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(07/14/10 10:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s hard to imagine that “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” became as popular as it is. Swedish writing doesn’t often make an impact in America, and yet the book was beloved by readers and critics alike. The film adaptation retains much of the novel’s quality while being beautifully shot.“The Girl” is often dark and atmospheric, mostly because of the rugged Swedish landscapes and a lack of any bright colors. There’s also a bit of a Swedish gloom, something that has made these thrillers so successful in the past.Noomi Rapace plays the title character, Lisbeth Salander. Rapace is electrifying on screen and makes up for some of the supporting characters, who are just a bit too dour.The plot involves Salander and a disgraced journalist working to solve the murder of a wealthy girl who disappeared in the 1960s. They piece the crime together through archival photographs in a stunning scene worthy of “Blow-Up.”The rare thriller that’s both intelligent and exciting, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” delivers plenty of suspense.
(07/08/10 12:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend I had a chance to see “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” the film based on the best-selling novel of the same name. Normally, a movie based on a thriller would have kept me away, but the reviews were just too good to ignore. It was the right decision. I loved it.Dark and atmospheric, well-acted and -shot, the film was always absorbing for the entirety of its 2.5 hours. You might be asking yourself why you haven’t seen this movie around if it’s supposed to be so good and based on such a popular book. The short answer: It’s Swedish. (As soon as you utter that word, someone will let out a blood-curdling scream.)Because chances are you’ll never see this film, it’s worth considering all of its offenses — for one, that long running time. No American movie that isn’t an epic is allowed to be longer than two hours. There’s also a lack of actors familiar to Americans. But in the end, the subtitles are the biggest problem for an international film’s survival in the United States. Too many Americans would never even consider watching a film with subtitles.“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” will now march down the path toward an American remake, one that almost any successful foreign film must take. Perusing IMDb.com, it seems like most of the information on the remake is scarce and subject to change. David Fincher is currently slated to direct, a good sign, based on his history with dark, intelligent thrillers.In the acting department, Daniel Craig is listed for Mikael Blomkvist, another good sign. He can do the steely and reserved dignity that was featured in the original film. The problem comes with the title character, Lisbeth Salander. Carey Mulligan is rumored to play the part, but as good an actress as “An Education” showed her to be, she isn’t right for this film.It’s frightening to think about everything that will probably change in the remake. The running time will be cut by at least half an hour, Lisbeth Salander will look less goth-y, so as to be more marketable, and the darkest scenes will be softened to appeal to all the people who made the book a best-seller.So why must we remake a film that’s exciting and not even old?Too bad Americans don’t know how to read subtitles.
(07/07/10 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors” is the most in-depth exploration of The Doors, their music and the pandemonium that followed them ever created. Filled with a wealth of archival footage, the film is often illuminating.The documentary starts with a bearded man hitchhiking in a desert wasteland. After getting a lift, the driver suddenly disappears, and the bearded man is at the wheel. At first, these scenes look like a surrealistic reenactment, but closer inspection reveals the bearded figure to actually be Jim Morrison, and the scenes from an unfinished film made late in his life.“When You’re Strange” features a wealth of footage, from live performances to the recording studio. Much of the film focuses on Morrison’s disabling addictions, a point some fans have faulted it for, but Morrison’s demons are the only explanation for the band’s quick rise and fall.Perhaps the best thing about a Doors documentary is the necessary Doors soundtrack. The music is always important, but now the visuals are just as vital.
(06/30/10 11:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was worried about The Roots for a while. The move to become a late-night variety show’s band seemed dangerous, usually reserved for uninteresting musicians who just want to grab a steady paycheck (i.e., Kevin Eubanks). Somehow, The Roots proved me wrong — and even made what might be their most mature album yet.“How I Got Over” owes a debt to Jimmy Fallon’s show, where The Roots have been exposed to some of the best artists in indie rock, many of whom pepper the album. The female vocalists from The Dirty Projectors contribute to the instrumental opener, and Jim James and Joanna Newsom provide choruses on later songs. The guests are used tastefully and sound completely appropriate.From the beginning, it’s obvious that the band is going for something darker, peaking with “Dear God 2.0,” a song featuring Monsters of Folk. Not until the title track at the halfway point does the mood lighten and The Roots actually start to rock a bit.The move from dark to light is uplifting but sure to scare away people who only listen to the first few songs of an album. Regardless, “How I Got Over” is a fascinating journey from night to day.
