Tag: Justice League Dark

film

The Great Movie Race of 2022

Posted on by spacecortez

Hello there! First and foremost, I’m not dead and neither is the blog! Huzzah! Since this has been the longest break in between articles since I started this blog, I figured it was time to address that. This last year I watched more movies in one year than any previous trip around the sun, and that comes with a hefty time commitment on occasion. In the end, it was an informative and fascinating experience, and one that I may continue into the future.

In January of 2022 I joined a group of fellow online screen junkies to see who could watch the most movies in one year. I watched a heck of a lot of movies, but not quite enough to net the top spot. I’m quite happy with the onslaught of film titles that I finally got around to watching because of this though. This is partially the reason I haven’t been writing about films here on the blog as much this year, but also because I often saw a lot of current releases in theaters this year and usually offered to write up reviews for FilmsFatale.com- a great film criticism website that I highly encourage you to check out. I also did a huge project for them in November where I wrote up thirty Noir film reviews, one for each day in Noir November covering the classics through the twentieth century and up to our more recent era of filmmaking to see how Noir has evolved in that time, and how it changed cinema as well. 

Below I will list the 170 times I watched a movie this last year. Most of them were singular viewings of a film that I hadn’t seen before- but there were several films that I saw multiple times over the course of the year. I’ll also post the date I saw the film and the score I gave it out of 10. I don’t usually rate films, but the group I was competing with did, so I decided to follow suit for this. I’ll also post links to all of the articles I’ve written for Films Fatale since my last post here. Here’s to next year’s movies!

1 Don’t Look Up (2021) Date Seen: 1/5/22 Score: 6.8

2 Vertigo (1958) Date Seen: 1/10/22 Score: 8.5

3 The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018) Date Seen: 1/13/22 Score: 6.5

4 Rodan (1956) Date Seen: 1/15/22 Score: 7.5

5 Pickpocket (1959) Date Seen: 1/16/22 Score: 6

6 5 Card Stud (1968) Date Seen: 1/16/22 Score: 8

7 Copshop (2021) Date Seen: 1/17/22 Score: 8

8 Mysterious Object at Noon (2000) Date Seen: 1/17/22 Score: 6

9 No Way Out (1950) Date Seen: 1/19/22 Score: 8

10 King of New York (1990) Date Seen: 1/20/22 Score: 7.8

11 The Hateful Eight (2015) Date Seen: 1/21/22 Score: 9.5

12 Topaz (1969) Date Seen: 1/23/22 Score: 7.8

13 Branded to Kill (1967) Date Seen: 1/24/22 Score: 7

14 Mr. Arkadin (Comprehensive version) (1955) Date Seen: 1/26/22 Score: 7.5

15 Lady Snowblood (1973) Date Seen: 1/26/22 Score: 8.5

16 Justice League Dark (2017) Date Seen: 1/27/22 Score: 7

17 Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) Date Seen: 1/27/22 Score: 7.5

18 Killing Gunther (2017) Date Seen: 1/28/22 Score: 5

19 Darkman (1990) Date Seen: 1/28/22 Score: 8.3

20 Aquaman (2018) Date Seen: 1/29/22 Score: 7.8

21 The Grandmaster (2013) Date Seen: 1/31/22 Score: 8

22 The Gentlemen (2019) Date Seen: 2/1/22 Score: 7.5

23 1917 (2019) Date Seen: 2/2/22 Score: 8.5

24 Jackass Forever (2022) Date Seen: 2/4/22 Score: 7

25 In The Mood For Love (2000) Date Seen: 2/6/22 Score: 8.5

26 Cosmic Sin (2021) Date Seen: 2/7/22 Score: 1

27 Nightmare Alley (2021) Date Seen: 2/7/22 Score: 8.5

28 Tokyo-Ga (1985) Date Seen: 2/9/22 Score: 7.5

29 Zatoichi’s Flashing Sword (1964) Date Seen: 2/11/22 Score: 8.8

30 Pierrot le Fou (1965) Date Seen: 2/15/22 Score: 8

31 Persona (1966) Date Seen: 2/15/22 Score: 8.5

32 High and Low (1963) Date Seen: 2/17/22 Score: 10

33 Vagabond (1985) Date Seen: 2/17/22 Score: 8.5

34 Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) Date Seen: 2/18/22 Score: 9.5

35 Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972) Date Seen: 2/18/22 Score: 9.5

