Joss Whedon All Over Marvel Movie Franchise
The Avengers
Haven’t had too much time to post recently, but a few interesting stories emerged last week which I thought deserved GeekTown’s attention. First up, lots of rumours that Joss Whedon is about to take over the writing/directing reins of The Avengers movie, as well as polishing the ‘Captain America‘ script.
This is a really smart move on Marvel’s part if it turns out to be true. Joss has proved he knows his Marvel characters with his superb run on the X-Men comics, along with his re-writes on the original X-Men movie. Given Captain America is being penned by the scribes behind the The Chronicles of Narnia movies, and Zak Penn (who’s previous efforts for Marvel were Elektra, Fantastic Four, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Incredible Hulk…) is currently writing The Avengers, i rather suspect both scripts will be in dire need of some serious work.
Just makes me wish even more Nathan Fillion had been cast as Steve Rogers instead of Chris Evans.
Also thought i’d mention, for you tweeters wanting to keep up with the various actors and writers who’ve worked with Joss in the past, i’ve set up a ‘Whedon Alumi‘ list on Twitter, which you can see here. And of course, we still have our Joss Whedon related t-shirts over at the GeekTown Store.
5 Super Powerless Superheroes!
Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass (out in cinemas 26th March) tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name — Kick-Ass — assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There’s only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers.
Kick-Ass is not the first, and most definitely will not be the last, to try his luck against this dark world with nothing other than crazy ambition and a little bit of naive stupidity. Balls, brawn and little else.
But where does this character’s inspiration come from? Who else has before him has dared to challenge society’s ills, with no actual super power? We share with you our top 5 of the best and worst super powerless super heroes that have made the transition from comic book to silver screen…
5. Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman has appeared in varying forms and with various backgrounds over the years – in TV, comic, books and films. Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt both portrayed Catwoman in the 60′s Batman TV show, but she’s only has had 1 movie outing, in 1992′s Batman Returns, played briliantly by Michelle Pfeiffer. In the film she’s portrayed as a shy woman in her everyday life – but with a deadly alter ego. When Catwoman comes out to play she takes on the persona of a cat- strong, sleek, stealthy, speedy, agile and brimming with intuition. But she treads a thin line between good and bad – because like any wildcat, she’s dangerous, elusive and untamed.
But what about that movie called Catwoman i hear you say? Well, in a car crash of a movie which deservedly won Halle Berry the worst actress Razzie, yes, there was a superhero called Catwoman… but there the similarily ends… The film bore no resemblance to the comic book version. Not only did they change the name of the lead character (Patience Phillips not Selina Kyle), the film’s plot has no relation to Batman or even Gotham City. She actually gained cat like superpowers from an Egyptian cat goddess, rather than just being awesomely kick ass under her own steam.
4. The Punisher
The Punisher
The Punisher is a vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, violence, and torture to be acceptable crime-fighting tactics. Driven by the deaths of his family, who were killed by the mob when they witnessed a gangland execution in New York City’s Central Park, the Punisher wages a one-man war on the criminals of New York, using martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare and a wide variety of weapons.
The Punisher is currently on his 3rd movie outing, each with different actors playing the lead (Dolph Lundgren in ’89, Thomas Jane in ’04, and Ray Stevenson in ’08). Unfortunately, none of these versions have manage to set the box office alight.
3. Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joe Dredd is a law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner. He is a hugely popular figure among comic book fans. Dredd and his fellow Judges are empowered to arrest, sentence and even execute criminals on the spot.
The 1995 Judge Dredd film starring Sylvester Stallone, like so many other adaptations, took the original comic book source and mangled it into a shadow of it’s former self… Not only did Dredd remove his helmet for most of the film (a cardinal sin to most Dredd fans), they added a ‘love interest’ in the form of Judge Hershey, when relationship are banned for Judges in the comic book.
They are about to take a second stab at bringing the Judge to the big screen. A new Dredd movie was green lit in Dec ’08, and is being written by Alex Garland (The Beach novelist & 28 Days Later screenwriter).
