of the federal government at the time. As much as Lincoln has been historically identified with emancipation, this film acknowledges the efforts of several others to help make that a political reality. This film is an exquisitely executed dialogue driven drama, but viewer beware. This film severely lacks action so those who can’t lock into a 2.5 hour session of verbal sparring may be turned off, yet this fact really doesn’t hurt this film due to the strong performances by the entire cast. The most powerful element of this story is the portrayal of Lincoln himself. His history and legend is undeniable, but his portrayal as a grounded human being, humble and grandfatherly infuses Lincoln’s legacy with the essence of real world heroism that turns him into one of the truly super human beings in the history of humanity. As horrible as this point in American history was, this film showed it wasn’t completely devoid of merit.

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Troubling times to say the least.

Director Steven Spielberg once again showcases his knack for dramatizing American history in a way that is interesting, relatable and entertaining, but the one element that sells all of his films beyond the special/visual effects, costumes, sets and production value, is the performance. Spielberg gets maximum effort from his actors and you can point directly towards his ability to communicate and empower even those who may have bit parts to produce signature performances. Even the most arrogant, ignorant and clueless graduate of UCLA film school could direct Daniel Day-Lewis in his or her sleep, but very few seasoned professionals could get something special out of Sally Field, whom I initially thought was a complete miscast for the role of Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln. Spielberg shows his passion for the subjects he researches and it reflects in his casts’ performances which impacts the outcome of the final cut of his films. His work proves that there is a significant difference between directors and auteurs.

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True blue Union soldiers.

The cast of Lincoln demonstrates what a roster of seasoned veterans can do when they are all focused on the task at hand. I must begin with Sally Field as Mrs. Lincoln who hasn’t wowed me in anything since her performance in Forest Gump back in 1994. Her rendition of Mary tip-toed around her historic turbulent relationship with Abraham by consistently maintaining the character’s maternal passion for her children as well as her intellectual confidence by holding her own with her husband’s coworkers amidst the business of government. David Stratharin is one of my favorite actors and his portrayal of Secretary of State William Seward was that of a true brother in arms with Lincoln equally devoted to his ideals and the effort required in reunifying the United States. James Spader delivers another smarmy yet poignant performance as the obscure lobbyist WN Bilbo. You’ll remember Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger and Rorschach, but he delivers a very dignified performance as Alexander Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederacy (P.S. Jackie bears a frightening facial resemblance to this man). And of course, who can ever forget to mention Tommy Lee Jones in any production let alone his performance as Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln. I am happy to report that his flaccid performance in MIB III is not repeated here as his ability to shift status as Lincoln’s antagonist and uneasy ally proves that he’s still very much engaged in the Hollywood acting game.

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I am NOT over the hill!

The Academy can give Daniel Day-Lewis the Oscar for best actor in a leading role right now. As much as I eagerly anticipate Les Misérables and earmark it as the best film of the year before having seen 1 second of it, no one will approach this man’s performance as Abraham Lincoln. Sometimes the Oscar is given to a great actor. Sometimes it’s given for the performance of a great role. However, the combination of a great actor producing a great performance in an iconic role would be downright criminal to be recognized as anything less than the best. Abraham Lincoln may have always been known as a great man, but Daniel Day-Lewis reminds us of his humanity, intelligence and humility (and NOT his fictional abilities as a vampire hunter). For one brief instant in time the audience is given an intimate window of the past and Abraham Lincoln is as real as he has ever been portrayed on film. Daniel Day-Lewis may not be as marketable as the likes of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, but his ability as a thespian makes him a clear cut above the rest.

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Give him the Oscar; NOW, NOW, NOW!

Lincoln is one of the best films of 2012. History junkies may find themselves in fantasyland while watching this film. Most Americans will be moved by an exceptional recreation of one of the most dramatic and dangerous moments in American history. Some who still identify with Confederate culture may be incensed by this film’s existence, but should not feel disrespected by how the Confederacy is portrayed. Anyone interested in experiencing a cinematic period piece will be satiated by fine writing, directing, acting, historical accuracy and production value. Lincoln is the furthest thing from the concept of a “popcorn film,” but it is very fulfilling and fully solidified Abraham Lincoln in my mind as the greatest American, ever.

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Trust me, this is not the scene you think it is.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Skyfall (2012)

Not the Best Bond, But Pretty Darn Close

A Film Review of Skyfall

By: Lawrence Napoli

Daniel Craig is certainly on the short list of actors worthy of playing 007. He is easily the most physically fit and frequently shirtless of any actor that played James Bond before, but there are some eccentricities that he brings to the character that I still do not particularly care for. First, the “Blue Steel” stoic look that Daniel Craig completely owns happens to put Derek Zoolander to shame. I understand that Craig’s Bond is meant as a constant bad*ss, but he really does come off like he’s “posing” in every scene and it downgrades the character’s humanity. Second, is that Craig isn’t very much of a ladies’ man on screen as his ability to generate chemistry with any of his female costars has a tendency to fizzle. Every woman he’s been blessed to be cast with is extremely gorgeous, but his most intimate relationship shouldn’t be with Dame Judi Dench as M. Third, is that Daniel needs to attend “The Tom Cruise school of Running Like You Mean It!” because the way he “runs” seems like an extremely stylized mimicry of running. It’s also far too hoppy and you all know what I mean once you see it.

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“Blue Steel” in full effect.

Skyfall, however, is a film that sees Daniel Craig do much more with the James Bond character than he has during his incumbency with the franchise. Although we’ve all seen this before in previous Bond films, James is again being portrayed as an antiquated tool for maintaining global law and order via black ops. Thus, Craig portrays more weakness and vulnerability than he was ever accustomed to before and although he’s still no “Mr. Sensitivity,” there is a moment where he sheds tears and it is quite poignant, moving and the most humane portrayal of the character since George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Daniel is still solid with the less frequent verbal barbs and always hits his mark for action. He still can’t convince me with women, but his evolved relationship with M allows for him to discard the aura of Mr. Roboto.

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More art yields better performance.

This entry in the 007 films was written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan whose combined experience on Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace demonstrates maturity in producing a meaningful and somewhat relevant manifestation of the current James Bond. We are still living in a world with dangerous terrorists, but Skyfall makes no secret about “cyber-terrorism” being the newest, most dangerous and most prominent threat to stability. This is the main engine behind the portrayal of MI6 and its employees as “behind the times.” I wonder if this perspective on terrorism in the 21^st Century is somewhat of a backhanded compliment to the American approach in handling it. Throughout every conflict in the Middle East, the Pentagon has been consistent about needing more human assets on the ground infiltrating terror networks to provide the best intelligence, but British sentiments acknowledge terror threats as more than AK-47’s in the sand. Skyfall is all about the youth movement from the handlers that deal with agents to the quartermasters that outfit and strategize approach. The irony is that in order to survive this shift, James Bond must reconnect with his heartrending past in an attempt to level the playing field. When you cap all this with an exceptional Bond villain in Javier Bardem’s Silva, Skyfall is easily the best Daniel Craig James Bond story thus far.

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How many terrorists will you find in this scene?

Director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins made Skyfall an exquisite visual cacophony of technology, light, angles cityscapes and landscapes. In short, this film is easily the most beautifully shot work of art we’ve ever seen in a James Bond film. Certainly, this film is still about the action (which is top notch, by the way), but I feel camera placement, movement and its interaction with some of the most beautifully configured set designs in this franchise’s history gives Skyfall notable advantages. Thankfully, the audience will not be jostled by the frantic, handheld camera work we’ve all become accustomed to thanks to the Bourne franchise. This film shows that great action can still be captured with more traditional techniques and increased synergy among the various production departments of a film production. Exotic locations are typical of James Bond films, but they’ve never before looked so good.

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Cityscapes. ‘Nuff said!

You already know what I feel about Daniel Craig’s performance, but what about the rest of the cast? Judi Dench as M is once again flawless in giving this character more significance than any previous portrayal. M is no mere task master, but also very maternal (despite her best efforts) and her chemistry with Daniel Craig is impossible to ignore. Ralph Fiennes is a welcome newcomer to the franchise and although the former Lord Voldemort is not exactly featured, he is certainly set up for a thriving future by this film’s end. The last thing I remember Naomie Harris in was 28 Days Later and she is still lovely as ever, but brings some much needed playful sex appeal which is severely lacking in Skyfall. Ben Wishaw as the new Q produces a fine performance and reminds me of a British version of Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory if one strips away all manner of personality while retaining the ego and elitism. On top of it all Albert Finney is in this film and it’s an instant win for this cinematic adventurer whenever Daddy Warbucks comes out of the woodwork.

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Q who?

Make no mistake; as much as this film is about a revitalized performance by Daniel Craig as James Bond, the other 50% is met by an excellent Bond villain in Silva, masterfully played by Javier Bardem. The man’s heroic roles don’t hold a candle to his villains (his limited role as the menace in No Country for Old Men was practically the only reason it won best picture). I absolutely love Silva’s personal eccentricity which I will describe as not exactly being “straight up,” and certainly “with a twist.” Interpret that as you may, but no spoilers. Silva is creepy, he is charismatic and he even has an understandable motivation for his evil dealings that isn’t rooted in psychosis or delusions of taking over the world. He is one of the best Bond baddies because he adheres to the first rule of villainy by making it personal (in a roundabout way) against Bond himself. Bardem steals EVERY scene with his maniacally fun dialogue and brilliant delivery. My only regret is that the story limits his fear inducing factor by making him too captivating. The audience may not fear Silva, but they’ll never get enough of him.

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Is this too close for comfort Mr. Bond, James Bond?

This is not the best James Bond film of all time. Suggesting such a thing is far too silly and a byproduct of “new film awe” that we all experience when we leave the theatre having seen a genuinely good film. At the same time, I never would have thought that a Daniel Craig Bond film would ever crack my top 5, but it officially holds strong in fifth place with Octopussy (4), The Spy Who Loved Me (3), Goldfinger (2) and GoldenEye (1) standing in front of it. Skyfall is an excellent piece of filmmaking as both art and entertainment and is more than worth a general admission, but I wouldn’t necessarily shell out for IMAX tickets unless you are an extreme Bond fanatic. I see this film as redemption for Daniel Craig, but with all this effort to make him look “old,” “human” and “out of date,” I wonder if the search for “the next Bond” isn’t already under way.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Cloud Atlas (2012)

The Universal Human Experience

A Film Review of Cloud Atlas

By: Lawrence Napoli

What does it mean to be human? Every person in history has struggled with this question in some way shape or form. What links us all is the human experience: we eat, sleep, see, feel, hear – we are aware of ourselves and our environments and culminate everything our bodies take in via thought and from that the individual exudes behavior. However, people are not the same and individuals change as constantly as time, but it still makes one wonder. With this fundamental truth that binds us together, why do human beings do terrible things to each other? This rumination may be a tad heady for a common film review, but Cloud Atlas is a film that attempts to comment on the (ever-evolving?) state of humanity and being aware of this philosophical perspective is the key to appreciating and understanding this movie.

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We’re all in this together!

Cloud Atlas is not a film for everyone as there are three aspects of this production that may turn off the average member of the audience: 1) there are 6 separate plots occurring simultaneously, 2) the action is very light and 3) attentiveness and intellectual engagement is a must. Having said that, this film succeeds in accomplishing some of what it sets out to do while coming up short in presenting cohesiveness in a 3 hour film adapted from a 544 page novel by David Mitchell. The screenplay was written by Tom Tykwer and Lana and Andy Wachowski and it attempts to translate the 6 stories in a synchronous, narrative format. This film is not like Pulp Fiction where the beginning, middle and end are completely out of order. The confusion in the script may come from the viewer’s ability to retain progression in each story up to a point and then repeat 5 other times before it picks up again in the first story. This happens for the duration of the film until each plot resolves in a well balanced and timed progression.

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Tom Hanks, the villain.

The fact that each story is very different can be a bit of a double edged sword in that it provides wonderful variety, but some stories will be much more compelling than others. Character development comes up fairly weak as well because every actor plays different roles in each story, so be prepared to see Tom Hanks as both the hero and villain with differing levels of intensity. Being a dialogue driven film, this script maximizes creativity in its exposition to get right into the drama of each plot immediately, but this leaves the burden of generating spectacle on the shifting set design and scenery due to the aforementioned lack of action. No single plot can be identified as the marquee tale of Cloud Atlas as they all have completely different agendas and political/philosophical undertones to them, but they equally involve the struggle of people, circumstance and the time in which they live. The true strength of this story is showing that despite the ever shifting perspective of good and evil as a result of time and circumstance (thank you Obi-Wan Kenobi), individuals will always take sides as a result of their unique thoughts and interpretations of the human experience. It is perhaps this observation which explains humanity’s affinity for conflict.

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Neo-Seoul Korea in the year 2144 accounts for the majority of the action.

Cloud Atlasis a film that has no major film studio affiliation and despite that, it still garnered a budget of just over $100 million dollars through various independent finances. As such, this budget afforded Cloud Atlas a very impressive, professional and hi-fidelity look to compliment its equally high browed themes. The production design of each respective story is wrought with unique color palates, background detail, interesting costume choices and efficient use of visual effects that makes this overall film seem like it was budgeted for far more than originally allocated. When one factors in the excellent performances from every featured actor: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Wishaw, Keith David and James D’Arcy, this film ceases to amaze when it comes to raw production value. This is the first film I have ever seen that truly combines the period piece genre with sci-fi in a way that was completely serious, dramatic and complimentary to the script.

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Moments of drama, moments of wonder.

