Saturday, December 19, 2009

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Inside the Spectacularly Marvelously Marvel Smoking Section

Captain America is Reborn or something little late to the party myself but I've been thinking bout the two caps and I remembered the old cap had a vice. Nothing quite says all American hero than a nice corn cob pipe. It's interesting how jovially it makes the captain seem. Not what I'd expect from him. I'd expect the All American New York city boy who served in the second world war to smoke either a cigarette or nothing at all. The corn cob pipe would fit a little better if Steve Rodgers was from Oklahoma or Kentucky. I could never imagine cap puffing this after a skirmish with Baltroc the Leaper.
His arch nemesis the Red Skull however is pitch perfect with a long Cruela DeVille ciggarette. It highlights his European-ness, his villiany, and it looks odd perched on his deformed person. Strangley elegant, yet grotesque its the perfect design compliment for Cap's most well known foe.
Been going through my old posts and found an old gem I'd like to expound upon. Found more character pics I like of great marvel smokers. Captain America's future best pal Tony Stark smokes marlboro's especially when he drinks. High pressure life style, women coming and going sometime's you just got to kick back and unwind with a good smoke.
Few things more befit a position of power like an eye-patch, Ciagr, and grey streaks on the side of the head. The classic Nick Fury has the triple threat.

Super spy's don't only smoke cigars in the USSR they enjoy a nice pack of Kool as the dealy Balck Widow can attest. It makes sense that Russia's baddest agent doesn't give a crap about lung cancer. I'd totally by a pack of smokes called Balck Widow's if this pic was on the carton.
All supevillains should smoke they're bad guys it makes sense. Others look really cool due to their choice in smoke. Others look more petty.

Cigars are not only for the rich and powerful. Alpha Flight's Puck is known to enjoy an occasional cigar. Nothing wrong with a good Montescristo after a long day of fighting the Wendigo.
Grey Hulk agrees.
So does Canada's favorite son, Logan.
Or maybe a pipe is better post Wendigo fight?

Scientist love pipes makes them more scientifical I think .
Coming soon my own Super hero smoking art. Think Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, Iron-Fist, Green Arrow, Green Lantern John Stewart, and taking requests for the final couple smoking art doodles I'm working on. I in no way encourage smoking it's a horrible habit and I don't do it myself. Although I don't mind if fictional people do it.

Friday, September 4, 2009

6 reasons to enjoy Night at the Museum battle OF the Smithsonian

6 reasons to enjoy Night at The Museum Battle of the Smithsonian

6. The production design on this film is superb. Everything looks crisp and old and glorious. I wasn't a fan of the first film and was hesitant to see this film but I'm glad I did because it was just good family fun. The films never really deliver on their full potential. You have the possibility to do some really suspenseful, dramatic, and cinematic things with the magical concept. instead we're played for light hearted simple laughs.
5. Hank Azaria was magnificent. His biceps were glorious and his voice really shines. He is such a tremendous actor who I wished had a bigger resume. Love him on the Simpsons, and in films like the Birdcage, and Run Fatboy Run.
4. His evil cronies were fun. I liked the Vader and Grouch cameos and I'll admit it's one of the reasons I actually went to see this film in theatres. Wish Napolean would've had more screen time.
3. Bill Hader is one of my favorite comedy actors of this new millennium he's splendid on SNL and he plays Custer in a very honest, innocent, and fun way. You feel almost bad fro him when you see him realize his place in history. The film is almost about his redemption in a way.
2. This little Gladiator Cowboy relationship was one of my favorite parts of the first film and I'd lobby for a spin-off with them.
1. Stiller keeps the ensemble cast in check and has a nice bit of chemistry with Amy Adams and the storybook ending worked fro me at the end. I liked the film more than I expected to and I think it's a decent family flick. Not the worst way to spend a couple of hours.

Friday, August 28, 2009

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

X-Men Origins: Wolverine = waste of time
You'd think a Wolverine movie would be easy. Set up a bunch of cool action sequences put Weapon-x in them and watch bad guys get sliced and diced. Instead they adapted the weaker part of Wolverine's origin.
I didn't like the focus on Victor and James/Logan as brothers the dynamic doesn't work for me. It doesn't feel natural and the movie never really sells it. We never get to see brothers being brothers, instead we get guys fighting and killing stuff in lame pg-13 fashion. The new Sabretooth Liev Schrieber is pure genius. I wish we could go back and put him in over tyler mane's lumbering grunting Sabretooth from the original fox x-men film.

