Silence is the
latest film from master filmmaker Martin Scorsese. It follows two Jesuit
priests as they travel to Japan in the 1600’s to locate their mentor and
propagate Catholicism in a time when Christianity is outlawed.
This film is an epic, a sprawling epic of cinematic proportions.
It’s based on a novel that I have yet to read, but you could tell that this
kind of a story came from a book. The way it’s structured, the way it follows
its characters on insightful and intriguing tangents feels novelistic. It’s a
long film but there was never one point that I felt like it was lingering, the
story that was being told needed to be told in its entirety, every detail
examined to allow the experience to take hold of you. It was never slow, it was
fairly well paced and never meandered around in setting.
This film is a passion project for Martin Scorsese, a
project that has taken decades to get off the ground. That must be quite a
burden on the actors when cast in their roles, the three main ones being Andrew
Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson, thankfully three of the best actors
working right now. People will mention their accents, which do waver at times,
Neeson not really going for one at all, but it was never something that bothered
me. Their accents were just a small part of their overall performances,
performances that truly were some of the best I’ve seen on screen in a long
while. The burden of this film falls mainly on to the shoulders of Andrew
Garfield who is the main protagonist. He gives it his all, his performance is
very internal, it’s written on his face and as an audience you are constantly
trying to get a read on him, what is he thinking, is his faith at breaking
point? We are getting to that time of year again so I’m just going to say it;
give this man an Oscar. Apart from the big three, the rest of cast is mainly
made up of Japanese actors, something which is very refreshing to see in a
western made film. The actor who stood out to me was Tadanobu Asano who played
an interpreter, a character who you are constantly trying to figure out.
Faith based films are not always going to play well with
large audiences and I imagine a large proportion are going to be turned off by
the subject matter of this one however, I urge you to check this one out. I am
not a religious person but faith has always been a topic of discussion that has
interested me. Depending on your faith this film will provoke different
responses, there will be times when people will get annoyed at certain
characters’ ignorance, but if you can respect the way they think then you will
be immersed in their world of thinking and understand it even if you don’t
believe it yourself.
Although the story may be from a novel, Scorsese still makes
the most out of the medium of film. He uses the camera like a pen and allows it
to tell the story in a very visual way, moving it around and creating a
reaction that feels very old-school, unfortunately you don’t get so many films
like this anymore. There are times when it felt a little rough around the edges
but it made me love the filmmaking even more, it felt gritty and worked for but
astonishingly beautiful at the same time, unaccompanied by a score but instead
diegetic sound there are times when you notice the filmmaking but never in a
way that takes you out of the film, I was constantly immersed throughout.
This film is pure cinema and although it won’t be for
everyone (a few people left in my screening), I really hope that everyone will
give it a go. In a world of repetitive and predictable blockbusters, it’s nice
to go into an original story, one that I didn’t know anything about and one
that I was able to come out of and feel richer for seeing it. In terms of
Scorsese’s work, this is up there as one of his best films, we are very lucky
to be graced yet again with a Scorsese masterpiece. I am giving Silence a rating of 5/5. Have you seen Scorsese's latest yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
I have been dreading seeing this film for a while, being a
huge fan of Spider-Man as a character, I was let down by the 2012 reboot of the
franchise that I had a lot of high hopes for. For the sequel I made sure I wasn’t
going to be disappointed and I didn’t get too excited when Sony
spewed out a dozen trailers or so for the film. However it still didn’t stop me from watching the sequel on day release to find out if they had dug an even
bigger hole for my favourite superhero to climb out of. Thankfully with my expectations being
quite low I left the cinema happy knowing that Spider-Man was on the right
track once more in his surprisingly decent sequel. Read on to find out my whole
verdict on the film that will be as usual SPOILER FREE.
The Amazing Spider-Man
2 follows a now more experienced Spider-Man then what we saw in the first
film. Like his new (excellent) suit this film has stripped away all the
darkness and gloom from the first film to make this film more on tone with The Avengers rather than trying to be
the next Batman Begins. We find Peter
Parker as his busiest, mixing his superhero lifestyle with graduating and being in
two minds as to whether to get together again with Gwen Stacy after he promised
her dying father to keep away from her. Whilst this is all going on Max Dillon
is on his way to becoming the villainous Electro whilst Harry Osborne is back
in town facing a tough moment in his life. Thankfully Sony has learnt from
their mistakes in Spider-Man 3 and this
time juggle the many storylines well throughout the film.
One of the redeeming qualities of The Amazing Spider-Man was the casting and it has continued to get
better in the sequel. Jamie Foxx as Electro is brilliant, he plays the
character really well and truly looks and sounds awesome when in full blue mode, the
visual effects crew did a lot better job with him then they did with The
Lizard. Dane DeHann is one of the best new actors out there and the chemistry
between him and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker is great, I would have loved to
have seen a lot more scenes with the two of them together. It was great to see
Paul Giamatti take on role of Aleksei Sytsevich as he has wanted to play him
for quite some while even if he was very stereotyped, but with him only playing a
small part in the film it would be great to see him improve on that in the next one. Also the
character of Dr Kafka from the comics has been awfully turned into stereotypical
male German scientist, thankfully one of only a few stupid decisions in the
film. As with the first film Andrew
Garfield and Emma Stone steal the show with their brilliant performances and amazing
on screen chemistry. They look and sound the parts even if this Spider-Man is
taking more of his roots from the Ultimate Comics rather than the 616 Universe.
