Monthly Archives: March 2022

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

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It’s kinda weird that Kevin Smith created one of the earliest modern cinematic universes. Yes, the Raimi Spider-Man films & the first couple of X-Men movies were popular around the time this film came out. But those were still just regular film franchises. Kevin Smith had movies that on the surface weren’t connected to each other. But a lot of the actors would pop up and reprise their roles from different films, maybe play multiple different characters in the same movie. His movies would reference events from those other movies as well, establishing it’s the same world. And of course, you got the two characters that back in the day showed up in all of those films – Jay & Silent Bob. It was only natural to give them their own movie.

Let me put it like this. Any movie that has a line where the woman yells “Call me Boo-Boo Kitty Fuck, bitch!” during a fight scene is doing something right. This actually might be my favorite film Kevin Smith has ever made. I always loved the characters he and Jason Mewes play and the dynamic that’s displayed on screen. I also like how their motivation is to stop a movie being made about comic characters based on them so that people online will stop insulting them and ruining their names. It’s surprisingly grounded. But make no mistake – there are scenes and interactions that could only have been produced by Hollywood back in the 2000s. Overall, the movie has a grounded approach. But it will also do some ridiculous goofy and far out stuff to get a good laugh. And it typically works.

There are a couple of jokes that have surprisingly gotten a little more relevant. Early on in the movie, the internet is described as a place where people can complain about movies and share pornography. The latter half is always relevant, but the internet has also kind of leaned into the former in recent years. The first trailer for the 2020 Sonic movie had a very different design for it’s title character. And people complained so much that the studio delayed the film so they could have time to fix the CGI for Sonic. That joke from this 2001 film feels all too true today. There is a scene later on where Jay thinks about pulling his thing out for the love interest of the movie. But the angel character that pops up makes a solid and surprisingly relevant argument about why he shouldn’t. Which is ironic because this movie was released by Miramax and Harvey Weinstein was a producer for some of Kevin Smith’s earlier films.

A lot of the jokes in this film go back and forth between being genuinely smart to being enjoyably stupid. But they all ultimately work, if to varying degrees. There are also a bunch of small & quick jokes you might not catch right away. There’s a scene where the Wildlife Marshall – played by Will Ferrel – makes a very quick joke about how he is only a man on the outside. It’s never addressed again and the context of when that pops up makes it so random and bizarre that you just have to laugh. This film is maybe the perfect example of how people should make a film that is simply a comedy. Doesn’t have to be a satire, doesn’t have to be really insightful and talk about hot topic issues. But it’s still smart and entertaining.

And the people in this movie! You got the Smith regulars like Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Matt Damon & Chris Rock. But you also have George Carlin, Carrie Fischer, James Van Der Beek, Jason Briggs, Tracy Morgan & Mark Hamill. They all do a great job, regardless of how long or short their screen time is. Also, there is a shot of when Silent Bob uses his mind to pull a lightsaber to his hand and the way it is shot and played out, I swear that JJ Abrams copied it for “The Force Awakens”. We know from the opening of “The Disaster Artist” that he watches films like “The Room”, don’t tell me that’s impossible!

If I have to point out anything that could be considered a major flaw…I guess we should address the gay jokes. To be fair, a number of these gay jokes are used in a way that do end up being clever. And none of the jokes are meant to make fun of the LGBT+ community or are hateful in nature. It’s just another trait of it being a comedy from the 2000s, for better or worse. There is one scene though where Jay & Silent Bob try and escape the police and the Wildlife Marshall by pretending to be a gay couple and dressing an orangutan as their child. Will Ferrel’s character then freaks out because he doesn’t want them to bad mouth him to the “liberal media” as he puts it and lets them go. I feel like that could be used to describe a lot of dumb decisions that the government makes in order to get out of some bad publicity.

This movie is still one of my favorite comedies of all time. The performances are great, a lot of jokes that still hold up well, and scenes that are always entertaining. I would classify this as a must-watch film for everyone.

Comics

The Strange Story of Blossoms 666

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Archie was my first exposure to reading comic books. Sure, as a young kid I was into superheroes. But that was through other media & adaptations. Such as the Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man movies, or the various animated kids shows based on characters like the Justice League or the Teen Titans. My family used to have this cabin and there were some old collections of Archie comics I found back during the summer right before ninth grade.. There were a few of those large collections collecting various different issues. The most intense it got was Archie trying to figure out how to the movie theater while on two separate dates at the same time while Moose was trapped in roller blades and constantly running into other people. Fast forward to college when I saw the CW was making a Riverdale show and I was at first surprised by it’s really dark tone. But also kind of digging it for the first couple of seasons. This ultimately lead me to discover the existence of Archie Horror and the story in question.

