News Around the Net
This is a fascinating article about Marvel godfather Stan Lee. It’s a very level-headed examination of everything that he has contributed to the extraordinary pantheon of incredible characters that is Marvel, as well as the criticisms that have been leveled against him by some of his collaborators over the years. For any comic book fans out there, this is a must-read.
Can this be true? We’re getting a new Hellboy movie, albeit an R-rated reboot starring David Harbour (Stranger Things)?? Wow, I don’t know what to say! I enjoyed Guillermo del Toro’s two Hellboy films, and while I didn’t feel either one quite captured everything I love about Mike Mignola’s amazing Hellboy comic book series, they were solidly entertaining films. I am disappointed at the thought that Mr. del Toro won’t be able to complete his story with a Hellboy 3. I am also not sure how I feel about recasting Hellboy. I understand why they’d feel they need to do that if they are starting over, and I think David Harbour is terrific. But man, Ron Perelman IS Hellboy. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than him playing this character. Still, news of a potential new Hellboy film is very exciting indeed.
It’s a mystery to me why Sony has been so radio silent on their upcoming Dark Tower film. It doesn’t bode well for a movie that I desperately want to be good. Here, at last, is the first trailer:
That’s not a bad trailer! There’s a lot to like. Hearing Idris Elba recite the Gunslingers’ mantra is amazing. I love the various Stephen King easter eggs hidden throughout (notice that photo on the psychiatrist’s desk of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, as well as Jake and Roland walking through the ruins of Pennywise’s circus from It), which is a nice way of cinematically capturing one of the key ideas from the Dark Tower novels, that many of Stephen King’s stories are connected together by the Dark Tower. And holy cow, is that David Palmer as Roland’s father??? Genius!!! There are some visual choices I don’t love (like Roland’s guns glowing a sci-fi blue at one point), and I am still very worried by the way they have combined elements from all the Dark Tower books rather than more faithfully adapting the first one. But I continue to hope.
I wouldn’t be at all interested in a thirty-five-plus years later sequel to Blade Runner if not for the fact that’s it’s being directed by The Arrival’s Dennis Villeneuve. Also, this new trailer is pretty spectacular:
I love the whole vibe: the imagery, the music. Is it possible this movie is going to be good…??
After the mediocre Luke Cage and the pretty bad Iron Fist, I am really hoping Marvel and Netflix turn things around with The Defenders. This trailer is solid. I’m glad to see a lot of the various series’ great supporting characters (Stick, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing) along for the ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h3m7B4v6Zc
I’m a big fan of Kumail Nanjiani’s — I’ve enjoyed his X-Files Files podcast, and he’s spectacular on Silicon Valley (a series I am catching up on and look forward to writing about soon). He and Emily V. Gordon wrote The Big Sick based on their real-life relationship and experiences, and I can’t wait to see it:
I enjoyed Edge of Tomorrow (or Live Die Repeat as the movie has apparently been re-titled post-release), so I’m down for a sequel. I guess Live Die Repeat and Repeat is a better title than Edge of Tomorrower.
Having written a LOT about the films of Brian De Palma on this site over the past few years, I am excited at this news that Mr. De Palma is directing a new film starring Christina Hendricks (Firefly, Mad Men) and Nicolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones).
Did you ever notice that Captain America isn’t eating any schawarma at the end of The Avengers? Here’s why.