James Gunn's 'Super' Breaks The Mold Of Superhero Movies One Skull At A Time

Last night I had the good fortune to score a few seats for a preview of James Gunn's newest film, 'Super'. I am a big fan of Gunn's other films 'Tromeo & Juliet' & 'Slither', so when I obtained my seats for this preview screening I became super excited. The screening was held at the ReRun Gastropub Theater in Brooklyn, NY... and lets just say this may be the best place I have ever watched a movie. They have a gourmet menu (I had a stuffed foccacia sandwich filled pulled pork for Christ sakes... these guys are no joke!) and a full bar. They also offer awesome beer specials, like four Fosters 24oz oil cans for 24 bucks (that's a ton of beer right there). I plan on writing a post about Rerun another time... curator Aaron Hillis and the gang over there are handling business!!!

I was supposed to attend this screening with my partner in crime Jeff Bond, but due to a turn of events Jeff couldn't make it. So instead I met up with CCD's art critic extraordinaire Briana Melendez for the excursion. Bri was excited to see the film because of Nathan Fillon's involvement in the movie... and she made a very capable drinking buddy (those Foster's weren't gonna drink themselves, right?). We settled in with our sammy's and our brews for what we thought was going to be a superhero movie. Boy were we in for a surprise...

***Please click Read more below for my thoughts on 'Super'***

***Everything below may contain some spoilers***

The movie started with one of the most insane animated sequences I have ever seen. Gunn has a history with animation, so I am wondering if he completed this segment on his own. It's so cool, showing of the hero of the film "The Crimson Bolt" using a whole bunch of superpowers that he doesn't have... if he were a real superhero, this would be the stuff he might do. Instead, we meet Frank (Rainn Wilson). Frank is a cornball, a cook a the local diner who is married to a very cute Sarah (Liv Tyler). 

But Frank starts to notice Sarah is changing... she is slipping back down the road of drug use and Frank feels like he is losing her. Then one morning Jacques (Kevin Bacon) shows up for breakfast looking for her. Bacon eats breakfast with Frank, and exudes slime ball as he tells Frank to let Sarah know he stopped by. Within 3 days she is gone, leaving Frank. He shows up at the strip club Jacque owns (Bare Assets..lol) and confronts his ex alongside Jacques' gang (Gunn favorite Michael Rooker has the most awesome hairdo's ever!) and ends up getting stomped out. Thus begins the transformation of Frank into "The Crimson Bolt".

Frank is healing up and watching TV when he comes across a cable access religious show featuring the Christian superhero ""The Holy Avenger" (Fillion). Throw in a creepy tentacled filled vision of Frank being touched by God (words do it no justice), and Bolt is born. He begins researching his character by studying superheroes with no powers that rely on weapons.

He makes a friend in Libby (Ellen Page), who is a nerd chick who works at the comic store. He adopts a pipe wrench as his weapon of choice, perfects his costume and hits the street to fight crime. Well... fighting crime may be a bit of a stretch. Lets just say a bunch of people get smacked with wrenches and will probably re-think their lives of small time crime. Libby becomes his sidekick Boltie and they work their way up to the confrontation Frank has been waiting for: To take down Jacque and his crew.

I'm not going to go any further or get any more specific... I want you to see it for yourself. But I will tell you guys what I liked the best. Here are a few my highlights:

1. Wilson & Page really knock it out of the park for Gunn, but Bacon's scumbag role is phenomenal. This could be a renaissance role for Bacon, a la Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Remember I said that.
2. The violence is borderline insane... I knew it was going to be brutal from the previews, but not this bad. Dude uses a fucking pipe wrench to dole out justice... lets just say shit gets messy.
3. I love Ellen Page's character... she is so quirky its hard not to love her.
4. Gunn keeps the film extremely dark, but it is filled with laughs. I remember laughing at some really inappropriate shit during the movie, then catching myself before realizing everybody else was laughing as well. Thats not so easy to accomplish.
5. Nathan Fillon is amazing... just amazing. I also loved the demon in all the 'Holy Avenger' video with the crazy tongue. It made me laugh every time.
6. Anytime I get a Linda Cardellini cameo, I get excited. God i used to want to bone her so bad back in the day!

All in all, a solid effort. The movie opens in major cities on April 1st, but will also be available on Video On Demand through IFC films as well. I strongly suggest you watch it... this is history in the making, because 'Super' is sure to become a cult classic in the future.

Mike's Rating: 4.5/5 stars  

      

Proof That There Is A God: Keri Hilson Edition

No Words... Just Thanks!

***BONUS***

Since MTV don't show music videos anymore, I haven't seen Keri's latest video 'Pretty Girl Rock'. I love the song, and she takes on some historic R&B icons looks for the vid. Enjoy!