The basic plot is that Cheryl & Jason Blossom are the children of Satan worshippers and one of them is destined to become the Anti-Christ. But it’s sort of like a contest/competition where the two of them are trying to out-evil the other by manipulating people in town. But wait! There is a third sibling that neither of them knew about – Julian Blossom. He arrives in town and now Cheryl & Jason are scheming together to get rid of their competition.

Right off the bat, I think the art work for this mini series is pretty solid. It takes a semi-realistic approach to how it depicts the characters and their world. And it has a variety of different of colors on display. All though it does lean towards the darker shades and of course red definitely has it’s fair share of page time. But I think some of more eye catching art you will find are the designs from the individual comic issues which are included in the trade. It embraces the supernatural aspect in a more flashy display.

As for the story itself, it is pretty solid. It does have a sense of fun and a touch of dark humor. Characterization for the main players are vaguely similar to how they are in the CW show with a few exceptions. Jason is more similar to Cheryl and their parents are surprisingly decent people, devil worshipping aside. But Betty and Jughead are still similar enough to their TV actors which would help bring in fans of that show. But even if you aren’t a fan of the show, they still work well in the context of the mini series. But there are a few problems that do kind of bug me.

Julian makes his surprise appearance at the end of an issue, which in itself isn’t bad. But it’s in issue two and this is a five issue mini series. It doesn’t give the story a lot of time to build tension between the three siblings. I think the thinking is that they waited on that reveal because they wanted to give us an idea of how Jason & Cheryl normally act in Riverdale and how Julian’s appearance changes life for them and the town. And the timing would make more sense of this was a six issue story. But it probably should have happened at the end of issue one. There are also a couple of cutaways to an unidentified dead body as well as an unseen person throughout the story. At the end, it’s revealed this is Julian after his siblings killed them. The implication is supposed to be that he came back from the dead and is now returning for revenge. But at first, I thought the story was implying a time loop where the events of the story play out over and over again. That could have just been my stupid brain interpreting it that way, but those cutaways do seem a little out of place at first.

Speaking of the story implying Julian comes back from the dead, the series also has another cliffhanger. Betty does investigating and digs into Riverdale’s dark past and Jughead gets s little too involved in Cheryl & Jason’s games. The two of them end up getting together at Pop’s diner and they try to come up with a plan of what to do with their information. But as far as I know, this story doesn’t have a sequel nor are there any current plans to continue the mini series. That combined with Julian resurrecting does feel anti-climatic when you come across that realization. And personally, I think it would be really cool to have the Blossom siblings use more obvious supernatural abilities. A little something to really show off that these are potential dark rulers of Hell with a wide arsenal of tricks and magical powers.

Having said that, it isn’t a bad story. I still find myself enjoying it. Though that could be me just being a big fan of Horror in general. It’s a more tame example of what the Archie Horror imprint has to offer. I mean, with other titles like Afterlife with Archie & Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, this does feel the most grounded. Think of it like a gateway to discovering a bunch of other cool Horror stories, whether it’s from Archie or elsewhere.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Deep Water

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I’m a simple man. I see a movie starring two actors I really like, I’m going to watch it. Ben Affleck has always been an interesting actor to watch. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Kevin Smith film, if he’s Batman, or he’s just having fun like he was in “The Last Duel”. I want to see what kind of stuff he does. And Ana De Armas has been making a name for herself over the last several years. Sure, she’s been acting for a little while. But thanks to her roles in “Blade Runner 2049” & “Knives Out”, she’s becoming something of a big name. I was hoping that this movie would be a benefit for both of them, especially since it’s Ben Affleck returning to the thriller genre. But unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

Both of them do a good job in their performances. I don’t have any criticisms there. But the writing isn’t great, especially when it concerns Ana as Melinda. She is always coming off as the low-key villain in this story for me. I get what the movie is trying to go for, but it just makes her seem like she wants the events of this film to happen despite the emotion she gives in certain scenes. The writing for Affleck’s Vic is stronger. And despite everything that happens in the movie, I’m strangely always hoping he comes out all right. I guess that’s just the Affleck charm.

But I can’t sympathize with either of them in this film. The movie shows them as a couple who really only stay together because of their daughter. If I’m being honest up front, I’m not a relationship expert. I’ve never been in this situation, I don’t have any kids, and I understand the emotions between two romantic partners can be complicated. But if a relationship is only held together because of a child – and the relationship is BARELY held together like it is in this movie – that’s unhealthy and it needs to end. It may be hard for a child to watch their parents get divorced. But If these two just pulled the trigger on that process, NONE of the events of this film would happen. And they would quite honestly be happier because of it.