Garfield gets Spidey perfectly with the way he moves and quips constantly
during the action. Added with the perfect suit, this is definitely one of the
best Spider-Man performances we have seen, though having no explanation for the
change of suit does grind my gears a bit.
Visually this film looks great, when Spider-Man is swinging
around New York it is exactly how I imagined he would and many of the scenes
were pretty breath taking and gave me goose bumps throughout. Along with the
great new score from Hans Zimmer who puts a new unique take on the generic
superhero soundtrack, this Spider-Man feels like a breath of fresh air in a crowded
market for comic book films. There is the odd scene where the music choice
feels out of place but overall the film sounds great, especially the main
themes for both Spider-Man and Electro.
Tonally every now and then a scene feels disjointed but not
as much as some critics are saying. The film isn’t just a random bunch of
scenes thrown together, there is a lot more care put into the editing of this
film. The design of the characters may not be to every fans liking but I only
had a problem with the look of The Rhino. In terms of faithfulness to the comic
books there are certain aspects that are great but a lot of it is being
rehashed into new scenarios but with a great sense of familiarity especially with some iconic scenes. I don’t mind this as much as I did in the first film but I am annoyed
that character of Uncle Ben is more of an afterthought in this film rather than
being strong icon in Peter’s life that ultimately makes him the person he is.
Overall the script works pretty well even though there is the odd bad line
throughout, Electo's 'It's my birthday, time to light some candles' springs to mind.
My favourite thing about this film though, that is a huge
improvement on the first, is the fact that you get a sense of what Spider-Man
means to people. He is just a good guy who thinks about other before himself,
there is many a scene of him saving bystanders before taking on the main
threat, he has a sense of responsibility even though the famous line has yet to
be said. Spider-Man is a true hero and this is shown throughout the film, he
saves lives in more ways then one. There are scenes involving kids that could
easily come across as cheesy but in the end they are some of the best scenes
that signify why Spider-Man means so much to so many people in and out of the
film universe. People like myself, who is now happy that the Spider-Man I
wanted to see on screen is back and stepping in the right direction. With the
world building and foreshadowing to a Sinister Six showdown, bring on The Amazing Spider-Man 3!
Finally a step in the right direction for the web head, I am rating The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a 3/5.
What are your thoughts on the Spider-Man sequel? Are you as happy with it as I am? Let me know in the comments below.
Wow, what a week it has been for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. A new costume and a new cast member who will be taking the form of Norman Osborn! As you guys know I'm a big Spider-Man fan blah blah blah... you've heard it all before. Got my hopes up a bit too much for the first film only to be let down, so this time round I have tried not to get too excited. However that is quite hard when the new suit looks like this!
Now compared to the first ASM this has changed quite drastically. And as the internet pointed out, it looks a lot like the suit from the Raimi films. I wouldn't mind this if it wasn't for the studios determination to make these films different from the original and so far not doing a great job at that. I however cannot stop looking at this! It look... well amazing. This is the suit I have been wanting from Spider-Man films since the start. Just look at those eyes, I like those the most. Hopefully our hero will leave his mask on long enough for us to get a good look at them in action this time. So most of all this looks like a good decision from ASM 2 so far. I do hope that the film gives a good explanation for this change in costume that looks more comic book style compared to the more realistic approach in the first film. I don't want them just to change him like this and give no reason why.
We have also had the first set pics that show us Shailene Woodley as the new Mary Jane Watson next to the brilliant Andrew Garfield who looks like he has given Peter Parker some fashion sense, for better or worse. I for one am unsure about the obvious red and blue clothes situation. Yes we get it, he's Spider-Man.
Looks like we are going to get a more 'Ultimate Spider-Man' take on Mary Jane this time round, which I am happy with. Not many women look like MJ from the original comics, though apparently not everyone knows this as so far there has been a lot of negativity over Woodley being cast in the role. I for one look forward to her portrayal, she has hard work ahead after Emma Stone's incredible performance as Gwen Stacy. Looks like Spidey's love life is about to get a bit complicated.
It has also just been confirmed that Chris Cooper is going to be playing Spider-Man's arch nemesis Norman Osborn. I doubt he will don the Green Goblin costume until the threequel, but I am pretty happy with this casting, however it may take some time to take him seriously after his turn as the villain in The Muppets.
I'm just kidding, he is a solid actor and I am sure he will do a great job.
So that is yet another villain added to the cast that already sees Jamie Foxx as Electro and Paul Giamatti possibly as The Rhino. We also have Dane DeHann joining as Harry Osborn. Looks like Spidey is going to have his work cut out for him. I just hope that this is just a starting point for the Green Goblin and The Rhino as if not we could end up with another Spider-Man 3 on our hands and nobody wants that. Hopefully if the reports are true, director Marc Webb might be setting up a Spider-Man universe that could one day see The Sinister Six be brought to the big screen. Here is the official synopsis for the film:
“In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy,” begins the official blurb. “Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough.
“Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away - but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.”
I sure am hoping this film will be good and deserved of it's title. Though I'm guessing that could change any day now!
What do you guys think about all these updates on ASM 2? Are you looking forward to it?
I am a massive fan of Spider-Man, but you probably already knew that. I loved Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films, though Spider-Man 3 did lack in quality compared to the first two. Even though I loved those films I still couldn't wait to see the reboot/remake, even if it was only 5 years after the previous instalment, they do it in the comics all the time! This was my most anticipated film of the year and a couple weeks ago I dedicated a whole blog post to it! So is it as amazing as the title says it is? Thankfully it is! Though it isn't perfect.
I loved the new darker and grounded approach to the character, don't worry it isn't as serious as Christopher Nolan's Batman films but thankfully, it isn't as cheesy as the Raimi trilogy either. The Amazing Spider-Man looks more at the character of Peter Parker, the disappearance of his parents and how these tragedies in his life help shape him into the hero he becomes. It's not an easy path that's for sure. Peter Parker isn't your stereotypical nerd though, now he is a bit more of a lonely emo type nerd. It's great to see him back at high school even if he does look a tad too old to still be there. It is also great to see Peter standing up for fellow classmates against bullies like Flash Thompson even if he does have to face the consequences. The spider bite that gives him special powers just creates another dilemma in Peter's life that he know must learn to deal with.
This story would not work if it wasn't for Andrew Garfield, who is much more of a Peter Parker to me then Tobey Maguire was. I liked Tobey's version, but he just came across as too whiney. If Tobey was in this film, it wouldn't have been half as good. Andrew plays teenager very well and you can really see what kind of hurt and pain his parents have left on him when they disappeared. This hurt is added too when Uncle Ben dies. The death scene in particular really stands out as being a very powerful and emotional moment in the film. Something that hasn't been touched upon as much before. I definitely felt more emotionally connected to this film then I have on the previous ones. This is mainly due to Andrew Garfield who really is perfect for the role and you can tell how much dedication and heart he has put into the character.
The whole film is cast perfectly, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is just brilliant, as is Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. Aunt May played by Sally Field is a bit of a change from the original comics but that's not a bad thing. Rhys Ifans plays a great Curt Connors and motion capture Lizard as well. Although the Lizard isn't perfect, the CGI is pretty good, his storyline is also handled well. I was happy to see that he was still able to speak when in Lizard form, even if he was a very well spoken Lizard.
The CGI for Spider-Man however was spot on. Not once does he look like obvious CGI and director Marc Webb's decision to make a lot of the stunts practical really payed off in making this the most believable Spider-Man yet.
Another great addition are the web shooters, they show off Peter's academic skills and keep more to the comics. They could have been used more in the film though. There is so much you could use in the storyline with the web shooters such as running out of web during a battle or swinging through New York but this is never touched upon. Even when caught by a surprise attack in school Peter still has his web shooters on for some reason. That would have been a cool moment for him to think on his feet without them.
There is a lot more this film could have used to create scenarios we haven't seen in Spider-Man films before. I don't want to spoil the film so I won't go into them but I felt that the scriptwriters cut short on some elements that could have been used to create incredible set pieces.
My other problem with this film was the amount of action, there just wasn't enough Spider-Man. I really enjoyed the love scenes between Peter and Gwen, they had amazing chemistry, but this meant that there was too little of amazing Spider-Man! The action was great when it was there but I just needed more. When Peter was learning how to use his powers it was great and a highlight of the film but we never got to see him use them to his full ability. When there were action scenes though, he had his mask off way too much! Also like Prometheus, more questions are raised then answered which isn't always a bad thing but Peter's parents sub-plot kind of got forgotten after the first half, as did the search for Uncle Ben's killer.
The suit however looks so much better! I really liked the new design and it looked very cool on screen. I doubt it will stay this way for the sequel though, I can see Peter upgrading the suit like in the Batman films. If this was to happen it would be very awesome, maybe he could even have a utility belt like the tie in game has.
I saw this film in 3D and it was pretty good. It wasn't always apparent but looked good when it was. I'm not sure if I would recommend seeing it in 3D, I may actually watch it in 2D in the coming months to see if 3D was better or not. I had heard great things about the 3D though, so the lack of it in my showing may have been down to the screen. I would love to go see this in IMAX!
Some fans may be annoyed at a few of the origin tweaks but I for one thoroughly enjoyed the take on the web slinger. Apart from a few picky bits this film was enjoyable throughout and had some incredible Oscar winning acting that made it live up to its name. It feels as if this is the Batman Begins of the Spider-Man universe and that the sequel to this film has the potential to be more amazing now that we have the origin out of the way. That makes me very excited! Like all Marvel films remember to stay until the end! I am rating the film as a 3/5. P.S - Best Stan Lee cameo yet!
