The Comic Book Movie Megathread - The Something Awful Forums

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Lizard Combatant: Sep 29, 2010

So this thread got me to finally watch Superman Returns and it wasn't bad. I liked most of it except for Lex Luthor, man was his character lazily written. What a waste of Kevin Spacey, who did a reasonable job considering what he had to work with. Sorry to bring SR back into the thread, I just really hope Man of Steel has a compelling villain (bring back Spacey for a sequel).

# ? Jan 24, 2012 22:59

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# ? May 20, 2013 03:28

thepokey: Jul 20, 2004; Strangeways, here we come

The funny thing about Spacey as Lex I thought was that for most of the movie he seemed to be doing his best Gene Hackman impersonation. Wasn't really to be taken super seriously. Then near the end during the final confrontation between he and Superman there is a point where he loses it and begins yelling and I always thought that was when Spacey shone. He was all laughs and wise cracks until suddenly showing this intense anger underneath. Suddenly it was like he wasn't playing anymore, and that all the crazy plotting and scheming through the movie suddenly had a darker reality to it. I thought he pulled that off really well.
Also helps that Kevin Spacey is loving awesome, I wish I could find the video of him on the set of the movie inbetween takes, in a golf cart dragging a superman doll behind it yelling "Superman must die" on a megaphone.
I agree with the above that he was lazily written but I thought Spacey did everything in his power to do the best with what he had to work with.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 07:21

Spatula City: Oct 21, 2010

Okay, watching that Zoller Seitz video essay has me sold. Gonna rewatch Superman Returns ASAP and see if I agree. This thread needs more SMG in it, all the time. I would like to hear speculation about upcoming comic book films trend more towards discussing heroic archetypes, and what the current publicity materials might indicate about the director's approach towards the character. I'm really apprehensive about The Avengers because while I believe Joss Whedon is intelligent, and a good writer/producer, I'm uncertain that his voice can withstand the Marvel brand and mold it to his own purpose. I don't have a personal connection to Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, or Iron Man, and while the movies introducing those characters are not complete failures, Iron Man is the only hero to get somewhat complex characterization. It may be somewhat absurd to hope these superheroes come across on film as multi-dimensional, developed characters, but then, I would point you to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a major studio blockbuster film with a complex, multifacted character (Caesar). This isn't asking the moon.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 08:24

Darko: Dec 23, 2004; Distrusting me was the wisest thing you've done.

Thor got as much characterization as Iron Man, actually. The problem with the Marvel movies isn't typically "main character characterization," it's that outside of that, there isn't much going on, visually or thematically.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 14:07

Neo Rasa: Mar 8, 2007; Everyone should play DUKE games.

Darko posted:

Thor got as much characterization as Iron Man, actually. The problem with the Marvel movies isn't typically "main character characterization," it's that outside of that, there isn't much going on, visually or thematically.

This was my problem with Captain America, though I liked it and Thor the most out of the Marvel movies. Shame because I feel like they're kind of sort of getting the hang of almost making these good but now the Avengers is going to come out and, while I'm sure it will be a fun action movie I'm not expecting a whole lot with so many characters crammed in.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 14:23

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

I think anyone who isn't a 100% fanboy with his head up his rear end is familiar with the style and limitations of Marvel-produced movies by now, and if they're familiar with the style and limitations of Joss Whedon they can probably predict the style and limitations of The Avengers with decent efficacy.

I'm looking forward to it, but I do think I can see it for what it is, and like it in spite of its flaws anyway. I could elucidate what and why those reasons might be, but that'd probably be close to "spergin" as it comes from someone who doesn't know or care much about film production beyond the details in the end product.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 14:31

Yannick_B: Oct 11, 2007

Darko posted:

Thor got as much characterization as Iron Man, actually. The problem with the Marvel movies isn't typically "main character characterization," it's that outside of that, there isn't much going on, visually or thematically.

Well, they're mostly concerned with creating a version of the character that adapts well to the big screen. The characters could have more going on, but we shouldnt act like there's this easy "adapt" button that throws the character onscreen effortlessly even if comics do a lot of that work.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 17:26

Guy A. Person: May 23, 2003

Yannick_B posted:

Well, they're mostly concerned with creating a version of the character that adapts well to the big screen. The characters could have more going on, but we shouldnt act like there's this easy "adapt" button that throws the character onscreen effortlessly even if comics do a lot of that work.