Even putting that aside though, this just isn’t a very interesting movie. Most of the supporting cast I completely forgot about. Hell, most of the supporting disappeared altogether around the halfway point. There is still one character who is doing his own investigation regarding the film’s plot, but it’s for selfish reasons so I’m not rooting for him. People have been saying that this movie was buried by going to Hulu after being pulled from a theatrical release and given minimal marketing. I can understand that thinking after watching this film. But…I can’t act like I’m not entertained in a sort of guilty pleasure kind of way. I do think the film does have good atmosphere. And like I said, the performances of the main leads are good.

Look, if you are looking to be entertained for two hours by an erotic thriller that isn’t that bad, then you can check this out. Just don’t be expected to be impressed by much of anything. But chances are you might still find something to enjoy about it or even laugh about.

Film Editorials, Movies

The Sexual Themes of Chasing Amy

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I think this might have been the first Kevin Smith movie I ever watched. This or “Clerks”, I do remember watching them in the same month. That could explain why I might be switching the viewing order. Either way, this movie is notable among Kevin Smith’s filmography for a couple of reasons. First, it takes a more dramatic approach to it’s story telling. Yes there is obviously humor. But it follows the relationships of the characters on a more serious level than most of Smith’s other movies. The second reason, the story of a straight white man trying to date a gay woman definitely makes this one of the more potentially awkward movies to watch in the modern era.

Yes, that’s the general plot of the story. It focuses on Holden (Ben Affleck) who is a comic book artist along with his best friend Banky (Jason Lee) and Holden is attracted to another comic book artist they meet named Alyssa (Joey Adams). But Alyssa is gay so they at first just become good friends. But Banky becomes resentful that Alyssa is seemingly coming in between him and Holden. And somehow, Alyssa decides she does want to enter a romantic relationship with Holden. But that intensifies the drama and the conflict starts to mess everything up.

It’s very easy to just read a plot summary of this movie online and assume it hasn’t aged well. Criticize it for having a “heterosexual narrative”. And to be fair, there was a brief bit on the show “How I Met Your Mother” where Barney tries to pick up a lesbian. So I totally see and understand where these criticisms are coming from. And the 1990s in general weren’t exactly the most insightful when it came to exploring LGBTQIA+ themes and characters. But I will argue that if you actually watch the film instead of reading about it, you do see that things probably play out different from what you are expecting.

Holden & Alyssa do take the time to actually build a friendship and get to know each other on an intellectual and emotional level. Once that groundwork has been established, you do get the idea that Alyssa isn’t exactly firm in identifying as simply gay. It can be argued that she is one of the first modern examples of a gender fluid character. You might even argue that she is more pansexual than just homosexual. Might have been an awkward line to write but I’m sticking with it. The catalyst that intensifies the conflict in the movie is the revelation that she once participated in a threesome with two guys. The evidence is there that Alyssa is more open about her sexuality, which is said to be generally true about women in the real world as well.

While the plot does revolve around what can be seen as a straight man’s fantasy, by the time you reach the end of the movie it becomes clear what the movie is trying to talk about. It’s about coming figuring out who you are and what you want out of life and relationships. Of coming to terms with your past and your partner’s and working together to find happiness. The title of this movie comes from a story shared by Silent Bob. Yes, the stoned dynamic duo of Kevin Smith’s cinematic universe return in this movie. He tells Holden how he used to have a similar relationship with a girl he refers to as Amy. But it ended when he couldn’t handle her promiscuity and later regretted breaking up with her. This is mirrored later on when Holden gathers Alyssa and Banky and offers that they all participate in a threesome.

From Holden’s perspective, Alyssa has an open approach to sex so he thinks she’ll say yes. And it’s clear to him that Banky is a closeted gay man, despite the various homophobic remarks he’s made in the film. But it’s important to note here that Alyssa easily refuses and ends the relationship with Holden. Just because she has had this experience in the past and she is the most sexually liberated person in the group, that doesn’t mean that’s all she wants. She’s a person that has emotional wants and needs, someone that should be given more thought and respect than what Holden’s offer implies. It’s ultimately Holden’s selfishness and lack of emotional connection with Alyssa that ends their time together. And it’s also what ties those themes of self-understanding and romantic equality together.

Look, I understand why this movie not be for everyone. There are still some scenes that do handle this subject matter a little clumsily. And it still has that 1990s feel and approach that could rub people the wrong way – pun unintended. But I do think this movie is about deeper emotional & sexual/romantic issues that are highlighted due to the lack of an expected happy ending – also unintended. Give it a watch and see if you can make that same deeper connection that we all aspire to find with our partners in the real world.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – X

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I still hate it when you have these reboot sequels that have the exact same film as the original. Blumhouse’s new Halloween film that’s a follow up to John Carpenter’s original is also called “Halloween”. Or how the Jordan Peele produced sequel to “Candyman” is also just called “Candyman”. But at least they had more than one letter in their title? All I know is that anyone looking for a review of this movie is going to have some trouble finding what they’re looking for. As you can tell this is a little more casual than most of my other posts but let me still try and give some insight.

