SPIDER-MAN in the MCU: The Ultimate Venom/Carnage “Trilogy”


For the longest time, I’ve had in my head the perfect, four movie plan for a Spider-Man story-arc that delivers fully fleshed-out origins for my favorite villains, Venom and Carnage, leaving them space to grow, breath, and become the arch-villains they are in the Comics. It’s likely said plan has been materializing in the back of my brain since 2007, the year Spider-Man 3  more-or-less ruined Venom by treating him like a third rate, rushed villain. The lesson learned was, you can’t have Peter Parker receive the Black Suit/Symbiote, reject in, and face Venom in a single film… and have it feel earned.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe offers the opportunity not just to revise crimes of Spider-Man films past, but also the unique chance to develop characters and arcs across multiple titles without “Spider-Man” in the title. Case in point, Tom Holland is confirmed to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War, a movie that will feature the Webhead and possibly some of his world’s characters. Using shared films like Avengers titles is the process I’d use to keep a complete Venom story limited to an official trilogy, from establishing Spidey’s world and normal villains to facing Carnage alongside Venom in “MCU Spider-Man 3.maxresdefault-1Of course, all this is mute unless Sony feels compelled to to share Venom with Disney owned Marvel Studios. At the moment Sony foolishly plan on making their own, standalone Venom movie, aside from the MCU and even the character Spider-Man (WTF?).

If rights were to be worked out, and Marvel Studios set forth to create the ultimate and complete Venom story-arc, here are the four parts to the story they would need to do it right… this time.

 

Part 1: Establish Spider-Man’s Everyday World and Villains in OG Suit Days.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7,2017)spidey-11Peter Parker is already Spider-Man in the MCU; Captain America: Civil War made that clear and this time we didn’t need to witness Uncle Ben get shot! Spider-Man: Homecoming is an important step to Venom. We must first establish how a traditional, Earth-Bound Spider-Man villain, Michael Keaton’s Vulture in this case, threatens the traditional looking Spider-Man we know and love. Because, you can’t introduce the Black Suit in the establishing Spider-Man film! That’s crazy!

We already know a good deal of what to expect in July when Marvel Studios releases their Spider-Man: Homecoming, and the Black Suit and Venom are not among them. We are off to the right start in not jumping the gun! But… what if Homecoming does introduce Eddie Brock, who, of course, becomes Venom a few films down the line. In the Comics, Brock starts as a small-time criminal involved in bigger dealings than usual, ending up captured and incarcerated by Spider-Man. When Eddie Brock is a freed, he seeks to destroy Spider-Man, but he doesn’t have the means or the powers… until the Symbiote finds him. Introducing Brock as a henchman of Vulture’s would quickly plant the seed for an eventual appearance of Venom. It would also make one hell of an Easter Egg!

donald-glover-and-shocker-in-spider-man-homecoming
Donald Glover certainly looks to be playing a sinister fellow without the toys of his colleges, like this gentleman dressing like Shocker.

Though I recently wrote about casting Michael C. Hall as the MCU’s Ultimate Green Goblin, a traditional Eddie Brock is really the character I’ve always felt Hall was born to play. Since Homecoming is already shot and Michael C. Hall is very likely not in the film, who says Donald Glover isn’t playing Eddie Brock? In the first trailer, we see Glover keeping company with another Vulture henchman, implying Glover is playing a small-time criminal, sans cool toys. Some have surmised he may be playing Miles Morales’ uncle in order to set up a Spidey-Successor come contract negotiations. But, what if Glover’s our MCU Eddie Brock/Venom? Food for thought!

 

Part 2: Find the Black Suit in Space! Establish Its Great Power and Side Effects.

Avengers: Infinity War (May 4, 2018)/Untitled Avengers Film (May 3, 2019)secret-wars-8-black-suit-surpriseIn Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker found the alien Symbiote/Black Suit in his room… after it climbed into his bag… after it landed in Central Park next to him… on a meteorite… by complete chance. Whew! That’s a Shit-load of suspension of disbelief, even in a Superhero Film! In the comics, Spider-Man finds his black suit in outer-space during a cosmic battle during as Secret Wars.  Guess where The Avengers (and Spider-Man) will be fighting in Avengers: Infinity War, Spidey’s 1st post-Homecoming film?

Infinity War and whatever Avengers Title follows will certainly have cosmic battle against Thanos, so actually picking up the Black Suit in outer-space is a real possibility in the MCU. Besides, The Avengers are going to need a secret weapon in the final fight against Thanos, part of which can be a super-super-powered Spider-Man with the added strength and abilities of the Symbiote. Then, towards the end of Untitled Avengers Film, just give us a hint at the side effects of wearing a living Alien Symbiote. Something along the lines of voices in Parker’s head.

 

Part 3: Ditch the Black Suit. Eddie Brock Becomes Main Villain… Venom!

Spider-Man: “Back In Black”* (July 5, 2019*)venomFinally, you’ve earned the actual Venom movie! Start with a 007/Indiana Jones-esque opening act with Spider-Man facing a classic villain from is rogue’s gallery… Eddie Brock should be involved and re-established. Give the villain a full act, not just 5 minutes like Rhino in Amazing Spider-Man 2. The villain is a red herring, as it’s all Peter Parker learning his Black Suit is influencing him in negative ways. Following his almost killing the villain, Parker desperately ditches the suit in that Church’s Bell Tower and Eddie Brock is below, fuming about Spider-Man, yet seeking forgiveness. The rest is history. Now you have at least half a film, if not more, for Spider-Man to face his ultimate villain/doppelganger… Venom!

 

Part 4: Carnage Is Spawned. Venom and Spider-Man Must Join Forces.

Spider-Man: “Maximum Carnage” (The Future?… Let’s Say 2022.)carnage-rips-apart-venom-maximum-carnageThis Trilogy closer is sweet, sweet icing on the cake! If we’re already headed down the Venom path, it would be a shame to not also build to Carnage; we’ve done 90% of the leg-work already!  Spider-Man catches the serial killer Cletus Kasady, who ends up sharing a cell with Eddie Brock. What remains of the Symbiote seeks out Brock, freeing him as Venom. A bit of the suit is left behind, spawning a child of Venom, Carnage, a new, more powerful Symbiote that affixes itself to a serial killer, not simply a small-time Spider-Man and Venom must eventually join forces to stop what we have finally reached… “Maximum Carnage.” What Spider-Man fan doesn’t want to see that?!?

 

* Invented titles and possible release dates.

The SPIDER-MAN Character The MCU Needs To Add Immediately! And Who Should Play Him!


Since the day the news broke that Spider-Man was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, via a deal between Marvel and Sony, everyone has been fascinated with how Peter Parker would interact with The Avengers. Captain America: Civil War added fuel to the excitement-fire by revealing the first pieces of Spider-Man’s relationship with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America, and now people can’t wait for Web Head to meet other MCU legends like Hulk, Dr. Strange, and, most importantly, Rocket. It seems not enough thought has been dedicated to the prospect of how other characters from the “Spider-Verse” (aside from Peter and Aunt May) could be utilized to fill recurring roles across the MCU.

Such as, a legendary nemesis that originated as a strictly Spider-Man character and has since grown into more of an overall Marvel villain in the comics.  Yes, we have seen Norman Osborn in both versions of the Spider-Man movie series, but stick with me here. I am NOT suggesting we bring in the Green Goblin at any point (though I would love to see him a few Spider-Man movies in); Norman Osborn, sans Goblin, could be a very effective cinematic threat for all the Earth-bound Avengers, based on his more recent comics history.

Norman Osborn with Marvel's Baddest Villains
Norman Osborn meets with other A-List Marvel Villains

These days, Norman Osborn has more in common with Lex Luthor than the Joker. Old school, full-on Green Goblin Norman murdered Gwen Stacy and obsessed over killing Spider-Man, much like Joker’s relationship with Batman. The version brought to life by Willem Dafoe in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) was a great adaptation of that older idea. The new version I suggest has greater aspirations and an agenda on a much larger scale. An MCU-wide threat.