(06/23/10 7:52pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Devo put out an album (and even longer since they put out a good one). Maybe that’s because so much of the commercialism and conformity they railed against has sapped into every facet of our daily lives. Sometimes it seems like we live in a Devo-predicted world.The band’s new album, “Something for Everybody,” is very aptly titled. The band focus-grouped every aspect of the album and let fans choose which songs would be included on the album, with an 88 percent focus-group approval listed on the packaging.Though that move blurs the line between satire and standard operating procedure, the album turns out surprisingly well. The single “Fresh” manages to rock out and be danceable in an era when Devo has to compete with other synth-enthusiasts like Lady Gaga.Some tracks, like “Please Baby Please,” are just annoying and sound more like a parody of Devo than the real thing. Other tracks (“Human Rocket”) are pretty damn funky.“Something for Everybody” isn’t quite at the level of the first few revolutionary Devo albums, but it’s a surprisingly coherent and enjoyable piece of subversion.
(06/18/10 3:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kings of Leon is one of the hottest bands around, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that it would be one of the headliners for this year’s Bonnaroo festival. However, that doesn’t mean donating such a large chunk of time to them was a good thing.From the first seconds of its performance, it was obvious the group considers itself the next Big Important Rock Band. Rather than doing anything to acknowledge the audience, the band suddenly appeared on stage and started playing, with lead singer Caleb Followill finally addressing the crowd a few songs in.Much of their most recent album, “Only By Night,” was performed during the show. Those songs got the biggest response from the crowd, which was somewhat reserved. Curiously, a Pixies cover was included among the original tracks. I would love to hear what Black Francis has to say about that.Very little of Kings of Leon’s performance betrayed its southern rock roots, instead focusing on its more recent U2-inspired grandiosity and cleanliness. Though very crisp-sounding, many songs seemed cold and antiseptic. Those that rose above the fray rocked out the most; “Crawl” and “Closer” received solid treatments but were dragged down by an abundance of songs that seemed predestined to grace a “Grey’s Anatomy” episode.An interesting addition to the set was the inclusion of four new songs; unfortunately, they just melted into the rest of the proceedings without really distinguishing themselves. For the final blow, Kings of Leon saved its hit single “Use Somebody” for the last encore. A cliched move, it was as if the band were forcing casual listeners to wade through muck for the final payoff. No, thanks.
(06/17/10 2:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Dave Matthews Band was an appropriate choice to headline the last night of Bonnaroo, with the band’s popularity being so widespread. It has the commercial appeal the festival so desperately wants and is a guaranteed earner (Dave Matthews Band was the most profitable touring band of the past decade). However, Dave Matthews also appeals to the jam-based crowd that Bonnaroo used to cater to.It was obvious that Matthews was pretty stoned based on the strangeness of some of his audience exchanges, but no quality was sacrificed in the music. The band was just as tight and muscular as ever, while Matthews’ voice was in strong form.More than a quarter of the concert was devoted to songs from the group’s most recent album, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.” Often including references to their late saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, the songs displayed an unusual emotional depth from a band that usually likes a laid-back feel.Featuring Tim Reynolds on electric guitar, the performances were more aggressive than a single acoustic guitar allows, but also more filled out. An additional saxophonist and trumpet player were added to the band for the occasion, which helped to fill out the arrangements. Among the horn players, saxophonist Jeff Coffins was most impressive, even playing two saxophones at once at some points. Although little more than a gimmick, it was still fun to watch.For his encore, Dave Matthews entered alone and played Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done.” For Matthews, who can sometimes be overly boisterous, the song was a welcome bit of humility. The remainder of the show was a cover of “All Along the Watchtower,” which morphed into “Stairway to Heaven” near the end. The show was an exciting and fitting end to this year’s Bonnaroo festival.