36 Jules and Jim (1962) Date Seen: 2/19/22 Score: 7

37 Light Sleeper (1992) Date Seen: 2/19/22 Score: 6.8

38 Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) Date Seen: 2/19/22 Score: 8

39 Uncharted (2022) Date Seen: 2/23/22 Score: 6.5

40 The Batman (2022) Date Seen: 3/4/22 Score: 9

41 The Batman (2022) Date Seen: 3/16/22 Score: 9

42 Drive My Car (2022) Date Seen: 3/19/22 Score: 9

43 Tango & Cash (1989) Date Seen: 3/25/22 Score: 7

44 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022) Date Seen: 3/30/22 Score: 9

45 Ambulance (2022) Date Seen: 4/8/22 Score: 8

46 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) Date Seen: 4/9/22 Score: 9

47 Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) Date Seen: 4/10/22 Score: 7.5

48 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022) Date Seen: 4/12/22 Score: 9 *2nd watch

49 Gamera vs Guiron (1969) Date Seen: 4/16/22 Score: 7

50 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) Date Seen: 4/22/22 Score: 7.5

51 The Northman (2022) Date Seen: 4/22/22 Score: 8.5

52 Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) Date Seen: 4/25/22 Score: 7

53 Death on The Nile (2022) Date Seen: 4/28/22 Score: 6.5

54 Rebirth of Mothra (1996) Date Seen: 4/30/22 Score: 7

55 Spider-Man No Way Home (2021) Date Seen: 5/2/22 Score: 8.5

56 Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness (2022) Date Seen: 5/6/22 Score: 8

57 Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness (2022) Date Seen: 5/6/22 Score: 7.8

58 Jackass Forever (2022) Date Seen: 5/9/22 Score: 7 *2nd watch

59 The Last Duel (2021) Date Seen: 5/10/22 Score: 8.5

60 The Quick and The Dead (1995) Date Seen: 5/10/22 Score: 8.5

61 The Sea Wolf (1941) Date Seen: 5/12/22 Score: 7.5

62 Grand Illusion (1937) Date Seen: 5/12/22 Score: 8.1

63 The Parallax View (1974) Date Seen: 5/12/22 Score: 7.1

64 Rebirth of Mothra 2 (1997) Date Seen: 5/12/22 Score: 5.2

65 Safety Last! (1923) Date Seen: 5/14/22 Score: 9

66 The Hunt for Red October (1990) Date Seen: 5/15/22 Score: 8

67 Pirates of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) Date Seen: 5/15/22 Score: 6

68 Cruel Gun Story (1964) Date Seen: 5/15/22 Score: 7.5

69 Ape (2012) Date Seen: 5/16/22 Score: 2

70 The Wailing (2016) Date Seen: 5/16/22 Score: 8.5

71 The Paper Tigers (2020) Date Seen: 5/17/22 Score: 8

72 Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998) Date Seen: 5/18/22 Score: 7.5

73 Paper Flowers (1959) Date Seen: 5/21/22 Score: 9.5

74 City Hunter (1993) Date Seen: 5/22/22 Score: 7.8

75 Jackass: The Movie (2002) Date Seen: 5/24/22 Score: 7.5

76 Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Date Seen: 5/27/22 Score: 9

77 The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022) Date Seen: 5/27/22 Score: 8.5

78 Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Date Seen: 5/28/22 Score: 9

79 Baby Driver (2017) Date Seen: 6/5/22 Score: 8.5

80 Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) Date Seen: 6/5/22 Score: 7.8

81 Double Indemnity (1944) Date Seen: 6/9/22 Score: 9

82 Jurassic World Dominion (2022) Date Seen: 6/10/22 Score: 3

83 Mad God (2022) Date Seen: 6/22/22 Score: 4

84 One Armed Boxer (1971) Date Seen: 6/22/22 Score: 7.8

85 Elvis (2022) Date Seen: 6/25/22 Score: 8

86 The Black Phone (2022) Date Seen: 6/25/22 Score: 8.5

87 Detour (1945) Date Seen: 7/2/22 Score: 7

88 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022) Date Seen: 7/3/22 Score: 9  *3rd watch

89 Jaws (1975) Date Seen: 7/4/22 Score: 10

90 Chan is Missing (1982) Date Seen: 7/6/22 Score: 8

91 Thor Love and Thunder (2022) Date Seen: 7/8/22 Score: 7.5

92 In search of Guru Dutt (1989) Date Seen: 7/11/22 Score: 7.8

93 Brick (2005) Date Seen: 7/14/22 Score: 8.3

94 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Date Seen: 7/16/22 Score: 9