This little flick comes from film studio A24. They’re the ones that are behind films like Spring Breakers, Ex Machina & The Witch. Basically films that embrace their weirdness but also turn out pretty good. And while this film has a little bit of weird, I can’t say it’s on the same level as the ones I mentioned. Without getting into spoilers, it’s about a group of people who set out to make a porn movie. There are a few actors, the producer, the director & the director’s girlfriend who does sound. They stay at this guest house owned by this elderly couple. The old man doesn’t know they are doing it so they try and do it in secret. But it turns out it’s the couple that has a secret and then the scares happen.

In case you were wondering, the “X” of this film refers to the X factor that makes someone a star. And that’s the main deal with the main actress of this film who believes she will become a star. But honestly, I don’t think she is that great. This is a movie with Jenna Ortega and yet their biggest name is more of a supporting character. She starts off as the shy girl they call Church Mouse. She kinda has a story of sorts but not really. But screw it, I’m using her character poster as the featured image of this review. Because she was the only one I cared about. It’s not because the protagonists of this film are horrible people. They might have a couple of moments that make them look like assholes. But they’re okay people. Which unfortunately means they just leave an okay impression.

And the scares are kind of hit and miss. A couple of jump scares that are obviously and just annoying. However there are a few moments that are pretty decent. The first kill that happens includes some audio of the song “Don’t Fear The Reaper” so I might be a little biased when it came to that scene. But I liked it. Looking on it now however, I think this film went in the wrong direction with it’s execution. I feel like this could have been a movie that should have been a horror comedy. Something of a satire. It has the potential for that. And while there are a few moments of dark comedy and chuckles, it’s hard to tell if those were on purpose or not. Or maybe they could have dropped the horror angle altogether and make it an insightful movie about the different views of sex & love between generations and various backgrounds. Again, it does have that material. A24 doesn’t always do Horror, they could have gone this route.

But nope, this is what we got. And it’s fine honestly. Nothing really obviously wrong with it. Some scene transitions that are weird is the biggest offense. At least I can appreciate this is something based off a new idea instead of being another sequel or reboot or remake or whatever. Nothing inherently wrong with any of those, but with so many of those being made right now, this is a little refreshing. If your a little curious about it, there’s no harm in checking it out.

Comics

Let Grief Run Its Course: A Look at The Crow

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Losing someone before your ready to say good-bye is a tragic event. And its one that happened to James O’Barr, whose fiancée passed away. His mind picked apart how it happened and blamed himself for who knows how long. That pain & anger demanded an outlet of some kind. And so, the story known as “The Crow” was first published in 1989.

In the story, Eric and Shelly were engaged when a group of criminals attacked them when their car was stalled. He was forced to watch as they physically & sexually assaulted Shelly until they were done and they put a bullet in his head. One year later and Eric has come back with one purpose – to seek vengeance against the ones responsible. Some readers might view Eric as a hero not unlike someone such as The Punisher. The fact this comic was printed in black & white does vaguely give it the impression that the world in this story operates in the same way in regards to moral judgement. The bad will ultimately be punished while the good are rewarded for their hardship and good deeds.

But this isn’t a story about a hero. Despite Eric’s resurrection having the makings of a magic-based superhero, that is not what the story is about. In between hunting criminals, we see Eric do a few other things. He talks to a young girl who is going through her own kind of suffering and connects with her. By the end of the story, he makes an attempt to make sure she has a chance at finding something better. But mostly, he loses himself in his memories. Remembering the woman he lost and wallowing in the grief he still feels. It is only after he finally kills all those he deems responsible that he is forced to confront that pain and find some sense of closure. Enough for him to finally find some rest and peace.

Some of you are probably most familiar with the 1994 movie adaptation. It is a great movie, no doubt about it. But there is one difference between the two version that does make the meaning of the story slightly less impactful. The movie gives him a limitation that he is forced to work through during the climax. A way for him to die before his mission is complete. But the comic places no limits on Eric. That is because Eric should be seen as the personification of Grief itself. All the pain, sadness, and anger that comes with it. It is a force of nature that can’t be stopped. A force that attacks everyone and everything in its path. The silver lining is that the people getting hurt are irredeemable criminals. But the bloodshed alone isn’t enough to bring peace to him. It’s only when he feels like he is ready to move on that he doesn’t feel as bad anymore.

Many people deal with grief in their own way. But it’s important that you don’t bottle it up. Later on, that can erupt and become more destructive than the story printed on these black and white pages. A color palette that doesn’t distract too much from the reader having to look at what is happening and reflecting on the events. It all clearly touched a lot of readers as many still read it or watch the movie version and find a connection to the emotion being depicted. There are a lot of quotes that are memorable from “The Crow” but there is one that feels most appropriately right here:

Life is lousy with hurt but it also shimmers with beauty. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of that beauty. You may not get another.

