Well, I finished Tellos yesterday. And it was just superb, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment and a bit on the childish side. Regardless, it's just one of the top fantasy comics that's been published.
Have I ever mentioned how I wished Joe Madureira would get off his lazy ass and finish Battle Chasers already!? Discounting the Tellos-related one-shots and prequels and all the minis that were released, Tellos itself was just a 10 issue series. Battle Chasers was up to nine issues and the tenth one was never completed, with Madureira hinting that he might come back to finish it.
Is it so hard to finish what you've started? Granted, it's Joe Madureira, Mr Lateness himself. And yeah, his track record, aside from his run on Uncanny X-Men is pretty spotty. And Battle Chasers issues had an average release time of SIX MONTHS for each new issue release...with a delay time of 16 months in between issue 6 and 7!
But cmon...is it THAT hard just to finish issue 10? Just finish it and never speak of it again...that's how easy it is!
You've let your fans down over and over again, Madureira. I don't care how great your Ultimates 3 run is, the stain has been left on your legacy with your seeming unwillingness to listen to your fans and finish up what you started.
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rant. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The 21 greatest horror movies of the 21st century
Time for another Wizard "Best Of" feature!
With Halloween happening tomorrow (or in two days going by American time), it's appropriate they came up with this list.
THE 21 GREATEST HORROR MOVIES OF THE 21st CENTURY
Can’t get to a costume party this Halloween? Soil your pants at home instead!
21. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Proof positive that “existential zombie film” isn’t an oxymoron: With help from the U.S. Army, survivors of the “28 Days Later” plague try to repopulate, with mixed (i.e., disastrous) results.
20. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Seamlessly blurring two disparate genres—the gripping courtroom drama and the demonic possession freakout—“Rose” provides all the more scares for the matter-of-fact way it treats the supernatural.
19. High Tension (2003)
Brutally efficient and with nary any bothersome subtext, this tale of a killer who slaughters a family and terrorizes their houseguest is a study in screw-turning suspense. As the hunted, Cecile de France (left) constitutes a heroine worthy of Ripley’s wife-beater.
18. Slither (2006)
A mucus- and slime-infested tribute to schlock horror, “Slither” is quite possibly one of the most disgusting movies ever made. As otherworldly creepies infest a small town—and invade orifices—you’ll be squirming as much as they are. Bonus cool: Pam from “The Office” as a hick receptionist!
17. Ju-on (2000)
Man up and deal with the subtitles: This Japanese inspiration for the stateside “Grudge” is the superior flick. When the ghosts of murdered innocents start popping up, you’ll be fetal before too long.
16. The Others (2001)
While the plot sounds hokey and dated—single mom thinks her new house is haunted—it’s executed in true Gothic fashion, with a subtlety that’s rare in Hollywood horror (until Nicole Kidman grabs a shotgun, anyway).
15. Ginger Snaps (2000)
After a werewolf attacks a menstruating teenager, her best friend tries to deal with her change in…appetites. As much a movie about adolescent angst as it is lycanthropes, “Snaps” delivers on its snarky premise right up through its final, heartbreaking scene.
14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Co-starring Jessica Biel’s delts (pictured), this gritty, gory update of the ’70s iconic classic is appropriately nasty: R. Lee Ermey’s oily, degenerate sheriff might be creepier than Leatherface himself.
13. Grindhouse (2007)
Leave it to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to turn back the clock and offer a ’70s-era movie experience: two B-movies, grainy film stock and a host of faux trailers. In QT’s “Death Proof,” we even get to see a Snake Plissken-esque Kurt Russell again. Sweet.
12. Dog Soldiers (2002)
Slipping in under the mainstream radar, this British flick—about a group of commandos who run afoul of werewolves in Scotland—comes off like the bastard lovechild of G.I. Joe meets “The Howling.”
11. Wolf Creek (2005)
For a while, this Australian flick seems harmless enough, just like the Good Samaritan who helps two backpackers with their stalled car. Then everything turns into an unholy nightmare. You’ll never watch “Crocodile Dundee” the same way again.