The short film Spider-Man Eclipse, which I talked about in my special Spidey post is now out so please go check that out here: www.spidermaneclipse.com
My review of the short will be online in the next few days.
50 years ago a man named Stan Lee created one of the most loved and well known super heroes ever. That super hero was Spider-Man. 50 years later he is still a big icon in modern day pop culture and with a still running comic book series and new movie coming out next month, he is not fading away just yet! Therefore I am dedicating this post to my hero, The Amazing Spider-Man. This is an extra long Spider-Man special post that will look at the man behind the mask and why his latest big screen movie could be his best. Also I will be voicing my opinions on what I want from Spider-Man in the future. I also have some great stuff to show you from a soon to be released fan movie called Spider-Man Eclipse, prepare to be amazed! Most of the images here have also been supplied and created by fans of Spider-Man, what better way to show our love! Thank you to all the people who got involved in making this post extra special! So here we go, hold on to your webs true believers!
Who is Spider-Man?
Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962. He was thought up by the mind of editor/writer Stan Lee and brought to life through the artwork of Jack Kirby and Steve Dikto (who also helped with the storylines).
Peter Parker was the boy underneath the mask. A high school student turned masked vigilante after a radioactive spider bite. Peter Parker was an incredibly smart and good humoured teenage boy, who was orphaned at the age of 6 after his parents died in a aeroplane crash. Peter's shyness and scholastic interest often made him a social outcast and he was often picked on by the cooler kids at his school, kids such as Flash Thompson.
Peter lived with his aunt and uncle in Queens, New York. The spider bite gave Peter superhuman strength, proportionate to that of a spider, including the ability to stick to surfaces and super agility. He also gained spider-sense, a brain function that is triggered whenever danger is near. Using his amazing scientific knowledge, Peter went on to create his own web shooters.
Peter used these abilities to help make cash by becoming a wrestler and winning fights, and after a TV appearance Peter failed to stop a thief, claiming that it wasn't his responsibility. That thief went on to kill his beloved Uncle Ben. Since that day he has kept to his Uncle's saying 'With Great Powers, Comes Great Responsibility'.
Mary Jane Watson is the most well known love interest of Peter Parker, but she was not the first. Liz Allen was the first lady to take a fancy to Peter, although they never dated. Betty Brant of the Daily Bugle was given that honour. Not that it lasted long.
When Peter went to University he met Gwen Stacy, after a bumpy start they soon became friends. As this started, Mary Jane entered the picture. Though at this time Peter was interested in Gwen.
Submitted by Emma Dean
Gwen and Peter's relationship began to blossom, until the death of her father was blamed on Spider-Man. Gwen decided to leave the country but Peter changed her mind. Their relationship took a turn for the worst after The Green Goblin dropped her off a bridge only for Spidey's webbing to break her fall but also her back, killing her instantly.
It was after her death that Peter and Mary Jane began to come close. They fell in love and married, but after a pact with the devil their relationship was broken up in exchange for his Aunt May's life. Although they still spent a large part of their life together they decided it was best to remain friends.
Other relationships include Felicia Hardy aka The Black Cat and the most recent Carlie Cooper, who broke up with Peter after learning about his secret identity after everybody in New York got Spider powers. Peter currently works at Horizon Labs as a top scientist.
The Comics
It was in 1963 that Spider-Man got his own comic series 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and it is still going strong. Along the way other Spider-Man comics have come about that give a fresh new take on the web head. Comics such as The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man and Peter Parker:Spider-Man. I do like these new takes on Spidey but I am more of a 'Amazing' fan as this was where Spider-Man started and where his journey is still progressing. Its had its less appealing storylines in the past but i feel it is now at one of its strongest points with 'The Ends of the Earth' storyline written by Dan Slott. Dan Slott has been a great attribute to the Spider-Man legacy and really proved himself recently with the awesome storyline 'Spider Island' where all of New York acquired spider powers! He has now just finished 'The Ends of the Earth' storyline which sees Spider-Man face Doc Ock in one last attempt to stop the mad scientist destroy the world. The story has been awesome and the threat has never been so menacing. Peter even designed a new spidey suit to stand up against the Sinister Six, which looks very cool! Not that you could ever get rid of his red and blue spandex original suit! I have loved every minute of this storyline and cannot wait to see what Slott has up his sleeve next! Something big is happening with The Lizard later this month, just in time for the film!
The Movie I enjoyed all of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, with Spider-Man 2 being one of my favourite films ever! I even enjoyed his third outing, not that it compared with the first two. Tobey Maguire however was not Peter Parker to me. Peter Parker is an extremely intelligent nerd, not a crying wimp like Maguire portrayed him. He had his try, but now we move on to the next guy and he seems to have a bit more of an understanding of who Peter Parker is.
A lot of people don't like the idea of rebooting Spider-Man so soon, but its his 50th anniversary this year, how could we not have a film out to celebrate? In the comics Spider-Man has many different versions, in one he's not even Peter Parker anymore! I can't wait to see The Amazing Spider-Man and these are my reasons why:
-Andrew Garfield
If anyone has seen his previous work then you know this guy can act! He has been brilliant in everything he's been in! He is very good at understanding characters and who better to play Spidey then an actual fan! Just take a look at his speech at Comic Con last year, you just know he is going to do the character justice! He is definitely one to watch as he could be the next big thing.
