Is There Too Much Face-Time In Comic Book Movies?

A little while ago I did a post on if there's too much face-time for high profile actors in comic book movies. Whilst this is not a new concept, it is definitely an ever-increasing one. The latest and greatest comic book movies are now starting to damage the integrity of their characters and storylines by altering classic costumes, or causing impracticalities to the storylines, just to get the actors some facial recognition? Is it worth it?

When Warner Bros recently unveiled our first official look at Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises, fans were shocked to see that Anne Hathaway was not modelling Catwoman's classic Cowl, and instead wearing a minimalistic mask. Storyline wise, perhaps wearing a cowl with cat ears would be impractical for battles, but is that the actual reason behind the dramatic costume alteration, or is just so Anne Hathway receives a good chunk of face-time as Selina Kyle. Whilst it's too early to tell if this is just Selina's suit, pre-Catwoman, but so far it resembles too much of Marvel's Black Widow, and not enough classic Catwoman.

I've mentioned the clichéd Spider-Man movies, and how Spidey manages to lose his mask in the final act of every one of his movies. Will that change now Andrew Garfield is wearing the tights? Considering Garfield's rising stardom I highly doubt it. Whilst I'm happy to see more scenes depicting Peter Parker's life, I certainly don't want to see the Lizard ripping Spideys mask of every time they meet. It plagued the last spidey movies, so Marc Webb would be wise to avoid using it.

Another interesting matter is that recent leaked snippets from the set of The Avengers, showcases Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fighting together, both without Masks and helmets. Whilst this may sound pretentious, but these are two of Marvel's most iconic heroes, and their classic costumes are a huge part of their characters. So why the need for Cap to face off against (spoiler alert) aliens with futuristic weapons, providing unmasked, the Srulls/Kree/aliens could just shoot both Cap and Thor in the head? I just don't see the need for the alteration of classic costumes, just to provide high profile actors enough exposure in the movie. It's become an overused, distracting comic book movie cliché.

Does anyone else agree with me? Do you find the common alteration of classic costumes as a way to reveal the actors and actresses faces to be annoying?

http://simonwalters.wordpress.com/

How to Find Your Classic Movies and Vintage Films From Hollywood Studios on DVD

In 2003, DVD releases of classic films were not only few in number, but rarely contained titles that were unfamiliar.

This scene has dramatically changed for the better. Now thousands of classic titles can be purchased on DVD, and at least a hundred "new" old movies are released every month. So many have hit the market, in fact, that online review sites now cover less than half of them. But you know they're out there, because you see them in the stores or find them listed in catalogs.

We have two problems. Much as we would all like to purchase every new DVD release that appears on the market, our funds are limited and we need to be selective. First up, of course, are the movies we fondly remember. Next are the titles that seem familiar, the movies that received a lot of publicity and won all sorts of awards , but that we missed seeing. And there are, of course, famous movies that were released before our time. But once we have these titles in our collection, there are thousands more to choose from, and these we know little or nothing about.

This is where reference books really come into their own. True, there are online data banks. If you know exactly what the title is, or who the actors are, the data bank will prove highly informative. But if you're just browsing, you can waste a lot of time and get nowhere.

Many of us have forgotten that you can pick up a book in your hands and by simply flicking through the pages, you can accomplish in ten seconds what will take at least ten minutes on the net. And when you find a title that sounds promising, like "The Belle of New York", for example, you can find out simply everything about it at a glance.

I said earlier, our keen classic movie collector has two problems. His second problem concerns the movies he remembers and would love to see again. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember the title or the stars, but can vividly recall certain scenes. A film about a couple of songwriters who always quarreling, for instance. There are hundreds of such films. A data bank is pretty useless for this sort of query. The only way to find the title is to ask an expert or thumb through a reference book. Particularly one with photos.

Answer: Well, it could most likely be "Three Little Words", if the movie was in color. Or "Tin Pan Alley", in black-and-white.

The DVD boom in classic movies shows no signs of abating. It is in fact increasing as new DVD suppliers enter the market and established firms search their vaults for anything that moves.

Specializing in classic cinema, the author of this article, John Howard Reid, is a well-known film critic who has written over 80 books of movie history and criticism, and contributed many articles to film periodicals in America, England and France. Most of Reid's in-print titles are available from online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. One exception is his privately printed "Classic Movie Posters", featuring 204 full-color reproductions of vintage posters from Hollywood's Golden Age. This book can only be obtained online from http://www.lulu.com/content/49373 or http://classicmovieposters.exactpages.com

16 Movies - A Perspective

Due to a a general lack of time, as well as various health issues, I've fallen more than a bit behind in my movie journals. In an effort to catch-up, I thought I'd combine my take on the last 16 films I saw in one quick effort...So here goes:

BROKEN EMBRACES - December 22, 2009 at The Royal theater in West L.A. - Pedro Almodovar's latest film is part masterpiece, part head scratcher. Convoluted plot has something to do with a film director gone blind, and the exploration of his tragic past. I love a good complex plot, yet not when I get lost along the way. The ending is awful, and makes no sense. Yet, this is an Almodovar film...so you still get a compelling and interesting movie...even if it doesn't all add up in the end. Perhaps I need to see it again...

HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS (2006) - is a movie I watched on DVD December 27, 2009 with my nieces in while I was on vacation. I was asleep through most of it to be honest with you (blame it on the comfortable couch, jet lag, and lack of interest)...yet it seemed like a cute story of a new kid in school who is challenged by a bully to eat fried worms. In the end, the new kid triumphs, the bully gets his...and everyone is happy...at least I think that's what happened.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL - December 28, 2009 at The Ramsey Cinema in Ramsey, NJ - another movie I watched with my nieces...and fell asleep a few times. From what I gathered, it was better than the original movie...Story involves the chipmunks saving the day from an evil manager (David Cross), who works with a female chipmunk group. Not much else I can recall...My attention was mostly focused on my nieces, who seemed to have enjoyed the movie...

IT'S COMPLICATED - January 3, 2010 at the AMC Century 15 - Nancy Meyers latest tale of wealthy adults with problems has its entertaining moments, yet overall rings false on all fonts. Some of it is just plain awful. How boring to say that "Meryl Streep is great" in the movie, yet she is, as is Alec Baldwin, yet Steve Martin is a bore, who adds nothing. Though better than her last movie THE HOLIDAY...IT'S COMPLICATED is still ridden with problems...and never approaching the quality of Nancy Meyers best films WHAT WOMEN WANT and SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE..

SHERLOCK HOLMES - January 3, 2010 at the Grauman's Chinese Theater. I wanted to like Guy Ritchie's take on the old Arthur Conan Doyle tale...yet I just didn't. The plot is too complex for its own good...and I was often lost. Robert Downey Jr's British accent is terrible, and often very hard to understand, and Rachel McAdams was simply miscast. Story involves Holmes battling an evil force (Mark Strong) terrorizing London. With the help of Watson (Jude Law), Holmes goes to extreme ends in order to uncover the truth and stop a diabolical plan. What should have been a great adventure film, ends up as a confusing, twisting, frustrating, and babbling set piece with not enough of everything...

DAYBREAKERS - January 15, 2010 at the AMC Broadway theater in Santa Monica. Great premise, lackuster movie. Story is set in a world taken over by vampires. Humans are a rare breed, and are hunted down for their blood. Ethan Hawke plays a scientist vampire who's working on a "cure" to help all of the vampires in the world feed off of synthetic blood...When he encounters a group of renegade humans, his life is changed by their secret discovery. Lots of blood and such...yet the story, as presented by The Spierig brothers is clunky and dumb. The direction is cheap, and undermines the story as a whole...which is a shame. Why take a B-movie idea and make it as a D movie? That quandary, like the film, doesn't make much sense...

THE BOOK OF ELI - January 16, 2010 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I was very impressed with this movie. The Hughes Brothers did an excellent job with Gary Whitta's intriguing script. The score, Don Burgess's dead-toned cinematography, and the overall feel of the movie added an extra depth to an otherwise depressing movie. Denzel Washington plays a mysterious loner who travels the plains of a post-apocalyptic world carrying a book that may help mankind. Blocking his way is evil Gary Oldman...who wants the book for his own ends, and will stop at nothing to get it. Aside from a miscast Mila Kunis, all of the performances in ELI are solid. Despite my initial misgivings over director and cast, I was pleasantly surprised at how good BOOK OF ELI is...

YOUTH IN REVOLT - January 17, 2010 at the Arclight Hollywood - Based on Gustin Nash's excellent adaptation of C.D. Payne's novel, YOUTH IN REVOLT is a highly enjoyable sex comedy. Helping matters is Miguel Arteta spiriited direction, which faithfully brings life to the story. Also helping matters is Michael Cera, a comic genius of sorts....who's distinctive manner is so mischievously coy and desperately innocent that one can't help but like him no matter what he does. Cera stars as a shy, yet precocious teenager who will do anything for love...even if that means stealing a car, setting fire to the town, lying, cheating, stealing, and even (attempting to) fake his own death. With a great supporting cast including Jean Smart, Fred Willard, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta and Justin Long, YOUTH IN REVOLT always entertains. Not a film for everyone, yet I liked it a lot...

