Terminator Salvation Thoughts

The picture above is of John Connor (Christian Bale) in the Terminator Factory. This movie is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2009 with a lot of high hopes. At first I said to myself oh no another Terminator movie. Shortly after finding out about another Terminator movie I quickly went to research. I have been saying since the first movie came out that Hollywood should make a movie about the war. The timing of this movie is perfect. The Sarah Connor Chronicles is airing now and it is a really good show. If you watch the young John Connor on the show and then watch the movie you will feel like you grew up with John.

There are three doubts and concerns that pose a threat to the performance of the movie. First, the writer John Brancato. John has written recent movies such as Primeval, Net 2.0 and Catwoman. The best movie in the mix was Primeval. I think Primeval wasn't even that good. Next concern are the supporting actors. Many of which are new and young. The really good actor I see is Bale. We will see Anton Yelchin's performance in both Terminator and Star Trek. Anton will play Pavel Chekov in the new Star Trek movie set to release on May 8, 2009. The third concern is Bale. Do not get me wrong, I think he is a good actor. The only thing is his personality might not fit the role of John Connor. John Connor has a personality of someone who is very sensitive and shows emotion about the human race. Bale plays lots of dark roles such as Batman, American Pyscho and Shaft.

I really want this movie to be good. I love the Terminator franchise. I am predicting this movie to be a 7.5 out of 10. With James Cameron as a co writer I am sure he will bring positive components to the movie.

Trailer #2



- djoliva

The Women of The Spirit

The Spirit comes out next week and here's a new feature on the Women of The Spirit.



Also check out John Broglia's artwork for the Spirit. Enjoy, its a Double Page Splash.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The trailer for the newest installment to the big screen X-Men universe has hit the nets today. Wolverine is easily the most popular X-Men character and only takes a back seat to Spiderman in the Marvel Universe.



Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine (thank god). The film will trace his origin which spans more than a century. Remember that crazy mutant healing thingie Wolverine has? This film will introduce other X-men favorites such as Gambit and Deadpool. Check it out.

The Day the Earth Stood Still remake....FAIL!

My worst fears about this movie have come true. The Day the Earth Stood Still remake fails to live up to its classic predecessor. But is it a surprise? The concept and special effects are of course great but after I watched the trailers and saw Keanu's lifeless version of Klatuu, I knew that this movie wasn't going to measure up. Now that the reviews are in I feel totally insulted!

I'm insulted, not because of the actors its the direction of the characters. A lot of people give Keanu Reeves a hard time for being a bad actor, I don't think he's terrible as people say but he's no Brando, Stewart etc. Its the direction that they had Klatuu going in. The first movie showed us that an alien can have some compassion for us. This new Klatuu came off intimidating and menacing. By doing this they lost the compassion and relatability of the character. I'm sure during the movie this rigidness would have changed because of key people, ie Jennifer Connelly and Jayden Smith but I'm sure it feels tacked on.

I haven't seen the film but I'm going on what I've read and what I've heard. I'll try to watch it and compare the endings as well. Apparently there is a big difference in this version's ending.

So, who's at fault for this? Everyone in Hollywood wants those big tentpole films, the big franchise makers. So everyone has been digging into the past to dust off and remake classic films. This is fine but they are either deviating too far from the source material or are missing the point completely from the original that make them classics. I think there are people out there in Hollywood that are completely ignorant.

They really want these properties to work yet the pressure of making money, appealing to mass audiences and just being completely ignorant of what makes things work is what attributes to failures like this. The powers that be need to look at these classics and really try to learn what is the most important aspect about them. I'm not only talking about concept but what the emotional connectivity these films possess that connects with the audience. Maybe if someone took the time out to examine that instead of rushing into pre production maybe some of these remakes won't fall flat and suck.

If you want to see a good scifi film, there's nothing like the original.

Geoff Johns is leaving Justice Society of America!

Earlier this week it was announced via Geoff John's blog that he was leaving the JSA comic book at issue #26. Although this is sad news as Johns has been a very intricate part of the JSA book since 1999, he will take this time to focus on his newest run on The Flash and the Darkest Night storyline.

I believe that wherever Johns goes so will his devoted fanbase...which includes myself. I can't wait to see what DC's top writer has in store for us. I for one will be looking forward to his Blackest Night Storyline!

To read all the news about his departure check out newsarama.com.

