And, Dan, why are you trying to crucify Spacey when it's pretty clear that Singer wanted him to play it that way in a script that Singer staunchly approved?
Because I expected and wanted more of Spacey. I love Spacey; his performances in The Usual Suspects and American Beauty were IMO among the greatest performances of all time, I thought his John Doe in Seven was extraordinary and I loved him in films like Swimming With Sharks and LA Confidential.but I hated him in SR. Yes, Singer should take much responsibility, but I still think (and wish) that Spacey had done more to liven up the character.
I'm willing to give Spacey the benefit of the doubt on this and with proper direction, I'm 100% sure that he can redeem himself as the Lex Luthor we all fear & revere.
I really hope you're right. I would be absolutely delighted is someone else played Luthor though; to be honest, even if it wasn't mostly his fault, I am really soured on Spacey's playing Lex Luthor.
The sad thing is, you're trying to gauge the essence of a COMIC BOOK character from films & a teen-ish television series.
This raises an interesting question. Can films and TV shows be separated from the Comics? Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels. The point is that I regard cinema and literature to be entirely different art forms; even when a novel is adapted into a film, or even into a play or a stage musical. In fact the whole issue of cinematic adaptations being faithful to the source novel has never concerned me.
However, and I am asking this out of complete seriousness, do you believe that there is an exception to this when applied to comics? Accepting my original premise that films and books should be regarded as separate entities, are comic books a unique exception to this, or is simply that comic books fans tend to be more outwardly passionate, similarly to readers of genre fiction such as Sherlock Holmes?
Plus, *with such a famous character like Superman, and to a lesser extent Batman, one could argue that he transcends comics or cinema or television or any other single art form.
*Harlan Ellison remarked that "in all of the history of literature, there are only five fictional creations known to every man, woman, and child on the planet.... Mickey Mouse, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Robin Hood and Superman."
You might consider these works of literature subjacent to what you regularly engage in but at least they can help your arguments in future coversations when you want to make a substantial contribution to threads of this kind :v
What, haven't my contributions (such as this one) been pretty substantial? :v (Yes, I'm also very modest. ) )
Interesting that you mentioned reading material. I've recently been reading a very interesting book; Jake Rossen's 'Superman vs. Hollywood.' It was published this year, and it tells of the difficulties that Supes has faced in Hollywood. Although I knew a few of the details (such as Jon Peters's hatred for the costume and Superman's ability to fly), most of it was new to me, and therefore extremely fascinating. I hadn't previously known why Richard Donner was fired, but the book provided the answer and much more. It's not perfect; it's a little too judgemental for my liking, but it's extremely fun and a great read.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited October 2008
Dan, you articulated your retort quite well and still came up snake eyes. I'll respond to this:
This raises an interesting question. Can films and TV shows be separated from the Comics?
They have; doesn't mean it always works though, hence the reason we're talking about a probable Superman reboot. I could give you a much longer list but let's just stick to Supes for now... 8-)
Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels.
Let's stop right here; but you have read these novels right? We can argue about the comparisons from both sides with these art forms(cinematic & literary), am I correct?
This sounds funny from a guy who's never picked up a comic book yet applauds something as lame as Smallville and is complacent to remain very ignorant (no offense) as to how much of the source material was actually sacrificed. Take off your ascot for once and read some comics for a change.
The point is that I regard cinema and literature to be entirely different art forms; even when a novel is adapted into a film, or even into a play or a stage musical. In fact the whole issue of cinematic adaptations being faithful to the source novel has never concerned me.
So if James Bond decided to ask Q-Branch to give him a sex change because he's compromised his cover, that wouldn't concern you either would it?
I mean afterall, you can keep Fleming Bond & cinematic Bond seperate right? High heels & all? And still enjoy it of course?
Nice try. Btw, your brother & dad still sound cooler than YOU; at least they've read The Phantom.
Black sheep. )
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
*A truly great actor, such as a De Niro, IMO are capable of delivering good or great performances even when the screenplay is questionable. For De Niro, the greatest example was The Deer Hunter; IMO a really disappointing and extremely overrated film, yet it yielded one of his greatest performances.
The how do you explain the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie? DeNiro's performance (and I'm being kind calling it that) pretty much throws your Spacey argument out the window and shows that if you have a bad script and a bad director even a great actor can't salvage his part.
However, and I am asking this out of complete seriousness, do you believe that there is an exception to this when applied to comics? Accepting my original premise that films and books should be regarded as separate entities, are comic books a unique exception to this, or is simply that comic books fans tend to be more outwardly passionate, similarly to readers of genre fiction such as Sherlock Holmes?
It's hard to generalize a question like that. I remember once reading that even Ian Fleming didn't want a faithful adaptation of The Spy Who Loved Me to ever be made (I think it was mentioned in John Brosnan's book James Bond in the Cinema).
What WB has done with Smallvile however is take the Superman mythos and twist them to the sensibilities of one of their CW teen melodramas. I've always been of the mind that if you had godlike powers, the trivial affairs of mere mortals - especially angst ridden teens - would quickly become superfluous to you. Instead of telling us a tale of how young Clark Kent outgrows his childish wants and becomes the world's protector, we are usually subjected to the breakup of the week. The 1978 Donner movie managed to sum up Clark's life in Smallvile in one little passage delivered by Pa Kent: "I do know one thing and that is that you are here for a reason....I don't know what that reason is...but I do know this: it's not to score touchdowns." Think about that, they were able to distill 7 seasons of a show into a handful of lines of dialog (all beautifully delivered by the late Glen Ford), and all of it true to the spirit of the original comic.
So, while I don't expect 100% adherence to the source, I do hope for something that is at least recognizable in tone and character. Even the most outlandish of Bond movies was recognizeable as a Bond adventure belonging to that same universe. I could also make the same claim about your two examples (The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange) as compared to their literary, btw.
*Harlan Ellison remarked that "in all of the history of literature, there are only five fictional creations known to every man, woman, and child on the planet.... Mickey Mouse, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Robin Hood and Superman."
I think Ellison's quote is a little out of date; sad as it is to say, you'd be surprised how many kids these days don't know about Tarzan, Robin Hood or to a lesser extent, Sherlock Holmes.
I'd amend it to include Batman and Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock (not surprised Ellison left out those last two as he's infamous for butting heads with Trek personages over the years).
