kiro
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Posts: 74
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Post by kiro on Feb 7, 2014 8:56:54 GMT -5
As a comic fan, I have an inherent defensiveness with regard to wanting comic books to be recognized as a legitimate art form and form of entertainment. I get into so many arguments with people over this who dont agree with it. especially when I say something like "reading my comic books" and I get the "Thats not reading its just drawings".... I get from my boss all the time "Its funny that you call comics "literature"" That and the smug half smile head shakes when I talk about them and how great a story was. Regarding the Jesse Eisenburg casting, I was just as shocked as everyone else when I heard and and scratched my head a little but thinking on it more, he is a professional actor and we have no idea what the writers have in mind for the script. There are too many variables to pass judgement so quickly so I will wait to see how this develops before making an opinion.
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Post by dragonboy on Feb 7, 2014 19:05:19 GMT -5
Well, your boss is obviously a moron... "literature = things made from letters" besides, where would the story for the movies your boss goes to come from if they were not a form of written art? It really is to bad your boss has no imagination and refuses to see "art" unless it is framed and hanging on a wall. Ignorance in place of imagination. I am proud of the people who work on these books, it takes work!
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Post by Don Garvey on Feb 8, 2014 9:36:58 GMT -5
Great discussion on casting! Bob brought up an interesting point about how casting really sticks in the minds of the public conscious, and it got me thinking - of course Adam West is seared in peoples minds - he was the only human to play the part for 23 years until Michael Keaton took over the job. Ditto for Christopher Reeves - 28 years (!)
I really wonder if this fear is going to be legitimate going forward in our fast paced everything-is-disposable media culture?
Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer (6 years) Val Kilmer to George Clooney (2 years) George Clooney to Christian Bale (8 years) Christian Bale to Ben Affleck (will be 10 years) Eric Bana to Edward Norton (5 years) Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo (4 years)
And so on and so on.
The larger question is this - James Bond is larger than the actor who plays him but he wasn't at the start - Sean Connery was James Bond*, I wonder if this fast paced change is going to be a benefit, not a detriment, as the characters become the focus rather than the actor who portrayed him so far?
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Post by Blencs on Feb 8, 2014 18:36:38 GMT -5
Bought Kingdom come this morning and have just finished it.................................................wow, just wow. That was so good. Can't wait to hear the next book club.
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Post by drocat on Feb 10, 2014 14:28:05 GMT -5
As a comic fan, I have an inherent defensiveness with regard to wanting comic books to be recognized as a legitimate art form and form of entertainment. I get into so many arguments with people over this who dont agree with it. especially when I say something like "reading my comic books" and I get the "Thats not reading its just drawings".... Or the best one: "Why are you reading kid books? Can't spend time on reading a REAL book?" Little do they know, I also read "real" books and make my own art and still have time for whatever else. Especially stupid seeing as how almost every person I talk to hasn't read a book since high school. *rolls eyes
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Post by wjohnson22 on Feb 10, 2014 16:05:38 GMT -5
Or the best one: "Why are you reading kid books? Can't spend time on reading a REAL book?" Little do they know, I also read "real" books and make my own art and still have time for whatever else. Especially stupid seeing as how almost every person I talk to hasn't read a book since high school. *rolls eyes Preach! A little venting every now and then can be pretty healthy and cathartic! Btw, speaking of "real" books, I'd highly recommend checking out Scott Snyder's collection of short stories, Voodoo Heart. Very enjoyable. Some have horror elements, but most are just interesting stories about quirky characters.
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Post by angelcakes83 on Feb 12, 2014 23:26:58 GMT -5
I think Iron Man was a real game-changer when it came to comic book movies. Raimi's Spider-Man was great as a goofy action movie with heart, but it was rather clunky with the source material. X-Men was trying its hardest not to be a comic book movie, and in some cases seemed to sneer at comics (with yellow spandex jokes, etc.). And Batman Begins was only peripherally a superhero movie: it was much more interested in dark realism and in some ways just as much didn't want to be about a superhero. And those were the best. Movies like Fantastic Four, Punisher, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Elecktra, and Catwoman all had those problems even worse. And casting decisions reflected that: either get a big actor who didn't fit the part, or get an actor who looked the part but couldn't act, or get Nicolas Cage. (There are a few exceptions, of course. I thought, for instance, Michael Chiklis as the Thing was rather inspired.)
But since Robert Downey, Jr.'s, Iron Man, casting seems to be much more important. RDJ was absolutely perfect for Tony Stark: he looked the part, was an excellent actor, had a presence that could carry the movie, and had a personal story--an ethos--that matched Tony's redemptive story arc. I honestly think that ever since, people have been expecting casting like that, and it just can't happen every time.
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Post by deadanchoress on Feb 13, 2014 14:56:30 GMT -5
Great podcast this week and appreciate all the thoughtful, engaging commentary. Regarding why we care so much about casting and comic book movies in general, I'm wondering if others have experienced the following: As a comic fan, I have an inherent defensiveness with regard to wanting comic books to be recognized as a legitimate art form and form of entertainment. I think this goes to what Bob was discussing on the podcast about how, sometimes, the creative forces behind comic book movies feel the need to "clean up" the source material to bring it up to a level worthy of the movies, and/or have "real" writers make adjustments to the story. This certainly isn't always the case, but even as comic books have gained more cultural acceptance, I know I have internalized the notion that I "get it," and understand that comic books are a legitimate art form, and am frustrated by feeling like I have to regularly defend my hobby. Maybe this helps to explain why many in our community (including myself at times) react so negatively to casting news or other creative decisions, in that we think it reflects the gulf between those who get that comic books are a worthy art form, and those, often in positions of power or influence, who feel that comics book material needs to be spruced up for mass consumption. I commend Steve and others on the podcast for recognizing our tendency to go negative, and instead focus on celebrating all the awesome things happening with comic books and how far we've come in gaining legitimacy. I still may slip up at times and express a knee-jerk, negative reaction before giving time for more thoughtful consideration, but we're all works in progress, right? Thanks very much, wjohnson22. I'll be the first to admit that I've been negative from time to time in regard to comics (and most likely a few other things). It's so much easier to act on your guy reaction and take it to your various social media platforms with very little regard of how you're representing yourself and the product in question. We want to be heard, right? However, I've been doing things to condition myself into being more positive, especially about things that I have yet to experience first hand. It isn't always easy, and some things are just so off the wall that perhaps they warrant having the piss taken out of them from the get go ... but probably not. In some ways we're all hypocrites, cynics, and curmudgeons about the things we cherish falling into what we assume are the wrong hands. But hey, we're only human, right?
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