Bullet Points - Adrenaline Rush

I feel like I say this every six months, but I haven't been able to write lately because of school.  There's these things called lab reports that take priority over comic books and movies.  Luckily, I've managed to keep a running list of things I've been watching (and don't worry, I still made it to some comic cons to get Tarantino art).  So to get my writing juices flowing, I decided to start things off with a bang - literally.  Here's some films and shows that are filled with flying bullets and big explosions:

• Savages - Although Oliver Stone strayed from Tarantino's Natural Born Killers script to express his own opinionated beliefs, he usually makes pretty entertaining films.  Savages was a film I really wanted to see at the movie theater, but didn't get a chance to.  Luckily it came to video quickly and it was everything I expected:  A pure adrenaline rush filled with violence and sex.    With fast edits similar to the late Tony Scott, it's a story of two drug dealers who must save their girl from the Cartel after refusing to join them in a business venture.  Although older, Salma Hayek is vicious yet beautiful Mexican drug lord. Keeping Blake Lively as a negotiating piece, Salma commands the situation knowing both protagonists are in love with Blake, exploiting the fact "there's something wrong with their love story."  As usual with his typical roles, Benicio del Toro is terrifying and disturbing as the muscle and watchdog.   Even though violence dominates the story, it doesn't have the charm or wit like Pulp Fiction (even though it has John Travolta as a corrupt federal agent).  However, don't let this keep you away as it still has thrilling action that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

 

• Skyfall - I've heard people compare Skyfall with movies ranging from The Dark Knight to Home Alone (yes, there are booby traps, but no paint cans to knock Marv and Harry down).  I'm currently on a journey through Bond's filmography, but I believe Daniel Craig is my favorite 007.  However, Skyfall has been my least favorite film from his run.  It's a back to the basics story, but it doesn't contain the same grittiness as Casino Royale.  Not to say I didn't enjoy this movie, but it just doesn't carry the same intensity.  Javier Bardem as the bad guy was fun - his character was similar to his previous role from No Country for Old Men spiked with the intellectual charisma of Dr. Hannibal Lector.  Skyfall is definitely a pretty and mesmerizing film, featuring beautiful landscapes filled with ultra vibrant colors.  Even though this flick didn't meet my expectations, it laid down the foundation for another sequel, re-introducing characters such as M, Q, and Moneypenny.

 

• Looper - Who doesn't love Joseph Gordon Levitt?  Put him in a sci-fi thriller with a unique story, what isn't to desire?  Looper has its action moments, but it's definitely a thinking movie.  Having dabbled in computer programming, I really enjoyed the analogies linking the present and future.  Also, when JGL was supposed to close the loop, Bruce Willis was a good choice for his future self.  With a quiet and solemn demeanor, Bruce proved to be resourceful and outsmart "himself." Although the film style isn't as dirty as Blade Runner, Looper definitely has a similar feel of contemporary landscapes re-imagined with a future twist.  For instance, the small farm where the beautiful Emily Blunt lives has a classic country vibe, but the household items are futuristic and truly imaginative because they may never come to existence.  One final note, I believe director Rian Johnson is a filmmaker to keep an eye out for.  If you're not familiar with his work, see his neo-noir film Brick.  However, to really show off his creativity, Johnson provided a downloadable commentary that could be listened to on your iPod while watching Looper in the movie theater... that's what I call genius!

• Justified - Justified sets itself apart from other crime shows because it doesn't focus on the flashy Italian mobster life.  Instead, it dives into the trashy and poverty stricken territory of Harlan County, Kentucky.  Season 4 differs from seasons past by not focusing on the Dixie Mafia, but on the Detroit Mafia who is invading the Southern territory to settle some personal vendettas.  The one thing I've noticed about this show is that it tends to start off slow each season.  However, as the episodes progress, the story builds momentum and you can't stop watching as you eagerly await for next week's episode to premiere.  Timothy Olyphant as Raylen Givens is a perfect match for the show.  As the US Marshall we love to root for, his quick wit is appealing even though he sometimes walks the line.  To compliment the hero, Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder is the perfect Foil because of his sly motives shielded by his exterior Southern Charm (you'll also love his lackey role in Django).  If for some reason you avoided Justified, I recommend getting caught up on Hulu before it starts again next year!

Tarantino Comics - Issue 28

All the covers from Tarantino Comics have been awesome thus far, but Chicago really inspired some fantastic images, particularly from Pulp Fiction.  Starting with last issue's comedic depiction of Captain Koons (anyone else spot the connection in Django?), Tarantino Comics #28 ups the ante with one of the most horrifying scenes from a Tarantino flick:  "Bring out the Gimp!"