Commercially Acclaimed: Vol.#21 - Heineken - 'The Entrance'

TV commercials are a part of our everyday lives as TV viewers. Even though Tivo and DVR have allowed us to "skip through" the commercials, the advertising companies are still trying to peak our interests by coming up with creative commercials. To me, great commercials are an art form and are under appreciated by a society that is always trying to speed through things. Think about it... how many times did you see a great commercial that made you laugh hysterically or want to go out and purchase the advertised product??? And how many times has the best part of the Super Bowl been the commercials during a blow out game??? Whether you want to admit it or not, commercials are cool as shit... and here are some of my favorites.


This week we got a new Heineken commercial entitled "The Entrance". If you watch it one time you will know exactly what the title means... The song is from the group called The Asteroid Galaxy Tour entitled "The Golden Age". If you see this commercial more then once on TV you will be humming it all day long!!!
Hope you like it... see you next time!

The Shady Secrets In The Aftermath Of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

This is a crazy expose video of what happened to all the boxers from the N.E.S. classic Mike Tyson's Punch-Out.



You gotta love the degeneration of Little Mac... those are some serious 'stashes, no? And what about those dance moves from Don Flamenco? Great job PMSports... keep these coming.

It's Opening Day For My Yankees... The Quest For #28 Begins Now!!!

OK... time for some baseball!!! I am not going to get into a long rant about how superior the Yankees are (clearly they are) or how much I want to see them win another title (I do...). Instead I am just going to wish Derek and the gang good luck on the 162 game journey that starts against the Tigers tonight. Lets go CC... time to get big!!! I'll check back with you guys in September. Hopefully we will be playoff bound!

I Love Me Some Scarface... But A Grand? WTF???

One of the movies that got me through my college years was Al Pacino's classic Scarface. Brian De Palma made a classic movie that encompassed everything that was grimy in the 80's. Drugs, crime, guns, women, double crosses... this one had it all. Honestly, it has always been high on my list of favorite movies. It was actually the 4th DVD I ever bought. This was the poster I had hanging on my wall at Manhattan College:

But now we are getting a special edition Blu Ray that will cost $999.99 and even I can't begin to think a situation that justifies it. Take it away /Film:

"... the ultra-luxe Blu-ray will include most of the extras currently on the DVD, as well as a few additional features — a documentary on the film’s place in culture, a picture-in-picture feature, and a scorecard feature that keeps count of the F-bombs dropped and bullets fired. Also included will be a digital copy of the film and the original 1932 black-and-white movie, of which the 1983 Brian De Palma version is a remake. But here’s where it gets really special — you’ll also receive a hand-painted humidor crafted out of untreated Spanish cedar. And best of all, since only 1,000 copies of the $999.99 edition will be made available, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that only 999 other people are are as obsessed with the film as you are and have as much disposable income as you do."

Come on man... who thought this was a good idea? You know there is gonna be a ton of cornball NFL & NBA players that love to quote Pacino's famous "Say hello to my little friend" line but couldn't explain what the movie really represents dropping the grand for this... no "regular" fan is gonna buy it. I still got my DVD version... so I'll stick with that. If you are inclined to cop this Blu Ray that is the price of a used car, it comes out September 6th.

What Is The Source Code?

Check out this cool infographic that tries to give us an idea on what The Source Code is. The 2nd film from director Duncan Jones (his 1st, Moon, was incredible) stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan and opens April 1. I for one can not wait to see it. Hope this poster helps a bit.

Gaiman's 'American Gods' To Get The Movie Treatment? Um, Yes Please...

I am a huge fan of comic book/novel writer Neil Gaiman... he is probably my favorite writer in the whole industry. There have been talks to bring many of his properties to either TV or the big screen, and now it seems his unreal supernatural novel 'American Gods' will be the lucky property. What is 'American Gods' you ask? Awww, you guys suck at being nerds!!! Here is a description of it (via Wikipedia):

"American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning^] novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow.

The central precept of the novel is that gods and mythological creatures exist because people believe in them. Immigrants to the United States brought with them dwarves, elves, leprechauns, and other spirits and gods. However, the power of these mythological beings has diminished as people's beliefs wane. New gods have arisen, reflecting America's obsessions with media, celebrity, technology, and drugs, among others. The book follows the adventures of ex-convict Shadow, who is released from prison a few days earlier than planned on account of the death of his wife, Laura, in a car accident. "

There are talks that a director is already attached to this one (announcement is coming soon), and it's believed that Gaiman might actually write the screen play himself. He helped out Matt Vaughn on Stardust (I love that movie... nobody better say a word!!!) I would bet that it is either Guillermo Del Torro, Peter Jackson, but I wouldn't count out JJ Abrams and his crew of misfits either (rumor is they are big fans of the property). I would love to see someone like Edgar Wright, Neil Blomkamp or Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) get a shot at it. As long as they get this one done, and do it well, I will be happy!

