I'll do my best to avoid any pictures that cross the 'NSFW' regulations, but it won't be easy. This character is easily targeting heterosexual comic nerds with everything they've got. Luckily the wardrobe and tendencies of the character are all fairly justified so try not to roll your eyes too hard.
A few of you may have seen movie previews for the upcoming 2008 movie staring (may he live forever) Robert Downey Jr. I'll try to cover the traditional iron-man as much as I can but this will be a good pre-read before the May 2nd movie.
I will start this post stating i'm not a huge Michael Douglas fan.
With that said Falling Down is probably one of the best of its kind. Focusing on the downfall of Bill Foster's(Michael Douglas) life as a suit and tie peon trying to deliver a gift to his daughter for her birthday, even though the exwife has a restraining order. With side plots about a detective(Robert Duvall) who is on his last day of work and gets no respect from his colleagues because he became a desk cop after an on the scene accident.
Through the movie he encounters a liquor store clerk that as he calls it, overcharges the consumer. Goes to a McDonalds-esque establisment a few minutes too late, runs into gang bangers twice, stumbles into a neo-nazi's named Nick grasps inadvertantly and then ends with a bang.
Quotes:
Captain Yardley: I never liked you. You know why? You don't curse. I don't trust a man who doesn't curse. Not a "fuck" or a "shit" in all these years. Real men curse.
Nick: We're the same, you and me. We're the same, don't you see?
Bill Foster: We are not the same. I'm an American and you're a sick asshole.
Nick: Just what kind of vigilante are you?
Bill Foster: I am not a vigilante. I am just trying to get home to my little girl's birthday party and if everyone will just stay out of my way, nobody will get hurt.
Gang member 1: Whatcha doin' Mister?
Bill Foster: Nothing.
Gang member 1: Nahh, man. You're trespassing on private property.
Bill Foster: Trespassing?
Gang member 2: You're loitering too, man.
Gang member 1: That's right, you're loitering too.
Bill Foster: I didn't see any signs.
Gang member 1: [pointing at a graffiti skull] Whatcha call that?
Bill Foster: Graffiti.
Gang member 1: Nahh man, it's not fucking graffiti. That's a sign.
Gang member 2: He can't read it man.
Gang member 1: Well then I guess I'm gonna have to read it for you. It says this is fucking private property. No fucking trespassing. That means fucking you.
Bill Foster: It says all that?
Gang member 1: Yeah.
Bill Foster: Well, maybe if you wrote it in fucking English, I would fucking understand it.
Bill Foster: What are you doing to the street?
Construction Worker: We're fixing it! What the Hell does it look like?
Bill Foster: Two days ago it was fine. Are you telling me the street fell apart in two days?
Construction Worker: Well, I guess so.
Bill Foster: Pardon me, but that's bullshit. You see, I don't think anything's wrong with the street! I think you're just trying to justify your inflated budgets! I know how it works! If you don't spend the projected amount this year, you don't get the same amount next year! Now, I want you to admit, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STREET!
Construction Worker: Hey, fuck you, pal.
So my last article on "The Best Villain Ever" (http://forums.deadgod.net/showthread.php?t=1776) has prompted me to look into best super-heroes, characters, and any fictional (and sometimes non-fictional) creations.
I'm going to attempt to do a 'review' a week on a character and it will be by no means 'front page material' as it falls more under 'to whom it may concern' rather than 'hey, this is rather neat'.
My reasoning and justification for finding these individuals intriguing may be hard to explain at times, as the people and times that made them add a lot to the 'reality lore' and isn't easy to explain unless you know what was going on in society at the times.
But ANYWAYS,
I think I'll throw in: The Man Without Fear, DareDevil (Marvel Comics)
I've been meaning to watch this for a while, but always got turned off by the apparent childish silliness I saw while fast forwarding through it. I'm glad I finally gave it a try, however, as it's much deeper than it first appears.
Much like Cowboy Bebop this anime is a blend of many different genres. Unlike Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo, however, Oh! Edo Rocket goes a step further by giving the characters occasional meta-awareness to parody the genres--in a sense, meta-meta. You'd think that would be a turn off, but it's not. It's very well done.
The plot presented in the first few episodes borders on the absurd, yet no humor or meta joke is made of it. A space creature crashed in Japan in the early 1800s and is trying to return to its mothership on the dark side of the moon. To do so it requests the help of a Keikichi--a fireworks artisan--to create a firework capable of reaching the moon. This set against the dark era of prohibition, where all luxuries (fireworks included) are banned.
Absurd, yet this facet of the plot is never poked fun at. As absurd as it is, it quickly becomes the element of the story most based in reality. With alien tech and math involved it becomes plausible that people of the 19th century could create a rocket capable of reaching the moon.
The characters which have no depth are drawn flat. This was one of the turn-offs for me at first, yet it's fairly effective in separating type-cast roles from actual characters. Those characters which do have depth have remarkable depth. There is no cliche evil mastermind like Sephiroth or Orochimaru--the evil in the show comes from morally weak characters.