Illustrated by Brent Schoonover at C2E2 2012, the likenesses of Butch and Marcellus are spot on.  Having seen Brent's talent on other pieces of art before, I knew I had to get him in this sketchbook.  Brent has a true talent of creating pulpy characters.  Ranging from the noirish Dick Tracy to the Silver Age of Marvel, his work really carries a classic comic book sensibility.  As perfectly shown in this cover art, Brent replicated the true essence of an EC Comic.  With overtones of a Val Lewton film, only the shadowy outline of the Gimp is ever shown to the audience.  The expressions on the characters faces display true terror (as also seen in the Title Bar), an emotion purely captured in comic book fashion.  Also of note, The Band Apart Logo is more like the classic DC Logo rather the typical boxy emblem pictured from previous issues.

I highly recommend checking out Mr. Schoonover's artwork.  As I said before, he really captures the nostalgia of classic comic book characters.  He recently had a unique mix and match between modern funny books with pulpy comic strips in Mr. Murder is Dead published by Archaia Entertainment.  You can also check for Brent's latest work and blog posts at:  http://brentschoonover.com/

Bullet Points - Investigation of the Unknown

Why do we enjoy shows like Law & Order and CSI?  While I'll agree that Mariska Hargitay may be the reason, it's the process of the investigation that keeps us coming back for more.  So here's a few things I've watched recently that makes us pull out our magnifying glass and search for clues:

Homeland:  I have a friend who is in love with Claire Danes.  Although I agree she's extremely pretty, she ranks no where near my Top Ten Most Beautiful Woman List.  However, the one thing I can't deny, she's a fantastic actress.  Playing an overly obsessive CIA agent with a bipolar disorder, Carrie (played by Claire) honestly makes me hurt inside when I see her cry.  Although I started Homeland late in the game, I effortlessly finished the entire first season in less than a week.  For those who don't know, Homeland is about an American soldier (Brody) returning from the Middle East after being held captive for many years.  After returning home and welcomed as an All-American hero, Carrie is convinced he's a terrorist sleeper cell.  With Season 1 almost ending with Brody blowing up the Vice President, Carrie manages to stop him even though she compromises her job, reputation, and sanity.  Season 2 starts months later where Brody becomes an elected Congressman.  What I truly love about this show is that the writers don't milk a story for an entire season.  Rather than making the CIA capture Brody the season finale, they merely use this as a spring board at the season's halfway mark to make an even more intriguing story.  This allowed for an even stronger Season 2 cliffhanger where the status quo has revered -  America now sees Brody as Enemy Number One while Carrie sees him as the All-American hero.  So as long as we still get to see Morena Baccarin (who plays Brody's wife), I'll continue watching Homeland and agree there's at least one woman who'd rank on my Top Ten list.

His Girl Friday:  There's two reasons I watched this movie.  Reason number one is that it stars Carey Grant.  I've come to really enjoy his acting and respect his filmography.  Reason number two is that it appeared on a Tarantino favorite film list.  Although a dark story is involved (an innocent man condemned to the noose), this is a comedic movie with fast-paced and witty dialogue.  Directed by powerhouse Howard Hawks, this tale features how newspaper reporters will almost do anything to get the scoop.  It also explains why the passion of investigation can destroy a relationship.  I highly recommend this movie for anyone wanting to watch charismatic film of the Hollywood glory days.

Rear Window:  Only one man can tell an entire story in one room and create so much suspense.  In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, Jimmy Stewart is a photographer trapped in his apartment after breaking his leg from his latest escapade.  Bored out of his mind, Stewart watches from his window, peeping on his fellow apartment tenants.  What first seems to be harmless fun to make time pass by, this unhealthy voyeurism becomes quite serious after Stewart believes he witnessed a murder incident.  This is such a fantastic film and I can see its influence on Brian DePalma. The set is perfectly designed where the audience gets to sit with Jimmy Stewart in his wheelchair while he spies on his colorful neighbors: There's the frustrated musician, the woman trying to get a date, and even a beautiful blonde dancer with fantastic legs.  However, the real suspense is when Stewart's girlfriend, played by the beautiful Grace Kelly, sneaks into the murderer's apartment and tries to collect evidence.  If you're not on the edge of your seat as Stewart helplessly watches Grace Kelly being attacked from across the street, you must not have a heart or soul...

Pontypool:  Growing up, I always preferred talk radio over music.  Not to say I don't love music, but I find a car ride is much quicker when there's a radio personality talking in the background (hence why I love podcasts).  Pontypool takes this idea of radio reporting and combines it with a terrifying Sci-Fi twist.  A shock jock played by Stephen McHattie receives news of a potential "zombie outbreak" in the local town of Pontypool.  Although we don't see the violence of the outside world, McHattie and his radio team are receiving real time news from callers reporting on the incident. Although it's a pretty refreshing idea to use a radio broadcast to provoke fear, the cause of the outbreak is even more extraordinary.  Instead of losing your humanity to the typical zombie bite, your brain become infected by the sound of words... one of the unique most ideas I've ever heard of.  Directed by Bruce McDonald (who previously directed a film in Tarantino's Rolling Thunder DVD line), this movie should be watched by every horror fan searching for an absolute original premise.

