Never heard of Watchmen? You will.

The groundbreaking comic, written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, was originally published by DC Comics in a 12-issue arc from 1986 - 87. It was later collected in a trade paperback, which helped popularize the graphic novel format. The Hugo award winning Watchmen also made Time magazine's 2005 list of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century - it's that good.

ABSOLUTE edition of WATCHMEN (highly recommended)

Watchmen takes place in an alternate universe of 1985 America, where a band of retired superheroes are summarily being killed. All but one of these "masked vigilantes" is mortal, save for Dr. Manhattan. Their actions over years have altered the outcomes of our reality, especially the Vietnam war and the (ongoing) presidency of Richard Nixon. Rorshach, so called because of his ink-blot mask, investigating the murder of a hero called The Comedian, stumbles on a plot that threatens not only his colleagues, but could change the course of history.

Moral complexity is what has made Watchmen resonate so powerfully among a growing legion of fans for two decades. And now ... get ready for the film.

Zack Snyder, who blasted to prominence with his kinetic remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and his record breaking adaptation of Frank Miller's 300, is directing.

The film doesn't open until March of next year, but a full-blown trailer was released with The Dark Knight. You can either watch it below, or watch a better resolution here.

This is one to look forward to.


WATCHMEN trailer

Walking out of Denver's IMAX theater yesterday, literally on cinematic overload after watching The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's followup to 2005's groundbreaking Batman Begins, I was ... conflicted. Truth told, I still am. I think I'm going to be processing this movie for awhile. A long while. I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.

Picking up about a year after the end of Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and his manservant Alfred (the unflaggingly reliable Michael Caine) are residing in the penthouse of a Gotham high-rise while Wayne Manor (burned to the ground in the last film) is being rebuilt. Filling in for the also under-construction Bat Cave is an underground bunker that's as clean and sterile as it is long and wide.

Bruce is using his influence in the world of finance to gain inside access to criminal world around him ... in this case, not only Gotham but locales as far reaching as Hong Kong. He is also backing new district attorney, Harvey Dent (a way underrated Aaron Eckhart). Bruce sees Harvey's white knight as a possibly better solution to Gotham's crime wave than Batman's Dark Knight, whose vigilante justice is not only viewed with suspicion by many, but has also inspired some copycat crimes.

Enter the Joker. You have no doubt heard that the late Heath Ledger's final (full) performance here is the stuff of legend. You may have also heard that he will be posthumously nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I'll go one step further - he will win. Ledger more than lives up to the staggeringly high praise heaped on him here. He does the impossible - he makes you forget Jack Nicholson's trademark turn in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman. In fact, this twitchy, cackling, manic, knife-scarred, grease-painted, lip-smacking psychopath is hands down the creepiest screen villain since Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lector (the first time) in 1990's Silence of the Lambs. We don't know much about the Joker's history (he changes his story whenever it suits him), but this simply makes him more dangerous. You never know what this guy is going to do ... like the Joker's Magic Disappearing Pencil trick (trust me, you'll know it when you see it). Believe the hype - Ledger gives the performance of his (tragically short) career.

The plot of The Dark Knight is so dense and complicated, I will not spoil any of it for you. However, I will speak of its spectacle and tone. You may have heard that this film plays more like a crime drama than a superhero movie. This is quite true - comparisons to Michael Mann's Heat and Martin Scorsese's The Departed are dead on. Shoot, you could also throw a little of Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead in there given Harvey Dent's horrifying transformation into Two-Face. (If you think that's a spoiler, you don't know your Batman very well.) This Two-Face is so tragically realistic, he makes you realize what a cartoonish joke Tommy Lee Jones was in Joel Schumacher's 1995 Batman Forever. This is no flamboyant, pink-suited, symmetrically-scarred goon, this is the stuff of nightmares.