Comics

The Time Travel Issues of Flashpoint

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Hard to believe it has been over a decade since this event comic and the beginning of the New 52. While that era of DC wasn’t devoid of good stories, titles & characters, they tended to be the exception as opposed to the norm. But most people tend to be all right with the story that started DC on this path, “Flashpoint”. I wanted to take the time to air some of my frustrations with this story in regards to the time travel logic it uses.

Before I get into it, something we should discuss. The rules of how time travel can work varies a lot in fiction. Lots of different approaches to how to travel & how changes to the timeline work. One theory you might have heard about that was popularized by fiction is The Butterfly Effect. The general idea is that if you step on a butterfly in one part of the world while time traveling, an earthquake happens on the other side of the planet. I believe this…to an extent. I understand we are dealing with a type of fiction that plays with stuff like this on a daily basis. But I believe there should still be a sense of logic for how these timeline changes occur. And a number of them don’t really add up. So, the big change that happens in this story is that The Flash – Barry Allen – goes back in time and saves his mom from dying. This results in a lot of timeline changes that we see through the story.

With that being said – how does that cause Bruce Wayne to die instead of his parents? Barry is in Central City and Bruce is in Gotham. Hard to tell how far apart the two cities are supposed to be, but let’s assume it’s a fair amount. How does saving Barry’s man cause a mugger to shoot Bruce instead of his parents? Actually, now that I think about it…how old are Bruce and Barry supposed to be canonically? If Bruce is supposed to be older, chances are this origin already happened for him. Even if they are the same age, we again still have the issue of geography. As far as I can tell, Bruce’s origin shouldn’t have been affected at all.

And why does Barry’s time traveling act affect how Billy Batson’s powers work? In case your unfamiliar, Billy Batson is Shazam. He says the name and he is magically transformed into a superhero. But in this timeline, multiple kids have to say the name and then they all collectively become the superhero in one body. While an admittedly interesting idea, I doubt Barry’s mom has any influence on how Shazam’s power is supposed to work. This concept doesn’t even appear in the New 52 afterwards! Yes, Billy does share the power of Shazam with some people, but it’s still just one person turning into one person and not six into one. I know this is a smaller issue in comparison, but still something to bring up.

Back on track – how does saving Barry’s mom cause a war between Atlantis and Themyscira? I understand that in this timeline Barry doesn’t become The Flash. But would his existence as a hero really prevent this? But more importantly, I don’t think this would happen in the way this story chooses to go with. Arthur & Diana have an affair which leads to Mera getting killed by Diana and that leads to war. I think I remember coming across something how in the main DC Universe Arthur admitted to having feelings for Diana. Probably while under the influence of the Lasso of Truth. But I don’t think that means Diana would have the same feelings and go through in exploring them in that way. Even IF she did, she wouldn’t kill Mera! I’m not an expert on Wonder Woman, but I have read up on the majority of her comics post Crisis on Infinite Earths up to the modern day. And she is not written to be like that. She is in touch with her feelings, including empathy, and has too much respect for everyone she considers a friend to ever do anything like this. Would Barry’s time travel affect her very personality?

And how the HELL does Barry saving his mom affect where Superman’s ship lands?! I’m sorry, but this is a BIG one for me. Clark’s ship came from an alien planet many light years away and comes to Earth and – unless this is an Elseworlds story where the whole purpose is to fundamentally change a character – lands in Kansas. But in this timeline, it lands in a city and causes some damage and is secretly experimented on. But Barry’s time travel shouldn’t affect the speed of the Earth’s rotation! Seriously, that would be the only way how this new timeline could explain how Clark’s ship lands in a different spot. And that’s just nonsensical and illogical.

Last thing, this story is supposed to start the New 52, where all heroes are starting off and they don’t know each other yet. Except the ending of “Flashpoint” doesn’t establish that. The ending of the story has Barry talking to Bruce and they know each other to the point where they don’t need to wear masks around each other. There is no way this is supposed to start the New 52 if they aren’t supposed to even know each other yet. Oh my god, this story has so much that doesn’t make sense! But I guess that’s not uncommon for anything in the New 52, so I guess in that way it connects. Look, this isn’t an awful story. But I’m glad that we have recovered from the long lasting damage this story has brought to the DC Universe.

Comics

The Three Jokers: Was It Worth The Wait?

