Black Body Armor In Comic/Cartoon Movies

Overheard on Twitter:

"GI Joe movie: Black body armor suits are the fanny packs of comic book/cartoon movies. They look ridiculous and are not fun."



What do you think?


Related Posts:
"G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra - Conspiracy Meta-Theory Rosetta Stone"
"Black Leather Sci-Fi Chicks"
"Snake Eyes From The GI Joe Movie Pics"

Jason Slashes Coraline

I will preface this by saying that though I'm a bit of a horror movie buff, I have never sat through an entire "Friday the 13th" movie. I sat through a part of the original first movie, and was impressed with how much it had a flat, "porn" feel (I'm not saying that this was bad, as I realize that was part of the 1980s slasher-flick charm). (By "flat porn feel," I am not referring to nudity but a sort of shallowness that is only punctuated by sudden moments of horror, much as a porn movie is hollow but is punctuated by sudden moments of sex). (Furthermore, I feel that John Carpenter does the "flat porn feel" better -- or daresay, he is a complete master of this technique -- and much prefer to watch his horror movies, which are usually either really good or crappy but enjoyable in a B movie sort of way).

I have also never sat through"Coraline," as the tickets were sold out yesterday and, since I was in the area, decided to go get a haircut instead.

Everyone loves dog movies.

Eyebrows raised at how huge the opening was for "Friday 13th," and how low "Coraline's" was in comparison. This might be a retread of the "Marley & Me"/"Spirit" scenario.

What up with all of this?

I am told over and over again that it is the mass-market "broad idea" movies, TV shows, comics, and concepts that win over big. I am also told this in Robert McKee's "Story," one of the classic "how to write" books. McKee says basically that if you would like to make a living writing movies, make them with a broad appeal and do not get too esoteric. Also, that it is okay if you want to make your films esoteric & intellectual, but then perhaps get another job to supplement your meager income from your niche writing.

That said, I have no idea if the new "Friday the 13th" movie is broad in appeal or instead maybe quite intellectual. If I had to guess, I would say that the flick is probably in league with the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake, which was enjoyable, extremely gory, but not incredibly profound -- sort of forgettable, except for its "set piece" moments of exaggerated violence.

Will "Watchmen" be the next "Dark Knight" or "Mystery Men"?

Which is all to say, in a roundabout way...what does this bode for "Watchmen"? Is the general moviegoing public not in the mood for something arty, profound, obtuse...dare I say, even "cubist?" Will this film be a big hit with the fan set, but not with the general masses? Or is this assuming too much about the film? Will it be styled in such a way so that it will have the same broad appeal as "Friday the 13th part 15"?

Also -- if these comic book/"fan appeal" movies do not have mass appeal, should we care at all? Should we not just enjoy the films anyway, secure in knowing that even if films like "Speed Racer" & "The Spirit" sort of tank, at least the cool kids understood and appreciated them? Like when I would read a short story in my high-school creative writing class about existentialist rabbits on LSD and most of the class didn't understand it but I got two really enthusiastic fans? Will these two fans grow up to be the ones who will buy by $300 limited edition maquette of LSD Bunny from Sideshow toys -- and be vocally abusive online to my detractors? Can I only hope?

Speed Racer: A Movie For All The Cool Kids

(A side point refers to a conversation I had with a friend a couple of days ago: questioning whether Watchmen was a good "gateway" comic book for the new reader, or did it just skewer the idea of mainstream superheroes and make it actually harder for him or her to get into Superman, Spider-Man, etc? Or even turned some of those new readers off to graphic novels, comic books, everything?)

This all reminds me of a great post David Cross wrote after his movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks" came out. In it, he defends his appearance in a movie that might be looked down upon as mass-market piffle by some of his fans:

"I like to work. I really do."

Anyway, I have no set opinions on any of these important issues being raised here thereupon. I'm just throwing ideas out there, like foam darts. As for my haircut yesterday, it is only by writing this post that I realize what might have unconsciously influenced my choice of hairstyle:


Well, anyway. I haveta go write my "Confessions of A Shopaholic"-style pitch now. See you soon!

Rachel Weisz To Play Catwoman?

I sure hope so.

If I was forced to look at Angelina Jolie's pouty mug for the next two years because she was playing that character in Batman III, I'd freaking...gak!

Jolie playing Catwoman is *such* a Joel Schumacher move.

And God, please don't double-up on villains either. When you double-up and triple-up on villains in a movie, you get this:


Not that there's anything wrong with that. Hell, I love exploding sharks.

Early Buzz On "Spirit" -- Worse Than Battlefield Earth?