Every actor’s performance is respectable throughout Cloud Atlas. Since character status, role and relevance is constantly shifting, it is impossible for me to evaluate performance the way I normally do. Hanks and Berry provide anchor performances for every character they play which allows the audience to connect with their characters most easily since they are the two biggest names attached to this cast. My standout performances had to be Ben Wishaw’s Robert Frobisher (the true composer of The Cloud Atlas Sextet), Hugo Weaving’s Nurse Noakes (who channels Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest perfectly) and Ketih David’s Joe Napier (whose demonstrative voice and stature makes Shaft look like a baby in comparison). The two names that are most easily forgotten in this film are that of Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant who, like the rest, provide fractal roles in several of the individual stories, but whose performances could have been easily replaced by any other actor.

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Keith David’s a bad mother … SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Cloud Atlas is a very good film for the viewer that is up for some intellectual stimulation. It is an entertaining film, but nowhere near the popcorn blockbusters of the summer. It features several moments of high drama (like Sonmi-451’s final speech to the world) and moments of levity (Timothy Cavendish’s escape from a nursing home). This film is a serious contender for all the production design categories of the Academy Awards, but is a pretender to the crown of best film overall. Its tagline of “Everything is connected,” may be thematically correct, but does not execute as seamlessly on the big screen due to the time restrictions for each tale. More time would have allowed for more parallels, but then this film is already 3 hours long. Before this rather exceptional fall season of must-see films truly commences, Cloud Atlas is a great appetizer to the upcoming visual feast.

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Oh Hugo, why do you have a perfect villain’s face?

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

The Art of Video Games

A Film Review of: Wreck-It Ralph

By: Lawrence Napoli

I believe that the video game is the leading entertainment art form of today. Purists that represent older art forms had best accept this trend (if not outright truth) and get over the sour grapes of the ever increasing popularity that games and gaming represent. Simply put, video games place the viewer on an unprecedented plane of interaction with the art itself. Only now, in the year 2012, do we find games finally exiting their infant steps of childish frivolity and counter-culture fascination. Contemporary games can and have pushed the envelope in spinning tales of drama, suspense, action and adventure that rival some of the best moving pictures of the past. Yet, video games weren’t birthed from the love parents of Hollywood and the computer with this level of acumen. Wreck-It Ralph is a throwback reminder that games were clearly not about social commentary in the beginning, but the fact that this film exists is proof of gaming’s expansive influence and a mile-marker for the ground this medium has gained over the years.

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8-Bit graphics are well represented in Ralph.

However, to suggest that Wreck-It Ralph is some kind of necessary viewing for being the definitive alliance between games and film would be a gross overstatement. This movie is a fun little narrative that attempts to bring the extended family of video game characters together in an entertaining, child friendly and somewhat thought provoking way that has an important (and incredibly cliché) moral to it all. The story was conceived by screenwriters Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee (with additional contributions by John C. Reilly) which is interesting considering none of them have any professional experience with any aspect of gaming, but clearly a decent proficiency with comedy amongst them. Ralph is a Donkey Kong inspired villain who is simply fed up with the thankless job of being “the bad guy” for his particular videogame. Ralph’s no dummy. He sees his counter-part, Fix-It Felix, soaking up the praise and admiration for doing his hero’s duty and in hopes of changing his stars, Ralph goes on his own quest to improve his status. The most charming aspect of this film is all the other iconic videogame characters that make cameos throughout which could only have been made possible with (once again) Mickey Mouse’s bottomless pockets paying out to various licenses like Nintendo and Capcom. It would have been nice to see even more crossover with these other characters, but that would have diverted the importance of Ralph’s journey. Overall, the script isn’t exactly Shakespeare, but it sends a good message to young people about how to treat your neighbor and discovering a positive sense of self worth, while not boring adults to tears and being quite amusing to gamers.

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In no way is this rivalry meant to channel DK vs. Mario.

The CG animation style of Wreck-It Ralph may be reminiscent of a Pixar Studios production, but this film is straight out of Walt Disney’s regular Animation Studios. You won’t see Monster’s Inc. attention to the 3D rendering. You won’t see the graphic depth of any Toy Story film. But, you will see some sharp, vibrant renditions of some of the most iconic characters in video games and it sure is an absolute joy seeing them all come together on the big screen. They do some really interesting things with perspective in this film: for instance, the perspective of people in the “real” world playing these games vs. the characters inside each arcade box trying to play out their respective parts like a theatrical production for their audience of players. How the camera shifts through the screen produces an excellent effect for getting the audience to suspend their disbelief in regards to the fiction of video game characters being “alive” inside their games.

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Perhaps the best scene in the movie, but everyone’s already seen it in every trailer.

Another area where Wreck-It Ralph diverts from the Pixar formula is in the voice-over department; specifically how A-List names aren’t exactly rounding out the roster. Sure, John C. Reilly is a comic genius and other people really love what Jane Lynch does on Glee, but I don’t particularly care for anything Sarah Silverman does and how many people know that guy from 30 Rock and Will Ferrell comedies is an actor by the name of Jack McBrayer? I don’t mean to diminish the performance of any member of the cast, but I couldn’t quite justify shelling out the greenbacks for all of these names strictly for name recognition. The exceptions have to be Reilly and Lynch because their voices embody strict character types for Ralph and Calhoun respectively that represent the exact characters both actors became popular depicting for live action in the first place. I truly felt the vocal performances for every other character were acceptable, but not particularly remarkable which was especially disappointing for the proper video game characters represented in this film.

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Jane Lynch takes no prisoners as Calhoun.

Wreck-It Ralphis clearly a “videogame” movie designed for kids and its very successful opening weekend at just under $50 million dollars is a step in the right direction. But did all of you know that this film’s budget was a whopping $165 million bucks!? The actual production comes off as professional and clean, but also seems on somewhat of a shoestring because the fact remains that all of these software companies weren’t handing over their IP likenesses for peanuts. Licensing must have been the lion’s share of this production and I completely understand that, but this film doesn’t feel like a $200 million type of blockbuster. As such, I seriously doubt that Wreck-It Ralph will turn into a franchise, but will be viewed like a litmus test for how to combine IP licenses for adaptation purposes. This movie was a cool experiment fueled by nostalgia and laughs and held together by simplicity and relatability. Only gamers will get ALL of the Easter egg references throughout, but it is more than charming enough to hold the audience’s interest both young and old.

Movie News

Movie Review: The Man With the Iron Fists

Riding The Line

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

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As the cold winds batter the east coast and the promise of winter creeps in your bones, a break from reality is sorely needed. What better way to stave off the impending flakes of snow than gathering the boys for a martial arts matinee? The Man With The Iron Fists would fit the bill nicely!

This love letter to martial arts movie – written, directed and “somewhat” starring Rza of The Wu Tang Clan fame – is a nice escape movie that leaves you gawking at the fight sequences while not entirely scratching your head over the weak story. Not entirely, but you will still find your hand wandering to your scalp in a unconscious effort to do it anyway! Let’s face facts, no one is going to see this movie because of the award winning plot anyway. It is a cornucopia of all the great martial arts movies you saw as a kid, with a few anime threads thrown in for good measure. You will see nothing new here, but at the end of the day — will you really care? You will still leave with plenty of action, blood and solid acting from Lucy Liu, Rick Yune and Byron Mann to satiate your hunger, but it is Russell Crowe’s performance that will stand out after the credits have run.

The character of Jack Knife (Crowe) is the iconic rogue character that everyone wants to be. A cool weapon a six shooter dagger that spins- a gliding swagger, sexually deviant and an overall aura of genuine “coolness,” Jack Knife is what carries this movie at points over the line of mediocrity. He is the character that is at the epicenter of all the plot threads, and for me, the highlight of the film.

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Not that the martial arts sequences are anything to laugh at! Intense and utterly brutal, they are the fluidity of the movie, making the 96 minute film seem to fly by even quicker than intended. All the sequences are extremely well done, giving a few new tricks to the old status quo, but it is the Gemini battle that is especially harrowing and gets the adrenaline flowing. Unfortunately, the action sequences and Mr.Crowe’s suave role are the only driving force to keep you in your seat instead of heading for a bathroom break or dozing off from the patchwork underlying story.

The story is nothing special. The typical betrayal, revenge, good vs. evil plot that sets the characters in motion, but has no true significance at all. Even when the Blacksmith’s (Rza) origin is told, there is no better connection to the character than the first time you see him on screen. He is so generic that the viewer has no real empathy for him even when terrible things occur. For the “star” character to be overshadowed by every other character, even the children, is a travesty to the script. But then again, did you think this was going to win an Oscar?

Overall, this is a kung fu homage that was well executed for its purpose. Weak story aside, the overall performances were solid and the action was insane! It rides the line of mediocrity but never falls too far down the rabbit hole nor ascends far above it! See it with a group of friends but don’t expect too much. I suggest you use a coupon to get your full moneys worth!

Movie News Marvel Reviews Star Wars

Holy Sh*t! Disney buys Lucasfilm & Star Wars!

All of you be completely honest with me.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 4

Been There, SAW That: Is Paranormal a Fatigued Franchise?

A Film Review of Paranormal Activity 4

By: Lawrence Napoli

I used to be a big believer in the Paranormal Activity franchise because the first film presented a unique take on the haunting genre by melding it with the visual style of “found footage.” The second film really expanded on this story’s mythos in its attempts to dig up the family history of the Katie and Kristi sisters. Then the third film came along and took a step back to revisit the literal past of the sisters as pre-teens that basically confirmed everything that the second film postulated. This brings us to the present day and Paranormal Activity 4 which certainly delivers some new tricks to the trade of visual effects and “authentic” surveillance footage, but grinds the progression of the overall story to a screeching halt. Evil sister Katie is still up to no good with a child we presume is Hunter who both happen to be set up in a brand new neighborhood and the audience will never be told or shown how or why. It is clear that the Paranormal franchise has resolved itself to max profits by saturating its sequels with fluff; not entirely unlike a certain Saw franchise that deployed 6 sequels that declined in quality yet were dirt-cheap to produce.

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So mom, we totally got weird things happening around here.

Writer Chad Feehan joins PA veteran Christopher Landon in scribing a tale that makes no real attempt to connect to the narrative established in any of the previous films. Simply carrying over the primary antagonist and dropping her in a completely new environment with no explanation how she got there is confusing to anyone who is familiar with the saga. Sure enough, series mainstays like authentic and believable dialogue in addition to unassuming yet ever-threatening environments play to this film’s strengths, but none of it stands on its own as we’ve all seen this before. It is so easy for horror franchises to fall into the whole auto-tuned, remix trap because to a large extent, the audience secretly covets the predictability as well as the same old gags that got people hooked in the first place (although the allure of mailing-it-in on the creativity front is perhaps more seductive). The franchise fatigue of been-there/SAW-that shows at the box office as PA4’s money total is way behind its predecessor’s sales. Needless to say, the much coveted word of mouth praise for these types of thrifty horror films isn’t there primarily because the story just isn’t there.

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I’m used to appearing in other people’s houses.

I don’t mean to take anything away from the neat ideas the writers and directors came up with to keep the presentation of this film somewhat fresh. Instead of camcorders, the protagonists rely on cell phones and laptop webcams to provide the handheld and static perspectives of the twisted events surrounding yet another seemingly innocent suburban family. Once again the visual effects of ghostly apparitions and surprise scares are integrated seamlessly by effects supervisor Eddie Pasquarello. Without question, the highlight of this film (effect-wise) is any scene that features the night vision exposed motion tracking dots of the Xbox Kinect in the family room. Even scenes where nothing actually happens are creepy enough to heighten the suspense of the moment which primes the audience for very decent chills when something does.

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I guess demons can enjoy Just Dance 4 like the rest of us.

Horror films traditionally do not feature award winning performances and guess what? Paranormal Activity 4 isn’t breaking that trend any time soon. Of course, the very format of this film doesn’t exactly give any actor the opportunity to succeed. Seldom is the case that anyone is in front of the camera long enough for the audience to read into the character’s expressions or emotions. Often is the case where the actors are asked to do absolutely nothing during a scene in order to build suspense. The entire cast does its job by presenting a well off, suburban family that isn’t entirely close, but not coming apart at the seams either. The one standout has to be the young actress Kathryn Newton’s performance as the older sister, Alex because she happens to be featured more often than any other member of the cast. Clearly, she is a very attractive girl that maintains the burden of making any kind of connection to the audience by conveying sheer terror and/or concern in what her character experiences. Yes, PA4 continues to promote the significance of female characters over males (once again, a jerk of a boyfriend is featured in Matt Shively’s rendition of Ben).

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Why are all children creepy and evil in these movies!?

Let’s not mince words: Paranormal Activity 4 is another fun little “found footage” horror flick, but clearly a step in the wrong direction of franchise fatigue. The audience is clamoring for a new perspective on this tiring formula. For instance: who is collecting all this footage to designate the respective nights where “incidents” occur? Where are the police amidst all these unexplained murders all these years? If the K&K sisterly coven is real, is there no entity of holy and/or paranormal police to deal with these malevolent groups? There is so much potential to warp the Paranormal formula to truly do the unexpected and feature a brand new perspective on these events which would revitalize the narrative and actually justify another sequel. A fifth Paranormal Activity has been confirmed for next year in addition to a spinoff that will feature a Latin flavor to it. Expanding the brand name is good so long as the fundamentals of fiction are being adhered to. However, if remixing, retooling and rebooting is the engine of expansion, the audience will be sure to send a clear and expedient message that the “same old” isn’t worth anyone’s time or money.