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Marketed as a parody of the zombie genre, “Shaun” (left) is actually one of the better undead movies to come along since George Romero grabbed a camera. Who knew the “Batman” movie soundtrack makes for an awesome projectile?
9. Saw (2004)
Finding genius in simplicity, “Saw” (pictured) takes a barren concept—two men wake up chained to the wall—and exhausts the gruesome possibilities. As serial killer Jigsaw, Tobin Bell channels a Hannibal Lecter who’s read way too many EC comics.
8. Dark Water (2002)
A single mom and her daughter must deal with the sentient, haunting presence of water in their new apartment. The creepy, atmospheric Japanese original far outstrips the more recent American remake (the drinkable Jennifer Connelly aside, naturally).
7. Hostel (2005)
Preying on the fears of foreign travel, gore raconteur Eli Roth made his bones on this deeply unsettling look at the commerce of human suffering. That this movie helped coin the phrase “torture porn” should tell you everything you need to know.
6. The Host (2006)
With Godzilla busy fighting for his dignity—and losing—this Korean entry resuscitated the giant-ass monster movie genre. Rising from a river infected with toxic waste, the creature’s rage has some environmental undertones. It’s edu-tastic!
5. The Descent (2005)
It was Wizard’s movie of the year for ’06, so how can you go wrong? You can’t, sillypants! A group of cave explorers find themselves trapped and hunted by a new breed of evil in this claustrophobic thriller; if you ever thought about spelunking, this should cure it.
4. 28 Days Later (2002)
Awakening from a head injury, Cillian Murphy finds the U.K. to be a wasteland populated by flesh-chomping victims of a new virus. He actually takes it pretty well; viewers will be left nibbling on their throw pillows.
3. Frailty (2001)
“I had a vision, kids. We gotta kill demons, ’cause God told me to. But, um, they’ll look like regular people. Here, give me that ax.” Bill Paxton stars in and directs the creepiest dad movie ever.
2. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Before “300,” Zack Snyder made a name for himself with this remake of the Romero classic: Trapped in a shopping mall, a group of survivors try to plot a way out of the rapidly growing circle of zombies (below) that surround them. Smart and intense, with Snyder’s trademark eye for kinetic visuals.
1. The Ring (2002)
With a killer mythology—watch a cursed videotape and die within seven days—“The Ring” did its Japanese inspiration proud, getting the morbid job done with nary a drop of blood. The secret? A reliance on the most mundane conventions of our daily lives: the telephone and television. We dare you not to jump if your phone should happen to ring during the flick, and we double-dare you not to squeal like a little Girl Scout when undead antagonist Samara (below) pays Martin Henderson a visit through his coaxial cable. Watch this alone and you’ll need counseling—not to mention a lifetime supply of Ambien.
Now everyone knows while I'm a big fan of Wizard's lists, I don't always agree with their choices. And such is the case for this feature.
The Ring is #1? The freaking Ring!? And it's not even the original Japanese version that's featured...it's the lame-ass Sarah Michelle Gellar AMERICAN version! What the hell are the people at Wizard watching!? Ju-On, which is HEAPS better than The Ring (except for that last part of the ring when you find out what's really happening), finished only #20? Get out of town.
Fantastic that Dawn of the Dead finished 2nd, though Shaun of the Dead should have finished higher. And really...where are the Evil Dead movies? Heck, if you're going for horror comedy like Shaun of the Dead, then Army of Darkness should be in there at least!
With Halloween happening tomorrow (or in two days going by American time), it's appropriate they came up with this list.
THE 21 GREATEST HORROR MOVIES OF THE 21st CENTURY
Can’t get to a costume party this Halloween? Soil your pants at home instead!
By Jake Rossen | Posted October 29, 2007 12:55 PM |
21. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Proof positive that “existential zombie film” isn’t an oxymoron: With help from the U.S. Army, survivors of the “28 Days Later” plague try to repopulate, with mixed (i.e., disastrous) results.
20. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Seamlessly blurring two disparate genres—the gripping courtroom drama and the demonic possession freakout—“Rose” provides all the more scares for the matter-of-fact way it treats the supernatural.
19. High Tension (2003)Brutally efficient and with nary any bothersome subtext, this tale of a killer who slaughters a family and terrorizes their houseguest is a study in screw-turning suspense. As the hunted, Cecile de France (left) constitutes a heroine worthy of Ripley’s wife-beater.
18. Slither (2006)
A mucus- and slime-infested tribute to schlock horror, “Slither” is quite possibly one of the most disgusting movies ever made. As otherworldly creepies infest a small town—and invade orifices—you’ll be squirming as much as they are. Bonus cool: Pam from “The Office” as a hick receptionist!
17. Ju-on (2000)
Man up and deal with the subtitles: This Japanese inspiration for the stateside “Grudge” is the superior flick. When the ghosts of murdered innocents start popping up, you’ll be fetal before too long.
16. The Others (2001)
While the plot sounds hokey and dated—single mom thinks her new house is haunted—it’s executed in true Gothic fashion, with a subtlety that’s rare in Hollywood horror (until Nicole Kidman grabs a shotgun, anyway).
15. Ginger Snaps (2000)
After a werewolf attacks a menstruating teenager, her best friend tries to deal with her change in…appetites. As much a movie about adolescent angst as it is lycanthropes, “Snaps” delivers on its snarky premise right up through its final, heartbreaking scene.
14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)Co-starring Jessica Biel’s delts (pictured), this gritty, gory update of the ’70s iconic classic is appropriately nasty: R. Lee Ermey’s oily, degenerate sheriff might be creepier than Leatherface himself.
13. Grindhouse (2007)
Leave it to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to turn back the clock and offer a ’70s-era movie experience: two B-movies, grainy film stock and a host of faux trailers. In QT’s “Death Proof,” we even get to see a Snake Plissken-esque Kurt Russell again. Sweet.
12. Dog Soldiers (2002)
Slipping in under the mainstream radar, this British flick—about a group of commandos who run afoul of werewolves in Scotland—comes off like the bastard lovechild of G.I. Joe meets “The Howling.”
11. Wolf Creek (2005)
For a while, this Australian flick seems harmless enough, just like the Good Samaritan who helps two backpackers with their stalled car. Then everything turns into an unholy nightmare. You’ll never watch “Crocodile Dundee” the same way again.
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004)Marketed as a parody of the zombie genre, “Shaun” (left) is actually one of the better undead movies to come along since George Romero grabbed a camera. Who knew the “Batman” movie soundtrack makes for an awesome projectile?
9. Saw (2004)
Finding genius in simplicity, “Saw” (pictured) takes a barren concept—two men wake up chained to the wall—and exhausts the gruesome possibilities. As serial killer Jigsaw, Tobin Bell channels a Hannibal Lecter who’s read way too many EC comics.
8. Dark Water (2002)
A single mom and her daughter must deal with the sentient, haunting presence of water in their new apartment. The creepy, atmospheric Japanese original far outstrips the more recent American remake (the drinkable Jennifer Connelly aside, naturally).
7. Hostel (2005)
Preying on the fears of foreign travel, gore raconteur Eli Roth made his bones on this deeply unsettling look at the commerce of human suffering. That this movie helped coin the phrase “torture porn” should tell you everything you need to know.
6. The Host (2006)
With Godzilla busy fighting for his dignity—and losing—this Korean entry resuscitated the giant-ass monster movie genre. Rising from a river infected with toxic waste, the creature’s rage has some environmental undertones. It’s edu-tastic!
5. The Descent (2005)
It was Wizard’s movie of the year for ’06, so how can you go wrong? You can’t, sillypants! A group of cave explorers find themselves trapped and hunted by a new breed of evil in this claustrophobic thriller; if you ever thought about spelunking, this should cure it.