(06/17/10 2:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of the biggest ways Bonnaroo distinguishes itself from other music festivals is by paying respect to that other great art form, comedy. Where other festivals just have bands, Bonnaroo also has a comedy tent where big-name comedians perform.This year, Conan O’Brien was undoubtedly the biggest attraction among Bonnaroo’s comedy lineup. I had to wait two and a half hours just to get a ticket to the show, plus an additional two hours to get a good seat. While waiting for tickets to be distributed, the incredibly long and winding line collapsed on itself, and people began pushing themselves into the front. For a while, it looked like there might be a small riot.O’Brien’s two shows at Bonnaroo were some of the last of his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television” tour and a special chance for festival attendees to see it — the rest of the tour was sold out nearly from the start. The show opened with a pre-filmed short of O’Brien sporting a gut and a belly-length beard. The show included most of the members of his “Tonight Show” band, minus Max Weinberg. O’Brien even played guitar and sang with the band on a few songs. His jokes about his termination from NBC were extremely funny but often undercut with a bit of sadness.The other big draw for Bonnaroo comedy was Aziz Ansari. The “Parks and Recreation” star performed multiple shows during the weekend. Topics included rapper 50 Cent discovering that grapefruits aren’t the same thing as grapes, a bit about his cousin Harrison, and an awkward bit where the sign-language interpreter had to make gestures to describe “fellatio-type services.” Ansari’s show was painfully funny, and it was obvious his career is still on the rise.
(06/02/10 9:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s just no way to escape vampires. They’re everywhere — TV, films and books are all saturated with the immortal bloodsuckers. By now they have become boring and bland, but there is a standout: “True Blood,” which just released its second season on DVD, is just as fun and even more exciting than ever.The show often feels like a dirty pleasure, thanks to its gratuitous sex and elements of melodrama. But just to make sure things don’t get too silly, there are also references to the major civil rights issues of today, with vampires standing in for nearly every outsider group imaginable.The second season sometimes veers in strange directions, and the storyline about a Dionysian god goes on too long, but there is an overall increase in quality. Minor characters from Season 1 are given a chance to shine, and new additions like Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) end up having some of the most interesting scenes.“True Blood” can be a bit campy at times, but it’s one of the most enjoyable shows currently on television.
(05/26/10 10:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I can’t plan ahead to save my life. It’s simply not a part of my being. Whether it involves forcing myself to study for a test or thinking about my future, I just cannot remove myself from the present.Strangely enough, a gigantic corporation is able to do what I cannot. Marvel Comics has decided it is not just interested in creating separate films that stand alone; instead, it wants to weave together its comic films in anticipation of an Avengers film, made up most notably of Iron Man and The Hulk.So far, Marvel has woven together the strands that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe through cameos and conveniently placed props. In “Iron Man,” Captain America’s shield is briefly seen in Tony Stark’s office, and after the end credits, Samuel L. Jackson makes a small appearance as Nick Fury, who will later be involved in the Avengers film.In “Iron Man 2,” Black Widow is introduced, and Thor’s Hammer is discovered following the end credits. There is also a cameo in “The Incredible Hulk” for Robert Downey, Jr.At first, all of this “cross-pollination,” as Downey puts it, doesn’t seem like such bad thing. Marvel just wants to throw a bone to the fan boys who will be looking for inside jokes, right? Unfortunately, Marvel is so determined to set up sequels and other franchises that it has no respect for any individual film.Nick Fury’s appearance after the “Iron Man” credits is a complete mistake; the scene is so lacking in any real content that it’s obvious the only goal is to get Jackson’s face on the screen.Marvel’s desire to set up the Avengers movie prevented “Iron Man 2” from being as great as its predecessor and instead made the sequel something that could kindly and blandly only be referred to as acceptable. By forcing Fury, Black Widow, and War Machine to take more prominent roles, Marvel sacrificed some of this film for a later one. It’s not even likely this will make the Avengers film better, considering it will be even more bloated than “Iron Man 2.”Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I wish Marvel would just focus on making the best movies possible, instead of prostituting each film for the sake of the looming “Avengers.” Money is always the motivator, but a great comic book film will still bring in the big bucks.
