The first clip comes from the surprisingly long running Superman series Smallville. Over the last few seasons more and more superheroes and villians have made their way to Smallville. This time around its Doomsday, the monster Kryptonian creature that killed Superman back in 1992.
The next clip comes from Heroes. Sylar; once the scariest villian on television is now struggling to keep his humanity and Elle is the key.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Day the Earth Stood Still x2
It's Michael Rennie vs. Keanu Reeves for The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Rennie played Klaatu, an alien visitor that has a dire message for the people of the earth. He was a sympathetic character that, even though was alien, had a sense of humanity to him. He saw potential in the human race but acted sternly when he told the world that our petty wars would eventually lead to space...and if it did "the world would be reduced to a burned out cinder." This was a great socio-political conscience movie as the Cold War had begun and the threat of nuclear annihilation was real.
Fifty seven years later this epic movie that started the UFO movie revolution in the 1950s is now being remade. Keanu Reeves is filling the shoes of Rennie portraying Klaatu in a more emotionless way. From what we've seen in the trailers, Reeve's Klaatu is more alien, sinister and dangerous. I really can't critique this movie as it won't come out for the next two weeks but from what I've seen it can either be really good or really bad. I'm hoping for something really good but we all know, remakes are disappointing most of the time. Klaatu's robot Gort remains unchanged in this version although it does get the CGI treatment. The newest addition to the Day the Earth Stood Still is the cloud that disinegrates everything it touches. This is a new and far more menacing threat. I understand that the remake must up the ante and make things that much more dire than the original, but honestly, the original proved its point without losing the humanity it so richly displayed.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of my REQUIRED VIEWING films! If you have never seen the original now is the time to do so before the remake comes out. Once you see the original you can decide which was the more superior.
At this moment, on the eve of the remake's opening, I have Michael Rennie leading over Keanu Reeves. What do you think?
Finally, "Klaatu Barata Nikto" will have a new meaning for you after viewing the original and hopefully the remake.
Mike
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Super Hero Genre and Polytheism - Part I
Super hero comics and films fill our culture. From the 1930s to the present super heroes and villains have become a mainstay in the cultural development of our society. Numerous popular and academic works have explored the role of the super hero in our lives. Graphic novels and high tech films are continuing this process at an accelerating clip. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, the Punisher, the Joker, etc. are ubiquitous.
Super heroes and super villains are a modern pantheon. They are a collection of figures that express deep and abiding characteristics of human culture and of the human psyche. The pantheon of heroes and villains mimics archaic religious belief. The Greeks, the Romans and many other ancient societies worshiped a plethora of divinities. Our monotheistic belief system, although dominant for nearly two thousand years, has lived side by side with more ancient polytheistic forms of religious experience. It is my contention that contemporary super hero genres are the expression of polytheistic cultural and psychic forms long thought extinct. They are the living expression of pre-modern religious tendencies that may be an inherent and necessary component of human religious practice. Even the saints of the Catholic Church are reminiscent of this tendency.
In future blogs I will explore the connections between the super hero/villain and polytheism in its modern or postmodern forms. Polytheism in this context will be explored as a psychic component of human experience and as a sub-narrative informing our social and cultural development. My interest is not in posing polytheism as an alternative to monotheism. Rather, I am offering polytheism as a psychological and sociological phenomenon that presently finds expression in the films and comic books of our age and provides a vessel for the religious longings of a secular society.
Robert M. Oliva, ND, LMSW, MA
Super heroes and super villains are a modern pantheon. They are a collection of figures that express deep and abiding characteristics of human culture and of the human psyche. The pantheon of heroes and villains mimics archaic religious belief. The Greeks, the Romans and many other ancient societies worshiped a plethora of divinities. Our monotheistic belief system, although dominant for nearly two thousand years, has lived side by side with more ancient polytheistic forms of religious experience. It is my contention that contemporary super hero genres are the expression of polytheistic cultural and psychic forms long thought extinct. They are the living expression of pre-modern religious tendencies that may be an inherent and necessary component of human religious practice. Even the saints of the Catholic Church are reminiscent of this tendency.
In future blogs I will explore the connections between the super hero/villain and polytheism in its modern or postmodern forms. Polytheism in this context will be explored as a psychic component of human experience and as a sub-narrative informing our social and cultural development. My interest is not in posing polytheism as an alternative to monotheism. Rather, I am offering polytheism as a psychological and sociological phenomenon that presently finds expression in the films and comic books of our age and provides a vessel for the religious longings of a secular society.
Robert M. Oliva, ND, LMSW, MA
Magog One Shot Special
I just read the Magog one shot special book. I am impressed with the Kingdom Come series recently. This week Alex Ross did not do the art for the whole book. Last week for the Superman special, Alex Ross was the artist for the whole book! Anyway, in this book there is a river in Africa where villagers of this one town are dying because of the poisoned water. Just as Gog and the Justice Society are going to fix the river water problem , Magog gets a distress message from his old Marine team. The team is located in Congo. Magog has enough energy to run across all of Africa only to find the team where a few of his friends are dead and captured. Magog finds out where his captured friends are and unleashes a killing spree on the enemy. I think this is where we find out that Magog has some flaws. He likes to treat others and they are being treated. I understand the eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth philosophy. However, this leads to a few questions on how Magog will react to future events. Remember, the Kingdom Come Superman says that Gog caused war on his Earth (Earth 22).