Movie News Reviews

Review: Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta (PS3)

Sony’s Latest Nintendo Rip Off

A video game preview of Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

By: Lawrence Napoli

I am a Sony kind of guy despite this current generation’s dominance by the Nintendo Wii and its signature motion control. Sony never really believed in motion control as its own Six Axis system at launch was a mechanic quickly scrapped by software developers because it was just plain bad. Yet Sony could not take its eyes off Nintendo’s sales. Thus, Sony went the shameless route and made an all but exact copy of the Wii’s nunchuck controller in the Playstation Move. The Move may work better than Motion Control Plus, but there are 2 reasons why Sony’s copy/paste failed: 1) It was released way too late in the PS3’s life cycle and 2) It was not implemented extensively into Sony’s first part titles like God of War and Uncharted. Decisions like this explain why the Sony brand has fallen behind both Nintendo and Microsoft and I can’t help but think that had a more dedicated and focused effort in R&D as well as in the board room would have disallowed any corporate strategy that only focused on low-jacking the competition.

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This looks good in theory, but haven’t we seen this before?

And here we are, once again, Sony copying one of Nintendo’s unique innovations in a 4 player simultaneous fighting game that features some of the most recognizable characters in games. Of course, I’m referring to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Sony’s clone job in Playstation All-Stars. Without question, Smash Bros. has infused much needed vitality in the fighting genre over the years by incorporating a multi-player party environment that no other fighter has been able to reproduce. Playstation All-Stars is, for all intents and purposes, a verbatim reiteration that swaps Mario for Metal Gear and Pikachu for Parappa. No amount of classy yet cryptic commercials from Sony indicating 10/23/12 as some sort of “game-changing” date is going to convince me that the release of Playstation All-Stars should be noteworthy because an impressive ad campaign doesn’t change what the product is: a simple game that comes off as a quickie money-grab for the Sony brand at the tail end of it’s current system’s life.

Story and Setup

There’s no real story to speak of in All-Stars, but then fighting games never seem to make ANY effort to push the concept of “story.” (*Note: this is a not so subtle hint to software developers to maybe try this in future projects) All the player knows upon loading the Beta demo is that 6 Sony brand characters are selectable and it’s time to punch people in the face once the game starts.

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The roster lineup seems quite diverse.

The player gets to choose from Kratos, the God of War, the Twisted Metal psycho Sweet Tooth, a formerly skinny Fat Princess, the stealthy Sly Cooper, Killzone’s Colonel Radec and Parappa the Rappa who hasn’t made a relevant cameo in anything since PS1. It’s nice to see some kind of visible scale between the selectable characters because it would just be ridiculous to see Parappa as large as Kratos, but I was somewhat surprised to see Sweet Tooth as the largest of them all (even bigger than Fat Princess). Although there were only a couple of stages available in the Beta, every stage will be interactive and ever evolving, thus requiring the player to not only keep his or her eyes on the 3 other players looking to pulverize them, but also the very real dangers from the level itself that can also knock you for a loop.

Graphics

Sony will be the first to inform the gamer that the shear difference in graphic fidelity between All-Stars and Smash Bros. basically places these games on different planets all together. It is true that the background stages and interactive elements look very crisp and bright, but the fact remains that being able to see the whole stage at the same time in addition to every other players’ characters requires a wide angle perspective that minimizes any appreciation for the character models themselves. Sure, there’s no difficulty in telling the difference between characters (unless everyone chooses the SAME character), but the only time the player will be able to get a good look at the avatar they chose is in the opening seconds before the match begins. Once the fighting starts the visual chaos of vibrant, fluorescent explosions dominate the screen. This makes it quite easy for the player to completely lose track of the character they were controlling.

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Stages and explosions are quite pretty.

Sound

The sound effects are pretty standard fare for a cartoonish style brawler so there really isn’t much to talk about with the exception of voice over work. It does seem that Sony got the original VO actors to produce sound bites for their respective characters (which is great), but in game taunts between fighters are very minimal and often drowned out by the aforementioned “explosions” (which isn’t so great). It remains to be seen if All-Stars will incorporate a fully functional single player story campaign to take full advantage of some of the most iconic voices in video game characters. This would certainly be a great opportunity for the sound elements of this game to truly shine.

Gameplay

It’s always, always, ALWAYS about play and control and when it comes to the precision that most dedicated fighting genre players demand of tournament style 2D and 3D games; All-Stars will simply give those gamers headaches. Combos are easily broken by other players butting in on a 1-on-1 situation but cannot be affected by the player that is being juggled. Launching an attack after evading (hold block button plus directional) always seems to fail against rapid button mashing and the block button seems like an overall waste of time.

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Button mashing is the ONLY order of the day!

The main reason for the uselessness of the block button is the lack of auto orientation towards the opposition that all 2D fighters enjoy. There will always be opposition on either side of the player in All-Stars, therefore blocking cannot be relied upon by holding directional control away from any threat. So yes, holding the block button will nullify attacks from the front, but there’s a million things happening on the screen that can hit you from behind, break the block stance and serve the player up on a combo platter for anyone else to enjoy. Staying mobile and mashing buttons is the best way to go in this game, regardless of the player’s choice in avatar.

Pulling off a special move or super combo is nothing like Street Fighter style directional swipes. They are as easy as pressing one button. Alterations in attacks can be achieved by holding directional control while hitting X, square, O, or triangle. Just like in any other fighting game, attack range and effectiveness is limited to the move set for each character and it is in this one aspect of gameplay where All-Stars deserves some recognition.

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It either takes excessive skill or blind luck to consistently place first.

All the characters play with completely different styles. Certainly, the player can select any character and button mash his or her way to success, but Kratos is meant to be played as a juggling combo specialist, Sweet Tooth is a slower tank using explosives to set up combos, Fat Princess is a different kind of tank that does better on the ground than jumping all around, Sly Cooper is all about stealth (his block button turns him invisible!), Radec is THE long range combatant and Parappa is only for the most skilled players wanting a challenge because his attacks have the shortest range and is pretty useless in general.

Final Judgment

I understand that this Beta was only a fraction of what the end game will involve, but it’s my understanding that expansions to this software will involve additional characters and having more options to do the same thing doesn’t seem too appealing. Sony is relying on nostalgia to drive this game’s sales which also explains the effectiveness of its ad campaign that follows right in line with the very popular “Michael Ad.” This game is not on the same level of greatness as its commercial and it would be downright highway robbery if Sony charges $59.99 for this frivolous attempt at originality.

Playstation All-Stars is a game that appeals to a much younger crowd that doesn’t have the same desire for story, control and overall relevance. It’s a pick-up-and-play experience that’s high on action, but low on sustainability (much like most of Nintendo’s Wii games today). The most reliable strategy to win in this game is to build your combo meter to level 3, use it to accumulate multiple KO’s and then play it safe until the match ends. It’s all very repetitive and bores me to tears. Although 2012 hasn’t quite delivered the hype that preceded some of the most anticipated games for this year, there are still some big hopefuls on the horizon in Hitman: Absolution and Assassin’s Creed III. Save you hard earned bucks for something like them and let Playstation All-Stars fade to black.

Movie News

TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 3: Episode One – ‘Seed’

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The Robert Kirkman machine continues to carve its’ way through the entertainment world, creating the high water mark for television dramas as well as the comic book industry. Never before have we seen such high numbers (14.2 million!) for a television drama, and certainly not for a “comic book show!” Why has The Walking Dead garnered such a high level of fan appreciation and followers — because it’s that damn good!

Breaking the shackles of just another “cult classic”, TWD has worked it’s way into the hearts of more than just the fans of the original source material. Though the comic fans are ravenous about the show (especially me!), it is the drama/horror fans that have really added to the extremely high viewership. And for those fans, I give you a comparison between the comic and the premiere episode of Season 3.

(Editorial Warning: Spoilers “Dead” Ahead!)

Episode One deemed, ‘Seed’, begins after the harsh months of winter have come and gone. Our group seems to have fallen in line with Rick’s, “This is not a democracy” speech from the season two finale and they look hardened, weary and Lori is more than a little pregnant! Foraging from house to house has become the status quo, but Rick will not allow this group to degrade themselves any lower and knocks a can of dog food from Carl’s hands before he can taste it. As walkers begin to become more present around the house, the group leaves silently – more reminiscent of a military outfit than a family.

This is where we see the first separation from the comic and show. Even though the worlds and situations are the same, there isn’t that emotional detachment between the group as there is here. There is still the “family” feel to the group, even as they become used to the killing and actually excel at it, it has never become so militaristic. It is fantastic that the writers have incorporated this edgier feel to the show, and for finally making Carl the complete badass he is in the comic!

Next, Rick and his right hand man, Daryl (a character that I so wish was in the book!), stumble upon the prison while hunting for food. This originally takes place in issue 13 of the book. But, as The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine (to be released Oct.23) states,” Season three will be, at least in part, covering issues 13 through 48,” so, we are bound to see amalgams of storylines throughout the season.

As the group hacks and slashes their way through the labyrinth of fences surrounding the prison, we can see that their prowess with weaponry has improved exponentially. Wielding pipes, hammers, hatchets as well as guns, they are conserving their bullets for the most of dire times and relying on “wetwork” instead to dispel the undead. They seem ready and relatively healthy to take on whatever may come their way. Something that is not present when first we see Andrea!

The fan favorite, Michonne, has helped Andrea stay alive through the winter, but it seems all her work is for not. Michonne rumages through a drug store to find anything. She silently decapitates two walkers with her katanna before grabbing some packages of asprin off the floor and heads back to a small building near by. As she walks through a discheveled hallway we get a first glance at a weakened Andrea. Andrea is extremely sick and tells Michonne to leave her here to die, she doesn’t want to be a burden any longer. The stoic Michonne tells Andrea that they will have to move on in a few days, and last we see of them, they have loaded Michonne’s zombie companions with their gear and are headed out into the world. This is a great dynamic for these two characters to be in. This meeting never happens in the book. Michonne was always a loner, besides her boyfriend and his best friend — her pet walkers! She was introduced to the group in issue 19, where she saves Otis from some walkers and follows him back to the prison. Since Otis is already dead in the show, this “Thelma and Louise” style story is a great way to build up both of these characters that are two of comicdom’s favorites.

Back to the prison! Rick’s “hit squad” enters the perimeter of the prison and slaughter walkers by the dozen. Just as they are feeling confident about clearing the section, riot gear wearing walkers emerge from around the corner! This is some of the most gruesome make-up effects I have ever seen on network television! The peeling off of the gas mask on the riot walker was so visceral, so disgusting that it only made me crave more! After feeble attempts to stab through the riot gear, Maggie plunges her machete up through the bottom of a walkers jaw to stop him. Her jubilant reaction to her handiwork was outstanding! After they clear the riot walkers, the group enters the prison.

Rick’s squad clears a cell block, finds keys to the inner areas of the prison and bring the rest of the group into their new home. Exhausted, they find cells to bunk in and settle in. Their is a great “Padme/Anakin” moment between Beth and Carl that reveals how far the Carl character has come since the last season. He is confident and deadly, making him project himself more as a protector than a child. In the book he is as lethal as any of the adults, but he also has Sofia to keep him grounded. Without Sofia on the show, maybe Beth will become his center, although the age difference is a little creepy!

Also, this is where we see the great divide between Rick and Lori. Rick is deeply removed from anything Lori has to say about the baby. He is the leader of this group, but no longer the loving husband. Does he blame Lori for the duel between himself and Shane? It is more than likely that he is afraid of losing her in childbirth and needs to distance himself from her to focus on the survival of the group. We also see a great conversation between Lori and Hershel. She confides in him that she hasn’t felt the baby move in a while and is concerned it is dead. She wallows to him about her fears of labor and the likelihood of she or the baby becoming walkers. She finally pleads with Hershel that if she or the baby turn, that he would kill them. This was an truly troubling scene and was a fantastic addition of emotion to the show.

Finally, the next morning, Rick, Maggie, Hershel, T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl all enter the bowels of the prison. During their search, walkers emerge from everywhere and the group gets separated! Maggie and Glenn hide in a room until the walkers have passed but they are lost from the rest of the group. Franticly, Herschel calls out for his daughter and is bitten in the leg by a walker that has been sitting on the floor! Panicked, the groups reconnect over the screaming Hershel and drag him down the hall as walkers emerge from everywhere. They bust a lock off a door, stumble inside and barricade the door. Rick looks at Hershel’s leg and decides that it must be removed in order to save him! Grisly effects abound as Rick hacks off the bitten area, and Hershel passes out. But, all is not over! Besides the walkers outside, there is a new issue to contend with. Daryl tells Rick to get down as he draws his crossbow upward. It seems they have entered the prison’s cafeteria and there are still prisoners here. Alive!

Outstanding first episode, that ampted the action up to eleven and the emotional duress through the roof! I was very surprised about Hershel being bit, especially since it was Dale that had his leg amputated in the book! More amalgam storylines abound and I couldn’t be happier! This show has become the pinnacle of drama television, forget the courtrooms and special crime units, life in a zombie filled world is where all the best stories can come from!

As the season progresses and the Governor makes his presence known, the emotional aspect of the show will become heightened. There are things that happen in the book that I do not know how they will be allowed on network television. The Governor is an extremely twisted man and fans of the book are worried about how he will be used in the show. Well, from what Robert Kirkman has said, the fans need not worry. He has this to say about one of the most vicious characters in comics today,” … the threat of violence posed by the Governor, has not been diluted for TV!” With that said, hang on folks, it’s going to be one intense season!

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Sinister (2012)

This Film is Just Plain Evil

A Film Review of Sinister

By: Lawrence Napoli

“Found footage” films have all but oversaturated the horror genre in Hollywood recently and while this review acknowledges the fact that its intermittent use throughout Sinister is an absolute strength, “found footage” is not to be considered an instant win for any film. Let’s also not split hairs about the rationale behind its rise in popularity. From the production perspective, “found footage” continues to spread like wildfire because the reported budgets for some of the most successful films in this category continue to shrink exponentially. Economic efficiency, more so than quality, aesthetics, relevance and social commentary, is what Hollywood’s about these days and despite the allure of the blockbuster film, “found footage” continues to self promote as a reliable cog in the assembly line mind set of studios.