Django Unchained #1 - An Actual Issue of Tarantino Comics!

As kids, we eagerly stayed awake in our beds awaiting for the arrival of Good Ole' St. Nick.  However, this Christmas Eve, it wasn't Santa Claus who caused my severe case of insomnia... It was a little film called Django Unchained (and "The D is silent") !  Ever since Inglourious Basterds left the theatres, I've been waiting for Tarantino's next film to come out.  With perhaps the exception of the Dark Knight Rises (for reasons you can read here), there wasn't one film I was anticipating more. 

Although I always enjoyed movies, it wasn't until I saw Tarantino's films that I truly started to appreciate cinema.  As I've studied and watched more film, I've come to really enjoy independent and art house films.  However, because of Tarantino's sensibilities, it's Genre Films that I need to wet my appetite:

• Crime: Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction
• Heist: Jackie Brown
• Kung Fu: Kill Bill
• Slasher:  Death Proof
• War: Inglourious Basterds
• Western (or should I say Southern):  Django Unchained

Now if you look at these "Genres," this is the perfect reason why Tarantino's films can be adapted into comic books.  Back in the day, EC Comics basically labeled the Genre of their stories on the cover of the magazine.  Hence, this is how I came up with the idea of Tarantino Comics!

Vertigo (an imprint of DC Comics) was luckily smart enough to realize this and decided to "exploit" Tarantino's latest flick and adapted Django Unchained into a comic book.  What's even better, the writer of these funny pages is Quentin Tarantino himself.  Expected to be a 5-issue miniseries, Tarantino puts a nice little Forward at the beginning of the comic.  He talks about some of his favorite comics as a kid including:  Kid Colt Outlaw, Tomahawk, The Rawhide Kid, Bat Lash, Yang, and Gunhawks. 

Using Tarantino's script, artists R.M Guera and Jason Latour (who does the flashback sequences) are beautifully crafting a story that can be read and enjoyed by all.  What's great about the Django comic is they're telling the entire scripted epic including all the story pieces that were edited out due to movie time constraints.  R.M. Guera was an excellent choice for adapting this story since he has worked with Jason Aaron on Scalped.  Although I haven't read many issues, Scalped is a crime story about gangsters on an Indian Reservation that requires a gritty artistic style - a form of storytelling necessary to perfectly translate Django Unchained into comic book form.   In addition to the interior art, the first issue has a variant cover by Jim Lee, one of my all time favorite superhero artists.

Warning - Spoiler Alert:  Issue #1 does a good job replicating the first beginning scenes of the film.  It basically covers:

• Dr. Schultz freeing Django and the slaves from the Speck Brothers
• Django learning about the bounty hunter business after Schultz shoots the "Sheriff Bounty" of the intolerant town
• The duo meeting Spencer Bennett (a.k.a. Big Daddy) with a cliff-hanger of Django spotting the Brittle Brothers 

  
So far in this issue, there hasn't been much deviation from the film other than an extended flashback sequence when Dr. Schultz is making a "business transaction" during the opening sequence.  These few panels basically show Broomhilda being raped by the Brittle Brothers after making love with Django.  It also shows a little panel where Schultz is playing the piano in the bar after they are awaiting the Marshall to investigate the Sheriff shooting.

Overall, I'm very excited to see how the rest of Django Unchained the Comic Book unfolds. Due to work and school, I've been behind in my comic book reading, but this issue has really gotten me reinvigorated to reading other comics.  Be sure to check back as I plan to give an update of future issues of this Vertigo Series - As you all know, I just can't pass up the opportunity of a "Tarantino Comic!"

Bullet Points: A Journey Across America

Luckily, today's Bullet Points have a pretty good theme.  So, relax as we take a journey across continental USA.

North by Northwest - When I was watching the blu-ray special features,  it included a personally filmed "Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock" across America.  With his "road map of film clips," it was a neat and inventive way to promote the film rather than your typical movie trailer.  Anyways, this story is the classic wrong man mixed up in the wrong situation. Carey Grant is a "Don Draper" mistakenly confused as CIA attempting to stop the smuggling of secret information out of the country.  Although Carey Grant is drugged behind the wheel, chased by a crop duster, and almost thrown off Mount Rushmore, he maintains his witty charm and gains access to the beautiful Eva Marie Saint.  Filled with lots of suspense, North by Northwest definitely makes way for the ultimate cross-country action-adventure thrillers of today.