95 High Sierra (1941) Date Seen: 7/18/22 Score: 7.5

96 Nope (2022) Date Seen: 7/21/22 Score: 8.9

97 The King’s Man (2021) Date Seen: 7/22/22 Score: 7.5

98 Breaking Surface (2020) Date Seen: 7/27/22 Score: 7.8

99 Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021) Date Seen: 7/28/22 Score: 9

100 The Professor and The Madman (2019) Date Seen: 7/28/22 Score: 7.5

101 Operation Curveball (2020) Date Seen: 7/28/22 Score: 8.5

102 The Hidden Life of Trees (2020) Date Seen: 7/29/22 Score: 8

103 Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) Date Seen: 7/29/22 Score: 8.3

104 Alien (1979) Date Seen: 7/29/22 Score: 9.3 

105 Stray (2020) Date Seen: 7/30/22 Score: 7.9

106 Bullet Train (2022) Date Seen: 8/4/22 Score: 7.8

107 Prey (2022) Date Seen: 8/9/22 Score: 7.9

108 The Roundup (2022) Date Seen: 8/10/22 Score: 8.3

109 Fall (2022) Date Seen: 8/12/22 Score: 6.8

110 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022) Date Seen: 8/12/22 Score: 9  *4th watch

111 Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Date Seen: 8/14/22 Score: 8.3

112 Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) Date Seen: 8/15/22 Score: 7

113 Five Graves to Cairo (1943) Date Seen: 8/16/22 Score: 6.8

114 Easter Sunday (2022) Date Seen: 8/19/22 Score: 6

115 The Gray Man (2022) Date Seen: 8/20/22 Score: 7.2

116 Police Story 2 (1988) Date Seen: 8/21/22 Score: 9

117 Viridiana (1961) Date Seen: 8/23/22 Score: 6.8

118 Midnight Run (1988) Date Seen: 8/23/22 Score: 8

119 Beast (2022) Date Seen: 8/24/22 Score: 6.5

120 Wood and Water (2021) Date Seen: 8/24/22 Score: 5

121 Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) Date Seen: 8/25/22 Score: 7.5

122 Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) Date Seen: 8/26/22 Score: 9

123 Django Unchained (2012) Date Seen: 8/28/22 Score: 9.5

124 Escape from L.A. (1996) Date Seen: 8/28/22 Score: 8.5

125 Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) Date Seen: 8/31/22 Score: 8.5

126 The Big Sleep (1946) Date Seen: 9/5/22 Score: 8.8

127 The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) Date Seen: 9/6/22 Score: 8.5

128 The Good The Bad & The Ugly (1966) Date Seen: 9/7/22 Score: 10

129 Body Double (1984) Date Seen: 9/8/22 Score: 6.5

130 Weekend (1967) Date Seen: 9/13/22 Score: 6

131 007 Spectre (2015) Date Seen: 9/15/22 Score: 8

132 007 No Time to Die (2021) Date Seen: 9/15/22 Score: 9

133 Clerks 3 (2022) Date Seen: 9/16/22 Score: 8.8

134 Out of The Past (1947) Date Seen: 9/19/22 Score: 7.8

135 Strangers on a Train (1951) Date Seen: 9/20/22 Score: 8

136 Ghostbusters (1984) Date Seen: 9/22/22 Score: 10

137 Miller’s Crossing (1990) Date Seen: 9/25/22 Score: 7.7

138 Notorious (1946) Date Seen: 9/26/22 Score: 8.8

139 Sunset Blvd (1950) Date Seen: 9/27/22 Score: 8.5

140 The Munsters (2022) Date Seen: 9/28/22 Score: 5

141 Pineapple Express (2008) Date Seen: 9/30/22 Score: 9

142 Young Frankenstein (1974) Date Seen: 10/3/22 Score: 7.8

143 Blade Runner (1982) Date Seen: 10/5/22 Score: 9.5

144 Halloween (2018) Date Seen: 10/12/22 Score: 7.9

145 Halloween Kills (2021) Date Seen: 10/13/22 Score: 7.7

146 Halloween Ends (2022) Date Seen: 10/15/22 Score: 7.8

147 Yojimbo (1961) Date Seen: 10/17/22 Score: 9.8

148 Black Adam (2022) Date Seen: 10/22/22 Score: 7

149 Werewolf by Night (2022) Date Seen: 10/31/22 Score: 8.3

150 Black Panther 2 Wakanda Forever (2022) Date Seen: 11/11/22 Score: 8.4

151 Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) Date Seen: 11/13/22 Score: 8