Speaking of that, one of the main strengths of Batman Begins was the fact that director Nolan chose to root his Caped Crusader in the most realistic Gotham possible. Real world physics actually came into play. That choice is carried to another extreme in The Dark Knight. Gotham City is now played by Chicago, and no effort has been taken to gothic it up. I'm still not quite sure what to make of this choice - part of me misses the beautifully gothic production design that Anton Furst brought to Tim Burton's original. Also, in making this story SO realistic, I'm not sure one key ingredient didn't get lost in the mix: fun. This is a dark, dour, disturbing movie that will probably succeed in spite of the fact it is NOT a popcorn flick. Those expecting light summer fare will either be disappointed or rewarded, depending on their reaction to this gorgeously-filmed, spectacularly-staged, densely-plotted, emotionally-exhausting, thinking man's comic book movie.

Or is it a comic book movie? It doesn't feel like one. In fact, it doesn't even really feel like a Batman movie. Whereas Batman Begins really focused on Bruce and his transformation into The Dark Knight, Bruce/Batman is almost just another supporting player in this new multi-character film. He shares equal screen time with Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman, excellent as always), Harvey Dent, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhall, ably taking over for Katie Holmes) and, of course, The Joker. Some may find this distracting, others may love the denseness and complexity. I'm still in the middle. The stunts and action sequences here are as mind-blowing as you would want them to be. Especially on a screen that's four and a half stories tall - if you can see this on an IMAX screen, don't hesitate.

Regardless, this is spectacular entertainment, flawed only by a possibly too-dour tone (no one will ever call this The Feel-Good Movie of the Year), and a reach that may (or may not) exceed its grasp. Go see it for Heath ... whatever problems this film may have vanish completely whenever he is onscreen.

MOVIE GRADE: B+

Greetings all.

Just thought I'd give you an update on what's happening with the book. (If you're new to this site, I am an author currently trying to get my first novel published.) I just got the manuscript back from my editor and am currently in the process of revisions. Revisions? Ha! I'm trying to whittle this behemoth down into something commercial ... I can be longwinded (duh).

Finding time and energy to do so while working construction full-time is not easy. In fact, this final (hopefully) edit is something that needs my full focus and attention. I am looking for a way to write full-time for the two months it will likely take to do this. Patronage is always encouraged - if you've spent some time here and deem what I am doing of value, please contact me.

After many requests, I am posting the prologue of my novel on the updated BROODING page.

Happy reading,
Andy

I'm not that familiar with Britain's Got Talent, yet while surfing YouTube today, I came across a couple of videos that totally destroyed me. Maybe I'm a big softy, but six-year-old Connie Talbot's unbelievably moving take on the classic Somewhere Over The Rainbow, reduced me to a blubbering mess. The panel - including Simon Cowell - are also visibly moved by this performance.

I'm posting both the audition and finale versions of this. Check them out and let me know what you think. (More info after the jump.)


BGT - CONNIE TALBOT SINGS OVER THE RAINBOW (audition)




BGT - CONNIE TALBOT SINGS OVER THE RAINBOW (finale)




Connie eventually came in second place in the BGT competition, however she has since recorded an album that has sold like hot cakes in the UK. It is being released in the US this year. For much more info, visit connietalbot.com.

Saturday Night Live has given us some of the biggest comedic movie stars of the last three decades. While the quality of their films are varied, their place in pop culture history is secure. Chase, Ackroyd, Belushi (still miss you, John), Murray, Murphy, Crystal, Ferrell, Myers, etc ...

From Shrek box office dollars alone, Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers never have to work again. Eddie Murphy has recently announced that he is going to semi-retire from films, and go back to doing stand-up. To this I give a big cheer. Mike Myers, despite his ill-concieved Love Guru, is arguably this generation's Peter Sellers. Say about him what you will, I think he's hilarious. Especially live on stage, or in interviews. (Mike did a two hour Inside The Actor's Studio a few years ago where he killed! Absolutely hilarious. If it ever becomes available for embedding, I will post it.)

But what ever happened to Dana Carvey?

Other than his appearances as the bespectacled, straw-mopped, pubically-challenged Garth Algar in the Wayne's World movies, Dana's box-office history has not exactly been stellar. Opportunity Knocks, Clean Slate, mmm ... okay. Let's not talk about The Master of Disguise.

