Photo Play – The Punisher (1989)
by HELEN GEIB
The Photo Play theme for March is… a tribute to the bulletproof vest
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Last Week: Hit Team (2001)
Coming Next: tba
On DVD/Blu-ray – Review: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)
by NIR SHALEV
When confronted with the name Frank Miller most people associate it with the ultra-violent, terrifically edgy and stylized, black and white noir-like comic book series Sin City (and its terrific film adaptation). True, hardcore comic book fans would always associate the name with the 1986 masterpiece The Dark Knight Returns. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is a brilliant adaption of the first two books (out of four) in the 200+ page comic. Read more 
Movie Review – The Avengers (2012)
by HELEN GEIB and NIR SHALEV
SUMMARY
Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.; Iron Man and Iron Man 2). Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans; Captain America: The First Avenger). Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson; introduced in Iron Man 2). Thor (Chris Hemsworth; Thor). Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, taking over from Ed Norton; The Incredible Hulk). Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Read more
Movie Review – Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
by NIR SHALEV
Disney-owned Marvel Studios is on a roll with the success of Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), the financial success of The Incredible Hulk (2008), and the overall awesome nature of Thor (2011). They started slowly but have now introduced most characters from The Avengers team in their own, successful live-action films. Marvel’s roll continues with Captain America: The First Avenger. Read more
Movie Review – Green Lantern (2011)
by HELEN GEIB
Does it always have to be an origins story? On the basis of Green Lantern, the filmmakers would have done better to have skipped the explanations and started with the sequel. Read more
Movie Review – X-Men: First Class (2011)
by NIR SHALEV
With comic book adaptations being released by DC Comics and Marvel Studios left, right, and center some are bound to be a miss. But X-Men: First Class is a hit because of a good screenplay (the most important part of a film is a good script), good actors, and true X-Men fans sitting behind the keyboard and the camera. Read more
Best Comic Book Movies?
by HELEN GEIB
Whether you see it as a golden age for comic book movies or just an overloaded age, there’s no fighting the deluge. In this month of X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern, with Thor and Priest to our left and Captain America and The Smurfs to our right, let’s talk about movies made from comics.
What’s the best comic book movie? The most overrated? The most underrated? And the evergreen topic for debate- because there are just so many contenders for the title: What’s the worst comic book movie ever made?
Movie Review – Thor (2011)
by NIR SHALEV
Comic book (or graphic novels or what have you) film adaptations are popping up quicker than good new comics can be written. Therefore, it was a good idea to look back at the famous, or just plain good comics that their fans love, to try one’s best to adapt them into film, and to please everyone in the end. Most adaptations of Marvel Comics materials are plain terrible (Daredevil, Elektra, Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, etc.…), but some work terrifically. Thor is part of the new wave of comic book film adaptations that are terrific; films like Hellboy and Hellboy 2, Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight. Read more
Movie Review – The Green Hornet (2011)
by HELEN GEIB
The Green Hornet is fun at first, but turns tedious in a long middle section. After the first act sets the stage, the movie flails around in search of a plot, merely marking off the minutes until the big action finale. Read more
DVD of the Week – Review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
by NIR SHALEV
Writer/director Edgar Wright made a big splash with his romantic comedy/zombie movie satire Shaun of the Dead (2004) and had managed to follow it up with the even better, funnier cop movie parody Hot Fuzz (2007); then he followed up with the fake trailer “Don’t” for the Rodriguez/Tarantino double bill Grindhouse (2007). His latest project Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is almost entirely faithfully adapted from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s cult classic, Toronto-set graphic novel series. It greatly manages to not only capture the look and feel of Toronto, but also the genuine look, feel, and sound of a graphic novel. Read more