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Oh God, I hope this isn’t Cloverfield!

Sinister is a terrifyingly morbid exploration into the fascination with the depraved, vile and graphic imagery of live murder caught on film. It’s one of those human nature situations where we are all stunned and disgusted by the train wreck, but are somehow compelled to continue watching. This film, however, is quite clear about taking this phenomena and turning it into a morality tale (ooo, big shock there!) where those who behave irresponsibly get punished by otherworldly circumstance. Writer/director Scott Derrickson is not reinventing the wheel with Sinister, but uses the narrative horror structure to highlight the “found footage” in order to maximize the terror on screen. For the most part, this film will look and feel like your average horror flick, but then the audience is introduced to the first (of many) super 8mm murders and the intensity of the story shoots through the roof. Sinister also attempts to be a paranormal investigation film, but I found the main character’s efforts in this regard to be moot. The scares and suspense do not come from the investigation, but from the psychological torture and metaphysical danger the protagonist subjects himself to as a direct result of less than honorable ambitions. Sinister is a story that successfully blends realism with fantasy by taking great pains to not abuse visual effects to reveal the supernatural until the last possible moment. Despite the presence of several conventions (children, possession, isolation, morality tale), this film strikes a chord and is far more terrifying than most contemporary (American) horror films.

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Invesitgative journalists get into this for the money, right?

This film claims to be budgeted at around $3 million dollars which is interesting if one observes the star studded cast of what would otherwise be described as a small, indie-horror flick. Names like Fred Thompson, Vincent D’Onofrio and Ethan Hawke are all film and TV vets from various genres and none have ever been identified with horror. At the same time none of these men are exactly monopolizing the limelight in LaLa Land either. Still, these actors would all demand significant salaries for big studio or network television projects and it is surprising to find this many interested in working for scale (a.k.a. for free) on the same production. Of the three, only Ethan Hawke is truly featured as he plays the protagonist Ellison Oswalt, a non-fiction writer who is desperate to research a new murder case to get his writing career back on track. I was extremely impressed with Hawke’s performance because the man sold sincerity in every scene. This is the kind of film that is the furthest from a “paycheck” for an A-Lister, but Hawke has always had a strong footing in the realm of indie productions. He obviously had a genuine interest in this story and it reflects in his presence on screen. Who knew Ethan Hawke could do horror?

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He’s scared. The audience is scared. Mission accomplished.

Fred Thompson is featured to a lesser extent playing a sheriff who interprets Oswalt’s novels as throwing decent police work under the bus. Honestly, any elder thespian could have produced the grizzled, don’t-mess-with-this-town attitude that Thompson masterfully produced in limited opportunities, but his presence added legitimacy to this film. Vincent D’Onofrio is criminally underused as his only appearances are limited to a few web-cam dialogue sessions with Ethan Hawke. D’Onofrio is one of those unique actors who can deliver great, charismatic performances without the benefit of Brad Pitt-like looks. His contributions to this film seem like a last minute favor that got cashed in by Scott Derrickson, but it paid off because D’Onofrio can make reading the phonebook look like compelling footage. I wasn’t as impressed with the rest of the cast as Juliet Rylance’s chemistry with Ethan Hawke was spotty at best and the performances of the children: Clare Foley and Michael Hall D’Addario were easily the most forgettable in any horror film using children as a focal point for supernatural phenomena.

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Without question, the dumbest moment in this film. Thankfully, it’s the only one.

Sinister is a well made, suspense/horror film that was legitimately creepy. There were points closer to the end of the film where I felt the need to simply close my eyes not out of fear, but out of disgust for the volume of executions the audience is subjected to. The super 8mm murders are not particularly gory, but the fact that each execution is preceded by brief surveillance footage of each family enjoying each other’s company adds a level of perversion that I was not prepared for and never got used to. I would not qualify this film as a hard “visual” R, but certainly as a no holds barred R for content. This is not the horror film you sneak the kids in for and depending on the individual’s sensitivities, may be one to avoid entirely for adults if you find the concept of families being executed on screen as too much to handle. Sinister pushes the boundaries and this is normally something I call for in filmmaking, but I’d be lying if I denied that part of me would have rather skipped this film all together.

Movie News

Stephen King’s Exclusive Horror Web-Comic Goes Live Today (10/15/12)!

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That’s right, folks! Just in time for the Halloween season, www.stephenking.com has created it’s first ever exclusive horror web comic about Mr. King’s short story, “The Little Green God of Agony.”

First published in Stephen Jones’s 2011 anthology, “A Book of Horrors”, “The Little Green God of Agony” is a tale told from the point of view of a paraplegic millionaire’s nurse. Katherine “Kat” MacDonald is convinced that her patient could overcome his injuries and pain that he sustained in an airplane crash, if he would just try to endure the pain of his physical therapy. But, Andrew Newsome is just looking for the quick fix. Instead of pushing through the excruciating pain, he turns to a less conventional method. He hires a healer named, Reverend Rideout, who has promised to “expel” his pain!

Drawn by comic artist Dennis Calero (Legion of Super-Heroes, X-Factor), this exclusive web-comic will be released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next eight weeks — starting today!

So head on over to www.stephenking.com and check out Episode 1! It will definitely help get you in the mood for the scariest time of the year. But, don’t take my word for it, this is what the Master of Horror himself had to say about it: “It rocks most righteously!”

Movie News Comic Book News Marvel

Avengers Vs. X-Men Movie? Producer Lauren Shuler Donner Would Love It!

‘I would love it. I would love it. I personally have close ties to Marvel because of Kevin Feige.’

Movie News

Just What the “DOC” Ordered: The October Storm!

(Editor’s Note: Our latest column to hit Cosmic Book News comes from Chris “DOC” Bushley who will be taking a look at the less “cosmic” characters in comic books with his “Just What The Doc Ordered” OPED column!)

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

“Dueling Banjos”

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With the NYCC 2012 just around the corner, the “Big Two” are not pulling any punches to get you excited about their October releases. Even though the competition for your hard earned dollar is more fierce than it has ever been, the companies have two completely different visions on how to get the edge over the other! Let’s take a look at what Marvel and DC have in store for us and why it’s being dubbed — the “October Storm!”

Marvel Comics has wrapped up their most successful- and controversial- crossover yet, scoring the biggest sales and profit share in the first week of October with Avengers Vs. X-Men #12. But the masters at Marvel are not letting the intensity subside for a moment! October week two, showcases the end of Brian Bendis’ ten year run on Avengers with issue #31! Dubbed, “End Times”, it is a story that will cross between both Bendis written books, Avengers and New Avengers, and will not only change the status quo of the teams heroes, but also feature Dr. Strange in a larger role! Supposedly, his actions will lead directly into the future of Marvel NOW! Just enough push to lead into the movie hype!

As exciting as that sounds, next week also offers up the highest selling pre-ordered book of all time — Uncanny Avengers #1! This book not only begins the future of Marvel, but it also will have the mutant race becoming a more prominent fixture in all aspects of the universe! No longer will there be the distinct division between all things X and the rest of the heroes. Marvel Comics E.I.C., Axel Alonso, had this to say about the future involvement of the X-Men during an interview with CBR:

“ X-Men stories will continue to provide a unique reading experience that mines certain themes, but they won’t be so off to the side. In 2013, Mutants will continue to defend themselves from threats to their existence, but they’ll also be out there solving problems in the Marvel U, and “A+X” and “Uncanny Avengers” are your first glimpses of that.”

Not to be outdone by their competitors, DC Entertainment, has some pretty large news of their own! Though they will not be ending their highest selling franchises and beginning with new number ones (again!), they will however, be focusing on the return of one of the greatest villains of all time! Finally, the Joker will be introduced to the New 52! Batman #13, Batman and Robin #13 and Batgirl #13, all are released on October 10th; kicking off the “Death of the Family” storyline that is said to “rock” the Bat-books! A “new” take on Batman’s biggest thorn, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have spent tireless moments perfecting the most menacing Joker they could think of. Though he is known for his devilish and demented antics, Scott Snyder is promising an even more horrific version of the “clown prince of crime.” Snyder goes on to share these thoughts about his Joker tale in an interview with IGN:

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3415:]]“He’s intimidating because there are so many seminal stories from years before that really are some of the greatest Batman stories ever… in Death in the Family, he uses Jason [Todd] to get at Batman in as many ways as he’s hurting Jason too. In that way, Joker would make the argument that, “I’ve never faced off with you guys, but now I’m looking you in the eye and I’m coming for you. I will tear down and kill and burn anything in your life to break you.” They’ve never faced a nightmare like the Joker is the idea, and he’s coming for each one of those characters individually.”

Although this storyline will sweep through all the “Bat-books”, Snyder goes on to say that you do not need to read every book in order to follow the story:

“What’s going to happen in Batman is a thousand percent self-contained; it’s going to be my big Joker story with Greg Capullo in Batman. You will not have to read another book to follow it whatsoever to follow it, I promise you that. It’s from #13-17, with a big, huge finale in 17 with an annual-sized issue – and we’ll be in the back-ups too, so it’ll just be a giant story that’s the equivalent of almost seven issues packed into five. Even though that will be completely self-contained in Batman, you will see Joker in the other series in self-contained ways similar to Night of the Owls, where he goes after those Bat-family members in ways that will give him a chance to completely unleash the most terrifying things you’ve seen in those series up to this point.”

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3417:]]Also, this month, DC Entertainment will be releasing their “Third Wave” for the New 52! Beginning with Phantom Stranger #1 by Dan Didio, Brent Anderson and Scott Hanna! This book will focus on the “Trinity of Evil” and why they were cursed to walk the earth for all eternity. Hopefully we will get some answers as to the events of Phantom Stranger #0, where we saw the creation of The Spectre, a glimpse of Pandora and the possible return of the Question! After the initial start week, we will see more “Third Wave” books that will focus on the history of the New 52 universe with: Sword of Sorcery #1 by Christy Marx and Aaron Lopresti and Team 7 #1 by CBN favorite – Justin Jordan and Jesus Merino! And let’s not forget another Scott Snyder book, stemming from the page of the “Court of Owls” storyline – Talon #1!

All in all, October is going to be an explosive month for comics in general! With so many books coming out in the first two weeks alone and so few dollars to be spent, where does your money lie? Hit us up in the comments below and let us know what will get you through this comic book “storm” of greatness! I, personally cannot wait to see the Joker! But, no matter what your choices are, it’s a great time to be a fan!

Movie News Reviews Video Game News

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Damnation

Forget “Retribution;” Damnation Shows Evil Going Global

A Film Review of Resident Evil: Damnation

By: Lawrence Napoli

We are DAYS away from the release of my most anticipated videogame of 2012 in Resident Evil 6 and Capcom saw fit to release its most recent CG film a week prior in an effort to prime American fans for the kind of story, action and thrills that will be awaiting us all on October 2^nd. What better way to do this than by giving the fans a prequel (of sorts) that bridges the gap between Resident Evils 5 and 6 without making any actual reference to either? This may sound a tad curious, but I attribute that to Japanese sensitivities to the concept of plot which I will explain later. This original film produced by the coalition of Capcom, Digital Frontier and Sony Pictures Entertainment joins its brother (Resident Evil: Degeneration) as the only two films to be part of the official Resident Evil cannon and unlike its predecessor, Damnation delivers a high fidelity experience that is sharp on looks and intense on action.

By the start of Resident Evil 5, the concept of international bio-terrorism is in full swing because the Umbrella Corporation allegedly goes bankrupt and in the process, all of its viral research and development hits the global black market. Anyone with a WIFI connection and a few million bucks could become a bio-terrorist overnight. Damnation further explores the investigation of B.O.W. (bio-organic weapon) sightings in an Eastern European (ex-Soviet Block) country with fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy taking the lead. Leon arrives in this country with a very obscure status as he doesn’t represent the CIA, Secret Service or BSAA in any capacity. The only thing the viewer knows for sure is that Leon is still some sort of US government agent as Ingrid Hunnigan (from Resident Evil 4) continues to relay intelligence to Leon via his cell phone. Leon is in full tactical gear as the country is in the midst of a civil war and the action simply shoots through the roof once he starts jogging to his next destination.

The overall story of Damnation is much more concise than any of the games because it strictly gravitates around the plot of this one setting and main character. However, the typical mood of conspiracy and betrayal is as consistent as any other chapter in the Resident Evil saga. As this franchise continues to move slightly away from “horror” to feature more “action;” Damnation is yet another perfect (or terrible, depending on your point of view) example of this strategy. The director, Makoto Kamiya wanted the events of this film to depict Leon S. Kennedy as he “descends into hell” which would seem to evoke more “horror” elements to this story. Sure, Leon gets disarmed at some point and only has his bound fists to survive for a while, but the fact that this character IS Leon removes ANY semblance of threat because fans know he’s a mainstay of the franchise and he IS in Resident Evil 6 as a primary character. There is virtually no element of horror to this CG film because there is no dedication to building suspense. Doing so requires many more moments of silence to allow the audience an anticipation of fear which the bullet and explosion filled pages of this particular script are ill equipped to produce. Oh well, I guess this just means Damnation must settle for being a really good action film with plenty of gory violence, gunplay and slow motion, close quarter combat.