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited October 2008
Last night I watched Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk back to back and this is one reason why I need to upgrade to a Blu-Ray player & widescreen television soon:
It looks good on my current system but I can't imagine just how much more resolution the BR brings this out.
I heard you can play regular DVDs on the blu-ray? Is that true? That might save me a little time since I'm reluctant to toss aside things that I'm attached to for the sake of progress.
I want to keep my collection.
This was one of many amazing shots from this film. B-)
One would have to be blind to say that the Hulk's CGI sucked in this.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
It looks good on my current system but I can't imagine just how much more resolution the BR brings this out.
Results will vary from movie to movie based on how much effort was put in the transfer but in general, BluRay and a good 50" 1080p hi-def TV do bring out way more detail. I was watching a little bit of FRWL last night and in addition to seeing a clearly nude Daniela Bianchi getting into bed ( ;% ) the closeup detail on the actors was amazing. You could make out the individual pores on Connery's face and even see the tattoo on his forearm thru the makeup. The colors are much more vibrant as well.
I heard you can play regular DVDs on the blu-ray? Is that true? That might save me a little time since I'm reluctant to toss aside things that I'm attached to for the sake of progress.
All BluRay players can play standard DVDs. Some (like the very affordable Sony BDP-S350) do an excellent job of upconverting them to near hi-def as well. Still, for movies you really like that take advantage of the higher resolution, I'd say you may want to gradually go Blu, as my brother and I have been doing with our comic book and sci-fi films.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Actually, you'd be surprised. When Justice League: New Frontier was released, I decided to get the BluRay version and was quite surprised at how much crisper and more well delineated the art was; the line work was razor sharp. The special features on the disc (which included some clips from the show) were encoded in standard definition and the difference in quality was quite easily visible, especially if you were viewing it on a larger TV.
WB has started to release the JLA shows on BluRay; I haven't bought any myself yet but I've read that other than the first season the shows were mastered and framed for hi-def presentation so even there you should see a difference.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
^ Wow. That's kind of impressive for animation. I'll take your advice along with me when I make my decision...which I hope is soon.
Speaking of TIH:
The Incredible Hulk Smashes the Competition
Source:The Hollywood Reporter October 30, 2008
Universal's The Incredible Hulk debuted at No. 1 on all three charts last week.
The summer theatrical hit bumped the previous week's winner, Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, to the No. 2 position on all three charts.
"Hulk" handily took the top spot on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart for the week ending Oct. 26, selling more than four times as many copies as the next-highest-ranked debutante, The Strangers, also from Universal, which bowed at No. 3.
"Hulk" also topped Home Media Magazine's video rental chart for the week ending Oct. 26, though in rental stores it only generated about twice as many transactions as did "Strangers," which also bowed at No. 3.
"Hulk" scored its third win on the Nielsen VideoScan Blu-ray Disc chart.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
*A truly great actor, such as a De Niro, IMO are capable of delivering good or great performances even when the screenplay is questionable. For De Niro, the greatest example was The Deer Hunter; IMO a really disappointing and extremely overrated film, yet it yielded one of his greatest performances.
The how do you explain the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie? DeNiro's performance (and I'm being kind calling it that) pretty much throws your Spacey argument out the window and shows that if you have a bad script and a bad director even a great actor can't salvage his part.
I'm not saying that a truly great actor will always be great, simply that they are capable (and often are) of being great even when faced with a disappointing screenplay. As for Spacey, I didn't really have an argument regarding Spacey. If you read my post again, you will see that I am in two minds about him.
(De Niro, my all-time favourite actor and one of my true Gods, has in recent years suffered not merely from ordinary screenplays but from lack of interest and a lack of a desire to challenge himself. With films like Rocky & Bullwinkle, he no longer cares about his craft, although that is hopefully changing.)
However, and I am asking this out of complete seriousness, do you believe that there is an exception to this when applied to comics? Accepting my original premise that films and books should be regarded as separate entities, are comic books a unique exception to this, or is simply that comic books fans tend to be more outwardly passionate, similarly to readers of genre fiction such as Sherlock Holmes?
It's hard to generalize a question like that. I remember once reading that even Ian Fleming didn't want a faithful adaptation of The Spy Who Loved Me to ever be made (I think it was mentioned in John Brosnan's book James Bond in the Cinema).
What WB has done with Smallvile however is take the Superman mythos and twist them to the sensibilities of one of their CW teen melodramas. I've always been of the mind that if you had godlike powers, the trivial affairs of mere mortals - especially angst ridden teens - would quickly become superfluous to you. Instead of telling us a tale of how young Clark Kent outgrows his childish wants and becomes the world's protector, we are usually subjected to the breakup of the week. The 1978 Donner movie managed to sum up Clark's life in Smallvile in one little passage delivered by Pa Kent: "I do know one thing and that is that you are here for a reason....I don't know what that reason is...but I do know this: it's not to score touchdowns." Think about that, they were able to distill 7 seasons of a show into a handful of lines of dialog (all beautifully delivered by the late Glen Ford), and all of it true to the spirit of the original comic.
So, while I don't expect 100% adherence to the source, I do hope for something that is at least recognizable in tone and character. Even the most outlandish of Bond movies was recognizeable as a Bond adventure belonging to that same universe. I could also make the same claim about your two examples (The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange) as compared to their literary, btw.
Interesting. Regarding Smallville, I was never impressed, as well, that Clarke was presented as such an annoying and self-righteous do-gooder.
*Harlan Ellison remarked that "in all of the history of literature, there are only five fictional creations known to every man, woman, and child on the planet.... Mickey Mouse, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Robin Hood and Superman."
I think Ellison's quote is a little out of date; sad as it is to say, you'd be surprised how many kids these days don't know about Tarzan, Robin Hood or to a lesser extent, Sherlock Holmes.
I'd amend it to include Batman and Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock (not surprised Ellison left out those last two as he's infamous for butting heads with Trek personages over the years).
Batman, definity, Kirk & Spock, maybe, however I would also include James Bond.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
And on an unrelated note, Margot Kidder's Lois Lane makes me want to cut my ears off.
Why? Is this yet another situation in which my love for Margot's Lois will see me in the minority? :v
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
They have; doesn't mean it always works though, hence the reason we're talking about a probable Superman reboot. I could give you a much longer list but let's just stick to Supes for now... 8-)
No, it may not often work, but that wasn't really my point. My point was that irrespective of quality, I think that cinema and the books they are based upon should be seen as separate. Obviously, in many cases, the more faithful the cinematic adaptation, the better it is, but that does not mean IMO it should automatically be faithful.
Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels.
Let's stop right here; but you have read these novels right? We can argue about the comparisons from both sides with these art forms(cinematic & literary), am I correct?
This sounds funny from a guy who's never picked up a comic book yet applauds something as lame as Smallville and is complacent to remain very ignorant (no offense) as to how much of the source material was actually sacrificed.
Oh, Rogue. I have never applauded Smallville in my life. I only mentioned that Tom Welling could be a good cinematic Superman. I don't know where you and Tony get it from that I like the show, but I really don't, for the same reasons that Tony has mentioned. Rogue, you claim that I came up snake eyes, yet you claim I applauded a show that in an earlier post on this page I described as pathetic :v (not to mention confirming if I've read two novels I've described as among my favourites.) )
The point is that I regard cinema and literature to be entirely different art forms; even when a novel is adapted into a film, or even into a play or a stage musical. In fact the whole issue of cinematic adaptations being faithful to the source novel has never concerned me.
So if James Bond decided to ask Q-Branch to give him a sex change because he's compromised his cover, that wouldn't concern you either would it?
Of course it would, but not because it's being unfaithful to the Fleming novels (which I am currently reading BTW), but because it would be terrible. My point about keeping film and literature separate is only I don't think one should be measured by how faithful it is to the other. Of course, many great cinematic adaptations are quite faithful, but I don't believe that a film adaptation has to be faithful for the sake of it. My point comes down to this. If a film director buys the rights to a novel, should they be ethically obligated to be completely faithful to it and will the film automatically suffer if it wasn't faithful? My answer to both questions is no, as once the book becomes filmed, IMO it should be judged on its own merits, not on how faithful it was to the source novel.
Plus, forgetting the novels, it wouldn't exactly be faithful to the cinematic character if he were to ask for a sex change, would it? :v
Nice try. Btw, your brother & dad still sound cooler than YOU; at least they've read The Phantom.
Black sheep. )
Thanks. )
(BTW, in about 1-2 weeks expect some surprising news from me on this thread. :v)
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Just because I view all artforms as separate, doesn't mean that I think that artists can get away with destroying the integrity of their art.
Well that's how we feel about the comic format. There's an unspoken passion that comes with adaptations of this kind. But at least read a graphic novel to compare; it shouldn't be that difficult for you.
You're naming books that you've read that have nothing to do with this thread and you're still engaging in a hatchet battle without your own hatchet
You're a likeable guy, Dan but I might just have to give in and send the hooded ones after you. You're just not of the body. X-(
(BTW, in about 1-2 weeks expect some surprising news from me on this thread. :v)
You get a subscription to DC or Marvel comics?
About the only surprise you could get me on right now...
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
^ Wow. That's kind of impressive for animation. I'll take your advice along with me when I make my decision...which I hope is soon.
Here's what I'd recommend:
1. For the TV stick with an LCD. I'm assuming you'll be watching lots of sports on TV, maybe playing some video games and obviously checking out BluRay movies. While plasmas are much better with regard to burn-in and image retention, you still need to be vigilant about keeping static images (like channel logos and EPSN sports tickers) on screen for too long, especially during the first few hundred hours as you break the TV in. Ditto for video games with static HUDS that stay on screen for the entire session. LCD's on the other hand are practically completely resistant to image retention and burn-in.
I'd look at one of the newer Sony or Samsung 120hz LCD models. They are a little pricier but the image quality is top notch, they have great viewing angles, and the 120hz technology minimizes blurring with fast moving sports and movies.
2. For the BluRay player, I'd recommend the Sony BDP-S350. The MSRP is $299 but if you shop around you can find it for a lot less, especially the closer you get to the holidays. I got my brother one for his plasma; it plays all our movies, including the new James Bond BluRays which some other players have tripped up on, and even has an ethernet port on the back for easy firmware updates down the road. Its also a fantastic upconverter for standard DVD's.
Just because I view all artforms as separate, doesn't mean that I think that artists can get away with destroying the integrity of their art.
Well that's how we feel about comic art. There's an unspoken passion that comes with adaptations of this kind. But at least read a graphic novel to compare.
Comic book fans are not the only ones who are passionate. My saying 'just because I view all artforms as separate, doesn't mean that I think that artists can get away with destroying the integrity of their art' was in reference to Bond getting a sex change. Having him do so, would be an example of the Broccolis destroying the integrity of their art; the Bond films. It wouldn't destroy the integrity of the Bond novels, since IMO they are separate and should be viewed as such. Similarly, I think that having Batman in the third film get a sex change and become a nun would be destroying the integrity of the Batman films, not the comic books.
You're naming books that you've read that have nothing to do with this thread and you're still engaging in a hatchet battle without and axe.
Except I'm not attacking comics. I'm not discussing quality; only whether films need to be faithful to their source works. How can I make that more clear?
(BTW, in about 1-2 weeks expect some surprising news from me on this thread. :v)
You get a subscription to DC or Marvel comics?
About the only surprise you could get me on right now...
I'll be borrowing a comic-book from Uni in about a week or so.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Comic book fans are not the only ones who are passionate. My saying 'just because I view all artforms as separate, doesn't mean that I think that artists can get away with destroying the integrity of their art' was in reference to Bond getting a sex change. Having him do so, would be an example of the Broccolis destroying the integrity of their art; the Bond films. It wouldn't destroy the integrity of the Bond novels, since IMO they are separate and should be viewed as such. Similarly, I think that having Batman in the third film get a sex change and become a nun would be destroying the integrity of the Batman films, not the comic books.
Low blow, man. Putting Batman in drag destroys him in ALL forms of media... Cutting to the quick are we? You know I'm a Bats fan. Why didn't you use Wolverine as an example? X-(
*Dan, while in the can said* Quote:
Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange oh, and uh... and Spider-Man 3; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels although I love Spider-Man 3.
I also love Spider-Man 3 and want to kill myself for having these feelings...
*flushes* 8-)
Except I'm not attacking comics. I'm not discussing quality; only whether films need to be faithful to their source works. How can I make that more clear?
And I've answered that...remember? ?:)
I've never heard that expression before.
I'll sort of let you off of the hook on that one seeing that you've never seen Star Trek TOS...but not for long. :v
I'll be borrowing a comic-book from Uni in about a week or so.