Well, if there is an unspoken competition between Carvey and his old chum Myers in this Year of Our Lord, 2008 ... I gotta give it to Dana. If only for knocking it out of the park with his recent HBO special, Dana Carvey - Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies. This hourlong concert (posted in its entirety below) is by far the funniest stand-up routine I have seen in a very long time. It takes him a little while to get rolling, but one he starts in with Andy Rooney getting stoned, and the "Reagan Oracle" bit where he pulls out every political impression he's ever done (and then some), I was ROTFLMFAO!

Another thing ... this man does not look anywhere near his 53 years of age. And he's still got it. In spades.

Got an hour? Want to laugh? Kick back and enjoy.



DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 1)




DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 2)




DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 3)




DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 4)




DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 5)




DANA CARVEY - SQUATTING MONKEYS TELL NO LIES (PART 6)

Marvel Comics - which is already having a banner year, to put it mildly - is continuing its unlikely-but-extremely cool relationship with "the world's bestselling author," Stephen King. Having had a massive success adapting King's Dark Tower series to comic book form (the first series arc, Gunslinger Born is now available as a graphic novel, the second series, The Long Road Home, finishes its five issue arc today), Marvel is now hard at work turning King's arguably-most-popular work, The Stand, into graphic form. It will be six five-issue miniseries, or 30 issues in all.

The first issue, The Stand: Captain Trips, is scheduled to be released in September. Since this is one of my favorite novels ever, I am very excited about this. Especially with excellent job Marvel has done with The Dark Tower, and the talent behind this new adaptation.

Below is a video interview with project artist Mike Perkins, who gives some fascinating input into this massive undertaking. Check it out.


INTERVIEW WITH MARVEL ARTIST MIKE PERKINS

In 1984, two of America's most popular authors, Stephen King and Peter Straub, collaborated on what was anticipated to be "the greatest horror novel of all time": The Talisman. Critical reception was mixed, due in no small part to the fact the book - despite the reputations of its creators - was not a horror story. It was, in fact, a coming of age fantasy involving a young boy on a grand quest.

From the Flap
Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey - an exalting, terrifying quest for the Talisman. Only the Talisman can save his dying mother and defeat the enemy who is out to destroy them. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States, but through the wondrous and menacing Territories as well. The Territories lie as firmly in the imagination as Atlantis or Oz; they are as real as every reader's own vision of that parallel world which can only be evoked in the mind's mysterious eye. In the Territories, Jack finds a world little removed from the Earth's own Dark Ages: though the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away, a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continual struggle between good and evil. Jack discovers 'twinners', odd reflections of the people he knows on Earth - most notably the dying Queen Laura, the 'twinner' of Jack's own imperiled mother. But only a few can flip from one world to the other like Jack's late father, his malevolent uncle Morgan Sloat, and Jack himself. As Jack makes his way westward towards the redemptive Talisman, a dual array of heart-stopping encounters challenges him every step of the way - from a terrifying period of captivity in an orphanage run by a sadistic religious fanatic, to the sudden and murderous attacks on the Territories by the enemies of the Queen. Stephen King and Peter Straub have combined their talents to create an unforgettable epic of fantasy, adventure and resounding triumph.

Despite some critical drubbing, many fans (myself included) count this book as one of their favorites. King and Straub collaborated on a sequel, Black House, in 2001. It was wonderful. A third novel is rumored to be in the works.

Not long after publication of The Talisman, Steven Spielberg purchased the movie rights. For nearly a quarter century, the film version of this story has been through countless scripts and innumerable green lights, only to be shut down time and time (and time and time) again. The most recent was a six hour miniseries for TNT that was supposed to air this summer of 2008. However, the plug was pulled due to budgetary issues. (I gave up on Spielberg directing this himself a looooong time ago.)

And yet, leave it to YouTube to breathe new life into an old story.