Judging by the released clips he really has taken to the role and no doubt will be the best Spidey to date! -Emma Stone We all thought Emma Stone was going to play the red headed Mary Jane, so it came as a bit of a surprise when she dyed her hair blonde and became Peter's first love, Gwen Stacy. But we had no reason to be surprised, she looks incredible! She looks as if she's been ripped from the pages of the comics! Her acting in the trailer shows off that she could be the most perfect Gwen Stacy we have ever seen! Whilst promoting this film Stone has been adamant about the choice to include Gwen in this adaption is because she falls in love with Peter, whereas MJ falls in love with Spider-Man. With Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield now an actual couple in real life, their chemistry on screen should be (no pun intended) amazing! -Curt Connors/The Lizard Peter's first enemy in the new Spider-Man film could also be his most personal. Unlike other villains, the Lizard is going to be anything but one dimensional! Curt Connors was a friend of Peter's dad and could help Peter find out who he really was. His transformation into this large scaly beast is much more emotional, all Connors wants is to grow back his arm. Rhys Ifans looks like he is going to do a brilliant job as both Connors and the mo-capped Lizard. Unlike other people I think the CGI looks pretty good and I don't mind that he doesn't have a snout. This way we get to see Ifan's performance shine through the Lizard's facial features. Also the theme of cross species genetics is apparent throughout this film. -Marc Webb Although his last name may make Marc Webb seem like the perfect choice as director of the new film, his previous work suggests other wise. After doing a load of music videos, Marc Webb's first and only feature film to date was the brilliant (500) Days Of Summer. A truly awesome and super cool film, yet it is nothing like a superhero action film. My only guess is that the producers wanted a man who could make a great character story and believable on screen romances. Marc Webb is your man then! Don't worry about the action though, he even stated that he did this movie so he can blow stuff up. Lets hope he contains himself a bit more than Michael Bay! Can't wait to see what he does for Spidey! -The Origin
Submitted by Ben Doney
There could be some story tinkering here! Not that it's a bad thing. Uncle Ben will still probably die but Peter Parker isn't the nerd he was in the comics. Nerds are cool now, didn't you know? Peter Parker is more of an outsider then he ever was and this time round he wants to know more about his parents. Rumours also state that the spider bite may just trigger his powers, which may have already been there! At first I was worried about this but actually, this could be good! -Web Shooters
The film is not only just changing some of the original story, it is also keeping with some of the original comic elements that Sam Raimi's film did not use. One of these being the web shooters. Peter Parker is super smart and it will be great to show this finally by showcasing his talent. They look pretty awesome and they flash! The flashing is weird I agree but I can't wait to buy the toys. -The Suit
There have been mixed opinions on the design of Spider-Man's new suit. I actually really like what they have done with it, there have been a few pictures where I have been worried but after seeing the trailer I really think it works well. Also the design looks more as if it could have been made by Peter Parker with the trainer style shoes and the the biker design gloves. -The Sequels
Before we have even seen the first film, Sony have already hired writers to write the second in the series. So they must believe this will be a good one. The marketing has already stated that this will be the first part of the story and that not all questions will be answered in the first instalment. Are we seeing a story arc that has already been set up and that Marc Webb and company already know what route they want to go down and what villains they want to use next? -The Game Movie tie in games are usually rubbish. Yet this one is not? That's what reports are saying from people who have played the demo at events such as E3. So why put so much effort into a game if the movie isn't going to be just as amazing. I've pre ordered mine and guess what, you also get a chance to play as Stan Lee! NERD OUT! If it can live up to the awesomeness of the Spider-Man 2 game then it really could be one of the best ever! -The Trailer
If the trailers are anything to by then this certainly could be good! The trailers have had a good reception and have made me very, very excited! This was my favourite one:
-The Clips
Although I have tried not to spoil this film too much for myself, I had to watch this one clip of Spidey in action. I just wanted to see if they had got it right! And they certainly did! It doesn't look as if Spider-Man is going to have a perfect start to his career, and the mix of practical stunts and CGI have really paid off as this looks ten times better then Raimi's fully CGI Spider-Man!
Also this latest clip of Peter Parker and Flash Thompson really shows off the great comedic value that is going to be apparent throughout the film. Just like Spidey should be.
-Viral Campaign
Viral campaigns have made it big all of a sudden after The Dark Knight campaign proved very successful! The Amazing Spider-Man's campaign has been very good as well! Although you don't really get much to do over here in the UK, it has been fun seeing people spraying the Spider-Man logo in different places and taking pictures of the web head to send in to a fake police site. There was an awesome wanted poster and other items given out to fans during the process. Makes me wish I was living in the states.