This is a step in the right direction if you follow through.
1. For the TV stick with an LCD. I'm assuming you'll be watching lots of sports on TV, maybe playing some video games and obviously checking out BluRay movies. While plasmas are much better with regard to burn-in and image retention, you still need to be vigilant about keeping static images (like channel logos and EPSN sports tickers) on screen for too long, especially during the first few hundred hours as you break the TV in. Ditto for video games with static HUDS that stay on screen for the entire session. LCD's on the other hand are practically completely resistant to image retention and burn-in.
I'd look at one of the newer Sony or Samsung 120hz LCD models. They are a little pricier but the image quality is top notch, they have great viewing angles, and the 120hz technology minimizes blurring with fast moving sports and movies.
2. For the BluRay player, I'd recommend the Sony BDP-S350. The MSRP is $299 but if you shop around you can find it for a lot less, especially the closer you get to the holidays. I got my brother one for his plasma; it plays all our movies, including the new James Bond BluRays which some other players have tripped up on, and even has an ethernet port on the back for easy firmware updates down the road. Its also a fantastic upconverter for standard DVD's.
Thank you, Tony. Your post was overlooked while I was in the midst of pleading with Tom Wolfe's biggest fan to buy a comic already. 8-)
I will take heed in what you recommend.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited October 2008
Just in case the link doesn't work for you:
Exclusive: Brandon Routh on Zack and Miri and a Dark Superman
Written by Robert Sanchez
Thursday, 30 October 2008 Brandon Routh plays opposite Justin Long in Kevin Smith's ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO. Their scenes are extremely raunchy (I wouldn't suggest watching this with your mother) but also extremely funny.
As Long's boyfriend, Routh is a gay porn actor who is also a high school friend to Miri. Who better to go to when needing porno advice?
The film opens in Friday and the IESB had a chance to speak exclusively with Brandon this week.
He told us how hard it was to keep a straight face when Long would improv in the middle of a scene. Also, he tells us that Dylan Dog is ready to start shooting in mid-January of '09 with Kevin Munroe, plus how does he feel about a “darker” Superman film this time around?
Check out IESB's exclusive interview with Brandon Routh below!
IESB: Zack and Miri was hilarious, I wasn't expecting to see you play that role it was so funny.
Brandon Routh: Awesome, thanks.
IESB: Who called who, I am assuming you are a fan of Kevin Smith's work?
BR: Definitely a fan of his work, they actually called me, I was surprised I got a call from my rep saying, "hey they want you to do a role in a Kevin Smith movie." I was like wow okay!
IESB: Justin Long was hilarious, it must have been hard to keep a straight face with some of this dialogue.
BR: It was, especially because some of it was improv too so I didn't know what he was going to come up with next. But that the fun of it, that gives it an exciting energy when you don't know what you are going to get. I probably ruined a lot of shots laughing but that happens.
IESB: After Superman, you've done several different types of roles, are you looking to do comedy again?
BR: Yeah, totally, it's my first real comedy, although I always felt Clark [Kent] to be a really funny guy and a comedic character to play. But, a few months after Zack and Miri I did a romantic comedy called Table for Three which I star in which is out in March with Sophia Bush and Jesse Bradford and Jennifer Morrison which I am really excited about. A couple other ones I did are some smaller films that aren't out yet that are somewhat comedic so it's something that I love and want to do more of.
IESB: Talking about one Kevin, Kevin Smith, let's talk about another Kevin, Kevin Munroe. I love him, we've been talking about Dylan Dog for a while, what's going on?
BR: Well, I think we are actually going to make it now (laughing). I've never said that before, but I will now, all the paperwork is being finalized finally and we are looking really strong for a January, mid-January start I believe, in New Orleans. And, Kevin and I are looking at the script again and he's got his draft and I am excited about it.
IESB: Good, so is it still called Dead of Night or is it Dylan Dog?
BR: Dead of Night is the title, as far as I know, there hasn't been a change in that.
Until they decide to change it next week or something (laughs).
IESB: I was kind of surprised at the role you are playing, the dialogue and everything, just because we figured DC might have or WB might have some kind of clause because of Superman.
BR: No, not that I ever signed. And as far as that is concerned I am on my own as to what I want to do, I haven't heard hide nor hair from them about any of the roles that I do. I confer with them on my schedule because they have a contractual obligation to my time for a certain amount of time until that contract expires at which time I have to say hey I'm going to be unavailable during this time, do you want to exercise your right to use me in another Warner Bros. film. But, that's all the power they have over me right now.
IESB: I know Paul Levitz from DC said recently that he still has hopes that even if there is some kind of mild reboot or the sequel to RETURNS they definitely want you back. Has there been any recent conversations with the DC or Bryan [Singer] or anybody?
BR: Well, the most recent conversation I had was with Paul when I was in New York and we talked about what they are Warner Bros. were thinking and what the situation was and obviously, thankfully, he is still wanting me to be a part of it and I certainly want to be a part of it.
IESB: That's what he said that they are looking forward to bringing you back and we know Bryan has signed on to do it, I don't think that gets enough mention in the press that Bryan has signed on to do the sequel. Have they given you a time frame at all of maybe when?
BR: No, I don't have a time frame. I haven't really heard the studio's stance, I've just heard what's in the media and that every time I see somebody from Warner Bros. they tell me that they are working on it and are going to figure it out soon. But that's about the answer I get.
IESB: As an artist do you prefer smaller films or the bigger films?
BR: I don't typically like one over the other, certain times call for different movies and there are certain things you can do in small movies that you can't do in big movies. You also have an opportunity to do things you haven't done before. Even in this film I starting in November with Samuel L. Jackson and K Moss and Michael Sheen, it's an independent film but it's got these great actors who are aboard and it's a great script and a great director, and we are going to make a really cool film I think.
IESB: What character are you playing in that film?
BR: I am a special agent, I am an FBI agent who is on the case with Carrie Anne Moss who is the lead agent, and we are working counter-terrorism with her and we happen to actually be covering Michael Sheen's character who is the suspected domestic terrorist. So we are called in to be the experts on him, to find these bombs that have been supposedly placed throughout the United States.
IESB: Very interesting, and how long are you going to be on the set of that film?
BR: A couple weeks.
IESB: You've also done some television stuff, like Fear Itself, you produced, do you like the producing angle a bit more? Are we going to see Brandon Routh directing something anytime soon?