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Back when the DC Universe was still under the New 52 banner, there was a big Justice League Storyline called “Darkseid War”. At one point, Batman sat in the Mobius Chair. It’s basically a super advanced computer that can answer any question you have. He tests it by asking it who killed his parents. And then he asks a bigger question – who is the Joker? We don’t hear the Chair’s answer, but we see Batman’s shocked reaction. Later on in 2016, not too long after the end of that storyline, there was a special one shot that revealed the answer. There are THREE Jokers. The story going into this answer had been teased for years but kept getting pushed back. Until finally it came out in 2020, even though it was under an imprint that takes place outside the main continuity and the main Batman title never addresses this revelation again. But is it still worth reading?

The 3 issue story is written by famous comic book writer Geoff Johns. If your unfamiliar with comics and who he is, there is one important thing to know about him. He has written both good and bad stories, like anyone has – but one thing that is common in most of his stories is that he tends to introduce retcons. The reason he does this is to help support the story that HE wants to tell. Even if the retcons he uses might go against what has been established or well known characterization of favorite characters. One the one hand, this can lead to “Green Lantern: Rebirth”. After Hal Jordan turned into the villain Parallax back in the 90s and then died for several years, Geoff brought him back to life and retconned the reason why he turned bad. This lead to a huge expansion of the Green Lantern mythology that will help provide truly great stories. And it didn’t necessarily take away the importance of the other characters that have took on the role of Green Lantern. But on the other hand, Geoff’s style can also lead to “The Flash: Rebirth”. Barry Allen had a heroic death back in the 1980s that allowed his sidekick, Wally West, to take over as The Flash and develop his large fanbase. While Geoff might not have resurrected him in 2008, this story from 2009 pushed Barry Allen into the spotlight and pushed Wally West to the side. Wally would either become ignored by the DCU all-together or be completely mishandled in the following years. Point is, Geoff tends to use retcons to help tell his stories and the consequences can easily go either way in terms of affecting the quality of his stories or later stories.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. It is discovered in this story that while one Joker came into his own by himself, he ended up creating two other Jokers. Each one has their own nickname and it usually how they are addressed in the story. The Criminal is a representation of the Golden Age Joker who thinks and acts like a crime boss. The Clown is a representation of the Silver Age Joker who does some of the more over the top schemes. While also being the one who killed the second Robin, Jason Todd. Don’t worry, he came back as the Red Hood. And then there is The Comedian, the representation of the Bronze & Modern Age Joker. And the one who crippled & sexually violated Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl. She also got better. As they gather once again, the plan seems to be for them to create a new Joker. And the choice they end up settling on is Joe Chill, the man who killed Bruce’s parents. It is up to Batman, Red Hood, & Batgirl to find and stop all the Jokers.

It was a smart idea to have Batman’s only allies in this story be the two that have suffered the most from one of the Jokers plans. It ties into the theme of trauma and how someone tries to move on from that experience. But there is more focus on Batman & Red Hood than there is on Batgirl. Jason goes through a variety of emotions and even ends up killing The Clown – the one who had originally killed him. But there isn’t a lot of exploration of what Batgirl is going through emotionally. You can make the argument that she has come to some sense of closure in her own title back in the main DCU and that since this only has 3 issues they need to cut something to keep it going. But considering Jason already aired out all of his baggage about his trauma back in mid 2000s and his feelings are plain and simple, it would be more interesting to see the complex thoughts Barbara has. Especially since in “The Killing Joke” – the story where the Joker crippled and violated her – her trauma was really just used to advance the story of all the male characters in the story, mainly the Joker’s. So to see her get less focus again is annoying.

Another issue this story shines on is the relationship between Batman and Jason Todd. As mentioned earlier, Jason came back as the Red Hood in the 2000s and he was a villain when first brought back. He used guns, he killed, he tried to get Batman to kill the Joker himself. Jason was angry, furious at Batman for not seeking vengeance against the Joker for what he did. But in the years since Jason Todd has come back, he has been transitioned into more of an anti-hero role that will sometimes be an ally to Batman. He still uses guns and keeps going back and forth on whether or not he kills. And yet when he kills one of the Jokers in this story and Barbara informs Bruce, he seems to want to forget it. Which is against how one of the most well known things about Batman is that his one rule it that he doesn’t kill. And makes sure any other vigilante operating in Gotham and allied with him also follows that rule. I think this is supposed to shed some light on why Batman has tried to bring Jason Todd back into the Bat Family since his resurrection. It’s supposed to be his way of trying to make up for what he sees as his failure for not saving him and him trying to not react & punish Jason for this murder ties into that. If so, it isn’t really explained that well. And it still goes against his one rule and how he is usually portrayed in the main continuity.