It's not just Hollywood who have big plans for Spider-Man, over here in the UK a group of people have been putting together a short film based on the web head called Spider-Man Eclipse. I only recently came across this project but after watching all of their videos on making the short I am now very excited for it! This is more then just a fan film! Here is the official description from their website www.spidermaneclipse.com 'SPIDER-MAN : ECLIPSE IS THE UPCOMING SHORT FAN FILM FROM BOKEH PICTURES DUE FOR RELEASE ON 2ND JULY 2012. WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR AL WHITE (BENEATH, COLORBLIND AND LEAD-SINGER OF UK INDIE BAND GHOSTLIGHT), ECLIPSE IS A TRUE PASSION PROJECT AND IS ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT. SHOT ON THE RED EPIC AND BOASTING A HIGHLY SKILLED AND PROFESSIONAL CREW, STUNNING PARKOUR STUNTS, AND FX FROM AN AWARD-WINNING TEAM: THIS NEW VISION OF SPIDER-MAN INTENDS TO CHALLENGE THE UPCOMING MARC WEBB AND ANDREW GARFIELD REBOOT 'AMAZING SPIDER-MAN' BY THROWING THE CHARACTER INTO A TRULY VISCERAL, BRUTAL AND REALISTIC WORLD - EXPOSING THE DARKER, MORE HONEST AND AFFECTING TRAITS OF THE LEGENDARY MARVEL COMIC BOOK CHARACTER TO THE SCREEN.' Sounds pretty awesome right!? A teaser trailer has recently gone up, which also acts as a sort of prelude to the short film. Check it out bellow:
I can't wait to see how this turns out! Spider-Man made in the UK! The current release date is the 2nd of July, but this could change so keep an eye on their Twitter for details: @SPIDERMANSHORT
I really admire what these guys are doing as a fellow Spider-Man fan and filmmaker. Make sure to spread the word so these guys get loads of attention, they deserve it! I will review the short film in a later blog post.
Well as I have already mentioned there is a sequel planned for the film, what villains we do not know. There is talk of a Venom movie that ties into the movie's universe, which could be pretty awesome! Lets hope if this does happen that they pick a suitable actor to play Eddie Brock. I can't see Venom being the main villain in the next film if they wish to give him a spin off. What if the spin off is just the origin story for Venom, maybe he could be the next villain in an Avengers movie? I know Sony have the rights to these characters but Avi Arad the producer of Spider-Man recently stated; "Everything is possible. If something like that happens, it's great for Disney, it's great for Sony. If the right story comes in, we are now working on Venom first." This could be the start of something amazing! It's not official yet but a reference to The Amazing Spider-Man was planned to be put into The Avengers with the Oscorp building from the new movie being rendered into the skyline of New York. Though unfortunately the digital New York was already rendered and it would take too much time to add in. Sad news but it is also great to hear that Sony and Disney were willing to work together on this one, I would love to see Spider-Man in an Avengers movie. Who wouldn't?
I would like to see a possible adaption of The Six Arm Saga in the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, and as we are trying to keep a grounded touch on this series of films, it could be done like the 1994 TV show where Peter finds out that his spider powers are mutating, eventually ending up as a giant spider! If Curt Connors is not killed off in the first film then it would be great to see his scientific mind put to more use in finding a cure for Spider-Man and himself! I wouldn't rule the Lizard out of appearing again at some point in the future! If these films are looking more into genetic DNA scientific aproach to Spider-Man, then this could be a great route to go down! When Spider-Man does turn into a giant spider, Kraven the Hunter could be called into catch him, creating yet another villain who is not one dimensional. That's just my thoughts though. What I hope they don't do though is kill Peter Parker off and replace him with Miles Morales, the latest character to wear the suit in Ultimate Comics:Spider-Man as nobody wears the suit apart from Peter Parker! It was a good idea from Marvel but having somebody who isn't Peter Parker in the suit just doesn't feel right.
In other Spider-Man future events, we still have the 50th Anniversary issue to come from the comics, yet again written by Dan Slott who no doubt has something amazing in store for us! Who is Alpha?
The new TV show Ultimate Spider-Man has also been renewed for another season. I warn you though it is not great. It is a fun TV show but this Peter Parker is not the one from the comics, in this series he is cocky and arrogant. You might like it but you're more likely to hate it. The animation is good though and you also get more Agent Coulson so it's not all bad. One episode including the Hulk is made to look as if its filmed on a video camera, in a Paranormal Activity esque way is pretty good. You have been warned though!
So here we come to the end of my special Spider-Man blog. It's been great writing this and I want to thank everyone who contributed to making this blog extra special, including all those who submitted fan art and Al White who gave me the pictures from Spider-Man Eclipse.
There is a lot of love for Spider-Man and that is a great thing to see. The new film coming out looks like it could be the best yet! I am sure Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield will do the character justice. Make sure to come back here to read my review when is out in cinemas 3rd July.
Spider-Man means a lot to people all around the world. The means to stand up for what is right and to never runaway from doing the right thing! Stan Lee did not just create an character, he created an icon, an inspiration, a hero. Spider-Man is my hero because he is Peter Parker and so am I. Easily one of the most relateable figures in Marvel Comic universe.
