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‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ is a decent Batman film with a Superman problem

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Written by: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer Directed by: Zack Snyder USA, 2016 “Wouldn’t it be cool if..?” should be Zack Snyder’s motto. He should print it on a t-shirt and wear it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. His entire career is based on capturing …

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“Man of Steel” and the Myth of the Great Comic Book Movie

You can learn a lot about our culture by how we treat our comic book movies. That’s a funny sentence to say, but in terms of cinema, it’s the nerds’ world, we’re all just living in it. From the campy heyday of the Adam West Batman to the childlike wonderment of Richard Donner’s Superman to …

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Go Under the Hood of the New Batmobile With ‘Batman vs Superman’ Production Designer

Batman’s iconic ride is as crucial a part of the caped crusader’s visual iconography as the costume, and each unique iteration of the character has had an equally unique Batmobile. From Batman: The Animated Series’ “shoebox on wheels”, to the garishly lit version from Batman Forever, to the tough, boxy “doesn’t look especially like a Batmobile” Tumbler from Nolan’s …

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SDCC 2015: The Apologist Blockbuster: ‘Batman v Superman’ v Fans

Zack Snyder would like you to know that everything is under control. Whatever your criticisms of his directorial interpretation of Superman may be, it’s all intentional. Any ambivalence you may be harboring about Man of Steel’s ending, characterization or overall tone, is all part of the plan. Snyder is your buddy, and he is shocked …

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First official look at the awesome new Batmobile in ‘Batman v Superman’

After a couple of photos of the new Batmobile leaked from the set today, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder was quick to distract everyone from the leaks with the first official look. Tweeted out from the director’s official account, the photo was taken with a Nikon D800 at 500 ISO, 24mm, f/11, …

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The Definitive Kubrickian Films: 40-31

As we spend a month looking at the great Stanley Kubrick, we can also look at the filmmakers who were clearly influenced by Kubrick. “Kubrickian” films tend to exercise incredible control of the camera, are extremely ambitious, tend to deal with much weightier themes, and always maintain a sense of mystery, like a there’s an …

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Six Actors Who Should Be Cast As Batman

In July, when Zack Snyder announced that Batman would have a role in the Man of Steel sequel, the internet went ablaze with excitement and speculation. A major issue of speculation was casting; who would play Batman? After Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale each succeeded and/or failed at making …

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‘Man of Steel’ renders the red-and-blue hero in dull grey

Man of Steel Written by David S. Goyer Directed by Zack Snyder USA, 2013 Come back, Superman Returns; all is forgiven. Upon its release, Bryan Singer’s take on the most iconic comic-book hero of all time was rightly criticized for being poorly cast, too beholden to the Christopher Reeve era and prone to bouts of distracting …

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‘Man of Steel’ is a bombastic pop epic that goes for broke, and often succeeds

One of the better elements of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen, and widely considered its best sequence, was that film’s opening credits montage, which forcefully played with pop culture iconography to impressive degrees. In a way, that sequence was an effective hint of what was to come with Snyder’s reboot of the Superman property; a cultural icon lavishly portrayed in a titanic fashion.

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The 2000’s: A Vital Decade in Horror Cinema

Many film websites published “decade’s best horror films” lists in late 2009/early 2010. While these lists collectively provided a rough snapshot of the genre’s ups and downs during that time, with more time to reflect, it becomes increasingly clear what an important period the 2000’s were for the horror genre on a global scale. Not …

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Comic-Con prompts thoughts on the prospect of a great superhero film

In a July 28 post,  (www.popoptiq.com/will-we-ever-see-a-classic-superhero-movie/), my Sound on Sight colleague Deepayan Sengupta pondered the admittedly arguable premise that, for all their entertainment and box office value, the superhero movie has yet to provide a true cinematic classic.  Back in March, I came at a vaguely similar idea but from a different angle (www.popoptiq.com/how-serious-can-a-comic-book-movie-be-discuss/).  I …

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Diane Lane is Superman’s Mom

Despite all the rumors of Kevin Costner playing Pa Kent and Viggo Mortensen as General Zod in the upcoming Superman movie to be directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn Of The Dead, Watchmen), the second official casting announcment (following that of Henry Cavill who will be playing The Man Of Steel), is that of a lady. …

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John Hamm talks “Superman”

I’m not sure when the “John Hamm for Superman” campaign started, but for about a year, fans of the actor and Mad Men (and not so much fans of the actual comic book) have been pushing for the actor to play Clark Kent in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman movie. The award-winning actor certainly looks the …

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Watchmen: Director’s Cut

Completely entertaining and dripping with fan appreciated details, Watchmen is a gift to comic book nerds and film enthusiasts alike. – Watchmen: Director’s Cut Directed by Zach Synder Trying to determine the value of a film based on a book (or graphic novel in this case), is a dangerous undertaking. Separating the downfalls and offering credit …

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