152 Infernal Affairs (2002) Date Seen: 11/15/22 Score: 9

153 Infernal Affairs 2 (2003) Date Seen: 11/16/22 Score: 8.8

154 Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970) Date Seen: 11/18/22 Score: 9

155 Infernal Affairs 3 (2003) Date Seen: 11/19/22 Score: 8.7

156 The Menu (2022) Date Seen: 11/23/22 Score: 9

157 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Date Seen: 11/28/22 Score: 9

158 The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022) Date Seen: 12/2/22 Score: 8.5 *2nd watch 

159 Violent Night (2022) Date Seen: 12/3/22 Score: 8

160 Gamera: Guardian of The Universe (1995) Date Seen: 12/4/22 Score: 7.8

161 Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996) Date Seen: 12/4/22 Score: 8.5

162 Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999) Date Seen: 12/4/22 Score: 7.5

163 The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) Date Seen: 12/6/22 Score: 8.8

164 History of The Word: Part I (1981) Date Seen: 12/12/22 Score: 6.8

165 Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Date Seen: 12/16/22 Score: 8

166 The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Date Seen: 12/21/22 Score: 9

167 The Fabelmans (2022) Date Seen: 12/21/22 Score: 8.8

168 Triangle of Sadness (2022) Date Seen: 12/22/22 Score: 9

169 Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) Date Seen: 12/27/22 Score: 6.8

170 Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019) Date Seen: 12/29/22 Score: 7.7

Here’s the links to all of the articles I wrote over at Films Fatale in 2022 since last updating the blog:

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/6/30/the-black-phone

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/7/1/elvis

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/7/14/thor-love-and-thunder

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/7/25/nope

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/8/11/traverse-city-film-festival-2022-the-return

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/8/8/bullet-train

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/9/21/clerks-iii

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/10/20/halloween-ends

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/9/22/what-if-david-lynch-directed-a-batman-movie

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/1/noir-november-the-maltese-falcon

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/2/noir-november-high-sierra

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/3/noir-november-casablanca

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/4/noir-november-double-indemnity

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/5/noir-november-detour

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/6/noir-november-notorious

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/7/noir-november-the-big-sleep

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/8/noir-november-out-of-the-past

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/9/noir-november-the-naked-city

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/10/noir-november-the-third-man

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/11/noir-november-the-asphalt-jungle

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/12/noir-november-sunset-boulevard

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/13/noir-november-in-a-lonely-place

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/14/noir-november-strangers-on-a-train

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/15/noir-november-the-killing

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/16/noir-november-touch-of-evil

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/17/noir-november-shoot-the-piano-player

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/18/noir-november-le-doulos

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/19/noir-november-le-deuxime-souffle

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/20/noir-november-tokyo-drifter

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/21/noir-november-le-cercle-rouge

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/22/noir-november-chinatown

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/23/noir-november-chan-is-missing

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/24/noir-november-blade-runner

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/25/noir-november-millers-crossing

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/26/noir-november-devil-in-a-blue-dress

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/27/noir-november-the-man-who-wasnt-there

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/28/noir-november-kiss-kiss-bang-bang

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/29/noir-november-brick

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/11/30/noir-november-blade-runner-2049

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2022/12/9/violent-night

0
film

Casting “Justice League Dark”

Posted on by spacecortez

Now that we know Doug Liman will be directing DC’s ‘Justice League Dark’ after Guillermo Del Toro departed from the production we can have some fun with casting the team. Also credit due to the popular youtube channnel ScreenJunkies for inspiring my own interpretation of this movie’s cast. Justice League Dark is a particularly fun comic dealing with, as the title implies, the darker side of the DCEU with the inclusion of possesion, demons, and the occasional trip to heaven and/or hell. This is the down and dirty side of DC that Batman, Superman, and Flash may dip their toes in from time to time, but are usually too busy defending the earth from galactic sized problems to deal with. Sometimes you just need a rag tag group of rejects that happen to be well versed in the dark arts.

