In 1980, a little known, little seen film about a Summer Stock Theater Company in 1951, starring Frank Langella, (DRACULA) Thomas Hulce ,(ANIMAL HOUSE, AMADEUS) and Glynis O’Conner (ODE TO BILLY JOE- what the hell happened to her?) with an interesting title that has stuck with me as clear as a bell for 37 years THOSE LIPS, THOSE EYES opened to better than average press. I saw the little romantic comedy, enjoyed it for what it was, and pretty much forgot about the film, but for some odd reason, not that damn title.
I’ve been posting quite a bit of my 20/20 series of T.V.F.T.T.P. because there’s mucho buried treasure at your fingertips, I want to make sure you folks are taking advantage of.
I have to submit this review, because A) I had the glorious opportunity to visit the local cinema (my church), B) A film opened over the weekend that is not only top of the line in its genre, and C) it is top of the line AND easily the best 2017 cinematic offering so far, period.
When Power Rangers ruled the world I was 14 or 15, and that meant they were nothing more than a bunch of goofballs in tights doing everything in their power to (as I then saw it) rip off some classic Japanese productions.
If you’re a fan of Teen Titans (you should be) then there is reason to celebrate: the trailer for Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is officially live, and you can check it out right here.
Justice League Dark will mark a major move for DC, as you just don’t see R-rated flicks associated with the legendary publisher. In 2017 the tides will change, but we’ve already got a new trailer for you to check out. And, no lie, it looks radical and it’s going to have you counting down days until it arrives.
If Daredevil taught us anything, it’s that Netflix knows how to do the Marvel Universe true justice. I haven’t caught much of Jessica Jones, but I’ve heard nothing but praise for that series as well. Something great is happening between Marvel and Netflix, and it’s growing. Luke Cage is the newest marquee name to be added to the Netflix Originals roster, and it looks promising.
I’ve been a comic book reader since 1988 and I’ll be completely honest with you: the character of Luke Cage has never done much for me. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I’ve just never taken much interest in him. I can’t even tell you when he was introduced. Just the same, my interest level is shifting as we speak, and that’s a direct result of the talent affixed to Netflix’s new serious.
Mike Colter steps up to play Luke Cage, and if you’ve seen his work (he’s in at least a few episodes of Jessica Jones, I can tell you that), you know he pretty much oozes bad ass. As an actor I really dig the man’s stuff, and I think he can do some big things with this character. Mahershala Ali is also in the lineup, and he too can be a damn gnarly dude. So far we’re batting a thousand. And, just to add a little icing on top of the Cage, pardon me, the cake, brilliant character actor Frankie Faison is also slotted in a pretty key role. If you don’t know who Faison is, I feel sorry for you. This is the man that walks in the room and commands respect, and he’s been featured in some superb productions, like The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, The Wire, Cookout, Red Dragon (now that I think about it, he may be in every single adaptation of Thomas Harris’ uber creepy cannibal series). That’s just off the top of the head. Faison is an absolute stud.
So, we’ve got the savvy of the Netflix crew, a great actor in the shoes of the hero, stellar support, and if Daredevil is any indicator, probably some gnarly visuals.
I’m in.
Speaking of being in, I’m completely into this new trailer for the series, which is tapped to premiere on Netflix come September 30th. Check it out below, we’re about to have yet another slick Marvel transfer to binge on!
Synopsis: Given superstrength and durability by a sabotaged experiment, a wrongly accused man escapes prison to become a superhero for hire.
If you were to travel back in time just a few decades, look me directly in the eye and inform me that in 2016 there would be few, if any films hotter than comic book transfers.
It never seemed like a reality. Filmmakers were struggling to get the look and special effects up to snuff through the 90s, so when you saw a superhero movie, you knew it was a rarity. In 2016 however, it’s the expected, and the norm. Imagine pulling comic flicks from the lineup these days – raged out basement dwelling 30-somethings would overpower towns, torches and pitchforks wielded carelessly.
Well, don’t sweat it too much, nerds, we’re not going to see a drop-off of comic book films in the near future. We may never see comic book transfers fade into obscurity. This movement feels more like the birth of a new genre rather than the birth of a new fad.
Comic book movies are just too damn entertaining, gratifying and generally enjoyable to anticipate a departure from the Hollywood spotlight anytime soon.
Thank god. My inner Super Geek knows I’d cry two full rivers if the market began turning away from superhero movies. But as long as these pieces are doing the kind of numbers they’ve done throughout the first half of 2016, they’re here to stay.
Speaking of the success of these pictures, let’s take a look at how the focal four films released this calendar year have fared at the box office.
I’ll always be a sucker for three specific DC characters: The Flash, Superman and Batman. They’re all compelling characters with great depth, diverse personalities and an assortment of cool villains to tangle with. While we don’t get to see any crazy involvement from The Flash in Superman and Batman: Public Enemies, we get more than enough thrills from Supes and the Bat.
Knowing how much I adore these characters, this is hard to admit, but I get a morbid kick out of any opportunity to see both Superman and Batman made to look like true villains. You can bet with Lex Luthor having been recently elected as the president of the United States, these two are going to take a public shellacking. Lex Luthor doesn’t disappoint.
Luthor plays the manipulator here and gradually encourages the people of Metropolis, as well as every hero and villain alive to view these two in a different light. Obviously, Luthor wants to be done with Superman, and if he can take out the bat in the process, great. But it won’t be easy, even after recruiting every savage you can think of.
So who exactly wants to kill these two? Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Solomon Grundy, Metallo, Gorilla Grodd, Starfire, Mongul, Lady Shiva and… well, the list just goes on and on. And that means that Public Enemies is really just a showcase for every awesome DC character on the roster. It’s a blast to see!
The script is solid, the artwork is beautiful and seeing Superman and Batman bond over tough times is good fun in my mind. The flick is non-stop action, which also holds some huge appeal. All in all, director Sam Liu did a bang up job of creating one of the more entertaining feature length Batman/Superman films.
We love Batman at his darkest. Nobody broods better. Nobody punishes better. Nobody just goes toe to toe with the friggin’ Ripper!
Okay. Batman does… all of those things.
This new short film is a complete blast. Nice production values, fine cinematography, great performances and a tone that might just shock you. It’s cool seeing two legendary figures, for two entirely different reasons, tangling to the bitter end…
You’ve got to watch this, plain and simple. James Campbell writes and directs.
The film stars Bill Fellows, Donald Standen, Jacob Anderton, Kris Saddler, Sally Collett, Victoria Gibson, Eilidh Talman and Bruce Payne.
Best Comic Books 