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Billy Elliot (2000)
Billy Elliot (2000)
2000 | Comedy, Drama, Musical
8
7.9 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
“What boys do ballet?” One of my favourite memories of being in a cinema. It was The Filmhouse, Edinburgh, and we had heard this was getting good reviews, but were less than keen. From the first needle drop on T-Rex, through London Calling and The Jam, as Billy explores his passion for dance and expression in the face of Northern English prejudice and fear, I was in rapture! Julie Walters is the cornerstone performance-wise, but the immediate screen presence of Jamie Bell as Billy is undeniable. It reminds me so much of my own story that it will never fail to remain special. The feel good takes a while, and comes with lots of painful moments. But… when dad and brother witness that final moment… goosebumps on goosebumps!
  
Dark Nights: Metal
Dark Nights: Metal
Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion | 2017 | Comics & Graphic Novels
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, here's how I am gonna open this review.. With a kinda-sorta-but-not-reeeaaallly Spoiler: it's got a scene with <i>frikkin' Batman</i> riding a <b>DINOSAUR</b> (a T-Rex or Allosaurus)! Look, even you are one of those self-proclaimed haters of all things METAL-related, it's <u>the @#$% BATMAN on a #$@ing DINOSAUR</u>! If that ain't enough to get you excited, well, then, go watch an episode of SAVED BY THE BELL! instead, because that's more your speed!

DARK NIGHTS: METAL (as well as the prequel pieces, THE FORGE and THE CASTING) was one hell of an entertaining ride! It was clear that Scott Snyder had a great appreciation for the events of old, offering us a leaner event than Marvel has in the last five years! Sure, there was some hiccups along the way, and that is nearly truly for anything piece of literature. However, the hiccups were not enough to take away from the love and care that Snyder and Capullo put into this decidely scary (in an EVENT HORIZON or HELLRAISER-kinda way) yet highly interesting!

This was a tale spun out of FINAL CRISIS and 52, with ties as far back as CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH! Yet, it also showed some of the intricacies at play since Dr. Manhattan's "tinkering" (Man, I hope DOOMSDAY CLOCK gets finished before I die)! Yes, sometimes as the adventure unfolds, there may be a moment here or there where you'll be like, "Um, that's just not something that'd happen!". Well, duh, it's a comic book, silly! If you can hit [PAUSE] on the UberCriticalComicFan sub-routine in your brain, you might find that this is actually pretty damned good stuff! You can clearly see the love and attention put into this by both the writer and the artist alike!

Speaking of which..

Greg Capullo was a great choice to partner up with Snyder for this! His art is tight, yet creepy and foreboding! There were several moments throughout where I was just like, "Holy cow!". It honestly felt like a good DC movie (not like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN)!

Look, at the end of the day, here's what you've got: one hell of a good hero story, something any non-Trump supporters could use right about now! It's just Good vs. Evil, plain and simple! If that ain't the basis for a good story, then, heck, I don't know what is!