Not My Batman V. Not My Superman

I didn't like Man of Steel.

I'm not talking about the 1986 DC Comics miniseries by John Byrne, which is, to the contrary, revelatory in nature. That book brought Superman singlehandedly into the modern era and paved the way for hundreds of terrific tales. (It's also, as I pointed out before, the starting point for my own Superman collection, recently begun anew with the resurrection of the Post-Crisis iteration of the character.)

Rather, I'm talking about Zack Snyder's 2013 film that endeavored to reintroduce Krypton's Last Son to modern audiences. I liked the trailers and I even was excited enough to attend a midnight screening of the movie. I started out really enjoying the scenes that took place on Krypton, displaying the conflict between Superman's father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and General Zod (Michael Shannon). But the Superman of this narrative contrasts starkly with the version I know and have enjoyed for the last few decades. Gone was the optimism that's often encircled the character, replaced by cynicism at best and pervasive xenophobia at worst. (I shouldn't have been surprised, as executive producer Christopher Nolan always was more at home in Gotham than Metropolis.) Add in enough property devastation to make even Michael Bay blush, and I might have considerable pause. But then--then--give Superman, the very same guy who always, always finds a way to win, an unwinnable situation where the narrative forces him to kill Zod. I checked out like Mark Waid (a writer whose work on Superman: Birthright and other tales I enjoyed).

So when DC announced the "sequel" to Man of Steel would be a battle with the Darkknight Detective himself, as a pitstop between the original and a Justice League movie, I should've known better. When I saw the film back in March, I dismissed it as an unmitigated disaster that got so, so much wrong about both lead characters as well as the villains of the piece. Batman (Ben Affleck) saw everything in terms of absolute good or absolute evil and was a frequent accessory to murder (with the bat-brands on criminals he caught serving as, essentially, a death sentence). Superman (HEnry Cavill) was a man of few words, and those he did say he growled in ways more accustomed to Batman. Lex Luthor Jr. (Jesse Eisenberg, horrendously miscast) was just a lunatic. And Doomsday could fly, shoot heat rays out of his eyes, and explode over and over again like a bomb because, well, I'm not quite sure why. The narrative was a mess, the characters were a mess, and by the time Superman died in the final battle, I was nauseatingly numb.

Of course, like a fool I decided I absolutely needed to watch the "Ultimate Cut" released on July 19. Could the additional 30 minutes of footage turn my opinion of the film around? Putting aside the fact that an R-rated version of a Superman movie shouldn't even by rights exist, I watched.

The verdict? Although the film is still deeply flawed and especially wrongheaded in its treatment of Superman, the Ultimate Cut is a leap forward when compared to its theatrical predecessor.

Others have given more thorough reviews of the films as a set, so I won't go into much detail. The strongest bit re-inserted into this film is the lengths to which Luthor went to manipulate the characters, from Superman and Batman on down to Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), Wallace Keefe (Scoot McNairy) and Kahina Ziri (Wunmi Mosaku), the latter of whom has the most expanded role. What could have been believed as too many coincidences in the theatrical version is spelled out as Luthor's machinations in this version. Granted, very few of the additional scenes actually involve Eisenberg's Luthor himself, so there's an even greater disconnect between the actor's portrayal and what we know the character has done. But putting forth the idea that Luthor knew who Batman and Superman really were from the beginning puts everything in perspective, just as making him direct prisoners to kill other prisoners with bat-symbols exonerates Batman in a way, and makes the opening sequence and the bullet sub-plot have a more sensible connection to Superman.

However, there are things besides Luthor that remain problematic or become even more so as result of the added footage. Batman's visions of an "Apokoliptic" future and the cameos of all Justice League members still stick out like sore thumbs. The explosion at the Capitol Building gets a bit of a tradeoff, as we find out Keefe's wheelchair was lined with lead which prevented Superman from seeing the bomb. However, nothing in this film or Man of Steel shows why Luthor would have any knowledge of this particular weakness of Superman's. (Filmmaking 101: Set 'em up and knock 'em down.) And Snyder really, really doubled down on the bleakness and carnage of the prior film's denouement, using it to form his basis of this one.

