Comic-book mastermind Ed Brubaker to pen series for Crackle.com

 

AWARD-WINNING COMICS MASTERMIND ED BRUBAKER AND CRACKLE.COM TEAM UP FOR LIVE ACTION SERIES

Zoë Bell Cast As Ed Brubaker’s “Angel of Death”

San Diego, CA. – July 24, 2008

Comics mastermind and Eisner Award-winning writer Ed Brubaker (Criminal, The Death of Captain America) and White Rock Lake Productions have teamed up to produce Angel of Death, a new live-action series for Crackle.com, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s online video network, that will premiere in 2009.

Stuntwoman turned actress Zoë Bell (Death Proof, Double Dare) has been cast as the lead character in the series, which depicts a remorseless assassin (Bell) in the employ of a ruthless crime family. After suffering a severe head wound, she becomes so haunted by her victims that she decides to kill the people who ordered the hits, one by one. Angel of Death will premiere in 2009 on www.crackle.com/angelofdeath. Each 8-10 minute installment will be released over the course of 10 weeks.

“Besides the elation I feel about having a project I wrote actually being filmed, which is huge for any writer, I’m just as thrilled about having Zoë Bell signed on to star in Angel of Death,” said creator/writer Ed Brubaker. “And working with Crackle and Sony Pictures Television to give viewers instant access to the series online is completely overwhelming.”

“Angel of Death is exactly the kind of high-caliber original content our audience has come to expect from Crackle,” said Sean Carey, senior executive vice president, Sony Pictures Television. “The combination of Ed’s sensibility and Zoë’s talent is sure to keep loyalists and new viewers alike coming back for more.”

Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning writer best know for his work in comics, which includes such titles as The Death of Captain America, Batman, Criminal, The Authority, and others.

Brubaker’s work is credited for helping to revive the crime comics’ genre, and has also been translated into eleven languages around the world. Angel of Death was created and written by Ed Brubaker, and will be produced by John Norris and directed by Paul Etheredge.The series is produced by White Rock Lake Productions and will be distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

Press release courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger kicks Christian Bale in The Dark Knight

by Gary Sundt

It is a shame Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight will be lumped into the same category as films like Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man. Not that those films aren’t wonderful and all, but I’m being very honest when I say this new Batman film functions light years ahead of the comic book movie genre. Not even Batman Begins can keep up with this exercise in adrenaline and fear.

Notice I used the word fear. The Dark Knight is terrifying, grabbing you from the word go and then pushing the petal down until it breaks through the car floor. Right from the picture’s opening bank robbery, there is a raw power to the production that overwhelms the audience. Even on opening night, nobody is shouting at the screen. People only laugh when it’s appropriate to do so. Even the fan boys (which, in some circles, I have been lumped in with) shut their mouths. Everyone watches in stunned silence as the story brilliantly unfolds, marveling as the story takes us to the edge and back.

The power of that opening scene comes in so small part from the introduction of the Joker (Heath Ledger), a make-up clad nut job who seems to have a counter-intuitive agenda of cutting the legs out from under the organized crime bosses of Gotham City. And he isn’t the only one. The new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), has joined forces with the Batman (Christian Bale) and Captain James Gordon (Gary Oldman), who are doing everything in their power to do away with the city’s mobsters as well.

However, in a town as corrupt as Gotham, Dent’s goal is no easy task. He finally catches a break when Batman travels to Hong Kong and kidnaps Lau (Chin Han), the mafia’s accountant, leaving him gift-wrapped for the prosecution to make their case. What is the criminal underworld going to do? The Joker offers his services in dealing with Batman and Dent, and the mob begrudgingly accepts.

The Joker is then unleashed upon Gotham City, promising that people will continue to die until Batman takes off his mask and reveals his identity to the public.  This is part of the Joker’s many schemes to undo the moral and psychological fabric of the people, with his favorite targets being Dent, Gordon and Batman. He makes a game out of Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Harvey’s new squeeze and billionaire Bruce Wayne’s old one. The Joker doesn’t know Wayne is Batman, so at first he doesn’t have a full handle on the damage he is doing. But rest assured: this clown is a quick study.

The film’s development rests on the backs of the three men seeking justice. The Joker, on the other hand, is the ultimate catalyst, challenging every facet of moral character these guys can muster. Fortunately, Gordon has Batman; Batman has trusty butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and tech-man Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman); and Dent has Rachel. Will they prevail? Will good triumph? Well, I don’t think that’s for me to say.

As a comic book fan, I was very sure that I had The Dark Knight’s plot pegged. I’ve read enough comics (particularly those stories which inspired this film specifically) to know all of the crazy things they could draw from. To sum it up, my expectation was Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween mixed with this Joker-mob storyline. Was I right? Not really.

