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Joe Swanberg recommended Crumb (1994) in Movies (curated)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Sin City (2005) in Movies
Jan 7, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)
I absolutely adored Sin City when it first released way back in 2005, and I still do to a point, albeit a little less than I used to.
The main positives are of course the cast, and the style.
The cast is stacked - Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, Micky Rourke, Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Powers Boothe, Devon Aoki, Rutger Hauer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carla Gugino, Jaime King... that's a fair ensemble if you ask me.
The style is of course a huge part of Sin City. It's neo noir black and white with splashes of colour translate perfectly from page to screen. 15 years later, the effects still look pretty decent and the overall look of the film is practically watching the graphic novels come to life, a strength that is bolstered by the cast involved.
It has a cheesy yet engaging screenplay - the runtime clocks in at over two hours, but never gets boring (just about), and the constant growly voiceovers and on the nose script beats could have potentially been laughable in anyone else's hands, but Robert Rodriguez somehow gets away with it.
The comics ultraviolence is well realised - the movie doesn't shy away from the grimness of proceedings. Some of the content however feels a little problematic in this day and age. The whole thing is plagued by a steady stream of misogyny, which would have probably been toned down if released today, but in my opinion, it's never glamorised. 95% of the male characters are grim shitbags, and the audience know it well.
I understand why a fair few people have an issue with Sin City and it's content, but personally, I find it to be a unique film with plenty of positives, a project that respects it's source material, and just about manages to avoid falling inside of its own arse.
The main positives are of course the cast, and the style.
The cast is stacked - Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, Micky Rourke, Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Powers Boothe, Devon Aoki, Rutger Hauer, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carla Gugino, Jaime King... that's a fair ensemble if you ask me.
The style is of course a huge part of Sin City. It's neo noir black and white with splashes of colour translate perfectly from page to screen. 15 years later, the effects still look pretty decent and the overall look of the film is practically watching the graphic novels come to life, a strength that is bolstered by the cast involved.
It has a cheesy yet engaging screenplay - the runtime clocks in at over two hours, but never gets boring (just about), and the constant growly voiceovers and on the nose script beats could have potentially been laughable in anyone else's hands, but Robert Rodriguez somehow gets away with it.
The comics ultraviolence is well realised - the movie doesn't shy away from the grimness of proceedings. Some of the content however feels a little problematic in this day and age. The whole thing is plagued by a steady stream of misogyny, which would have probably been toned down if released today, but in my opinion, it's never glamorised. 95% of the male characters are grim shitbags, and the audience know it well.
I understand why a fair few people have an issue with Sin City and it's content, but personally, I find it to be a unique film with plenty of positives, a project that respects it's source material, and just about manages to avoid falling inside of its own arse.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Lady Mechanika Vol. 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse in Books
Nov 30, 2020
The steampunk genre has been, more or less, beaten into the ground. The market was flooded. From anthologies to original prose novels, there was a little sumpin' for everyone. Why, there was even a sub-genre to it that was steampunk romance! Wowz!
That said, I really didn't jump on that ride. I liked steampunk well enough, but like anything (yes, even McDonald's!), too much of a good thing is the opposite of good. Hell, even cosplay had embraced, making everything and then some incorporated with steampunk aspects!
However, when LADY MECHANIKA Vol 1 came up as $1.99 on the recent "Indie Sci-Fi" sale on Comixology, I thought I'd give a go. Yeah, there was steampunk, but there was some other things going on, and the art sure was purdy!
At first, I was worried that it would be a book not unlike many of the titles from Aspen Comics: lead females with waists that'd make supermodels jealous, meh stories, and even more meh characters. Fortunately, that was not the case with Joe Benitez's LADY MECHANIKA!
This first volume is comprised of the first 6-issue mini-series. It allows for some backstory, but just enough to keep you interested and coming back for more. It also introduces the two main protagonists: "Lady Mechanika" (not her real name, but a name bestowed upon her by the press) and Mr. Lewis, Lady M's "unofficial" ally and sidekick-of-sorts.