LEGION - January 23, 2010 at the Arclight Hollywood - Another case where the film does not match the expectations of the premise. Paul Bettany plays a rogue angel who comes down to Earth in order to save mankind after God has marked man for annihilation. In a set-up similar to RIO BRAVO and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, the rogue angel sets up camp in a small diner (with a bunch of locals and a pregnant woman)...and defends himself against God's army of evil angels. Apparently the key to the whole event rests in the life of the pregnant woman's unborn child. If they can hold off the evil angels long enough...the baby will be born safely, and mankind may have a chance to survive. Though not a bad film,LEGION stifles itself in banal dialogue and a setting that seems too small in scale given the parameters of the story. The casting does not help matters...with Dennis Quaid and Lucas Black giving lackluster performances. That said, LEGION is fairly entertaining for what it is...

A SINGLE MAN - January 27, 2010 at The Landmark Theatre in West LA. - Didn't particularly care for fashion designer Tom Ford directorial debut...an overwrought, over-stylized downer of film about a middle-aged man morning the loss of his dead gay lover. Colin Firth is terrific, I will say that...yet the rest of the film seemed to ramble on and on with its overstated take on loss. Julianne Moore plays a pathetic British drunk for some reason, and the rest of cast look like they just escaped from a copy of Men's Vogue. What starts out as an interesting period piece and character study soon turns into a festival of the contrite and absurd...with an ending that is unintentionally laughable.

THE YOUNG VICTORIA - January 29, 2010 at the Laemmle Monica 4-Plex in Santa Monica - A good film, filled with plenty of interesting things to look at, think about, and discover. Emily Blunt plays the young Victoria, soon-to-be Queen of England with a strong combination of strength and vulnerability. Director Jean-Marc Vallee presents a story full of drama and romance...You could feel the pressure Victoria was under as everyone around her wanted their piece of the Royal pie. You root for her, as well as for her romance and marriage to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). I found myself getting very involved in the story...and looked forward to each and every beat....enjoying the ride along the way. Supporting cast is stellar with Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Jim Broadbent, and Paul Bettany...If you like intriguing period costume dramas, with a snatch of romance...you'll most likely enjoy THE YOUNG VICTORIA.

EDGE OF DARKNESS - January 30, 2010 at the Arclight Hollywood - A simple revenge story told in the most convoluted way possible. Why do filmmakers insist upon throwing so many plot points at you that you can't possibly follow what's going on? The story is simple enough, a Boston police officer (played by Mel Gibson) seeks revenge for the murder of his daughter. Yet along the way, he goes on a dark journey filled with scared informants and villains with gigantic black hats. Though entertaining at times, I found some of Mel Gibson's actions highly questionable...and at other times, just plain stupid. Ray Winstone plays a cleaner of sorts for the corrupt end of our government...who's motives are never quite known...and Danny Huston plays. what else?...the villain. Directed with gusto by Martin Campbell, EDGE OF DARKNESS succeeds as a compelling story, yet fails in the execution of it.

SUICIDE KINGS (1997) - January 30, 2010 - watched this one on DVD on my computer. A rather tepid film about a group of dumb young men from wealthy families who kidnap a mobster in order to use his connections to help recover the kidnapped sister of one of the men. Yet it isn't long before things get out of hand, and mayhem ensues. Despite strong performances by Christopher Walken (as the mobster) and Dennis Leary, SUICIDE KINGS is a dud through and through. Director Peter O'Fallon (who happens to be the father of one of my co-workers) tries hard, yet can't keep the silly story afloat long enough for you to care. Aside from being conceptually dumb, the film also fails because the actors in the story are so unlikable...each one portrays a different variation of jerk...making the on-screen interaction between them very dull. The ending doesn't make any sense, yet neither does the entire film...

A TO ZEPPELIN (2004) - January 30, 2010 - Watched this on a free Netflix steam on my computer. Caught this Led Zeppelin documentary by way of curiosity, yet was pleased to find some interesting footage on there. There seem to be a 101 unauthorized Led Zeppelin documentaries out there...so at first I was hesitant to watch (what I thought would be) a poorly put-together ripp-off...Yet in the end, I was glad I took a look. Through good interviews with big players in the Zeppelin story, I was impressed with what I saw. For die-hard Zeppelin fans like myself...the interviews presented in A TO ZEPPELIN are worth their weight in gold...Chris Deja, Lori Maddox, Jim McCarty, Simon Kirke, Richard Cole, Pamela Des Barres, Terry Reid and more...I wouldn't say I learned anything new...yet hearing the stories from some of the people who were there was fascinating...

HARRY AND WALTER GO TO NEW YORK (1976) - January 31, 2010 - Another movie I watched on my computer via Netflix stream. This was a movie my parents took me to when I was 7 or 8 years old. I always recalled scenes where they clink their glasses in a fancy restaurant...otherwise the movie is pretty bad. Under direction from Mark Rydell, James Caan and Elliott Gould do their best song and dance through a thin plot revolving around a bank robbery/revenge scheme by master thief Michael Caine. Caan and Gould are the bumbling idiot twins who always seem to get in trouble in the prison yard as well as the dining hall. Diane Keaton plays the bleeding-heart liberal/love interest who plans to use the robbery to help feed the poor. Charles Durning plays the gruff and corrupt bank manager Leslie Ann Warren plays the vapid stage actress. Burt Young plays the tough but accommodating prison warden, etc...Great cast, its a shame they didn't have a great movie to match...

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) - February 2, 2010 - Yet another movie I watched on my computer via Netflix stream. This was the first time I had seen Frank Capra's classic tale of Washington politics and corruption, and I must say I was not impressed. Tale of a naive young senator forced into the limelight of the Washington political machine didn't make too much sense to me. Jimmy Stewart, as the young Jefferson Smith, does a fine job....yet I never felt this character was a character at all...If anything, Jefferson Smith seemed to represent some sort of ideal...which is fine and all, yet where was the character?

Confusing matters is Smith's relationship with his mentor/antagonist Senator Joseph Harrison Paine (played by Claude Rains)...a relationship sewn together by a very thin thread...ready to come apart at any second. I kept waiting for something great to happen, yet it never does. The love story is weak, and contrived...and the famous "filibuster scene" left me cold. The ending is laughably absurd, and very anticlimactic. Don't get me wrong, I did not hate MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON...it's just that my expectation were sky high, given its reputation as a classic and all....Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, this movie will fall into the category of Films That I Hate...Then Later Love...

Famous Movies Featuring Chocolate

Chocolate is an important force in the world, and in many of our lives. While we might not think about it on a day to day basis, we'd definitely miss it if there was no more chocolate to be found. In addition, chocolate has been important in several movies and books over the years.

The three most popular of these films are probably the two adaptations of Roald Dahl's 1964 book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptation of Joanne Harris's 1999 book Chocolat. Here's some information about all three of these famous movies that center around chocolate.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

There were two adaptations of this book - one in 1971 and another in 2005. The 1971 adaptation is called Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, due to the then-association of the name Charlie with Communist Vietnamese soldiers. The movie starred Gene Wilder and was directed by Mel Stuart. It received an Academy Award nomination for the score.

Recently, another adaptation was made, directed by Tim Burton. This film has the same name as the book, and stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. This box office success got a good reaction from the critics, as well as a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the seventy-eighth Academy Awards. The film was released in the summer of 2005, and has significant plot differences from the earlier adaptation. Neither exactly match the plot of the book.

In this movie Willy Wonka was choosing a new owner for the factory. He did this through selling candy bars with golden tickets inside. One of the people who received the tickets was Charlie, a boy from a poor family. Once arriving at the factory the winners are dazzled by wondrous candy creations such as the chocolate river. A girl eventually winds up trying to drink from the river and accidentally falls in to her parents horror. By the end of the movie Charlie who has a deep appreciation for people and kindness is the winner.

Chocolat

Chocolat was first written in 1999, then adapted for film in 2000. This successful film pulled in more than $150,000,000 around the world, and received Golden Globe and Academy Award Nominations for Best Original Score, Best Actress and Best Picture. The film tells the story of a young mother who comes to a fictional French village with her young daughter and opens a small chocolate shop.

The chocolate she produces changes the lives of the people she lives around. There's a great deal of strife between the woman and the village, starting with the fact that she opens her shop during Lent. However, her confections eventually encourage secret love, help a married couple, and help a woman leave her abusive husband.

We all love chocolate, and box office figures show that we also love movies about chocolate. If you're feeling that craving, why not check out a chocolate-based film and enjoy it with a brownie, truffle, or scoop of chocolate ice cream?

Chris loves to write about all kinds of food particularly chocolates. For more information on the best tasting chocolates visit http://www.ultimatechocolateshoppe.com

Dine Out, See Movies, Go Shopping and STILL Save Money!

So we're in a recession.  People are losing their jobs, times are tough, and every time you turn on the TV it's more of the same "bad" news.  It's enough to drive any person straight to their shrink for a prescription of Paxil. All this dwelling on "bad" is not the way to uplift anyone's spirits.

Just because we're all tightening our belts and being a little more cautious with our money because we have less discretionary funds to spend is not a reason to stop having fun.  A little entertainment in life can be just effective as "an apple a day."  Who does' t feel better after enjoying a fine meal at a fine restaurant or perhaps you're more of a movie person.  A good comedy flick can make you forget your troubles for a little while. I know. I hear you.  You're saying "I don't have money to spend on fine restaurants and over priced movies.  Are you crazy"?   No, I'm not crazy.