One other aspect of this story that demands singular recognition is the fact that the B.O.W.s being used throughout Damnation are within the framework of war. As such, viewing classics like zombies, lickers, ganados, parasites and tyrants as alternatives to guns and grenades is a theme never before explored in Resident Evil. What makes this exceptionally interesting is the unprecedented level of control that is demonstrated over these monsters in addition to the fact that they are used against each other on several occasions. Ever find yourself cheering for the bad guy? The player/audience has always seen these things as antagonists that need to be dispatched or avoided, but never as an option in combat scenarios. It will be interesting to see if this concept is somehow applied to any gameplay mechanic in Resident Evil 6, so if it is – remember, you heard the prediction here first!

Resident Evil has always been a character driven drama so I was expecting to learn a little more about Leon S. Kennedy, the man, during yet another one man mission against the undead. After the events of Resident Evil 2 very little has been revealed about this man other than his continued involvement from a distance during the plots of every game and his hush-hush government training post Raccoon City. Unfortunately, Damnation is not very forthcoming about any new details concerning Leon; maintaining his status as an ultimate bad ass with unwavering ethical integrity. Ho hum.

Whenever Leon is involved, it seems Ada Wong is not far to follow as she (yet again) appears to be infiltrating this particular dangerous environment as a spy working for “someone else” (not named Albert Wesker because he’s dead, at least I think). If you have been living under a rock and have not seen any of the Resident Evil 6 trailers, Ada appears to be set up as the big bad in the upcoming game, thus working for herself all this time. That certainly jives with her character type, yet Damnation is clear about establishing an unidentified employer backing Wong’s infiltration. She’s still a sexy femme fatale and (you guessed it) very little else is revealed other than the fact that a more intimate relationship between her and Leon culminated prior to the events in Damnation. She clearly cares about him, yet neither is truly smitten with the other despite an obvious attraction that was set up in RE2.

The rest of the characters in this CG film are not particularly interesting as they are dealt with (one way or the other) within the confines of this plot. Degeneration approached its antagonists in the exact same fashion which, unfortunately, removes a healthy amount of danger and intrigue from these newly introduced characters. I admire the Japanese filmmakers for creating this movie, but as a plot, does not stand on its own strength and really comes off as a strategic setup piece to get gamers used to the scale, scope and stakes of RE6. These are the important bullet points I took away from Damnation: 1) Biohazards are potentially everywhere: from obscure rural communities to the largest of urban jungles in EVERY country. 2) Every variety of mutation you have seen thus far is probably going to make an appearance in the next game and the “zombies” that are supposedly making their triumphant return in RE6 are actually smart, weapon-wielding, ganados and not brainless T-virus victims. 3) Capcom’s marketing of the “3 campaign system” supposedly featuring 3 distinct play styles promising a return to “survival horror” in at least one of them is an absolute crock! This film and the exceptional RE6 trailer attached to it cement this franchise in straight monster-slaughter action. Accept it.

I liked parts of this film, but cannot admit to loving any of it. The extra features on the Blu Ray disc are nothing to write home about, but the “making of” featurette is neat seeing the cast do all sorts of motion capture work on set. I also found it interesting how this Japanese production company was using nothing but HP computer hardware for 100% of its production tools. It’s just a simple observation. This CG film is a vast improvement over Degeneration in almost every regard (look, sound and feel) with the exception of story. Clearly, Capcom did not give director Makoto Kamiya the same leeway Paul W.S. Anderson had with his adaptations. These films HAD to fit with the games and surely his options were limited. Still, I was amazed that nothing more than the stellar action was at work in Damnation. I wanted to see more character revelations, more connectivity with the games and overall more relevance, but what I got was more typical Eastern filmmaking that promotes style over substance; look over story. The Blu Ray copy of Resident Evil: Damnation retails at $19.99 US dollars and I simply cannot recommend this film at that price to anyone besides serious Resident Evil fans. If you find it on sale for $10, go for it, otherwise save that money for your pre-order of Resident Evil 6.

DCU Movie News Reviews

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 Review

Perfect introduction.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: The Possession (2012)

More Creepy Girls with Long, Dark Hair

A Film Review of The Possession

By: Lawrence Napoli

As we approach October, we are beginning to see a wave of horror films attempt to make some money before the next Paranormal Activity steals everyone elseâ€™s mojo. As such, the whole â€œpossessionâ€ motif is in full effect this time of year and it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish one from the other. They all seem to feature creepy little girls with long dark hair and some (like The Possession) are based on true stories. This movie involves exactly what the title suggests, but the tricky spin on the â€œtrue storyâ€ basis of this film is not the plot, but the setup surrounding the mysterious box that encapsulates a supposed demon. As the story goes: a college student named Iosif Nietzke sold an ancient Jewish wine cabinet box on eBay which he specifically described as having bad luck surrounding it (as he began losing his hair after acquiring it). A museum curator named Jason Haxton put in the winning bid at $280 and afterwards, several representatives of the Jewish community became aware of and very interested in this box. A Jewish newspaper, The Forward published an article about these boxes and many rabbis offered to handle (even open) the box themselves. Some went as far as suggesting that all digital imagery of the item be removed from the internet all together so as to prevent any possible spiritual invasion.

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You may have seen something like this before

A few aspects of this setup have been written into this film as screenwriters Juliet Snowden and Stiles White establish some of these details within the first 5 minutes. What follows, however, is a much more involved and dangerous series of events following a divorced couple, their two daughters and the utter torment that results once this box comes into their lives. Overall the story is quite interesting, but not told in a very foreboding or terrifying manner. In fact, The Possession is quite short on suspense which really detracts from the well conceived and executed supernatural phenomena as depicted on the screen. When things happen, there is usually no dedicated buildup. Most of the themes at work in this film are an amalgam of life lessons weâ€™ve all heard before: had selfish parents been more concerned with their children, the kids would be less compelled to pull away and be drawn to â€œalternativeâ€ fascination. I understand how a childâ€™s proximity to danger (real-world or supernatural) is a horrific element in and of itself, but I feel this concept has been played out in contemporary horror so much so that every deadpan stare, every shriek and every contortionistâ€™s wet dream doesnâ€™t have the same impact it had 10 years ago. There seem to be a few continuity issues towards the beginning of the film (ahem, the girl and her braces), but aside from that, scene transitions and dialogue are fairly kosher.

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My name is NOT Samara!

All of the performances by the cast are respectable, believable and appropriate for the types of characters they are playing. It definitely feels as if director Ole Bornedal directed his adult thespians as if this were a regular drama. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a very charismatic, yet self involved college basketball coach while Kyra Sedgwick plays a more conservative and annoyingly anal former housewife that is getting back into her own business as a jewelry designer. It is a little easier for 2 actors to portray a divorced couple if they are written only as mutually hostile or friendly, but The Possession requires equal parts throughout this film and thankfully, Morgan and Sedgwickâ€™s chemistry is more than capable of shifting gears in both directions at any given time. Also, I found Matisyahuâ€™s first feature acting role quite successful as Tzadok, the son of the head rabbi helping Jeffrey Dean Morganâ€™s character. Few musicians show any proficiency in an acting environment, but between him and Lenny Kravitz, these two men could be reversing that stigma.

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I am a real actor now!

The children didnâ€™t demonstrate quite the same impact, but were just as effective in their roles. Madison Davenportâ€™s performance as the older (and unaffected) sister, Hannah delivered your typical teenie-bopper, rebellious angst more concerned with popularity than anything else. Natasha Calis, however, had much more on her plate being the possessed sister, Em. Natashaâ€™s transition from daddyâ€™s little girl to creepy ghost girl was fairly impressive, but what I found more impressive was the discipline she showed in not breaking that disturbed demeanor once the box infects her character. Her filmography already has her experienced in several hard edged films and although I was impressed with her acting maturity, I was uncomfortable with some of the costume choices that were made for her character that somehow highlighted curves on an 11 year old. Perhaps I ought to be more alarmed by the glamour-shots both of these little girls have for their imdb.com pages.

Visual effects supervisor Adam Stern only had a few moments to show some really disturbing digital imagery, but the rarity enhances the disturbing to the deranged. The best digital effect was easily the fingers shown trying to crawl out of the little girlâ€™s throat from the inside which isnâ€™t a spoiler because it was shown in every trailer for this film. Although some other effects like the moth infestation, teeth falling out and demon manifestations were well done, none were on the same level as the fingers. This film had a budget of only $14 million dollars and chances are most of it went to the visual effects despite the fact there were only a handful of them. Still, if done correctly, these really expensive seconds of screen time prove that horror can still produce financial successes provided the rest of the cast and crew will work for scale or less.

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Somebody down there?

The Possession is a very decent horror film that is light on thrills, but solid on performances. Iâ€™m hoping to get a more intense experience from at least one of the upcoming horror films, but I will not grantee it seeing how the Paranormal franchise may be turning into Saw. This film is worth seeing if your horror itch needs to be scratched, but it doesnâ€™t distinguish itself amidst the other average movies that fill out the post-summer-blockbuster-hangover-weeks. It borrows far too much from The Ring and The Exorcist to be described as unique, but if you liked those films, you may not even care.

Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Awful, Just Awful

A Film Review of Resident Evil: Retribution

By: Lawrence Napoli

I donâ€™t particularly care for Paul W. S. Andersonâ€™s work as a filmmaker during his tenure as Capcomâ€™s official Hollywood adapter of the Resident Evil franchise. I believe Mr. Anderson only has a cursory understanding of the overall storyline which has afforded him the gall to write all of the iconic characters as secondary support roles that do not impact the story in any way shape and form. Anderson has been quite blunt with his need to generate original characters that drive his vision forward which is why most of his main characters have been conjured out of thin air: Alice, Rain, K-Mart, L.J., the Red Queen, Luther West, etc. I donâ€™t mind the concept of expanded fiction referencing characters from the source material. In fact, a great example would be The Walking Dead video game by TellTale Games. The problem I have with Andersonâ€™s use of character is twofold: 1) his original characters are quite flat and 2) the iconic characters are basically cannon fodder for Alice. This is not good, not good at all.

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Warning: gratuitous cleavage shot

Resident Evil: Retributionis a perfect example of a writer/directorâ€™s ego gone wild. Andersonâ€™s tunnel vision in using every film (including this one) to further explore and expand the bloated importance of the character of Alice has forced him to severely limit his options in terms of plot and the story suffers for it. I will rephrase that last comment. The story is perversely warped as a result of it. Fans of the game series see a story in the film adaptations that is simply not Resident Evil. Those who arenâ€™t fans will experience this film as a sci-fi, action film unconcerned with details like â€œwho are these people?â€ â€œwhere do they come from?â€ â€œwhat is happening here?â€ and â€œwhy is any of this important?â€ It is true that Retribution opens with its signature review of the plot thus far in the previous films, but even with that refresher, the audience will be completely confused by the relevance of anything they are seeing that doesnâ€™t involve Alice running away from monsters. Despite frequent expository scenes that spoon feed the story, none of these moments address some of the basic viewer questions I mentioned earlier.

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The “S” stands for “suck-ass”

On top of Andersonâ€™s failings as a writer, his degrading ability to get decent performances from his actors is obvious. Sienna Guillory apparently forgot how to act all together as her awkward line delivery made Jill Valentine look like she was in a high school musical. Bingbing Li may not know the English language as all her dialogue seems like it was post-dubbed, thus making Ada Wong look like she was pulled out of a cheesy kung-fu flick. Colin Salmon could not be persuaded to get in shape for this film and his performance as One in the first Resident Evil was Academy Award winning material in comparison to this. Johann Urbâ€™s rendition of Leon S. Kennedy seemed more concerned with the placement of his hair than coming off as a suave badass. And Michelle Rodriguez should not be a professional actress in the first place.

There are some shining lights to this film in regards to the performances. Milla Jovovich will never win an Oscar, but she is quite comfortable in action films and the confidence she shows in Alice works for that character. I still tend to snicker every time Alice tries to be poignant on screen, but then she punches someone in the face and itâ€™s suddenly all better. Aryana Engineerâ€™s (an 11 year old) performance as Becky (Aliceâ€™s â€œdaughterâ€) is uncharacteristically moving amidst the various degrees of anger-filled rage from the rest of the cast. Her chemistry with Jovovich onscreen is charmingly sympathetic. But the best performance is displayed by the (once again) underused Shawn Roberts as Albert Wesker. The attitude, the snide remarks, the accent: this man simply embodies every inch of Wesker and for the life of me; I cannot understand how dense Paul W. S. Anderson must be to not feature this actor/character more.

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More of me would have made more millions for this movie

The action and effects in this film actually take a step back from the last film: Resident Evil: Afterlife. The audience was treated to a slew of super human activity between Wesker and the Alice clones in that film and when compared to the bigger monsters and standard mass shootings of various zombie hordes in this film, Iâ€™m left unimpressed. Hopefully the viewer isnâ€™t turned off by slow motion as the visual effects company, Mr. X abused â€œslo-moâ€ in every, single, action sequence. It was too much of the same old, same old. As for 3D; DO NOT PAY TO SEE THIS FILM IN 3D! The 3-4 instances of â€œthings flying at the screenâ€ do not justify the inflated ticket price to see a movie like this. No other film franchise has taken advantage of the 3D scam more so than Resident Evil. It is a major contributing factor for explaining how this saga could be described as â€œthe most successful series of films based on video games.â€

Resident Evil: Retribution inspires little confidence in the franchise and even less in a software company as significant as Capcom. Eastern developers have recently been falling behind the west, but when you couple questionable business moves like handing the Hollywood adaptation of your most prominent IP to some dude who happens to be married to Milla Jovovich must reflect disintegrating stock value. As ridiculous and contrived as many of the moments in the Resident Evil game history are, none of them come close to the absurdity of Paul W. S. Andersonâ€™s take on zombies. If he plugged Star Wars characters into an Indiana Jones story, heâ€™d genuinely believe he invented Episode VII! This film is a pass. Go see Expendables 2 if you need action, but youâ€™re simply better off waiting to buy Resident Evil 6 for your Xbox or Ps3. That is, of course, if this film doesnâ€™t make you want to march to Capcomâ€™s corporate headquarters and set semtex to the whole building.