Of course there is not an "adapt" button, but there is a big "franchise/shared universe" cage that keeps them from really doing anything interesting with the characters. So for instance they couldn't really go too deep into Tony's alcoholism (even though they did address it) nor could they go too far with the themes of Iron Man being a walking capitalist invasion force, because eventually he needs to be likable by his next movie or for his inclusion in the Avengers.

# ? Jan 25, 2012 18:48

The MSJ: May 17, 2010; 9CL BRONY SPOTTED

How does Nicolas Cage prepare to play Ghost Rider?

Nicolas Cage posted:

It was the first time that I played Ghost Rider. Blaze was easy; I knew he was a man who had been living with a curse for eight years of having his head light on fire, and the tone that would take. I compared him to a cop, or a paramedic who develops a dark sense of humour to cope with the horrors he has seen. But Blaze has also caused the horrors, so he's hiding out because he doesn't want to hurt anyone else.

Ghost Rider was an entirely new experience, and he got me thinking about something I read in a book called The Way Of Wyrd by Brian Bates, and he also wrote a book called The Way Of The Actor. He put forth the concept that all actors, whether they know it or not, stem from thousands of years ago � pre-Christian times � when they were the medicine men or shamans of the village. And these shamans, who by today's standards would be considered psychotic, were actually going into flights of the imagination and locating answers to problems within the village. They would use masks or rocks or some sort of magical object that had power to it.

It occurred to me, because I was doing a character as far out of our reference point as the spirit of vengeance, I could use these techniques. I would paint my face with black and white make up to look like a Afro-Caribbean icon called Baron Samedi, or an Afro-New Orleans icon who is also called Baron Saturday. He is a spirit of death but he loves children; he's very lustful, so he's a conflict in forces. And I would put black contact lenses in my eyes so that you could see no white and no pupil, so I would look more like a skull or a white shark on attack.

On my costume, my leather jacket, I would sew in ancient, thousands-of-years-old Egyptian relics, and gather bits of tourmaline and onyx and would stuff them in my pockets to gather these energies together and shock my imagination into believing that I was augmented in some way by them, or in contact with ancient ghosts. I would walk on the set looking like this, loaded with all these magical trinkets, and I wouldn't say a word to my co-stars or crew or directors. I saw the fear in their eyes, and it was like oxygen to a forest fire. I believed I was the Ghost Rider.

The link has more of Cage answering reader questions.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 01:53

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

Guy A. Person posted:

Of course there is not an "adapt" button, but there is a big "franchise/shared universe" cage that keeps them from really doing anything interesting with the characters. So for instance they couldn't really go too deep into Tony's alcoholism (even though they did address it) nor could they go too far with the themes of Iron Man being a walking capitalist invasion force, because eventually he needs to be likable by his next movie or for his inclusion in the Avengers.

It's definitely more of a "franchise" cage than it is "shared universe" cage, as the shared Marvel Universe made Iron Man essentially George W. Bush for a solid 3-4 years and had no problem making Tony as villainous as they could get away with.

It's definitely more symptomatic of marketing movies as a franchise that exist more as products than as stories.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 12:43

scary ghost dog: Aug 5, 2007; ...

The MSJ posted:

How does Nicolas Cage prepare to play Ghost Rider?

The link has more of Cage answering reader questions.

Ha ha he's a loving genius. He's amazing.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 12:51

spikenigma: Nov 13, 2005; There is no knowledge that is not power...

The MSJ posted:

How does Nicolas Cage prepare to play Ghost Rider?

The link has more of Cage answering reader questions.

It's my theory that Nicholas cage saved 1000 orphans from a burning hut in a past life.

As karmic repayment, it doesn't matter how crazy he acts or how many turkeys he's starred in, he'll always be a much beloved A-Lister.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 14:54

Die Laughing: Sep 18, 2009; You engage the Mad Duck

SMAAAAASH!

Nicholas Cage posted:

Quentin_Cappucino says: Hi Nic, huge fan. Is it true that you camped in a haunted forest while making Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance? If so, that is ridiculously cool!

I went to the Bermuda Triangle of forests, known as the Hoia-Baciu Forest, and I went for a drive through the forest and saw a man who was just walking amongst the trees, and I asked him a question, I rolled down the window and said, "Do you live here?" He said yes. I said, "Is this forest haunted?" He didn't answer for about a minute, he just looked at me and said, "Yes". I said, "By what?" and he said, "Have you seen the floating people with no legs?" I said, "Not yet, but I hope to real soon." Then I asked him if it was OK for me to take a fallen branch, so I grabbed a branch that was about six feet in length and four inches wide, and I took it home to my little cottage in England and I chipped away at it and varnished it and made a nice staff out of it. I'm probably the only person in Glastonbury with a Hoia-Baciu staff.