The way for you to enjoy all the activities you love is by purchasing the The Entertainment Book.  The Entertainment book is a coupon book filled with discounts and coupons to all sorts of restaurants, attractions and shops.  There are fine dining establishments, casual dining and take-out.  The book also contains coupons for major movie companies like AMC, Edwards and Regal Movie Groups.  Plus you can discounts on hotels, airlines and rental cars. There's really nothing that's not included in the The Entertainment book.

You can find these books for sale all over the USA for your specific area.  They normally cost from $25.00 to $45.00, but if you sign up for certain mail reading services like Mypoints.com you'll get special offers sent to you throughout the year.   The Entertainment book is good usually starting in August when the books are printed through November 1 of the following year.  Let's say you want the 2010 edition, rather than purchasing it in August of 2009, wait until October or November, then you can find deals of up to 50% off the original purchase price.

Just think you could go to a fine dining restaurant that normally costs $25.00 per person for the entree.  The Entertainment Book discount is buy a dinner get a dinner free.  This means now your fine dining meal is only $12.50 per person.  After dinner you can then go see a movie.  Movies can now cost $10.00 or more per person.  The coupons in The Entertainment Book let you purchase tickets at the ticket counter (not in advance or by mail) for around $7.50 per person (including special engagements).  So for less that what you would have spent for your normal priced fine dining experience, you get to do BOTH!

I work very hard for my money and cannot understand why anyone would willingly just "give away" their hard earned cash.  I would much rather have this money in MY pocket rather than in someone else's, especially in this this uncertain financial times.

Thanks to The Entertainment Book, I can still enjoy all the niceties that life has to offer an so can you!

Remember: Have fun shopping, but shop  smart.

Theresa O'Keefe is known for being the "Discount Queen." She has a blog dedicated to ways to save money and her motto is "Have fun shopping, but Shop Smart"! You can learn more about her money saving tips by visiting her blog at: http://discountqueen.wordpress.com

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Best Super Hero Movies Ever

I just finished watching Thor on Blue-Ray and I enjoyed it a lot. Who would have ever thought that a live-action Thor movie would ever be made. Especially if you had ever seen the Thor appearance in one of the Incredible Hulk TV movies years ago. The concept of Green Lantern is awesome but I never thought that a movie would be made. So while I'm waiting for a live-action version of the Legion of Super-Heroes I thought that I would mull over what I believe are the finest films in the ever-expanding genre of super-hero movies. I've limited myself to live-action films even though some of the animated stuff is really cool. I think it would be cheating to mix animated films with the live-action films. I've also limited the number of "best" films to 10 otherwise I quickly venture over into the realm of Return of the Swamp Thing and Steel. So here I go.

10. The Rocketeer (1991)

Any movie with Jennifer Connelly in it can't be too bad unless that movie is Hulk. The Rocketeer perfectly captured the look and spirit of the Dave Stevens comic book. Super-Heroes and Nazi's always go well together, like peanut butter and jelly.

9. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Not to be confused with "Hulk" which was mentioned above, this 2008 soft re-boot of the Hulk franchise is actually really good. While not a sequel this film moves forward without invalidating anything from the previous film. The movie explores the fragile psyche of Bruce Banner; evokes the best of the Bill Bixby television series and has incredible (no pun intended) fight scenes with the Abomination. Plus the love story with Betty Ross is kept to a minimum. What more can anyone ask for in a super-hero movie? The only thing I can think of would have been a been a cameo from Wolverine.

8. Blade (1998)

I didn't know a lot about Blade when I saw this movie. I still don't know a whole heck of a lot about Blade the comic book character but Blade the movie super hero is awesome. Martial arts, swords and vampires. So cool its scary.

7. Batman (1966)

Sure it's campy; sure Adam West is a little pudgy; sure Cesar Romero would not shave his mustache but this movie is just fun. Has there ever been a better Penguin or Riddler as played by Burgess Meredith and Frank Gorshin respectively? For that matter Lee Meriwether is #2 on the list of best Catwomen behind Julie Newmar and above Michelle Pfeiffer. In this movie we of course see the classic Batmobile but also the Bat-Copter, Bat-Bike and Bat-Boat. We also learn that Batman carries anti-shark repellent in his utility belt. This movie would make the top ten list just for the scene with Batman running around the pier with a bomb in his hands.

6. Superman II (1980)

Fifteen minutes of this movie is probably the greatest super hero movie ever made. The fight with Superman versus General Zod, Ursa and Non over Metropolis still stands up to this day. If only Richard Donner had been allowed to finish the movie. We would have been spared much of the camp (this is bad camp unlike the good camp in the Batman movie) added by Richard Lester. The cellophane "S"; teleporting Kryptonians in the Fortress of Solitude and the mind-altering "super-kiss" at the end of the movie (as if Superman didn't already have enough powers someone thought it was necessary to add a few more) unfortunately forces me to keep this movie out of my top five.

5. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Simply a good movie. No longer bogged down by the requisite origin story Peter Parker can just go and fight crime as Spider-Man. The scene with the passengers on the monorail protecting Spider-Man chokes me up a bit inside. "Spider-Man" probably would have made this list but no matter how much I liked Willem DaFoe as Norman Osborn I really disliked the Green Goblin costume in that movie.

4. Iron Man (2008)

Robert Downey Jr. playing a narcissistic self-absorbed self-destrucive person with a substance abuse problem...awesome casting. In one movie Iron Man went from B-list hero whom nobody but a comic book geek had ever heard of to a true cultural icon and being featured prominently on every Marvel kid's toy right next to Spider-Man. That's the goal for all of these movies (see Green Lantern above). Iron Man not only accomplished it but it is a very good movie on top of it. The only drawback to the entire movie is the closing fight scene between Iron Man and Obadiah Stane. I feel like the hero has to fight a bigger, badder version of himself has been done to death. For example it was done in the same year in Marvel's other film the Incredible Hulk. Ultimately, I thought the movie was more interesting when it focused on Tony Stark rather than Iron Man. It made for a good movie but I'm not sure if that is a great thing for a "super hero" movie so Iron Man only makes it to #4 on my list.

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

This movie made a bazillion dollars. Heath Ledger was awesome as the Joker. It's a fantastic movie. It's just so long (2 1/2 hours) and Christian Bale is screaming throughout the entire movie. I've always imagined Batman to have a stoic coolness...like Clint Eastwood. Any complaints I have about this movie, however, are quickly mitigated by a Batman and Robin flashback.

2. Captain America (2011)

What did I say before about super heroes and Nazis? Well it's even more true when the super hero is dressed up in an American flag. The Nazis don't stand a chance. I loved everything about this movie. Chris Evans was very convincing as Captain America and as Steve Rogers. Even the Red Skull didn't seem cheesy. All this and the Cosmic Cube too, I loved this movie. Captain America: The First Avenger is a great movie and well deserving of my #2 spot. There is only one movie that could beat it out.

#1. Superman (1978)

This is it. The Grand-daddy of them all. It may not be the first super-hero movie but it is definitely the first movie that you think of when you think about a super hero movie. Where Chris Evans was convincing in the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America, Christopher Reeve IS Superman and at the same time he delivers the definitive portrayal of Clark Kent. Others have played the role before and after Reeve but none have worn the cape more convincingly or confidently. Christopher Reeve truly made me believe that if a man could fly it would be him.

My name is Actionlad. Actually my name is Blake Anderson but when I'm out fighting crime with my Mom and Dad I go by the pseudonym or if you like nom de plume of Actionlad. Read about my adventures at http://actionladsjournal.com/

What Movies Measure Up

Ever since Christopher Reeve donned Superman's red cape, heroes have been steadily finding their way off the pages of the comic books and onto the big screen. Stars like George Clooney, Nicolas Cage, Robert Downey Jr., Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Edward Norton, and Christian Bale have zealously donned the costumes of superheroes. And the likes of Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, William Hurt, Jim Carrey, Gene Hackman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Willem Dafoe have stepped into the evil minds of the evildoing bad guys. We're not talking B-movies here. This is grade A talent!

Millions of dollars are spent on costumes and special effects (to say nothing of the big salaries offered to the stars) in order to convert the cartoon images into lifelike reality. But is it worth the effort? Can these fantastic adventures make the trip from our minds to our theatres?

The answer, I believe, is "sometimes". Movies like "The Dark Knight" are legendary. Heath Ledger delivered one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen with his unique take on The Joker. "Iron Man", "The Incredible Hulk" (the 2008 version) "X Men" (the first two), and "Spider-Man" (all of 'em) did a solid job of creating an entertaining movie that was true to its comic book roots.

For those that failed - and I won't name names - I think the reason is that the directors and producers focused so much on action that they forgot one key element that resonates in every good comic book. The person behind the mask. Viewers, like readers, connect with a character that has depth. We want to understand this individual on a human level before admiring then on a superhuman one. We look for an emotional connection that begins with their "normal" persona. Superman is a character. Clark Kent makes him interesting because of the contrast. Peter Parker is so fallible that when he becomes Spider-Man, you root for the guy behind the mask.

Whether they make us laugh - like Will Smith's "Hancock" or Pee-Wee Herman's "The Spleen" ("Mystery Men") - or cheer, superheroes in the movies need to be as three-dimensional as they are on the pages of our favorite comic books. Moviemakers have to understand that what engages a reader is not just the explosions and battles, but the pages and pages devoted to giving us an in-depth understanding of this person. Many of the great comic books spend more space on the alter-ego than on the exploits of the hero.