We got a hint what a Green-Goblin-Free, more businessman-like Norman could look like in The Amazing Spider-Man films, though it was poorly done and never paid off. Norman Osborn wasn’t even cast in the 1st Amazing Spider-Man; he was the faceless puppeteer of the sinister Oscorp. In the MCU, such a move would be a step in the right direction, but I want to see him cast, right away! Like, “I wish he was a character already in Civil War.” Like  6 months ago “right away.” Look, Norman loomed large over Sam Raimi’s initial Spider-Man trilogy, with a talky-mirror scene in every film, and Oscorp was a huge part of The Amazing Spider-Man with Harry Osborn becoming the Goblin in the sequel, but we still need a 3rd version of Norman (we’ve had 3 Jokers and 3 Lex Luthors on thebig screen). But, to avoid overexposure of a 3rd reboot, he doesn’t even need to be a secondary villain or “boss” pulling the strings of a hired (or tricked) super-villain… at the start. I just want Marvel Studios to establish the fact that Norman Osborn clearly exists in their universe as soon as possible. Show us his new face. Because the moment we know he’s out there… the possibilities are endless.Norman Osborn as Iron Patriot and The Dark Avengers

Start small. Norman and Oscorp exist. Now… slowly extrapolate over the course of Phase 4, not limiting the character to Spider-Man solo films. Oscorp could become a more recognizable, shady company than Hammer Advanced Weapon Systems or A.I.M., but I would prefer to keep Norman Osborn completely separate from the overused Hydra. In fact, I would like to have him take over the role as primary thorn in The Avengers side. Comics Norman, like Lex Luthor, somehow manages to remain trusted enough by both the public and the government to be given the title and power of Iron Patriot as well as jurisdiction over his own team of “Dark Avengers.” Built up correctly, Norman Osborn could be the overarching threat, the “Hydra” if you will, the drives The Avengers through Phase 4 and beyond.Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man (2002)But who should play the latest Mr. Norman Osborn? Let’s be real; NO ONE can top the aforementioned Willem Dafoe. I think his take is a better villain than any other we’ve seen since in the Marvel and DC movies. He’s not the best written villain, but something about Dafoe’s delicious performance makes him more dangerous, yet gleeful than Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger’s Joker, Tom Hiddleson’s Loki, and the rest. Unfortunately, no Studio likes to reuse actors in their reboots (as much as I’d also like to have J.K. Simmons back as J. Jonah Jameson), and Dafoe is tied up in the DC Extended Universe (as is Simmons!).

I’ve been saving this actor for my dream casting for another Spider-Man character, Eddie Brock, the 1st and most definite host to the Venom symbiote. But, with a rumored Venom film independent of Spider-Man on the way from Sony and the problems the character had in Spider-Man 3, it’s actually less likely that we will see Brock than Norman. So… I nominate… Michael C. Hall (Dexter) for your MCU Norman Osborn!Michael C Hall - Norman Osborn?

Think about it. Hall could play intimidating, likable but slimy businessman Norman, no problem! And, if need be, he can go full “Dexter’s-inner-monologue crazy” if his role is evolved to full villain. Which hopefully, it is. Because if Norman can’t pay off as Iron Patriot due to prior MCU story-lines, I’d love to see the Goblin and his own team eventually face The Avengers… or he can just act big across the MCU  as Norman and just pester Spider-Man as Goblin in a sequel to Homecoming… or we can forget the Green Goblin all together… I just want some God-Damn Norman Osborn in my MCU! Right away!

Thanks, Marvel Studios. You’re a peach!

THE BATMAN: 5 Characters I DON’T Want To See!


The Batman (title confirmed by Ben Affleck… though he did say he may change it)  is coming (in 18 months if you believe Random WB Exec #52)!  Written by an Academy Award winning writer (Affleck) and directed by & starring the director and star (Affleck!) of the Academy Award winning film Argo, The Batman is DC’s best chance at finally knocking a DC Extended Universe movie out of the park! In addition to cinema’s greatest Batman actor (AFFLECK!), we know The Batman features Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello),  my favorite version of Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons), and Commissioner Jim Gordon (J.K. Simmons).

I’ve already made a list of “5 Batman Villains New to Cinema I DO want to See in The Batman”  – Part 1 and Part 2 – but now I’ve deemed it necessary to list 5 Batman Characters I DON’T want to see in the film.

5. CATWOMAN4-big-screen-catwomanIn both the films and the comics, Catwoman is played out. She is not be the only prominent character who’s had more than one cinematic go-around (Harvey Dent/Two-Face has had 3 cinematic incarnations, if you count Billy Dee Williams’ 5 minutes as Dent in Batman), but we have seen her four (4!) times: Adam West’s Batman, Batman Returns, Catwoman, The Dark Knight Rises. Making matters worse, the latest version (Anne Hathaway) was forgettable, incorrectly characterized, and poorly used overall. “Don’t you want to see her done right?” you may ask. “No, not this character.”

In addition to being the most used big screen Batman villain,  Catwoman/Selina Kyle has a relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne far too complex and impossible to shoehorn in unless she gets about half the screen-time. Michelle Pfeiffer had more screen-time than perhaps even Michael Keaton, crushing both identities and her relationship with Batman in Batman Returns. There are much better female characters to use, like Poison Ivy. I hope she shows up eventually!

4. HARLEY QUINNharley-quinn-margot-robbie-the-batmanNo, this isn’t a sexist list. In fact, it’s the opposite, as the two female characters are not among the three I want to see the least! The three I really don’t want to see are all total bros.

We’ve seen what was basically a Harley Quinn movie in Suicide Squad. And according to WB, we’re getting a Harley Quinn solo movie down the line, with Margot Robbie returning to star as Quinn, and the possibility of a focus on female characters like Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Batgirl, etc. There is already plenty of Harley Quinn to come in the DCEU, so why waste The Batman‘s running-time with her? Like with Catwoman, do something new!

Most importantly, I don’t want The Batman turned into a bloody Hot Topic commercial. The costume designer behind Suicide Sqaud should be fired.Or given a bigger budget?

3. NIGHTWING / ANY Other “Bat Family” MembernightwingBatman will have spent plenty of time with allies by the time we get to The Batman. He worked with Superman and Wonder Woman in the climax of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and he’s just one in a crowd of several more powerful heroes in 2017’s Justice League. He already has the required Gordon and Alfred on his side. While I wouldn’t mind adding Harvey Dent (the DA, not the criminal boss) as a supporting character, I want to see Batman physically fight crime on his own for the first time in the DCEU. Leave the team-ups to the multiple Justice League movies they will make.

I don’t want to see ANYONE from the Bat Family which includes Batgirl, Batwoman, multiple Robins, etc. Among the two most likely to show up, is Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. Grayson was Batman’s 1st Robin, who upon growing up adopted his own title, Nightwing, both striking out on his own and assisting Batman when he needs it. Zack Snyder already confirmed the Robin Costume we see in BvS is Jason Todd’s (more on him next), but in the comics, before Tood came Grayson. The DCEU will hopefully be simplified, eliminating Grayson all together, making Jason Todd the only Robin referenced in these movies.

2. RED HOOD / ANY version of Jason Toddjason-todd-robin-red-hood-the-batmanI just don’t want these movie to get crowded with too much history and complicated relationships!

In the comics, Jason Todd was the 2nd Robin, only to be murdered by the Joker.Through the magic of comic books, Todd came back with a vendetta against Batman, pissed Batman continues to not kill Joker & other villains even though Joker murdered him. He fights crime and wants the Joker’s head, but Red Hood and Batman do not see eye-to-eye; Red Hood using guns to kill villains and Batman usually doesn’t like guns.

In Batman V Superman, we saw Jason Todd’s Robin costume, with “Ha-Ha Joke’s On You Batman!” spray painted on it, memorialized in the Batcave. Suicide Squad delivered a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter Egg confirming Harley Quinn herself may have done the act in the DCEU. Leave it at that! No flash-backs to Todd and Batman fighting crime, and no appearance of Red Hood, who needs a movie dedicated to him alone IF we do ever see him (I hope we won’t). And, for God’s Sake, no weird mash-up character revealing Deathstroke is Jason Todd. Yuck!

1. Jared Letos’ JOKERjared-leto-joker-tattoosI don’t like this version of the Joker, I just don’t. I don’t like the Gangster angle and Jared Leto made the strangest choices. They were brave, like Heath Ledger’s, but it backfired for Leto. Normally I would say the Joker should be in at least one of each Batman Actor’s films, but honestly, I never want to see Jared Leto’s Joker in the DCEU ever again.

Is it too late to recast the role? If we could get Walton Goggins involved, I say we give his Joker ALL the screen time! Just look at the dude laugh! (For examples of him playing a laughing psychopath, watch American Ultra or Vice Principals.)walton-goggins-for-new-jokerBest part is, about half the pictures on Google Images are of Goggins laughing.

Consider it, DC?