BR: I can't put a time line on it but it's certainly something I am interested in. The producing end is great because it's creating your own content and having a say in how things are done. I've worked with Kevin Munroe quite a bit on the script, not writing myself, but ideas and story and how do we fix the story and how do we make it better. And who's good for this role and who's good for that role and creatively it's been great to have that input and work closely with the director and understand his vision and he understands mine and we have a really good rapport. And so, eventually I will find material that I want to develop and create and it's an exciting part of it. It's not just acting in a movie in the whole creation of a movie that is exciting. So, yeah, I've had thoughts of directing one day. We'll see where that goes. I've got a lot to learn about how that all works, being in front of the camera as an actor is part of the learning process and behind as a producer will be a part of that process.
IESB: How about creating comic book properties have you dabbled in that?
BR: I haven't yet, but Kevin and I worked so closely that we might see if we can't create something ourselves. I don't know if it would be a comic book but something along that line, something sci-fi/fantasy/comic type situation. I am a big fantasy guy, I like the Medieval stuff, World of Warcraft and that stuff, so my interest generally lay in that realm but I like sci-fi a lot too so...
IESB: I am assuming you saw The Dark Knight like the rest of the world.
BR: Yeah.
IESB: I am assuming you enjoyed it?
BR: I did, I did, on many levels, it was really amazing. I thought the movie as a whole was a great ride and I watched the behind the scenes of the first one about the fighting style, so I was really paying attention when I watched this one, I wanted to see more fighting because I really saw how strong and powerful the moves are. It was pretty impressive.
IESB: A lot of people don't think Superman can be that dark, or that you could make such a dark Superman film.
BR: I don't know, I don't think the character necessarily has to be darker, I think he is kind of dark in a sense, emotional dark, in Superman Returns, and the movie as a whole was slightly dark, they could have had more prowess in it I suppose, and I think that's one thing that can be done in the sequel, so I don't know how much darker you want to make it necessarily. You make the stakes higher, you make the villain darker, I think that's a way to do it. But I don't think Superman himself needs to be darker. He definitely has to struggle, how does Superman be a part of the world? And does he have to make sacrifices to be a part of that world? To fit in and what purpose does he really play in the world? Those are all kind of dark places to explore. But, I don't think Superman should ever be dark and brooding, that's not is nature. And that's now what people what to see. Like Brainiac or something like that, a situation when the villain is...
IESB: Would that be a good, if you had a choice is that the villain you'd like to see in the next Superman?
BR: I think it would certainly be interesting, I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things.
I'll be borrowing a comic-book from Uni in about a week or so.
This is a step in the right direction if you follow through.
I will follow through, no doubt about it.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
And on an unrelated note, Margot Kidder's Lois Lane makes me want to cut my ears off.
Why? Is this yet another situation in which my love for Margot's Lois will see me in the minority? :v
Lois Lane should be hot and playfully sexy (think Lois from Superman the Animated Series), not overbearing and annoying.
Maybe, but when I read the comics regularly (until the early 90's) I would have hardly called her hot or playfully sexy. She was a plucky, aggressive, competitive reporter, always trying to get the scoop (and usually getting into big trouble at the same time). In that respect, Margot Kidder fit the Lois Lane of the time to a "T".
This image has already been debunked as a fake; however, it does I think show what I've been saying for a while...Megan Fox would make a GREAT Wonder Woman.
This image has already been debunked as a fake; however, it does I think show what I've been saying for a while...Megan Fox would make a GREAT Wonder Woman.
:x :x :x :x :x :x
"All the world is waiting for you...and the powers you possess..."
Make it so.
And if they can't get her for that, she ought to be Talia in the third Bale Batman film!
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
There's also been some speculation about the future of Sarah Palin. This may have potential. . .
Vox clamantis in deserto
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited November 2008
Pretty good photo-rendered shot of the Fox pic but she isn't my first choice as Wonder Woman. She's a tad overrated and tries too hard to look sexy. I think she's bought into that and seems to overdo it with the open mouth poses and all. It sometimes makes her look to sl##ty... 8-)
She's shorter than Lynda Carter and WW should be tall enough to pass as Amazonian-like & too petite with not enough "curves".
Only in the porn-like sense do I find her attractive. I'll still hold out hope for Megan Gale.
Deliciously curvy and she looks exotic in a Greek way. B-)
Ditto plus she carries her sexuality with class.
This is a poorer rendering of Gale as WW but it's convincing enough...
The only advantage that Fox might have over Gale is acting experience and even that might be debatable.
At least with Gale on your arm, it looks like you scored big on an elegant evening out, with Fox it just looks like a "quickie" in a West Hollywood alley. 8-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Comments
Because I expected and wanted more of Spacey. I love Spacey; his performances in The Usual Suspects and American Beauty were IMO among the greatest performances of all time, I thought his John Doe in Seven was extraordinary and I loved him in films like Swimming With Sharks and LA Confidential. but I hated him in SR. Yes, Singer should take much responsibility, but I still think (and wish) that Spacey had done more to liven up the character.
I really hope you're right. I would be absolutely delighted is someone else played Luthor though; to be honest, even if it wasn't mostly his fault, I am really soured on Spacey's playing Lex Luthor.
This raises an interesting question. Can films and TV shows be separated from the Comics? Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels. The point is that I regard cinema and literature to be entirely different art forms; even when a novel is adapted into a film, or even into a play or a stage musical. In fact the whole issue of cinematic adaptations being faithful to the source novel has never concerned me.
However, and I am asking this out of complete seriousness, do you believe that there is an exception to this when applied to comics? Accepting my original premise that films and books should be regarded as separate entities, are comic books a unique exception to this, or is simply that comic books fans tend to be more outwardly passionate, similarly to readers of genre fiction such as Sherlock Holmes?
Plus, *with such a famous character like Superman, and to a lesser extent Batman, one could argue that he transcends comics or cinema or television or any other single art form.
*Harlan Ellison remarked that "in all of the history of literature, there are only five fictional creations known to every man, woman, and child on the planet.... Mickey Mouse, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Robin Hood and Superman."
What, haven't my contributions (such as this one) been pretty substantial? :v (Yes, I'm also very modest.