The story is fun, embracing all the aspects of steampunk. There is action and suspense, as well as an air of mystery. It is a series that is easy to get caught up in! So much so, that I went on and bought the other two volumes that were on sale, plus subscribed to the series!
Give it a go! If you have never read anything steampunk, this would be a great entry. And, if you already love the genre, well, then this will be a special treat! Enjoy!
That said, I really didn't jump on that ride. I liked steampunk well enough, but like anything (yes, even McDonald's!), too much of a good thing is the opposite of good. Hell, even cosplay had embraced, making everything and then some incorporated with steampunk aspects!
However, when LADY MECHANIKA Vol 1 came up as $1.99 on the recent "Indie Sci-Fi" sale on Comixology, I thought I'd give a go. Yeah, there was steampunk, but there was some other things going on, and the art sure was purdy!
At first, I was worried that it would be a book not unlike many of the titles from Aspen Comics: lead females with waists that'd make supermodels jealous, meh stories, and even more meh characters. Fortunately, that was not the case with Joe Benitez's LADY MECHANIKA!
This first volume is comprised of the first 6-issue mini-series. It allows for some backstory, but just enough to keep you interested and coming back for more. It also introduces the two main protagonists: "Lady Mechanika" (not her real name, but a name bestowed upon her by the press) and Mr. Lewis, Lady M's "unofficial" ally and sidekick-of-sorts.
The story is fun, embracing all the aspects of steampunk. There is action and suspense, as well as an air of mystery. It is a series that is easy to get caught up in! So much so, that I went on and bought the other two volumes that were on sale, plus subscribed to the series!
Give it a go! If you have never read anything steampunk, this would be a great entry. And, if you already love the genre, well, then this will be a special treat! Enjoy!
A refreshing take on superheroes
I’ve never read the comics, so took a punt on this as it’s been recommended by a few of my friends, and i absolutely loved it.
It’s the perfect antidote to the homely, suitable for kids superhero films like Marvel that bombard our screens every year. Instead The Boys is rude, crude, dark and downright hilarious at times. It’s full of blood and gore too that you’d never find anywhere near any Marvel films. There’s something beyond refreshing watching a show with superheroes behaving badly like villains, and the take on superheroes being owned and represented by a massive corporation is rather brilliant. You can almost imagine that this is how superheroes would turn out if they lived in today’s society.
This has a great cast too, and there are some wonderful performances in this. I adore Karl Urban and he’s good in this, although I feel like he’s let down a little by the fact that they’ve made him a cliched cockney. Antony Starr is seriously creepy and yet charming as Homelander, and he was great to watch. Although my favourite had to be Chace Crawford as The Deep. I feel like he was a little under-utilised in the main plot, but he provided some of the funniest scenes in the entire series and I really wanted to see more of him.
The ending was good and a nice reveal, although I wanted more and felt like it ended maybe a little too abruptly. Aside from Karl Urban’s English accent, the superhero names grate a little after a while because they are super cheesy and cringey (which I’m assuming they’re meant to be). And I felt like the character of Black Noir was a complete mystery and whilst this may be intentional, I do there has been a little bit more of him.
Aside from these little niggles though, this is a refreshingly entertaining series. So much so I’d love to watch a second series, like now.
It’s the perfect antidote to the homely, suitable for kids superhero films like Marvel that bombard our screens every year. Instead The Boys is rude, crude, dark and downright hilarious at times. It’s full of blood and gore too that you’d never find anywhere near any Marvel films. There’s something beyond refreshing watching a show with superheroes behaving badly like villains, and the take on superheroes being owned and represented by a massive corporation is rather brilliant. You can almost imagine that this is how superheroes would turn out if they lived in today’s society.
This has a great cast too, and there are some wonderful performances in this. I adore Karl Urban and he’s good in this, although I feel like he’s let down a little by the fact that they’ve made him a cliched cockney. Antony Starr is seriously creepy and yet charming as Homelander, and he was great to watch. Although my favourite had to be Chace Crawford as The Deep. I feel like he was a little under-utilised in the main plot, but he provided some of the funniest scenes in the entire series and I really wanted to see more of him.