(05/26/10 8:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lollapalooza is the creation of Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, and it originally was a touring festival. After a multi-year hiatus and financial problems, Lollapalooza settled into the current form of a stationary weekend festival, a format that seems to have worked for other festivals.Although it usually focuses on alternative music and tends to pepper the lineup with young and old acts, this year’s lineup is dominated by younger indie groups. Last year, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction and Lou Reed were some of the elder statesmen; now, Social Distortion and a reunited Soundgarden are as ancient as it gets.Not that that’s necessarily a problem. Green Day is on top of the world right now after two incredibly popular albums, and indie favorite Arcade Fire will put on an epic show, if the past is any indicator. The Strokes, supposed saviors of rock, will have plenty of buzz after ending their hiatus last year. There aren’t many acts for fans of good, old-fashioned pop music, but Lady Gaga will probably make up for that deficit.Housed in Chicago from Aug. 6 to 8, Lollapalooza is only a stone’s throw away for Midwesterners.
(05/26/10 6:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Long a haven for hippies and fans of jam bands, Bonnaroo has steadily diversified its lineups to include a little something for everyone. Located in Manchester, Tennessee, and taking place June 10 through 13, Bonnaroo is the premier summer music festival.More traditional fans will probably enjoy Umphrey’s McGee, Les Claypool and headliner Dave Matthews Band, but there are also plenty of offerings for indie rock fans. Phoenix, The National, She & Him and The xx are all riding in on waves of critical acclaim and commercial success.This will also be the first year that Bonnaroo has perfected the late-night show. With afterhours performances by The Flaming Lips, LCD Soundsystem, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z and The Disco Biscuits, you won’t want to go to sleep till the sun rises. Anywhere else, these bands would be the headliners; here, they’re dessert.One of the most anticipated parts of this year’s festival will actually be the comedy acts. Aziz Ansari, Margaret Cho and Jeffrey Ross will be performing, but the real highlight is Conan O’Brien. One of the stops on his sold-out tour, O’Brien’s act is sure to dish out the jokes and craziness that fans have been missing for months.
(05/26/10 5:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Post-punk bands have always had an affinity for dance music, but no group since New Order has managed to synthesize the two styles as effectively as LCD Soundsystem. The group’s newest album, “This is Happening,” is an incredibly cohesive and just plain fun experience.Following “Sound of Silver,” an album that made it onto many critics’ best-of-the-decade lists, LCD Soundsystem had a lot to live up to. It’s clear from the first track, “Dance Yrself Clean,” that this album is a worthy successor. The track begins with sparse percussion and leader James Murphy, who sounds like he’s singing from the next room over. After building up a sense of rejection for three minutes, suddenly the synths come bursting in, and Murphy joyously comes to life for the rest of the track’s nine minutes (only one song is under four minutes).That shortest track, “Drunk Girls,” is the album’s only disappointment. Although the song works well as a single, it feels underdeveloped compared to the rest of the album. Disguised by the stupid subject matter, Murphy still gets in a few good lines: “Drunk girls know that love is like an astronaut / It comes back, but it’s never the same.”Elsewhere, Murphy gets to show off his influences. Pre-ambient Eno and Berlin-era Bowie abound, with “All I Want” being the most obvious example. The guitar tone is lifted directly from “Heroes,” but the song never feels overtly derivative. A rare instance where Murphy actually establishes an emotional connection, it’s soaringly beautiful and the album’s best song. Other highlights include “You Wanted a Hit” and the Talking Heads-influenced “Pow Pow,” where Murphy channels a nervous David Byrne from “Cities.”“This is Happening” is an album of dance music that you don’t have to feel guilty about liking.