The biggest problems of the movie are still, sadly, the biggest problems. Batman still reacts nuttily toward Superman's exclamation that they're going to kill Martha, and Doomsday is still a big gray deus ex machina meant to give all three protagonists something to punch and hit since Luthor's body can't take that kind of punishment. But what was worst of all was the entire sub-plot making Superman out to be some kind of god being worshiped by the people of the world. True, he never actively encouraged any of them, but he never discouraged them, either. Snyder takes pains to dismantle the myth, at least in Batman's eyes, by making him see that he's not a god--that he's just a man, in the "Martha" scene, and then impresses it upon everyone else in the story by having Doomsday kill him at the end. He can die just like the rest of us! O, sad day!

This is all well and good, of course, so long as you don't consider that, in order for Superman to appear in Justice League, he's going to need to be restored to life. And, if you think the huddled masses were going ga-ga over Superman before, just wait until they see that Christ parallel in action! The very direction of the narrative decimates any statement Snyder (or screenwriters Terrio and Goyer) attempts to make.

So, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has a better version in the Ultimate Cut; however, there's still much to overcome. Seeing this cut gives me a little hope in Justice League. Maybe, at the very least, they'll resurrect Superman with the ability to smile, laugh, and see the best in people? After all, Henry Cavill has really looked the part in these last two films, and I know from films like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that he's got charisma to spare. So why not let him, you know, actually use it?

Stranger things...

~G.

Puny God ("Marvel's The Avengers," Reviewed)

Yes, I've been away writing that book you've heard so much about. Let's remedy that, shall we?

Like many of you, last weekend I went to my local movie theatre to see what's being considered one of this summer's premier events: Marvel's The Avengers, a two-and-a-half hour roller coaster ride of a film starring the headliners from the comic company's five recent in-house productions. In addition to the invincible Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, taking over for Ed Norton), the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans), several other characters seized the spotlight, including SHIELD director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

There was an indefinable energy filling the theatre when my friend Harold and I entered. Of course, I didn't go for just any screening of the film: We bought tickets to the all-day "Ultimate Marvel Marathon" put on by AMC Theatres, wherein all of the previous films were screened back-to-back from 11:30 in the morning all the way through the grand midnight Avengers premiere. The theatre was jam-packed with comics fans in their various T-shirts and other regalia recalling the heroes who were to appear on the screen all day long. (My choice of attire: You need to ask?) Each fan who attended received a special lanyard granting them access in and out of the building, a special release Avengers comic book, and one of four styles of Real D 3D glasses (available in Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor designs...again, guess which?).

The excitement level started out high, and only elevated throughout the day. Unfortunately, this theatre didn't receive the special introductions by Clark Gregg in his role of Agent Coulson that other AMC Theatres screened. I understand they were quite fun, and I'd like nothing more than to actually see them. Alas, the movies were draw enough. Up front were 2008's Iron Man and  The Incredible Hulk, followed by 2010's Iron Man 2 and 2011's tag-team of Thor and Captain America. In between some of the screenings, theatre employees gave away goodie bags and other special odds and ends to fans who answered depressingly easy trivia questions.

And then, the curtain rose on the final film at midnight. The moment of truth had arrived: Would writer/director Joss Whedon rise to the challenge of directing an action-packed feature filled with the heart and soul we knew was at the core of the mighty Marvel Universe?

You're damned right he would!

From the very first frames--a markedly slow beginning which served to introduce the Cosmic Cube Tesseract, the "MacGuffin" of the piece, locked away in the SHIELD and NASA-sponsored Project: PEGASUS (which any reader of seventies series Marvel Two-in-One will recognize)--I knew something special was happening. And when Loki (Tom Hiddleston) arrived, absconding with the Tesseract and narrowly escaping the Project's destruction, the stage was set. Fury began to assemble his team, and it was a sight to behold, having the stars assembled from the previous films begin to interact and their personalities begin to grate on each other.

