Comic Years |
- The Comic Years Podcast: The Suicide Squad Spoiler Discussion
- In Jurassic Park News: Sam Neil Lego Toilet Controversy
- Apple Will Allow Outside Payment Methods For App Store
- Henry Braham Doesn’t Think the Flash Is Just Another Superhero Movie – But Why Can’t It Be?
- Jacob Anderson Will Play Louis In The Upcoming Interview With The Vampire Series For AMC
| The Comic Years Podcast: The Suicide Squad Spoiler Discussion Posted: 29 Aug 2021 09:00 AM PDT With two bites at the apple, the newest movie about the DC Comics' group, Taskforce X makes audiences fuller than that first bite. Ok, that metaphor got away from me real quick. But unlike me, James Gunn has a much stronger grasp on mixing metaphors and the abstract, while still making his point known eloquently. The Suicide Squad is a much better depiction of the group of DC Comics villains-turned-anti-heroes, than the 2016 David Ayer version. In this episode of the Comic Years Podcast, we get into all the differences between the two movies, and if they actually work or not. Join our Comic Years team of Keilin Huang, Joshua M. Patton and myself, along with host Meghan Hale on this The Suicide Squad spoiler podcast. How Did *Pause* Suicide Squad Compare to Our Expectations for The Suicide Squad? Image via HBO Max. Meghan begins the episode with a stroll through memory lane about how everyone liked Ayer's version of the Suicide Squad. While I personally enjoyed it, that movie wasn't the best thing that could've happened to the comics Taskforce X. Especially that third act. As Meghan points out, the best part of that movie was the casting of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. This is also what she liked about The Suicide Squad as well. Afterwards, the Comic Years Podcast team reviews the new Suicide Squad and what they most liked about the new movie. Joshua M. Patton posits that the main villain of the movie is not really a villain. While Keilin discusses how the movie acts as a statement for how Gunn sees humans interacting with their environment. The layers of The Suicide Squad are almost unending, it seems. The Suicide Squad Spoiler PodcastThe best part about this The Suicide Squad spoiler podcast is how the team goes deep into what this movie is trying to say. Who is the villain exactly? And if no villain, then what is the major conflict that this group of characters have to overcome? It’s these major themes of the movie and its merits that we discuss. While also getting into the moments that made us feel feelings and what we’ll remember from this movie in the future. Not to mention, also talking about how the movie is a constant misdirection of tropes and expectations. So check out this The Suicide Squad spoiler podcast and find out just what we all thought about this movie. Make sure to subscribe to the Comic Years Podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave us a rating and review if you want more episodes like this. The Suicide Squad is now playing in theatres and on HBO Max.Featured image via HBO Max. The Comic Years Podcast: The Suicide Squad Spoiler Discussion  |
| In Jurassic Park News: Sam Neil Lego Toilet Controversy Posted: 29 Aug 2021 05:00 AM PDT Jurassic Park is legendary in no small part because of the incredible cast: you got Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neil, and also there was this really great toilet. As the Jurassic franchise grows , LEGO has released more Jurassic-themed sets, including one that may have accidentally compared LEGO Sam Neil to a toilet. It happens. But as you do any time someone uses visual cues to imply that your most iconic role was actually played by a toilet, Sam Neil called LEGO out on Twitter for their porcelain transgression. Jurassic Park Featuring Toilet as Dr. Alan Grant Image via Universal The outrage sparked when LEGO released a Jurassic Park set that had a few members of the cast next to their LEGO counterparts. Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Lord Richard Attenborough, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum are all smiling next to their LEGO translations. And then there's little blocky Alan Grant holding a broken egg. Next to him is his own implied counterpart, a toilet. And it's not even a real toilet. It's the LEGO version of the toilet the lawyer was killed on. So, by the pattern created by the rest of the cast pictures, LEGO is saying that Dr. Alan Grant, one of the only people who could make that hat work, was played by the place people poop.
So far, I haven't been able to find any behind-the-scenes commentary revealing that Grant was played by an incredibly talented lavatory. There certainly weren't any signs in the movie. Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern are the ones playing in the big pile of poop, but maybe that was to get to know their co-star. That does explain the myth that says if you watch Jurassic Park in Australia, Alan Grant says all his lines backwards.