5 Unused BATMAN Villains That Need To Appear In The DCEU – PART 2


You’ve read “5 Unused Batman Villains That Need To Appear In the DCEU, Part 1” featuring the Court of Owls and Clayface? And now you want to know who my 3 top choices are for who I’d like Ben Affleck to eventually face in the DC Extended Universe? Here we go with the 2nd and final part!

3. Victor Zsaszthe-batman-victor-zsasz-2 Okay, I’m cheating a wee bit here, as Victor Zsasz appeared briefly in Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. It was a cameo mostly by name only; we watch Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) get the serial killer transferred to Arkham early in the film, only to see him again once when Ra’s Al Ghul’s men break the inmates out of Arkham in the finale. But we never see Zsasz in action… or with his trademark look.

Zsasz is a serial killer who cuts a mark on his body to represent everyone he’s murdered. Like Clayface, he has no personal hatred for Batman, besides being a criminal, but he is pure evil. Focusing on women and children, preferably little girls, Zsasz has hundreds of cuts on his body, as he is very good at what he does. Oh, and he’s just plain nuts, if the cutting and murdering didn’t tip you off.

A while back, it was rumored that Zsasz would be used in Batman V Superman as a villain Batman (Ben Affleck) faces in the beginning of the film to establish his role as the protector of Gotham. Though that rumor proved to be false, I suggest nothing more than that in The Batman; just have Batman take down Zsasz before Deathstroke (Joe Magliano)  comes to town.

2. Black Maskthe-batman-black-maskYes, Black Mask is wearing a mask; he is not a Red Skull wanna be. Like Clayface, there have been more than one Black Mask since his first appearance in 1985 (which actually makes him one of the newer villains in Batman’s 77 year history). The most well known incarnation is Roman Sionis, the head of one of the gangs in Gotham, The False Face Society. Sionis is interesting as he can fill the role of a regular crime boss like Falcone or Maroni, while also dressing like one of the “freaks” Gotham is known for. If they wanted, the creative team behind the DCEU could simply use Black Mask as a crime boss Batman is trying to take down. He’d be the perfect villain to hire Deathstroke to help him do away with Batman.

Of course, Black Mask doesn’t just sit on his ass like Falcone, he can face Batman directly with his trademark double automatic pistols and sword. Sionis is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and is a brilliant strategist that rivals Batman.

Black Mask has had different abilities and histories with Bruce Wayne that could be utilized to make him less of a mobster and more of a super-villain with personal vendetta against Batman. In the New 52, his mask has hypnosis-like mind control abilities and Sionis used toxin filled masks to kill his victims, leaving their faces blackened and shriveled like a skull (or his own mask). In his initial appearance, Roman’s parents had a “friendship” with Martha and Thomas Wayne, while secretly hating them. This “friendship” lead them to force young Sionis to become friends with young Bruce Wayne. Such a relationship would certainly make things more interesting as the relationship between Roman and Bruce could be explored against the backdrop of Black Mask’s hatred towards Batman.

1. Hugo StrangeHugo StrangeIf I don’t see Hugo Strange appear in a Batman film soon, I’m going to lose my mind! (Something Strange would be fine with).

Hugo is an oldie, but a goodie, appearing in Detective Comics #36, predating Catwoman or even The Joker. He’s the 1st and most notable of the villains that figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman over the decades, which has made him an incredibly dangerous adversary. Sometimes he is a simple psychologist (or a famous one), though he has also run Arkham Asylum in various iterations, another power move most villains haven’t pulled off.

My favorite Hugo Strange story comes from Batman: Prey (also one of my favorite Batman Graphic Novels overall).  In this version, Strange is a brilliant Psychologist who promises Gotham he can uncover Batman’s secret identity, leading to his being hired as a Police Consultant with access to all of the police records. Strange correctly surmises that Batman is a result of great trauma, so he uses said files to narrow down who in Gotham could actually be Batman. Strange attempts to use Scarecrow as a pawn (which doesn’t end well for poor old Hugo) and brainwashes GCPD Sargent Max Cort to become a violent vigilante, The Night-Scourge, who will stop at nothing to kill Batman. Strange’s obsession with Batman is explored in this story as well, including a scene where Strange himself dresses as the Bat. hugo-strange-preyStrange would work particularly well with Deathstroke. Deathstroke’s origin could be tweaked so he is less a mercenary and more a product of Hugo Strange’s hypnosis and obsession, just like Night-Scourge. Or, if Strange is head of Arkham in the DCEU, he could also be responsible for releasing Deathstroke to do his dirty work. It would be fun to watch a movie where there is the actual threat of Batman’s secret identity going public, and, if Deathstroke had said information it would make him an even bigger threat for the Dark Knight.

So that’s my wish-list for which Batman Villains I hope appear either alongside Deathstroke in The Batman or later in the DCEU. I hope either Ben Affleck or Geoff Jones is listening (they’re not… to me at least)!

5 Unused BATMAN Villains That Need To Appear In The DCEU – PART 1


Now that the DC Extended Universe has given us a new version of Batman and Gotham, it’s time to break out some new characters in celebration! It has already been announced that Joe Magliano (True Blood, Magic Mike) will be playing the mercenary Deathstroke in The Batman, Batman’s 1st solo outing in the DCEU, with Ben Affleck writing, directing, and starring as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Deathstroke is a decent choice, but he’s not on my list of wants, as Batman has perhaps the most extensive Rogue’s Gallery of any character (comics or otherwise) and I feel there are plenty of stronger characters that have been ignored by the Batman films up to this point.

Yes, I would love to see better versions of The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Penguin, and I would welcome new versions of Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Scarecrow, but here are are the 1st two of five Batman villains that we have yet to see on the silver screen that would mesh perfectly with the current DCEU. Though you wouldn’t want to throw more than one of my choices into The Batman, adding just one of these overlooked villains would compliment Deathstroke in interesting ways.

I only have the space to cover two of my five choices this post, as The Court of Owls requires more explanation than the rest; being the only villains on the list that have only been a part of the Rogues Gallery for 5 years.

Speaking of which:

5. The Court Of Owlsthe-batman-who-are-the-court-of-owlsThe Court of Owls were introduced as one of the first villains in 2011’s premiere of DC Comics’ “Reboot,” The New 52. Created by writer Scott Snyder (not Zack!) and artist Greg Capullo, the men behind nearly all issues of the incredible New 52 run of ‘Batman,’ The Court of Owls are an organized crime group and secret society the likes of which Batman has never faced. Organized crime is nothing new in Gotham, but the Court has secretly controlled Gotham since Colonial times. Made up of Gotham’s oldest and wealthiest families, they have used money and political power to shape Gotham to their liking, having an even greater influence on the city than the legacy of the Waynes. Completely unknown to Gotham’s great protector Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne who seeks to improve his city with his fortune, they have bases and hideouts based all over the city, even in Wayne structures. Their existence is but a fairy tale to even Bruce, living on mainly though a nursery rhyme:

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime.
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed.
Speak not a whispered word about them, or they’ll send the Talon for your head.

the-batman-court-of-owls-family-portraitTalons are their deadly assassins, basically an army of undead soldiers selected by the Court of Owls over the centuries,  kept in a “deep sleep” until needed. When called upon, this army is dangerous indeed, not stopped by bullets, knives, or most of Batman’s tricks, because… well… I did say they were, “basically undead.”

I would want to see the Court of Owls used as a sort of secret cult (which it is), controlling Gotham right below Batman’s nose. When Batman and/or Bruce Wayne push too hard to improve Gotham, the Court would push back, declaring war on both sides of Batman’s psyche. I suggest ditching the Talons all together. After all, with the Court secretly calling all the shots, they could make Hell for Batman and Bruce without an army, and it makes perfect sense for them to hire or trick Deathstroke. Deathstroke could even be revealed as the movie version of a Talon; stripping away the supernatural elements and making him their personal solider.

 

4. Clayfacethe-batman-clayface-vs-batmanUnlike the Court of Owls, Clayface has been a Batman mainstay for over 50 years. In that span of time, there have been many versions Clayface, but my favorite representation was how he was interpreted for Batman: The Animated Series in the 90’s. Without going into every version of the character,  Basil Karlo is a well known actor (often presented as washed up or recently fired) who undergoes an experiment/accident that leaves him in the form of a giant mud monster. The powers that come with such a transformation give him super-strength and the ability to shape-shift to impersonate anyone; Batman’s friends and foes, or even Bruce Wayne himself!

