By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Release Date:
May 31, 2019
The trailer for Godzilla: King of Monsters dropped on Monday and the film will no doubt make many lists of most anticipated films to see in 2019! While most of the additional kaiju has been identified–Rodan, Mothra (two forms) and King Ghidorah–could more appear? Most likely not, but after countless rewatches, I swear the tail being swung belongs to Anguirus.
By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Avid followers of Marvel Entertainment’s works have reason to cheer. The ten-year ride to get to Avengers: Infinity War is finally here!
Essential to this film is knowing the events from the previous Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy films. The story continues from where Thor:Ragnarök left off. When considering the focus is finally on the mad Titan Thanos, to learn about his back story is the highlight of this film.
By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Alex Garland’s adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s book, Annihilation is a thoughtfully compelling film. The narrative defies the norm for science fiction. It takes elements from survival horror and turns a few ideas I recall from Robert Zemeckis’ Contact around. If I had to deal with meeting aliens in the same way this film suggests, let them have this planet! Part of the story’s DNA may have taken inspiration from John Carpenter’s The Thing. However, this idea goes beyond cloning or regenesis.
In this film, a trip into the light fantastic known as The Shimmer to figure out what’s happening to a small part of Planet Earth is required. Many governments are worried. If this weirdness took place during Jesus Christ’s time, some may call the mission is to approach the Burning Bush. After Moses encountered God to obtain the Ten Commandments, he was positively glowing.
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
* Spoiler Alert
Whoever wanted to revitalize Universal Studio’s vast catalogue of monsters into a new Dark Universe needs a lesson in understanding what made their golden era great. In the 40’s, the studio executives simply wanted to combine terror and comedy to reinvigorate box office sales, especially in-between or following a World War. The scares are delightful in Dracula (1931) and the laughs were genuine in Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein (1948). I feel these two are milestones of an impressive and unintended plan to unite properties.
The whole notion to have a host of these beasts meeting or allying was never considered during these early days. What happened back then was more like a happy accident. Also, the latter film was assembled due to this studio suddenly owning the contracts of these comedians after they merged with International Pictures and producer Robert Arthur suggested pairing the boys with Frankenstein’s monster.
Fast forward to now, the intention to craft a shared world to compete with other studios (namely Marvel Entertainment’s) than to find effective pairings of star power with a property is questionable. Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise are neither exactly huge draws in every world-wide market. When considering the types of roles that earned them their best reputation, Depp can play a terrific smarmy pirate and Cruise that action-hero super-spy.
Comments