Ryan Gosling as John Constantine

Okay, hear me out. Ryan Gosling has done an impeccable job removing himself from any rom/com stigma he may have had lingering around within the last five years and made quite the household name for himself. His range in acting ability is pretty incredible and since he seems so darn likeable in most pieces I believe Constantine would provide him with a unique acting challenge as the character is usually steeped in snarky cynical quips, self loathing tirades, or generally being disliked for his arrogant and selfish antihero antics.

Jackie Earle Haley as Boston Brand/Deadman

Not since Rorschach has there been a character more fitting for Jackie Earle Haley. Deadman is a ghost or spirit having the ability to possess others’ bodies amongst other tricks such as intangibility, invisibility, and flight. In his human life he was affluence and sin personified, he didn’t learn how to live until he died. Given these ghostly abilites by a hindu god named ‘Rama Kushna’ Brand had to solve his own murder and then went out to help mortals avoid the same mistakes he made in life. Stoic expressionism and the ability to express dry humor are both talents that Haley has in the bag and I believe he’d bring a unique edge to a character that still wants to hold onto the belief that he remains part of humanity.

Mahershala Ali as Dr. Alec Holland/Swamp Thing

With Netflix’s own ‘House of Cards’ and the upcoming ‘Luke Cage’ series Ali has shown great skill and flexibility in character work. I believe he could bring a compelling performance to the human nature of Swamp Thing because while Swamp Thing is nature bound, there is a human within the green figure that has to be pulled from. Swamp Thing is quite the compelling character in his own right and should receive an actor ready to take on the challenge that this character brings, Ali can do that and more.

Viggo Mortensen as Jason Blood/Etrigan the Demon

Jason Blood was originally a knight in King Arthur’s camelot that gets wrapped up in the supernatural as he becomes bound to Etrigan, a demon from hell that was summoned by Merlin. After Merlin, who by the way is half brothers with Etrigan, summons this demon and finds he cannot pull secrets from him the wizard binds him to the knight, making Jason Blood immortal. Years later Blood resurfaces as a demonologist in Gotham. Blood attempts to utilize his infernal power for good as Etrigan’s power is impressive for DC’s standards. Mortensen would likely have no interest in the part, but with the character’s background as a knight plagued by a demon’s transformative power, it would be fun seeing Viggo in chainmail again in flashbacks. That and this guy really gets into his character motivation and knows how to make this sort of character memorable.

Aubrey Plaza as Zatanna

Genetically gifted as a master sorceress by her father Zatanna is one of DC’s most powerful magic users who moonlights as an illusionist, just as her father did. Zatanna has a lot to give as a member of the occult oriented team and Aubrey Plaza has the wit and charm necessary for this role, I’d love to see what she could do with the material. She’s more than simply a romantic interest for the other characters (although she did have several romantic outings with both Constantine and Jason Blood throughout the comics continuity), Zatanna is incredibly powerful. Here’s a list of her abilities: pyrokinesis, cryokinesis, electrokinesis, hyrdokinesis, geokinesis, aerokinesis, photokinesis, umbrakinesis, telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation, dimensional travel, reality alteration, antipathy, deflection, chronokinesis, weather manipulation, eldritch blast, energy construct creation, energy transference, flight, force field, healing, phasing, size alteration, transformation, prestidigitation, hypnosis, advanced hand to hand combat, occultism, and multilingualism… whew, yeah, this should be a fun character with lots of potential!

So there you have it, sometimes the JLD has a different looking roster from time to time, occasionally including Frankenstein (yes the Frankenstein), but this is the current cast of characters that are believed to be in the movie. Lets all hope Warner Bros. and DC figure out what not to do since ‘Suicide Squad’ already acomplished that for most audiences, because this team up has the potential to do something special. I hope this all works out in the end, nobody enjoys talking about DCEU movies in a negative light, well, at least I don’t, I want these movies to be great! Agree with my choices? Have your own roster of actors for this movie? Comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading!

 

0
film

Should George Miller Direct Man of Steel 2, or Justice League Dark?

Posted on by spacecortez

Hey there movie fans! Sorry for the gap in posts, I was out of state attending a wedding of some very close friends. As time passed however a great many fun conversations among friends spurred the momentum behind the next few posts I’ll be writing over the next week or so.

This post however concerns legendary filmmaker George Miller’s next big budget project through Warner Brothers. Word around the web is that Miller is currently being offered to direct “Man of Steel 2” and/or “Justice League Dark” now that well documented Monster lover Guillermo Del Toro has left the project. Assuming that Miller’s next project isn’t another Mad Max sequel, which should he choose, and why?