Unlike Joker or Two-Face, Clayface has no real personal vendetta against Batman, aside from being thrown into Arkham by the Caped Crusader (like everyone else). He’s also not pure evil. Though different versions of the character often turn to crime before his transformation, Clayface is involved with pettier crimes like robbing a bank or getting revenge against those who have wronged him in the Movie Business.clayface-the-batmanClayface could be used a number of different ways with Deathstroke. He could pose as a fake Bruce Wayne after Deathstroke takes Batman out of the picture (for a time, Batman obviously comes back and wins in the end). He could be a secondary villain who torments Batman between  Deathsroke attacks, or even serve as the villain Batman fights in the opening act, before Deathstroke is on the scene. He could even be an ally to Batman, like in this year’s run of Detective Comics following the latest “Soft Reboot,” Rebirth, becoming Bruce Wayne or Batman to serve as a false target for Deathstroke. The possibilities are nearly endless when the people Clayface can become are.

Come back soon for my top 3 picks for who should appear in either the DCEU or even The Batman alongside Deathstroke. The best is yet to come!

Cinema’s 8 Most Nefarious Organizations: From #8. Death Eaters to #5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E.


Evil organizations are all the craze these days on the silver screen, taking center stage in at least four 2015 Major Blockbusters: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, SPECTRE (ha), and the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nothing like a whole industry of villains and evil doers, often, but not always, operating in the shadows. And though several of the “organizations” chosen are literally companies, they also fit the mold of “Nefarious Organizations.” Not just any company will do, but these certainly more than your simple morally corrupt businesses.

I’ve gone ahead and ranked them, most effective to least.

Let’s start with #8 through #5!

 

8. Death Eaters from the Harry Potter Franchise

Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!
Voldemort takes a cue or two from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but instead of rings they all got matching tattoos!

I’m not even a Harry Potter fan (I’ve read 6 and 1/2 of the books, but never made it far enough in the film franchise to see said organization), but my roommate tells me I should look past my own interests, and the Death Eaters were the 1st Evil Organization I could think of outside my traditional Geek World (which would be mostly Marvel Comic Book Evil Organizations…).

Death Eaters definitely qualify as a Nefarious Organization, one that, like the best of them (that follow), have members at every level of government, Hogwarts, and even that weird Magical Bank with the trolls. Not a lot is  scarier than a group of zealots awaiting and/or aiding the return of their evil leader: He who must not be named!

 

7. OSCORP Industries from The Amazing Spider-Man FilmsOscorp Tower from The Amazing Spider-Man

In Sam Raimi’s original films, Oscorp was simply the company that Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) would experiment on himself… and kill… to remain in control and keep profitable. In Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man films, the corporation is responsible for a man-lizard, an electricity man, a mutated head of the company, and a series of enhanced soldier suits based on animals including a rhinoceros, a vulture, and an octopus. Oscorp Super Soldier Suits Vulture and Doc Ock

A little hokey, sure, but it actually makes more sense than the original 2002 Spider-Man. Think about the major superhero villains these days. Tony Stark’s genius leads to Iron Monger, Whiplash, Extemis, and Ultron. The Super Soldier serum administered by the same scientist creates both Red Skull and Captain America. Batman’s appearance brings the Joker into the world as a direct response to his theatrical vigilantism. But in Spider-Man, it’s simply a hard to believe coincidence (even if you’ve bought into a man who can stick to walls and swing from webs) that Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a radioactive spider the very same night that Norman Osborn accidentally turns himself into a crazy super soldier to save his company. Ridiculous!

Mending this storytelling shortfall, Oscorp is behind all the foes Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker faces, whether that be an overreaction or not. Certainly qualifying the company that Norman Osborn built a spot on this list!

 

6. InGen from the The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic WorldJurassic World InGen Helicopter and Hoskins Vincent D'Nofrio

InGen didn’t seem like such a bad company when John Hammond was around. But since he hit his death bed, other forces within the corporation have put profits above human safety… and worse.

It starts with Hammond’s nephew in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, who will stop at nothing to grab dinosaurs out of their new “natural” habitat on Isla Sorna, a.k.a. “Site B” and present them to the masses. Even when the star exhibit, a full grown T-Rex, wrecks havoc in San Diego.

Even worse, Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong) and Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofiro) clearly have a real shady deal going on behind the scenes of the theme park, Jurassic World. Hoskin’s obsession with military applications for carnivores and Dr. Wu’s gene-splicing skills offer even more trouble than in the 1st Jurassic World film, paving the way for a trilogy of InGen’s evil doings!

 

5. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the 007 FranchiseSpectre Trailer Ring Logo

No matching tattoos here, but of course Agents of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. have matching jewelry!

S.P.E.C.T.R.E. has been on the big screen longer than any other Nefarious Organization on this list, originating in Sean Connery’s days only to be revived this year in Daniel Craig’s world. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stands for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion (like with do-gooder organization S.H.I.E.L.D., someone just really wanted to spell SPECTRE, albeit incorrectly).

Now, if you read my review for SPECTRE, you know the film was lacking… a lot. In fact, S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the supposed ultimate Nefarious Organization of all time, doesn’t get its due in the 2015 007 film. While Daniel Craig’s 007 movies have improved on every aspect of the character from Casino Royale through Skyfall, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does not live up to the organization Connery built (well, fought) back in the 60’s.

Perhaps if the film SPECTRE was better, this ultimate Evil Organization would have landed on the better half of the list. After all, it is the original shadow group with tentacles in every countries government on all ends of the globe, controlling resources, governments, and intelligence rather than always seeking to start WWIII like later Bond villains.Star Wars The Force Awakens Final Trailer #3 The New Order Stormtroopers and General Hux

And that’s a wrap! For now… Check back later when I reveal The Top 4 Nefarious Organizations in Cinema, including H.Y.D.R.A. and The First Order, formally the Galactic Empire!

Final SPECTRE Trailer Is Short And Oh-So-Sweet.


It may only be 1 minute and 15 seconds, but the final trailer for 007’s latest adventure, SPECTRE, delivers ALL the goods.

Loads of action, great looking effects, and an exchange between Christoph Waltz (who isn’t Blofeld? Or is he?) and Daniel Craig, that would make Goldfinger blush.

007 (D. Craig):

“I came here to kill you.”

Oberhauser (Waltz):

“And I thought you came here to die.”

With last week’s release of Sam Smith’s SPECTRE theme, ‘Writing’s On The Wall,‘ 007 mania is set to hit critical mass by its November 6th release date.

I never posted the 2nd trailer, so here that is…

And don’t forget the 1st Trailer… as well as the original screen grabs I grabbed for ya’!

I can’t wait for Bond, James Bond.

Jared Leto Gives Us A Sneak Peak of His Joker… KILLING JOKE Style!


Its been an entire day of 1st looks at comic book characters’ big screen counterparts. First, we got a full look at Vision from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Then, the Thing from FANT4STIC (Fantastic Four) and Yellowjacket from Ant-Man showed us their lovely mugs.

Now, we have our first look at Jared Leto, not going “Full-Joker,” but sporting green hair none-the-less and recreating a Joker image that will make any comic book fan cream their jeans.

Suicide Squad Comic With Harley Quinn and DeadshotI haven’t discussed DC’s other 2016 blockbuster Suicide Squad on the site yet, but the David Ayer directed film focusing on Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Leto as the always iconic Joker is basically coming together as the perfect opportunity to introduce Batman’s rogue gallery while the hero is busy in his own 2016 film: Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Here’s the film’s synopsis from IMDB,; obviously based on the comic of the same title:

“A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.”

Without further ado, here is the first look at Jared Leto’s Joker from Suicide Squad!Jared Leto as The Joker in Suicide Squad The Killing Joke Pose

See. He’s got the green hair! He’s doing the Killing Joke pose from the cover of the graphic novel (see below)! Otherwise… it still looks like Leto needs to go pale… full-pale. Gots to get some Joker makeup, son!'The Killing Joke' Cover Joker Camera

See? Just give the man some white make-up and some red lipstick and you’ve got the joker, baby! (And some gloves and a purple suit. He’ll need those too.)

Meanwhile, though the typical green color, Leto’s more modest haircut (compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker) does recall the Joker from the another beloved graphic novel: The Dark Knight Returns.

Though this picture comes from the animated film version of 'The Dark Knight Returns,' it is a great representation of The Joker's least wild hairdo.
Though this picture comes from the animated film version of ‘The Dark Knight Returns,’ it is a great representation of The Joker’s least wild hairdo.

My one wish for the DC Cinematic Universe’s Joker: No Scars!

Though Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s Joker sported horrific scars, Joker in the comics never has any, especially not in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Just give Leto some white face paint and some lipstick and we’ll be off to the races!