I’m going to be honest: unless you have read specific spoilers for The Dark Knight online, you really have no idea where it’s going. The script by director Nolan and his brother Jonathan has many tricks up its sleeve; you’ll never know what’s coming until it slaps you right in the face. There were moments I wanted to turn and give my friends that “WOW!” look, but my eyes remained fixated on the screen. I didn’t want to miss a millisecond of film.

For the record, the rumors regarding Ledger’s Joker are absolutely true. He is the proverbial ringleader of this flick, and I will jump on the posthumous-Oscar bandwagon when I say a better performance won’t be seen this year. He is literally invisible in the role, and we don’t remember until the very end that the dude from A Knight’s Tale is under all that face paint. Would he have become a Marlon Brando? We’ll never know. All we can do is accept that stabbing sadness when the Joker utters the painfully ironic statement near the film’s climax: “I think we’ll be doing this forever.”

However, Ledger is only the icing on a perfectly-casted cake. Every performance in the film is simply electrifying. Bale and Caine are now, and forever, Batman and Alfred. Gyllenhaal does a wonderful job in a role that many consider to be the weakest link of Batman Begins. Oldman, the wonderful actor that he is, continues to be the perfect Jim Gordon. And Eckhart functions as the perfect moral backbone in The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent has been my favorite Batman character since I picked up my first comic book, and he has never been more tragic a figure than he is in this film.

How does a critic review a film like The Dark Knight? There is so much to say, so much to communicate, but the desire to not-spoil the whole affair overwhelms any wishes I have to discuss the twists Nolan has in store for his audience.

What I will say:

1)   The Dark Knight has the honor of walking with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and the aformentioned Halloween as one of the finest Batman stories ever told. 

2)   I’ve seen the film in both regular and IMAX format, and the latter is the way to go if you have the option. The cinematography by Wally Pfister (who has been working with Nolan since his breakout film, Memento) is mesmerizing, and everything looks that much better in IMAX.

3)   The people behind The Dark Knight have created a masterpiece. The film is certainly the greatest superhero film ever made, but overcomes that distinction by being among the greatest American films of the last 10 years. If Nolan decides to return for the third installment, one can only imagine what will happen now that the genre has been freed of the camp shackles the comics walked away from over 25 years ago. 

Running time: 152 minutes. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Produced by Nolan, Mark Roven and Emma Thomas. Screenplay by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan. Based on the characters created by Bob Kane. Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and Chin Han. A Warner Bros. Pictures release. Rated PG-13

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

The cast of Hellboy looks dynamically off camera in Hellboy II: The Golden Army

by Gary Sundt

Last week, Hancock came out, and I was not very kind to the whole affair. The film dressed itself up (and indeed started out) as the funny superhero movie. I wanted to like it; I really did. But the movie just ran out of fresh ideas. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, on the other hand, does not run out of fresh ideas. In fact, I can’t think of a single uninventive or inauthentic moment in this superhero flick. 

The film is the latest from Guillermo del Toro, the man who gave us the everything from Cronos to Hellboy (2004) to Pan’s Labyrinth. All of his films are an exploration of the human condition through fantastical worlds and bizarre creations. While it may get slightly caught up in its action sequences, Hellboy II is a phenomenal example of what can be done in a comic book movie with a little do-diligence and imagination.

There is a whole lot of lore in these movies, so let’s run it down real fast. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is the son of the devil (is that right?), who as a toddler was sucked into our world via Nazi hoopajoop during World War II. He was raised by the late Professor Trevor ‘Broom’ Bruttenholm (John Hurt) in the ways of fighting the things that go bump in the night in order to save humanity. All growed up, Hellboy is one of the kept secrets of the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense), along with his fish-man pal Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and fire-starter girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). The government feels that these folks should be kept a secret, and it falls to Agent Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) to clean up the public relations mess every time somebody sneaks a photo of Hellboy and slaps it on the internet. He really hates Youtube.

While all this is happening, an ancient war is about to become the B.P.R.D.’s next assignment. See, a long time ago, a truce was struck between the humans and a mythical demon race. Mankind got the cities, and the other other guys got the forests. But we humans, with the pesky hole in our hearts that will never be filled, have built more and more, from parking lots to shopping malls. Our greed has taken its toll on the planet, and Prince Nuada (Luke Gross) of the mythical demon race is pissed. He is sort of a badass ninja prince, and effectively takes out his father the king and prepares for war with the human race. This includes making use of the dormant Golden Army, an army of indestructible mechanical behemoths that number 70×70. The only one to stand against him (and survive his dethroning process) is his twin sister, Princess Nuala (Anna Walton), who runs away in search for help.

Oh, and there is a new fellow leading the team who goes by the name of Johann Kraus (voiced by Seth McFarland). He is an ectoplasm who stays contained in a suit that would fit right in with those seen in the 1916 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He obeys the rule-book to the letter, to the chagrin of a certain spawn of Satan.

Also of note: Liz is pregnant. Hellboy, you dog.