If you're out there reading this, movie people, do your homework. Read lots and lots and lots of comic books before you dive into the script. Know what makes the characters likable, the villains despicable, and the stories so riveting that we comic book fans go back to the shelves time and time again. Because if all we want are buildings being destroyed and battles being fought, we'll watch the evening news.

The author is the Admin of Herobits.com at [http://www.herobits.com], where you can read about super heroes and check out the latest hero based card game and accessories. Enjoy the fantastic art of the Herobits kids card game [http://www.herobits.com].

Return of Roland The Gunslinger - The Dark Tower Movies

From every end comes a new beginning as we join Roland the Gunslinger in his tireless pursuit of the man in black, across the desert. The Dark Tower is a series of seven novels from the mind of Stephen King that would be best described as a cross between The Lord of the Rings and a Spaghetti Western. Although, I would contend that The Dark Tower is much more bizarre and graphic. There has been recent news about a trio of movies and mini-series that are to be made about this epic adventure. In anticipation of these productions, I have decided to revisit the quest that I embarked upon years ago when I read The Dark Tower for the first time. I use the word "read" loosely, because you don't really read The Dark Tower, you live it. Roland Deschain along with Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean, Susannah, and Oy the billy-bumbler are calling me back to once again be a part of their ka-tet, or group of destiny. The strange encounters, lethal adversaries, and the numerous destinations are vague in my mind, like memories from a previous life.

Although my memory of The Dark Tower is vague, I do recall that my favorite book was the third in the series, "The Waste Lands". Who can forget the haunting city of Lud and the villainous Tick-Tock Man. For me, the creepiest encounter in the whole Dark Tower series took place with an intelligent, yet suicidal train named Blain the Mono. This intense episode pits The Gunslinger and his companions against Blain and his infinite amount of computerized knowledge in a game of riddles, to the death. What sticks in my mind is how Blain the Mono was connected to a fictional childhood book about a train called Charlie the Choo-Choo. The word "Char" meaning death and Jake Chambers wondering if the children riding the train were laughing or screaming to get off. I always think of this when I see the real life children's book Thomas the Train. This is just one of the countless disturbing images I've come away with while on my first run through of The Dark Tower series.

How will scenes like this translate into a Dark Tower movie? I know that there are people on both sides of the aisle when it comes to making movies about a great series of novels. There are those that are dead set against it because they fear the story, as perceived in their mind, will be ruined. I'm of the camp, however, that is for the making of a Dark Tower movie. If it is done right, it could turn out just as fantastic, or even more so, than The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films. Those series of movies, according to an overwhelming number of fans, portrayed the characters and settings from the source literature in an accurate and entertaining manner.

Fortunately, The Dark Tower movies and mini-series have a great chance of being a success because the project is being put in the hands of a veteran director with decades of experience in the film industry, Ron Howard. The most important ingredient, though, is the actor who will play the lead role of Roland Deschain. Before I first read The Dark Tower and had it briefly described to me, I pictured The Gunslinger as Clint Eastwood. Obviously, he is too old to play the part. It has been recently reported, however, that the role of Roland has been offered to Javier Bardem who won an Academy Award for his part in the movie "No Country for Old Men". Bardem's gruff demeanor and familiarity with movies in barren western landscapes makes him a nice fit. The only problem is Bardem has brown eyes and Roland Deschain, as described in the books, has hauntingly blue eyes. This is where modern day special effects or simple contact lenses may have to play a part. Other than that, Javier Bardem assuming the role of The Gunslinger has great potential.

I look forward to re-reading The Dark Tower as a lead up to the movies and mini-series. Even if the The Dark Tower movies don't live up to the expectations, I get the thrill of living through the whole series of books once again. I highly recommend this Stephen King masterpiece to those who haven't experienced it yet because this is one adventure that shouldn't be missed.

Join the quest for The Dark Tower by visiting A.P. Papoon's Roland and The Dark Tower Movies blog. Also, if you like things that are creepy, be sure to check out the Creepy and Haunting Songs blog.

10 Great Comic Book Movies

Superheroes can be difficult to film. The colorful costumes that make for striking images in comic books can look absurd when translated into live action. Consider, for example, the silly costume of Adam West from the Batman television show. However, there have still been a number of very successful superhero films. In this article, I will discuss ten of the greatest superhero movies ever made. The films are in alphabetical order. When a film is a part of a franchise, I will only discuss the best member of that franchise.

Batman (1989): While flawed, the first of the Batman series of films is still a classic. Between Tim Burton's Art Deco design and Jack Nicholson's creepy performance as the Joker, the highly-successful Batman film brought out the bizarreness of Batman's insane rogue gallery.

Blade (1998): On top of being a great comic book film, Blade is one of the classic vampire films. It combines the "cool" vampires with tremendous action. Wesley Snipes does a fantastic job of portraying a vampire "hero," who is a couple of cards short of a full deck.

The Dark Knight (2008): The Dark Knight is perhaps the greatest comic book movie ever made. It is dark, tension-filled and action packed. It is made a true classic by the brilliant performance of the recently deceased Heath Ledger, who gives us a far less manic version than the Jack Nicholson version of the Joker.

Dick Tracy (1990): Dick Tracy was not a commercial success, but it was nonetheless one of the most interesting comic book movies ever made. It made the wise decision to be faithful to the appearance of the original comic book characters, and somehow did so without becoming cheesy.

The Incredibles (2004): While not strictly-speaking a comic book movie (there was no Incredibles comic book), the movie was a parody of other comic book movies. It brings out some of the innocence of the Silver Age of comics, while providing a high-quality family movie at the same time.

Iron Man (2008): In 2008, Marvel finally licenced an Iron Man film, and the film was made incredibly entertaining by Robert Downey Jr.'s inspired performance as the amoral Tony Stark. It brought out all the elements that made the Iron Man comics so entertaining, from the ambiguous lead character to the fascination with (impossible) gadgets.

Spider-Man (2002): There were three Spider-Man films, but the original remains the best. It did a very good job of making an exciting "super hero movie" with all the usual notes: there is an origin story, the hero's largest villain and main love interest. The film blended some elements of Brian Michael Bendis' "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic books to keep it fresh.

Superman (1978): This was the first superhero movie to try to follow in the steps of Star Wars and become a blockbuster. The film is wonderful, largely because of the performance of Christopher Reeve, who manages to strike the right balance between Superman and Clark Kent.

The Watchmen (2009): The Watchmen comic was largely considered to be unfilmable, but Zack Snyder proved everyone wrong. He managed to capture the feeling of the comic book, largely by actually using the Watchmen comic for story boarding. The movie is incredibly acrophobia-inducing as a result, so be warned.

X2: X-Men United (2003): The entire trilogy of X-Men films is very well done, but the second film really stands out. In this film, we see the X-Men at the center of a battle between those who hate mutants and those who want them to rule the planet. It introduces a number of components of the X-Men mythos, such as Weapon X and the death of an important character.

Alexander Rorty, M.A. has been writing online for over a decade. His latest site is called 8mm Projector, where he has a page about the 8mm camera.

Are Comic Book Movies Dying Instead of Thriving?

June has marked the release of one of the year's most critically panned movie. No I'm not talking about the mediocre movie The Hangover Part II. I'm not talking about the brilliant X-Men: First Class. As much as it pains me to say it, Martin Campbell's Green Lantern may become the worst disaster for comic book movies since the likes of The Fantastic 4 hit cinemas. And it was all going so well this year...

As I've mentioned before about the likes of Thor and X-Men: First Class, comic book movies have needed to drastically improve in order to survive at the box office. Throwing a special effects extravaganza at audiences just doesn't cut it anymore. Movies need to develop interesting characters, and generate a good story before worrying about spectacular special effects. That's where comic book movies are struggling. With so much choice now for comic book movies, the films can't afford to be lazy. Thor told a great father-son story, First Class added some historical gravitas to a superhero story whilst Green Lantern fails on just about every level...

Terrible plot holes, bad pacing, boring characters (unlike the comic book versions) and a bland story keeps Green Lantern's feet firmly on the ground. It's also an example of how a generic 'popcorn' superhero movie just doesn't cut it with critics and fans alike. If Green Lantern bombs, DC will probably shy away from moving forward with projects such as The Flash and Wonder Woman. This could cause serious ramifications for comic book movies because; Marvel's on screen catalogue of comic book characters will eventually run dry. With no alternative to go to, fans will inevitably get bored of Marvel throwing every B-List character under the sun at them. The same goes for DC's Batman and Superman franchises. They will eventually run dry and DC will have nothing left to offer.

That's what's most disappointing about the Green Lantern movie. There was so much riding on it, and despite having Green Lantern wiz Geoff Jones behind the scenes; the movie has killed off all momentum for DC. Yes they have The Dark Knight Rises coming next year, but considering that's up against Marvel's Avengers, don't expect it to reach the heights of The Dark Knight.

If the genre is dying, every upcoming comic book movie needs to be unique. The initial awesomeness of seeing Marvel's finest united on screen will undoubtedly hold off bad reviews, but other projects such as Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman might not be so fortunate unless they give the characters and the story proper attention. It's time studios take these movies seriously. From the moment the initial GL trailer hit the net and viewers were treated to a classic Ryan Reynolds 'I KNOW RIGHT' scene, it was clear Warner Bros weren't treating GL seriously. And that's why the genre is struggling. It needs more X-Men: First Class, less Van Wilder in space.