Suicide Squad comes out in 2016 with Batman Vs. Superman: Justice Begins. DC has been just as generous with Marvel lately so expect to see a lot more of Leto’s Joker in the coming months. Meanwhile, that first Batman Vs Superman trailer is set to appear on May 15th’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

Enjoy all these Comic Book Cinematic Universes, kiddies. Before the bubble finally bursts.

Marvel Double Feature: 1st Official Looks At ANT-MAN’s Yellowjacket and FANT4STIC’s The Thing


Following today’s full reveal of Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s Vision, we also have first looks at The Thing from this summer’s FANT4STIC (Fantasic Four) and the villainous Yellowjacket from Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man.

First, after only seeing him from behind in the trailer and poster for the film, heeeeeeeereeeee’s The Thing! (Courtesy of Empire Magazine)The Thing from FANT4STIC (Fantastic Four)

Jamie Bell plays Ben Grimm and then the Thing; the later using CGI mo-cap technology used to create characters like The Hulk. Bell has quite a bit of mo-cap experience, playing the title character in Steven Spielberg’s CGI film The Adventures of Tintin.

Doesn’t that look better than Michael Chiklis’ rubber rock costume from 2005’s version of The Fantastic Four?

Michael Chiklis as The Thing in 2005's Fantastic Four

The answer is yes. Yes it does look better, Nick.

Before we move onto our first official look at Ant-Man‘s Yellowjacket, here are two new other stills of FANT4STIC from Empire Magazine.FANT4STIC Reed Richards? Empire Still 90290

 

These new pics continue the creepy Sci-fi/nearly-Horror vibe established in the trailer. A trailer that has turned one of my least favorite hero teams into a movie I can’t miss!

Now, without further ado, Entertainment Weekly has, in addition to their new Avengers: Age of Ultron cover, the first official look at Ant-Man’s nemesis, Yellowjacket.

Previously we had a drawing of Yellowjacket, but here he is in full live-action/CGI form!Yellowjacket in Ant-Man EW

Notice that he’s full sized, whilst our hero Ant-Man is throwing a very miniature punch.

The suit looks fantastic, similar enough to Ant-Man’s getup, while also brandishing those deadly Doc Ock-esque “arms.”

Marvel’s Ant-Man arrives July 17th, with Fox’s FANT4STIC following in August. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of marketing for both, especially with Avengers: Age of Ultron right around the corner!

‘The Blacklist’ Returns In Style With This Incredible Feature-Quality Trailer For The Arrival of Luther Braxton (Ron Pearlman)


Behind ‘Constantine’ (which you NEED to start watching before it is too late), ‘Blacklist’ is my favorite American drama currently airing new episodes. Because ‘Breaking Bad’ is over. 😦

Ron Pearlman as Luther BraxtonIn preparation for its triumphant return for the 2nd part of the second season, NBC has dropped a full-throttle, full-length trailer similar to what you would see for a feature film. And it plays like a trailer for a fantastic action-movie/thriller, even though it’s a trailer for a two-episode plot involving Red’s (James Spader) worst nightmare: the escape of Luther Braxton (Ron Pearlman).

The episode ‘Luther Braxton’ looks great, with Ron Pearlman joining the show as what looks like the ‘Blacklists’s most terrifying criminal yet.The Blacklist 'Luther Braxton'

Watch the trailer now, and check out the episode ‘Luther Braxton’ after the Superbowl on NBC.

(Though Unlike ‘Constantine,’ ‘Blacklist’ doesn’t really need your eyeballs. It has strong ratings.)

Meet The Mysterious Indominus Rex Hybrid From ‘Jurassic World’


‘Jurassic World’ is my most anticipated movie of 2015. Why? Click here for a refresher.

'Jurassic World' Spine In WaterOn the (nearly) eve of the Superbowl, prior to the promise of a brand new trailer for ‘Jurassic World,’ the good folks at Universal have given us an official peak at the already infamous “Indominus Rex.”

(There are a bunch of more spoilery images of the beast confirmed correct if you wish to find them online. I’m just covering the official Universal Studios less spoilerly review of the creature.)

Nothing super-spoilery like a full image of the beast, but we have a sneak peak at the creature’s Godzilla type snout. We also have a “guide” to the dinosaur, showing us his “logo” with an outline of the beast, as well as a fake press-release explaining Jurassic World’s newest attraction.

Here’s the very vague face of Indominus Rex.

The official look at Indominus Rex.  See, barely a real look. No spoilers!
The official look at Indominus Rex. See, barely a real look. No spoilers!

Now, for a clearer look at the creature, without actually revealing the full beast itself, comes a graphic officially released by “the park.”It does live up to the top ad’s promise of “More Teeth.” But is it bigger and louder?

Jurassic World Indominus Rex LogoIndominus Rex Claw HandNotice the emphasis on the Indominus Rex’s clawed hand. It seems to be the creature’s most dangerous feature, besides the terrifying teeth above. Obviously, the arms are much more effective than a T-Rex, while keeping the overall shape of the classic movie-monster from the first two ‘Jurassic Park’ films.

AND GREAT NEWS! It’s not a dino/human hybrid from earlier drafts of the script. This was fixed, as promised and to the relief of ‘Jurassic Park’ fans across the interwebs.

Indominus Rex does seem to have a interesting toe as well, but the “official press release from the scientists at Jurassic World” doesn’t include Velociraptor as one of the species spliced into this hybrid as previously rumored (and hoped!).

Dominus Rex Face Logo
Even has a T-Rex-esque Face Logo

There are a bunch of other Dinos and jargon I don’t understand, making this piece of viral marketing very effective. In addition to the description of the beast’s genetics we get its max speed and even the number of decibels produced by Indominus Rex’s roar.

“We set out to make Indominus the most fearsome dinosaur ever to be displayed at Jurassic World. The genetic engineers at our Hammond Creation Lab have more than delivered.

At first glance, Indominus most closely resembles a T. Rex. But its distinctive head ornamentation and ultra-tough bony osteoderms can be traced from Theropods known as Abeliosaurs. Indominus’ horns have been placed above the eye orbit through genetic material hybridized from Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, Rugops and Gigantosaurus. Fearsome indeed.

Indominus’ roar is estimated to reach 140-160db—the same as a 747 taking off and landing. And it can reach speeds of 30 mph…while confined to its enclosure. Come experience Indominus Rex for yourself beginning this summer. If you dare.”

So it is louder. Much louder!

Run Chris Pratt! Run! You can’t make it up to 30 miles per hour like Indominus Rex! (But a jeep could out run it…)

Prepare to see a bunch of tourists eaten by Indominus Rex on June 12th.

The 6 Best Scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’


Ben Affleck as Batman in 'Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice'(And they’re not just action scenes!)

Batfleck Vs. Superman (also known by the silly title ‘Batman V. Superman: Justice Begins’) is still over a year away with a scheduled release date of March 25th, 2016. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back to admire the greatest comic book movie of all time; Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight.’

Breaking Batman
Breaking Batman

I wanted to do the top 5 scenes of the entire ‘Dark Knight Trilogy,’ but that was too limiting as there are too many fantastic scenes in my ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ to cover here. I couldn’t even narrow just ‘The Dark Knight’ down to 5 favorite scenes. I need 6 to do the job!

Without further ado, here are the top 6 scenes from ‘The Dark Knight’ in the order they happen in the film’s narrative.

1. The Heist

The Bank Heist is quite the little scene to open and therefore establish the tone of the 2nd movie in Nolan’s Batman Saga. Inspired heavily by the Michael Mann film ‘Heat,’ the scene twists a classic heist into the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) plot, all while setting you on complete edge using the heights of IMAX and the sharp cords of the Joker’s theme… all screaming “Chaos.”

The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.
The Joker poses as one of his own henchmen.

2. Decent Men In An Indecent Time

The Joker’s heist may kick off the movie, but it is a decision made by three men that really set events in motion.

To defeat Gotham’s biggest recognized problem, the mob, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale) make a pact that will dictate the fate of all three involved, as well as collateral damage of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Batman Meet on the Roof

Gordon warns,

“We’re going after the mob’s life savings. Things will get ugly.”

Replies Dent,

“I knew the risk when I took this job, lieutenant.”

Dent Lights The Bat SignalDent accepts the risk willingly, as do Batman and James Gordon.

It is this pact that will determine the destiny of all three men; destroying them all by the end of the film.

3. Dent’s Dark Side

‘The Dark Knight,’ specifically the scene just covered, is largely based on my favorite graphic novel ‘The Long Halloween’ by Jeph Loeb and by Tim Sale.