Interesting that you mentioned reading material. I've recently been reading a very interesting book; Jake Rossen's 'Superman vs. Hollywood.' It was published this year, and it tells of the difficulties that Supes has faced in Hollywood. Although I knew a few of the details (such as Jon Peters's hatred for the costume and Superman's ability to fly), most of it was new to me, and therefore extremely fascinating. I hadn't previously known why Richard Donner was fired, but the book provided the answer and much more. It's not perfect; it's a little too judgemental for my liking, but it's extremely fun and a great read.
They have; doesn't mean it always works though, hence the reason we're talking about a probable Superman reboot. I could give you a much longer list but let's just stick to Supes for now... 8-)
Let's stop right here; but you have read these novels right? We can argue about the comparisons from both sides with these art forms(cinematic & literary), am I correct?
This sounds funny from a guy who's never picked up a comic book yet applauds something as lame as Smallville and is complacent to remain very ignorant (no offense) as to how much of the source material was actually sacrificed. Take off your ascot for once and read some comics for a change.
So if James Bond decided to ask Q-Branch to give him a sex change because he's compromised his cover, that wouldn't concern you either would it?
I mean afterall, you can keep Fleming Bond & cinematic Bond seperate right? High heels & all? And still enjoy it of course?
Nice try. Btw, your brother & dad still sound cooler than YOU; at least they've read The Phantom.
Black sheep.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
The how do you explain the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie? DeNiro's performance (and I'm being kind calling it that) pretty much throws your Spacey argument out the window and shows that if you have a bad script and a bad director even a great actor can't salvage his part.
It's hard to generalize a question like that. I remember once reading that even Ian Fleming didn't want a faithful adaptation of The Spy Who Loved Me to ever be made (I think it was mentioned in John Brosnan's book James Bond in the Cinema).
What WB has done with Smallvile however is take the Superman mythos and twist them to the sensibilities of one of their CW teen melodramas. I've always been of the mind that if you had godlike powers, the trivial affairs of mere mortals - especially angst ridden teens - would quickly become superfluous to you. Instead of telling us a tale of how young Clark Kent outgrows his childish wants and becomes the world's protector, we are usually subjected to the breakup of the week. The 1978 Donner movie managed to sum up Clark's life in Smallvile in one little passage delivered by Pa Kent: "I do know one thing and that is that you are here for a reason....I don't know what that reason is...but I do know this: it's not to score touchdowns." Think about that, they were able to distill 7 seasons of a show into a handful of lines of dialog (all beautifully delivered by the late Glen Ford), and all of it true to the spirit of the original comic.
So, while I don't expect 100% adherence to the source, I do hope for something that is at least recognizable in tone and character. Even the most outlandish of Bond movies was recognizeable as a Bond adventure belonging to that same universe. I could also make the same claim about your two examples (The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange) as compared to their literary, btw.
I think Ellison's quote is a little out of date; sad as it is to say, you'd be surprised how many kids these days don't know about Tarzan, Robin Hood or to a lesser extent, Sherlock Holmes.
I'd amend it to include Batman and Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock (not surprised Ellison left out those last two as he's infamous for butting heads with Trek personages over the years).
It looks good on my current system but I can't imagine just how much more resolution the BR brings this out.
I heard you can play regular DVDs on the blu-ray? Is that true? That might save me a little time since I'm reluctant to toss aside things that I'm attached to for the sake of progress.
I want to keep my collection.
This was one of many amazing shots from this film. B-)
One would have to be blind to say that the Hulk's CGI sucked in this.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Yep.
And on an unrelated note, Margot Kidder's Lois Lane makes me want to cut my ears off.
Results will vary from movie to movie based on how much effort was put in the transfer but in general, BluRay and a good 50" 1080p hi-def TV do bring out way more detail. I was watching a little bit of FRWL last night and in addition to seeing a clearly nude Daniela Bianchi getting into bed ( ;% ) the closeup detail on the actors was amazing. You could make out the individual pores on Connery's face and even see the tattoo on his forearm thru the makeup. The colors are much more vibrant as well.
All BluRay players can play standard DVDs. Some (like the very affordable Sony BDP-S350) do an excellent job of upconverting them to near hi-def as well. Still, for movies you really like that take advantage of the higher resolution, I'd say you may want to gradually go Blu, as my brother and I have been doing with our comic book and sci-fi films.
Will I see any difference in these?
Talk about random.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Actually, you'd be surprised. When Justice League: New Frontier was released, I decided to get the BluRay version and was quite surprised at how much crisper and more well delineated the art was; the line work was razor sharp. The special features on the disc (which included some clips from the show) were encoded in standard definition and the difference in quality was quite easily visible, especially if you were viewing it on a larger TV.
WB has started to release the JLA shows on BluRay; I haven't bought any myself yet but I've read that other than the first season the shows were mastered and framed for hi-def presentation so even there you should see a difference.
Speaking of TIH:
The Incredible Hulk Smashes the Competition
Source:The Hollywood Reporter October 30, 2008
Universal's The Incredible Hulk debuted at No. 1 on all three charts last week.
The summer theatrical hit bumped the previous week's winner, Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, to the No. 2 position on all three charts.
"Hulk" handily took the top spot on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart for the week ending Oct. 26, selling more than four times as many copies as the next-highest-ranked debutante, The Strangers, also from Universal, which bowed at No. 3.
"Hulk" also topped Home Media Magazine's video rental chart for the week ending Oct. 26, though in rental stores it only generated about twice as many transactions as did "Strangers," which also bowed at No. 3.
"Hulk" scored its third win on the Nielsen VideoScan Blu-ray Disc chart.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
(De Niro, my all-time favourite actor and one of my true Gods, has in recent years suffered not merely from ordinary screenplays but from lack of interest and a lack of a desire to challenge himself. With films like Rocky & Bullwinkle, he no longer cares about his craft, although that is hopefully changing.)
Interesting. Regarding Smallville, I was never impressed, as well, that Clarke was presented as such an annoying and self-righteous do-gooder.
Batman, definity, Kirk & Spock, maybe, however I would also include James Bond.
?:) Could you rephase?
Of course it would, but not because it's being unfaithful to the Fleming novels (which I am currently reading BTW), but because it would be terrible. My point about keeping film and literature separate is only I don't think one should be measured by how faithful it is to the other. Of course, many great cinematic adaptations are quite faithful, but I don't believe that a film adaptation has to be faithful for the sake of it. My point comes down to this. If a film director buys the rights to a novel, should they be ethically obligated to be completely faithful to it and will the film automatically suffer if it wasn't faithful? My answer to both questions is no, as once the book becomes filmed, IMO it should be judged on its own merits, not on how faithful it was to the source novel.