There… I think I got it all.

This is the kind of complex nerd lore that we expect and accept from movies like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. In truth, understanding such history makes it all the more fun to see these movies. It’s somewhat comforting to master something that isn’t of particular importance, especially when the characters and settings are as rich as those seen in Hellboy II. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has provided del Toro with an endless array of remarkable things to show and tell. And del Toro is a pretty quick study himself, taking it all in and spinning the whole affair with his equally eerie and beautiful visual style.

Hellboy II one-ups its predecessor in several ways, not least of which is the handling of the ever-growing cast of characters. One of the problems with the first Hellboy was that there was not enough time devoted to developing those not Hellboy. Who was Abe Sapien? And for that matter, who was Liz? And what will they do with the new characters they are adding to the cast for the sequel? The big, red demon may be the showcase, but the screenplay by del Toro and Mignola plays it right by treating this as an ensemble piece. By the end of the flick, we know these characters and care about what happens to them.

What a consistent delight it is to see Del Toro at work. His films, while not all of them masterpieces, are wonderful to behold. Hell, I may not have liked Blade II, but it was never bad to look at. With Pan’s Labyrinth and now Hellboy II, the director has cornered the market on the new and inventive. One can only speculate what he will do with The Hobbit. You knew he was doing that, right?

I hope Hellboy gives Hancock a run for his money. Scratch that: I want a box-office spanking. Will that happen? Maybe, maybe not. Will Smith is a pretty big draw for a lot of people. But I have faith. If there is a Hellboy, there must be a hell, meaning heaven must exist, which in turn means God exists. A just God will grant Hellboy II the power to kick the crap out of Hancock.

Perhaps its a leap, but a man can dream can’t he?

Hancock

Will Smith lifts Jason Bateman’s car in Hancock

by Gary Sundt

Just before the start of summer movie season, my roommate pulled several movie posters from Total Film magazine. Most of them were garbage, but there a few jewels that made it up on the wall: The Dark Knight, Hellboy II, WALL-E and Peter Berg’s Hancock. Unfortunately, what must go up, must come down, and in the case of Hancock, that time is coming sooner rather than later.

Hancock starts off poking good fun at the comic book superhero genre that has become so popular in recent years. Will Smith plays the title character, who flies around with a bottle of whisky in hand and “saving the day” while taxpayers pay the price. Nobody likes this guy, primarily because (and as the movie states several times) he’s an asshole. But when our hero saves public relations professional Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from an oncoming train (and destroying said train in the process), the rescued decides to help the rescuer with a bit of good marketing. Ray’s wife Mary (Charlize Theron) disagrees, and keeps giving Hancock a weird look.

Anyway, Hancock decides to take Ray up on the revamp, and goes to jail to pay his debt to society. Crime is on the rise without the bum, who is busy sobering up, getting a new costume and shoving criminals heads up other criminals butts. Ray tells Hancock to stick with it because the mayor is going to call any day now. Sure enough, the phone rings, and its off to fight crime as a sober and clean-shaven superhero. And now everybody loves Hancock.

This is probably all screenwriters Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan had down when they turned in the script. The director and stars were most likely handed 40 pages with a promise of more to come. I say this because there is almost no warning when the movie takes a 180 degree turn and becomes a dramatic piece involving ancient quarrels and relatively lame villains. From this point on, the movie is no longer satirizing, but rather ripping off other movies in the genre.

I know every critic has discussed how the plot of Hancock suffers from a split personality. But let’s face it: that’s the problem here. The movie straight up runs out of ideas. It jumps the shark at the 50 minute mark. And to be honest, I liked it better when Hancock was drinking. Maybe that isn’t a good message to send to the kids, but the movie was more interesting.

There are things to appreciate in Hancock, but those come primarily in the form of Smith and Bateman, who are perfectly cast for the portion of the film that stays true to its premise. Theron is sadly underused in the first half of the film, and entirely misused in the second half. The film was shot by Tobias A. Schliessler in the ever-popular shaky-cam style, which is really a love it or hate it situation. I think it was a poor choice, but it does give the realism Hancock wants so desperately to invoke.

I’d like to track back to the scene where everything changes and Hancock becomes a different movie. IMDb.com states under their “plot” section that “a hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who’s trying to repair his image.” Technically this is correct. But let’s look at that scene for a minute. You don’t really know its coming. It’s awkward and forced. Smith and Theron are trying to make it seem natural, but it isn’t happening.

And then somebody gets thrown through a house. I understand how they felt, because I felt the same way after the scene. Bewildered. Angry. Lied to. The point: movies shouldn’t make you feel that way unless they are made by Michael Moore.

Running time: 92 minutes. Directed by Peter Berg. Produced by Akiva Goldsman, James Lassiter, Michael Mann and Will Smith. Screenplay by Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan. Starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Jae Head and Eddie Marsan. A Columbia Pictures release. Rated PG-13