This man is more interesting than his movies.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 17:42

Hollis: Jun 30, 2007

He actually has some really awesome and interesting opinions on acting, specifically when he talks about it he seems like he's crazy but really it's just a more extreme form of method acting. I am unashamadely a huge fan of his.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 19:46

Vintersorg: Mar 3, 2004; Three lives you shall have of me. No more, no less. Three and we are done.

Has he always been this loving nuts or is it a symptom of getting older? The man is super cool in my books without any sense of irony, Cage presence is best presence.

EDIT:

Nicolas Cage Would Do 'Wicker Man' Sequel as Japanese Ghost in a Bear Costume

http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2012/01/...-man-sequel.php

quote:

Perhaps hearing his own tortured cries echoing from the Hundred Acre Wood, perhaps responding to user philblakeman's webchat question "is there any character you'd like to revisit?", Nicolas Cage today spent a few moments reflecting back on 2006, thinking of that time his head was covered in bees during The Wicker Man remake. And you know what? Surprisingly, now that Nicolas Cage thinks about it, he actually wouldn't mind putting the ol' bear suit back on and punching a few more women in the face with a sequel to that movie. If the right Japanese director came around with the right idea for Nicolas Cage being a screaming ghost, that is.

Mused Cage:
I would like to hook up with one of the great Japanese filmmakers, like the master that made Ringu, and I would like to take The Wicker Man to Japan, except this time he's a ghost.

Well, firstly, of course you would be a ghost, Nicolas Cage. Give us some credit here; we know what happens after Nicolas Cage's spirit leaves his charred body. Secondly, nice spoiler, Nicolas Cage. Maybe not everyone knows that Nicolas Cage gets burned alive in a giant wicker sculpture, okay?
But back to the matter at hand, could Nicolas Cage be serious about being up for a spectral sequel to the critically-lambasted Wicker Man? My instinct says no, but my instinct also did not anticipate roles as a motorcyclist skeleton or John Travolta with Nicolas Cage's face stitched on, so hey, maybe it could happen. I sure hope so. Maybe that will bring back our goddamn honey.

Vintersorg fucked around with this message at Jan 28, 2012 around 21:23

# ? Jan 28, 2012 20:28

Lasher: Aug 13, 2003; It's time to rise up, man up, get back up. Never been and won't be broken. Dust off and then come back for more.

Hahaha that guy is incredible. Now I want to know what he did when he was briefly billed to play Superman.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 21:40

Nilbop: Jun 5, 2004; Looks like someone forgot his hardhat...

Now you've gone and reminded me of The Wicker Man remake.

Somehow, in some islands that America apparently has, women have gone crazy and kill men to worship bees.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 22:01

The MSJ: May 17, 2010; 9CL BRONY SPOTTED

Nilbop posted:

Now you've gone and reminded me of The Wicker Man remake.

Somehow, in some islands that America apparently has, women have gone crazy and kill men to worship bees.

Interestingly enough, this is the Wicker Man version that Alan Moore chooses to be part of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe.

Cage sure have fascination with ghosts and the supernatural. Combined with his comic book geekery, maybe he should be cast as Dr. Strange or Deadman.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:09

Nilbop: Jun 5, 2004; Looks like someone forgot his hardhat...

The MSJ posted:

Interestingly enough, this is the Wicker Man version that Alan Moore chooses to be part of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen universe.

I know LoEG has gone completely down the shitter since Century began but where did this ever figure into it?

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:13

Professor Clumsy: Sep 12, 2008; Count 'em.

This is the Comic book movie megathread, not the Nicolas Cage is awesome megathread.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:16

Yonic Symbolism: Nov 10, 2008

Professor Clumsy posted:

This is the Comic book movie megathread, not the Nicolas Cage is awesome megathread.

This raises the question of why there isn't such a thread

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:25

TheJoker138: Jan 1, 2008; The Clown Prince
Of Crime

Yonic Symbolism posted:

This raises the question of why there isn't such a thread

I started one last year, it seems to have disappeared into the ether since then though.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:28

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; God damn it get a new avatar already.

Professor Clumsy posted:

This is the Comic book movie megathread, not the Nicolas Cage is awesome megathread.

The topic came out of the discussion of Ghost Rider, it's not too much of a derail is it? Can theJoker start a new Cage thread?

I watched the Crow all the way from beginning to end last night for the first time in over 10 years and it's still a fantastic film. It's a goddamned crime that Brandon Lee was lost at such a young age. Somewhere in another reality he starred in half the films Jet Li made.

# ? Jan 28, 2012 23:57

Professor Clumsy: Sep 12, 2008; Count 'em.

Yonic Symbolism posted:

This raises the question of why there isn't such a thread

That is a valid question and one that somebody should address.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 00:08

TheJoker138: Jan 1, 2008; The Clown Prince
Of Crime

http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=3463359

Nic Cage thread here.

TheJoker138 fucked around with this message at Jan 29, 2012 around 01:56

# ? Jan 29, 2012 01:34

FlamingLiberal: Jan 18, 2009; DAMMIT WESLEY!!!

Some Marvel film updates:

-Iron Man 3 is shooting in May, and may end up being the last Iron Man film according to some rumors I've been hearing recently.

-Not really confirmed, but Neil McDonough (who was in Cap) claims they expect to start shooting Cap 2 by the end of the year for a May 2014 release. He also really wants to be in the rumored Nick Fury solo project that hasn't been announced.

-Reportedly, the script for a Doctor Strange movie is done (although the writers resumes include such stinkers as the Conan reboot and 'Sahara', the disastrous Clive Cussler book adaptation) , and a directorial search is underway, after which would come casting. So it seems to be on the fast track. Unsurprisingly, it's going to have a much smaller budget than something like a Thor or Iron Man.

-Marvel has two dates slotted for releasing films in 2014, although neither has been announced. Rumor has it Cap 2 would be one, and potentially that Doctor Strange movie the other.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/a...e-movie-updates

# ? Jan 29, 2012 09:57

Heathen: Sep 11, 2001

In that link it says Dr. Strange is scheduled for 2013.

Wouldn't Ant-Man in April and Nick Fury in May be more likely for 2014?

# ? Jan 29, 2012 10:41

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

Dr. Strange is going to be strange, cheap, and probably some variant on terrible. I'd place it somewhere around the ballpark of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in terms of marketing.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 11:26

FlamingLiberal: Jan 18, 2009; DAMMIT WESLEY!!!

I haven't heard anything about Ant-Man in some time. The last I heard Edgar Wright was finishing up the script. It's been in development for nearly a decade at this point.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 17:56

SlimGoodbody: Oct 20, 2003

If they got Spike Jones and Michel Gondry to do Dr. Strange, I would be so happy. Maybe get Robert Rodriguez to help with effects cause I hear he gets things done famously under budget and Dr. Strange is probably gonna be pretty limited in that regard.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 18:07

Rake Arms: Sep 15, 2007; It's just not the same without widescreen.

FlamingLiberal posted:

I haven't heard anything about Ant-Man in some time. The last I heard Edgar Wright was finishing up the script. It's been in development for nearly a decade at this point.

I thought I read somewhere that the Avengers will be a sort of leaping off point for expansions to the Marvel film universe, and that characters like Ant-Man, Blade, etc. will have their own Marvel Universe movies that aren't directly tied to the Avengers mythos.

But Ant-Man can stay in development until Edgar Wright finishes the third Cornetto movie

# ? Jan 29, 2012 18:44

Soonmot: Dec 19, 2002; Dragons love BBQ!

mind the walrus posted:

I think anyone who isn't a 100% fanboy with his head up his rear end is familiar with the style and limitations of Marvel-produced movies by now, and if they're familiar with the style and limitations of Joss Whedon they can probably predict the style and limitations of The Avengers with decent efficacy.

I'm looking forward to it, but I do think I can see it for what it is, and like it in spite of its flaws anyway. I could elucidate what and why those reasons might be, but that'd probably be close to "spergin" as it comes from someone who doesn't know or care much about film production beyond the details in the end product.

This is my attitude exactly. I enjoy the Marvel "formula," I really enjoy Whedon. I can almost guarantee that I'll enjoy the Avengers.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 20:03

enigma105: Mar 16, 2004; Dodge, Dip, Duck,
Dive, and Down

SlimGoodbody posted:

If they got Spike Jones and Michel Gondry to do Dr. Strange, I would be so happy. Maybe get Robert Rodriguez to help with effects cause I hear he gets things done famously under budget and Dr. Strange is probably gonna be pretty limited in that regard.

I'm just hoping there's a nice middle ground between "Staring really hard/bleeding nose" and "OMG colors everywhere!".

# ? Jan 29, 2012 20:33

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

That middle ground is going to look like rainbow-colored Green Lantern effects.

The big problem I also see is that they're going to go to one of the only great Dr. Strange stories of the last 20 years "The Oath" and use that as the skeleton for their story and cause everyone and their mother to go on and on and on again about an "Origin Story" movie--even if it's actually good.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 20:37

TheJoker138: Jan 1, 2008; The Clown Prince
Of Crime

mind the walrus posted:

That middle ground is going to look like rainbow-colored Green Lantern effects.

The big problem I also see is that they're going to go to one of the only great Dr. Strange stories of the last 20 years "The Oath" and use that as the skeleton for their story and cause everyone and their mother to go on and on and on again about an "Origin Story" movie--even if it's actually good.

I don't think anyone has a problem with origin story movies that are for characters that haven't been seen on the big screen before. What people, or at least myself, have problems with is origin stories for characters that everyone already knows the origin for. Superman does not need an origin story movie. Neither do Spider-Man or Batman at this point. Doctor Strange probably needs one, because no one outside of us nerds even know who the gently caress Doctor Strange is.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 20:58

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

TheJoker138 posted:

I don't think anyone has a problem with origin story movies that are for characters that haven't been seen on the big screen before.

The ungodly amount of bitching for Captain America and arguably Thor begs to differ.

Hell there was even a lot of bitching for Iron Man and Batman Begins--two movies that do both a new character and an old favorite and do them excellently up until the origin is finished.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 21:01

TheJoker138: Jan 1, 2008; The Clown Prince
Of Crime

mind the walrus posted:

The ungodly amount of bitching for Captain America and arguably Thor begs to differ.

Hell there was even a lot of bitching for Iron Man and Batman Begins--two movies that do both a new character and an old favorite and do them excellently up until the origin is finished.

Well...Those people are dumb. Those characters totally needed that for people who don't read the comics. And Batman Begins was such a radically different approach to an origin movie that I don't think it should even count.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 21:03

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

That's what I'm referring to though. The dumb people, most of whom will inevitably bitch in reviews and comments that even though they have no loving idea who Doctor Strange is that "*SIGH* IT'S AN ORIGIN MOVIE." This will happen if the movie is bad or good too. Not saying it's the end of the world, but I have reached the point where I'm lashing back at idiots who act like a superhero origin flick is somehow more creatively septic than Paranormal Activity 3 or New Year's Eve or Chipwrecked!

Oh, and the bitching about Green Lantern too, though that movie had other problems.

mind the walrus fucked around with this message at Jan 29, 2012 around 21:07

# ? Jan 29, 2012 21:05

TheJoker138: Jan 1, 2008; The Clown Prince
Of Crime

mind the walrus posted:

That's what I'm referring to though. The dumb people, most of whom will inevitably bitch in reviews and comments that even though they have no loving idea who Doctor Strange is that "*SIGH* IT'S AN ORIGIN MOVIE." This will happen if the movie is bad or good too. Not saying it's the end of the world, but I have reached the point where I'm lashing back at idiots who act like a superhero origin flick is somehow more creatively septic than Paranormal Activity 3 or New Year's Eve or Chipwrecked!

Oh, and the bitching about Green Lantern too, though that movie had other problems.

Well I totally agree with you in that case, those people need to realize that while they may have every Doctor Strange story polybagged in mint condition, and have the real names of every one of his villains memorized, or whatever the gently caress, and know his origin story inside and out, the general audience doesn't even know who he is, an has probably never even heard of him before. Would the fans enjoy a movie that was just a straight up adventure more than an origin story? Probably, but these movies can't just cater to existing fans of the properties, they have to expand the audience. And part of that is setting up what these characters are all about. And the best way to do that is your classic "rear end in a top hat gets super powers and becomes a good guy thanks to them" origin story.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 21:24

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# ? May 20, 2013 03:28

mind the walrus: Sep 22, 2006; Now with complementary face-buffer

I do agree with you as well, but even then I was actually referring to the more "casual" bitching I've heard from people who have a preconception of what they want from a superhero movie, and if it's an origin story it turns them off because the "Superhero Movie Renaissance" of the 00s came with a gigantic glut of origin movies (Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, Batman Begins, Iron Man, Hulk [2003], X-Men: First Class, Captain America, Green Lantern, Thor [kind-of]) and those are just the major Marvel/DC heroes off the top of my head.

It's more lamentation, not outright sperging. I just realized when thinking about probable Dr. Strange stories Marvel Studios would use as a jumping off point the favorite is overwhelmingly "The Oath", and that even if they adapt the original story and bring out the excellence of it it'll still get panned by a ton of whiny assholes (both hardcore fans and casual moviegoers) simply because it's an origin story.

# ? Jan 29, 2012 22:31

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