2012 will be make or break for the comic book movie genre...

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Top 10 Movies of 2010

2010 is starting off to be a good year for movie buffs.

#10 How to train your dragon.

This is a great movie on my list you definitely have to take the kids to go see it. This was a great movie from start to finish. You don't have to worry about crying kids for this movie it is fun for the whole family. The storyline is about a group of vikings that kill dragons because they believe them to be dangerous. One little boy goes against the norm and finds out their are more to dragons than meets the eye.

#9 Unthinkable

Another great movie the story is based on a American military specialist turned Muslim that plants three nuclear bombs off in three U.S. cities. The FBI and the military gets involved and brings in an unorthodox interrogator to try and find the locations from the prisoner.

#8 Clash Of The Titans

Another great movie to go see on a rainy day. This is a remake of the Old Clash of the Titan movie with characters like Medusa etc.

#7 Alice in Wonderland

This movie is absolutely spectacular the 3D version was excellent. This is another remake with various eye catching characters and lots of laughs. You will definitely leave this movie saying off with their heads. You will also want to jump down the rabbit hole yourself to go on your own adventure.

#6 Avatar

If you want to see a movie that is fun and full of action and adventure then you need to go see Avatar. This movie is about creatures called avatars that live in close proximity to a military base. This base has vehicles called Avatars that look just like the Avatar creatures and the humans go among the Avatars and try to learn their secrets. The military has another agenda they want to destroy the Avatars home so they can make money off of their resources. Its up to a select few to stop them and warn the Avatars before its too late. This was an excellent movie with a love story mixed in.

# 5 Nightmare on Elm street

If you want to be scared out of your pants then you need to go see the remake of the Movie Nightmare on Elm Street this is a good horror film. After you see this movie you may want to stay awake for a couple of nights.

#4 The Book Of ELI

This was a fantastic movie. This is one of those movies where everything comes together in the end. Denzel Washington did an excellent job in this movie as a hardcore mysterious stranger in town. Denzel is on a mission to protect a sacred book once the secret of this book is uncovered he finds himself fighting and on the run to keep his book safe.

#3 Shrek the Third

If you have seen all the other Shrek movies you need to buckle your seat belts because you are in for a wild and funny ride. This was his funniest movie yet and you get to see your favorite characters make you laugh one more time. This is a great movie for the whole family

#2 Iron Man 2

This movie had in your face action and adventure. If you thought Iron Man one was good then you haven't seen anything yet. With an updated suit and a new sidekick this movie packs a powerful punch. The fight scenes are incredible and when he takes fly you go on a wild roller coaster adventure in the skies.

#1. Prince Of Persia

If you thought Iron Man 2 was good then Prince Of Persia will make it look like a walk in the park. This movie has action, adventure, love, and suspense all rolled up into one solid killer movie.

You will leave this movie wanting a sword. You cannot just watch this movie one time, this movie is that good. Don't take my word for it go see for yourself.

My name is Bobby Key I love writing as much as people love eating. I have been writing and teaching internet strategies for several years. As you can see I also love television in my spare times. Reading is my passion I read allot and apply what I learn to helping people meet their goals as well. If you are trying to get started writing or just look for new ideas then visit my blog http://www.wordsinemotions.blogspot.com

Let's Watch Movies Online With Fireplace Warmth and Home Baked Popcorn

The year 2154, Jack Scully is a paraplegic marine who joins a project of alien world when his twin died. His DNA matched with the alien group called Na'vi and he was transferred into a Na'vi to give him an alien 'Avatar' to understand the Na'vi system and find their weak spot so that the mercenaries can wipe out the Navi's. So will Jack be able to infiltrate into the Na'vi's land and join the gory game of destruction? This is most talked about movie of the year 'Avatar' which can now be enjoyed from the comforts of your home when you watch movies online.

Undoubtedly, the popularity of watching movies online has become much popular and any latest movie can be watched anytime and anywhere. Convenient, easy to access and involve a small payment, on online movie portals you will be able to watch movies online or even can catch up the latest movie trailers as well. With a long list of the categories of movies available on the online movie portal, a viewer can choose from Crime to Romance or from Film-Noir to Sci-Fi. The process is pretty simple...a viewer has to log in to the sites, they watch latest movie trailers online for free, and then they can book for any movie of their choice against a small payment. Apart from the trailer shows and movie watching options, there are even other attractive categories to surf. The categories includes a long list of movie genres, latest box office blockbusters, first look of upcoming movies, show timings of nearby theaters and even an archive of blockbuster movie.

Watch movies online isn't costly as many people think. The price of watching a movie online is pretty cheap and a simple payment process of payment is involved within the process. Even you can read editorial reviews of the films and can decide whether you will lay hands on the movie or not. Forget Cable connections since there are problems with the Clack Gable movies since often they run out of stocks, on the contrary such problem doesn't exist in online movie portals. Moreover, you can even watch latest movie trailers online, enjoy star interviews, current box office churners, and even book online DVD stores as well. One of the primary features of the online movie portal is that viewers can watch latest movie trailers online and then they can decide on a movie title. Moreover, parents can keep a strong leash on the adult movie and can decide a movie according to the ratings & standards for display.

Any latest blockbuster, be it "Quantum of Solace", "Pink Panther" or "Hangover", any title is available at the online movie portals. All movies can be experienced in HD quality print and dolby surround sound and they will add up into a theatre experience by sitting at the comfort of your own. To Watch movies online will give you a viscerally experience for a new level of satisfaction, a great pleasure of serenity & excitement and moreover it will curtail down your cost of booking tickets, purchasing popcorns and snacks for the entire evening show. So now without spending on weekend shows in theatres, just book for 'Avatar' now and sit & enjoy this magnum opus Sci-Fi on online movie portals.

Ready to watch latest movie online? Visit http://watchmoviesonlinetoday.net today for more information!

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2011

As we kick off a new year in cinema, I thought I'd take time to look ahead at the films we'll be hit with over the course of the year. In this article, I'll be going over what my 15 most anticipated movies are for the year. Now it should be noted, these aren't the movies that I feel will be the best of 2011 necessarily. Rather, they're the ones that, as of the time of this writing, I am anticipating the most. So without further ado, here are my most anticipated movies of 2011.

1. Sucker Punch

Director: Zack Snyder

Writer: Zack Snyder and Steve Shibuya

Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish

Release Date: March 25, 2011

Genre: Action Fantasy Thriller

What is it: A young girl is institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility.

Why it should be good: Really hot and badass chicks wearing schoolgirl outfits and other skimpy clothes, with swords and guns, coupled with Snyder's awesome visual flair? Yea, definitely count me in. The trailer for this thing just looks completely awesome. From the style to the action, even the story (while seeming a bit out there) seems cool. I'm beginning to thoroughly enjoy Snyder's work. If The Adjustment Bureau could be this year's new Inception due to its mindfuck story, then Sucker Punch could absolutely be this year's Inception meets The Dark Knight meets 300 meets Inglorious Basterds due to it's style and epic adventure, yet dark tone with alternate realities. This movie just oozes style and badass-ness and I really can't wait for what is sure to be an absolutely entertaining, epic adventure.

Why it could suck: Snyder can be a bit off his mark sometimes. While Watchmen was enjoyable, it did get a bit boring. And Legend of the Guardians is said to suffer from some pacing issues as well and has drawn mixed reviews from critics. Though to be fair to Snyder, he wrote neither of those movies, but is responsible for the writing (or at least screenplay) of the badass 300.

2. Sherlock Holmes 2

Director: Guy Ritchie

Writer: Kieran and Michele Mulroney

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry

Release Date: December 16, 2011

Genre: Action Mystery

What is it: Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.

Why it should be good: I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan. The Doyle stories still stand as my favorite books today. I love Sherlock. He's such a badass. And finally, a movie seems to have captured that pretty well. The first was one of the better portrayals of Sherlock I had seen. Rather than being portrayed as a snooty, 'proper' and sophisticated Englishman, he was shown with all the rough edges that Doyle wrote him with. While the movie was indeed Hollywood-ized beyond anything you'd find in the books, it was a fun adventure and quite an enjoyable movie. Guy Ritchie is a very good filmmaker as well. For these reasons, and my love for Sherlock, I'm very much eager to see how Part 2 turns out, especially as they go head-to-head with Moriarty. Also, I'm eager to see how well Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,etc) does in her Hollywood debut.

Why it could suck: New writers. The original writers from the first aren't coming back instead Kieran and Michele Mulroney are taking over the job. So let's see how they handle it. Relatively new to writing, the two previously wrote Paper Man which didn't fair so well with critics.

3. Paranormal Activity 3

Director: Tod Williams

Writer: Christopher B. Landon and Michael R. Perry; characters by Oren Peli

Stars: Katie Featherston

Release Date: October 21, 2011

Genre: Horror

What is it: Well, we have no idea what this one is going to be about as nothing has been given. However, the first movie followed a couple that were being haunted by an evil spirit who possessed Katie. The sequel (which was more of a prequel) followed Katie's sister's family as that same spirit haunts them and their baby. This all culminates to the two stories converging at the end of Part 2 where it gets to the point where Part 1 ends and we see what happens after the whole event. Undoubtedly, Part 3 is set to pick up where Part 2 and 1 left off. What happens from there? Your guess is as good as mine.