Joss Whedon admitted he modeled much of the movie after The Dirty Dozen and Black Hawk Down, war movies which centered not on an overly labyrinthine plotline but on the characters that made up their respective groups. In many ways, Avengers is as much an origin story as Iron Man or Captain America, but instead of showing how the characters got their powers, it's a tale of how they learned to all tolerate each other's annoyances and shortcomings in order to beat the big bad. Yes, Loki is a scenery-chewing antagonist, and yes, he has a rather generic plan to enslave Earth's populace. He has an army which is generally ill-defined but who attack in such terrific numbers that any single super-hero would feel overwhelmed. The characterization of the villains really isn't as important as the scope of their operation. Whedon knows the best way to attack the narrative is in bringing out all the heroes' unique and sometimes grating personalities, and watching the fireworks.

Robert Downey Jr. has the majority of the film's best lines as "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" Tony Stark, once eliminated from consideration in Fury's Avenger Initiative but now recruited just the same. He's got a bone to pick with just about every member of the team, but learns to work with them just the same. (Especially brilliant is his line to Ruffalo's Banner about just how he's able to control his inner monster. I cackled for a good few minutes afterward.) As any fan of Whedon's television programs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, et al.) will tell you, the writer/director is an expert at intelligent, snappy dialogue, and here it's no different. The movie is intensely quotable, from Stark's commentary on Thor's cape, to Thor's admission that Loki is his adopted brother, to Loki's quite misogynistic insult toward the Widow. (Yes, let's do look up "mewling quim" and gasp at what we find.) The bottom line is that the snappy dialogue works not just because it's smartly written by Whedon, but because in virtually every case, it all rings true with the characters involved, which is no mean feat in a super-hero film.

Such character moments don't often occur in an action extravaganza like Avengers, and let's make no mistake: This is an action-packed film. And while Downey's Stark may be the master of the witticism, he's physically upstaged in virtually every way by the ever-incredible Hulk. As motion-captured by Ruffalo himself, he steals literally every scene in which he appears, without exception. He may not talk much--and in fact, the theatre was so loud during one of his biggest moments that one could scarcely hear his clearest and perhaps only line of dialogue--but he more than makes up for that economy with the sheer, visceral thrill of seeing him match up against Thor and all manner of alien creatures, cutting loose as only the Hulk from the comics previously could. If you've been upset by the Hulk's seemingly lower strength levels in previous films, you'll find that issue remedied here. This is the Hulk you've been waiting years to see, and I'm hoping against hope that Mark Ruffalo gets to star in his own Incredible Hulk film sooner than later, penned by Whedon or one of his many traditional accomplices. Between actor and writer/director, they have given the character such a synergy that it'd be criminal to not have this character burst free into his own film once more. The formula is just right.

I don't want to go on too long about the movie because I really feel it's important that you see it, and so I'm really holding back on the spoilers. Suffice to say that by the time the ending credits roll, most diehard Marvel Zombies will feel like they've seen the be-all, end-all of super-hero movies. By sharp contrast with Christopher Nolan's Batman cycle, Whedon's Avengers is an unabashed celebration of the super-hero genre rather than a deconstructionist, "real-life" take. Since everyone knows I'm one of the biggest Hulk fans there is, I relish the larger-than-life qualities of that character and the remainder of the characters in Avengers. There are precious few issues with the story--I still don't like Hawkeye's status throughout the first half of the film--but they're outnumbered so greatly by "stand-up-and-cheer" moments that it's hard to remain upset.

And that ending? Stay all the way to the end, folks! You'll see not only the setup for another Marvel film (likely Avengers 2, the threat so great), but also a humorous payoff to what you'd likely believed was a throwaway line in the final battle.

I don't mean to gush, but this is one staggering sci-fi super-hero epic. It really doesn't get any better than this. The Avengers have assembled, and comic book films will never again be the same.

~G.

Head To Head: Fright Night 1985 Vs. Fright Night 2011

Greetings, horror-fans!