4. 28 Days Later (2002) Awakening from a head injury, Cillian Murphy finds the U.K. to be a wasteland populated by flesh-chomping victims of a new virus. He actually takes it pretty well; viewers will be left nibbling on their throw pillows.
3. Frailty (2001)
“I had a vision, kids. We gotta kill demons, ’cause God told me to. But, um, they’ll look like regular people. Here, give me that ax.” Bill Paxton stars in and directs the creepiest dad movie ever.
2. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Before “300,” Zack Snyder made a name for himself with this remake of the Romero classic: Trapped in a shopping mall, a group of survivors try to plot a way out of the rapidly growing circle of zombies (below) that surround them. Smart and intense, with Snyder’s trademark eye for kinetic visuals.
1. The Ring (2002)With a killer mythology—watch a cursed videotape and die within seven days—“The Ring” did its Japanese inspiration proud, getting the morbid job done with nary a drop of blood. The secret? A reliance on the most mundane conventions of our daily lives: the telephone and television. We dare you not to jump if your phone should happen to ring during the flick, and we double-dare you not to squeal like a little Girl Scout when undead antagonist Samara (below) pays Martin Henderson a visit through his coaxial cable. Watch this alone and you’ll need counseling—not to mention a lifetime supply of Ambien.
Now everyone knows while I'm a big fan of Wizard's lists, I don't always agree with their choices. And such is the case for this feature.
The Ring is #1? The freaking Ring!? And it's not even the original Japanese version that's featured...it's the lame-ass Sarah Michelle Gellar AMERICAN version! What the hell are the people at Wizard watching!? Ju-On, which is HEAPS better than The Ring (except for that last part of the ring when you find out what's really happening), finished only #20? Get out of town.
Fantastic that Dawn of the Dead finished 2nd, though Shaun of the Dead should have finished higher. And really...where are the Evil Dead movies? Heck, if you're going for horror comedy like Shaun of the Dead, then Army of Darkness should be in there at least!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Two collections in two different countries
As you know, I still buy comics here in Australia, though nowhere CLOSE to the number I have waiting for me back in Singapore. Bernard and the crew at G&B Comics have been so kind to me over the last five years to hold the comics on my standing orders list for me. So every year when I go back, I have HEAPS to pick up...which costs me a fair bit as well. :( And I have to spend a lot of time reading just to catch up on all the comics I've missed reading over the year. Isn't it great, then, that in those past couple of years, I've been a student and don't have any other commitments while on holidays? :p
And whatever comics I buy here in Australia, I usually bring them back home with me, to add to my sizeable collection. However, as Aeris rightfully pointed out this year, why do I even bother bringing them back? We want to stay in Australia. And if all goes well, we'll be here and eventually I'll try to move my parents over too. Which means unless I want to get rid of my collection back in Singapore, I'd be IMPORTING them over.
So I've decided that I'm just going to continue my collection HERE and if need be, if and when we're finally settled down in Oz, I'll pay a huge sum to move my comics from back home over too.
Oh yeah, also added more stuff to my "The Library in Oz" list, as much as I can remember. All those comics listed there, be it single issues, TPBs or HCs, are all the comics I have right here in Australia. The list will surely grow and grow...I'll make sure that it's properly updated once we get to the new house and I've unpacked everything.
And whatever comics I buy here in Australia, I usually bring them back home with me, to add to my sizeable collection. However, as Aeris rightfully pointed out this year, why do I even bother bringing them back? We want to stay in Australia. And if all goes well, we'll be here and eventually I'll try to move my parents over too. Which means unless I want to get rid of my collection back in Singapore, I'd be IMPORTING them over.
So I've decided that I'm just going to continue my collection HERE and if need be, if and when we're finally settled down in Oz, I'll pay a huge sum to move my comics from back home over too.
Oh yeah, also added more stuff to my "The Library in Oz" list, as much as I can remember. All those comics listed there, be it single issues, TPBs or HCs, are all the comics I have right here in Australia. The list will surely grow and grow...I'll make sure that it's properly updated once we get to the new house and I've unpacked everything.