(05/19/10 9:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It would seem there just aren’t enough bands to contain Jack White; even with the popularity The White Stripes have amassed, he still finds it necessary to start new lineups. His three bands might lead one to think that White is diluting the mixture, but The Dead Weather’s “Sea of Cowards” is a potent and raw collection of blues rock songs that never let up.Right off, “Blue Blood Blues” announces The Dead Weather’s debt to Led Zeppelin. White shares vocals with singer Alison Mosshart, both of whom shout and snarl over crunchy riffs. Later, when Mosshart takes over vocal duties, she sounds as if she’s screaming into a megaphone in the middle of an abandoned warehouse (a surprisingly pleasant sound).White’s drumming stays on the back of the beat, reminiscent of John Bonham and ratcheting up the Zeppelin comparisons. Although a bit derivative, The Dead Weather are a breath of fresh air for classic rock fans, and “Sea of Cowards” never overstays its welcome.
(05/13/10 4:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The mostly Canadian indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers has
amassed a reputation for putting out albums full of gorgeous pop hooks.
Its new album, “Together,” is an improvement on its previous release but
fails to live up to the group’s best work.
“Together” begins with a nearly flawless run; the first three songs rock
more than anything else on the album and are instantly catchy. All
written by founder A. C. Newman, the songs mix crunchy guitars with
strings, which give the tracks an expansive feel.
Unfortunately, the album fails to sustain that high. Destroyer’s Dan
Bejar contributes three tracks, none of which match Newman’s
songwriting. Newman doesn’t do much better; the last two thirds of
“Together” are full of vaguely upbeat songs that never get out of a
mid-tempo rut. “Valkyrie in the Roller Disco” is the album’s strongest
track and the only one to experiment with a darker, more lonesome tone.
“Together” is still a fun album, but it fails to work as a cohesive
statement. It’s too bad the best moments are over so quickly.
(05/13/10 4:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Expectations are a bitch. I viewed the 1994 animated “Iron Man” series hoping for something similar in quality to the animated versions of “The X-Men” or “Spider Man” (“Batman” towers above them all, untouchable). After a couple of episodes, it became apparent that even the kid version of me wouldn’t have accepted this crap.Sometimes it seems like the animators and editors just stopped trying. When Tony Stark is dressed in a tuxedo and suddenly has to put on the suit, footage is spliced in from an earlier episode with him in a very 1980s white suit. Continuity be damned! Add the horrible dialogue, and it’s a real mess.Granted, the series does improve a bit in the second season, but that doesn’t mean much when starting from absolute dreck. The creators of this series could never have matched Jon Favreau’s films, but they could have at least put some effort into it. If you want more Iron Man, see the films and skip this shameless archival tie-in.
(05/06/10 4:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After Heath Ledger’s untimely death, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” was left incomplete and adrift. Director Terry Gilliam’s solution: hire three actors to finish Ledger’s part. Although his solution is sometimes jarring, it fits within Gilliam’s fantastic world and is a final gift to Ledger.Dr. Parnassus, an ancient provocateur played by Christopher Plummer, has been tricked into a Faustian deal in which his daughter will be forfeited on her sixteenth birthday. Tom Waits plays Mr. Nick, the devil who will steal Parnassus’ daughter. Days before the deadline, the doctor runs into Ledger, who is hanging lifelessly from a rope.After being resuscitated, Ledger joins the troupe, where he leads customers into Parnassus’ Imaginarium, a device that creates a blissful fantasy world tailored to their wishes. Each trip features a different actor in his place (Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell). These scenes are beautiful and almost hallucinatory.Like all Gilliam movies, this film’s story is fractured and nearly incomprehensible, yet the visuals and characters are utterly charming. The DVD is well-stocked, with director commentary and video features. Gilliam’s audacity in finishing this film is a fitting tribute to Ledger.