Movie News Reviews Video Game News

The State of Hollywood 6: The Metal Gear Movie

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The State of Hollywood 6:

The Reality of the Metal Gear Solid Movie

By: Lawrence Napoli

What could go wrong?

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When the Metal Gear Solid film adaptation was confirmed to be in the works at Konamiâ€™s 25^th Anniversary of the video game franchise, I was very intrigued at the prospect of bringing one of the most cinematic game sagas to the silver screen. I was also quite apprehensive of such lofty ambitions for the simple fact that Hollywood has blundered just about every gaming license it has gotten its greasy palms on, and Iâ€™d hate to see Kojimaâ€™s masterpiece sullied by anyone for any reason. Just look what they did to Super Mario and he was a fat plumber who curb-stomped turtles to save a princess. How can Hollywood possibly handle the â€œnuances, ideology [and] cautionary tales,â€ (quoting Avi Arad, himself) of global conspiracy by the military industrial complex to control the future of mankind via technology, genetics, economics and violence? (Wait, isnâ€™t that happening in real life now?)

The answer to that question is that none of the above really matters to Avi Arad or anyone else in Hollywood because there are greenbacks to be made and ravenous fan bases ripe for exploitation. Hollywoodâ€™s goal is producing blockbuster gold in the form of a film that may or may not have something important to say about life, but is really more interested in wooing dollars out of our wallets with explosions.

In many respects, the meat of Metal Gearâ€™s story contains ideas that average blockbusters wouldnâ€™t normally give a second thought to. That is until the most recent culmination of Christopher Nolanâ€™s Dark Knight Trilogy (who, by the way, is the only director Kojima has mentioned interest in allowing to helm a Metal Gear adaptation). Unfortunately, there is only one Chris Nolan and he will be too busy promoting the rest of DCâ€™s alphas to Batmanâ€™s prominence on film. Thus, [insert director here] inspires far less confidence in this projectâ€™s production which attracts a smaller pool of actors and other talented filmmaking professionals to the cause.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2964:]]Why Metal Gear and why now?

The entertainment industry seems to see Aradâ€™s alliance with Columbia Pictures as a response to Ubisoft using its own production facilities to create an Assassinâ€™s Creed adaptation starring Michael Fassbender. I see it as Hollywood having sucked just about all the sellable juice from the comic book industry and it needs a new host to leach upon before it goes through a true â€œdry spellâ€ of projects.

The big four of the entertainment industry: music, movies, books and DVDâ€™s are averaging between $30-60 billion dollars of annual, global revenue in their respective categories and the video game industry is on par with each of them. This simply wasnâ€™t the case 15 years ago, but considering the constant evolution of the internet and the increased demand for user interactivity as a result; it stands to reason that gaming continues to be on the rise and more people regardless of age, gender and ethnicity are plugging in. The best known franchises in gaming have high exposure for various consumer bases around the world, so considering Hollywoodâ€™s recent trend on focusing on global numbers (as opposed to [US] domestic profits), it makes perfect sense for more games to be remixed as movies.

Metal Gear, as a franchise, gives Hollywood everything it wants in an adaptation: relevance, popularity, violence and lots of opportunities for special effects.[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2965:]] Yet history has shown there is no such thing as â€œa sure thingâ€ so not every gaming icon makes perfect sense to invest in. As marquee as Mario and Link are in videogames, neither could sell a contemporary blockbuster the way Solid Snake can because they are rooted in Nintendoâ€™s stylized fantasyland which may not be for everyone above the age of 13. Halo also generates high visibility, but a film adaptation might turn off an audience more interested in action as opposed to being bombarded with too much sci-fi jargon and exposition. The same goes for Mass Effect and BioShock. The only other contemporary franchise that might out shine Metal Gear as a potential film would be anything that bears the name of Call of Duty, but please note the similarities between the two: modern day/future warfare, modern day army tactics, modern day violence (with a slight sci-fi edge to Metal Gear).

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2966:]]Dollars, cents and â€œsuccessâ€

Letâ€™s just say there really isnâ€™t a lot of success when it comes to movies based on video games (as there isnâ€™t much success in games based on movies). Hollywood measures its success in cash and despite the ever increasing cost of general admission and conspiratorial gimmicks like double the ticket cost for IMAX and Digital DLP projection, the industry is still not making the money it used to make. Yes, consumer feedback is most directly reflected in the dollars they spend and when you observe mega-films like Avatar and The Avengers take home multiple billions of dollars worth in global ticket sales, it makes you wonder how Hollywood could ever be struggling.

Hollywoodâ€™s problem in general (and game adaptations in particular) is that â€œsuccessâ€ measured in dollars is a skewed statistic as a result of the aforementioned inflation and tricks. Only focusing on the green has contributed to the overall decline in Hollywoodâ€™s product and whether you agree with that statement or not, the audience is showing disappointment due to its increased absence as the years go by. When you go to the movies, how often do you sit in theaters that one would consider â€œfull?â€ When you talk to your friends about movies how often do complaints like â€œIâ€™ve seen it all before,â€ and â€œtheyâ€™ve run out of ideas,â€ come up in the conversation? It all sounds very circumstantial and unquantifiable, but if we tracked the number of tickets sold (regardless of price) we would begin to see an alarming drop in patronage overall.

Why should any of this be important to Hideo Kojima and his Metal Gear franchise? Acknowledging the rising cost and decreased business of Hollywood has[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2968:]] placed even more pressure on blockbusters to over perform at the box office and this increased scrutiny demands stricter adherence to the â€œHollywood formulaâ€: good writing and plot are sacrificed for big name actors, elaborate set pieces, visual effects and tons of explosions (essentially style over substance). Even â€œthe formulaâ€ cannot be considered foolproof, but no major studio will ever bankroll such a project unless â€œthe formulaâ€ is in full effect. Cue, (Sony) Columbia Pictures which owns 15.5% of movie market share and is 2^nd only to Warner Bros. in pure blockbuster production power. Big money is already behind this Metal Gear project, but accepting it implies the complete submission to whatever Hollywood says the movie will be. In the words of Amanda Connor regarding the adaptation of her husbandâ€™s Jonah Hex: â€œYou donâ€™t handle Hollywood. Hollywood handles you!â€ Sorry Kojima-san, youâ€™ve just been kicked out of the writerâ€™s room.

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“Kojima approved” may be irrelevant in the Metal Gear adaptation.

Why it will fail!

Three words: TACTICAL, ESPIONAGE, ACTION! That is the subtitle for every Metal Gear Solid game and it designates to the player exactly what this fiction is all about in addition to the order of importance of each of these elements have within the story. Hollywoodâ€™s â€œformulaâ€ dictates quite the opposite by forcing the film to be focused on action/effects, rated PG-13 and entirely unconcerned with social commentary. When the base philosophical difference between the source material and the adaptation is that far apart, how on Earth could Avi Arad speak so smugly about staying true to Metal Gearâ€™s â€œnuance and ideology?â€

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This is a sneaking mission Snake. The goal here is gathering information, so apply appropriate tactics.

Metal Gear Solidis not about war. War has changed. War is the escalating cost of gasoline and energy. War is hacking databases to steal identities. War is Chinese banks buying up American debt. War is corporations over people. War is the race to do things better, faster and cheaper than the other guy. War is less about proxy battles fought on foreign soil and more about the concept of human struggle and how interconnected every individual is in our daily toils as we live our lives. THAT is Metal Gear Solid. THAT is the story of Solid Snake: a super soldier coming to grips with how his warrior code of honor and discipline is completely at odds with his chain of command and the true authority behind it. It is a case study in refined, character driven drama where even individuals of immense power still answer to another; slaves to causality; chess pieces playing out their roles. The trick is they are all discovering this truth and not everyone likes it.

Solid Snake running around for two hours blowing sh*t up has 0% chance of producing a story that approaches any of the above.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2971:]]How it might succeed

The right people have to be recruited for the creative positions in this kind of production: writers, actors, crew and F/X. They must be led by a director that becomes intimate with the source material and creates a vision that he or she will not allow producers or executives to compromise. [Insert director here] is not well versed in having a spine, let alone creating a vision worth buying into. This is the reason why there are so many directors you have never heard of and will never hear from again. Any old person will not do to direct this adaptation.

Mechs must be fully animated, but discipline must be maintained so as not to turn Metal Gear into Transformers. One easy step in accomplishing this feat is by completely forgetting Michael Bay (or his agent) exists. The second step is putting serious thought into the final battle which involves Snake vs. Liquid who is piloting the mechanical behemoth, Metal Gear Rex. As ridiculous as 1 man fighting a robot the size of a house is, planning the action in a way that is not â€œover the topâ€ is the only way the climax of this film (and Rex specifically) doesnâ€™t come off as stupid. Of course, thatâ€™s assuming the director wants to play out the final confrontation in the same manner as the game. The answer to this situation becomes a little less daunting so long as â€œtacticalâ€ and â€œespionageâ€ continue to prevail over â€œaction.â€

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My name is Rex, not Grimlock!

Finally, the right actor must be cast for Solid Snake. Certainly, Metal Gear features one of the most colorful casts in the history of fiction, but the story is very singular in perspective and Solid Snake is the man. The internet has an interesting list of potential leading men such as Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen and Matt Damon (sorry David Hayter, you are invited to play some role on the film, but you canâ€™t be Snake). My particular problem with these high profile, A-listers is that just about all of them have already represented iconic characters recently and franchise fatigue is inevitable. This affects both the actorâ€™s performance as well as the audienceâ€™s ability to accept the actor in the role. I am most intrigued with the mentioning of Josh Holloway who is most remembered for his role on Lost. I like the fact that he has as much to gain from the role of Solid Snake as the role does from his performance. He certainly looks the part, but can he act it? Also, can he completely delete his southern accent? Both of which are vital to creating a viable, Solid Snake. I wonâ€™t give Josh my official endorsement, but the mitigating circumstances I just mentioned place him higher on the list than anyone else.

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Conclusion

Adapting Metal Gear is not the slam dunk many would make it out to be. Otherwise, it would have already happened. It certainly presents a high risk/high reward scenario provided the creators approach this film with the intention of keeping it unique from other war/sci-fi/action films. It also presents a low yield/heavy backlash scenario if the adaptation simply sucks. I am not certain Kojimaâ€™s ego would survive such an outcome and Iâ€™d hate to have him stare that possibility down up close and personal. And perhaps that is the reason we havenâ€™t seen this game in Hollywood scripts up to now. However, with the upcoming release of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (developed by Platinum Games) and Kojimaâ€™s desire to move into the producerâ€™s chair for future Metal Gear Solid games, it seems he is being less possessive of his brainchild. Ironically, Snake and Kojima share the same problem of trust as both consider themselves to be true professionals that rely on their own efforts rather than others. Still, itâ€™s much easier for a man to move mountains with the help of other men.

Movie News Reviews

The State of Hollywood: 10 Best American Born Actors

The State of Hollywood 5 (b):

10 Best American Born Actors as of 2012

By: Lawrence Napoli

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It was a bit more difficult sorting through the men (Editor’s Note: compared to the women) to come up with a 10 â€œbest,â€ â€œcurrent,â€ and â€œAmerican born,â€ Hollywood actor list. Quite frankly, there are more opportunities for men in this business because those who control the means of production (writers, directors, producers) still happen to be men [who are also mostly white]. Iâ€™d like to forewarn the reader if he or she happens to be sensitive about their leading men because there will be noticeable absences on this list for the simple fact that obvious additions 10 years ago have somewhat dropped out of the game due to age, a loss of interest or (fill in the blank). NOT appearing on this list are notables: Hanks, Spacey, Travolta, Pacino, De Niro, Agents K and J, Malkovich and â€œJACKâ€ Nicholson. Oh, did I touch a nerve there? I believe you all know where to send your complaints.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2785:]]10) Jeff Bridges

Born: Los Angeles, California in 1949

Last major feature: True Grit and Tron: Legacy (2010)

Notable awards: 2010 SAG, Golden Globe and Academy Award for best actor in Crazy Heart

Highlights: Iron Man, K-Pax, The Contender, The Big Lebowski, The Fisher King, Tron, Last Picture Show

On a quick side note: if I could nominate the entire cast of The Big Lebowski I would (minus Tara Reid), but alas not everyone in that cast has had an opportunity to truly lead productions (though many have and Iâ€™m glad Buscemi is doing well in Boardwalk Empire). That being said, â€œThe Dudeâ€ is every bit as awesome as the nickname that made us forget heâ€™s just another Jeffrey Lebowski. Toss in the fact he didnâ€™t speak a single discernible word for the entirety of True Grit and still got an Oscar nomination for it shows us that even the Academy can appreciate Jeffâ€™s eccentricity. The manâ€™s a true Hollywood star and although he had no major releases last year, heâ€™s slated for two in 2013: R.I.P.D. and The Seventh Son.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2786:]]9) Brad Pitt

Born: Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1963

Last major feature: Moneyball (2011)

Notable awards: 2012 NSFC best actor in The Tree of Life and Moneyball and 1996 Golden Globe for best supporting actor in Twelve Monkeys

Highlights: Inglourious Basterds, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Snatch, Fight Club, Se7en, Legends of the Fall

Often maligned for his â€œpretty boyâ€ status, Pitt continues to show more seasoning as an actor these days as well as some smarter choices for the roles he signs up for. You kind of have to have more patience and discipline as an individual if you are the father of a family of 20. Say what you will about his acting ability, but his performances make the films heâ€™s been involved with MUCH more interesting. Unlike Tom Cruise, Pitt still has a real opportunity to win an Academy Award as an actor because he can sell more than just action flicks. Until then, heâ€™ll just have to remain envious of his wifeâ€™s Oscar.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2787:]]8) Lenardo DiCaprio

