A lot of earlier geek fandom movies were released ahead of its time. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World came out in 2010 and didn’t find its audience, if it had released 5 years later it would’ve been a smash hit.
I’d put Spawn in this category as well. While not without its issues I think it captures the spirit of the comic fairly well and is still worth a watch even 20-some years later. I still have no idea how Michael Jai White didn’t become a bigger action star…
The Spawn movie was huge when it was fresh. The demand for McFarlane toys and the industry it spawned speaks for itself. I’d say that without it coming out at the time, comic book movies might not have been made in the 2000’s
Because they cut this scene from Kill Bill. Par II
[also, there’s a ridiculous number of Michaels involved in QT’s movies; Michael Parks, Michael Madsen…
I remember really liking the HBO cartoon but hating the movie when it came out.
SPVTW has long been among my favourite movies of all time. And I remember when it released my best friend said it was a bunch of “hipster bullshit”
Other examples could be Mystery Men and Dredd. Great movies, didn’t land, feel topical now.
Dredd’s problem was it was marketed as “Dredd 3D” in 2012. Three years after Avatar when every movie had a 3d version and only trash movies like Piranha 3DD were still advertising it in their titles.
TBH I only knew it was on because I walked past a cinema with a poster up. I hadn’t heard anything or seen any ads, so went in completely blind on a whim … the marketing must have been non-existant
From a UK perspective, I think Dredd’s biggest problem was lack of marketing. The first trailer only came out a few weeks before the film’s release. Also, it was unfairly labelled as a rip-off of The Raid.
Maybe a controversial take… I like Snyder’s ending better than the book.
Ozymandius tricking Dr Manhattan into building a bomb that blows up NYC is a lot more grounded in possibility that a giant psychic squid.
The whole Dr Manhattan plan could’ve blown up at his face though if he took it personally and killed everyone.
I do kind of like the squid ending because it’s supposed to be something completely unexpected and unbelievable that governments would actually believe it’s an alien. They could’ve foreshadowed it a bit better but I like the weirdness of it.
I like the TV show fleshing out the squid thing more. I think the movie ending was fine for the time though.
I remember recommending the movie to people and being told “you should have warned me there was blue penis” by one person. And then he went on to say “blue penis” at random times when he saw me. I don’t know how he would have reacted if there was a giant alien psychic squid attack
I saw that movie and recommended it, with a caveat. I said, “It’s a great movie, but there’s a lot of big blue schlong. If that’s a problem for you, you won’t enjoy it. If it isn’t, it’s a great show.”
“If that’s a problem for you, you missed the message.”
Seriously. If that’s a problem for you, maybe put in some work and join the rest of us in adulthood soon.
The ending was equally fine as the book, the main issue I have is that in the book, the only real super powered person was Dr. Manhattan.
A lot of things don’t make a ton of sense having all the heroes have super strength and durability.
Not controversial at all, it works and plays better.
It’s just the rest of his changes that are a problem.
I’ve wondered what the reception to Starship Troopers would have been if it was released 10 years later in 2007, as the US was bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Instead it was released during the era of dumb action movies and was treated as such.
There’s a book by John Steakley called Armor that reminds me a lot of Starship Troopers and really captures the feel of an embattled military operation.
Armor
I’m wondering if I read this. There are two points that I remember. First they were going through whatever device to another world and he gets a bad feeling and against protocol he readies his weapon before he goes through. And thus is one of the only survivors. The second part I remember is him or another person got snuck up on by one of the insects, and someone was bugging them imitating how a huge insect would sneak up on someone. Is that the book?
Yeah. Basically there’s this on going war, the Ant War, with any like alien creatures. There’s high casualty cost like in Starship Troopers and the main character is infantry. Most infantry only survive a couple drops but he’s done like 60 or something.
It’s in my queue to read again.
I’m not asking what the book is about. The question is more along the lines of: do you remember the points I outlined happening in Armor? Because I’m trying to remember if that’s the book.
End of your comment:
Is that the book?
Beginning of mine:
Yeah.
Not sure why you’re confused.
Yeah but then the rest of the reply (the entire context of how yeah was used) was about something else entirely.
*Lol 3 downvotes in a 2 week old thread? Tell me you’re using alts without telling me you’re using alts.
True, Zack Snyder was failing to understand comics long before Disney was.
Mystery Men has entered the chat…
Fun trivia that Smash Mouth’s All Star was originally on the soundtrack for this movie and the music video features clips from Mystery Men, two years before Shrek.
Wait?? there was life before Shrek???
the performances in that film are fantastic… actors don’t get enough credit for the work they do in silly films like this one, because Kinnear is great, Stiller is great, Geoffrey Rush is hilarious, Garofalo is awesome, Macy is obviously great, they’re all awesome…
“Two hands there, son.”
Just rewatched this. Still holds up!
😂👌🏻what a gem
I shovel very well
I keep telling people to watch the HBO show from 2019. It has some obvious flaws but Regina King is always fire and IMO episode 6 is still some of the best TV I’ve seen.
It also came out the year before the BLM protests of 2020 and damn was the subject matter relevant. Almost prescient.
My wife and I had never heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre at the time. We were debating whether it was in poor taste to write such a disturbing/racist/violent event in fiction. Then we actually looked it up and realized how we had been failed by our grade school educations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_massacre
Watchman is a franchise with an intense blessing when so many seem cursed. The movie was made by someone who didn’t understand the comic at all and it turned out fantastically, despite that. Easily the best Snyder product, and I do generally like his goofy ass.
Then, over a decade later, it has a weird HBO TV show, made by the creator/writer of Lost, someone who did at least understand very well the comics. But someone with a controversial track record, and making a show entirely out of original material. And it SLAPS. I tend to market it as “what if lost was rated R, 1 season long, and perfect”. Still got my fingers crossed for another season, but it doesn’t need it at all.
The Leftovers was also great. Lost had an eh ending, but I wish I could watch Watchmen, The Leftovers, and Lost all over again for the first time. I’m definitely a Lindelof fan.
It’s a good show but it feels like it has barely anything to do with Watchmen. The main villain was so weak compared to what the comic was going for, and the main character is a raging asshole while the show acts like we’re supposed to be sympathetic to her.
the main character is a raging asshole while the show acts like we’re supposed to be sympathetic to her.
So… like the comic?
That’s what they were going for, but missed completely. In the series it feels like she gets rewarded for being that way, the ending especially sucked.
rewarded
You are assuming a “just world” framework that is explicitly rejected by the work.
ending especially sucked.
I thought it was very tastefully done. But that’s obviously a matter of taste.
I found that show by accident and decided to watch. WOW. It was great.
Too bad there’s only one season, but oh well. It works if you think of it as a miniseries.
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No Batman paved the way for superhero movies! No Avengers paved the way for superhero movies! No Christopher Reeve as Superman paved the way for superhero movies!
No Batman (Adam West) paved the way for superhero movies.
Don’t get me even started on how WB fucked over the Snyderverse. Fuck WB, lost all interest in DC movies because of their constant meddling.
You can just tell in every movie the directors wanted to make something great but studios held them back at every turn. Want to do something daring? Nope, put them on a leash and make it boring
This confirms my sneaking suspicion that Nolan is as terrible a director as Snyder. Cineaste credentials… revoked!
