Thursday, April 25, 2019

TOP TEN FAVORITE MARVEL VILLAINS

TOP TEN FAVORITE MARVEL VILLAINS


In celebration of AVENGERS: ENDGAME and the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we here at Blood Work would like to list our favorite villains of the Marvel Comics universe. Not merely our favorite rogues of any particular hero, but villains from across the whole Marvel landscape. We've been reading Marvel comic books since we were in single digits and still going strong! And over the years we've come to know and love a host of villains as well as the heroes.

A while ago I listed, what I believed to be, Marvel Comics Top Ten Super Villains. Judging from Marvel's continuity, stories, and influence on the premiere heroes in the Marvel universe. That wasn't a list of my personal favorite Marvel super villains but rather me showing my own self awareness.

You see, I am anything but your typical Marvel fan. I like some of the weirder and far out characters and, in many cases, characters not everybody likes. Look at it this way, if I were to say Marvel's greatest heroes were Sleepwalker, Darkhawk, Hellstorm, and so on who'd believe me? You'd think I was nuts and didn't know my head from my foot. I like the stranger characters. To me they're the best. But I am self aware enough to know how crazy my tastes are and can recognize the characters who, in actuality, are Marvel's premiere characters.

So if I do a list that isn't necessarily my personal favorites but the most recognizable it's to show I'm not crazy... well not totally.

Anyway, like I began that other villains post, a hero is only as good as his villain. And I love me a good villain! Sometimes I'll follow the villains just like I follow my favorite heroes. In some instances I've gone back and purchased every appearance of my favorite villains across many different comics. I've done that with the top two characters on this list and I have aspirations to do so with others on this list! Because sometimes the villain's journey is just as interesting, if not more so, than the hero's.

So here's my list of the villains I'd follow anywhere and everywhere, just like I would my heroes!





THE BONUSES





#14
FIN FANG FOOM

First Appearance: Strange Tales #89 (October1961)

Primary Nemesis: Iron Man, Hulk, Thor

Why I Like Him: Marvel's very own kaiju (ancient dragon/alien conquerer), Fin Fang Foom was one of those characters that I saw as a child and said, "I want comics with this guy in them!" I still want comics with this guy in them. The unfortunate reality (or charm) of the character is that most appearances of his are treated as jokes or goofy adventures. Rarely is he treated seriously. While I love Fin Fang Foom (especially just saying his name aloud), these absurd stories do little to endear him to me further. I read them and I laugh and inside I'm saying, "That was fun but a shame." I kingdom for a truly amazing Fin Fang Foom story

But really, it must be difficult to have a serious take on such a character in the Marvel universe, and I get that. Therefore the easy answer is lean hard into absurdity. I just wish someone somewhere would one day write a truly epic and serious Fin Fang Foom story. My favorite Fin Fang Foom stories include his first appearance, his two issue stint in ASTONISHING TALES, and his epic major return in IRON MAN #261 through #275. Interestingly, Jon Favreau (the director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2) worked on a comic mini series featuring Iron Man battling a wickedly cool redesigned Fin Fang Foom (artwork by Marvel Studios' concept artist Adi Granov). It's a possible glimpse at what the dragon could've looked like in a movie.







#13
GALACTUS 

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)

Primary Nemesis: Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Thor, and more!

Why I Like Him: The Devourer of Worlds, Galactus isn't necessarily a villain, he's a piece of cosmic consonance serving a necessary function within the universe: unbiased random destruction. He's like a force of nature, a great flood or tornado that comes through and destroys everything in its path. He doesn't choose to destroy a planet out of malice, but out of necessity. He harvests a planet's energies to sustain himself. He's beyond good and evil, and that's why I like him. He's a heady esoteric character that provokes thought and conversation. His sheer size too is awe-inspiring and cause to give both the characters and reader pause when he arrives in the story.

He's a bonus because I don't consider him a true villain but usually his appearances place him as the antagonist in the story. But, man, I am in love with everything that comes with Galactus, namely his Heralds and the cosmic adventures therein.







#12
THE MAGUS

First Appearance: Strange Tales #178 (February 1975)

Primary Nemesis: Adam Warlock, the Guardians of the Galaxy

Why I Like Him: I have a serious soft spot for villainous doubles of heroes, dark reflections of the title characters. The Magus is Adam Warlock from the future gone completely evil. Heralded by his Universal Church of Truth, his power and threat level is beyond imagination. So frightening was the Magus that he scared even Thanos. Adam Warlock encountered his dark future self for the first time when the Magus traveled back in time to the present to conquer our timeline. Thanos sensed his arrival first and sent Gamora to Adam Warlock to forge an alliance against the Magus.

It's one of my favorite stories, and in fact, the Magus shows up in many of my favorite stories, Infinity War, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. He's seldom used in the comics, but when he does appear it usually ramps the story up to the next level. He's even wielded the Infinity Gauntlet once before!








#11
ATTUMA

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #33 (December 1964)

Primary Nemesis: Namor, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four

Why I Like Him: Warlord barbarian of the seven seas, Attuma has long plagued the Marvel universe. He's an Atlantean with far greater physical power than most natural born Atlanteans. He believes that his natural born power is a sign that he is destined to rule the oceans. Going about achieving his goal has put him in opposition to Namor ~ the Sub-Mariner, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers on numerous occasions. His vast strength has allowed him to go toe to toe with the likes of Thor and Hulk, heroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, and others being no match for him.

Attuma reminds me of a Genghis Khan-esque character, a medieval conquerer of overwhelming power. He also possesses a Skeletor-like determination and tenacity. It's that swords and sorcery fantasy element that he embodies which is so cool. It's these traits that endear him to me and have made him a lasting villain in my eyes. I also dig his design and how he wears the carcass of a sea monster into battle. 






THE TOP TEN






#10 
THE LEADER

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #62 (December 1964)

Primary Nemesis: The Hulk

Why I Like Him: One of my favorite Hulk villains, the Leader is a gamma mutate like the Hulk, but instead of super strength he gained super intelligence. The gamma also drove him insane (a deadly combination). I like him as he's the antithesis of everything the Hulk is. Sometimes the deadliest enemies aren't the strongest ones, but the smartest ones. The Leader has put Hulk through his paces many times, even defeating the Hulk several times. The Leader figures into many stories from my favorite Hulk scribe, Peter David, from the writer's opening salvo to an epic story culmination nearly 70 issues later!

Typically the stories involving the Leader aren't straight forward tales. They're mysterious and intricate and that is exactly why I like them. When written well, the Leader can be one of Marvel's best villains. Problem is, like the Hulk, he's proven to be a difficult character to craft for most writers at Marvel.







#9
ZARATHOS

First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)

Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, the Midnight Sons

Why I Like Him: The demon bonded to Johnny Blaze that became The Ghost Rider, Zarathos was once a powerful demon that nearly conquered the Earth in ancient times. Powers rivaling that of the high demon Mephisto, Zarathos was one of the most formidable demons in existence. Long ago a team of supernatural heroes were called together by fate to battle Zarathos, forming the original Midnight Sons. Together they defeated the arch-demon. In his weakened state, Zarathos was subjugated by Mephisto and made into a slave. To further humiliate Zarathos, Mephisto would bond him to a human from time to time to do the devil's bidding.

One of my absolute favorite sections in Marveldom is the horror saga of the 1990's. Ghost Rider, Blade, Morbius, the Nightstalkers, and the Darkhold Redeemers (guided by Doctor Strange) all come together to form a new iteration of the supernatural team, THE MIDNIGHT SONS. The major villain that the Midnight Sons saga is Zarathos! Zarathos is free from Mephisto's yoke and regaining his full power. The artwork is great and the story is epic! It has forever endeared the demon villain to me.








#8
BLACKHEART

First Appearance: Daredevil #270 (September 1989)

Primary Nemesis: Ghost Rider, Daredevil

Why I Like Him: The spawn of Mephisto, Blackheart is the prince of Hell. He was first sent to Earth to observe humans and learn to corrupt their souls. Sowing hatred and discord, Blackheart's first real challenge came in the form of a true catholic, Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil. Daredevil resisted Blackheart's temptations. But the demon prince would return again turning an entire town to the darkside. Wolverine, Punisher, and Ghost Rider joined forces to save the townspeople and battle Blackheart.

Again, I'm showing my age and peculiarity with this choice. Everything I love about Blackheart came about in the late 80's and early 1990's. I'm not that big of a John Romita Jr. fan but I love his Blackheart artwork. The character design alone had me terrified and intrigued as a child. And his eventual take over of Hell and machinations against Ghost Rider are among my favorite stories of his.







#7
THE WENDIGO

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #162 (April 1973)

Primary Nemesis: Hulk, Wolverine, Alpha Flight

Why I Like Him: This character really cuts to the core of my love for monsters and horror. Steeped in actual Algonquin myth, whoever consumes the flesh of another human being will be possessed with the evil spirit of the Wendigo. In short "Cannibalism is bad." Marvel took the Wendigo myth to a new level showcasing a literal bodily transformation into a giant ghost-white feral beast with size and strength even greater than the Hulk! The Wendigo makes both the Frankenstein Monster and a werewolf look puny and cuddly by comparison.

There's a primal power to the Wendigo, both in character and design that I just love. I don't always need my villains to be crafty or clever. Sometimes sheer raw power fits the bill perfectly for me. The Wendigo is one of my all-time favorites of this type of character. The fact that there's some real-world mythology surrounding the character only helps make him more intriguing to me.








#6
DORMAMMU

First Appearance: Strange Tales #126 (November 1964)

Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange

Why I Like Them: Design isn't everything when it comes to creating a great character, but if one can manage an interesting character with a truly inspired design greatness will follow. Dormammu falls into this category for me. I am totally in love with his design and his character is unlike most others. Extra-dimensional evil entities can be vague and rather two-dimensional. Dormammu is far more than some formless spirit that lives to cause pain and torment.

The threat that Dormammu represents is multi-dimensional, his power is usually beyond imagination. It forces Doctor Strange to use clever and bizarre tactics to defeat Dormammu rather than face him head on. Dormammu himself is at war with his true nature, as a formless being of energy as opposed creatures made of matter. It's weird and esoteric. But totally cool!







#5
NIGHTMARE

First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)

Primary Nemesis: Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Sleepwalker, Hulk

Why I Like Him: When I was just starting out reading comics, Nightmare was popping up everywhere I looked. First off, I love his simple yet frightening design, like some age-old witch or bargaining demon straight from a fairy tale (or our worst nightmares!). Then there's what he represents: the most frightening thing we can imagine. He is the literal lord of nightmares and a master of fear. You wouldn't know it unless you were well versed in Marvel's outer limits, but there is actually quite the complex hierarchy of "Fear Lords" in the Marvel Universe.

To me Nightmare is (or should be) the scariest character in all of the Marvel Universe. He's also kinda like the Freddy Krueger of Marvel. He's tormented not only Doctor Strange, but Hulk, Danny Ketch Ghost Rider (my favorite Ghost Rider), Sleepwalker, Brother Voodoo, and more of my favorites, most of which happened right when I first started reading comics, endearing the lord of nightmares to me at an early age.








#4
ANNIHILUS

First Appearance: Fantastic Four Annual #6 (November 1968)

Primary Nemesis: Fantastic Four, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel

Why I Like Him: Another wonderful meld of design and character, in my opinion. As I write this, currently there is a popular trend of reader/audiences needing more nuances, complex, and sympathetic villains in their stories. People nowadays want villains they can relate to and understand. I like those aspects too and that's cool. Call me old fashioned though, but I still like my power hungry, world conquering, evil for evil's sake villains. Annihilus is one such megalomaniac who believes it his purpose to end all things. He rules a universe parallel to our own called The Negative Zone and seeks to rule the Positive Universe (our universe) as well.

Among my earlier super hero action figures was an Annihilus toy. As a kid I was instinctively drawn to his design (I guess I really like greens and purples). Then the story ANNIHILATION came out years later and Annihilus was showcased like never before, more powerful and terrifying than ever. Later during Jonathan Hickman's run on Avengers, Annihilus was further developed into a slightly more nuanced character. He became part of a council comprising the greatest powers of the universe alongside Ronan the Accuser, the Super Skrull, Gladiator, and others. So, yeah, he's still a crazy conquering alien villain that doesn't think like you or me, but he has potential to be more.








#3
DRACULA


First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #1 (April 1972)

Primary Nemesis: Blade, the Van Helsings, Doctor Strange

Why I Like Him: One of the most unique chapters in Marvel Comics' history is the 1970's series, TOMB OF DRACULA by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. The series features the villain as the lead and the heroes as the secondary cast. It's not the only Marvel comic to do it but it is the longest running series with the villain as the lead. Marv Wolfman's writing is dark, mature, and engrossing while Gene Colan's art is ethereal, violent, and haunting. It is one of the greatest hidden gems of all comicdom and one of the greatest horror comic book series ever made.

I first thought this was just Marvel making use of a well known property in public domain to make a quick buck. It took me a little while to realize but now I am of the mind that Tomb of Dracula is one of my favorite Marvel comics ever. Dracula is so well written, both vile and evil yet sympathetic and tragic. He's maybe one of the most well written villains in all Marvel. Dracula hasn't been as well showcased since Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan last teamed to writer and draw him, but he has maintained a constant figure in Marvel continuity. And without him we'd have never received BLADE ~ THE VAMPIRE HUNTER!







#2
THE ABOMINATION

First Appearance: Tales To Astonish #90 (April 1967)

Primary Nemesis: The Hulk

Why I Like Him: Going back to my love of dark mirror-images of heroes, the Abomination has always been my favorite Hulk villain since I was a kid (and for a time my all-time favorite Marvel villain). A villain who could go toe to toe, punch for punch, against my all-time favorite hero, the Hulk, was not something I could ignore. It also had something to do with his design being vaguely reminiscent of the Creature From the Black Lagoon (which I love!).

When I started reading comics the great Peter David was writing the Incredible Hulk and slowly reimagining and redesigning Hulk's rogues (but doing it naturally and keeping it within continuity. Doing it RIGHT, if you like). Gray Hulk tossed Abomination into some toxic waste giving him a disgusting half-melted countenance. Then he started living in the sewers of New York and actually became a protector of the homeless people living there. Peter David transformed Abomination into a sympathetic anti-hero. That era is my favorite chapter in Abomination's saga. Greg Pak later seemed to be on the way to doing some great things with Abomination but those plans never came to fruition sadly. As of the writing of this I am still waiting for the Abomination's big return since his unsanctimonious demise at the gun of the Red Hulk (arg! I hate that so much!)







#1
THANOS ~ THE MAD TITAN

First Appearance: Iron Man #55 (February 1973)

Primary Nemesis: Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, Silver Surfer, Guardians of the Galaxy

Why I Like Him: Who else would it be? I'm just jumping on the Thanos bandwagon of late, like everyone else! That's what you're thinking, I'm sure.

For those of you who know me, I've loved Thanos for a long time. Like with Abomination, Thanos became a focal character not long after I started reading comics. The late 80's and early 90's era of Marvel comics was a very formative time for me. Silver Surfer was a character I took to very early on. And when Thanos appeared and started knocking the Silver Surfer around, it stopped me dead in my tracks. Anyone who could do that to one of the most powerful heroes in all of Marvel was worth taking note of. Then the Infinity Gauntlet happened and Thanos became a legendary character for me.

I had never read a story like The Infinity Gauntlet before and it completely blew my mind as to what comic books were capable of. I remember how excited I was at acquiring the very first Thanos figure in the early 90's (in the Fantastic Four TOYBIZ series). I played with that toy until it broke (his Infinity Gauntlet fist of all pieces was the first thing to break off. Admittedly I played pretty hard with the figures I loved).

But as a kid there was so much to Thanos' character and Jim Starlin's writing that was way over my head. As I grew older I discovered a whole other side to Thanos outside of his staggering power-level. Intelligent and calculating, cunning and clever, the further I delved into who Thanos was the more intriguing his character became to me. I always wondered what Thanos would be like in a movie but never imagined it would ever happen. It is truly amazing what has become of Thanos as of late. While his Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart isn't exactly like the comic books, his depth of character is still on display (as well as his power).

And there you have it! My personal favorite Marvel comics villains!

It's a strange and odd list to be sure but that's what makes it mine!

Who are your favorite Marvel comics villains?

Let us know and comment below!

And for more Top Ten lists check out the others below!

TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES  
 TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS  
 
 
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES   TOP TEN GREATEST TURTLES
 TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS  
 TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
 
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (2019)


When Marvel Studios' Avengers came along it opened up new possibilities for film franchise storytelling. A year later more movie studios began their own attempts at crafting such stories. Of all the other movie studios working to build their own shared film universes, Warner Bros. is without a doubt the most aggressive, having not one, not two, but three of these shared universe franchises currently running: the DC Extended Universe, the Monster-verse (Godzilla and King Kong), and the Conjuring Universe.

Whether you like them or not, the Conjuring films have proved to be one of the more successful and enduring attempts at a shared film franchise outside of Marvel Studios. The Conjuring films hearken back to cinema's first ever shared film franchise, the Universal Monsters, if only in sharing its horror roots. One of the strengths of the Conjuring films are their lower budgets, meaning these films don't need to make a ton of money to be successful. And these films being a completely different genre they feel like a different experience than the MCU or DCEU and even the Monsterverse. There's also a different kind of connective tissue binding the films.

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA marks the first film in the Conjuring franchise that wasn't set up in a previous film. Instead, the film dramatizes a real world Mexican folktale: The Weeping Woman. It's a solid horror film with some genuinely frightening imagery. It's a well executed, if somewhat formulaic, ghost story.

THE PLOT

Social worker Anna visits one of her clients, single mother Patricia Alvarez, only to discover Patricia's two boys locked in a closet. Patricia begs Anna not to open the door or La Llorona will take them. Anna lets the boys out and Patricia is taken into custody. That night both boys are found dead, both drowned in the river. Patricia curses Anna and her two children, crying for La Llorona to take Anna's kids as well. That night Anna's son Chris hears what sounds like a woman crying in the night. A ghostly figure in white stands before him reaching closer with cold pale hands, black tears falling from her yellow eyes.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Ghost stories and possession films have been abundant over the last several years and audiences have grown quite familiar with them and how they typically work nowadays. What sets these movies apart is how well the scares and suspense are crafted within the film. And the frightening imagery. La Llorona functions as a somewhat routine ghost story film, not really providing much new when it comes to this kind of narrative. Where the film's strength lies is in the setup of its scares and suspense. For the most part I felt the scares worked and imbued the whole film with a sense of dread.

And La Llorona herself is an effective antagonist. I'm amazed at how many terrifying figures James Wan's production crew have created. They've definitely cornered the market on female horror characters as they've created more new feminine horror icons in these last six years than perhaps all of horror film history. And La Llorona is definitely worthy of such status.

The Conjuring Connection. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed a familiar looking character in the first trailer, Father Perez (from the first ANNABELLE film). This led many to theorize that the events of La Llorona took place within the Conjuring universe and indeed they do. What's interesting about this is that Warner Bros. didn't market the film as a Conjuring spinoff, but rather as a separate entity. And for the most part the movie is its own story, not reliant on any previous film or narrative. It just happens to be in the same world as the Conjuring and surrounding films. Father Perez and the mention of the Annabelle doll are brief and light of hand. I found this quite refreshing as the film literally carves out its own space in that universe.

Not every story in a shared universe needs to be a piece of a larger narrative.

In many ways this film feels like a "cut and paste" of previous movies though. It feels like we've seen this film done before. But even so, the film is put together well and La Llorona is still very effective and scary. It also leans a bit on the horror trope of stupid kids. Really it's children being children and no matter how many times you tell them not to do something they still do it! It's forgivable because it is a real life phenomenon but still frustrating (but not as frustrating as the stupid kids in A Quiet Place. Sorry, my aggravations as a parent are coming through).

Also, the movie is rated R but it doesn't come close to feeling like an R rated film. After seeing a truly hard R rated film like last week's Hellboy, La Llorona feels like a PG-13 film. I wish it would've taken advantage of its R rating a bit more because it feels like a waste of an R at this point. And the R rating conceivably lessened this film's box office... needlessly! This movie could've been more successful as a PG-13 and not altered at all. It's perplexing. Maybe child murder, even at the hands of a ghost, qualifies for an R rating? Sorry, just trying to figure out why this film was rated R. Even so, the movie is still solid.

THE VERDICT

The Curse of La Llorona is an effective little horror film exploring one of the world's oldest and most frightening pieces of folklore. La Llorona herself is terrifyingly realized on screen and worthy of horror icon status. While being a familiar narrative, the suspense and scares are still well executed. What's James Wan's crew have managed to do with the Conjuring films, La Llorona included, is create very consistent quality from film to film (whether that quality meets your personal standards is up to you). This film doesn't re-invent the wheel or blow your mind, but provides an exhilarating, heart racing, fun time at the movies.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For the other films in the Conjuring Universe and similar horror, check out these other posts below!

 
 
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, April 15, 2019

SUPER HERO CINERAMA: HELLBOY (2019)


One of the most puzzling things about us here at Blood Work is that we've NEVER read a single Hellboy comic book. Never. Weird, right? Conceptually and thematically Hellboy was made for us. Everything about it is the stuff we eat up and love, our "life-blood" if you like. Honestly, it comes down to one extremely shallow and vapid reason: We're not that into Mike Mignola's style of artwork. Don't get us wrong, you've got a great personality and we'd be the best of friends, but we're just not that into you THAT way. 'Sigh' It's not you, it's us.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "I am what's wrong with the world."

Anyway, when Guillermo Del Toro came along and ushered forth his take on Hellboy, that was our first real exposure to the character. The first film is great, but lands in that strange era for comic book films where there was heavy CGI and the CGI didn't age well. The second Hellboy film is what really made us fans of the character (not enough to seek out the source material mind you). Hellboy II: The Golden Army is one of the films we point to in reference to how amazing 2008 was for movies. If that film was any indication of what Hellboy III could've been we were all in. We are dying to see Ron Perlman and Guillermo Del Toro's trilogy completed.

"But twas never meant to be." So, you'd think we'd be against this new HELLBOY reboot, right? Well, we were at first. And then we saw who was directing it and what it was rated. I have been a fan of Neil Marshall's work since 2005's THE DESCENT, a masterful piece of horror cinema. I fell in love with his work again with the 2008 film DOOMSDAY, a love letter to John Carpenter, George Miller, George Romero, and Sam Raimi (another example of how stellar 2008 was!). Needless to say, I am a fan of Neil Marshall's work. And the man works best in a rated R environment.

And guess what? The new Hellboy is rated R! YES! And it is glorious! This film is a horror fan's visual feast. The designs herein are grotesquely stunning and the sights brutally spectacular. It's like if Miyazaki went to Hell and came back with a new story to tell. When we look back at 2019 in ten years we are going to point to Hellboy as one of the reasons why 2019 was a great year for cinema. We're calling it now: Hellboy will be one of our, if not the, favorite films of the year.

We LOVE this movie!

THE PLOT

Long ago the Blood Queen spread plagues across the earth, nearly extinguishing humanity. Her monsters roamed freely across the lands devouring any and all they came across. It was the legendary King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Merlin who rose up to defeat her nearly two millennia ago. Today, whispers upon the dying breaths of monsters foretell of a coming doom and of the Blood Queen's return. King Arthur is long dead. But luckily we have a Hellboy to stop her.

INITIAL REACTIONS

First off, and this is what most everybody will point to as their "reason" for disliking the movie, is the plotting. I must admit that this film took a page from the DC Extended Universe playbook, and not the greatest of pages either, that of the super-stuffed narrative. The film has the same narrative stitching that Aquaman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (or BVSDOJ for you acronym lovers), Justice League, and Suicide Squad have. It feels like the filmmakers have crammed seven stories into one. There's one movie that also has this problem that no one ever brings up because it ruins all their arguments is Guardians of the Galaxy (it is just as spastic and crazy in its plotting as the films above, admit it). Strange, yes?

But, where BVSDOJ just feels messy and unnecessarily convoluted, this film feels more like a culmination of a saga within a "lived in" universe. A convenient way to justify this over-stuffed plot, I know, I know, but it feels more like all the events of Hellboy's life, all those little meetings and coincidences, are coming together in a grand moment of destiny. The moment Hellboy was born for. That's how DC made it work better with Aquaman. Yeah, one could look at this as obnoxious fan-service, and it is, but there is a cohesion here (albeit loose) that many films like this can't attain. Really, the story feels more akin to a culmination film like Avengers: Infinity War but without the luxury of 20 films to precede it.

Getting passed our selective "over-stuffed" narrative acceptances, this movie is unabashed in its violence and horror. The finale is one of the greatest horror spectacles we've ever seen put to screen! There is an incredible amount of gore and blood and bodily harm shown on screen beyond what most films of the last few years have displayed. There are even a few head-jerk shots of people getting ripped apart that stun even seasoned gore pros like ourselves. It's the closest we'll ever see to the "Eclipse" sequence in BERSERK happening on film. It even gave us an idea of what a great live action DEVILMAN could look like.

It is a visual feast for the eyes in more than just the gore and violence. There are some amazing set pieces and locations including the interior of the Osiris Club, Pendle Hill, Merlin's cave, and so many others. But the real scene-stealer is Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga's house is crazy and amazing to behold, an old house on giant walking chicken legs. If you know your lore this is an accurate design but that makes it no less incredible to see. The interior of the house and Baba Yaga herself are intensely creepy, the sequence perhaps being the highest level of horror and revulsion in the film. The moment showcases some real darkness and evil too.

And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the totally iconic status imagery of Hellboy with a whole head of horns riding a dragon through a Hell-on-Earth Armageddon hacking people to pieces with a sword. We could watch that on repeat for a while.

And last but not least is the amazing cast assembled here. David Harbour could pass as a young Ron Perlman and he nails it as Hellboy. Ian McShane is amazing as usual, the man is awesome in whatever role he plays. Milla Jovovich walks the edge of beautiful and terrifying perfectly. And we were pleasantly charmed with how fun and badass Daniel Dae Kim and Sasha Lane were. And Thomas Haden Church was a delightful surprise!

If we had anything to nitpick it'd be the opening luchador sequence. It felt very odd from the get go and, once the film finished, felt even more out of place (but truthfully we've never been much for luchadors so maybe it's our biases showing). Some of the humor also didn't land very well with us (again we've been very critical of the over-saturating of humor in super hero films today so take this criticism with our personal salt... wait, that didn't come out right). Then there is the question of just how much physical harm can Hellboy withstand before it becomes lethal? If his "healing factor" was a little more defined then certain scenes would feel more dire. But you know what? None of these things are that big of a deal to us. We fricken loved this movie!

THE VERDICT

Hellboy is top to bottom bonkers and totally insane... in the BEST way possible!  In this insanity Hellboy becomes the most fun and enjoyable movie I've seen in years. Gory and intense, this film is the best blend of horror and super hero cinema so far. It feels like the "anything goes" horror filmmaking of the 80's while maintaining a pacing a sensibility of films like Crank and Shoot Um' Up. That should tell you that this film isn't for everybody, but that's what makes it so special. Neil Marshall often emulates John Carpenter and feels like a modern day John Carpenter in many ways (maybe that's why we like him so much?). Hellboy, like Marshall's other films, stands out from the crowd and will find a longevity (maybe not in the box office) well after it's theatrical run.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10

We're buying this movie right when it comes out on video in three months! And we hope there's an unrated director's cut too! That would be perfect for this movie!


Posted by at No comments:

Monday, April 8, 2019

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: PET SEMATARY (2019)

We are now in the midst of a new horror movie renaissance. Audiences are actually wanting horror movies again (what does that say about the state of our society?). When the 2017 remake of Stephen King's IT struck gold, it was only a matter of time before more classic Stephen King novels were adapted (and re-adapted in some cases). Thus brings us to arguably one of King's greatest and scariest works: PET SEMATARY.

The first film adaptation of Pet Sematary from 1989 is largely faithful to the book (its screenplay was written by Stephen King himself!) and remains one of the most revered films based on King's works. If you compare the 89' Pet Sematary with the 1990 IT mini series, while both are very good, the finale to IT features a lavish special effects heavy sequence that doesn't quite hold up today. So if you're all in on remakes you could see how a new film adaptation of IT with today's special effects could be quite extraordinary, even if Tim Curry's Pennywise will never be outdone in your eyes.