Hell on Wheels -  When this show first premiered a year or so ago, I predicted Westerns would be the new zombie flick.  Even though this trend hasn't really taken off  (we'll have to see the influence of Django Unchained), this show is still pretty awesome.  The show is comprised of lots of little storylines, but the main focus is on Cullen Bohannon - A southern man who lost his entire family in the Civil War.  This season, Bohannon must regain status of foreman on the first transcontinental railroad while battling Indians led by the evil (and creepy) Swede.  With the grittiness expected from someone in the old west times, Bohannon is a character we can truly root for.  He has the rough exterior and resourcefulness of a Clint Eastwood character, but has a soft spot for Lily Bell whose husband was killed by Indians while surveying the railway last season (Lily is played by Dominique McElligott, a blonde who I find on par with Yvonne Strahovski ).  His relationship with the freed black slave Elam Ferguson (played by Common) is quite interesting and has a lot of parallel with Tarantino's Django and Dr. King Schultz.

Paul - Whenever you see Simon Pegg and Nick Frost paired together, you assume Edgar Wright is helming the project.  However, this is a rare case where he isn't.  Directed by Greg Mottola, this wacky film is a nerdy road trip across America.  With tons of pop culture and comic con puns, this film is tied together by an alien who likes to get high (and voiced by Seth Rogan).  This isn't the funniest movie I've ever seen, but there were quite a few scenes that made me laugh out loud.  The funniest character by far is the one played by Kristen Whig, a newly corrupted ultra conservative Christian.

Lost Highway - Granted I've only seen this movie once, Lost Highway makes no sense to me.  That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, but in typical David Lynch fashion, this is just a mind f*ck of a movie.  A story exists, but its hidden between a sequence of crazy images: Videotapes, jazz clubs, death by electric chair, Robert Blake's pale face, and even porn being projected onto a mansion wall.  To summarize this movie in one sentence (which is a challenge), here's what I'd say:  Through twists and turns involving murder, crime, and sex, two men's lives are supernaturally intertwined by a beautiful pair of twins.  If not to watch this film again for a better understanding of the story, it's worth a re-watch just to see the voluptuous beauty of Patricia Arquette who hasn't looked this good since her role as Alabama in True Romance.  Accompanied with eerie sounds (similar to the ambient noise from Paranormal Activity) and a unique soundtrack, David Lynch's crazy sensibilities is truly a journey spanning the Lost Highway spanning across America.

Tarantino Comics - Issue 27

Merry Christmas!  Today is truly a day to celebrate!  Not only has Santa come to visit, but it's the release of the most anticipated film of 2012 - Django Unchained!  To celebrate the awesomeness from the Master of Genre himself, here's an issue of Tarantino Comics from regular cover artist Amanda Rachels:

Drawn at C2E2 2012, Tarantino Comics #27 features Captain Koons' infamous monologue of the golden watch from Pulp Fiction.  Amanda once again captures the essence of the scene and magnificently transforms Christopher Walken from a memorable actor into a coloful EC comic character.  I love the tagline and can't image the tales Amanda could draw in the interiors of this issue.

Anyways, support Amanda as she continues to grow into an even better artist and storyteller.  I know she has some work coming from Arcana Studios, but in the meantime, you can follow Amanda and writer Kevin LaPorte at http://www.inversepress.com/

Tarantino XX - Reservoir Dogs Screening

Even though I barely survived the worst class of my entire educational career (Materials for Optical Systems just in case you're curious), I managed to escape to my local movie theater and see the most important film in cinematic history: Reservoir Dogs

Without Reservoir Dogs, we wouldn't have masterpieces such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill.  True Romance and Natural Born Killers may have defined Tarantino as a writer, but it was Reservoir Dogs that defined him as a director.  Using a funky soundtrack and iconic film shots, Tarantino proved his chops and transformed cinema with his witty dialogue and ultra violence.  And because of it, he created a cult following and at least one super duper fan...

To celebrate Tarantino's 20 years of film making, they created an awesome bluray box set containing all his films (including True Romance).  Even though I already own each disc on their own, one day I will have to buy this collection.  It has some exclusive special features and some beautiful box art (I have to find this artist and get him to do an issue of Tarantino Comics).

Also to celebrate the 20 years, they showed Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction for 1 day only at Fathom Events movie theaters.  I was able to catch the Reservoir Dogs screening, but unfortunately missed Pulp Fiction because of exams.  Luckily I saw Pulp Fiction earlier this year at the Garden Theater (see here).

Before showing Reservoir Dogs, they had about 10 minutes of interviews showing the influence of the movie on other filmmakers such as Eli Roth.  Also to make the showing unique, Tarantino provided three trailers from his own personal collection:

If you don't see the common bond, its Harvey Keitel.  Of these three films, the only one I've ever seen is Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets.  And although I would love to see Ridley Scott's The Duellists , Mother, Jugs and Speed is a film I have to find!  With a funny Bill Cosby and a gorgeous Raquel Welch, I can definitely see how this "black and busty" comedy fits Tarantino's sensibilities.