Five most influential superhero's - Part I

Who is the most influential superhero? The word influential can mean many things. I will define influence as it is written in dictionary.com. Influence is "the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others." With that definition I can't say any other superhero has had an effect on the pop culture in today's age than Superman. Superman was created in 1939 Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Mort Weisinger improved on the characters background a few years later such as the reaction towards kryptonite.

Ok so, Superman was created by two Jewish people in 1939. Why is Superman so influential?Superman is thought of as an American Icon. The time period when Superman was created was during a time of world wars, poverty and financially hard times. There was World War One, followed by the roaring 20's, the great depression and World War Two. People needed a way out of the realities of life. The world needed a protector. Someone who would could help solve world peace and serve justice. At the time Superman was created, there was the great depression and the rising of Hitler in Germany. The Jews were being persecuted and did not have a home country. They were kicked out of many countries and in some killed. Look at Superman, he did not have a home country. His planet was destroyed. I feel the Jewish community was trying to live everyday life without persecution.  America was one of the few places to accept the Jewish community with minimal persecution. Superman was faced with a similar dilemma. Superman is trying to be human and live a normal life in America. 

Some of you are probably saying to yourself how does this all equate to Superman being the most influential superhero. Well, I believe that we all think this Superman really does exist. Superman fights for justice and the right reasons. In the comic books and movies, Superman is thought of as a savior or a God. He is the one watching above us. Making sure we are all doing well. The thought of someone watching us in human form is comforting for everybody. I sure go to sleep better knowing that we are safe, don't you?

-djoliva

The Dark Knight...Oscar Worthy?

On the eve of The Dark Knight being released on dvd and with the Oscar nominations quickly going to be decided, many bat fans have wondered...is The Dark Knight Oscar worthy? This film easily goes down as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest sequel ever made. Its a bold statement but The Dark Knight is a bold movie. The late Heath Ledger's performance alone galvanized this movie in not only comic book fans but the overall public in general. Does Heath disappear in the role, is this movie the Godfather II of comic book movies? So many questions, many will have the same answer...yes!

Is the Dark Knight Best Picture of the Year? It sure looks like it. Its the highest grossing film of the year as its garnered $996,482,559 worldwide, just shy of a billion dollars and the coveted Titanic top spot.

Is the Dark Knight a great screenplay? This movie brought a realism to a comic book adaption that no other film in its genre has come close to achieving. It is due to this realism that I believe many people were able to relate to this film. They were able to put aside the seventy years of comic book bat history in order to sit back and immerse themselves in this world.

Is the Dark Knight the Godfather II of superhero movies? It certainly ranks as one of the greatest sequels ever. The Godfather II is notorious for being superior to its original film. Looking in terms of scifi films, The Dark Knight follows the classic Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan rule: add an enemy that matches or is superior to our hero, add a lot more action and top it with a major character death. The Dark Knight delivers on this rule in every way.



Does Heath Ledger deserve a postumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor? Absolutely. Ledger, without question, disappeared in the psychotic Joker role and brought a new life to the character that we had never seen before. We've seen the Joker as a crazy comicial killer in the past but Ledger's Joker brought such a sinister and at times frightening Joker to the forefront. It's not often that a character in films becomes a pop cultural icon. No matter who plays the Joker, whether it be Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger, the character always catches people's attention. In the cast of Ledger's Joker, he's up the ante on the madman and driven him to become a household name.

Below is a quick behind the scenes video done right before the movie opening in July:



I believe that this clip is a great example of why Heath is being considered for a Supporting Actor Nomination. Is it Ledger's Joker at his most intense? You be the judge.



In conclusion, I wouldn't be surprised at all if The Dark Knight were nominated for several Oscars. Will it win? If it does, The Dark Knight will go down in history as the first comic book adaption film to ever win an Academy Award. This would be historic for the comic book genre. Much hangs in the balance at this year's Oscars. If this film can garner any Oscars including an award for Ledger as well as a Best Picture award, then the future of the comic book genre will become brighter than its been since X-Men and Spiderman sparked its cinematic revolution years ago. The Dark Knight has my vote.

Fringe at Brooklyn College

The new Fox scifi drama by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek)is called Fringe. Its basically the new X-Files for this decade and its been a pretty enjoyable series so far. Its coming up with new and innovative science gone amok ideas that parallels some of the original X-Files episodes but has an innovative voice of its own. Some of the segments on Fringe takes place at Harvard University but since this is their freshman season, Brooklyn College is substituting for that University. The cast and crew of Fringe have been filming on campus three times in the last few weeks and hopefully they will be back again.