Nicholas D'Agosto's Harvey Dent in 'Gotham'
Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent on ‘Gotham’ has quite the temper.

In the comic, Dent’s dark side is hinted at early in the story; long before the accident that scars him. Let’s just say he may may have done more than take a henchmen down an alley and flipped a coin to decide his life. But we’ll get to that now.

Dent spends half the movie as Gotham’s “White Knight,” the honest and law-fairing District Attorney bringing hope to Gotham. I would argue that Dent’s dark side is introduced too late in the movie; around the hour mark. Even here, the film form is not as severe as his comic version. Hell, ‘Gotham’ showed Dent’s short fuse in the first episode introducing the young assistant D.A.

Shift Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes' name; signaling her as Joker's next victim.
Shiff Thomas wearing Rachel Dawes’ name; signaling her as Joker’s next victim.

The 1st sign something is amiss with Gotham’s White Knight is when he interrogates Joker’s henchmen Shiff Thomas; the man wearing the name tag pegging “Rachel Dawes” as the Joker’s next victim.

The Darker Side of Harvey Dent.
The Darker Side of Harvey Dent.

Thomas gets the ‘ole coin flip multiple times, gun held to his head, until Batman stops Dent. The Dark Knight warns the D.A. that if anyone saw what Dent was doing, faith in the White Knight and Gotham would fail.

Even going off the cuff, Dent left the fate of  Shift Thomas to his double-sided coin. He (likely) meant Shift Thomas no terminal harm.

Still, that Dent darkness has to appear somehow.

4. Batman Interrogates The Joker

Batman’s one rule comes back to bite him in the ass. By a rabid dog chasing cars.

"You Complete Me!"
“You Complete Me!”

It’s really hard not to love this scene. Though Batman has the Joker in his gauntlets, Joker has all the power.

“You have NOTHING! Nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with your strength.”

The Joker, Beaten but Still LaughingIt really is powerful to watch Batman wail on Joker to no avail. His “one rule” that prevents him from killing leads to the deaths of others in the film. This same number was over 600 by the time the pair face off for the final time in Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns.’

In this case, his one rule kills Rachel and blows Dent halfway to hell. But it is this rule that separates Batman from the masked villains. Even though he may lose to the Joker this scheme, I think he may get him in the end…

5. An Unmovable Object and An Unstoppable Force

Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.
Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin dies the old fashioned way.

‘The Dark Knight’ breaks the superhero’s genre one rule, established in classic films like 1989’s ‘Batman’ and carried on to nearly-modern day ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Batman Begins’ (2005): kill off your villain so the end is nice and tidy.

The Caped Crusader does toss the Clown Prince of Crime off the Pruitt building… only to catch him with his grappling hook, much to the Joker’s disappointment.

“Oh, you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

Joker and Batman: Destined to BeBoom! That’s comics in a nutshell.

Spider-Man doesn’t kill the Green Goblin in the comics (well he does, several, but some come back… and, you know, crazy Marvel stuff); they clash again and again and again. And there are very few foes that have been clashing longer in the comics than Batman and the Joker.

6. The White Knight Vs. The Dark Knight

Rachel Dawes and Harvey DentThe real finale. The one we were promised when Gordon, Dent, and Batman meet on that rooftop in the first act.

Things got dirty. And all three of these decent men in an indecent time were torn to shreds by the joker, but none more than tragic Harvey Dent.

“What happened to Rachel wasn’t chance. We decided to act! We three!”

Batman knows what’s up! Cause he’s the world’s greatest detective.

But Harvey Dent is the apparent loser in the room, having lost his fiance (and scared his face), with no knowledge that Bruce carried similar feelings for Rachel.  Two-Face Finale

In the comics, Bruce Wayne blames himself for not revealing to Harvey Dent who he was. For not showing Dent who fought alongside him for the soul of Gotham. For remaining anonymous and letting Gordon and Dent take the brunt of mob vengeance.

In the movie, even in this immense time of crisis, Batman is able to vocalize the importance of Harvey Dent to Gotham; why he was chosen.

“Because you were the best of us! He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.”

So rests the soul of Gotham in these three-warriors-torn-asunder’s final moments together. Harvey “Two-Face” Dent deciding each of their fates with a flip of the coin.Dead Two-Face from The Dark Knight

This scene completes the movie. Three young men with rose-color glasses are wrung through the shredder as a promise they made destroyed their partnership and their lives. Classic Nolan/Batman tragedy.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Best and Worst of 2014


The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Costume
Spider-Man’s truest look to the comics yet.

Major ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ SPOILERS Follow.

We can all agree that ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ was (nearly) a ‘Spider-Man 3’ disappointment, making money, sure (though the film did under-preform), but leaving Spider-Man fans with a bad taste in their mouth.

So what went wrong? And how is it possible that the film is considered a failure yet has 4 of the greatest scenes from any ‘Spider-Man’ or ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ film, if not the single best scene of all?

Best: The suit.

'Amazing Spider-Man' Costume
The most inaccurate Spidey suit from the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man’

Though Sam Raimi’s suit from his ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy was fairly accurate and incredibly consistent, the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ had a radically different look (in terms of Spidey, not heroes like Wolverine who ditched their colors and mask all together) with strange yellow eyes and a red and blue pattern just different enough to look out of place. Plus, he wore sneakers, his webshooters were unnecessarily bright, and his head looked like a basketball.

Even Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Had the Wrong Eyes... but it was cool at the time.But ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ finally got the look 100% right with those big white eyes that even Sam Raimi avoided.

Worst: Oscorp

Why is the Oscorp of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ world so Umbrella Company-ish? It seems like their only job is having accidents that create super-villains or suits and serums… that lead to super-villains.

NY's Landmark Oscorp Tower
NY’s Landmark Oscorp Tower

Now, it wasn’t a terrible idea to tie in Oscorp in the first film as it defeats the old movie troupe, ‘Double Mumbo Jumbo’ that Blake Snyder shares in his excellent screenwriting book ‘Save the Cat!’ In his book, Snyder cites Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man as an exact example of ‘Double Mumbor Jumbo.’

2002's 'Spider-Man's Green GoblinThe gist of it? Audiences will suspend-belief to buy an isolated incident where a man is bitten by a spider and gains superpowers. But it’s a stretch that to further suspend-belief that at the same time, in a completely different location, an acquaintance of Peter Parker gains super-villain powers and personality in a different experiment unrelated what-so-ever to Parker’s spider bite. That’s ‘Double Mumbo Jumbo.’

Max Dillon's Unfortunate, Non-Nonsensical accident.
Max Dillon’s Unfortunate, Non-Nonsensical accident.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ tied our newer Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) directly into the Lizard’s transformation, finishing Dr. Curt Conners equation causing the experiment gone wrong.

Max Dillon’s accident in ‘Amazing 2’ is also Oscorp related, but more of a comic-book freak accident that makes little sense, even in the Spider-Man world; much like Sandman stumbling upon an atom-splicing experiment in the middle of a field while running from police.

Why is Oscorp developing suits based on different animals?
Why is Oscorp developing suits based on different animals?

Why is Oscorp so evil? And so intent on destroying New York, as it would seem? The franchise should keep Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn/Green Goblin and drop Oscorp and all their weird ‘Sinister Six’ related exoskeletons and experiments.

I mean, didn’t Doc Ock develop his own arms? Or is now he like Rhino, a stupid criminal given metal arms, not a genius who invented them himself?

Either way: epic fail.

Best: Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx)

Max Dillon's BirthdayMax Dillon is a great character… until after the NY Times Square scene where his motives make no sense and he becomes a tool for Harry Osborn, not a fully-fleshed out villain like ‘Spider-Man 2’s Doc Ock or even Curt Conners from the first ‘Amazing Spider-Man.’

Dillon’s obsession with Spider-Man, best executed in the scene in which he speaks to himself as Spider-Man on his birthday, is a thing of beauty in a very ‘King of Comedy’ Robert De Nero way. This obsession bleeds into his fantasized confrontation with Mr. Smythe (B.J. Novak) and his barely noticable (blink and you’ll miss it… or hear it, rather) radio-call montage in which he says he and Spider-Man are best friends.

Worst: Electro (blue Jamie Foxx)Electro

Sure, Max Dillon is an interesting character, but his actions become nonsensical after his Spidey confrontation/misunderstanding in Times Square, as formally mentioned. Worse, he is simply a plot device meant to keep us interested until the film can build to it’s true villain, the Green Goblin.

Best: 4 Scenes that nail the tone of ‘Spider-Man;’ among the best in all 5 films.