Aint It Cool News correspondent Jondough has viewed Frank Miller's "The Spirit" movie and writes:

"...now I’ve seen something that has taken the top prize from “Battlefield Earth.” I mean, I honestly thought that would never happen."

and, to Frank Miller:

"You clearly don’t have any idea what you’re doing. Someone, ANYONE, over at Lionsgate should have known this. Fuck, it’s their JOB to know this. But they didn’t. They somehow bought the idea that you “co-directed” (hah) Sin City, which even if it WERE true, doesn’t mean you directed the movie... Seriously, how on Earth could they know that your idea of direction is to place the camera on a tripod and have your two actors walk back and forth for five minutes in front of a dimwit committing seppuku?"

Read reader comments at Aint It Cool and Rotten Tomatoes...

As for me, I would have to see the film. But from the trailers, "The Spirit" seems far more an homage to Miller's style of film-making than to Will Eisner.

Can Gina Torres Be Wonder Woman?

Firefly's Gina Torres is beautiful, powerful, and can act. Can she play Wonder Woman?























Can this actor play Batman? He's handsome, buff, and has won several acting awards. Is there any reason why he could not play Batman?















Can this actor play a young Robin?























Can this actor play Nick Fury?























Can this actress play The Wasp?























Could Dean George Tanaka play Superman?























If you are a talented actor or actress, should you be limited to the parts you can play based on your ethnicity or skin color? If we say that Batman can only be played by a Caucasian person, should the same reasoning hold true for Shakespearian characters? If Avery Brooks plays Macbeth, does that spoil the play? I can't see how it would. When I studied Shakespeare abroad, I saw actors of a variety of ethnicities and skin colors play traditionally "white" roles. It didn't make a difference. Shakespeare is timeless. So is the Bible. That's why the best-selling "The Bible Experience" audiobooks, featuring a star-studded cast of African-American actors and actresses, has been received so well. You know who is the voice of God in "The Bible Experience?" Samuel L. Jackson. I can't argue with that choice -- can you?

But what if the new voice for Batman in the cartoons was African-American Phil Morris? Would fans complain? I bet you, some would.

Aren't characters like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman timeless as well? Shouldn't they be?

I know the typical counter-argument to this: "then we should have Caucasian actors play characters of color as well! Fair's fair!" But hasn't this been going on in Hollywood like forever anyway? White actors play Asians and Native Americans. The guy who played the "Crying Indian" in that famous PSA was Italian. Even in the movie "A Mighty Heart," Angelina Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, a woman of African, Cuban, and Dutch descent. And the biggest case of a white guy playing a person of color:















Seriously. Jesus most likely did not look like Robert Powell, Max von Sydow, or Ted Neeley. Sorry. No offense to Ted Neeley. I loves me some Ted Neeley.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on it. And I still would prefer Beyonce play Wonder Woman than Megan Fox. I understand the arguments against Beyonce's acting ability. But it's not like Megan Fox is Katherine Hepburn.

Robert Downey Jr: "F**k DC Comics"

"My whole thing is that that I saw 'The Dark Knight'. I feel like I'm dumb because I feel like I don't get how many things that are so smart. It's like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I'm like, 'That's not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.' I loved 'The Prestige' but didn't understand 'The Dark Knight'. Didn't get it, still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I'm like, 'I get it. This is so high brow and so f--king smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.' You know what? F-ck DC comics. That's all I have to say and that's where I'm really coming from."

--Robert Downey Jr.

I'll be honest with you, I caught the first 20 minutes or so of "Dark Knight" and felt no motivation to see the rest of the film. It didn't pull me in, it didn't compel me to want to see more or to care about the characters. I'm sorry. It was just like when I watched "Batman Begins" -- technically, a beautiful movie. Intelligent. Great performances. Pristinely shot. No motivation to see it again, no moments of wonder that I look back on fondly and remember. Just cold and beautiful.

In contrast, "Iron Man" grabbed me by the throat and said: "CARE ABOUT ME!" From the very first scene to the very last scene.

Since I found the "Spider-Man" movies to be very much in the same vein as "Iron Man," and "Superman Returns" more along the lines of the new Batman movies, is this just going to be a stylistic difference between these two studios? Can WB make a "Green Lantern" movie, for example, that can have the life and personality of an "Iron Man?"

Not saying "Dark Knight" is better than "Iron Man," or is a bad film. Just saying that "Iron Man" had a lot of heart, and when I think of "heart," I don't think of "Dark Knight."

And lovelovelovelovellovelove me some Robert Downey Jr.

Keanu Reeves as Plastic Man?

Has it been confirmed that Keanu Reeves might play Plastic Man in a movie adaptation?

Do Not Want.

Not even with the Wachowskis attached.

No, just having black hair and an oval-shaped head is not enough.