Why it should be good: The first Paranormal Activity became something of a cult phenomenon/sensation. Hailed as the scariest movie of the year, people flocked to the film making it a huge success. And rightly so in my book. It was a minimalistic horror movie that took it back to the roots of the genre by using tension and suspense to really instill fear and terror in the minds of the audience. Part 2, while some people seemed to not like it as much as the first, did more of the same. I actually thought Part 2 was pretty much right on par with the first. And the ingenious storytelling that created a parallel prequel to the first was definitely cool. The creator and writers of this franchise have really shown that the horror genre can be revived and doesn't have to be all about gore and such. They've done a good job with instilling that fear in the audience as well, tapping into that fear, leaving the audience's imagination to run wild while being completely captivated. I expect no less from the third.

Why it could suck: If you feel the second was worse than the first, then you may be in for some disappoint when you find out the same writers and director of the sequel are back. However, like with Part 2, Oren Peli (the creator of the franchise) is still very much involved and is serving as producer on this film.

4. Paul

Director: Greg Mottola

Writer: Nick Frost and Simon Pegg

Stars: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Seth Rogen

Release Date: March 18, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Comedy

What is it: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America's UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town-a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.

Why it should be good: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost back together again. That should be enough. Seriously. When these two guys get together it's gold, as evidenced by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. This might be my favorite duo around these days. They'll also be pairing up to write this which is always a good thing as well (well, this will be Frost's first real writing job, but Pegg has been responsible for their first two outings together). Now, they won't be reuniting with Edgar Wright for this one, instead they'll be teaming with the director of Adventureland andSuperbad, two movies which I definitely enjoyed. On top of all of that, they have comedic star Seth Rogan joining them. Sounds like quite the team really and I'm rather excited for what I'm sure will be a very funny movie, and possibly end up being the comedy of the year.

Why it could suck: You do have to wonder if some of that magic from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz will be lost as Frost and Pegg carry on without Wright. I think they're great comedic talents though and can stand on their own. And the somewhat all-star get-together should compensate.

5. The Adjustment Bureau

Director: George Nolfi

Writer: George Nolfi; Based on Short Story by Philip K. Dick

Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Terence Stamp

Release Date: March 4, 2011

Genre: Thriller

What is it: Just as he is on the brink of winning a senate seat, politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets a ballerina named Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). Though David is smitten, mysterious men conspire to keep him away from the beautiful dancer. David learns he is up against the powerful agents of Fate itself, and, glimpsing the future laid out before him, must either accept a predetermined path that does not include Elise, or defy Fate to be with her.

Why it should be good: Honestly, this sounds like it could be this year's Inception. With plenty of mindfucks going on, it's a thriller involving different levels of reality and mysterious forces. Matt Damon really tends to shine in these types of movies. The trailer has me rather intrigued and looks like it could provide quite an enthralling adventure. While this is Nolfi's directorial debut, he did write The Bourne Ultimatum, thus will be teaming up with Damon once again. The movie is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, whose work has been the grounds for such movies asBlade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck and A Scanner Darkly. So with presumably some good source material, and a writer that can definitely do the part (as illustrated with The Bourne Ultimatum) we could be in for a real treat.

Why it could suck: This is Nolfi's first time in the director's seat, so we'll have to wait and see if he's in over his head. Furthermore, it is being billed as something of a romance thriller. So let's hope they don't go overboard with the romance part and make it some sappy romance film for which they sacrifice some of the plot to focus on the romance.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Director: Rob Marshall

Writer: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio

Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane

Release Date: May 20, 2011

Genre: Fantasy Action-Adventure

What is it: Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

Why it should be good: Some people have hated them. Some have thought they've gotten worse as they went along. I've found the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise to be a fun adventure. Just a fun movie with plenty of adventure, some cool special effects, and just good times. And maybe it's my man-crush I have on Depp, but I'm absolutely thrilled to see him back as Jack Sparrow. The character is so much fun and always provides for some entertainment. Should be interesting to see how they go about freshening up the franchise as well as they get a new cast of characters while Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are out.

Why it could suck: It's a Hollywood sequel, those always have chances of sucking. Also, the exclusion of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann could put a damper on things. While there is a chance that it could freshen it up, there is just as much a chance that some of that magic might be lost as they look to replace those characters. Also, while we do get the same writers back, we have a new director taking on this sequel. Pirates seems to be out of Rob Marshall's comfort zone (best known for Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago) so we'll have to wait and see how he can handle an action adventure of this scope.

7. The Hangover 2

Director: Todd Phillips

Writer: Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha

Release Date: May 26, 2011

Genre: Comedy

What is it: Not a lot is known about the plot of this sequel. What is known is that the gang is back to get into more trouble as they travel to Thailand. And Phillips promise a lot of fucked up surprises and hilarity.

Why it should be good: The Hangover was hilarious I thought. The cast of the original had good chemistry and the writing was hilarious. It provided for several laugh-out-loud moments and was one of the funniest movies of the year (one of the funniest I've seen in a while too). Hopefully, getting the gang back together will provide for more hilarity that the first one delivered.

Why it could suck: New writers. The writers from the first aren't coming back and have been replaced. Instead we get Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin that have brought us such garbage asSemi-Pro, Starsky and Hutch, Scary Movie 4 and Superhero Movie. If their past work is any indicator of their talent, the writers could really butcher this franchise.

8. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Director: Michael Bay

Writer: Ehren Kruger

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson

Release Date: July 1, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Action-Adventure

What is it: The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.

Why it should be good: I've enjoyed the franchise so far. While Part 2, was blasted pretty well by critics, I didn't hate it that much. Granted it wasn't as good as the first, but I still found it fairly entertaining. And the movies are always a fun visual treat. Also, Michael Bay. I still have no idea why he receives so much crap while James Cameron is given a pass. Bay is just as adept a director as Cameron is. Anybody that still likes to tell me there's a difference between Pearl Harbor and Titanic will kindly receive a "fuck off" as you buy into the pretentious drivel. At least Bay knows his place (a mindless action director who can make pretty movies and fun explosions). Whereas Cameron believes his some gift to cinema which often leads to his films being poorly written, yet pretentious as hell. Seriously, I'll take Armageddon, Transformers, The Rock and Bad Boys over Titanic, Avatar, Aliens, and T2 any day of the week. Even though, yes, I know that will enrage many people and get me flamed for that opinion. Now, this movie (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) surely won't be a great cinematic piece. But as a mindless "let's make some cool special effects scenes and also blow some shit up" type of movie, it should be entertaining.

Why it could suck: Well, if I had to pick one movie from the franchise that was better, it's definitely the first. The writer for this third film, unfortunately, is the same writer from Part 2 rather than the first. Also, it's still Michael Bay. He's not the greatest of directors.

9. X-Men: First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writer: Jane Goldman, Ashley Miller, Jamie Moss, Josh Schwartz and Zack Stentz; story by Bryan Singer

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence

Release Date: June 3, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Action

What is it: Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.

Why it should be good: A look at when Xavier and Magneto were younger. A backstory to where it all started. For such a thrilling franchise, this could be a nice take on the story and provide quite some entertainment and thrills. Plus, having directed movies like Kick-Ass andStardust, Matthew Vaughn is, I believe, much more adept at creating a movie like this than say a Jon Favreau or such. Vaughn also has the enjoyable Layer Cake under his director's belt, which very much shows off that he learned well producing Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels andSnatch. Furthermore, his friendship and learning under the great Guy Ritchie, only further adds value to his role as a filmmaker. Meanwhile, the writers have brought us such movies as Stardustand Kick-Ass as well as TV shows such as Fringe and Chuck. Also, it has a pretty good cast.

Why it could suck: Well, those writers did also bring us The Sarah Connor Chronicles andAndromeda. Also, prequels sometimes have a tendency to not do so well. It's, sometimes, almost as if a prequel is a last resort when the writers have run out of ideas of where the current story can go, so they decide to go back and cash in on the name once more by filling in some gaps from the beginning. I guess only time will tell if this becomes a Batman Begins (ie a very good prequel movie that did very well to reboot the franchise) or it falls more in line with The Scorpion King (ie a complete waste of my time that probably shouldn't have even been made).

10. Source Code

Director: Duncan Jones

Writer: Ben Ripley

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga

Release Date: April 1, 2011

Genre: Action/Sci-fi-Thriller

What is it: An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.

Why it should be good: The trailer just makes this like it could be a cool creative story that provides for an entertaining thriller that could keep you on the edge of your seat. This is Duncan Jones sophomore release, after 2009′s highly acclaimed Moon. So, if he delivers again, we could have a nice treat on our hands and he could solidify his place as a talented filmmaker. I also really enjoy Jake Gyllenhaal. I think he's a great actor and should do fine in leading this movie. Vera Farmiga is also a really talented actress and one I definitely don't mind seeing. Meanwhile, Michelle Monaghan isn't too bad either.

Why it could suck: This is coming from an unproven writer. And while Duncan Jones' Moon was well-received, it's not rare that a filmmaker comes in to become something of a one hit wonder. Let's just hope Jones can deliver a worthwhile follow-up.

11. Battle: Los Angeles

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Writer: Christopher Bertolini

Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan

Release Date: March 11, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Action

What is it: A Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles.