I hoped you'd forgive me for not posting a "Hammer Horror" feature this Thursday last, because I knew what was coming. This weekend, Dreamworks Pictures released "Fright Night," a remake of the 1985 "cult classic" vampire film. What you might not have known (other than the mere fact the film was being released, which, the box office figures suggest, was a distinct possibility) was that I have an intense fascination for the original film.

"Fright Night," starring William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall and Chris Sarandon, nearly scared this little kid to death way back when. In fact, I couldn't make it past the first scene where master vampire Jerry Dandridge "vamps out" to deliver a threatening warning in teenager Charley Brewster's bedroom. A year or so later, I happened upon a comic book adaptation of the film, which led to being able to sit through the whole movie. That in turn led to following the monthly Now Comics series throughout its 22-issue run (some of which was drawn by artists like Neil Vokes and Kevin West). And the rest is history, as I've long since gained a healthy appreciation of the horror genre in general and vampire films in particular.

Movie Review: Captain America - The First Avenger (& Cap, Red Skull Reviews!)

I haven't done one of these movie reviews in a good, long time on this site. In fact, the last time was when I saw 2008's Incredible Hulk from Marvel Studios! In coming weeks I'm going to try and serve up some more reviews, whether of superhero films or other genres (hint: I love Hammer Films!). For now, here's what I thought of...well, you see it in the title of this post, don't you?

 Captain America: The First Avenger

Directed by Joe Johnston

Starring Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, et al.

Screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Produced by Marvel Studios, Distributed by Paramount Pictures

Captain America has had a long and rocky road to the silver screen, starting with an early serialized feature produced by Republic Pictures in the forties and continuing through a duet of less-than-stellar made-for-TV features in the seventies (one of which, heaven help him, starred Christopher Lee). A low-budget feature film released in 1991 got the most details right out of all previous adapations, but still was hampered by pedestrian direction and acting, and featured the Red Skull as an Italian fascist and not a Nazi. (Cue jokes about his head looking like a big ol' tomato.)

Hence, when Marvel Studios announced plans in 2008 to produce a new film version, fans hoped they would at last see a fully-realized version of the character. After the successful translations of 2008's Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk by the new studio, it seemed that dream was within reach. Adding weight to the dream was Marvel's announcement the story would almost entirely take place during World War II and feature a Red Skull character largely true to the comics. Bucky would appear. The Howling Commandos, a ragtag group of soldiers with whom Cap sometimes cavorted, would appear.

The story of Captain America: The First Avenger begins in the present, where a team (presumed to be S.H.I.E.L.D., represented by Agent Coulson and Nick Fury in previous films) happens upon the remains of a large ship in the Arctic. When they find the familiar red-white-and-blue shield belonging to the Captain himself, we flash back to New York in 1942 where Steve Rogers (a digitally-scrawny Chris Evans) tries repeatedly to be drafted to war. We see the familiar touches--he's classified "4-F"--before he's recruited by Professor Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) to be one of a group of candidates to train at Camp Lehigh under Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones). Eventually, of course, he's selected to take the Super-Soldier serum, and next thing you know, he's a living legend.

Or not.

Wisely, the script takes us through a journey whereby Steve Rogers must prove himself worthy of being such a symbol. Interestingly, the concept of Captain America takes a path unseen in the comics world, but which is totally fitting. It was unlikely that the army of the time would take quickly to such a costumed character, so the novel addition to the origin made here makes considerable sense. The moment where we finally see the fully-suited-up Captain America is well-earned and worth the ample screen time shown in getting him there.

The supporting cast built up around Evans as Captain America more than pulls their weight. I'd expect no less of Jones as Col. Phillips, but the rest are just as solid. Sebastian Stan plays a solid companion in Bucky Barnes, and Hayley Atwell is a sensation as Peggy Carter, a throwback to the leading women of the forties. Neal McDonough heads up the remainder of Cap's war crew as Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, and does the role justice.