Born: Los Angeles, California in 1974

Last major feature: J. Edgar (2011)

Notable awards: 2005 Golden Globe for best actor in The Aviator

Highlights: Inception, Shutter Island, The Departed, Catch Me If You Can, Titanic, Romeo + Juliet

Ah Leo, another pretty boy makes the list, but this one happens to be one I formerly had a serious beef with concerning his status as the male version of Helen of Troy to all young women as a result of his work in Titanic. Had I been getting as lucky with the ladies as Leo had in general during the late 90s, perhaps Iâ€™d feel differently. However, his filmography speaks for itself as his recent work has definitely made me more of a believer. As Brad Pitt has shown a deeper commitment to character, so too has DiCaprio as he matures as a professional. Leo has a few years on Pitt to grab that Oscar, but itâ€™s a toss-up as to which one of them actually lands it first. His upcoming work for The Great Gatsby should be compelling enough for yet another nomination once it releases.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2788:]]7) Matt Damon

Born: Boston, Massachusetts in 1970

Last major feature: We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Notable awards: 1998 Golden Globe and Academy Award for best screenplay for Good Will Hunting

Highlights: The Adjustment Bureau, True Grit, Invictus, The Bourne Trilogy, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Rounders

Yes, the best heâ€™s managed so far for notable acting recognition is a number of nominations. The argument could easily be made that Good Will Hunting was such a phenomenal fluke that validated Damon and Affleckâ€™s existence on the Hollywood scene that it should come to no oneâ€™s surprise that he hasnâ€™t become the alpha actor he should be. To that I say Damon still makes this list even if GWH never existed. Sure, heâ€™d drop a few spots, but his work on the Bourne franchise is quite balanced between the action and drama. The chemistry he had with Emily Blunt on The Adjustment Bureau was inspiring. But it was the command he demonstrated throughout Rounders that proved he not only belonged in Hollywood, he could headline it.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2789:]]6) Denzel Washington

Born: Mount Vernon, New York in 1954

Last major feature: Safe House (2012)

Notable awards: 2002 Academy Award for best actor in Training Day, 1990 Golden Globe and Academy Award for best supporting actor in Glory, 2000 Golden Globe for best actor in The Hurricane

Highlights: The Book of Eli, American Gangster, DÃ©jÃ Vu, Man on Fire, Training Day, Philadelphia, Malcolm X, Glory

Easily the most decorated actor on this list; Denzel has accomplished just about everything a professional actor can aspire to in Hollywood land. Everything about this manâ€™s acting ability can be summarized in one word: intensity! The real question is whether age is starting to catch up to him seeing how his last outing with Ryan Reynolds didnâ€™t exactly fire up the critics in a positive way. I canâ€™t blame an alpha actor like Denzel for doing a paycheck film, but it does hurt his â€œcurrentâ€ and â€œrelevantâ€ status somewhat; thus his placement at #6.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2790:]]5) Philip Seymour Hoffman

Born: Fairport, New York in 1967

Last major feature: The Ides of March (2011)

Notable awards: 2006 SAG, Golden Globe and Academy Award for best actor in Capote

Highlights: Doubt, Capote, Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia, The Big Lebowski

No, Mr. Hoffman does not make this list because of some â€œun-prettyâ€ quota. Heâ€™s a damn fine actor whose work extends well into the indie scene while still getting much deserved respect (and bank) from Hollywood. Few actors can be so effective in both comedic and serious roles but Philip has this in spades. His films tend to be a bit more cerebral in nature so his exposure to the average movie-goer may be limited. Yet, this man is a living, breathing example that performance can transcend looks (and thatâ€™s a BIG accomplishment amidst all the plastic of La La Land). He adds instant credibility to any cast and any production, but the smart choice is always to have him slide into a featured role because he can make the whole thing Oscar worthy.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2791:]]4) Edward Norton

Born: Baltimore, Maryland in 1967

Last major feature: The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Notable awards: 1997 Golden Globe for best supporting actor in Primal Fear

Highlights: The Incredible Hulk, The Illusionist, Death To Smoochy, The Score, Fight Club, American History X, Rounders

Is he a diva incapable of playing well with other marquee actors? Is his agent a money grubbing troll? Who knows the real â€œtruthâ€ behind the fact he was not a part of the epic cast of The Avengers because it certainly was NOT the result of poor acting. He certainly made me forget that Eric Bana practically murdered Marvelâ€™s big green machine in tandem with Ang Lee. Norton is as skilled as actors come. He was plain evil in American History X, yet plain loveable in Death To Smoochy. His skill cannot be questioned, but if he presents chemistry issues for oneâ€™s cast, that presents a legitimate concern. Perhaps Norton is just getting a bad rap as a result of gossip gone wild. However, if so much gossip is consistent over a period of time, there may be some truth to it.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2792:]]3) Morgan Freeman

Born: Memphis, Tennessee in 1937

Last major feature: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Notable awards: 2005 Academy Award for best supporting actor in Million Dollar Baby, 1990 Golden Globe for best actor in Driving Ms. Daisy

Highlights: The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Bucket List, Along Came a Spider, Se7en, The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Glory

As the elder statesman of this list, Morgan Freeman continues to deliver impactful performances as an actor because he finds the roles that compliment his age rather than react against it. Of course, his iconic voice does much to extend his legacy as a marquee narrator (thus negating any ill effects of being â€œtoo oldâ€). Heâ€™s still more than capable of being the single feature to any production, but heâ€™s gravitating towards projects with strong ensemble casts. Heâ€™s won his Oscar so I canâ€™t argue with his approach to further cementing his legacy. I personally feel he was hosed for being overlooked by the Academy for his work on Shawshank, but then everyone that wasnâ€™t associated with Forrest Gump was overlooked in â€™95.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2793:]]2) Robert Downey Jr.

Born: New York City, New York in 1965

Last major feature: The Avengers

Notable awards: 2010 Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy for Sherlock Holmes, 1993 BAFTA for best actor in Chaplin

Highlights: Iron Man Trilogy, Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder, A Scanner Darkly, Wonder Boys, Heart and Souls, Chaplin

(Iâ€™m not even going to mention the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes) How much money has this one individual made for Marvel Entertainment? An exact number would be difficult to come up with, but the fact that he is playing the role he was born to play in Tony Stark has a lot to do with Hollywoodâ€™s continued obsession with adapting comic book titles. Now letâ€™s totally forget his involvement with all things Avengers and look to the fact that he got nominated for best supporting actor for his work in Topic Thunder. Tropic Thunder!?!? Donâ€™t get me wrong; it was fairly funny, but he was the only good thing about that goofball comedy AND he got props from the Academy for doing so. This man has made â€œquirkyâ€ the new â€œsexy,â€ yet he isnâ€™t the king of quirk as that title belongs to â€¦

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2794:]]1) Johnny Depp

Born: Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963

Last major feature: Dark Shadows (2012)

Notable awards: 2008 Golden Globe for best performance in a musical for Sweeney Todd and nominated for just about everything else, yet never ultimately winning

Highlights: Pirates of the Caribbean Saga, Public Enemies, Finding Neverland, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, From Hell, Blow, The Ninth Gate, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands

You do of course realize that had Johnny decided to sell out and become the teenie-bopper heart throb he was being groomed for, we would be talking about an actor with an inferior filmography and absolutely zero recognition from any notable authority in the field of acting proficiency. Heâ€™d also not be on this list at all. Yet, he still hasnâ€™t won one single Oscar despite so many nominations and other performances worthy of nomination. This reveals the inner quirk of Johnny Depp; a man determined to have his career play out the way he wants it. Depp has all the skills as he can produce any performance for any role. The only reason he doesnâ€™t have multiple Oscars is a direct result of the projects he chooses to commit to. Depp despises the mainstream as evidenced by the soul connection he shared with Hunter S. Thompson (of all people). There are so many Oscar winning actors, yet few have been as unique as individuals let alone the roles they became famous for as Depp. Frank Sinatra would be proud that heâ€™s â€œdoing it his way,â€ but I do see Oscar gold in Johnnyâ€™s future. Whatâ€™s really interesting is that an Oscar victory would not be seen as vindication for him personally. His acceptance speech would probably go something like: â€œThanks for this, but I have a fresh batch of opium at home with my name on it. Bye.â€ It could possibly be the best acceptance speech in the history of the Oscars for the simple fact it would finish way before the orchestra played him offstage.

Those are my 10 best leading men and women of todayâ€™s Hollywood who actually originate from this country. I completely understand how Hollywood is always looking for the next â€œhot, young thing,â€ but Australia isnâ€™t the only place they should be looking. I liken Cavillâ€™s role as Superman to that of Patrick Stewart becoming the new captain of The Enterprise. Stewart rose above the pressure and scrutiny of such ambition because his performances were simply amazing for every episode and every film. All Cavill has to do is match that type of performance for one money and then maybe Americans will accept a Brit as the one who stands for truth, justice and so on and so forth.

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The State of Hollywood 5: Hollywood’s 10 Best Actresses Today

The State of Hollywood:

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Casey’s Dune Hollywood Film Draft: Cameron, Stewart, Hemsworth, Connery, Nicholson

(Editor’s Note: The following is part of The First Cosmic Book News Fantasy Hollywood Draft)

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By: Casey Gordon

Director: James Cameron â€“ Jimmy C, as I like to refer to him, is a relatively well known director, responsible for such cult hits and underrated classics like The Abyss, Titanic, and Avatar. Now, can he handle Dune? Good question. I think the answer is yes. He has dealt with licenses in several of his past productions, such as the Titanic (that one museum place owns it maybe, but I mean, he didnâ€™t make it up. The Titanic hit an ice cube and sank. Oops), Rambo, and Aliens. And that group turned out well enough. Perhaps his biggest hits were mostly his creations, like Avatar, and not sourced from elsewhere, but that doesnâ€™t mean he canâ€™t make Dune. Referencing Avatar again, that film also showed that he could lead a team to create a believable (if youâ€™re into believing stuff) alien world, and then bring it to life. And maybe sand doesnâ€™t sound exciting. But it is. Or maybe I should have picked Peter Jackson. But then the already long walking across Arrakis would become even longer. And Jimmy Câ€™s milkshakes bring all the boys to the theatres.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2737:]]Gurney Halleck? Well, Patrick Stewart of course. What? You say he already has done it? DAMN RIGHT! And he hasnâ€™t really changed at all. And the man is a muse. And he knows how to use a sword. Iâ€™m not going to explain it any more either. So there.

Duncan Idaho. He was a pretty cool guy. Until he died (OR DID HE? He did. But not really). But he is the Swordmaster in residence, the ladies loved him, and he killed record amounts of the Emperorâ€™s Sardaukar. He is Chis Hemsworth. I mean, this is the role for him to play, look at his role as Thor, or the Huntsman (decent, but that movieâ€¦I shake my head). He can easily be a warrior who enjoys his Spice beer a bit too much, but can easily hold his own in a fight. He could do it.

Stilgar. Heâ€™s the stalwart leader of Sietch Tabr. The leader of the desert nomads; the Fremen. And he is Sean Connery. He is at the age where he can command respect, but has the appearance of one who has fought for many hard years in the past before he reached this place. And while he may be old, the fight hasnâ€™t left him yet. Is he retired from acting? Not when he hears of his casting. A proper crazy Ivan this will be.

Baron Harkonnen will be Jack Nicholson. Now maybe he isnâ€™t fat enough to be in a suspensor suit, but minor detail. He certainly has villainy under his [[wysiwyg_imageupload:2738:]]control, such as the commanding Colonel Jessup, the crazed Jack Torrance, or the dastardly Daryl van Horn. All of whom have characteristics that would combine to make one fantastic Baron. A sadistic, scheming old man with everything he needs, but nonetheless has lust for ever more power.

Next up is Tom Felton as the Sting. I mean Tom Felton as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Tom Felton is mainly known for one role, that of Draco Malfoy, which is how he came into consideration for this role. He has had plenty of practice at being a bad guy, but as an accessory to the main evil, not as his own menace, which is almost exactly what Feyd is. He can act the haughty heir, raised the sadistic heir of the Harkonnen family, as he did for the Malfoys. And while we all know what happens at the end, until that point, heâ€™s had this role for 10 years. Now let it be used for a better franchise.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2739:]]The Lady Jessica is Cate Blanchett. The Lady Jessica is a respected role. She is the mother of Paul Muadâ€™dib, the concubine of Duke Leto Atreides, and a Reverend Mother of the Fremen. She is in almost a regal position in the world of Dune. And Cate Blanchettâ€™s filmography has helped prepare her for the role, as Queen Elizabeth I, Galadriel, and Katherine Hepburn. And all of those roles are of powerful, regal women, as is the Lady Jessica.

And finally we come to Paul Muadâ€™dib Atreides. To be cast as Paul is Josh Hutcherson. Hutcherson has had a solid acting career since the age of 10. Most recently, he was cast in the Hunger Games in the leading position as Peeta Somelastnameoranother. And with that, he can become Paul. And while he might have been beaten up a bit in that film, he would kick way more ass on Dune. And he could do it. Heâ€™s a strong young actor, and this would cement his place in history. In addition, it seems that his hair could be styled the same way that MacLachlan had his hair as Paul in the 1984 Dune film directed by David Lynch. Because that is the official Atreides heirstyle (get it?).

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2740:]]

The Spice must flow . . . again!

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The Expendables 2 Movie Review

Yo G.I. Geriatric Joe!