Oh yeah, and the soundtrack is almost entirely jazz.
No, they're not always cats. Nor is it a musical. Yet this wasn't just an off-moment, distinct from the "real" show. From a continuity point of view this sequence actually happened, and affected the plot like any other element would.
Absurd? You'd be surprised how rational it seems.
It's a great series. Keikichi is only sometimes angsty (cutely angsty, mind you) and unlike most thick-headed protagonists has enough depth to keep him interesting.
I won't say much about Sora's human form, but her beast form is cute as hell, ne? ;)
I may be holding this to standards that include the words 'wicked sweet' and 'did you see the way he fucking cut off that guys head?' rather than methods of madness, intent, goals, ect. But regardless....
His name is Kroenen, seen last in HellBoy the movie (if you don't follow the comics).
Small compilation from said movie: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4mW2XN7egyE
Quote:
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen was born in Munich, Germany in 1897. A musical prodigy with angelic features and blonde hair, young Kroenen toured the capitals of Europe singing opera until his voice deepened with the onset of puberty, thereby ending his career. From a very early age, he demonstrated symptoms of masochism, whipping himself with a fresh branch of oak each day, and finding pleasure in the pain.
As a teenager, he loathed his awkwardness and may have developed an extreme form of body dysmorphic disorder. He conducted a series of brutal experiments due to his surgical addiction, in which he surgically removed his own eyelids and lips. He later designed a tight-fitting gas mask to filter out germ and hide his disfigured face.
Quote:
After Kroenen's disappearance, records were found of his experiments on fusing steel to bone. This is further evidence of Kroenen's philosophy that humanity’s future lay in the marriage of flesh and machine. In 1956, an unmarked grave in Romania was found. Dental records identified the remains as those of Kroenen. However, Kroenen reappeared in 2004.
Using a mixture of occult magic and clockwork, Kroenen created a prosthetic heart and left hand. By cranking the key-like mechanism where his heart should be, he effectively was able to wind up his wrists, allowing him to wield his tonfa swords with superhuman skill and precision. He could also turn the key to "switch off" his body (literally), remaining in a dormant state and appearing dead
He is pretty much a clock-work assassin with a tight-black leather trench-coat and a wicked cool mask. Also a nazi. He looks rad with a luger and INSANE with the tonfa swords. He may fall under the lackey category, but as far as bad-guys go; this one did it for me.
Now I really don't consider the following to be some preachy soap-box about a movie you should all see because my 'review' is so SUPER... but I happen to hold movies to damn near impossible standards and this one managed to hit all the right marks for me. I could right pages on their fantastic advertising alone, but anyhow:
So I went to the midnight showing of Cloverfield. It wasn't because I am a huge raving fanboi about the movie (although I am), but I just didn't want any spoilers as it has been a rampaging mystery since it's cryptic title-less trailer many many many months ago that showed a camcorder capturing what appeared to be an explosion during a going away party.
It had no title, no clear plot aside from a cryptic explosion. That was the only information released. Later on they added the Statue of Liberty's head rolling through the streets. http://youtube.com/watch?v=IvNkGm8mxiM
That's really all that was said. All that was ever shown. Fans spread what they thought the monster would look like all over the internet and while they were all incredible, they weren't even close.
The movie was shot with that annoying 'shaky cam' effect that saturated Saving Private Ryan and The Blair Witch Project, however as much as I LOATH the effect... I felt it was more than justified and actually made the movie better overall. It's sad, but true. The entire movie is pretty much us watching a tape that the government salvaged. For once, it felt good to not be the omnipotent spectator and actually be out of the loop. It was new, refreshing and when a character got 'attacked' you actually gave a damn instead of 'hey, they just got attacked. ok. neat I guess'.
The pace of the movie was brilliant and it's one of the first movies where I quite literally was on the edge of my seat. You could hear people and friends mutter "holy shit" and even catch the few curled up into their chairs during some hard-to-stomach moments.
I can't say I've seen a better sci-fi movie to date. I was floored, impressed, and confused. There are subtle things in the background that are easy to miss and I will find myself paying admission a second time just for another chance at them.
Take my opinion with a grain of salt, if you are looking for a reference on where the movie stands in terms of personal tastes... some of my favorite movies include:
Horror: Alien (there is never a close 2nd. the end)
Fable: The Legend of 1900
Drama: The Thomas Crown Affair, Memento
Action: Enemy at the Games, The Matrix, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Rock, Tombstone (to name the most recent)
Comedy: Army of Darkness, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Good comedies are hard to remember)
And well, there are tons of movies I just felt were 'better' than the rest. Lady in the Water, Harsh Times, Lord of War, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Berrels/Snatch, Children of Men, The Usual Suspects, Suicide Kings, The Prestige, yadda yadda yadda.
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