But on the other hand, this does also tie into one of the positives of the story. How Bruce is shown with some more humanity and emotion than he might normally be portrayed as. Which makes sense considering the inclusion of Joe Chill and how Batman ultimately has to choose to save him from becoming another Joker. We do get some insight into the history between the two and how he seems to have some closure about that trauma towards the end of the story. And we do get a good final scene between Batman & The Comedian – the last Joker left alive by the end. It isn’t groundbreaking but it does shine some light on how he views himself in their relationship.

One last issue to shed light on is the revelation that Batman has known the identity of this version of the Joker for a long time. And that his wife from before he transformed didn’t actually die but has been living in the Witness Protection Program with her son she was pregnant with back when she was with Joker. First of all, this goes against the established fact that he doesn’t actually know as show in the main DCU. Secondly, this does complicate how “The Killing Joke” is viewed. It kind of indicates Joker wasn’t the best husband prior to the transformation. Which might sound logical, but it goes against how he was characterized before he actually became the Joker. But I think this might actually balance out. That story wasn’t exactly the best in regards to handling it’s female characters. I already mentioned what that story did to Barbara. So actually having her survive and kept hidden so that they don’t get harassed by the press, Joker, or someone seeking revenge against Joker does give her a happy ending. Complicated as that revelation might be.

With all of that being said, where does the story stand quality-wise and is it worth the read? If you go into this story hoping to find something new and earth shattering, you might be disappointed. But it does play around with a cool concept that touches on the Joker’s entire comic history. There are some cool scenes and there is an emotional element to it that I think is well done. And the theme of finding a way to move past from past trauma is relevant. Yes, a couple of characters should have gotten more focus and some stuff that happens in the story goes against what has been established in the main continuity. But I think the advantage of it being published under a different imprint means it can be decided later if it is canon or not. Even though that means the main DCU just dropped one of it’s most interesting story teases in recent years. What I’m trying to say is that I was still able to enjoy this story. Maybe not as much as I wanted, but I think I was able to focus more on the good than the bad.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Alita: Battle Angel

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If I’m being completely honest, I had no interest in seeing this movie back when it first came out. Part of it had to do with me not being familiar with the original anime or manga. But some of the clips and trailers used in advertising gave me the impression it was going to write the main character the same way Blumhouse’s “Black Christmas” remake wrote all of it’s female characters. Over a year later and I gave in and checked out this cyberpunk action film. And I’m happy to be proven wrong about my assumptions.

Alita is a cyborg body containing a human brain with no memory discovered by Dr. Dyson Ido in a scrapyard. She wakes up to a world where the wealthy live in a floating city named Zalem and the rest live in Iron City. One thing to note about this movie is that while we do get a little history about past events of this world, we aren’t explicitly told about important events such as “The Fall”. But later on we can gather the gist of Alita’s past and more history about the world that gives us a better understanding. Thankfully, the details this movie is focused on is not long backstory but rather in the visuals and the little complexities of the main characters.

It is kind of crazy how much care and attention is given to certain moments and scenes. The little changes in facial expressions convey the wide variety of emotions someone like Alita or Dr. Ido go through. The CGI used to bring Alita to life is also impressive. And while some may be a little freaked out by the large eyes, they do weirdly help define Alita as her own person. It also helps that she gives a strong performance. Every character gives strong performances throughout the film. Whether it’s Hugo, Alita’s new friend trying to survive or Dr. Chiren, Ido’s ex-wife who starts off as an enemy but ends up helping Alita at the cost of her own life.

But the movie isn’t flawless. I have gathered online that certain scenes in the movie have more of a punch in the manga or anime. Such as when Hugo has an emotional breakdown and tries to crawl his way up one of the tubes connecting Zalem to the ground in an effort to get in the city. Another part of the movie that isn’t particularly strong is the plot involving Rollerball. While it is one that connects all the characters in some way, Rollerball itself doesn’t leave much of an impact visually or emotionally. But that part does at least lead us into some fun action. There are several times in the movie where if the people being hurt and bleeding where regular humans and not cyborgs, it would have definitely been rated R. Which is pretty damn cool.

I’m glad I finally got around to watching it. Alita herself is charming and goes through complex emotions and situations where I root for her. There are so many other characters that also give charming performances. Visually, the movie is a marvel to look at. Especially when it comes to bringing Alita to life. The story is simple and helps gives us what you want to see from a movie like this. And it resulted in the only good Hollywood anime adaptation. One that I find myself liking a little but more every time I look back on it.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Black Christmas (2019)

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The original 1974 film is one of the earliest Slasher movies. It’s influence can be felt in other classics such as John Carpenter’s “Halloween” & Wes Craven’s “Scream”. It had smart writing, a tense atmosphere, and one of the most ominous endings from the genre. In 2006, the first remake came out and it was decidedly not as good as the original. It wasn’t scary, smart, or subtle. But it was unapologetically sleazy and had some solid gore. So if you were looking for a version that had that, this would certainly entertain. The reason I’m informing you about these other films is to help illustrate how Blumhouse’s remake has no redeeming qualities.

