“Unknowability” IS A Word. I Looked It Up And Everything.
Some (non-Alien/Predator for once) tat I really, really need to own, spotted at io9: An incredibly detailed Iron Man toy.
Other news has Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct Thor. This is a great idea. His Frankenstein film came up as a conversation topic the other day, and although I remember it having a lukewarm reception, it really was a decent film, with a great cast, and probably one of the steam-punkiest films to ever have a wide release. If Branagh brings that kind of atmosphere and imagination to the Asgard scenes, the film’s going to be amazing. On one hand, I’d love to have a crazy Kirby-fest, but until someone gets Pixar to make Michael Chabon’s 60s set Fantastic Four film it’s not going to happen, so I’ll settle for Oddly Gothic.
The Green Lantern film appears to be ramping up. I don’t see why they don’t just adapt the recent Secret Origin storyline, because I really love that story. I mean, I’m one of the (apparently few) people who quite liked Emerald Dawn, but I don’t really want a screen adaptation of it, and I’m glad the crippling-his-mate-while-drink-driving thing’s been retconned (ret-retconned?) away. I’d be interested to see who they tap for the aliens. I bet Weta’d do an awesome job, but I’d be happy with the Henson Creature Shop too. No news on Sinestro, but he’s got to be in it. Presumably as Hal’s mentor in the first one, and the antagonist in GL II.
Johns has been playing down Sinestro’s alien-ness in Secret Origin so far, in that when he turned up in Rebirth a big deal was made of his, well, sinister demeanor and alien unknowability. Which was really cool, playing up the idea that not every alien species in the Corps was just humanity with a funny skin colour. It gave a sense of original Star Trek-type mystery, the vibe that it’s cold and scary out in space, something that doesn’t always come through in space comics. Of course, that spin doesn’t quite fit with the other Korugans we’ve seen, or Sinestro back when he was a Lantern. Perhaps the cold freakishness isn’t an alien thing, but a symptom of his time spent exiled, either on Qward or inside the Battery. Which is quite cool, too.
Quite looking forward to Neil Gaiman’s new book. It looks a bit more up my street than some of his other work. I think Gaiman’s a great writer, and when he’s good, he’s brilliant. I love Neverwhere, and the original Books of Magic, Anansi Boys was a lot of fun and I’m making my way through his Sandman stuff in the Absolute editions. But I never really got American Gods, I found Eternals a bit lacking and 1602 was let down by a weak ending after a great start. I always meant to go back and read Gods again because I’d probably get more out of it second time round, but I can’t find much enthusiasm for it, really. I think I’d be too busy trying to figure out where all the different gods came from, and while a little bit of that can be fun, the sheer amount of them in the book makes the whole thing too much like hard work.
But a story about a kid raised by ghosts in a graveyard? Kind of thing you wish you’d thought of yourself, really. I’m a little underwhelmed by the McKean cover, but it’s ok because they’re also offering an alternate one by artist Chris Riddell. Riddell’s a fantastic cartoonist, one I remember really clearly from my time as a bookseller. He really stood out amongst the children’s illustrators, his “Rabbit and Hedgehog” books in particular. Even if they may skew a little young for the Journal’s readership.
on October 2nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Branagh on Thor? I don’t know what to think of that. Though I dearly love his Shakespeare adaptations, I think they work on the basis of casting, staging and text comprehension. His weaknesses are editing and effects sequences.
Then again, Thor as Henry V? I could go for that.
on October 2nd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
“His weaknesses are editing…”
Should fit in perfectly with the type of film-making exemplified by The Dark Knight.
[Ba-DOOM tish!]
Kidding aside, the habit superhero films have had recently of getting a little bit bloated doesn’t bode well. The last Batman had a monster of a run-time, yet people put up with it, which may signify to execs that tend to miss the point (like when they suggest that any new Superman film should be dark, because dark sells) that what people really want is big, arse-numbing epics. Which, of course, is Branagh through-and-through.
Self-indulgence is almost always what comes before a fall, in cinema in particular. Just look at Cimino’s infamous Heaven’s Gate, or even Jackson’s King Kong. I’d feel a lot better if any new comic book hero films were a little tighter in terms of pacing.
As for the special effects, I’m cautiously optimistic. Effects teams these days are so good that it would take a lot for a director to cock them up, and I imagine Marvel will be keeping a close eye on that side of things. And I really do rate his Frankenstein, although I haven’t seen it for a while and my memory may be letting me down. Then again, what’s the competition? Van Helsing? Frankenstein Unbound?
on October 2nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Branagh’s last film, Sleuth, was shit. I liked his Frankenstein too, but he’s got a lot of clunkers like Dead Again on his CV. His battle scene in Henry V was excellent, one of the best ever, and on that evidence alone, I think he’s capable of doing Thor justice. Because of his history of Shakespearean works, he’ll have a lot of ‘proper’ actors wanting to work on the movie with him. Also, he’s not averse to casting Brian Blessed in his movies, which is also a plus point in my book. I think Valhalla is Blessed’s spiritual home!
I loved American Gods, I think it’s among Gaiman’s best stuff, personally. The book tells you where the gods come from if you stick with it, although, most of the time it’s fairly obvious. Saying that, though, I never guessed Low-key was Loki. Kind of obvious, I know. I get dumb like that sometimes. I wonder if the Anansi in American Gods is the same Anansi in Anansi Boys? I know they’re both based on the original spider-man (so to speak), but do the stories exist in the same universe?
on October 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
“I wonder if the Anansi in American Gods is the same Anansi in Anansi Boys?”
I believe it is. I should probably read the book again, I’m sure I’d get more out of it second time round. And I’d forgotten about Dead Again. Thank God.
Brian Blessed? Volstagg. Volstagg Volstagg VOLSTAGG.
on October 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 am
I was going to say Odin, but then, yeah… Volstagg, that’s brilliant!
The only true competition for his Frankenstein is obviously Weird Science… I mean, the original Frankenstein.
on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 am
Or the Monster Mash.