A Film Review of The Expendables 2

By: Lawrence Napoli

Wow, these guys look old now, but I really enjoyed the first Expendables film. The reason (and I do mean only 1 reason) I relished in it was its particular blend of nostalgia with awe over the fact that so many marquee action stars were united in their efforts to shoot, maim, explode and knife their way into our hearts in one, contained, Hollywood production. The Expendables 2 attempts to do this once again by featuring an influx of additional marquee action talent to this franchise with the presence of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris [no, Liam Hemsworth a.k.a. Mr. Miley Cyrus doesn’t count even if he happens to be the real life brother of Thor!]. Once the final credits rolled, I shrugged my shoulders and admitted that I had certainly seen worse, but was glad that I used my free Regal Cinemas pass for admission as opposed to actual cash. The sequel to The Expendables falls prey to the common syndrome of “going-through-the-motions mediocrity” because everything the audience sees has been done by the same people in the previous film. I dare say that even animating Mr. Norris’ beard to punch someone in the face (of its own accord) could not have generated enough charming intrigue to justify dropping bills to see this film. As such, I’d only recommend this as a Netflix/On Demand rental or in 7 months time from now when it’s playing back-to-back-to-back on FX.

And that’s it for my review.

No, just kidding. I have a few other things to say.

You know what was really missing from The Expendables 2? Acting was missing. Now before you all pan me for criticizing a muscle bound, meat-head of an action/explosion blockbuster for lacking decent performances, let me explain. If all it took was muscles, then any ”˜roided out bum could be a Hollywood star. What made the action stars of The Expendables legendary was the ability to produce performances to make audiences care about their characters throughout their careers. If no one ever cared, no one would cheer for the hero and action films would be pointless. If I need to explain why the audience cared for the likes of John McClane, Rocky/Rambo and even a reprogrammed Terminator then there’s no hope for you. Realizing this, however, is the key to unlocking the secret of making a great movie (let alone action film). The first Expendables had three such examples of performances generating empathy: 1) Mickey Rourke’s overall performance as Tool, 2) Jason Statham’s (Lee Christmas’) side story with his girlfriend and 3) Giselle ItiÃ© as the daughter of the evil/wanna-be-reformed warlord. Stallone, Crews, Couture, Li and Lundgren are there to kick a$$ and blow sh*t up and guess what? The same holds true for the sequel minus the aforementioned quality acting. There is no Mickey Rourke this time around, Jason Statham’s role is severely reduced and the quota filling presence of a woman was bequeathed to Nan Yu who only manages a valiant attempt at being seductive and sympathetic.

Failed performances are the fault of shoddy directing, but all things being equal, I did not envy Simon West’s (Con Air & The Mechanic) task in telling so many alpha males where to go and what to do. Perhaps it takes an action star to relate to action stars? Say what you will about Stallone as a filmmaker, but you cannot deny the savvy of his specialty. His work as the director of the first Expendables is severely overlooked in getting the most out of his larger than life cast. Stallone was so personally invested at just about every level of production for the first film that it not only showed in his performance, but in the rest of the cast as well. The sequel features too many hands in the cookie jar and everyone was looking to kick back, Ocean’s Twelve style.

Another culprit of this sequel’s fizzling is easy to identify: the writing. Let’s just say if people’s brains were exploding over the plot gaps and convenient twists in The Dark Knight Rises, people will certainly be convinced that the world is flat after seeing The Expendables 2. Such is the randomness of most of the plot and action of this film, but the worst part about it was the complete lack of character development between films. No one seems to have learned a lesson in regards to their lives or how they approach their dangerous jobs. They all fight like they want to live, but shouldn’t they be getting more help or even using a little something I’d call strategy to win? I thought these guys were pros and the only way to survive the lifestyle of a professional mercenary is to adapt and evolve.

And speaking of “evolution,” the action and effects for this film demonstrate a lack thereof. Expendables 2 continues to feature animated kill shots to accentuate physics defying brutality so often that it started to feel like I was watching a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Can someone’s head really be taken off with a thrown knife? Since Jet Li is featured even less than Jason Statham, the lack of choreographed fisticuffs places too much of the action burden on gunplay which isn’t particularly diverse seeing how everyone sticks to the same weapons they have from the beginning. I was pleased to see the return of Terry Crews’ popular automatic shotgun, but it makes the same exact sound from the first film and I swear it looked like the audio dub for the sound f/x was not in sync with the video of that gun firing. If there’s one thing you could count on for a movie like this, it would be the explosions, right? Even those seemed a tad muffled as they didn’t come close to the amalgam of auditory chaos that wreaked havoc on the audience in the previous film. Don’t get me wrong, the body count was very impressive and blood was gushing galore, but I simply could not describe the action as intense and certainly not as good as Expendables 1.

Liam Hemsworth does not belong in this movie. He is not his brother (who, by the way, is still coming into his own). His presence is a shameless attempt to money-grab some attention from teenage girls who know about Miley Cyrus and The Hunger Games.

The Expendables 2is very average as far as action films go, but the names tied to this franchise generates the kind of buzz a film like this normally does not enjoy. If this franchise has a future, it had better consider being a better action film before adding Clive Owen, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Steven Segal and the ghost of Brandon Lee to its roster. Simply adding the cast of The Avengers to The Expendables won’t yield a better movie or some additive boon at the box office. It will, however, expose your franchise as a one trick pony that can’t do much else besides name dropping.

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Op-Ed: The Dark Knight, Aurora and Humanity By Lawrence Napoli

Humanity Rises and Falls

Shocked and dismayed over the Aurora Massacre

By: Lawrence Napoli

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2358:]]

I must acknowledge the senseless tragedy that occurred today (7/20/12) in the US city of Aurora, Colorado. According to TheGuardian.co.uk as well as a plethora of coverage from CNN and various other media entities, a masked gunman [now identified as James Holmes] opened fire on a crowd of people attending the premier of The Dark Knight Rises at a local mall, killing 12 and injuring 38. Details of the investigation are developing, but I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the wounded and families of the victims of this horrible evil. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. This film represents a lot of whatâ€™s good in humanity. But when insanity like this shooting occurs, it makes me ashamed to admit that I am man. Real world tragedy is linked to Christopher Nolanâ€™s Batman trilogy and when considering this incident in light of Heath Ledgerâ€™s death prior to the release of The Dark Knight, the rest of us are left stunned and simply wondering â€œwhy?â€

This article began as a simple film review, but reading and hearing the news coverage of this incident has made it impossible for me to focus on the absolute, cinematic gold that The Dark Knight Rises is. The shear confusion I feel as a result of trying reconcile the inspiration of the film with the horror of the shooting has left me beside myself with only one thought in mind: What can an idea do? The themes that are passionately at work in Rises as well as its previous installments feature ideas that could easily inspire great evil as well as good. I WILL NOT speculate that ANY idea from Nolanâ€™s trilogy directly inspired James Holmes, but it is impossible to ignore the proximity of the incident to the film considering no connection to organized terror or antisocial groups has been established. That being said, it must be noted that an individual empowering him or herself to affect social change is the key theme to the entire Batman mythos. Misinterpreted; an individual who departs from reality, consumed by despair or indoctrinated by extremism, may find any ends justifying any means. Batman himself confronted this issue specifically in The Dark Knight when he stated that he meant to inspire people for the better, not to glorify vigilantism. Dramatic, symbolic events are rarely (if ever) without negative effects and the evidence of this is the entirety of human history.

People are angry and saddened by this event and we instantly want to know how tragedies like this can be allowed to happen. News networks immediately got into the issue regarding access to guns, tactical gear and rudimentary explosives: a popular springboard for gun lobbyists to debate with control advocates. This country has witnessed more than enough of these public shootings to prove that if someone wants a gun (ANY type of gun) that individual is going to get it, background checks or not. This leads us to consider the question regarding security, specifically how much is enough. I am by no means an expert, nor do I have any statistics to back up a worthy opinion as to an appropriate officer to overall crowd ratio, but I can tell you what I observed when I attended the 3:30 AM premier at my local Regal Cinemas. There was one armed (and portly) officer on duty and there were hundreds of patrons in attendance.

I applaud Warner Bros. for making an immediate response to this incident and for cancelling tonightâ€™s Paris premier in addition to press interviews out of respect to the victims. Yes, life goes on, but to draw ritzy attention to this film is inappropriate at this time. I am certain the world will be interested in what Christopher Nolan and his entire cast have to say about this, but hopefully the media will not push for this until at least next week.

As for the media, the sad truth is that coverage of this incident will dominate the entire weekend and most of the following weeks. This inflates the ego and following of the sociopath. Eventually, he will have his say either in court and/or in front of the cameras and the networks will milk that event for all itâ€™s worth. As a society, we must get away from the constant news regurgitation of tragedies like this because doing so places evil people further up on the pedestal. How many times do we need to see the same cell phone video clips? Perhaps I am no better in fueling the issue further by writing this, but unlike my TV based brethren, this will be my one and only say. Also, I love the fact that it didnâ€™t take long before CNN had its criminal profiler, Pat Brown, making reference to violent video games and movies for this teenage psychopath who accomplished (in her words) â€œthe most important thing he will ever do with his life.â€ In my opinion, any expert that leads with this kind of information should have their â€œexpertâ€ status revoked. I donâ€™t dismiss the relevance of violent video games and movies, but if the connection to violent behavior were incontrovertible, weâ€™d have millions of mass murderers walking the streets.

While watching the news coverage, I noticed Sanjay Guptaâ€™s commercial promoting his new show â€œThe Human Factor,â€ featuring individuals who â€œbeat the oddsâ€ and have done great things to inspire. Life and irony run hand in hand. Whereâ€™s â€œthe human factorâ€ in situations such as this? I find no humanity in slaughtering innocents, but thatâ€™s because I still hold on to hope for our species to one day discard the selfishness, the greed and the rage and if that makes me a resident of Fantasy Land, then so be it. The very word, â€œhumanityâ€ carries a positive connotation, almost altruistic, that simply cannot be justified in situations such as the Aurora massacre. However, when people have been singled out for doing the wrong thing, we have been described as being â€œonly human.â€ So which is it? Are we enlightened or are we wild?

Heroes in entertainment began as incorruptible symbols, but as the times change, the need to produce stories that are edgy, dark and â€œrealâ€ have somewhat tarnished that appeal. The Dark Knight Rises has been criticized by some for being â€œtoo realâ€ which should only be an issue for human beings that have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality, i.e. psychopaths. This film is incredibly intense in terms of drama and suspense and very high minded when it comes to social and political commentary. These are the signatures of master filmmaker, Christopher Nolan and perhaps a person is intelligent and mature enough to digest the issues raised by TDKR, but people in general may not be ready to handle this. Make no mistake. This film does not incite violence or anarchy, but merely presents an extreme scenario that puts the individualâ€™s character to the test if luxury, status quo and civilization go up in smoke. If pushed to the limit, would I die a hero or live long enough to see myself become the villain? Would you?

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The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for July 11th, 2012

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

( A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! )

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five titles to your list of goodies! Forget that “apple a day” nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health starts with these top five books of the week!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:2199:]]1. The Walking Dead #100: This book will leave you breathless with the horrific conclusion! If you thought the Governor was bad â€” think again! Everything changes and Rick’s world is turned upside down! Check out my full review here!

2. Batman # 11: Snyder’s conclusion to the amazing Night of the Owls storyline is here! It is brother vs. “brother” as Bruce Wayne fights for the soul of Gotham!

3. The Crow #1: IDW is putting out a whole new twist on The Crow mythos â€” with James O’Barr doing an alternate cover! Taking place in Japan, this body swapping tale is an amalgam of mysticism and advanced technology. Great book!

4. Bloodshot #1: The nineties and Valiant are back in full swing as Bloodshot emerges from the depths of nostalgia this week! If you like espionage, bullets and “undead” soldiers getting mind wiped â€” you will love this book!

5. American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #2: Dracula has escaped and the status quo has completely changed! Plus, Snyder’s shocking final page leaves Agent Hobbes in a dire situation! Awesome!

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Advanced Review: The Walking Dead #100

100 issues! 100 issues of one of the most unnerving and highly acclaimed books that grace the shelves of your LCS each month! When I started reading Robert Kirkman’s opus to survival horror back in issue six, Charlie Adlard’s first issue, issue one hundred seemed so far away. But here it is, and believe me, you DO NOT want to miss this one! This is the issue where everything changes, and with ten different covers â€” you literally CAN’T miss it!

We all know by now, that Mr. Kirkman loves to build up a story before ending it with a crashing crescendo of mayhem! Well, he does not disappoint with this historic issue!

I actually found this issue very hard to read. Not because of any pacing or plot issues, but rather, do to the horrific events that transpire within. We have all grown to see these characters as much more than two dimensional drawings over the years. The characterization has always been the factor that has kept this book expanding, and it is that same extreme detail to characterization â€” that makes us become unnerved when terrible things happen to them. This issue, in particular, will make you cringe!

Robert Kirkman has always been able to manipulate a bevy of emotions from a reader. From joy to utter revulsion, he can twist a plot so that it is not an unforeseen conclusion to a story, but an unrelenting one! You are forced, head first, into horrific situations that will bewilder you with the sheer depths of human cruelty. And just when you think you can take no more, he astonishes you with something even worse!

I will not give any spoilers to this issue! You need to read this unrelenting force of brutality for yourselves! It will shock you at how depraved humans can be when all the shackles of civilization have been shook off. You not only owe it to yourselves to get this book, but we ALL owe it to Kirkman for giving us such an introspective look at the human condition all these years. Who would have thought a “little zombie” book could become all this spectacle?!

Congratulations for 100 issues of amazing stories TWD crew! Can’t wait to see issue 1,000! And to all you fans that thought no one could be more evil than the Governor â€” there’s a new kid in town! Now get reading!

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