(04/28/10 7:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Caribou’s newest album could have been a victim of high expectations; after enjoying the opening track for weeks, I wondered if the rest of the album could possibly match its unstoppable groove. Luckily, my fears were baseless, as “Swim” is Caribou’s strongest album yet.“Odessa” gets the album off to a good start. Although the whispered lyrics are eerie and depressing, the watery bass is irresistibly funky. The opposing forces cancel each other out and instead create something instantly enjoyable. Even though the album is extremely dance-friendly (usually a harbinger of poor songwriting), nearly every track maintains a similar level of quality.But it’s not just the quality that’s consistent: the dark tone that announces the album is pervasive. Only “Kaili” seems to be infused with a sense of hope. Yet somehow the friendly beats keep the mood from becoming oppressive.Caribou understands that superior dance music doesn’t have to sugarcoat its lyrical content. By avoiding bland bubblegum, he makes an album that is neither too dark nor too light, but just right.
(04/27/10 9:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Over the past decade or so, the comic book film has become big business for the media industries and sometimes big fun for audiences. And some times, big, steaming piles of garbage in the case of “adaptations” like “Ghost Rider.” Thus, for our final staff list of the semester, WEEKEND contributors discuss the best and worst comic book films of all time. The worst“The Phantom” (1996): Back before comic book and superhero films were not big business, a few would trickle each year and be generally awful. The Billy Zane – seriously – vehicle “The Phantom” lugged into theaters with the beautiful tag-line “Slam evil!” and served two purposes: 1.) Billy Zane should never wear purple and 2.) the comic book film movement would be set back a few years. – Cory Barker“Batman and Robin” (1997): One word: nipples. Of all the abominations this film created, bat suit nipples are by far the worst. George Clooney is one of the greatest living actors, but he wasn’t meant to play Batman. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman should kick themselves for being in this movie. – Brian Marks“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003): It is completely beyond me what would compel the people producing this movie to add even more characters to what is already an insanely large cast in the comic. Terrible acting, laughable special effects,and a strange shift in focus from the literary to straight up action with literary characters made for not just a terrible adaptation but a terrible movie as well. – Mikel Kjell“Hulk” (2003): Ang Lee’s version of this story is the worst comic book movie ever made. The story has no relation to the great comic book on which it was based nor the formidably entertaining television show starring Lou Farigno. Nick Nolte’s character is completely out of place and I still don’t understand why he was even in the movie. – Doug Evans“Catwoman” (2004): This one triggers a gag reflex. Where historically Selena Kyle had gone whipping through Gotham, Patience who-the-hell-ever struts around New York in a story about as smart as my bichon frisé. What really hurts is the squandered potential – with a better plot and script, the re-imagining could’ve worked. – Vanessa Torline“Elektra” (2005): I can see the logic from 20th Century Fox when pitching “Elektra,” considering the title character comes from the tremendously successful and celebrated “Daredevil.” How could people NOT want to see this? Oh wait. – CB“Superman Returns” (2006): I respect Bryan Singer’s urge to create an loosely-veiled indirect sequel to Richard Donner’s first two Supes films, except that post- “Spider-Man,” we expect more – more character development, more action, more intrigue. Despite Brandon Routh and James Marsden’s best efforts, this is the most boring mainstream comic book film ever. – CB“30 Days of Night” (2007): Although this movie might not have had the most nuanced leading man in Josh Hartnett, it did treat us to some of the goriest and least-sexy vampire imagery we’re likely to see on the big screen in a long time. – Megan Clayton“The Spirit” (2008): Though he succeeded with the black-and-white-that’s-really-just-greenscreen approach with “Sin City” under Robert Rodriguez’s tutelage, Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” was over-the-top awful in very conceivable way. No one should ever let Frank Miller direct a film again. Ever. – CB“Watchmen” (2009): Although worse movies have been made even within the genre, “Watchmen” is the biggest fanboy exploitation film ever made. It’s dark, noir style and its horribly allegorical and poetic tone was just a flimsy cover for every fan’s wet dream. With an absurd plot, overrated visuals and a completely unnecessary level of violence, the film still managed to set the trend for the mind-set that all comic book and superhero movies should concede to the desires of the fanboys. – Brian WelkDishonorable mention: Any Threequel or Quadquel; X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman, you name it. Something about the third and fourth installment of Superhero movies compounds their level of suck. Why were there five villains in “Spider-Man 3?” Sandman seemed like an afterthought, and Topher Grace’s Venom was facepalm worthy. “X3” suffered from a director exchange, and all the social commentary went with Bryan Singer (but did not follow him, somehow, to “Superman Returns”) and lets not even go into the abortion that was “X-Men: Origins.” – Kaleb Havens Click to the right of this story to find out our picks for best!