Mathieu Ratthe. Don't know the name? Neither did I until just a few minutes ago. But I suspect this young Canadian filmmaker will be a household name in the not-too-distant future. He has written and directed a short demo scene from the opening chapter of The Talisman, because, as he puts it:

"My main objective for creating this piece is to demonstrate my directing ability and my vision to the producers who own the rights to the story: STEVEN SPIELBERG & KATHLEEN KENNEDY."

The 6 1/2 minute piece is so well done, I hope Spielberg's camp gets a hold of this guy posthaste and sign him to a production deal.

If you've read the book, you'll see what I mean. If you haven't, I think you'll still be impressed by this video.

Check it out.


THE TALISMAN - DEMO SCENE: THE HOTEL ROOM




WORDSLINGER'S NOTE: There is one other video on Mathieu Ratthe's YouTube page that is so impressive I have to put it on here. It's called Lovefield. I cannot remember the last time I saw a piece of film that so strongly evoked the emotional spectrum from one extreme end to the other so quickly. This goes from horrific to heartfelt in five minutes. Talent and brevity ... somebody hire this guy, fast.


LOVEFIELD

I assume most of you saw 2006's reboot of the James Bond franchise, Casino Royale. Wow, has that only been a year and a half ago? Not only was it one of the best films of the entire series, it introduced us to arguably the best 007 since Sean Connery - some have argued he is THE best, period.

Well, here it is summer 2008, and we have that film's direct sequel, Quantum of Solace, coming out in November. The first teaser trailer was released online today, and I've got it for you right here. This looks to me like it picks up immediately after the finale of Casino Royale, which has me all the more excited to see it. I still don't know what that title means, but ... check it out.


QUANTUM OF SOLACE - teaser trailer

All right, so I'm a couple years behind in seeing this film, however, it's never too late to catch up ... at least in the world of cinema.

When Juno was released last year, the only previous films I knew Ellen Page had appeared in were X-Men 3, and something called Hard Candy. I'd heard great things about that last, but never got around to seeing it. Until last night.

I knew a little about the controversial (to put it mildly) subject matter of this film, but nothing could have prepared me for the reality. The story involves Jeff (Patrick Wilson), a handsome, charming, 32-year-old internet predator who arranges to meet 14-year-old Hayley (Ellen Page) at a local coffee house. She eventually goes home with him, and ... I SO don't want to spoil this movie, but I think it's clear from the trailer (posted below) that once Jeff gets Hayley into his lair, nothing goes as planned. To say the proverbial tables get turned is a gross understatement.

While some critics have criticized this film as exploiting a serious subject matter, I could not disagree more. This film is anything but exploitation. In fact, compared to the recent onslaught of torture porn movies, this film is downright classy. While its "gimmick" could have been played for cheap thrills, this amazing script dares to dive deep into the psyche of both principals. Yes, some of the content is disturbing, but never in a gratuitous way. Far more is heard than seen. Hayley is an amazing character - a true heroine, despite what some have said - she haunts me as of this writing, and will probably do so for a very long time.

Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson are both superb, as is the smart script by playwright Brian Nelson, and the stylish direction by David Slade. If I were to put this film in any sort of crude nutshell, I guess it would be ... Juno meets Misery. (Even though Juno came a couple years later.) Or perhaps ... Little Red Riding Hood traps the Big Bad Wolf. Yet even those descriptors can't do justice to this remarkable film. By the finale, when Jeff finally has to beg the question, "Who are you?!", Hayley's unforgettable response may remind some of Clint Eastwood movies like High Plains Drifter wherein a mythic figure (and by this time Haley is most certainly that) comes to dole out justice. Is she real or an avenging angel? Is she a troubled girl or merely a sick man's conscience?

Haunting, heartfelt, and horrifying, this movie needed to be made ... and it is a small miracle that the talent involved made it with such heart, style, and restraint.

Put simply, Hard Candy is one of the most daring, original, suspenseful, and exciting psychological thrillers I have seen in ages. I loved it.

Highly recommended.