Why it should be good: The official trailer makes it look so damn bad-ass. Maybe that's in part due to the great song selection for the trailer, but it looks just completely thrilling. It looks to be a sci-fi action movie that actually has some depth too. It sort of reminds me of Independence Day but with the seriousness, depth and emotional-center of some type of good post-9/11 movie. It's like we may finally get a really good sci-fi movie with the heart of the best war movies, coupled with the awesome actual and visual treats of some of the best sci-fi/alien movies. Eckhart is a good actor that should do well in this movie as well. Also, the writer's only past feature film work was The General's Daughter which I thoroughly enjoyed. So if that's any indication of the type of writing we'll get for Battle LA then we should definitely have a compelling story to go with the visual flare of it all. Likewise, Jonathan Liebesman has brought us The Killing Room which I felt was a fairly enjoyable suspense/thriller movie.

Why it could suck: Liebesman also brought us Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginningwhich was garbage. On top of that, movies like this can often take themselves too seriously and often times become pretentious and/or preachy and just plain unimaginative with no real heart to the movie (I'm looking at you War of the Worlds). Let's hope they avoid that here.

12. Cowboys and Aliens

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof; based on the comic book by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde

Release Date: July 29, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Action-Thriller

What is it: A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.

Why it should be good: It just looks fun. It's like Indiana Jones meets Men in Black with a good western feel to it. This also comes from the writers that brought us such movies as Transformersand Star Trek, and such TV shows as Alias, Fringe and Lost (though in my book "Lost" might be a bad example, though others seemed to enjoy it). Also, there's a good cast (Craig, Ford and Wilde), coupled with a nice supporting cast which includes Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano. At the end of the day, it may end up being a mindless action movie, but still looks to be fun.

Why it could suck: Jon Favreau. I'm sorry, but the guy hasn't sold me. People seem to like him, but I'm not entirely sure why. The guy hasn't delivered any really great movies. And only a few decent ones. Well, Elf I thought was really funny. Both Iron Man movies were really nothing to write home about though. Both were enjoyable, but they definitely weren't spotlights in their genre. And the second one was panned quite a bit (though I enjoyed both, but the second was a bit lacking). And that's really the only movies (Iron Man) that he's done in this genre/realm. So that doesn't give me a big vote of confidence in the guy. His other movies: Zathura was crap andMade was decent. Nothing else to note really. On top of that, the writers did also give usRevenge of the Fallen, which I enjoyed well enough, but wasn't on par with the first Transformersmovie. And they're also responsible for such things as The Island and Legend of Zorro.

13. Apollo 18

Director: Gonzalo López-Gallego

Writer: Brian Miller and Cory Goodman

Stars: None Given

Release Date: April 22, 2011

Genre: Sci-fi Horror-Thriller

What is it: Apollo 18 is a found-footage movie that claims to be "a film about the real mission to space in the 1970′s that was canceled by NASA." With the tagline "There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon", while implying a government cover-up of monsters existing on the moon.

Why it should be good: With these found-footage movies, they tend to go terribly wrong or be very entertaining. This one is looking to go the way of the latter. It's giving a fresh take on the rising sub-genre and taking us to an interesting location. Furthermore, it's basing itself on some real actual events, thus adding some extra layer to it. The viral marketing on this movie is going along nicely and the film has become something of a hot ticket. Gonzalo is a Spanish-born director who has had a couple of critically-acclaimed films in the past as well.

Why it could suck: It's kind of the nature of the genre. If they don't hit they mark, then they tend to really suck. Couple that with a pair of brand-new writers, and there are no guarantees for this movie. I'm getting a feeling though that this will end up being up there with Paranormal Activity.

14. Unknown

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Writer: Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cromwell; based on the novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert

Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones

Release Date: February 18, 2011

Genre: Drama Mystery Thriller

What is it: A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Why it should be good: Liam Neeson is a bad-ass. Watching the trailer, I'm reminded of Neeson's past movieTaken. Seems to be that similar mystery action thriller type movie. And I absolutely loved that movie. Neeson made it a very good film showing off his bad-assness in it. If Unknown turns out to be as good as Takenwe'll have a very entertaining movie on our hands. Didier Van Cauwelaert, whose novel the movie is based on, is an award-winning author with multiple best-selling novels. The novel this movie is based on has met plenty of praise. So, we're sure to find that the story/source material is good.

Why it could suck: Two virtually unproven writers. While the source material may be good, they could mess it up and adapt a bad screenplay. On top of that, the director is responsible for such things as Orphan and House of Wax, neither of which were that good.

15. Red State

Director: Kevin Smith

Writer: Kevin Smith

Stars: Melissa Leo, John Goodman and Michael Angarano

Release Date: TBA (Screening at Sundance 2011)

Genre: Horror Thriller

What is it: A horror film in which a group of misfits encounter fundamentalism gone to the extreme in Middle America.

Why it should be good: Kevin Smith. Smith is one of my favorite directors around. While last year's Cop Out was rather bland, this year he returns to writing his own material with Red State. Furthermore, he'll be treading into a new genre with his first horror movie. I love Kevin Smith as a writer/director and have been fond of pretty much all of his work. From Clerks to Mallrats to Clerks II to Jay and Silent Bob, everything Smith has actually wrote and directed, I've enjoyed really. Couple that with the enjoyable John Goodman and the "fresh off an Oscar-worthy performance" Melissa Leo, and we should be in for a real treat.

Why it could suck: As stated before, this is Kevin Smith's first venture into the horror genre. Some writers/directors find that there are just some genres that they can't do, while they're better suited for another particular genre. We'll have to wait and see how Kevin Smith's foray into the horror/thriller genre goes.

If you like this and found it helpful, visit my site couchpotatoclub.com for other movies related articles as well as the latest DVD and movie news and reviews.

Great Books Versus Great Movies

A great deal of blockbuster movies has been based on books. Here is a list of some of them:

BEN-HUR

Wallace, Lew

BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

Waller, Robert James

DRACULA

Stoker, Bram

THE EXORCIST

Blatty, William

FAHRENHEIT 451

Bradbury, Ray

FORREST GUMP

Groom, Winston

FRANKENSTEIN

Shelley, Mary

THE GODFATHER

Puzo, Mario

GONE WITH THE WIND

Mitchell, Margaret

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Duncan, Lois

JAWS

Benchley, Peter

LES MISERABLES

Hugo, Victor

THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Dumas, Alexandre

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Sparks, Nicholas

PLANET OF THE APES

Boulle, Pierre

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Austen, Jane

ROSEMARY'S BABY

Levin, Ira

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Harris, Thomas

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Dumas, Alexandre

A WALK TO REMEMBER

Nicholas Sparks

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

Wells, H. G.

And of course my all time favorites: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowlings and The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien; among many, many others.

So here is the question: Is it worth spending hours, maybe days or even weeks of our precious time reading books when we can actually get the same content in a 90 minutes excellent produced movie?

I say ABSOLUTELY YES!

Books are by far the most reliable source of any kind of information. There is no way we can compare the long amusement we get by reading a book with the thrill and short excitement we get when watching a movie.

When reading a book, a novel, a fairytale, any kind of story, the author gets us inside the protagonists heads, we become aware of their past, their instincts, their movements, we become part of their thoughts, their ideas, we become accomplice of their actions and we secretly feel doers, not only spectators.

I don't think there ever be a director good enough to fully get us inside a great book, let's say Harry Potter for example, don't get me wrong, I think the movies are really good, but why denied ourselves the chance of creating our own magic world? Get it our way, unique, special, private, only in our heads.

Another person's perception is not enough. It shouldn't be.

In the seven book saga, J.K. Rowling gets us inside Harry's mind; it's a hilarious place to be. Especially with friends like Ron, Fred and George. The actors playing these roles are very good, but how can they show us what was going through Rowling's mind when she wrote the dialogues? They can't; that, we get from the books only. Same thing with the romance going on within Ron and Hermione. No way will you get that from a movie. A glimpse, maybe; but you'll be missing a great deal.

In the other hand though, I've heard, can't confirm, but I heard the movie BEN HUR is way better than the book. Now, I know the movie is great, but said I can't confirm because sadly, I didn't read the book.

In that case, I must say it's possible that a movie could be just as good as or even better than a book. I would say this can happen because the book was poorly written, or maybe the movie had great special effects, the actors were especially charming or they added things to the original text.

But for this to happen, especially in our days, I say we must not hold our breath. We have excellent writes nowadays, awesome writers.

So I say: Read! Not only because we have to, but because we want to. There is an art in reading, as Isaac D'Israeli said, as well as an art of thinking, and an art of writing.

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." - Confucius

Zelene Cruz writes about books, movies, music, artists, entertainment. Find more about her in her blog: http://blogger.com/profile/13698904653727416399

Romantic Movies With Witches To See On Halloween

I Married a Witch (1942)

'I Married a Witch' with Veronica Lake and Fredric March could be the foremother of all romantic comedies about a witch in love with a "mortal man". It is based on a novel 'The Passionate Witch' by Thorne Smith.

The movie begins during the Salem witch-hunts. Veronica Lake's witch character Jennifer, and her father, are burned, and she casts a spell on the witch-hunter, Jonathan Wooley, played by Fredric March. He and his male descendants will always marry the wrong woman. After an expose of generations of Wooleys miserable in their marriages, we enter the present day, where the current Wooley, played by March, is about to marry. The witches' spirits are released from the prison where they have been waiting after their bodies burned, and they start haunting Wooley. Things turn, and Jennifer falls in love with Wooley, just as we knew she would.

