The Comic Movies keep Rolling in...

[HorseradishTree]

Marvel and DC comics have found a new ground to battle on: Hollywood.

For the past few years, the comic adaptations into films have started up and there doesn't seem to be any stopping point. It's beginning to aggrivate even me, a dedicated fanboy.

While Marvel has taken the field with recent hits such as X-Men and Spider-Man, DC may be ready to launch an assault with the upcoming Christopher-Nolan-directed Batman film, starring Christian Bale.

Don't you wish that they could take a break for a few years? These things are starting to turn really formulaic.

I really got hot headed when I saw the picture of Halle Berry as Catwoman. It had "screw the comics! We want sex!" written all over it. Heck, it's not even about Selina Kyle. It's a completely new character name Patience Price.

There, now that I've rambled, I'm off to read some good original panels.

[pmw]

Agreed, I think they will run this formulaic junk until it doesnt work for them anymore. Fortunately the longevity of the comics themselves has been on the shoulders of good writing and art.

In a hopefully more interesting take, I heard that Michael Chabon's Adventures of Cavalier and Clay might be adapted to the screen. hmmm...
P

[Johann]

I have severe apprehensions about Catwoman. I watched the shoot daily in Vancouver, and I could not for the life of me figure out what the director was doing. (He spent over a month on a set built to look like an amusement park or exhibition).

I watched a scene where 2 people are falling out of their ferris wheel seats that took FOREVER to get right. I know there is a lot of "hurry up and wait" on movie sets, but this was ridiculous. I do want to see the film because I'm a gigantic Batman fan, but also because I want to know what the hell that director was trying to do with that scene- how it fits into the story. They spent a lot of money on that scene, and I was bored watching it.

Halle Berry is no Eartha Kitt. She'll be "Halle Berry as Catwoman" like she was "Halle Berry in X-Men", and it will probably be just another yawning, acceptable performance from the one-time oscar winner (fluke if you ask me).

As for Batman with Christian Bale, I am placing very high expectations on it. Year One was a seminal 4-part comic series in the history of the character, and it must be done right. It will be. I'm certain of it. Nolan? Bale? Fuck yeah. That movie will let everyone know how TRUE batman fans like their character.
If they ever make a movie of Return of the Dark Knight or Death in the Family, i can die knowing that Hollywood took note of why comics are a delicate business for fans...

[Johann]

Everytime I see Kill Bill I see the trailer for The Punisher.

The Punisher is the only Marvel character I actually care about.
I have every issue of the original run that began in '87 and the skull logo tattooed on my left arm.

I know that John Travolta is in it, and the scene with him from the trailer makes me think he'll drag the film down.

"I want Frank Castle dead" was the line, I believe, and having Travolta as an arch-enemy of Frank's is disturbing. The only way it's going to work is if Travolta is riddled with hollow-point bullets by the time the credits roll.

Uzi his ass!!!

Kum ba ya, John.

Even still, the film looks kick-ass and I can't wait. It will definitely be light years better than that Lundgren/Gossett, Jr. bore.

[Johann]

HorseradishTree

(what's up with the pseudonym, btw?)

I bought a book at the Virgin Megastore by Virgin books- the co. that put out The Complete Kubrick, Hitchcock, Scorsese and Spielberg books.
It's titled Comic Book Movies, and I sense you would be caught up in it. Great book for movie fans and comic fans (you and me).

[HorseradishTree]

Interesting. I will definitely check that book out.

As for the name, there's a little story behind it. My friends and I had some free time at school, when we probably should have been doing work (HA!). We went to Google language tools and entered a story into the traslator for the hell of it. We included all our names. We translated it from English to French to German to Portugeuse then finally back to English. What we got was a riot. The strangest thing was that my name kept coming out as Horseradish Tree. We couldn't understand why, but our immature minds didn't need explanation for the extremely bizarre and funny experience.

By the way, I just saw the Hellboy trailer. Now THAT'S something I could look forward to. Not more Marvel.

[HorseradishTree]

Alright, Johann, I will finally give it to you that there was at least one redeeming quality to one of my worst films of the year, Hulk. I'd have to say that Danny Elfman's score has to probably be his best since maybe Batman Returns or Edward Scissorhands. I think he is just the best out there at composing film music. And he REALLY knows how to compose for comic adaptations.