Of course, a hero is only as good as the villain of the piece is evil, and Hugo Weaving is the perfect choice to bring Johann Schmidt, the real, German Red Skull to life. Redefined slightly as the head of HYDRA, the Nazis' science division, Schmidt schemes to use the stolen power of an object known as the Tesseract (which Marvel fans will recognize as something else) to win the war for himself and his followers. At first, I wasn't sold on the Skull being a HYDRA agent, seeing it as another subterfuge for hiding the character's Nazi roots, but I do understand the film must play overseas, and Nazi paraphernalia would certainly hamper that aim. Besides, the swastika does appear briefly, but never completely, to bridge the group's connections. Wisely, Schmidt is assisted by another name fans will recognize: Arnim Zola (Toby Jones), a biochemist with close Nazi ties.

Director Johnston, who previously helmed the period comic book drama The Rocketeer, ably gives us a picture that is as much a war movie as it is about superheroes. Everyone is about as on-point as I could have asked for, and every minor change in the characters is in service to the tale being told, never out of place. The story feels organic in spite of the fact we know where and when it must end. It's a dramatic finish, certainly, involving our main hero and villain just as it should. The ending is heartfelt, bittersweet at turns, and fully establishes what comes next, and one can see all kinds of plot nuggets for next summer's Avengers film as well as the inevitable Captain America sequel.

Overall, Captain America: The First Avenger has a wealth of elements lifted directly from the comics, whipped together to tell a compelling origin story full of rich characters and situations. It's got something for everyone, including a few choice easter eggs that had me smiling. (Watch for the surprising appearance in the Stark Expo at the beginning.) Without question, it's the best of this year's four summer superhero blockbusters, and it may even rival Iron Man for the best film to come from the young Marvel Studios. With action, romance, and an old time sensibility that recalls Raiders of the Lost Ark and more, Captain America is a sure bet for fun this summer.

(And the ending...well, unless you've lived under a rock these last few weeks, you should know to stay after the credits. You won't be sorry. Just...try not to cream your jeans.)

My Rating: A.

---

Bonus Reviews:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 - Marvel Comics, $3.99

By Ed Brubaker & Steve McNiven

For the second time in seven years, Ed Brubaker helms the launch of a new Captain America series, and just as he did the last time, he does it in style. Apparently picking up shortly after the finale of Fear Itself, "American Dreamers" begins with the funeral of one of Captain America's closest friends from the forties. It's a terrific entry point into Cap's life, and Brubaker takes full advantage of being able to tell just enough of the hero's "man out of time" origins to bring in any new readers that might pick up this book after seeing the movie.

In past projects, Brubaker has had terrific success in bringing A-name artists to his productions, and this one's no different. Steve McNiven, previously known for the Civil War event series, joins the ranks of distinguished talent like Steve Epting, Sean Phillips, Butch Guice and Mike Deodato Jr., providing a dynamic take on the characters in Brubaker's bailiwick while Justin Ponsor colors every scene brightly. Cap and his friends seem to burst off each page, and one can't help but be drawn in.

The plot involves the beginnings of a conspiracy meant, it seems, to bring Cap down--a classic revenge scheme involving players stretching back through the character's storied history. Brubaker sets the stage well, giving readers all they need to know without filling in recent, unnecessary backstory about Bucky and the fates of all concerned in Fear Itself, forging boldly onward. If you're looking for a Cap fix but don't want to have to deal with a major Marvel crossover, the newly relaunched Captain America is for you. At least, do yourself a favor and Read It.

RED SKULL: INCARNATE #1 - Marvel Comics, $3.99
By Greg Pak, Mirko Colak, June Chung & David Aja

For years, the Red Skull's history has been something of an enigma. The popular story involves the Fuehrer himself, Adolf Hitler, proudly proclaiming he could turn any man into a symbol of ultimate evil. To that end, he selected a mere bellboy and groomed him to become the Red Skull, a foremost symbol of terror for the Third Reich.

The real story is, of course, more complicated than that, and here writer Greg Pak and artist Mirko Colak begin to unfurl their definitive version of the events that led young Johann Schmidt down the path of treachery that made him don a scarlet death-mask. As others have pointed out, Pak's having previously written the origin of Magneto, itself steeped in Holocaust lore, make him the ideal choice to tell the tale of the character who may well be Magneto's true opposite.