Will she be able to stop his marriage? Will her father be able to stop her from marrying Wooley? Will he love her even after he knows she's a witch?

Bell, Book, and Candle (1958)

'Bell, Book, and Candle' is not based on a book, but on a play. In it, a witch, Gillian (played by Kim Novak) tries to spoil a man's engagement to her college enemy, but she falls in love with him in stead, and loses her magic. The man, Shep (James Stewart), finds out that she's a witch, and goes to another witch (who happens to be Gillian's mentor), who breaks Gillian's love spell, and Shep leaves Gillian. Will he manage to get his fiancée back? Will Gillian get her magic back?

This movie has some interesting sidekicks, like Gillian's brother, also a witch, played by Jack Lemmon.

'I Married a Witch', 'Bell, Book, and Candle' and the 60's TV series 'Bewitched', have very much in common. The movies were probably the reason why the television series was created.

Bewitched (2005)

This movie is based on the television series popular in the 60's. The movie doesn't manage to create the charm of the television series, and many fans of the original series were very disappointed with the movie. I saw the movie before seeing any episode of the series, and I thought it was rather charming.

The movie depicts the making of a remake of the television series. Will Ferris plays Jack, the actor going to play Darrin. He wants to find an unknown girl to play Samantha, and finds Isabel, played by Nicole Kidman, who happens to be a witch in real life. Isabel falls in love with Jack, but when Jack finds out she's a witch, he can't deal with it. It all ends up well, of course, as this is a romantic comedy, and the end of the movie has some lovely nods to the 'Bewitched' series.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

I am not sure I would call this a romantic comedy... Sure, it tells the story of three witches, who wish romance into their lives, and end up getting more than they can handle... Or so it seems. I think it is more a story of friendship and girl power, than about love. Nevertheless, it is funny, sexy and has magic, demons, witches and weird things happening, so I add 'The Witches of Eastwick' to this list of romantic witch movies to watch at Halloween.

This movie has a great cast: the witches are played by Susan Sarandon, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer and the romantic male lead is played by Jack Nicholson. Veronica Cartwright as the Christian wife of the local newspaper editor, is wonderful in her role. This alone would be reason to watch this movie.

'The Witches of Eastwick' is based on John Updike's novel by the same name, but the movie is quite different from the book.

Practical Magic (1998)

The art directing of 'Practical Magic' is absolutely wonderful. The house was built just for this movie, and also demolished after the movie was done, but the interior decor was amazing. The cast mentions the decor having had influence on them. You can watch the movie just to get some ideas on how to decorate a witch's house.

'Practical Magic' is based on a book by the same name. It follows the story close enough so that the times when it doesn't, irritate me. Many others have said that they love this movie, so give it a try, despite my minor objection.

'Practical Magic' tells the story of a family of witches with a curse. Any man who falls in love with a woman in the family, will die tragically. In the current time, there are two sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman). Their mother died "from a broken heart", when their father died, and they are being raised by their mother's sisters, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. Everyone in the village knows about the women being witches, and use their services during the night hours, and ostracize the women during the day. The girls are bullied all their childhood, and Gillian leaves the town, but Sally falls in love, gets married, has children and lives happily - until the curse hits her. Some time later Gillian is in big trouble, and she asks Sally to help her, which she does, but the trouble follows them home. How could this story end happily? Because, happily it ends, being a romantic comedy.

'Practical Magic' is partially very dark, including demonic possession and exorcism, but the end is very sweet.

Ketutar is a witch and a writer, interested in many things.

Surprise - Guys Who Make Movies Are Now Making Comic Books

By now you're no longer surprised that comic book writers, stories, and characters are being gobbled up by the movie industry. You've seen a ton of superhero and comic book characters in the movie theaters and on television. And not just the obvious stuff, but lesser known stuff like Frank Miller's Sin City a few years ago, and more recently his take on 300. Maybe you're even very observant and a comic book reader and recognize a few names as the credits roll. Like have you noticed comic book writer Jeph Loeb's name, mostly known for his Spider-Man comics work, showing up on shows like Smallville, Lost, and Heroes? Or have you seen the name Brian Michael Bendis, current writer of the New Avengers comic, show up on the MTV version of Spider-Man?

Well that's all well and good, but did you know it's actually a two way street? Film makers are WRITING comic books these days too. Ever heard of a TV show called Firefly and it's movie version Serenity? Or how about the show Angel? Surely you know Buffy the Vampire Slayer? All the work of Joss Whedon. But have you ever heard of the Runaways? Well that's the comic book he's writing for these days. Not to mention he's also the current writer of Astonishing X-Men. And in the past he's even done comic book versions of Buffy and Firefly.

These guys are stretched paper thin, but they LOVE comic books. You know the movie House Party? Directed by Reginald Hudlin? He's RUNNING the whole BET network right now. But do you know what he finds to do? Write the Black Panther comic. He's taken that underselling title and turned it into something BIG in the last year. He's had the Panther get married to Storm of the X-Men, and that idea is so obvious I don't know how I missed it.

Speaking of empires; ever watch that show Babylon 5? Well I used to get teeny-tiny acting jobs on it, and drive way up to Sun Valley for my little parts. Little did I know J. Michael Straczynski, the show's creator, would one day be writing MULTIPLE Spider-Man titles. Plus Teen Titans, Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four, etc., etc., And he just brought THOR back to life!

Do I even need to mention Kevin Smith? He OWNS comic book stores. And the number of comic title's he's written for is LONG. That's aside from his movies and involvement in TV, like Reapers his upcoming hand in "Heroes: Origins." Another guy who's name you might not know but who's work you DO know is (Stanley Tucci look-alike) David S. Goyer. Probably the next movies you'll see from him are The Invisible and Jumper which he penned not directed. But he's been or will be involved in, the Blade movies, "Blade: The Series", Ghost Rider, Magneto, The Flash, Batman Begins. Crazy right? Then of course there is the comic book work; JSA (Justice Society of America) which he writes with Geoffrey Johns.

Believe it or not lots of filmmakers are comic book fans. Can I take you back in time for a second? Way back in the old days of my life I had ONE single day acting work on NYPD Blue (it was actually the day I got into the union, SAG, but that's an entirely different long story). And I was walking around the Fox lot (I think that's where we were) and I spotted this small Asian man with a prominent facial mole. I ran back to my trailer to get a headshot of myself, and then followed the guy to his office. Knocked on the door and proceeded to meet with John Woo for about 10 minutes. He was had just finished editing his first big Hollywood flick, Face Off, and had some time on his hand. We talked about his penchant for dual characters, and the black and white suits (paging Tarantino) and the having characters simultaneously point guns at each. Main source of inspiration? Mad magazine's Spy Vs. Spy.

David Rosenthal writes for the internet. Chicago native, lived in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Graduated Columbia University. Did film/tv acting. Studied Bujinkan Taijutsu. Comic book and movie fan with an X-Men Wolverine site.

Comic Books Go To the Movies

Comic books have been published in America for nearly 100 years, but they didn't hit their stride until the 1940s when characters like Superman and Batman were introduced. Now, over 60 years later, comic book movies have become staples of the summer movie season. This year saw the release of "Spider-Man 3," "Fantastic Four 2" and "Ghost Rider, "(all based on Marvel comic book characters). Plus, the surprise hit of 2007, the Spartan epic, "300," was based on Frank Miller's acclaimed 1998 comic book series. These four movies alone have made over $700 million for the bean counters in Hollywood. Not bad for characters that appear in $3 comic books each month.

2008 may be the best year so far for comic book movies, with Will Eisner's (the father of the American graphic novel) "The Spirit" due in January, "Watchmen," directed by 300's Zack Snyder due in March, Robert Downey Jr. as "Iron Man," Ed Norton as "The Incredible Hulk" and Christian Bale back as Batman facing off against Heath Ledger as The Joker in "The Dark Knight."

Why have comic book movies become so big in the last decade? "Two reasons," says Marc Bowker, owner of Alter Ego Comics, a comic book store in Lima, OH. "First, special effects technology has finally caught up with the imaginations of comic book artists." The Spider-Man films are a perfect example of movies that could not have been done well without the advances in effects technology. (Want proof? Check out "The Chinese Web," a Spider-Man TV movie made in the 1970s.) The second reason, according to Bowker, "Hollywood has run out of original ideas." Most of the best films of the last 10 years have been based on existing material - novels, comic books, musicals, etc. Many comic book characters have 25-50 years worth of stories to choose from that would make excellent films.

Movie studios have taken over the biggest comic book convention in the world, The San Diego Comic Con, where they buy up the rights to comic book characters, big and small. The studios also use San Diego to make major casting announcements for comic-related movies and start building buzz around those films. At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con held in July, Zack Snyder was officially announced as the director of "Watchmen," and key cast members were revealed. Warner Bros. also held a scavenger hunt to promote the 2008 release of the new Batman film, "The Dark Knight."

The relationship between Hollywood and comic books shows no signs of ending anytime soon. There are dozens of movies based on comic books in active development, including non-super hero comics like Vertigo's "Y: The Last Man," and this fall's "30 Day's of Night." As long as the comic book industry keeps creating memorable characters with great stories, Hollywood will be waiting to bring those stories to the big screen.

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