Sam Neil isn't Actually Mad About Being a Lego ToiletJust like Sam Neil isn't horrified that there's an action figure of Alan Grant with removable head and hands, he's not actually mad that there's a toilet next to his LEGO picture. His outrage about this whole potty fiasco being "a commentary on [his] performance ?" is clearly a gag because, as has been discovered, he has no reason to be mad. It's actually the toilet that should be angry. How dare LEGO snub them for their chance to get their headshot out there! This needs to be in the LEGO Daily Bugle! And after all these years, we are finally privy to the truth. Are you feeling flushed with rage at this latest outrage, or are you complacent about the Sam Neil LEGO toilet controversy? Drop your thoughts or your hottest Jurassic Park takes in the comments below! Featured image via Universal Pictures In Jurassic Park News: Sam Neil Lego Toilet Controversy  |
| Apple Will Allow Outside Payment Methods For App Store Posted: 29 Aug 2021 01:00 AM PDT Apple’s App Store might not boast the same numbers as the Google Play Store, but it’s wildly influential. With gaming efforts like the Apple Arcade and a certain mainstream appeal to the tech company, Apple holds quite a slice of the mobile gaming pie. That said, they’re not going to gain a lot of friends in the business consistently shutting out devs from the earnings. Apple might own the App Store as a marketplace, but they don’t own what’s sold on it. That’s why developers wanted a number of changes recently, including room to seek subscriptions and purchases away from the App Store itself. In a surprising turn, Apple will now allow outside payment methods for apps on the App Store, which is a win for developers. Here’s why that matters a ton to the games industry. Apple Will Allow Outside Payment Methods for App Store – Here’s the New Agreement Image Credit: Apple We all know about the drama that started when Fortnite was kicked off the App Store. Epic is currently awaiting a conclusion from its time with Epic in court, but these latest revelations derive from another lawsuit. In 2019, a class-action suit from smaller developers sought more autonomy for these devs within the App Store. Previously, Apple did not permit things like earning subscriptions for their apps outside of Apple’s marketplace. Per Games Industry Biz, developers earned a new path towards financial freedom via the concession. Overall, the agreement is a win for developers. Here’s what changes. Developers can now promote alternative payment methods, such as their own website, for purchases and subscriptions. They must ask users of the App Store to opt-in to email communications. From here, users can purchase app subscriptions and in-game purchases outside of the Apple ecosystem. Apple is also agreeing to fund $100 million of small development projects to promote a new ideology surrounding their App Store. This new change is only applicable in the United States, where the lawsuit took place. Apple is also changing how it goes about approving or denying apps on the marketplace as well. Now, developers can appeal rejections if they see their ruling as unfair. Apple will continue to control search engine optimization, however. This means when you search for something, Apple’s algorithm prioritizes downloads and user ratings. Likewise, Apple will begin reporting on these things, including the number of apps that receive a rejection, as part of the agreement. Even if these issues didn’t cause disruptions or conflict in your life, these are good outcomes. More transparency in the tech industry is a good thing. It’s a shame that it’s only achieved through litigation, but that’s how the world works I guess. Let us know what you think of these new rules in the comments! Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things gaming, comics, and pop culture. Featured Image Credit: Apple Apple Will Allow Outside Payment Methods For App Store  |
| Henry Braham Doesn’t Think the Flash Is Just Another Superhero Movie – But Why Can’t It Be? Posted: 28 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT What brings people to the movie theater? Decades ago, theaters provided people with a way of having fun and coming together with friends for some quiet socializing. Later on, people flocked to the seats to watch their favorite stars on camera. Whatever the reason, theater-going is a spectacle, and films are unquestionably an art form. Lately, the biggest draw is the superhero movie and other such comic book adaptations. These films spawned gigantic franchises with immensely popular characters we never want to stop revisiting. But does that take away from the quality of the movie? Henry Braham, the cinematographer for the upcoming The Flash, is pretty adamant that their movie isn’t just another superhero movie. He says it like these adaptations are a bad thing and aren’t close to the peak of cinema. But why can’t they be? Henry Braham of The Flash Has Some Words About What They’re Trying To AchieveHenry Braham has been everywhere in filmmaking. He’s worked on films including The Golden Compass, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, and, most recently, The Suicide Squad. He’s also working on The Flash, which is currently in