The Golden Age

This past summer thousands of nerds descended upon San Diego. They came in costume, they came with sharpies, they came with nerdy-Twilight-loving girlfriends. From July 23^rd to July 27^th, the San Diego Convention Center played its annual hosting duties to Comic Con, the mother of all Comic Book Conventions. This nerd didn’t get to go, but I witnessed much of the Con through the eyes of G4 (the cable video game channel) and various blogs.

 It was through this coverage that I heard one of the most the prolific statements concerning cinema today. In an interview with G4, Michael Uslan, the producer of every Batman movie since ‘89, declared to the world:

“We’re currently living in the golden age of comic book movies.”

Too bad Hulk - Wolverine doesn't believe in manners

 Look around you, it’s true. Super heroes and comic books are ruling pop culture. It’s impossible to avoid them and exciting to enjoy them. There was the good (Spider Man 2, X-Men, Iron Man, Ed Norton’s Hulk ), the adventurous (V For Vendetta, 300, Sin City) the OK (Hancock, Superman Returns) and the shameful (Ang Lee’sHulk, Spider Man 3, My Super Ex-Girlfriend). Like a super villain would say, “All was going according to plan,” – until July 18th, 2008 when Warner Bros. releases The Dark Knight and forever changes the genre.

Whether you think the movie lived up to the hype, Chris Nolan’s opus changed the way we perceive the comic book movie – it’s dark and complex and the performances are Oscar worthy.  It’s the gold standard for those looking to make the serious comic book film, and based on the numbers, a lot of people are going to want to make the serious comic book film.

A note to the dollar-centric minds of Hollywood, continue to be revolutionary. While it’s easy to reproduce a tried and true box office busting replica, real word-of-mouth buzz comes from mixing it up.

A lot rides on Watchmen, Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s epic, “unfilmable” graphic novel. It’s a gamble in many ways. Unknown to the public, cherished by the die-hards, who do you please, and how do you do it right? Thankfully, early previews have shown that it will continue the trend of a well thought out and executed, different comic book movie.

So the Golden Age can go on, if the right choices are made. It would be a shame to say we’ve reached the mountaintop. That CGI drawn, ass kicking, spandex clad mountaintop.

~Alex Rabinowitz

 

Trailer Madness: Medicine for Melancholy

       I found the trailer for this South by Southwest 2008 low-budget nugget the other day and can’t believe it has gone unnoticed given the extremely warm reception it has received on the festival circuit. Nevertheless, Medicine for Melancholy looks like it kicks ass and everyone should know about it.
       The trailer introduces us to Micah and Angela, two college-age African-Americans living in San Francisco, as they discuss their prior one-night-stand. They don’t remember each other’s names and awkward re-introductions ensue.

       
As the preview suggests, they spend the next 24 hours getting to know each other while discussing the aura of San Francisco. Micah apparently feels conflicted in a city with such a small African-American population. At one point in the trailer, Angela says, “It seems like this city just pisses you off,” to which Micah responds, “I love this city. I hate this city, but I love this city. San Francisco is beautiful. You just shouldn’t have to be upper-middle class to be a part of that.” Pretty deep shit.
       Something I found especially intriguing was where the film found its inspiration: a 1959 collection of Ray Bradbury-penned short stories entitled A Medicine for Melancholy. On the film’s official website, a quote from this work, states, “Find out what your hero or heroine wants, and when he or she wakes up in the morning?just follow him or her all day.” Could this flick get any cooler?
       I’m digging everything I see in this film: the gritty images of San Francisco, the über-hipster vibe, the interesting leads, the intelligent banter, and the killer trailer song (“Meet Me By the Water” by Saturday Looks Good to Me).
       Unfortunately, there is no theatrical release date as of right now. In early September, the movie was screened at the Toronto Film Festival and is continuing to make its rounds at other festivals. It will probably be difficult to catch in cinemas without a major distributor. Shit. But, with substantial word-of-mouth (that I demand of you!), maybe they’ll make a special offer to Syracuse students. Maybe.
      In the meantime, check out the trailer and the official website, strikeanywherefilms.com, for more information about this potential cult-classic.

~Michael Estabrook