Friday, August 24, 2007
100th post!
Woot! This is the 100th post on this blog! Can't believe this little blog has reached this milestone so quickly...within two months! Though I have to admit, that's because I've basically regurgitated news, features and articles from the Wizard Universe website in its entirety. But hey, this is a comics and pop culture-related blog, so of COURSE I'm going to post stuff that interests me.
I'll dedicate this post to my own thoughts though! I mean, I DO share my thoughts on the articles and stuff that I've gotten from Wizard Universe, but it's very seldom I get a chance to talk about something all on my own.
Over the last two days, I've watched three episodes of M.A.S.K. Yes, I picked up Volumes 1 and 2 of the DVD sets after the EzyDVD person called me to tell me my order had arrived! Haven't really had time to sit down and watch episodes though...I'm still behind on my Transformers episodes as well, since I lent the DVDs to Marcelo and only got them back before he left for home. Plus, with the new Wii, I've got a bevy of options on how to utilise my free time.
I've got to balance between playing the Wii, reading comics and watching the stuff on TV/DVDs. I'm not complaining, mind you...it's a good position to be in when you can actually be using free time to do all this stuff! Of course, now with me starting work soon, I'll actually have even LESS time to do any of this stuff!
Ok ok, time to stop making all of you jealous that I actually HAD free time to do all this stuff.
As I said earlier, I watched three episodes of M.A.S.K. over the last two days. M.A.S.K. has got to be my second favourite cartoon from my youth (my favourite, obviously being Transformers :p) so I was psyched to be singing the M.A.S.K. theme song at the start of the cartoon! More on that in another entry.
As soon as I watched the first episode, I realised how TERRIBLE the cartoon was, by today's standards. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the show, despite the campy dialogue and hackneyed plot points. And it was really silly, physics-wise, to believe that a helicopter could just float in mid-air while it changed into some sort of fighter jet. And a car (camaro I believe?) could just open up it's flap-doors and instantly turn into some sort of flying vehicle. But hey, it was the 80s and as kids, you'd believe all those sorts of things COULD happen.
I didn't realise how annoying Bruce Sato (the driver of Rhino) was with his Confucius-style quips. As far as Asian stereotypes go, he was THE defining stereotype in cartoons. And it was pretty horribly voice acting all round too. But hey, you can't really compare cartoons of the 80s to cartoons of today...the standards have increased so much. And even though, in general, the cartoon was REALLY terrible, as a kid you just can't help but love it!
I'd love to own an oversized mask (some which actually cover your shoulders as if you needed additional protection from the forces of V.E.N.O.M.) that needed to be energised so that I could do all sorts of neats stuff with it, like create illusions, or allow me to fly, or lift things up. And I'd love to own a vehicle that could "transform" into other vehicles (I wonder if Hasbro and Transformers tried suing Kenner or M.A.S.K. for potential copyright infringements?). All in all, I love M.A.S.K. and I can't wait to watch the next episode in my collection!
Now all I need to do is the borrow Ben Penney's Visionaries DVD box set and burn a copy of myself and I'd have ANOTHER part of my youth to cherish and reminisce upon.
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light!
I'll dedicate this post to my own thoughts though! I mean, I DO share my thoughts on the articles and stuff that I've gotten from Wizard Universe, but it's very seldom I get a chance to talk about something all on my own.
Over the last two days, I've watched three episodes of M.A.S.K. Yes, I picked up Volumes 1 and 2 of the DVD sets after the EzyDVD person called me to tell me my order had arrived! Haven't really had time to sit down and watch episodes though...I'm still behind on my Transformers episodes as well, since I lent the DVDs to Marcelo and only got them back before he left for home. Plus, with the new Wii, I've got a bevy of options on how to utilise my free time.
I've got to balance between playing the Wii, reading comics and watching the stuff on TV/DVDs. I'm not complaining, mind you...it's a good position to be in when you can actually be using free time to do all this stuff! Of course, now with me starting work soon, I'll actually have even LESS time to do any of this stuff!
