At midnight on March 6, 2009, thousands of comic book fans and blockbuster filmgoers alike filled theaters across the country to see if Zack Snyder’s Watchmen could live up to the hype. For some, it was a question of purism. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal work of graphic fiction has become a sort of sacred cow in the last two decades. For others, it didn’t matter if the subtleties of the book translated faithfully, this was a chance to see the first high-octane adrenaline film of 2009. In either case, it was a tall order to fill. So how did Snyder do?
Ghost stories never get old. The recent spat of Japanese horror film remakes in America have mostly been based around retelling old ghost stories, and some of the better psychological horror films in our country have been based on homegrown campfire tales and occult studies. Everything from the Bell Witch to “the white lady” have been fair game in film and television the last few years. The reason these stories keep popping up is because they are usually effective, and Michael Coonce’s Lonely Joe is no exception.
Ah yes, Clownus Carrus Uterosis, or treating your uterus and vagina like a clown car, is certainly a problem in this country. One that has come to the forefront and headlines with aplomb as of late, due largely in part due to the Octomom. Sure that name makes her sound like Otto Octavius' matriarch from Spider-Man, thus throwing her instantly into the pool of villainy, but she is only part of the part of the problem, and ultimately condemnable for her own actions, she is not the root of the problem.
Well, I cannot believe that I am saying this, but it is only about a week until we see Watchmen on the silver screen. This has been a long road for comic book fans, and an even longer road for the studios that have been involved with it. Consider this: there have been plans to do a Watchmen movie since the lat eighties. Now, however, not even frivolous lawsuits can stop the juggernaut that this movie has become. You see the trailers everywhere you look and there's always a story online about it. Hell, even the soundtrack is awesome! However, there is always one thing that can make or break a movie... Actors.
I'm usually not a fan of the character exploration drama. Let's face it, all too often these films are about someone who could be just like you, rising or falling based on their actions, or lack there of. I feel like I've worn that hat a thousand times, and yeah, its old, not too mention I see people like me who will rise or fall based on their actions every day. I guess I'm just not a people person. Knowing all of this, I still dove off the top headfirst into The Wrestler. I gave it a shot, call it a high risk move if you will, but I'll always give Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei a chance, they don't really fuck up that often. Being huge wrestling fan to boot, it seemed like this could be the film that may sway me on this particular sub-genre. It didn't, but I'd blame that on being stuck in my ways. Besides, this is a film review, not a genre study, and the movie was excellent nonetheless.
Brian Wood’s DMZ has been running for three years now, and is still one of the most interesting critiques of American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan to date. The latest installment, DMZ Vol. 6: Blood in the Game, examines provincial elections held overseas through a lens of hip-hop panache and old-fashioned American dystopianism.
