h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I agree, she was excellent as a film maker, and as a technician, she was a genius. But all her films are about mass scenes.

I think that, for all his flaws, Snyder has a really interesting visual style. If he picks up some of Nolan's craft and intelligence (which I really got to appreciate after watching Rises for a second time today) it could be quite special.

The main stumbling block is that Superman is just fundamentally boring as a character. Plus the two trailers have annoyed me with the use of the Bridge of Khazad-Dum track from Fellowship of the Ring.

I think it's a mistake for DC to attempt a Justice League film a la the Avengers. Other than Batman and Wonder Woman, the DC universe just doesn't have the characters (seriously, can anyone see an Aquaman film?) whereas Marvel could kill off a bunch of the current Avengers roster and have others (Spiderman, Wolverine, the Fantastic 4) as equally cool replacements.

I dunno about that myself. I think in Supes, Batman and Wonderwoman DC have a pretty good "A" team for a Justice League.

And there are a number of characters who could prove interesting in an ensamble piece. I mean Captain Marvel provides and interesting counterpoint to Supes (Read the excellent Mark Waid comic "Kingdom Come"), I have always really liked the Flash, and he has never been done justice on screen. Whilst the Green Lantern film was awful Hal Jordan is an intersting character. Martian Manhunter could work as a tier two JL character.

And there are some secondary characters from the Batverse who are just longing for extra screen time. I really hope Anne Hathaway gets to be catwoman again, and presumably you are given to understand that Joseph Gordon Levitt's character is going to become Nightwing.

I don't think DC and Warners have lined their ducks up to be able to make a decent league film just yet but there is more than enough top stuff in the comics that it could be made to work.

FB

Superman boring as a character. Yes, that's always been my problem with him. He is just *too* invulnerable for my tastes - I have always much preferred the Marvel characters although Nolan's films are starting to make we want to read some Batman comics.

Still, his Batman films have been so good I am keen to see if it rubs off on Superman too.

I haven't seen it myself yet, but a colleague went to see the new Batman film which came out here in Germany today. She went to the midnight showing - her boyfriend had managed to get tickets. She said it was great in the break (they showed the other Dark Knight film before midnight, the other one following it). The cinema was full of blokes - there was a queue for the mens' loo and she could go straight in!

Was discussing the ending of Rises at work with people who saw it yesterday - and unless you've seen it I'll say no more.

But I really came appreciate Kermode's comments from the other day - that really is rather clever.

However no-one at work agreed with me.

It's The Cambridge Open-Air Film Festival this month and next, so my next planned outing to the see a film is to go see Film Noir classic: The Third Man with Orson Wells.

Also at the flicks this month.....
I'm curious about Bourne Legacy - which might be god or awful I'm not sure.

Also the Total Recall Re-do-over. I mean the original is, lovable in a quirky kind of way - so I'm intrigued to see a new version but think it will be all show and little heart but I might be wrong, perhaps wait for the dvd for that one...

I was glad when I listened to Kermode's review having already watched the film for precisly that reason. I thought the end was ambigious and none of the people I went to the flicks with did.

There is also quite an interesting take on it over at Den of Geek.

FB

Ambiguous yes. No-one at work either did agree or wanted to.

Funny that.

This is England was just on TV. Outstanding, but I really hope the title's an exaggeration...

The Third Man's my all-time favorite. Have fun!

This evening I watched the German movie Keinohrhasen, a typical love story. It's nice to watch, but not that different from what Hollywood could come up with. Afterwards I watched the Swedish movie I Rymden Finns Inga Känslar, about a boy with Asperger's syndrome's attempt to find a girlfriend for his brother. It was actually quite funny, you should give it a go.

Saw Shallow Hal, the one with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, occasionally in a fat suit. Didn't like it much, and despite it's theme of outward appearances being no barrier to love, the film spent its duration mocking fat people in an unfunny manner.

And Jack Black is hardly a matchstick man.

I tried watching that once, I think I switched off after the first 20 tawdry minutes.

I'm looking forward to see this next month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkEw3mWs86g

I went to see The Lorax with the wee one yesterday. I'm not a huge Dr Seuss fan (bite me ) but we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The film was well paced, the story flowed well and Betty White was in it

Battleship




That is all

I watched Tintin on DVD last night whilst doing the ironing. Really classy art work, and I don't think the story was as incoherent as some of the critics seemed to think at the time. I do agree with them that Snowy was the star of the show.

The Illusionist with Edward Norton. Loved the atmosphere, but the ending is a bit inconsistent.

Imagine my surprise to receive an email from my cable supplier offering me a free month's film subscription. So far I have watched Scorpion King 3 (don't bother), Arctic Predator (5/10 and that's only because Dean Cain was in it, why he took the job I don't know) and My Talks with Dean Spanley, which was brilliant.