Like Magneto's origin, Pak begins the story of the Red Skull as early as he can, with this issue revealing Schmidt's early years in a home for wayward boys, escalating through his first exposure to the Nazi party in 1923, and finally climaxing in his first showing of brutal violence upon another creature. It's vivid, it's disturbing, and I couldn't put the book down.

The allure of this issue had just as much to do with Pak as it did with Serbian artist Mirko Colak, who sets the right tone from page to page. He's an excellent storyteller who doesn't need words to bring his point across. although this project marks his first work at Marvel, I'm betting this isn't the last we'll see from him.

The Red Skull takes his first steps toward the evil of the Third Reich in this story. It's already brilliant work, and it's only going to get better. Buy It or be sorry!

~G.

All's I Gotta Say (Until Later Today)... Hulk! Avengers!

Behold the first conceptual artwork showing the Incredible Hulk, on a poster exclusively available at the Marvel booth at San Diego Comic-Con today. If they stick close to this model, I'll have no problem with the film.

Does anyone wanna get me this poster at the show today? E-mail me at delusionalhonesty (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll gladly reimburse the poster price plus packaging & shipping. And if you can find a Hulk #42 ashcan edition to throw in, I'd also be greatly appreciative.

See everyone at New York Comic-Con in a couple months.

~G.

Meow Mix (Awaiting the Emerald Hairball)

So, on the eve of another potential turkey in the making, it occurred to me, you guys don't know the secret story of how I first (and, for that matter, only) saw that hairball of a movie...

Yeah. That one.

I don't remember what movie I bought to get that Movie Cash to see Catwoman, but get it I did. It had to have been something good, because I can't see buying a DVD just to get one ticket to see one lousy movie I likely wouldn't have seen otherwise. There was a theatre, not too far away from where I lived at the time, probably newly opened not long before, come to think of it. I do believe I went on opening night. And I almost didn't see it at all. Would you believe that?

It's true! The fates tried to steer me away and I stubbornly forged onward. Y'see, when I went to purchase a ticket for the movie, the girl selling the tickets gave me one for the wrong film. Maybe it was the latest Harry Potter. Like an idiot, I actually fussed and said I really wanted to see Catwoman. (Stop smirking!) If you came to the theatre and had a pass to see one crappy movie, but the theatre gods took pity on your poor soul and gave you a ticket for a completely different, highly-reviewed movie, you'd probably not have hesitated, not have refused. But yeah, I did. I'm a sucker.

When I got to the actual auditorium in the theatre, it was one of the smallest screens in the place, with probably only 60 or so seats in it. I sat a few rows up. It was one of those stadium-seating theatres. Soon, a duo of older women joined me in the theatre, sitting in the row behind me. The real terror then began when the lights dimmed and the projector ran. However bad I could have conceived it, the end result was worse. It started out as just boring but veered off into "unintentionally hilarious" territory.

And I laughed.

Yeah, pretty hard.

Patience Philips gets murdered? Tee-hee. A cat breathes green fumes on her and gives her super-kitty powers? Bwa-ha-ha. Her boss gets skin like "living marble" because she's been using some funky skin cream for too long? Hee hee, ha ha, ho ho! I admit, I laughed hard enough that the women behind me had to shush me. Still, I kept up with the giggle-fits. And don't get me started on poor pretty boy Benjamin Bratt, unable to act his way out of a paper bag. Or maybe it was all just the limiting script. Y'know, that award-winning script. The Golden Raspberry winner for Worst Screenplay, just like the movie won other similar awards, for Worst Picture, Worst Actress, and Worst Director.

Worst DC film ever? I don't know. Unlike Marvel, who in my opinion has a few turkeys here and there, Catwoman has a lot of company. Superman III and IV. Batman & Robin. Jonah Hex. The Return of Swamp Thing. And, oh yes, we daren't forget Steel.