Right off the bat, the PG-13 rating needs to be addressed. I’m a big fan of Horror and I will be one of the first to tell you that a film doesn’t have to be rated R to be good. But you need to know how to utilize it with the right sub-genre. Supernatural Horror films rely more on unsettling imagery which doesn’t have to be drenched in blood or gore. Psychological Horror films force us to watch the mental torture of a character without having to be graphic. But Slasher films are famous for how much blood and violence they have. Even if you were to watch one of the most standard by the numbers Slasher film, there’s a good chance you can still find enjoyment in the kill scenes. But with this version of “Black Christmas” having a PG-13 rating, the kills have no bite/impact.

But to be clear, that is the least of this movie’s problems. It’s clear that the primary focus while making this movie was to have social commentary. Badly written and executed commentary. Thereby leaving us with a bizarre story with dull characters that have no personality. I don’t even remember any of their names. Also, there are a few characters that we are supposed to root for that I don’t even like. One of the main characters has active social causes to pursue. Such as starting a petition to get one of the college professors fired. She pushes one of her friends to do a talent show performance purposefully meant to get a reaction from the fraternity members hosting the show. One of them being the guy who sexually assaulted our main lead, Riley. But then Riley’s friend posts their performance online without consent from any of her friends, which has lead to them being harassed online or getting threatening calls. Why am I supposed to root for her when she does something like that?

The dialogue of this movie is also a huge concern. We get a few different conversations/arguments regarding sexism in society and in institutions, which is what you would expect going into this film based on the trailer. But everything they say are just surface level statements and buzz words. When they do get into arguments, they don’t go into any deep discussion. It’s just phrases you could pull from a similar argument from any social media site. But let’s put the social commentary aside. There are several scenes where we get huge exposition dumps that have to explain everything that is going on. In a manner that insults the intelligence of the viewer, as if we can’t follow along and make connections ourselves. And several points in these exposition dumps make you wonder how even the person explaining the movie has come to those conclusions for parts that didn’t witness themselves.

And then there’s the climax. It starts off with the main lead, Riley, being kidnapped and brought forth a secret society made up of the fraternity and lead by the college professor her friend was trying to get fired. In another exposition dump, it is established how the founder of the school apparently knew how to do Black Magic and enchanted his bust to have future followers of his beliefs to be possessed by his spirit. Actually scratch that – since it’s black goo the movie clearly is showing it’s supposed to be a stand-in for toxic masculinity. And of course the leader of this society goes into more detail about how they plan to “put women back into their place” and establish man’s rightful place once again.

This…this is the part of the film where everyone should be insulted. For the average movie watcher, this plot and the commentary is so painfully obvious and ham fisted, the only way they can enjoy it is a “so bad it’s good” film. But it is also an insult for anyone who has seen the original “Black Christmas”. The original movie included a plot of how one of the character’s was pregnant and how her boyfriend who wanted to drop out and marry her becomes angry she doesn’t want to do that. That subplot was integrated into the other mysterious happenings that made it seem like that person was the killer until the climax when it was confirmed he wasn’t. The way that movie approached that topic and wrote it is a great way of showing how a Horror movie can be smart. This film has no room for subtlety or nuance as it devolves into this big action fight scene. And it ending with the girls locking all the guys in the burning building as Riley looks at it and smiles. Except…during that climax, we saw that when some guys broke free from the supernatural influence, they didn’t have any idea what was going on. Implying that they weren’t actually in control of their actions or consented to any of this. And they were left to burn alive with the rest. And how do you think they are going to explain what happened to the police? They have to be involved when a college is set on fire. And that shot of Riley smiling at the sight just makes her seem like a psychopath.

Here is the best way I can show you the difference between the original and Blumhouse’s remake. Both share a scene of a character going to the police to report a disappearance of a friend. In the original, the place is full of people and a couple of officers trying their best to get through as many of them as possible. When the girl tells an officer about a missing friend, the officer suggests possible scenarios that in theory are plausible but continues to not fully listen to her. This could be interpreted as a form of sexism in not taking a woman’s claim seriously, it could be interpreted as just a busy officer going through as many people as he could on a busy night. But the movie leaves it open for how you view it. In the Blumhouse film, it is a completely empty station save for one police officer. She has his full attention. But when she tells him she thinks her missing friend is in danger, he just laughs and comes up with flimsy scenarios for what he thinks is going on. Are there officers in real life like this? I don’t doubt it. But it is on the nose and painfully obvious what the movie wants you to think.

This was a painful movie to watch. Not scary in the least. A lazily written story with uninteresting characters. Insane logic and twists that you have to laugh it in pity for the film. It’s frustrating on every level.