(04/27/10 9:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Over the past decade or so, the comic book film has become big business for the media industries and sometimes big fun for audiences. And some times, big, steaming piles of garbage in the case of “adaptations” like “Ghost Rider.” Thus, for our final staff list of the semester, WEEKEND contributors discuss the best and worst comic book films of all time. The best“Ghost World” (2001): Terry Zwigoff’s adaptation of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel is the gold standard for literary comic book films. The characters are realistic and sympathetic, while the dialogue is sharp and witty. You probably won’t even realize it’s based on a comic. – Brian Marks“X2: X-Men United” (2003): Before “Spider-Man 2” and “The Dark Knight” convinced everyone that the comic book movie could be a place for legitimate storytelling and character analysis, “X2” did the same things to a lesser extent and lesser fan-fare. But just like those that came after, this film proved that sequels can be better than the original, especially when character is serviced above set pieces. – Cory Barker“Spider-Man 2” (2004): While the groundbreaking “Spider-Man” was a fun popcorn movie, the sequel proved to be a riveting, fairly awesome and actually real-world rooted film without losing any of the tone that made the original so indicative of the comic. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is one of those all time iconic movie villains, and although I never read a bunch of the comics, even I knew J.K. Simmons was the absolute best casting choice for Jonah Jameson. – Brian Welk“A History of Violence” (2005): Yeah it was based on a comic! It took what was a pretty standard and straight forward “former criminal made good” comic and turned into a haunting story of violence coming to a small town. It smartly tells the story on a far more realistic and serious note than the comic, with a great performance from Viggo Mortensen. – Mikel Kjell“V For Vendetta” (2006): Though it doesn’t keep such a dark, depressing and aggressive voice as Alan Moore intended with his graphic novel, the Wachowski Brothers know how to write about oppressed civilizations. And thankfully, the film isn’t stuffed with celebratory action sequences, but instead emphasizes the intriguing relationship between V and Evey. – CB “300” (2007): I found it hard to justify the vicious level of gratuitous violence and sex “300” had to offer, but I was enchanted by what felt like such an artful and visceral experience of sheer male testosterone. – BW“Persepolis” (2007): Marjane Satrapi’s movie adaptation of her classic comic gave us all the quirky animation and political commentary we would expect from this story about the Islamic revolution in Iran. – Megan Clayton“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008): Guillermo Del Toro’s first foray into the big red devil’s child was a solid exercise in world-building, but with the “Pan’s Labyrinth” glow on his work, he was able to combine the great elements of the first Hellboy film with his love of cool-looking monsters to make the second journey much improved. – CB “Iron Man” (2008): This one deserves mad props. People who don’t read comics had never heard of Tony Stark, but suddenly his accessibility is on-par with Batman’s. The guy has no powers; his vast intellect (and fortune) make him a superhero, while Robert Downey Jr.’s fantastic performance made him the perfect sympathetic smart-ass. This one compelled an immediate second viewing. – Vanessa Torline“The Dark Knight” (2008): Had Batman, the Joker, and Two Face never existed before “The Dark Knight,” the characters still would’ve completely worked. As it is, the film serves as the best example of how to do an original take on pre-existing characters that stays true to their essence in a compelling, modern context. Who doesn’t get chills when from the pencil trick? Who doesn’t feel dread when the clown puts the gun in Harvey’s hand? – Kaleb HavensHonorable mention: “Sin City” (2005), “Batman Begins” (2005), “Road to Perdition” (2002), "American Splendor" (2003)Check out the worst by clicking on the link to the right of this story!