Tag Archives: movies

by | August 24, 2015 · 7:40 am

Staff Writer | Review: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

***** SPOILER ALERT *****
This review will be discussing plot points which may be considered spoilers. Consider yourselves warned.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E is a straight up man.

Growing up I never cared much for the Bond films or Mission Impossible movies. However, recently over the years my feelings towards these kinds of movies have softened—in most part due to the quality of two of the last three Bond films.  So, when I saw the trailers for The Man from U.N.C.L.E I was hooked. It looked slick, sexy and stylish, all elements that I feel have been missing in movies as of late.  Based on the mid-60’s TV series of the same name, that ran for 100+ episodes and starred Robert Vuangh (Bullitt (1968) and The Magnificent Seven (1960)) and David McCallum (NCIS), this movie was about a super-secret spy organization called U.N.C.L.E that teamed up an American CIA agent and Soviet KGB agent.

"The First Man(Men?) from U.N.C.L.E."

The First Man (Men?) from U.N.C.L.E.

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by | March 19, 2015 · 11:00 am

Blockbusters that Weren’t

With the release of Jupiter Ascending, the movie-going public was once again subjected to a big budget film that didn’t quite live up to expectations. While I haven’t had the opportunity to see it (though I intend to at some point soon), I began wondering what it is that causes these movies to flounder at the box office.

jupiter_ascending

As it currently stands, Jupiter Ascending has made $171 million according to Box Office Mojo, which, while impressive, is still five million short of the production budget, which doesn’t even include any marketing costs—which can often run nearly as high as the production budget. That is a lot of money that the studio to be out. Two years ago a similar trend was making its way through the beloved summer blockbuster season. Movies like The Lone Ranger, featuring proven hit making creators or cast members, were bombing left and right. By the time July rolled around, movie and entertainment blogs were all declaring the death of the blockbuster. In hindsight, that was obviously a bit of an overstatement, but at the time it seemed like a perfectly logical conclusion. The summer of 2012 was almost a non-stop hit parade, but 2013 was painful to watch. What is it, then, that causes a movie to fail so miserably? Continue reading →

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by | March 2, 2015 · 8:59 pm

Editorial | Greek Mythology in Popular Culture

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post discussing the ubiquitous references to Norse mythology in modern day pop culture, but Scandinavian folklore certainly does not have the market cornered. The wise King Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” and it certainly seems that way sometimes in media and entertainment. Tired rom-com plot lines are trotted out every year—sometimes with the same dialogue—and Adam Sandler doesn’t seem to be able to create an original story to save his life. However, Greek myths have a life all their own, and when incorporated correctly, they appeal to an ancient tradition that really enhances the story.

In comics, as with most entertainment, there are two ways to incorporate myths: either the artist can harken directly back to Greek stories by incorporating members of the pantheon directly into the cast of characters. Examples of this are Hades from the Lady Pendragon comics, various appearances of Artemis and Aphrodite in all manner of comics, or even Hercules as a member of the Marvel Avengers team. Alternatively, comic creators can sneakily refer to Greek myths or just steal inspiration without giving direct credit. A good example is in Aquaman, the not-quite-Poseidon character about whom Marvel is in the process of creating a movie.

Jason-Momoa-Aquaman

Jason Momoa as Aquaman in the upcoming film.

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by | February 27, 2015 · 1:29 pm

Farewell, Mr. Nimoy

nimoy

Today is a very sad day in the geek community. Earlier this afternoon, Leonard Nimoy passed away at age eighty three. Although he is certainly not the first of the original cast to pass, his passing is probably the most personally saddening. While I always loved DeForest Kelly and James Doohan, there was something even more special about Nimoy and his most noteworthy character, Mr. Spock. For several generations now, Star Trek in all its varying iterations has been entertaining and connecting with fans in a very special way. There are entire fan conventions dedicated to this one franchise, and the fan base extends across the entire planet. Through all of this, Nimoy has been there. Even before there was a Captain Kirk, there was Mr. Spock.

Leonard Nimoy was not only a beloved character, but also a man who learned to embrace what he had become and the fans who loved him. In addition to Star Trek, Nimoy lent his vocal talents to cartoons from my childhood like Transformers, and more than one documentary that helped to drive forward my desire for learning and knowledge. I know that I will sorely miss his presence on screen and that it will be a long while before I can watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan again.

– Andrew

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