Attempting to straddle many aspects of film in one is not new to Chan’s film history, but here all those aspects – drama, comedy, romance, martial arts, action – don’t hit any real high notes, keeping it a mixed-up, mundane affair.
Author Archives: Pseudoplasm
Batman: Fortunate Son – Gerard Jones ♦♦ [two out of five]
Old folks who don’t read comics might find it interesting.
The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Visual Companion ♦♦♦ [three out of five]
Well, you watched the film. Let’s say that you enjoyed it. Then you’re probably looking forward to watching it again, to reap the rewards of repeated, detail-soaked viewings. To your rescue, then, in the limbo before a blu ray, is the Cabin in the Woods Visual Companion, an over-sized collection of production photos, interviews, and the screenplay. Is it worth the price of admission? Well, I read it cover to cover, including the screenplay. It slaked my thirst. Will it remain on my shelf once I have a physical copy of the movie? Probably not.
Avengers •••• [four out of five]
But Avengers is such an awesome triumph of intent and is so impressively balanced with its big screen personas that it deserves some extra notice. It helps that it’s also a pretty fun movie.
Dark Shadows •• [two out of five]
Dark Shadows plays like a less clever older brother, thematically, to Edward Scissorhands. You can feel Burton reconnecting with something in select moments of the movie, especially the intro, but the lack of definition to what follows drags the film down into industry-line fare, well made and well acted but not much more than a temporary distraction.
Spider (short) •••• [four out of five]
“Spider” packs a perfect punch to make you eager for more.
Countdown Special: The Atom – Gerry Conway ♦♦♦ [three out of five]
If you’re not used to the self-narrative-thought-bubble style of 60s and 70s comics, you won’t enjoy these wacky sci-fi tales, but they are a surprisingly timely find and show off Conway’s ability to straddle the dialogue line between cheeky and serious.
Some Television reviews…
The Terminator ••• [three out of five]
While the film is notable for bringing several major names to the light and grounding sci-fi into an accessible format for non Star Wars fans, it’s a little choppy and a little silly to really be called a great film.
Ancient Joe – Scott Morse ♦♦♦♦ [four out of five]
It takes about five minutes to read most Scott Morse collections. He has such a streamlined style that extends even to the word balloons / lettering that you can zip through a story and get the gist without time wasted on pesky things like enjoyment. I wouldn’t even suggest that you’re missing out on some deep thinking via a more patient panel-by-panel review, as Scott’s stories are generally pretty straight forward, but ‘Ancient Joe’ is a perfect example of Mr. Morse at his compressed best – it can be everything and nothing depending on how you read it.
I lied, you are missing out on some deep thinking. It’s because you’re dumb.
vaguely-offensive 