The three people that run this blog, myself, David and Dr. Oliva were fortunate enough to be background extras on the set today! It was a lot of fun and I suggest that anyone with an interest in entertainment really look into the possibility of being an extra. Just being on a set really exposes you to the intricacies of this business and how it runs.



Below is a clip for the series just to give newcomers a taste of what this series is about:



And here is a more in depth behind the scenes look:

Comics Syllabus

Here are three graphic novels from DC Comics that are Required Reading. These three novels are Epics. They are the most influential novels that literally changed the comic book world.

Kingdom Come - What happens when the children of our superheroes make their own rules? What happens when the world's governments want to take back control? Only a bitter Superman must come out of retirement to save the world...but whose world will he save? The world of the normal man or the world of the superheroes?

The Watchmen - The first main stream ultra raunchy and violent graphic novel. This is where the line between good and evil gets blurred this is where black and white ended and shades of gray becomes the new characterizations for characters.

Crisis on Infinite Earth - Without a doubt the most piviotal storyline in the history of the DC Universe. The scope of this maxi-series even spreads far beyond DC as it marked the official end to the Silver Age of Comic Books. This series is so influential that it prompted the Marvel Universe to start its own maxi-series that crossed over into their entire comic book line. This is the genesis of what we know today as the comic book "crossover" event.
Fifty years of DC Comics history came to a devastating end on its 5oth anniversary and a new universe was born, one that has struggled to survive for the last quarter century. More major comic book characters died in this series than any other comic book in history. Its more than just required reading, in comic book terms its holy grail of comic book epics.

Invincible Iron Man

I have been reading the new Invisible Iron Man series. The series is up to the seventh comic book. I have to say that I am impressed with the way Marvel presents Iron Man and the story to the readers. This is not even mentioning the art work. The art work has been great. The book is written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Salvador Larroca. The Iron Man movie set this series up. The series so far is about Ezekiel Stane. Ezekiel is another name with a religious background. Ezekiel Stane is the son of the Iron Monger. The Iron Monger appeared in the Iron Man movie as the villian. Ezekiel Stane has a vendetta for Tony Stark after the death of his father, Obadiah Stane. 

Ezekiel created a secret society to kill Tony Stark.  Ezekiel supports the organization financially. Not only does Ezekiel have money, he also has intelligence. He bought some of Iron Man's materials from the black market and created his own Iron Man. Ezekiel attacks some super hero's and strategic locations using his Iron Man suit and weapons. Tony Stark is very upset because he knows that his technology is killing these people. Ezekiel attacked one building where Tony's not girlfriend but girlfriend Pepper was in attendance. Pepper had schrapnel in her chest. The only way she will survive is if Tony creates the device that saved his life which is on the Iron Man suit. This device costs lots of money to create. Pepper is upset that she has this device in her when Tony will not donate it to people who need it. Tony's reason is that the device costs too much money. 

Ezekiel plans to attack all of Stark Industry locations around the world at the same time. As Ezekiel is planning his attacks, Iron Man is not sure who is behind the whole operation. Iron Man tracks down who is buying the Iron Man equipment and weapons. Tony Stark investigates and figures out that Ezekiel might plan an attack. Tony Stark says that someone will create a cheaper version of the Iron Man. Tony calls it the Iron Man 2.0. Iron Man 2.0 has not been developed yet. Tony Stark puts a tracking device on one of the black market Iron Man equipment. Tony can now track where the equipment is going. Tony Stark creates Iron Man bots and places them at all Stark Industry locations. Stark knows which building Ezekiel is going to attack. The bots will attack the other machines Ezekiel put together. Iron Man finds Ezekiel and they have a showdown with Iron Man winning and bringing Ezekiel to justice. In the process of their fight, Ezekiel manages to destroy the Stark Industries building located on Long Island. 

Something tells me that Ezekiel is not finished. There can be more people involved in his secret society that can pull a stunt like Ezekiel did. The series did not focus on many people being involved in the secret society. I am sure there are more people that hate the capitalist pig Tony Stark. Book #8 should be out next week. We shall see what aftermath will be like. Please purchase the next few books. It will get interesting.

-djoliva

The Spirit tv spots

I'm posting 2 tv spots for the new superhero movie called The Spirit. This movie is based on a classic comic book character by Will Eisner. Its in the style of 300 and Sin City but hardcore fans haven't taken to kindly to it as they don't see this character in that type of cinematic depiction. This movie didn't make my most anticipated list but the trailer and tv spots are showing potiential.

2 TV Clips of the Week!

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.

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

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

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).

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.

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




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.