1st, the aforementioned Max Dillon scene is among the best. I really enjoy his crazy, also expressed through Hans Zimmer’s score which included paranoid mutterings, making Dillon the more interesting character to undergo a terrible transformation.

Max Dillon in the Morgue2nd, Dillon’s awakening in the morgue recalls the terrors of Sam Raimi’s Doc Ock surgery scene, and was apparently cut to be less graphic and terrifying. Still works though.

3rd, Spider-Man’s chase with Alex O’Hirn (Paul Giamatti) who later gets a robot Rhino suit from Oscorp…. because… you know… they’re evil. It nails the light-hearted tone of a typical Spider-Man encounter with fantastic humor and action magic that can’t be duplicated in any other scene in the film.

Green Goblin Vs. Spider-Man4th… and you had to see this coming… MEGA SPOILERS… the Death of Gwen Stacy. Possibly the best scene in any Spider-Man movie (though I am also a real fan of the finale to the 2002’s ‘Spider-Man’ where the Green Goblin kicks Peter Parker’s ass). Gwen Dangles

Though the first ‘Spider-Man’ film used up the bridge-Goblin-drop, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ killed Gwen Stacy in the 2nd best way possible… and damn was it a powerful scene. The hand shape of the web just reaching her… only to allow her neck to snap and thud against the ground. Beautifully done scene that paid homage to perhaps the most major event in the Spider-Man comics.Gwen Falls

My parents thought it was another ‘Superhero movie death’ i.e. very temporary; she’ll snap out of it. Unfortunately, the only thing snapping was her neck and my parents realized they had seen something new when the blood dripped from Gwen’s nose; a very finite and permanent death for a comic book movie (hopefully).

Goblin Arrives... with a VengeanceReally, I spent the Electro finale checking my watch, but when I heard that cackle and saw the glider fly in, I knew we were in for one of the most epic Superhero finales ever… it’s a shame most people just wanted the film to freakin’ end before we even got to Goblin.

Worst: 3 Scenes

Richard Parker, Peter's father.
Richard Parker, Peter’s father.

1st, Anything With Peter’s Parents.

THEY DON’T MATTER! Spider-Man was never about Pete’s relationship to his parents, which are also too closely tied to Oscorp.. Sure, Richard Parker fighting the Oscorp agent in a spinning Airplane was cool in a nearly ‘Inception’ way, but we shouldn’t even care about these characters. Spider-Man has always been about Peter’s relationship with Aunt May in the aftermath of Uncle Ben’s death. His angst is tied to letting Uncle Ben die, not feeling abandoned by his parents.

I know this franchise was trying something new, but it doesn’t work.

Richard Parker fights for his life against an agent of Oscorp.
Richard Parker fights for his life against an agent of Oscorp.

2nd, Peter and Gwen angst. The appearance of Captain Stacy.

Captain Stacy Haunts Peter at Graduation.
Captain Stacy Haunts Peter at Graduation.

I get it. Peter wants to be with Gwen. Peter doesn’t want to endanger Gwen. I hate this will-they/won’t-they nonsense. We’ve seen this before with Mary Jane.

And way to telegraph Gwen Stacy’s death. Peter worries all movie and is then attacked by her killer from the comics: the Green Goblin? What did any comic fan think was going to happen?

3rd, Max Dillon’s accident. And any scene with Electro post Times Square.

Jamie Foxx’s talents showcased in recent films ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Horrible Bosses 1 &2,’ and his talents were completely wasted as Electro. As previously stated, the Max Dillon scenes were great… but the rest of Jamie Foxx’s scenes were terrible.

And his accident was so comic-booky in a franchise that shoots for some realism.

Electro in 'Amazing Spider-Man 2'Sure, Electro was only used as a place-holder while the film covers Harry Osborn’s decent into the Goblin, but he didn’t have to feel like that! In a way, I would argue the Joker is a placeholder in ‘The Dark Knight’ for the decent of Harvey Dent into madness (the final confrontation is the one with Dent, Gordon, and Batman, not the earlier Joker wrap-up), but he was obviously a fully fleshed out villain – one of the best – that allowed for the 2nd villain to develop.

Electro Experimented
This scene wasn’t terrible.

Electro could have been so much more, even while serving the transformation of Harry into Goblin.

I did enjoy the scene where he was experimented on, but that’s just another exception to the rule of terrible Electro scenes.

So, there you have it, without droning on and on and on. (I only droned on and on… twice… not thrice!)

Sure, there is more terribleness to discuss as well as a few more highlights. But I think it’s time to put ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ to rest… forever.

Why Are They Breeding Raptors On Isla Nublar?


“Clever Girl”

“Clever Girl.”

Velociraptors.

Though T-Rex makes the park logo (of both the failed Jurassic Park and the new Jurassic World) and has the best single scene in the franchise (“someone let T-Rex out of his pen”), for me, the Jurassic Park franchise is all about Velociraptors.

latestThere are few things scarier than the Velociraptor; in fact, it may be the scariest monster to ever grace the silver screen.

Sure, ‘Jaws’ is scary, but to avoid Bruce you just need to stay out of the water. But Velociraptors… if you are on Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna (aka ‘Site B’), can get to you anywhere. They talk to each-other, open doors, and have one hell of a claw.

Raptors in the grass: Scary!
Raptors in the grass: Scary!

The Velociraptors haven’t had the best track record in the ‘Jurassic Park’ sequels. Raptors in the grass is terrifying in ‘Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ but then the incredibly smart beasts are bested by Ian Malcom’s teenage daughter doing gymnastics.

In ‘Jurassic Park III’ they have feathers… and are only after Alan Grant and company to protect their eggs. In fact, blowing through their vocal cavity causes them to leave you alone completely.

LAME!

Velociraptors are better as cold blooded, killing machines like in the first film.

Yet… in the film ‘Jurassic Park’ all the raptors are either killed or left for dead in a locked freezer.

Muldoon tells the park visitors that there are three raptors in the Velociraptor Pen.  He explains that when they brought in the big one – you know, the one who eats that paddock worker at the beginning of the film (“Shoot Her!”) – she killed all the raptors in the pride but two.

Raptors in the KitchenSo, we start the film with three velociraptors. Then Timmy locks one in the freezer in the 2nd best scene of the franchise: raptors in the kitchen. They may be able to open doors, but they can’t unlock one from the inside.

Alan Grants awaits rescue from T-Rex
Alan Grants awaits rescue from T-Rex

Finally, in the 3rd best scene (this is working out nicely), T-Rex comes to the rescue (in what is actually the biggest and most beloved cop-out of an ending in film history), killing the other two raptors.

So, by the end of 1993’s ‘Jurassic Park’ there are no live raptors left on Isla Nublar.

T-Rex earns his final, powerful image after killing two Raptors.
T-Rex earns his final, powerful image after killing two Raptors.

But, life finds a way (or studio executives at least) as Chris Pratt gets to ride a motorcycle with at least 5 of the creatures in the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer; ‘World’ being the first JP film to return to Isla Nublar since 1993.

So, in their infinite wisdom, did InGen (or its new parent company) breed new Raptors? Or even take old ones from Site B., Isla Sorna?

Or, did life really find away?

The Raptor Pen in 'Jurassic Park'
The Raptor Pen in ‘Jurassic Park’

Were there eggs in that pen? After all, we, and the park employees don’t really get a good look in there due to the danger level. Did the Raptors also change sex and breed? Who would raise the babies? Were there young raptors in the pen?

Alternate theory; did the Velociraptor in the freezer use her weight to force the door open? Did she raise some babies?

Likely, this won’t be addressed in ‘Jurassic World.’ I never realized that all three raptors met a terrible fate (that they deserved) until I rewatched ‘Jurassic Park’ for the millionth time. And I doubt the studio and writer expect us to remember this, if they even did.

Pratt Riding With RaptorsBut maybe, just maybe, we’ll get an explanation from Chris Pratt as to why he has his own pack of Raptors.

The motivating force of the ‘JurassicWorld’ plot is that park guests are tired of seeing the same old monsters after a decade of Jurassic World being open. Where raptors bred to give park goers that scare factor before management decided to just go ahead and make a new dinosaur? Where they bred to be used as samples to create what the web is calling the ‘D-Rex;’ possibly a hybrid Velocirapter/T-Rex?

Whatever the case.

Not a Good Idea“Probably not a good idea.”

I just hope the new Raptors are used for scares, not just as Pratt’s minions. After all, they are the cornerstone of Jurassic Park’s scares.

Is that really the new Hybrid... or is the shot more reminiscent of Timmy in the kitchen with Raptors!
Is that really the new Hybrid… or is the shot more reminiscent of Timmy in the kitchen with Raptors!

I do have a theory that the final scene in the trailer, pre-logo, the ominous shadow and growl over the young boy is that of a Raptor, not Jurassic World’s newest attraction.

All will be revealed (or glossed over) in ‘Jurassic World’ opening Jun 12th

Bond 24 Has The Best Title Ever: ‘Spectre’


SPECTRE!

SPECTRE is back!

For all you kiddies who’ve only seen the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig films; SPECTRE is the original QUANTOM-esque terrorist organization.

blofeldThe OG threat to Bond, 007 encountered many SPECTRE agents in the 1960’s, but none more famous than Bond’s ultimate nemesis, Ernst Stravo Blofeld; a character that was portrayed by several actors, just like James Bond.

You may recognize the most common look of Blofeld, from ‘You Only Live Twice.’ Let me give you a hint, he was bald, had a scar on his face, wore a silly silver suit, and stroked a white kitty.

Check out the teaser-teaser-teaser-barely-a-trailer below. Really, it’s a video revealing the logo.

Now, pay attention to the poster. Doesn’t that bullet hole look like a spider or octopus? Spectre Teaser Poster

If not, here is OG SPECTRE’s Hydra-esque logo.

Eh? Eh? Look familiar now?
Eh? Eh? Look familiar now?

The official plot synopsis:

“A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.” Mr. Craig will be joined by Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista (as a henchman type character, I believe), Andrew Scott (Moriarty on Sherlock), and Monica Bellucci. Returning from Skyfall will be Naomi Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Ralph Fiennes (replacing Judi Dench as “M”). Director Sam Mendes is returning, which makes this the first 007 film to be helmed by the same director twice in a row since License to Kill ended John Glenn’s run in 1989. Skyfall writers John Logan, Neil Purvis and Rob Wade are returning as well.”

But what does SPECTRE mean for Daniel Craig’s 007?

It means the movie will definitely bring back the feel of the old movies, less cold and brutal than ‘Casino Royale’ or even ‘Skyfall,’ bringing classic elements into the mix… and not just the SPECTRE organization.

Waltz in his breakout role in 'Ingourious Basterds.'
Waltz in his breakout role in ‘Ingourious Basterds.’

And the movie’s cast is loaded with great potential villains from the genius Christoph Waltz, to Andrew Scott whose Moriarty on BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ is the best TV baddie ever, and finally Dave Bautista (Drax in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’). And with that title, one expects either Waltz or Scott will be Blofeld!

Scott in BBC's SHERLOCK as Moriarty.
Scott in BBC’s SHERLOCK as Moriarty.

Really exciting title, that unlike ‘Skyfall’ gives us great insight into where the 007 franchise is headed. Great cast, Sam Mendes is back to direct, same writing team… how could it go wrong? (*Fingers Crossed*)

Mr. White of the Quantum organization from 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace'
Mr. White of the Quantum organization from ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’

But what about Quantum though? ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’ set up Mr. White and the Quantum organization, that, like SPECTRE, has political influence and carries out terrorist activity across the globe. Does Quantum turn out to be SPECTRE? Or where Quantum and Mr. White lazily kicked to the side after Quantum’s poor reception?

All will be answered November 6th, 2015.

Add ‘007: Spectre’ to that list of 2015 movies to see that already includes ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ ‘Mission: Impossible 5,’ and many others. 2015 is going to be an expensive year for you geeks who don’t work at a movie theater.

Rejoice!

Is it too early to suggest Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain in ‘Bond 25?’

Benedict Cumberbatch for Bond villain OR 007 in 2017!
Benedict Cumberbatch for Bond villain OR 007 in 2017!

Why ‘Avengers 3’ WON’T Be Split Into 2 Movies And Thanos Might Need His Own Film


There’s a rumor floating around the net that ‘Avengers 3’ may be split into two movies.

Part 1, mutha fuckas! Now wait for part 2, suckas!
Part 1, mutha fuckas! Now wait for part 2, suckas!

We have, of course, seen many films adapted from young-adult novels that split the final book into two movies. ‘Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2’ and now ‘Hunger Games: Mocking Jay 1 & 2.’ Meanwhile Peter Jackson believes ‘The Hobbit’ is actually 3 super long movies; just as long as the non-extended versions of the entire ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.

Splitting a book in half is one thing, but splitting ‘Avengers 3’ in half actually creates ‘Avengers 3’ and ‘Avengers 4.’

The problem? If I am not mistaken, all the stars, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, and even Samuel L. Jackson are only under contract for 3 ‘Avengers’ films. And I know that Robert Downey Jr. only has 1 movie left on his contract; a single ‘Avengers’ movie, following ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’

I’m not sure how the contracts with franchises like ‘Harry Potter’ work when it comes to splitting the final book into two movies, creating eight films instead of seven. They may have had to renegotiate the actors’ contracts for ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2,’ but I’m sure the original contracts for ‘Twilight’ and ‘Hunger Games’ included the extra fourth film (aka ‘Part 2’ of the finales), as was likely the plan from the beginning.

Which is where the problem for ‘Avengers 3, Part 1 & 2’ arises.

RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) got the sweetest deal of all, as no one expected the first ‘Iron Man’ to spawn two sequels and three ‘Avengers’ films. He got to negotiate his pay for the sequels and three Avengers films AFTER Marvel made him a superstar in the first ‘Iron Man’ film.

On the other hand, actors like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth where hired on the cheap, pre-stardom, allowing Marvel to throw two sequels and three ‘Avengers’ movies on their contracts for a lot less cash than RDJ’s salary.

How much money will it take to get the two Chris's back for 'Avengers 4?'
How much money will it take to get the two Chris’s back for ‘Avengers 4?’

But making ‘Avengers 3’ into two films – creating ‘Avengers 3’ and ‘Avengers 4’ – would mean new negotiations with the entire cast of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Continue reading “Why ‘Avengers 3’ WON’T Be Split Into 2 Movies And Thanos Might Need His Own Film”

Podcast #6: This Is CAPTAIN AMERICA’S Podcast, Dammit!


Gadzooks! SPOILERS be poppin’ as Nick and Andrew dive into The First Avenger’s Second Fight (aka CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER). The two use their Marvel and comics know-how to examine the film and what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Franchise Adds VENOM and SINISTER 6 Films!


VenomMy early suspicions were correct.

When the Lizard was locked up at the end of the first AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and multiple villains were confirmed for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Electro, Green Goblin, Rhino), I suspected that the franchise is headed toward THE SINISTER SIX! An Avengers style super-group of villains all working together to take out their common enemy, Spider-Man.

And there are plans for my favorite comic villain of all… VENOM!

Sony plans on extending their own Spider-Man centric movie universe similar to Marvel Studios and Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The franchise would not only have AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3 (release date June 10th, 2016) & 4, but also a SINISTER SIX movie as well as a solo adventure for VENOM.

Sony announced both plans today for the franchise, as hidden on a Electro website (http://www.electroarrives.com/) based on a clue left in the amazing AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 trailer.

Classic viral marketing, something we’ve seen a lot more since THE DARK KNIGHT’s excellent viral marketing campaign.

Continue reading “AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Franchise Adds VENOM and SINISTER 6 Films!”

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Asset” – Coulson Creates His Own Demons


Tony Stark isn’t the only one in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) who creates his own demons. In the third episode of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Phil Coulson ends up accidentally creating his own super-villain.

But just like the narrative of IRON MAN 3, let’s track this from the beginning…

If the “Pilot” was  an NCIS knock-off and “0-8-4” was a mini-Marvel action movie, then “The Asset” is basically Marvel’s version of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE.

You gotta' drop that shit in the ocean, son!
You gotta’ drop that shit in the ocean, son!

Starting with the most impressive special effects I’ve seen on a network show (surely part of the budget is borrowed from the AVENGERS INITIATIVE: PHASE TWO films), this globe spanning episode involves infiltrating an incredibly secure compound and ends with a device that would make SPIDER-MAN 2’s Doc Ock jealous.

Continue reading “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Asset” – Coulson Creates His Own Demons”

That Ain’t KHAN In the New INTO DARKNESS Trailer.


Fact: Khan was never one of Starfleet’s “Top Agents.” So Benedict Cumberbatch is like a Jason Bourne, 007, or just a badass navy seal? With a vendetta against Starfleet? Sweet.

More thoughts after jump!

Continue reading “That Ain’t KHAN In the New INTO DARKNESS Trailer.”