The ending was good and a nice reveal, although I wanted more and felt like it ended maybe a little too abruptly. Aside from Karl Urban’s English accent, the superhero names grate a little after a while because they are super cheesy and cringey (which I’m assuming they’re meant to be). And I felt like the character of Black Noir was a complete mystery and whilst this may be intentional, I do there has been a little bit more of him.
Aside from these little niggles though, this is a refreshingly entertaining series. So much so I’d love to watch a second series, like now.
The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope
Book
Bestselling author Sam Maggs brings Nadia Van Dyne (the Unstoppable Wasp) and her genius friends to...
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra
6.0
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Book
Dr. Aphra teams up with Darth Vader himself in this audiobook original - an expanded adaptation of...
HS - Helsingin Sanomat
News and Weather
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Kuvaus Helsingin Sanomien sovellus tuo Hesarin laadukkaan journalistisen sisällön laitteellesi....
Clip2Comic – Cartoon, Sketch & Caricature Maker
Photo & Video and Entertainment
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Transform your pictures and videos into authentic, high-resolution cartoons, caricatures and...
Legion - Season 3
8.0
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TV Season Watch
**New Season Premieres June 24th, 2019* Based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) in Movies
Sep 5, 2021 (Updated Oct 2, 2021)
The latest entry into the MCU is a definitely a ride, both in terms of quality and in what unfolds on screen. The things I disliked about Shang-Chi are very clear cut - it's pacing is all over the place, there's an unholy amount of exposition dumps, and the humourous moments didn't always land. I have nothing against Awkwafina, but her character here is a constant quip-machine, and takes up a hefty amount of screen time, whilst simultaneously feeling a little pointless when all is said and done.
However, the things I did like about Shang-Chi are also extremely clear cut. For a starter, I'm just generally stoked that the character himself has his own movie. We've come a long way since X-Men blew the superhero genre wide open back in 2000.
It has a great cast, including lead Simu Liu, as well as the likes of Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh. The inner comic book nerd in me was beyond excited to see minor villains such as Razor Fist and Death Dealer on screen, and then of course (no spoilers!) a third act villain that is a true deep cut from the comics. Tony Leung's Wenwu aka The Mandarin strikes an imposing presence as the main big bad, and the subsequent theme of power and family gives the movie a beating, if tragic, heart.
Pretty much all of the fight scenes are great, and any flaws that I found were completely obliterated by the batshit insane final third, that honestly verges on live action anime at times.
The general tone of this movie feels like something new for the MCU. From street level fighting, to crazy fantasy style set pieces, to the exploration of Asian culture, Shang-Chi is a fresh new entry for the MCU, as the studio steps a little further out of its comfort zone. Please try to see it on the big screen if you can!
However, the things I did like about Shang-Chi are also extremely clear cut. For a starter, I'm just generally stoked that the character himself has his own movie. We've come a long way since X-Men blew the superhero genre wide open back in 2000.
It has a great cast, including lead Simu Liu, as well as the likes of Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh. The inner comic book nerd in me was beyond excited to see minor villains such as Razor Fist and Death Dealer on screen, and then of course (no spoilers!) a third act villain that is a true deep cut from the comics. Tony Leung's Wenwu aka The Mandarin strikes an imposing presence as the main big bad, and the subsequent theme of power and family gives the movie a beating, if tragic, heart.
Pretty much all of the fight scenes are great, and any flaws that I found were completely obliterated by the batshit insane final third, that honestly verges on live action anime at times.
The general tone of this movie feels like something new for the MCU. From street level fighting, to crazy fantasy style set pieces, to the exploration of Asian culture, Shang-Chi is a fresh new entry for the MCU, as the studio steps a little further out of its comfort zone. Please try to see it on the big screen if you can!