Excelsior! Thanks for reading and remember 'With Great Powers, Comes Great Responsibility'
On one final note, do you like to buy Spider-Man stuff? You do! Well this site 'The Spider-Man Collectionary' has all the best Spidey goodies for you to buy. It's awesome, I didn't even know some of the stuff on their existed. You can check out the site by clicking this link: http://thecollectionary.com/club/Spiderman
So yehh, I just saw the new trailer for my most anticipated movie of 2012, possibly of all time... I'M KIND OF NERDING OUT RIGHT NOW!!! While I calm down you can watch it for yourself:
Did you just see that! Wow Spider-Man is back and looks better then ever. All the haters can shut up as this trailer brings a storyline that looks nothing close to the first one. It's dark it's gloomy and still has great humour, 'Do I look like a cop?'.
Andrew Garfield puts on his Peter Parker mojo brilliantly and really suits the character more then anyone else (Tobey Maguire!). It looks like it's taken advice from Christopher Nolan but not enough to make it look like a rip off. The stunts look cool, you actually believe that is Spider-Man swinging through New York and beating up criminals and taking on a SWAT Team!
Then there is Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy who looks like she could be Peter's best catch yet, she actually looks as if she loves him, though I (spider) sense that they could bring Mary-Jane back for round 2 to form a tricky love triangle for the webslinger. Though they would have to bring in some one good enough to create an on screen romance that betters the one I have just seen, probably helps that they are now a real life couple. Though I am also secretly hoping Gwen Stacy get chucked off a bridge like in the comics, that would create something we have never seen in the case of Peter Parker's personality, especially since he seems a bit more darker in this version.
Then finally there is Rhys Ifans as The Iizard or Dr Conners. Didn't get much chance to see him in all his glory but the glimpses shown did look impressive. Could be quite a strong fella too as in the last part of the trailer we see him taking down a building that we all know is going to look super cool in 3D. I also like how they are hinting at Peter Parker possibly making the formula that creates The Lizard. That would be a lot of 'With Great Power Come Great Responsibility' especially as Peter has daddy issues this time round and Dr Conners looks like the only one who will help him out!
Overall it looks incredible and I cannot wait for this film! I'm going to go and watch that trailer again and again and again!
2012. Many people may associate this year as the end of the world, or if you live in the UK it is the year of the London Olympics. But for me this is the year for movie nerds everywhere! Next year is the year for cinema, will it finally get back on track with more people going to it? If the films that are coming out next year are anything to go by, then hopefully. Here are my top 10 anticipated films of 2012! And no The Dark Knight Rises is not first!:
10. Chronicle
Chronicle is a found footage film which actually looks different this year! As many of you know, I love superheroes and this film is about three boys who gain super powers. A found footage superhero movie, what more can I say? 9. War Horse
I am a big fan of the book which I read a couple of years ago, and if anyone could adapt it too the big screen it's Steven Spielberg! Even the author has commended it! I want to see this film! 8. Gangster Squad
I love period gangster dramas, and this one has Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone in it! I can't wait! 7. Prometheus
The Alien prequel or spin off film trailer was released last week and looks amnazing! Time to get the watch the Alien Box set I Think! 6. The Muppets
Unless your American this film has not come out yet! And I have to wait till February to see it! Painful but worth the wait by the sounds of it. I love the muppets! 5. The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Being a big fan of The Lord of The Rings trilogy how could I not be excited about this one! Love the idea of Peter Jackson upping the frames per second to create amazing 3D. The Trailer came out last week and it looks incredible! 4. The Hunger Games
As you already know I'm a a massive fan of the books and cannot wait to see them adapted for the big screen. I'm hoping it isn't too Twilight but by the looks of the trailer it looks amazing and quite emotional too. 3. The Dark Knight Rises
Who is not excited about this one? The trailer was amazing as suspected and in Nolan we trust! 2. The Avengers
I have been waiting for this film since the closing credits of Iron Man and cannot wait for this film to finally be here! With Joss Whedon on the directors chair this is certain to be one hell of a movie! 1. The Amazing Spider-Man
Yes it is the half man half spider who tops my list! Being a massive fan of the man in red I cannot wait for this film. Marc Webb is a brilliant director and Andrew Garfield is one of the greatest actors of our time. This is sure to amazing! They have gone a little bit darker and have added The Lizard to the mix, cannot wait! Lots of people hating this film because its telling the origin again or because they like Tobey Maguire, Personally Tobey was a great Peter Parker but unlike Andrew Garfield he is not Peter Parker!
And that concludes my top 10 most anticipated films of 2012. I hope you agree! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and I will blog my review of 2011 before 2012... hopefully!
I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I have had a lot of work to do recently, not that you guys care anyway I'm sure. But my hasn't there been a lot of news recently!
Good News
. The Dark Knight Rises prologue is supposed to be amazing!
. Posters for the new Batman and Spider-Man films have come out and also look amazing!
. Hugo is also supposed to be amazing! (need to see it soooooo badly!)
. First reviews of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo say it is mind blowing stuff!
Bad News
.American Psycho is being remade!?!?!?!?!