2. Iron-Man
Iron-Man
What Iron Man (Tony Stark) lacks in superpowers, he makes up for in engineering genius. After being kidnapped and suffering a severe heart injury, his captors try to force him to use his engineering know how to build a hugely destructive weapon. Instead, he creates a powered suit of armor, which not only helps save his life, but helps him escape captivity. Using his contacts as a multinational industrialist, and money made from his company Stark Industries, he builds a more advanced version of the suit, enabling him to fight crime and protect the world as Iron-Man.
Iron-Man has currently had 1 movie outing in 2008, with a 2nd on the way later this year. Robert Downey Jr. was an inspired bit of casting for alcoholic millionaire Tony Stark, and in Iron-Man 2 he’s set to face off against the might of Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash!
1. Batman
Batman
The story of Batman is well know. Bruce Wayne sees his parents gunned down in front of him at the age of 10. From that moment he dedicates his life to ridding Gotham City of it’s criminal elements, taking the form of a Bat to scare the cowardly criminals that prowl in the night. With no real superpowers, and only his honed martial art skill, and an array of gadgets, Batman heads into the Gotham night to battle the forces of evil.
There have been many films over the years. Adam West’s campy 60′s version. The 2 gothic Tim Burton versions (1989 & 1992). The rather less gothic Joel Schumacher versions in ’95 & ’97, which caused the franchise to go on hiatus for 7 years…
Then, in 2005, the cape and cowl are picked up by and handed to Christian Bale by Christopher Nolan for Batman Begins, putting Batman back on the big screen in explosive style. Dark, gritty, and everything Batman should be. This was followed in 2008 with The Dark Knight, producing a truly epic performance from, the now tragically passed, Heath Ledger as The Joker. Batman is truly the most kick ass of super-powerless superheroes.
Kick-Ass, out in cinemas on the 26th March, stars Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl, Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, and Mark Strong as Frank D’Amico, the local mob boss!
Review: Kick-Ass
GeekTown got the opportunity to see a very early preview screening of Matthew Vaughn’s new film Kick-Ass and we have been dying to talk about it but promised to keep schtum til now…
Kick-Ass Review
Kick-Ass
Firstly don’t get put off by what you might read in the papers about offensive language and inappropriate values or by the questionable strap line – Shut up. Kick ass. This film is awesome! And I don’t use that word lightly (because I’m English and it sounds stupid when I say it…)
Based on Mark Millar’s violent comic book story of everyday heroes, the film follows Dave, an inconspicuous school nerd who questions why no-one has ever tried to become a superhero in real life. Armed with only a baseball bat, a death wish and a green wetsuit Dave, played by Aaron Johnson, embarks on a misguided pursuit to fight crime on the streets of America, naming himself Kick-Ass. Without giving too much of the story away, his alter ego gets wrapped up in an old vendetta between a prevalent drug baron and an ex cop turned lethal vigilante and his equally lethal 12 year old child. As Kick-Ass gets way out of Dave’s control, as does his personal life, the story unveils scene after scene of incredibly choreographed action. There are hardly any special effects so the battles are raw, exciting and diverse. Matrix style shoot outs, brawls, knives, bombs, martial arts, it’s got it all. Matthew Vaughn shot this film on a small budget and independently to keep it as loyal to the book as possible, so you know the intensity and energy comes simply from good filming and acting.
Hit Girl
Some of the best bone crunching action is delivered, no holds barred, by Chloe Moretz’s character Hit Girl/Mandy Macready. She is, dare I say it, iconic. Moretz’s performance as the foul mouthed cold blooded but tiny teeny assassin is outstanding without a hint of twee. Her doting father aka Big Daddy is Nicolas Cage’s best role in years. In fact the father/daughter combo bring with them, not only no morals violence, but comedy and a touching relationship that at times is quite sad, which comes as a surprise sandwiched between the slaughters.