Plus, forgetting the novels, it wouldn't exactly be faithful to the cinematic character if he were to ask for a sex change, would it? :v
Just because I view all artforms as separate, doesn't mean that I think that artists can get away with destroying the integrity of their art.
Thanks.
(BTW, in about 1-2 weeks expect some surprising news from me on this thread. :v)
Well that's how we feel about the comic format. There's an unspoken passion that comes with adaptations of this kind. But at least read a graphic novel to compare; it shouldn't be that difficult for you.
You're naming books that you've read that have nothing to do with this thread and you're still engaging in a hatchet battle without your own hatchet
You're a likeable guy, Dan but I might just have to give in and send the hooded ones after you. You're just not of the body. X-(
You get a subscription to DC or Marvel comics?
About the only surprise you could get me on right now...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Here's what I'd recommend:
1. For the TV stick with an LCD. I'm assuming you'll be watching lots of sports on TV, maybe playing some video games and obviously checking out BluRay movies. While plasmas are much better with regard to burn-in and image retention, you still need to be vigilant about keeping static images (like channel logos and EPSN sports tickers) on screen for too long, especially during the first few hundred hours as you break the TV in. Ditto for video games with static HUDS that stay on screen for the entire session. LCD's on the other hand are practically completely resistant to image retention and burn-in.
I'd look at one of the newer Sony or Samsung 120hz LCD models. They are a little pricier but the image quality is top notch, they have great viewing angles, and the 120hz technology minimizes blurring with fast moving sports and movies.
2. For the BluRay player, I'd recommend the Sony BDP-S350. The MSRP is $299 but if you shop around you can find it for a lot less, especially the closer you get to the holidays. I got my brother one for his plasma; it plays all our movies, including the new James Bond BluRays which some other players have tripped up on, and even has an ethernet port on the back for easy firmware updates down the road. Its also a fantastic upconverter for standard DVD's.
Except I'm not attacking comics. I'm not discussing quality; only whether films need to be faithful to their source works. How can I make that more clear?
I'll be borrowing a comic-book from Uni in about a week or so.
Low blow, man. Putting Batman in drag destroys him in ALL forms of media... Cutting to the quick are we? You know I'm a Bats fan. Why didn't you use Wolverine as an example? X-(
*Dan, while in the can said* Quote:
Two of my favourite novels are The Godfather and A Clockwork Orange oh, and uh... and Spider-Man 3; neither of which I use as a measuring tool for the films as I do not believe that films have an obligation to be overly faithful to the source novels. Similarly, I consider the Bond films to be entirely separate from the Fleming novels although I love Spider-Man 3.
I also love Spider-Man 3 and want to kill myself for having these feelings...
*flushes* 8-)
And I've answered that...remember? ?:)
I'll sort of let you off of the hook on that one seeing that you've never seen Star Trek TOS...but not for long. :v
This is a step in the right direction if you follow through.
Thank you, Tony. Your post was overlooked while I was in the midst of pleading with Tom Wolfe's biggest fan to buy a comic already. 8-)
I will take heed in what you recommend.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Exclusive: Brandon Routh on Zack and Miri and a Dark Superman
Written by Robert Sanchez
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Brandon Routh plays opposite Justin Long in Kevin Smith's ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO. Their scenes are extremely raunchy (I wouldn't suggest watching this with your mother) but also extremely funny.
As Long's boyfriend, Routh is a gay porn actor who is also a high school friend to Miri. Who better to go to when needing porno advice?
The film opens in Friday and the IESB had a chance to speak exclusively with Brandon this week.
He told us how hard it was to keep a straight face when Long would improv in the middle of a scene. Also, he tells us that Dylan Dog is ready to start shooting in mid-January of '09 with Kevin Munroe, plus how does he feel about a “darker” Superman film this time around?
Check out IESB's exclusive interview with Brandon Routh below!
IESB: Zack and Miri was hilarious, I wasn't expecting to see you play that role it was so funny.
Brandon Routh: Awesome, thanks.
IESB: Who called who, I am assuming you are a fan of Kevin Smith's work?
BR: Definitely a fan of his work, they actually called me, I was surprised I got a call from my rep saying, "hey they want you to do a role in a Kevin Smith movie." I was like wow okay!
IESB: Justin Long was hilarious, it must have been hard to keep a straight face with some of this dialogue.
BR: It was, especially because some of it was improv too so I didn't know what he was going to come up with next. But that the fun of it, that gives it an exciting energy when you don't know what you are going to get. I probably ruined a lot of shots laughing but that happens.
IESB: After Superman, you've done several different types of roles, are you looking to do comedy again?
BR: Yeah, totally, it's my first real comedy, although I always felt Clark [Kent] to be a really funny guy and a comedic character to play. But, a few months after Zack and Miri I did a romantic comedy called Table for Three which I star in which is out in March with Sophia Bush and Jesse Bradford and Jennifer Morrison which I am really excited about. A couple other ones I did are some smaller films that aren't out yet that are somewhat comedic so it's something that I love and want to do more of.
IESB: Talking about one Kevin, Kevin Smith, let's talk about another Kevin, Kevin Munroe. I love him, we've been talking about Dylan Dog for a while, what's going on?
BR: Well, I think we are actually going to make it now (laughing). I've never said that before, but I will now, all the paperwork is being finalized finally and we are looking really strong for a January, mid-January start I believe, in New Orleans. And, Kevin and I are looking at the script again and he's got his draft and I am excited about it.
IESB: Good, so is it still called Dead of Night or is it Dylan Dog?
BR: Dead of Night is the title, as far as I know, there hasn't been a change in that.
Until they decide to change it next week or something (laughs).
IESB: I was kind of surprised at the role you are playing, the dialogue and everything, just because we figured DC might have or WB might have some kind of clause because of Superman.
BR: No, not that I ever signed. And as far as that is concerned I am on my own as to what I want to do, I haven't heard hide nor hair from them about any of the roles that I do. I confer with them on my schedule because they have a contractual obligation to my time for a certain amount of time until that contract expires at which time I have to say hey I'm going to be unavailable during this time, do you want to exercise your right to use me in another Warner Bros. film. But, that's all the power they have over me right now.