The case for Man of Steel 2 

Think back for a second, if you will, to earlier this year when almost out of nowhere this bombastic, full throttle, completely insane car chase movie erupted onto silver screens all across the country! Can you remember the last time you had that much absolute and refined Fun with a capitol F at the theater? Maybe Joss Whedon’s “Avengers”, but that movie had years of anticipation and expectation to live up to. The world had almost forgotten Max Rockastansky, and now everyone knows who the road warrior is again.

Now think back to when you saw Krypton’s last son gracing the silver screen once more. Bleak. Muted colors. Hardly a smile to be seen. Granted, I must admit, I quite enjoyed the film, but it isn’t without it’s faults. Chief among these is the lack of any exuberance and joy. I also believe an argument could be made that Henry Cavill’s Superman isn’t quite the one we all expect and know, nor that he should be. Growth through multiple films is something that Marvel Studios has been experimenting with and I can’t think of any reason why DC’s golden boy can’t experience character moments and plotlines that drive him to eventually become the character we want and need. At the end of Man of Steel I think he is closer to this, but not yet. By the time “Batman VS Superman”s credits roll we will be even closer, hopefully, to that depiction. My point being that beginning in “Man of Steel 2” Clark Kent should be settled into his role and thus be able to tackle the greater challenges that sequels themselves impose.

George Miller’s style and precision should bleed deeply into this property if he so chooses to take it on and I can only foresee greatness coming forth from this pairing. Miller’s visual flair will elevate this iteration into it’s own form. My own particular fascination is with the rumor that the villain will be Brainiac. The potential for such a powerful Superman villain that will only endorse the deep sci-fi undertones established in the first film is overwhelming. “Man of Steel” did well to incorporate this tone and building upon that in the followup will only empower it to transcend the problems of the first while remaining faithful to the core of this new Superman mythos and yet become a tonally different, but critically substantial film. I can’t claim to be able to dream up the perfect Superman sequel to the incredibly divisive origin tale, but I can’t imagine a better director to tackle the misgivings of the first, and become something truly super.

The case for Justice League Dark

Now that monster connoisseur Guillermo Del Toro has left this veritable Monster Squad remake its time to choose who should fill his shoes. With Characters like John Constantine, Deadman, Zatanna, and the Swamp Thing this is a movie that is rich and lush with possibilities. It also something completely and utterly different from Miller’s own “Mad Max” movies, let alone anything else he has made. It might just be the perfect palette cleanser before dropping back into the north African desert to, most assuredly, flip more insanely designed vehicles through the air once more.

What I love about the Justice League Dark comics is that the content is supernatural and mystic in nature, horror themed throughout really, but it never feels like a terrifying tale. The varying abilities of these characters along with their own according sets of sass, charm, and solemnity make these characters mix well because they are so different from each other. This only emboldens dialogue heavy scenes but fear not as the series is constantly mucking through the.. well, muck of the DC universe and it allows for slight cameos to be something of a reminder that Superman, Batman and the Flash also reside in this universe, and that’s a fun advantage to have.

One of the more palpable aspects of this film over Man of Steel’s sequel is that it seems to me that on set locations and practical filmmaking actually benefit this type of film more so than Superman slugging it out with Brainiac. This film needs lived in sets, on location filming, and real practical effects when possible. CGI is important in this day and age, but if you can get the visual feel of the film down without resorting to full blown green screen, then you have earned my money as a filmgoer. Heck I saw The “Avengers 2” twice in theaters, but “Mad Max” had me talking, writing, and generally not shutting up about it ever since I saw it, while Ultron’s musings were entertaining they weren’t as impressive when you know how both films were made. No hard feelings CGI coders, programmers, and math genies, we all appreciate you! George Miller can do “old school” filmmaking and I believe this is needed in this particular film, he can also inject a healthy dose of demon slaying fun right into the vein of this piece.

However, while I cannot think of another director for the Superman sequel, I have to say I would be incredibly intrigued by whatever Sam Raimi could do with this property, the man that made “Evil Dead” surely could have a great time with this. If George Miller chooses Justice League Dark though I will most certainly be checking it out.

So now that the seventy year old madman himself George Miller is back on everyone’s radar I can’t wait to see what he does next! Whether it is Superman’s next solo adventure, a haunted romp with Constantine and pals, or another desert run with the road warrior, I’ll be at the movie theaters, and ecstatic!

0