Are we ready for Green Lantern to join such illustrious company? Worse yet, are we ready to see the $200-million project deliver a black eye to DC's line of feature films, which have been, let's face it, pretty unspectacular aside from the majority of their Superman and Batman franchises? Comparatively, Marvel has had great success in bringing their characters to life on the silver screen. Can DC catch a break? I'm beginning (heh) to doubt it.

~G.

Something Hammer This Way Comes!

Now, for something completely different!

I've always had a fascination with horror films. Even when I was a little kid, and Lou Ferrigno could scare the hell out of me wearing green body paint, I still would peek my head above the covers and steal a peek. When I found out about a little film called Fright Night my cousin was going to see, I knew one day I would watch it. When I grew a little older, my parents got cable TV, and I saw Jim Hendricks as Commander USA, on the USA Network as he presented his "Groovie Movies." And thence, though I knew it not then, was instilled in me a love of that terrific subgenre called...Hammer Horror!

This poster hung on the wall in my dorm. No lie!

Fast forward a few years to college, and after having named Fright Night one of my favorite movies of all time, plus watching an incredible amount of horror films and TV series, I finally happened upon these films anew, and an obsession was born. I vaguely remembered the "Groovie Movies" I watched, like Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, Vampire Circus, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, and the rare classic Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter. I don't remember the exact time it happened--I remember starting to collect the films on VHS, but have since converted and expanded the collection to DVD and now Blu-Ray--but collecting the films got me through a difficult time with my health and emotional well-being. (Sounds trite, I know, but there are reasons I don't get into the details.)

During my junior and senior years, I voraciously watched Hammer film after Hammer film, even as I took a few film classes. I'd discuss some of the films with my professors outside class, although I never really had the chance to put my Hammer expertise to use in any class papers or projects. I remembered bits and pieces of various films, seldom the whole, but my knowledge grew and grew. I was amazed that my professors acknowledged the films, noteworthy for being the first major horror films from any studio released in full color. Also, I'm told they were among the first vampire films to do more than hint at the fangs piercing victims' throats. The films were scary in parts for what horrific bits they left to the imagination, which seems quaint by today's gory standards.

From the nine films in the Dracula cycle (six of which starred Christopher Lee, and five of which starred Peter Cushing), to the seven in the Frankenstein cycle, to the Mummy tetralogy, to the Karnstein trilogy, these are fine, if not award-worthy, films. The stars turned in terrific performances, from the well-recognized greats like Cushing and Lee, to lesser-known stars like Clifford Evans and Andrew Keir, to bit players like Michael Ripper, to the lusty Hammer women like Barbara Shelley, the Collinson sisters, Ingrid Pitt, and my personal favorite, Madeline Smith (whose visage adorns the cover of Marcus Hearn's book, Hammer Glamour). I can really say it's been a treat having watched all these films, and I have even more I haven't been able to watch (but am slowly getting to, bit by bit).

I do want to devote future entries of this blog to specific movies from Hammer, but for now I'd like to cut this bit short and turn the floor over to you, my followers! I know I mainly attract the comics crowd, but I do want to start to expand my demographic a little. Are you familiar with Hammer Horror? If so, feel free to share your stories! What are your favorite films by The Studio That Dripped Blood, and why? Which features would you like to see me devote some blog entries to? Which actors or actresses deserve my attention? Is Hammer the second coming of horror films after the Universal features of the '20s through the '40s? It's all up for grabs--I'm just throwing it out there for you to pick up!

And hey, in case you haven't heard: Hammer Films is back with the recent DVD/Blu-Ray release of 2010's horror smash, Let Me In. Take a look!

~G.

Xavier With Hair. Wacky Yellow Jumpsuits. Mutants. (X-Men: First Class Trailer!)

'Nuff said?

~G.

Captain. Frickin'. A.

'Nuff said.

Chris Evans IS Captain America.

Oh, and while you guys are at it: go to Marvel's website and download a FREE Captain America web comic by Fred Van Lente, Luke Ross & Richard Isanove!

~G.