MOVIE GRADE - A
DVD BONUS CONTENT - B


HARD CANDY - trailer




WORDSLINGER'S NOTE - Oddly, the subject matter of this film reminds me of a true story I wrote about a few months ago, entitled Modern Day Magdalene. Check it out here.

When I first saw Ang Lee's HULK in 2003, I must admit ... I liked it. I didn't understand the copious dissing the film received from critics, moviegoers, and fanboys. It wasn't until later, watching the film again on DVD, that problems made themselves evident. It was too ... cerebral. Too artsy fartsy. Too worried about things like ... texture (not tone, but real, organic, reptillian texture). And what was that ending all about? Nick Nolte tries to kill his son by becoming one with the clouds? WTF? The biggest problem, however, was one that couldn't have been helped: I missed Bill Bixby.

Jump ahead five years, and we have Marvel Studios reboot of the series, entitled, The Incredible Hulk.

2008 has been pretty much a banner year (pun intended) for the newly formed Marvel Studios. After knocking it out of the park with Iron Man (which recently became the first picture of the year to hit the 300 million mark in domestic box office), they have smashed what could have been a sophomore slump with this new film.

Not quite a remake, definitely not a sequel, The Incredible Hulk starts out much like the beloved TV series with a quick flashback to how Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) suffered an "accidental overdose of gamma radiation that alters his body chemistry." Cut to Bruce living in Brazil, working at a soda bottling company, getting in trouble with his broken Portugese. He is also learning martial arts as a way of controlling his temper (a smart plot point). The movie has a clever way of showing the passage of time, with periodic on-screen flash titles - DAYS WITHOUT INCIDENT: 158. Joe Harnell's haunting Lonely Man Theme from the television series is briefly (too briefly) woven into the soundtrack - from the audience cheers during this homage, perhaps the producers will better utilize it next time. Music to hitchhike by.

I do not want to give too much away, but I will say that General Ross (William Hurt) is still hot on his tail. His daughter, Betsy Ross (Liv Tyler) is still pining for her true love to come home. And Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) is an overamped soldier who volunteers himself to the General to undergo experiments that eventually turn him in the Abomination. But you knew all that from the trailers.

Ed Norton is excellent as Bruce Banner ... he even reminds a bit of Bill Bixby, albeit a might scrawnier. Norton did a serious (uncredited) rewrite of Zak Penn's script - however, according to reports, an entire 70 minutes of this material did not make it into the theatrical cut. Norton was not happy. Look for a three-hour DVD cut to show up in stores this fall. Liv Tyler is also very good. The scenes she shares with Bruce are the very heart of this movie. The Beauty and the Beast scenes she shares with Bruce's green alter-ego are also quite moving, and are (of course) reminiscent of King Kong. William Hurt (looking damn near unrecognizable in hair piece and push broom 'stache) brings trademark gravitas to his otherwise stoic role. Tim Roth just got on my nerves.

Some fans are upset that the Hulk is (again) CGI. I didn't have a problem with it - especially since this is damn good, vein-popping, sweat-dripping, OMG! look at that CGI. Lou Ferrigno makes a very cool cameo in this, as does series creator Stan Lee. Even Bill Bixby makes an appearance ... it's better just to see it. As reported, Robert Downey Jr. also pops in as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), just long enough to plant the seeds for The Avengers movie that will be coming in 2011. How cool is it that Marvel is cross populating these characters into their own cinematic universe? As long as they don't screw up Thor, Nick Fury, and Captain America, this will be a fanboy's wet dream.

Much like the new Indiana Jones film, sometimes the action and bombast drown out the all important emotional beats, but for the most part, this is a far superior film than the one we got five years ago. The cinematography is beautiful, the action is spectacular, the special effects are top notch, and Louis Leterrier's direction is nothing if not kinetic.

I'm looking forward to more - except next time I want a climax with a little more depth than just two monsters beating the shit out of each other, even though it was pretty cool.

I'm really looking forward to that three-hour DVD cut ... I will keep you posted.

MOVIE GRADE - B