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On Why Not Everyone Will See Todd Phillips’ Joker

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Just a little more than a month since the release of Joker, I simply don’t have the interest to see Todd Phillips’ box office smash hit. Enough has been spoiled online, where just going will simply be a waste of time. In the DC Comics universe, many writers ranging from original creator Jerry Robinson to Alan Moore (The Killing Joke), have done their character study and to add another take feels like overkill.

From animation to video games, not all of these clown prince(s) of crime are going to behave the same. Some will take on the chilling appeal ala Charles Manson and others are just troubled individuals. The Joker, for me, is an embodiment of chaos. His mania developed to a point where he can’t pull off a caper without getting Batman getting involved. This version never commits anything low-key.

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Aquaman, An Epic Textbook Case of Another Hero’s Journey …

Although James Wan’s concept for Aquaman is to guilde him through another hero’s journey, the story isn’t all wet

Spoiler Alert

‘Tis the season to enjoy being Aquaman. Jason Momoa is clearly having fun in the role, and his charm sells this latest DC Extended Universe product. Zack Snyder has executive producer credit and James Wan is directing. This Fast and Furious director sticks to what he knows best and translates the screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall into glorious sequences straight out of Lord of the Rings, Clash of the Titans (no surprise here, when considering David’s past work), Blade Runner and Indiana Jones.

Of the latter, it was too short and I wished for more. The visual treat of the underwater sequences is certainly overwhelming and lives up to recreating Neo Atlantis perfectly. I hoped for a more classically nuanced work (in reference to Plato’s Timaeus) and while not out of place, the archeological moments were not too much of a letdown. Balancing the origin of a superhero story with the big tease of them in the Sahara must have been tough.

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On Fantastic Beasts 2 and Where to Find Them (and the Series Plot)

Fantastic Beasts 2 Movie Poster By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

If Fantastic Beasts is retconning the Wizarding World as we know it from the world of Harry Potter, fans are likely to complain. The Crimes of Grindelwald is The Two Towers of this spinoff saga. It sets in motion a quest to stop the deeds to which this nefarious character, played by Johnny Depp, has plans to commit. The actions he committed in the past are a concern, but in this sequel, this villain’s future goals will shake up the world in devastating ways. At the same time, we are teased with glimpses of the tools he has at his disposal. He possesses at least one-third of the Deathly Hallows.

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5 Most Anticipated Films of 2018

Not every upcoming movie for 2018 will get fully embraced. To make a top five list is more challenging because the interest for these films is just not quite solid.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Not every upcoming movie for 2018 will get fully embraced. To make a top five list is more challenging because the interest for these films is just not quite solid.

Whether the film involved is plagued with production problems or franchise fatigue is setting in, the reasons can vary. The worry with this first film is not because the principal directors were let go, but can reshoots fix a film? In this case, it’s the actor who defined the role than casting someone younger to take the mantle. I feel shades of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull will be on the thoughts of many considering going to see this movie.

Han Solo (May 25, 2018)
Nobody can replace Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Nobody. Not even the actors who played younger versions of the characters he made famous get remembered for these roles. Okay, Sean Patrick Flanery is wonderful in the Young Indy series when he was a teen and he put a lot of effort in the role to not only sell the show but also become quite the sex symbol himself. The age difference from a young teen on television to an adult in cinema helped make this transition work.

Alden Ehrenreich is an okay substitute to show when this scoundrel was at his best. Whether the masses will accept him is the big question. The secondary issue is when this story will take place. Since the idea is to spotlight a younger version of the character, the hive mind is most likely not going to have this film lead out to Solo travelling to Tatooine anytime soon. Rumours suggest this movie will be a Western, and this idea can work to see this scoundrel turn saviour for the day. However, to follow up on the heels of The Last Jedi is going to be tough. Expectations will be very high, and if this film does not deliver, perhaps Disney / Lucasfilm will have to reconsider if these side-stories are needed at all.

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Not a Justice League of Their Own, or Are They?

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The problem with the live action Justice League not living up to its pedigree is that it’s missing its seventh member. We have Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) leading the charge. In the film, he’s dead but everyone knows he’ll come back to at some point. Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Flash (Ezra Miller) round off the team. In the comics, there were seven founding members. This number is also very symbolic, usually a measure of completeness. Depending on the culture, just what it means will vary.

As a film which hints at a possible add in the future, the wait will be long to see who that will be. In other mediums, either Green Lantern or Martian Manhunter will become a member. But before this can even happen, a set of solo films are in store for the other half of the team. This baggage is unneeded; let’s just assume audiences know them and offer story arcs which can shake up the DC multiverse (conveniently enough, Flashpoint will be the story in Flash’s solo outing even though no date has been set).

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Anime Series ‘Panzer World Galient’ Slated for Japanese HD Blu-ray Release Next Spring

panzerworldgalient By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Sunrise’s animated series Panzer World Galient (機甲界ガリアン) is being released in Japan on Blu-ray for the very first time. The 25 episode series that originally aired on Nippon Television from 1984 to 1985 and spawned 3 original video animations (OVA) will be sold as part of a 5 double-sided disc box set. Galient has been previously released on DVD, first in 2008 as part of the “Anniversary” release and again in 2011 as part of Emotion’s “the best of” series. But this is the first time Galient episodes will be taken from the source tapes and remastered in high definition. All 25 episodes of the series plus the three OVAs (Earth Chapter, Sky Chapter and Crest of Iron) will be included in the Blu-ray box set.

Galient was directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi (Ozuma), written by Sōji Yoshikawa (Cyborg 009) with mechanical designs by Yutaka Izubuchi (WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3). Both Takahashi and Yashikawa worked on the Armored Trooper VOTOMS series that premiered the year before. Galient‘s opening and ending themes were composed and performed by EUROX, a progressive Japanese rock band formed in 1984.

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