On a side note, last month Gaiman tweeted a link to our site when we posted a picture of his Endless characters... so I'm gonna post another piece of art featuring some of his characters. These are a few of the "special individuals" that appear throughout the story American Gods.

This drawing was done by Zelu. Hope you like it Neil... can we get a Re-Tweet??? Thanks to Den of Geek for the tip.

'Superman' by Tommy Lombardozzi

This one is called 'Superman'. Spray paint and marker (S symbol) on blue textured paper. Order this print and more over at Tommy's site.

'Art Held in Contemp.' Volume 7 by Briana Melendez

 I've always been a visually stimulated individual. As a kid I was always mesmerized by the vibrant colors in nature & much to my parent's dismay the metal radiators in our home quickly became works of abstract art as I was entranced by the melting of my 64 colors of Crayola. The MOMA is by far my favorite museum in all of NYC. I can never get enough of the smooth perfection in marble and the vibrant colors of early 19th century paintings. As much as I love all these beautiful representations of creativity I could never feel connected completely. They are products of bygone eras that while I can admire I could never fully feel a part. That all changed a few years back. I picked up this art magazine called 'Juxtapoz' & BAM! It hit me like a Batman punch. There were images I understood, images I could relate to. Artwork that made sense & represented me. Knowing that 'my' art was alive & kicking has sent me on a quest to look for artist & works of art in which we all can see a little bit of ourselves. With each new installment I'll be aiming to do just that. Sit back & enjoy the ride, I know I have been.

If you grew up in NYC during the 70's & 80's you were able to experience first hand the birth of the modern graffiti movement. Soon this inner-city artistic fever spread world wide and, in the early 90's, it infected 18 year old Vanessa Castex in Toulouse, France. At first it was just hanging out with friends as they tagged their monikers across the city but, young Miss Castex decided to put her art school training to work. Soon sensual 'dolls' were popping up all over the walls in Toulouse and Miss Van was born. As the years have passed Miss Van has taken her sultry, flirtatious beauties and evolved them into deeper, darker emotional expressions of herself. The coquettish looks of her early street paintings have become raw, cultured energy that shows how an 18 year old  street artist has matured into an artistic force in her adulthood.

***Click 'READ MORE' below for more of Miss Van's work!***

...and as always, any Contemporary artists you'd like Mz. Melendez to spotlight? Email her directly:

brianamelendez@gmail.com

link to previous installment of 'Art Held in Contemp.'

Marty McWolf - Boardin' & Basketball!!!



Mixed Up - Hoverboard by Filipe Survival

Finally, This Is What Wily Kit & Wily Kat Will Look Like In The New Thundercats Cartoon (Maybe...)

These are the toy mock ups for the youngest Thundarians out of the group, Wily Kit & Wily Kat. The twins were missing from some earlier leaked drawings from the new show, but if this toy is any indication than this is what they should look like. It fits  well with the heavy anime styling that they have chosen for this reboot. What do you guys think about these wonder twins? Tell us in the coment section below. Thanks to Topless Robot for the information.

Wu Tang Wednesday - Duck Seazon

Hey everybody... today is Wu Tang Wednesday and we are taking it back to the Wu Tang Forever album with this one. Duck Season features Raekwon, Method Man, and Rza... and Rza steals the show!!! A classic album cut from the god MC's!!!!

Tara Reid Plays EVERYBODY In 'The Big Lebowski Pt. 2'

Stay classy Ms Reid....

A few months back, Tara Reid gave some drunk rambling on how she was looking forward to the start of filming on 'The Big Lebowski Pt. 2'. She couldn't wait to get cracking... trouble was, nobody else remotely new what the fuck she was talking about. Not the John Goodman, not Jeff Bridges, and definitely not the Coen Brothers. This lead to more redicule for the down and out Reid.... so what did she do? She teamed up with Funny or Die to make her version of 'The Big Lebowski Pt. 2'.

The Big Lebowski 2 with Tara Reid from Tara Reid

This is why anybody can become and stay famous now-a-days. She makes some retarded comment about a classic movie, everyone makes her look like the dumbass she is, and then they make a parody video starring her... WTF!!!! Pretty funny anyway... hope you enjoy.

OHC of the Day: Marielle Jaffe

Marielle Jaffe! Name not ringing a bell? Aside from her modeling career, she had her run in the television series version of '10 Things I hate About You', then burst onto the big screen in a small part as a sexy temptress in 'Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief'. Next up, the sultry 20-something will soon to be in (..and murdered, I'd bet) in the upcoming return, slasher 'Scream 4' (in theaters April 15th)  alongside a bevy a beauties. (tiny Hayden Panetierre; Courtney Cocks....um Cox; Alison Brie, and young up-and-cummer Emma Roberts to name a few.) I'm positive, however, that her assets will be something to talk about after the screaming has subsided. Here's a closer look at the new scream queen:

***Please click 'READ MORE' for more of Ms. Jaffe***