IESB: I know Paul Levitz from DC said recently that he still has hopes that even if there is some kind of mild reboot or the sequel to RETURNS they definitely want you back. Has there been any recent conversations with the DC or Bryan [Singer] or anybody?
BR: Well, the most recent conversation I had was with Paul when I was in New York and we talked about what they are Warner Bros. were thinking and what the situation was and obviously, thankfully, he is still wanting me to be a part of it and I certainly want to be a part of it.
IESB: That's what he said that they are looking forward to bringing you back and we know Bryan has signed on to do it, I don't think that gets enough mention in the press that Bryan has signed on to do the sequel. Have they given you a time frame at all of maybe when?
BR: No, I don't have a time frame. I haven't really heard the studio's stance, I've just heard what's in the media and that every time I see somebody from Warner Bros. they tell me that they are working on it and are going to figure it out soon. But that's about the answer I get.
IESB: As an artist do you prefer smaller films or the bigger films?
BR: I don't typically like one over the other, certain times call for different movies and there are certain things you can do in small movies that you can't do in big movies. You also have an opportunity to do things you haven't done before. Even in this film I starting in November with Samuel L. Jackson and K Moss and Michael Sheen, it's an independent film but it's got these great actors who are aboard and it's a great script and a great director, and we are going to make a really cool film I think.
IESB: What character are you playing in that film?
BR: I am a special agent, I am an FBI agent who is on the case with Carrie Anne Moss who is the lead agent, and we are working counter-terrorism with her and we happen to actually be covering Michael Sheen's character who is the suspected domestic terrorist. So we are called in to be the experts on him, to find these bombs that have been supposedly placed throughout the United States.
IESB: Very interesting, and how long are you going to be on the set of that film?
BR: A couple weeks.
IESB: You've also done some television stuff, like Fear Itself, you produced, do you like the producing angle a bit more? Are we going to see Brandon Routh directing something anytime soon?
BR: I can't put a time line on it but it's certainly something I am interested in. The producing end is great because it's creating your own content and having a say in how things are done. I've worked with Kevin Munroe quite a bit on the script, not writing myself, but ideas and story and how do we fix the story and how do we make it better. And who's good for this role and who's good for that role and creatively it's been great to have that input and work closely with the director and understand his vision and he understands mine and we have a really good rapport. And so, eventually I will find material that I want to develop and create and it's an exciting part of it. It's not just acting in a movie in the whole creation of a movie that is exciting. So, yeah, I've had thoughts of directing one day. We'll see where that goes. I've got a lot to learn about how that all works, being in front of the camera as an actor is part of the learning process and behind as a producer will be a part of that process.
IESB: How about creating comic book properties have you dabbled in that?
BR: I haven't yet, but Kevin and I worked so closely that we might see if we can't create something ourselves. I don't know if it would be a comic book but something along that line, something sci-fi/fantasy/comic type situation. I am a big fantasy guy, I like the Medieval stuff, World of Warcraft and that stuff, so my interest generally lay in that realm but I like sci-fi a lot too so...
IESB: I am assuming you saw The Dark Knight like the rest of the world.
BR: Yeah.
IESB: I am assuming you enjoyed it?
BR: I did, I did, on many levels, it was really amazing. I thought the movie as a whole was a great ride and I watched the behind the scenes of the first one about the fighting style, so I was really paying attention when I watched this one, I wanted to see more fighting because I really saw how strong and powerful the moves are. It was pretty impressive.
IESB: A lot of people don't think Superman can be that dark, or that you could make such a dark Superman film.
BR: I don't know, I don't think the character necessarily has to be darker, I think he is kind of dark in a sense, emotional dark, in Superman Returns, and the movie as a whole was slightly dark, they could have had more prowess in it I suppose, and I think that's one thing that can be done in the sequel, so I don't know how much darker you want to make it necessarily. You make the stakes higher, you make the villain darker, I think that's a way to do it. But I don't think Superman himself needs to be darker. He definitely has to struggle, how does Superman be a part of the world? And does he have to make sacrifices to be a part of that world? To fit in and what purpose does he really play in the world? Those are all kind of dark places to explore. But, I don't think Superman should ever be dark and brooding, that's not is nature. And that's now what people what to see. Like Brainiac or something like that, a situation when the villain is...
IESB: Would that be a good, if you had a choice is that the villain you'd like to see in the next Superman?
BR: I think it would certainly be interesting, I think there are a lot of things you could do with Brainiac. He's been given a lot of power and a lot of different abilities over the years in the comics, as far as I understand. I know that DC is working on a Brainiac storyline that they are excited about and I think combining the two and have that flow between the comics and the movie would be a nice thing. I honestly think there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Brainiac. Controlling people, controlling technology, a lot of cool things.
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5691&Itemid=99
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Lois Lane should be hot and playfully sexy (think Lois from Superman the Animated Series), not overbearing and annoying.
Maybe, but when I read the comics regularly (until the early 90's) I would have hardly called her hot or playfully sexy. She was a plucky, aggressive, competitive reporter, always trying to get the scoop (and usually getting into big trouble at the same time). In that respect, Margot Kidder fit the Lois Lane of the time to a "T".
Groo is a far too worthy comic to be loaning out...as any fool can plainly see.
Alex, I'd advise you not to suggest that again. A Groo collection? To a novice like Dan? Does life have no meaning to you anymore? ?:)
What a cool collection to own. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Thanks! -{
I was a big fan during the '85 to '95 run. (Still remember buying that first ish at the old Stars and Stripes!)
:x :x :x :x :x :x
"All the world is waiting for you...and the powers you possess..."
Make it so.
And if they can't get her for that, she ought to be Talia in the third Bale Batman film!
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
That is a great, er, what I mean to say is ...
Damn.
:x
She's shorter than Lynda Carter and WW should be tall enough to pass as Amazonian-like & too petite with not enough "curves".
Only in the porn-like sense do I find her attractive. I'll still hold out hope for Megan Gale.
Deliciously curvy and she looks exotic in a Greek way. B-)
Ditto plus she carries her sexuality with class.
This is a poorer rendering of Gale as WW but it's convincing enough...
The only advantage that Fox might have over Gale is acting experience and even that might be debatable.
At least with Gale on your arm, it looks like you scored big on an elegant evening out, with Fox it just looks like a "quickie" in a West Hollywood alley. 8-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -