Today's News: it's Marvel versus DC on the small screen too

Here's some fairly new news from MovieScene I wrote in recent times:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/155681/logo_marvelserie_agent_carter_uitgebracht

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/155696/eerste_trailer_en_clip_nbcs_constantine

It seems DC is not letting Marvel outdo its rival on television as easily as it does on the big screen. Marvel is still a relative newcomer to the scene, currently hosting only a single show, though with great plans for the future of the medium both on telly and online. DC accordingly was all too eager to grab a corner of that reinvigorated market too (remember, DC has a much more encompassing history with television than Marvel: consider shows like Smallville and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but those are arguably past successes), and has been attempting to do likewise ever since Arrow debuted last year. Its slate of comic book adaptations for television isn't as ambitious and lacks the Marvel touch of coherency (shared universe and all, y'know), but it does reveal more diversity. Arrow is basically superhero light. The upcoming Gotham is more film noir/cop drama than anything else, despite its eventual penchant for masked villains and vigilantes. And as this trailer for Constantine shows, it's more of a fantasy/horror show. The original Hellblazer comics, published under DC's Vertigo imprint, never shared much ties with the regular DC-verse anyway and as all of these shows will debut on different networks, don't expect to see any Marvel type crossovers.

At the same time, 'crossover' remains the key word for Marvel. Agent Carter fits right in that strategy, building on events and characters from both Captain America movies and the running series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., yet offering a different kind of adventure. Similar to that first Marvel TV series, the main component is spy stories, but set in a period setting, allowing for historical events and characters to be intertwined. Also, the emphasis is on a single (female) character instead of a team of personalities, so the make-up of the show is different from the get-go. It's gonna be a Cold War show, not a series where superhuman characters loom around every corner. But as the logo and the released plot synopsis indicate, connection to what regular audiences know and love about the Marvel Universe will be commonplace. The eagle logo clearly establishes the link between Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D., and it's likely we'll see the foundation of that organization sometime or other in the show: the term 'origin story' will likely be appropriate somewhere down the line. The character of Howard Stark (Iron Man's dad) will also play an important part, thus directly re-establising the connection with the superhuman element and the technological wonders that form another hallmark of the Marvel brand. Nevertheless, I have a tough time picturing this as an ungoing show, it feels more like miniseries material. Blame it on the period setting, blame it on the single protagonist, but the premise feels limited. It sounds like there's only so much you can do with it before it starts getting repetitive. There's a reason the supporting character of Agent Carter never got her own continuing line of comics. I hate to be the Negative Nancy here, but even though it does sound intriguing, I doubt this show will make it for more than two seasons.

As for Constantine, the trailer doesn't make me revel in jubilation either. Even though there's good names attached to the project, judging from the trailer the result has a definite B-movie vibe to it. Of course a trailer is not an accurate reflection of the final product, but it does cause people to get either enthusiastic or pessimistic about the show-to-be. I don't think many people will be convinced of the show's qualities - and with Neil 'Blackwater' Marshall directing the pilot, there just have to be some - after this trailer, or the accompanying clip. Maybe it's the cheap looking effects, maybe it's the choppy editing meant to evoke a sense of dread, but so far the pilot doesn't appear nearly as attractive as the movie, which also wasn't a brilliant piece of gothic audiovisual entertainment. I'm willing to reserve judgment until I see the finished thing (as people should anyway), but so far I'm more stoked for Gotham. That's probably the DC comfort zone speaking, sticking to what we like most about DC, which is undeniably Batman. And Hellblazer is a far cry from the tales of the Caped Crusader. At least Constantine has something to show for it by now. But for the present, Marvel's shows take my preference.

As for Neil Marshall, we still have an 'Episode 9' by his hand in store for us on Game of Thrones. His involvement worked out quite well the last time. Hopefully it will make a difference for Constantine after all.

Today's News: Winter Soldier is still coming

We're not rid of the star spangled Avenger just yet, like it or not:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/153459/nieuwe_posters_captain_america_the_winter_soldier

Seems like the second Captain America's promotional campaign is releasing new pics and posters every other day now. Considering its rival at the boxoffice, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (a Sony release despite being a Marvel superhero too) is doing the same, there's a precedent for this. It's basically ensuring people are aware of your movie whether they care to be or not by going all-out releasing new materila in a high frequency: to put it brief, a sort of overkill. Still not particularly popular outside the US of A, Cap could sure use the help of some glorious new posters like these. Too bad his own is rather dull and overly sombre, not a particularly neat piece of visual imagery that sticks to mind. However, Black Widow's fabulously sexy poster, formidably appropriating all of Scarlett Johansson's wonderful physical attributes, certainly makes up for it (not to mention she can act too). That poster is bound to attract some audiences all by itself. Call me a sexist if you much, but please remember I didn't make the poster, I only spread the word about it by posting it online. It reminds us Cap has something Spidey does not have (yet): a superpowered (well, sort of) female sidekick riding along into battle with him, instead of cheering him on from the sidelines like Emma Stone's all too human Gwen Stacy sticks to (so Sony better introduce the Black Cat or Silver Sable into the rebooted Spider-Man franchise soon to keep up!). People who want to see a heroine kick butt as well as any hero, if not more so, will surely get what they want in this film. Nor will the movie feel the need to have its protagonists from both sexes engage in typical romance with each other, as these characters have a strictly professional relationship. So whatever personal demons continue to haunt Steve Rogers in the 21st century, Agent Romanoff will be there to make sure the threat to world peace (but mostly America) is subdued with extreme prejudice. And otherwise there's still their mutual boss to contend with. As if anybody could beat Samuel L. Jackson in whatever regard. Except for impressive feminine looks of course.

And guess what? On the heels of these new posters and set photos, Marvel released yet another new Cap 2 poster. Why do I even bother to keep up... Because that's what I signed up for is why! And in all honesty, that stunning Black Widow is not a poster I would want to have missed. I'll be sure to keep an eye out at work for that one! Hopefully not while covering me other eye with an eye patch and doing Nick Fury imitations. That would be a little too nerdy even for me.

Today's News: S.H.I.E.L.D. show is a go / La Cinquieme Saison mini-review

This news has been on MovieScene mere minutes and it's already available here:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/147013/marvels_s.h.i.e.l.d._officieel_een_serie

Personally I can only say: bring it! Yes, the overall story synopsis sounds like a bland retreat of shows like The X-Files or The 4400, but hey, I liked those shows and I like Marvel so I still have no reason not to be thoroughly excited. Plus, I've been a great admirer of the way Marvel is constructing its larger cinematic universe in theaters and I'm quite intrigued by the question of how they will continue keeping this up on the small screen. After all, it's one thing to have a series of movies that are referring to one another culminating in one big giant super movie (The Avengers, remember?), but it's quite another to incorporate a TV series into this whole. TV shows just work via different logistics, different methods of production, different ways to keep their principal actors in check, etc. It's laudable ABC dares to take the risk, but also rather understandable considering the box office results from both The Avengers last year and currently Iron Man 3 (though the latter didn't deserve it as much as the former unfortunately). Be it in the TV business or in Hollywood, you can't keep a good exec away from the promise of being showered in precious dough, eh? And what's up with that likeable Agent Coulson playing the lead of this show, despite having died in The Avengers? Seems there's already one big mystery to solve to begin with.

With Marvel, Joss Whedon and TV (the last two categories alone would pique my interest already, really) all mixed together, I can safely say that however Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will turn out, it will be interesting on multiple levels, regardless of its eventual quality or lack thereof. I for one think it might actually happen to be a good show, and I'll definitely seek it out to shield me from boredom!


By the way, it's been quite a while since I posted a review (mini or otherwise) on this blog of mine. Guess I should go and remedy this critical drought, and why not start now? So here's a little review to let you know I have not forgotten about posting other things than my pieces for MovieScene. I saw this fascinating little film at Provadja recently:

La Cinquième Saison

Rating: ****/*****, or 7/10

A poetic European look at Apocalyptic cinema, this film deals with a small rural community which is confronted with the sudden emergence of a new season. Nihilistic in nature, it falls between winter and spring and is basically a season of nothingness: there's no snow or rain, but nature stays dead as nothing grows, except for the desperation of the townspeople as their resources dwindle. Soon people go to ever increasing lengths just to stay alive or to explain this unusual break in seasonal patterns, to shocking results. Young girls prostitute themselves simply for food, while the town's outsider is branded a cause to all the town's dismays, targeted as a human sacrifice and burned alive. Though much more esoteric in tone than regular end-of-the-world dramas, the film proves all as haunting and unsettling as it successfully registers the dark side of man and his unwavering ability for cruelty when faced with inexplicable catastrophe and basic survival. Also explored is mankind's role in this world under the uncompromising rule of the environment (though it is never addressed whether mankind itself is at fault for the creation of this fifth season), which can still play hell with our sense of civilization and kindness when it comes down to creating unsustainable living conditions that make society crumble. The visual imagery the film resorts to is both gritty and raw as the material demands, but at times surprisingly off-beat and confusing. The Apocalypse has truly gone arthouse, as La Cinquième Saison proves.