Ryan Reynolds is used far to little. Blob was better than I thought he would be but he didn't fit in the film and should've been in Last Stand instead. WillIam was atrocious and should please stick to singing.
Stryker was fantastic and he was a great heavy which is difficult to pull off in a film with two great badasses like Jackman and Schrieber. The special effects were atrocious for the budget of the film and I hated the wire jumping with Sabretooth and the lame long finger nails. The effects were problematic and I think all of the X-men films were better fx wise even horribly rushed x3 looks better than Origins. This film would have been better as an R with less mutants and focusing more on him fighting in the wars and losing friends and finding pathos and trauma that will later fuel his animal berserker rages.



I loved the casting of Taylor Kitsch as Gambit and I think he worked but it just didn't feel like it fit for the movie. Logan and Gambit's friendship seemed unnecessary and forced. I'd love to see a Gambit Wolverine buddy mutant action film or grindhouse style double feature. Gambit in an ocean style thieve-thriller, and Wolverine as a revenge gore-story.
I kind of like the way they teased at X-men First class would have liked better if they would have played Prof. X straight and explain that he got botox later in life or something. I loved Logan as a lumberjack most of all in the film.
The opening acting and plot-line in the 1800's is horrible. The climax of the film was craptastic and it's ironic that the first film of the summer was the worst of the summer.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

HaRRY PoTTER and the HaLF-BLooD PRiNCe

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Ugggh! What wasted opportunity. The Harry Potter series in my opinion has been grossly mishandled. The books should have been adapted as hour long tv shows or mini-series. maybe turning every chapter into an episode or or every half book into a movie or something to that effect.
I think that the film series started off well enough Sorcerer's Stone was faithful enough as was Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban added more style to the series which the following films carried brilliantly. I as very upset with the massive changes in Goblet of Fire and the Order of the Phoenix run time. This film also similarly flabbergasting story choices that I felt unnecessarily deviated from the awesome things that actually happen in the book.
The Half-Blood Prince is very much a companion piece for death;y Hallows and in that way it works well in book form i fail to see how the films will blend and tell the upcoming story. I was
disappointed in the film and the fact that the line I'm not a coward didn't make it into the film is a travesty. The special effects were the best they've ever been in the series and Horcruxes really seem less fascinating in the film than they seem in the book. The casting of Slughorn was fantastic and I look forward to the Deathly Hallows films an how they will be treated maybe they will justify this film.
Oh and you can't tell me Eric Bana wouldn't have made a better Fenrir Greyback.

Oh yeah!!!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

drag me to hell

DRAG ME TO HELL
Sam Raimi is back at his best. I hated Spiderman-3 loved Spider-man 2 and absolutely love Drag Me to Hell it's a rare experience when you realize you are going to love a film after only 15 minutes. Some movies that can elicit this are Easy Rider, Th Dark Knight,


Star Wars A New Hope, Hellboy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Desperado, Kill Bill, Ghostbusters,
True Romance, The Running Man, the Goonies, Total Recall,
and Star Trek 11 to name a few. This film is one of those few simply for the way and style in which the DRAG ME TO HELL title card is shown. It feels so Grindhouse and cool. This film would fit in perfectly as a modern day Grindhouse it's strange how this film feels like a modern day period piece.
I am flabbergasted at the skill Raimi shows in turning mundane items like a handkerchief and an old ladies teeth and turning them into iconic horror props, pop-out scares, to gross, frightening, disturbing, and hilarious effects.
I would have loved to see the film with Ellen Page in th lead but I'm pleased with the product we recieved the acting on all fronts is superb.
The seance scene is great as is the graveyard sequence and opening teaser.
The film moves along pretty brickly and despite the satanic elements is actually a pretty okay family film for a liberal family. Justin Long for some reason is so loved by the audience that when his characters immortal soul is put in jeopardy the audience actively roots for the protagonists well deserved demise. Raimi should stick to these horror films for college k,ids and thriteen year olds and pass on the Spider-man job to someone with less skill in the horror field. Raimi is still a god of horror. Evil Dead 4 better be in the works.
I look forward to a series of these Drag me to Hell films and I can't wait for "Drag me 2 Hell" or "Drag me From Hell" or "Drag 3 to Hell" OHHH! TRADEMARK that quick.