Word: comic-book
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There was reasonable assurance that converting Marvel’s comic-book heroes to live-action heroes was a smart thing to do, given the solid fan base clamoring for film versions of its favorite comics, as well as a ready-made lineup of characters, story lines and personal histories. I read only one issue of The Amazing Spider-Man but what really sucked me into the Marvel world was my brother’s stack of superhero trading cards, with profiles, stats and full-fledged character bios on the back of every one. Most of the heroes, and even...
...Blade 2, says that the film required 600 effects shots, against the movie average of around 50. Tom Roston, senior editor for film magazine Premiere, believes that comics give studios "intelligent" blockbusters: "Studios want to use their new digital effects, and a lot of the true-life extravaganzas created for that purpose are vapid, like Pearl Harbor. There is often a sense of exploitation of history. Ironically, these comic-book movies with their strong characters and moral themes are deeper, while still entertaining...
...books for plot, character and box office power. Despite the initial success of Warner Bros.' Batman franchise (the first installment in 1989 grossed $413 million on a budget of $35 million, but by 1997's Batman & Robin that had dwindled to $130 million on a $110 million budget), successful comic-book adaptations were few and far between. Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone, in 1995 was the low point, losing around $40 million. Now though, the cinematic landscape has changed. The vampire-hunting Blade grossed over $112 million in 1998, while 1997's Men in Black (both were based on comic...
...even if comics geeks will always find room to complain - about the introduction of an American character, Tom Sawyer, into the mainly British League comic community, or the new black leather X-Men costumes - all fans of this genre should be thrilled. Thanks to Hollywood, their favorite heroes will not only be saving the world on screen, but will be rescuing the comic-book industry as well...
Like the Romans before it, the empire of the Golden Arches has finally succumbed to the indomitable spirit of Asterix the Gaul. As of Wednesday, Ronald McDonald has been retired as the icon of McDonald's France, replaced by the Gallic nationalist comic-book hero. Ironies abound, of course, since Asterix had been something of an anti-Mcdonald's icon, appropriated by anti-globalization protestors such as Mac-basher Jose Bove to symbolize French resistance to foreign encroachment. Resentment of the perceived "McDonaldization" of their culture runs high in France - the influential daily Le Monde, for example, warns that Mcdonald...