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Just watched the last episode of Entourage Season Five. Its probably the best episodes of the whole series…and that’s saying a lot. There was the usual comedy but more drama than usual. E cursing out Vince after the blame was put on him for their return back to Queens New York. The dire desperation in Vince that we’ve never seen before in the series as his career may in fact already be over. It was a tough episode but the boys managed to pull through with the usual happy ending and a bright future for season six. If you've never seen Entourage you should. Watch all five seasons in a row and I guarantee that you'll laugh your ass off and admit you've found your new favorite show.
Just watched the last episode of Entourage Season Five. Its probably the best episodes of the whole series…and that’s saying a lot. There was the usual comedy but more drama than usual. E cursing out Vince after the blame was put on him for their return back to Queens New York. The dire desperation in Vince that we’ve never seen before in the series as his career may in fact already be over. It was a tough episode but the boys managed to pull through with the usual happy ending and a bright future for season six. If you've never seen Entourage you should. Watch all five seasons in a row and I guarantee that you'll laugh your ass off and admit you've found your new favorite show.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Most Anticipated Movies for the next Six Months!
The Day the Earth Stood Still
I’m hoping that this remake of the first great alien invasion movie will turn out to be a big hit. I like Keanu Reeves but he’s no Michael Renne, the original actor in the 1951 classic. At least Gort hasn’t changed…even though its getting the full CGI treatment.
Trailer
The Watchmen
This is going to be fantastic. The first hard rated R superhero movie ever. The Watchmen is required reading for anyone who wants to know more about comics and graphic novels.
Trailer
The Wrestler
This is the wrestling movie that will erase the horrible taste that was left in everyone’s mouth after Ready to Rumble. This movie will put Mickie Rouke back on the map and will sound extremely similar to the turbulent story of Jake “the Snake” Roberts.
Trailer
Star Trek
The film franchise is reinvented! What had become cheesy and a geeks only club is now breaking out in the mainstream as a wide appealing action adventure movie. This is a prequel to the Star Trek Universe. We discover where Kirk, Spock and the others came from and what put together on the Enterprise. JJ Abrams is the man about town right now. He has done Alias, Cloverfield, Lost, Fringe and now Star Trek. Sky’s the limit for him. Maybe now Star Trek can finally get the respect its deserved for years.
Trailer
Terminator Salvation
The fourth in the Terminator franchise and the first in a trilogy that takes the war against Skynet to the future. The machines have taken over and John Connor must step up to liberate humanity. We finally see the war in the future and I’m hoping this movie will be groundbreaking...even though James Cameron has not given McG his absolute blessing.
Trailer
Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen
The sequel to one of my favorite movies of this decade is finally coming out. The first movie had tons of action, drama and laughs. I can’t wait to see what Bay and his crew have lined up for us. Honestly, I want to see more robots as well as the comic and dramatic dynamic between Shia and Megan.
G.I. Joe
Another great cartoon series of the 80s is finally coming to the big screen. Following the success of Transformers, G.I. Joe will try to capture that same kind of success. I’m hoping it will be great but so far there has been absolutely no buzz on this film which is not a good sign. I’m hoping for the best.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
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The X-Men live on in the movies as their most popular character, Wolverine takes center stage in his origin story. I think this is going to be a great movie with lots of mutants we have not seen before.
I’m hoping that this remake of the first great alien invasion movie will turn out to be a big hit. I like Keanu Reeves but he’s no Michael Renne, the original actor in the 1951 classic. At least Gort hasn’t changed…even though its getting the full CGI treatment.
Trailer
The Watchmen
This is going to be fantastic. The first hard rated R superhero movie ever. The Watchmen is required reading for anyone who wants to know more about comics and graphic novels.
Trailer
The Wrestler
This is the wrestling movie that will erase the horrible taste that was left in everyone’s mouth after Ready to Rumble. This movie will put Mickie Rouke back on the map and will sound extremely similar to the turbulent story of Jake “the Snake” Roberts.
Trailer
Star Trek
The film franchise is reinvented! What had become cheesy and a geeks only club is now breaking out in the mainstream as a wide appealing action adventure movie. This is a prequel to the Star Trek Universe. We discover where Kirk, Spock and the others came from and what put together on the Enterprise. JJ Abrams is the man about town right now. He has done Alias, Cloverfield, Lost, Fringe and now Star Trek. Sky’s the limit for him. Maybe now Star Trek can finally get the respect its deserved for years.
Trailer
Terminator Salvation
The fourth in the Terminator franchise and the first in a trilogy that takes the war against Skynet to the future. The machines have taken over and John Connor must step up to liberate humanity. We finally see the war in the future and I’m hoping this movie will be groundbreaking...even though James Cameron has not given McG his absolute blessing.
Trailer
Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen
The sequel to one of my favorite movies of this decade is finally coming out. The first movie had tons of action, drama and laughs. I can’t wait to see what Bay and his crew have lined up for us. Honestly, I want to see more robots as well as the comic and dramatic dynamic between Shia and Megan.
G.I. Joe
Another great cartoon series of the 80s is finally coming to the big screen. Following the success of Transformers, G.I. Joe will try to capture that same kind of success. I’m hoping it will be great but so far there has been absolutely no buzz on this film which is not a good sign. I’m hoping for the best.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
.jpg)
The X-Men live on in the movies as their most popular character, Wolverine takes center stage in his origin story. I think this is going to be a great movie with lots of mutants we have not seen before.
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