. So is Starship Troopers!
. Zac Efron looks like a terrible soldier in that new yucky romance film coming out next year.
. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is going to be an 18 so I am going to have to wait a month till I can see it!
. Battleship looks just as crap as expected, don't check out the awful trailer! (though the effects look ok)
So here are the two posters for two of the most anticipated movies next year. And no they were not produced by the same company! Even though it does look that way. a lot of people have been whining saying the Spider-Man is copying Batman's advertising but it did come out a day earlier and personally I prefer it as I am a bigger fan of the character and it was an unexpected twist in advertising. I suspected The Dark Knight Rises poster might have looked like that. Though don't check out the banners for The Amazing Spider-Man as they kind of make the advertising team look like they don't know what kind of film they are tyring to sell. Both awesome and both very hard decisions as to which one will be my iPod background?
Heres for the worst new I've heard in a while! AMERICAN PSYCHO IS BEING REMADE!?!?! WHY????? The first film was awesome and has massive cult following and nobody can play Bateman like Bale did! Not happy at all, i could go on forever but I told myself to keep this short.
Thanks for reading guys! Follow me on Twitter if you haven't already and follow my blog!
So the last couple of a days have been full of supposed 'leaks' of superhero films; The Amazing Spider-man & The Dark Knight Rises. I will start by saying that I am looking forward to these films so much and have been enjoying reading all the gossip around them. And there has been a lot of pictures and supposed details leaked from the new batman film which is strange for director Chris Nolan to allow this to happen, Because usually he is quite strict on what is revealed as he likes the audience to watch his films without knowing a thing. But I reckon its all part of his plan. In Nolan we trust!
So we know the villain for the new Spider-man reboot film is going to be The Lizard, but until recently the look for the creature has been kept under wraps. Until it was revealed via PEZ Dispenser!
So yes this isn't really a great look but I believe there was a lot of hate for the look? It's a PEZ dispenser guys!? Personally I think it looks pretty awesome! So the next day, there was another supposed 'leak' of concept art of the comic book villain. I say supposed because I believe that Sony were probably pretty mad a PEZ for releasing the image before they had given the fans something better to look at, and due to the bad press it was getting they probably 'accidently' released the concept art to help calm fan boys down.
So more positive reaction to this but again had fans divided. I again personally think it looks amazing and just what I was hoping for, but could do with more of a snout. BUT again this is just concept art, so who knows what could happen. Hopefully an official movie image will be released soon or 'leaked' but until then we'll just have to assume it will be awesome. I definitely recommend watching some of Andrew Garfield previous films, he really is a great actor and will fit into the part of Peter Parker well!
So on to The Dark Knight Rises, a synopsis has been released of the prologue, which will have a look at the new villain Bane. Here is the synopsis: (SPOILERS)
"Bane and his mercenaries hijack a military plane transporting a dictator of a country which is in unrest (think Saddam Hussein type figure).
'He successfully kills the leader, but makes some mistakes along the way and is unable to safely land the plane.
'Because of the resulting injuries from the accident, he has to undergo complicated surgeries and that is how he winds up with that scar down his neck and the need for the mask to numb the pain.'
The source goes on to describe Bane's origin story as reimagined by Nolan.
"'He is raised by Ra’s al Ghul [Bruce Wayne's old mentor] and his up bringing mirrors that of Bruce Wayne.
'It’s a mirror of Bruce, except it’s darker and twisted. Bane is trained to be an assassin for the League of Shadows.
'He kills political figures that are deemed unfit by the LOS. So he is a bit of a Che Guevara/ Jason Bourne type character.'
So yeah, sounds pretty awesome! I don't know whether it will be as good as Heath Ledgers prologue as The Joker but only time will tell as it will soon hit 5 IMAX cinemas in the UK before the start of Mission Impossible 4. So if your lucky enough to see it at one of the 5 I'm sure you'll love it but for the rest of us I guess we'll just have to wait until its 'leaked' online!
Thanks for reading! If you like my blog please recommend to friends as it would be good to get some readers! Please comment and follow me on twitter @SuperAlexMan .
Faith based films are not always going to play well with
large audiences and I imagine a large proportion are going to be turned off by
the subject matter of this one however, I urge you to check this one out. I am
not a religious person but faith has always been a topic of discussion that has
interested me. Depending on your faith this film will provoke different
responses, there will be times when people will get annoyed at certain
characters’ ignorance, but if you can respect the way they think then you will
be immersed in their world of thinking and understand it even if you don’t
believe it yourself.
Although the story may be from a novel, Scorsese still makes
the most out of the medium of film. He uses the camera like a pen and allows it
to tell the story in a very visual way, moving it around and creating a
reaction that feels very old-school, unfortunately you don’t get so many films
like this anymore. There are times when it felt a little rough around the edges
but it made me love the filmmaking even more, it felt gritty and worked for but
astonishingly beautiful at the same time, unaccompanied by a score but instead
diegetic sound there are times when you notice the filmmaking but never in a
way that takes you out of the film, I was constantly immersed throughout.
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