Ok ok, time to stop making all of you jealous that I actually HAD free time to do all this stuff.
As I said earlier, I watched three episodes of M.A.S.K. over the last two days. M.A.S.K. has got to be my second favourite cartoon from my youth (my favourite, obviously being Transformers :p) so I was psyched to be singing the M.A.S.K. theme song at the start of the cartoon! More on that in another entry.
As soon as I watched the first episode, I realised how TERRIBLE the cartoon was, by today's standards. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the show, despite the campy dialogue and hackneyed plot points. And it was really silly, physics-wise, to believe that a helicopter could just float in mid-air while it changed into some sort of fighter jet. And a car (camaro I believe?) could just open up it's flap-doors and instantly turn into some sort of flying vehicle. But hey, it was the 80s and as kids, you'd believe all those sorts of things COULD happen.
I didn't realise how annoying Bruce Sato (the driver of Rhino) was with his Confucius-style quips. As far as Asian stereotypes go, he was THE defining stereotype in cartoons. And it was pretty horribly voice acting all round too. But hey, you can't really compare cartoons of the 80s to cartoons of today...the standards have increased so much. And even though, in general, the cartoon was REALLY terrible, as a kid you just can't help but love it!
I'd love to own an oversized mask (some which actually cover your shoulders as if you needed additional protection from the forces of V.E.N.O.M.) that needed to be energised so that I could do all sorts of neats stuff with it, like create illusions, or allow me to fly, or lift things up. And I'd love to own a vehicle that could "transform" into other vehicles (I wonder if Hasbro and Transformers tried suing Kenner or M.A.S.K. for potential copyright infringements?). All in all, I love M.A.S.K. and I can't wait to watch the next episode in my collection!
Now all I need to do is the borrow Ben Penney's Visionaries DVD box set and burn a copy of myself and I'd have ANOTHER part of my youth to cherish and reminisce upon.
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
300 dvd out today in Australia!
Oh yeah! Before I forget, after Aeris went to sleep last night, I went out and plonked myself onto my living room couch and read Frank Miller's 300 HC again. I think I've only read it once before, way WAY back when I first purchased it in 2001, when I was holidaying in Melbourne, so I practically walked into the movie forgetting the details of what happened in the graphic novel.
It was such a good read once again, showing why Frank Miller is such a creative genius. Yes, obviously the stuff in the 300 graphic novel isn't historically accurate...or at least NOT totally accurate. A Sydney Morning Herald reviewer even TRASHED the 300 movie for being inaccurate! Check this out:
300 - There must be 300 reasons to avoid this violent exercise in military propangada
Military propaganda? What an ignoramus! He's obviously never read or heard of the story before. What, has he thought that 300 is a work completely fictitious?
Anyway, if you're interested in reading my thoughts on HIS review:
My rebuttal
Yeesh. Anyway, the reason why I chose to read 300 again last night was because of the timeliness of the DVD being released in Australia today! I think it was released in some places yesterday, since JB Hi-Fi had them on the shelves, and I'm planning to get the 2-disc version for Ezy DVD because it has a collector's tin case.
I vaguely remember some parts of the movie (will get to watch it again once I have the dvd!) but from reading the graphic novel, I'm amazed at how much dialogue makes the transition into the movie. Stuff like "We'll fight in the shade" and "I'm going out for a walk"...I honestly thought that the scriptwriters just threw those lines in to give the movie a bit of humour. Amazed to see that Frank Miller was the one that actually crafted those lines in the graphic novel!
There's more stuff in the movie...the graphic novel really just concentrated on the battle and the lead up to and aftermath of it. Nothing about Queen Gorgo sleeping with Theron and then killing him in front of the council. There wasn't an uber Immortal in the graphic novel either.
And of course, there are some other pretty major changes, though I'd like to think that they're improvisations and personal characterisations by the actors. In the graphic novel, as can be seen from the image below, Leonidas just casually said: "This is Sparta." But of course, and you'll get this from many spoof and humour sites around the world, in the movie version he yells and drags out the word "Sparta" and cinematic history was made.