production. So, when he sat down to do an interview about The Suicide Squad with Collider, questions about the in-progress DC film were sure to come up. Though he has to avoid talking about anything that could be considered a spoiler, he doesn’t have to shy away from how things are going. Speaking about the creation of The Flash, Braham comments on its place in the world of comic book adaptations and superhero movies. “It’s a complex movie… Again, it’s not really a comic book movie,” he shares, adding that it’s “much more kind of technically complex.” Wait – when were comic book movies considered not technically complex? He goes on to say that he doesn’t “think it’ll ever come across as a superhero movie. It will come across as a movie, and that’s what it is.” But why can’t it be a superhero movie? “We need to be making great, great, great films that happen to have superheroes,” Braham claims, including that characters should have human-like flaws and truth behind them.  Image via Warner Bros. Do The Fans Even Agree That Superhero Movies Aren’t Meaningful?The internet has been in a craze over the past months (and especially the last few weeks) over theories that speculate the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man characters in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. Their inclusion in the film hasn’t been confirmed (and at this point, we’d be amazed to find out it’s not true), but it’s still the talk of the town. Meanwhile, in the franchise next door, the DCEU has already led us towards the reappearance of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck in The Flash. But why isn’t this news as notable as the MCU plot twist? Could it be that Marvel cherishes their ability to make beautiful comic book movies while DC is trying too hard to prove that they’re “better” than a measly adaptation? And is that the difference? While Marvel treats their films as something designed to delight the fans, DC wants to prove their chops to the wider filmmaking community. That leads us to ask an important question: Who are these movies for? Comic book fans have come together to form a massive community of individuals who appreciate the art form. They are the backbone of comic book adaptations because they are the ones who are the first in line to buy tickets or to theorize on the internet, boosting word-of-mouth. Why wouldn’t the movies be for them?  Image via Marvel Studios. Comic Book Fans Obviously Help MoviesMovies are for a lot of things. They give people jobs, provide us with entertainment, and, oh yeah- they make boatloads of money for the studios. Of the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time, three of them are comic book adaptations. And guess what? They’re all Marvel. Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Assemble are all close to the top of the list, with even more in the top 20. The DCEU isn’t bad at making money, either, but the competition isn’t as close. We have Aquaman sitting pretty at #23, and future films are sure to break the top 30 again, right? But it doesn’t matter which comic book adaptations are on the list. As long as so many of them are there, it proves that we want to keep watching them. I can’t speak for every audience member. Surely, a few folks out there just love to watch alien creatures dominate cities and see visual effects for the sake of the improvements in CGI. But that’s not why most of us go to watch these movies. We do it because the characters we’re watching on-screen are based on decades’ worth of backstory. We know them. We’ve read them, watched them, and bonded with them. When they win a battle, lose a fight, or lose a friend, we feel more deeply for them than we would if we were watching some dramatic Oscar-bait movie. If we can even connect at all to the characters, we won’t love them like we love Spidey or Batman. When Avengers: Endgame came out, I sat in the movie theater and watched it on four separate occasions. Once it was released on Disney+, I watched it three more times. And guess what? I cried each time during various scenes. My friends and I cheered. I threw my fist into the air with excitement during pivotal scenes. And I’m not alone. Friends grew up together with these films. Parents and children both sat with child-like wonder at this modern mythology. We’ll never get tired of watching reactions from premiere nights, and we know that people are always going to rewatch it or encourage others to watch it for the first time. These superhero movies make an impact with their audience, and isn’t that the whole point of art in the first place? Even Superhero Movies And Comic Book Adaptations Are Filled With Heart And Truth, And Henry Braham Might Even See It In The FlashHenry Braham has made some interesting decisions when commenting on what’s going on with The Flash. He seems so adamant that it deserves more than to be known as a superhero movie. But as we’ve explained above, there is no shame in being a superhero movie or a comic book adaptation. If anything, it should bring more pride. These characters have already lived an entire life out on those beautifully drawn pages. Adapting them to the screen is hard, and the filmmakers behind this process deserve more credit than they’re getting. Braham should