The really refreshing thing about Kick-Ass is that at no point does the vulnerable hero eat, fall into or step on anything radioactive which means him gaining a real super power, in his attempts at crime fighting he really does kick some ass and it is all the more enjoyable. The Nowhere Boy actor Johnson is a natural lead in the film and hides his British roots astonishingly. In fact all the performances are great, even Dave’s stereotypical school mates made me laugh. Mark Strong in particular plays another superb bad guy as drug lord Frank D’Amico, which brings me onto the final hero wannabe. Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Role Models) plays Chris D’Amico who, desperate to be included in his father’s underhand dealings, joins forces with Kick-Ass as the flash Red Mist. He is not as cool, equally useless, definitely more recognisable and for me the weakest character but I guess that is the intention.
Kick-Ass
Based in a world where people don’t seem to bat an eyelid if you commit multiple murders in a wig I found the film staggeringly credible and real. Prepare yourself not ask questions like ‘wouldn’t they get into trouble for that?’, or ‘where has that guy’s wife gone?’, and just get totally sucked into the story. One word of warning, if you don’t get a chance to see the red band trailer, boy, it is violent… Jaw dropping is an understatement. But alongside brutal it is also original, funny and tender (and slightly controversial).
If you enjoy wincing your way through a seriously good action comedy, go and see this movie!
9/10 – Kick-Ass, kicks ass!
Iron Man 2 – Trailer 2
New Iron Man 2 trailer is out. More Whiplash. More Sam Rockwell (which is always a good thing), and more Iron Man suits! Looking like it’s going to be a great sequel!
Batman: Dead End
Andrew Koenig
As many of you will have heard, after having been missing for 2 week, the body of Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov in Star Trek), was recently found in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Sadly, it appears that he took his own life having been suffering from depression.
When twitter first starting going into overdrive with tweets of his disappearance, the name Andrew Koenig sounded familiar, so I did a bit of googling, and realised where I’d first heard it. Sandy Collora‘s brilliant 2003 fan film ‘Batman: Dead End‘, where Andrew put in a superb performance as Joker. As much as i loved Ledger and Nicholson’s versions of Joker in the movie versions, Andrew’s portrayal in Dead End is, by far, the truest to the actual comic books.
Batman: Dead End was made for $30,000, and shot in 4 days on 35mm as a director’s demonstration reel for Collora. He followed it up in 2004 with ‘World’s Finest‘, using most of the same cast and crew.
Batman: Dead End pre-dates Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins’ by 2 years, and at the time, the last thing we’d seen of Batman on screen was Clooney and O’Donnell haming it up in ‘Batman & Robin’. Collora was the first person to give us a gimse of the tone the movie franchise should have been taking.
Click the clip below to see Batman: Dead End in full.
Competition – Win ‘Iron Man : Virus’ Novel!
It’s a brand new week and we have a brand new competition for you! This time we have 3 copies of the new Iron Man: Virus novel to give away!
Synopsis
Iron Man Virus
In the clear blue skies above Long Island, two airplanes collide. Tony Stark watches the scene in horror and wishes he had the technology that is almost within his reach—a new hyperintelligent instant control system that could have given the aircraft advance warning. But Stark, an obsessive, increasingly troubled recluse, doesn’t know that his invention has been compromised.
In fact, the collision was a carefully crafted hit on Madame Hydra, the final stage in Arnim Zola’s plan to seize control of HYDRA and get rid of Iron Man once and for all. The cunning adversary has already infiltrated Stark Industries security to develop a version of the instant control mechanism that will take over the armored suit and turn it against Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. While Tony races to track down the source of the intrusion, Zola unleashes direly ingenious computer viruses and the ultimate secret weapon: a murderous clone army based on Stark’s most trusted friend. A puppet master of self-replicating terror, Zola is plunging a city into a war that threatens to consume all in its wake.
This brand new, original novel goes beyond the movie story to continue the adventures of Tony Stark!
How to enter
Competition is now closed!
In the UK? Want to win an Iron Man: Virus novel? Just follow @geektown and RT this tweet! Details at http://bit.ly/bjWYg3
The competition closes on 15th Feb 2010 and is open to UK residents aged 18 or over. There will be 3 winners picked from twitter . By entering this competition, you are agreeing to the rules of this competition. Full rules can be read here.