Pet Sematary however doesn't feature such special effects. Nor have its sequences withered over time. The 89' film remains quite effective and holds up well today. Where one could see the need for a reattempt at adapting IT, the necessity for remaking Pet Sematary may seem less obvious. There are always huge chunks of story left on the table when adapting a Stephen King novel, but for the most part the 89' Pet Sematary adaptation captures the core elements of the novel. So a remake here feels less like an opportunity and more like a cash grab playing on our nostalgia.

"So how was it?" you ask?

It was good. This new Pet Sematary is a fairly solid film all around and maintains one crucial piece of the novel that was excised from the 89' film.

THE PLOT

The Creed family has just moved from fast paced city life in Boston to a slower, quieter life in the country of Ludlow, Maine. Purchasing an old farm house on the edge of a dense forest, immediately the family senses something strange about the property. Not far from the house is a macabre burial site, a place where the locals have come for generations to inter their pets, simply named the Pet Sematary. Their neighbor, a kind old man, talks of a place beyond the Pet Sematary, a place with powers to resurrect the dead. But those who come back are not the same. A dark force sets itself upon the Creed family, tragedy following, tempting them to travel beyond the Pet Sematary.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

First off, the advertising campaign for this film I felt was really strong. On a weekend where two movies I really wanted to see came out at once, Shazam! and Pet Sematary, I couldn't just see one. I went and did a double feature, something I haven't done in a long time. And it was worth it!

Pet Sematary is easily one of Stephen King's more potent stories, touching on very real human feelings such as grief, loss, and something every human being in history has wondered about: the afterlife and resurrection. If you could bring a loved one back from the dead, would you? These themes alone allow Pet Sematary to connect to people on multiple levels, and I feel the best stories have real human connections (there are exceptions to this, of course).

For myself, I was most effected by the very real thoughts of children in danger. Being a parent myself, the loss of a child is one of the greatest horrors I can imagine. This film really channels those fears well, the movie's greatest strength. The child actors deliver great performances, especially the actress Jete' Laurence who plays the nine year old Ellie. There is a genuine feeling of tension from Ellie. The cast in general is very strong, and John Lithgow was a great choice to follow in Fred Gwynne's footsteps.

This adaptation of Pet Sematary includes the WENDIGO myth, which was absent from original film. I don't know if someone can be a "Wendigo-enthusiast" but I think I might be one. I was totally geeking out and enthralled about the story's mythology being grounded in the Wendigo legend. It added an authenticity to the story and a deeper dimension to the narrative. And, as strangely as it sounds, including the Wendigo aspect adds real world mysticism, making the events feel more grounded (I know it sounds crazy, but that's how it felt). It called to mind the early colonial days in which settlers were going to places like Maine and elsewhere along the East coast... and disappearing. It felt as if the Creed family had stumbled upon one of those places.

I appreciated how the film played on our knowledge of the previous film and book, and subverted some of those expectations. But while it changed a few things, it still told the same core story.

Something about the movie didn't quite get me though. There's a plot device where Louis Creed sees visions of a deceased college student, Victor Pascow, that didn't work for me. It becomes a key plot device that's missing something. There wasn't a strong enough connection between Louis and Pascow established in the film, making it feel more contrived, more like a tired trope. It's the kind of thing I'd let slide in older horror movies, but not today. It's not a big deal though and didn't break the film.

Then there's the locations and sets. I loved the look of the Pet Sematary in the film, but it looked to me like the filmmakers went a little overboard with the location beyond the deadfall. I liked the scary forest and the swamp, but I felt the mountainous peak was a little much. A location like that in Maine would surely be noticed, nor very hard to find. Again, it's a nitpick and not a big deal, but a case where a different approach would've felt more believable to me.

THE VERDICT

For anyone who knows the previous film or the book, this is a dark, bleak story and this new film isn't any brighter. The film has a lot of great moments of scares and tension, enhanced by a strong cast of actors. It's a slower ride than 2017's IT remake, but hits a little closer to real human fears. There are major changes to the original story, if only for the sake of being different, but nothing that alters the trajectory of the story. Ultimately the same story is being told. I won't say it's better than the original film, but I don't feel its worse. Overall, this is another strong horror movie for the current horror boom.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For my thoughts on 2017's IT and other current horror films, check out these other posts below

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, April 5, 2019

DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE: SHAZAM! (2019)


I did something last night that I haven't done in a long time: I went to the movies and made a double feature out of it! I saw both SHAZAM! and the new PET SEMATARY back to back! Truly a glorious evening! So we've got two reviews coming to you this weekend! First off is Shazam!

Let me start off by saying that the super hero movies of 2019 may be the biggest indicator of how far super hero cinema has come. How crazy is it that in just over a month we've received major big budget motion pictures featuring both Marvel and DC's CAPTAIN MARVELS?! Who'd have ever called that? And later this month we'll get a third HELLBOY movie and the second half of an adaptation Marvel Comics' THE INFINITY GAUNTLET. And later still we'll be receiving the second try at the PHOENIX SAGA from the X-Men films! And finally another Spider-Man film and a Joker movie and... no, wait, I guess those last two aren't as out of left field as the others, but still awesome!