be embracing the label of the superhero movie. Some individuals out there in the filmmaking industry still don’t see the power in these flicks. Some worry about superhero fatigue, and others, like Martin Scorsese, don’t see them as true cinema. But cinema would be pretty damn boring if it couldn’t evolve, and part of that evolution means that the comic book movie is here to stay. Readers, what do you think about the comments made by Henry Braham on whether The Flash is really a superhero movie? We’ll find out the truth for ourselves when the film releases on November 4th, 2022. In the meantime, we’ll be enjoying these great movies and forming our own opinions on where they fall in the the world’s cinematic canon. Featured image via Warner Bros. Henry Braham Doesn't Think the Flash Is Just Another Superhero Movie – But Why Can't It Be?  |
| Jacob Anderson Will Play Louis In The Upcoming Interview With The Vampire Series For AMC Posted: 28 Aug 2021 01:04 PM PDT The upcoming Interview With The Vampire adaptation has found its new Louis in Game of Thrones actor Jacob Anderson. The casting news comes after Australian actor Sam Reid was cast as the vampire Lestat, who is arguably the protagonist of the overall series. However, Interview With The Vampire does focus in on the character of Louis de Pointe du Lac quite a bit. He is the vampire speaking in the titular interview after all. Jacob Anderson Takes On A New Genre Role In Interview With The Vampire Image via AMC Anderson joins the cast fresh off filming a stint on the upcoming season of Doctor Who where he will play a roguish space-traveler. Anderson also portrayed the character of Grey Worm in Game of Thrones for many years. It was a minor role that he imbued with sensitivity and nuance, making Grey Worm a much more vital character. It is clear that Anderson is quickly becoming a popular choice for roles in genre television. Louis and Lestat are among the most famous vampire couples in fictional history. Brad Pitt (Louis) and Tom Cruise (Lestat) famously brought these roles to life in the 1994 film adaptation. The character of Louis de Pointe du Lac is an aristocratic French gentleman. We first meet him sunk into a deep depression after the death of his brother. He wanders the streets of New Orleans, picking fights and chasing death. But when Louis becomes a vampire, he is tortured by the moral implications of killing for sustenance. Throughout all of The Vampire Chronicles, Louis is often the moral center and bleeding heart. He identifies more with humanity than other vampires, and often seeks a non-fatal method of feeding off humans. What Does It Mean For Louis To Be A Black Man? Jacob Anderson in Doctor Who | Image via BBC America It should be noted that as a French plantation owner – in 19th century New Orleans – the character of Louis de Pointe du Lac definitely owns slaves. How this will play out in the series with a black man in the role is a point of debate in The Vampire Chronicles fandom. The history of the character from the books begins in France in the 1700’s. But it swiftly shifts to New Orleans long before the American Civil War abolished slavery. Some fans are concerned that the adaptation might change the character of Louis. But I’m not sure that would be a terrible thing. In terms of personal history and background, the characters of Louis and Lestat are extremely similar. They are both aristocratic white French men with some pretty obvious queer coding. It might not be a bad idea to give Louis a different background. This would allow the new series to explore more of American culture over the years that the series covers. Despite the fact that the majority of Anne Rice’s books are set in New Orleans, the black experience is rarely touched upon. Shifting Louis from a white man to a mixed-race character will allow the series to explore more of the black culture and history that makes New Orleans so unique. On the other hand, the showrunners might not change anything in the character’s history. They might simply allow a French landowner to be a free black man. There is some historical precedent for this as evidenced by the history of the Free People of Color in Louisiana. But whatever route the show takes, it would behoove them to explore this aspect of Louis’s identity as it is sure to add tension and complexity to a character already known for being brooding and complicated. Who Will Join The Cast Of Interview With The Vampire Next? Image via Penguin Random House So now we have our main duo of Louis and Lestat cast for the upcoming Interview With The Vampire adaptation on AMC. Who will be next to join the cast? We still don’t have Claudia – the child vampire brought to undead life by a young Kirsten Dunst in the 90’s. Or Daniel – the journalist interviewing Louis – who was portrayed by Christian Slater in the 1994 film. We will certainly be keeping an eye out for more casting news for Interview With The Vampire, and speculating on how these books will change as they are adapted for television. To stay up to date, be sure to follow Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today. Jacob Anderson Will Play Louis In The Upcoming Interview With The Vampire Series For AMC  |
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