Imagine if Gerard Butler hadn't yelled it out so spontaneously (or was he told to by Frank Miller or Zack Snyder?)...we wouldn't get this classic scene:
Ditto his yelling for "Tonight we dine in hell!" Leonidas simply just speaks the words in the graphic novel.
Woo...can't wait to watch the movie again!
It was such a good read once again, showing why Frank Miller is such a creative genius. Yes, obviously the stuff in the 300 graphic novel isn't historically accurate...or at least NOT totally accurate. A Sydney Morning Herald reviewer even TRASHED the 300 movie for being inaccurate! Check this out:
300 - There must be 300 reasons to avoid this violent exercise in military propangada
Military propaganda? What an ignoramus! He's obviously never read or heard of the story before. What, has he thought that 300 is a work completely fictitious?
Anyway, if you're interested in reading my thoughts on HIS review:
My rebuttal
Yeesh. Anyway, the reason why I chose to read 300 again last night was because of the timeliness of the DVD being released in Australia today! I think it was released in some places yesterday, since JB Hi-Fi had them on the shelves, and I'm planning to get the 2-disc version for Ezy DVD because it has a collector's tin case.
I vaguely remember some parts of the movie (will get to watch it again once I have the dvd!) but from reading the graphic novel, I'm amazed at how much dialogue makes the transition into the movie. Stuff like "We'll fight in the shade" and "I'm going out for a walk"...I honestly thought that the scriptwriters just threw those lines in to give the movie a bit of humour. Amazed to see that Frank Miller was the one that actually crafted those lines in the graphic novel!
There's more stuff in the movie...the graphic novel really just concentrated on the battle and the lead up to and aftermath of it. Nothing about Queen Gorgo sleeping with Theron and then killing him in front of the council. There wasn't an uber Immortal in the graphic novel either.
And of course, there are some other pretty major changes, though I'd like to think that they're improvisations and personal characterisations by the actors. In the graphic novel, as can be seen from the image below, Leonidas just casually said: "This is Sparta." But of course, and you'll get this from many spoof and humour sites around the world, in the movie version he yells and drags out the word "Sparta" and cinematic history was made.
Imagine if Gerard Butler hadn't yelled it out so spontaneously (or was he told to by Frank Miller or Zack Snyder?)...we wouldn't get this classic scene:
Ditto his yelling for "Tonight we dine in hell!" Leonidas simply just speaks the words in the graphic novel.
Woo...can't wait to watch the movie again!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Black Dossier: Would it be worth the wait?
Oh man. Anyone who knows me knows how big a fan of Alan Moore I am. Some of my favourite comics of all time were written by him: Top Ten, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Watchmen, V for Vendetta.
His League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in particular, was just unbelievably good. I loved the way he dropped numerous literary references throughout the two series and the story was just so compelling! What's not to like about Mr Hyde running headfirst into a bunch of the tripods from War of the Worlds, screaming for blood?
So I was absolutely psyched when I heard that he and series artist Kevin O'Neill, were going to come up with a THIRD volume. This wasn't going to be the same team as in the previous two series, and it was going to be a stand alone special edition hardcover book:
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier (Hardcover)
This was originally set to be released October last year. Then the date got pushed back to sometime in 2007. The release date changed to May 2007. But until now, there has been hardly any information as to when this book has even been completed, let alone whether it's going to be released!
If there's one thing I REALLY hate about the comics industry, it's the lateness of comics. Yes, I understand that comic book creators (writers, artists and the like) have their own personal lives and other things to do that might take precedence, but if you've promised your fans that something is going to be shipped on a certain date, then by all means, do your DAMNDEST to try and get it out, if not by that date, then sometime soonish!
Some comics are well worth the wait...see the Ultimates series and Civil War. But that doesn't mean they can be excused for shipping late in the first place. I still remember when I had to wait the LONGEST time for the latest issue of Danger Girl and Battle Chasers. The titles grew increasingly late and when they finally shipped, a lot of people had all but forgotten that those series existed.