This is such an amazing time we're living in! I love it!

Anyway, Shazam! marks the quickest turn around between DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films, Aquaman only premiering less than five months ago. And in my opinion both films are pretty good! It finally feels like DC has some momentum going for them and their films.

Yes, I liked Shazam! Now, as far as the comics go, I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Captain Marvel (now officially renamed Shazam, I guess?). I know the secret identity and basic outline of the character. Beyond that, I went into this movie not knowing exactly what was coming. It's kinda rare nowadays that I know close to nothing about the super hero films I'm watching.

THE PLOT

The powerful wizard, Shazam, is dying. If he cannot find a worthy successor to take his powers, the magic of Shazam will be lost forever. In his quest to find a worthy champion, the wizard encounters two individuals: Thaddeus Sivana and Billy Batson. Sivana frees the long imprisoned Seven Deadly Sins, taking their power for himself. Billy Batson, a troubled teenage boy, displays that he truly has a pure heart, and receives the powers of Shazam! Billy, struggling to learn his new powers, finds himself in Sivana's crosshairs, the mad doctor seeking to add the wizard's powers to his own.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Everybody's saying it and I'll echo it: this feels like a breath of fresh air to the DCEU. It's funny, it's well paced, and it's only concerned with telling one story: that of its titular hero. In my best estimates, this is the closest DC has come to replicating the formula from 2017's WONDER WOMAN.

This is my favorite use of humor in the DCEU. It feels very genuine (most of the time) and seldomly forced. And for the most part it lands well, it's just a shame that so much of the best jokes were shown in the first two trailers. And it feels like a natural fit for the character. I like my serious super hero films and I have enjoyed some humorous super hero films as well. But it has to fit with the characters. DC has needlessly made some of its heroes overly brooding and dark when they shouldn't be. And likewise, the MCU has made some characters forcibly humorous when they shouldn't be. In summary, this tone feels perfect for DC's Captain Marvel. And there's the key take away right there...

This movie nailed Captain Marvel's character. I can't speak too detailed about the adaptation from comics to film, however, from what experience I have had this feels like a true realization of the character.

Zachary Levi hits a home-run with this performance. I am happy that he has jumped ship from Marvel to DC only to find success at the former. I really don't like how Marvel Studios handled his character, Fandral and the rest of the Warriors Three, all of whom deserved better. Sorry, I had to mini rant a bit. Anyway, Levi possesses genuine enthusiasm and imbues the character with real heart. Like with Wonder Woman, Shazam! showcases what it means to be a hero.

And it's focused too! Unlike most every DCEU film (with the exception of Wonder Woman and maybe Man of Steel), Shazam! is concerned with telling only one story, that of its hero. And it services the greater DCEU effortlessly. Aquaman, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Suicide Squad all appeared scatterbrained in their narrative structure. They told seven movies worth of story in one movie while obviously servicing their cinematic universe architecture. In contrast to these films, Shazam! feels like it's standing on firm ground. They've laid a good foundation to build from. And I'll go so far as to say that it has an even stronger climax than Wonder Woman!

Now it's not all good.

This movie is an origin story (and it kind of has to be). But with that comes a lot of the "origin story" elements we've all grown accustomed to. And some of the moments are kind of a slog to get through. There were moments where I was wishing they'd just get on with it already. But, it's hard to fault them when they're doing a proper origin film (something I wish they would've done from the start of the DCEU with all their characters before doing the crossovers). And they've done the origin story so well.

There's also a lack of a strong film score. One of the aspects that the DCEU has always done better than the MCU are the orchestral scores. Superman's theme, Batman's, and Wonder Woman's theme are galaxies beyond anything Marvel has. Even when some of the movies miss their marks, the music has almost always been strong (with a few exceptions obviously). Sadly the music here fades into the background. It feels like "temp" music, which is a disappointing fact of current filmmaking nowadays.

Aside from these few things, I don't have too many other nitpicks.

THE VERDICT

The DCEU can now claim two really top tier super hero films (I would say three as I actually really enjoy Man of Steel, but I don't feel it was a great representation of Superman from the comics). All the actors are great, even Mark Strong, as yet another comic book villain, shines. But the heart and soul of the film is Zachary Levi's Captain Marvel. The story is focused and tight and surprisingly human (you know, human heroes are Marvel's thing. Hero gods walking the Earth is DC's thing). Other than a few obligatory origin story moments to trudge through, this is easily tied for my favorite DCEU movie.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

For more of my thoughts on all things super hero cinema, check out the posts below!


THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)


 
 
Fox-Marvel, Sony-Marvel, and other stuff too!
 
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)