The Ultimates series was very VERY late as well, and it was well worth the wait between issues, but still, I didn't like waiting! I can imagine how much DC would have lost in sales when fans got tired of waiting for issue #4 of All-Star Batman and Robin to be released.
Cmon guys, if you're committed to making comics, then try your darndest to get them out on time! There are some exceptions of course, like when Michael Turner was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, one couldn't expect him to keep drawing and releasing new issues of Fathom when he's fighting for his life!
But what's the excuse of Joe Madureira and J. Scott Campbell, who worked on Battle Chasers and Danger Girl respectively? Yes, that was YEARS ago, but there was never really a reason given for why their books shipped too late. Were they both too busy playing video games to the point where they neglected to do their pencilling duties? Did they even consider their fans who were growing impatient and wearisome waiting for their favourite comics to be released?
Joe Mad is going to be on Ultimates in the fourth series of the book. That's like a match made in hell for fans...a book that has been chronically late throughout it's entire run, paired up with a guy who's shown on too many times that he cannot meet deadlines. I hope that before Marvel announces the release date of the series, they've gotten Joe Mad to complete ALL the issues already. Yes, it'd be a spectacular series for sure, but I just don't think I can wait that long between issues anymore.
So...when will the Black Dossier be released. And will it be worth the wait? I certainly hope so.
His League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in particular, was just unbelievably good. I loved the way he dropped numerous literary references throughout the two series and the story was just so compelling! What's not to like about Mr Hyde running headfirst into a bunch of the tripods from War of the Worlds, screaming for blood?
So I was absolutely psyched when I heard that he and series artist Kevin O'Neill, were going to come up with a THIRD volume. This wasn't going to be the same team as in the previous two series, and it was going to be a stand alone special edition hardcover book:
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier (Hardcover)
This was originally set to be released October last year. Then the date got pushed back to sometime in 2007. The release date changed to May 2007. But until now, there has been hardly any information as to when this book has even been completed, let alone whether it's going to be released!
If there's one thing I REALLY hate about the comics industry, it's the lateness of comics. Yes, I understand that comic book creators (writers, artists and the like) have their own personal lives and other things to do that might take precedence, but if you've promised your fans that something is going to be shipped on a certain date, then by all means, do your DAMNDEST to try and get it out, if not by that date, then sometime soonish!
Some comics are well worth the wait...see the Ultimates series and Civil War. But that doesn't mean they can be excused for shipping late in the first place. I still remember when I had to wait the LONGEST time for the latest issue of Danger Girl and Battle Chasers. The titles grew increasingly late and when they finally shipped, a lot of people had all but forgotten that those series existed.
The Ultimates series was very VERY late as well, and it was well worth the wait between issues, but still, I didn't like waiting! I can imagine how much DC would have lost in sales when fans got tired of waiting for issue #4 of All-Star Batman and Robin to be released.
Cmon guys, if you're committed to making comics, then try your darndest to get them out on time! There are some exceptions of course, like when Michael Turner was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, one couldn't expect him to keep drawing and releasing new issues of Fathom when he's fighting for his life!
But what's the excuse of Joe Madureira and J. Scott Campbell, who worked on Battle Chasers and Danger Girl respectively? Yes, that was YEARS ago, but there was never really a reason given for why their books shipped too late. Were they both too busy playing video games to the point where they neglected to do their pencilling duties? Did they even consider their fans who were growing impatient and wearisome waiting for their favourite comics to be released?
Joe Mad is going to be on Ultimates in the fourth series of the book. That's like a match made in hell for fans...a book that has been chronically late throughout it's entire run, paired up with a guy who's shown on too many times that he cannot meet deadlines. I hope that before Marvel announces the release date of the series, they've gotten Joe Mad to complete ALL the issues already. Yes, it'd be a spectacular series for sure, but I just don't think I can wait that long between issues anymore.
So...when will the Black Dossier be released. And will it be worth the wait? I certainly hope so.
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