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Reviews of older movies & TV shows comic fans can appreciate
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Since there was so much talk about 'The 13th Warrior' and the actors that later on ended up in comic book films such a 'Thor' and 'Thor: The Dark World', I went back to see if Joblo.com had a decent review of this film. That site does periodic reviews of older films called 'The Best You Never Saw'. Bingo!

 

The Best Movie You Never Saw: The 13th Warrior

 

This week we’ll be examining John McTiernan’s THE 13TH WARRIOR, based on the novel “Eaters of the Dead” by Michael Crichton.

 

THE STORY:

 

In AD 922, an important emissary who is banished from his homeland. The nomadic outcast comes across a band of Norse warriors who coerce him into joining them when they are summoned to fight mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path. Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foe, Ibn must conquer his personal fears and help battle the illusive invaders--who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black of the night.

 

THE PLAYERS:

 

Based on the 1976 book by author Michael Crichton (JURASSIC PARK), the screenplay was by William Wisher, Jr. (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY) and Warren Lewis. It was directed by John McTiernan (DIE HARD, PREDATOR) and starred Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, and Omar Sharif, along with a host of unknown European actors, including Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, and a host of others.

 

And what timing. It becomes clear why this film was lost upon release due to studio and creator bickering, along with Crichton in the middle.

 

THE 13TH WARRIOR is one of the early examples of a big-budget film that spiraled out of control, due largely, it seems, to the tug of war that transpired between writer, director, and studio. It’s an intricate affair, to be sure, with a lot of folks remaining mum on the subject, but it seems that the battle ultimately led to the films box office downfall.

 

The film grossed just $32 million domestically and $61 million internationally, which is still a far cry away from its rumored final budget of $160 million. Reviews were middling, topping out currently at 33 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, as time has passed, many have come to appreciate the film for its rugged, visceral, and legendary feel, even if there’s still another version of the film (McTiernan’s cut) sitting in a can somewhere.

 

"I had never thought of anyone seeing this as a film. From a filmmaker's perspective, it is obscurely written and there is no effort in the book to bring any one narrative line to the surface. Yet I was entertained a lot when John McTiernan saw so clearly what the film story could be."

- Michael Crichton, author

 

"John had a terrific vision of this film and he had the consistency and the passion to bring it into being, despite so many challenges. I think he is telling a very different story here. It's a classic done in a new key that is really contemporary and accessible. He immediately brings you into the story and takes you on this incredibly enjoyable and wild ride that everyone can enjoy."

- Ned Dowd, producer

 

A very detailed review, loaded with the history and results of this film. And some of the lesser-known actors ended up in a few successful productions.

 

- Vladimir Kulich, Buliwyf, 6'5" tall

+ Vikings TV show (History Channel), Eric

+ Ironclad (2011), Captain Tiberius

 

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- John DeSantis, Ragnar, 6'9" tall

+ Seventh Son (2014), Tusk

+ Supernatural TV show, Scarecrow / The Golem / Freeman Daggett

+ Smallville TV show, Solomon Grundy

+ 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, Gunther

+ Stan Helsing, Frankenstein

+ Painkiller Jane, Henry Perkins

+ Blade: The Series, Thorne

 

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- Clive Russell, Helfdane, 6'6" tall

+ Thor: The Dark World, Tyr

+ Game of Thrones, Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully

+ Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Captain Tanner

+ Sherlock Holmes, Captain Tanner

 

- Tony Curran, Weath, 5'11" tall (the short fellow in the film)

+ Defiance TV Series, Datak Tarr

+ Sons of Anarchy TV Series, Gaines

+ Thor: The Dark World, Bor

+ Boardwalk Empire TV Series, Eamonn Rohan

+ The Adventures of Tintin, Lieutenant Delcourt

+ X-Men: First Class, Man In Black Suit Agent

+ Underworld: Evolution, Marcus

+ Beowulf & Grendel, Hondscioh

+ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Rodney Skinner

+ Blade II, Priest

 

Who else has another one to share loaded with actors that had many roles associated with comic productions, and story content that inspires us comic nuts to watch them?

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JOBLO: The Watch starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill

 

 

Watching the trailer for PIXELS, you cannot help but feel the influence of GHOSTBUSTERS. A team of specialists looked at like losers by the outside world banding together to fight a supernatural menace? Yeah, that is basically the plot of GHOSTBUSTERS. But, while Ivan Reitman's classic comedy is being remade next year under the direction of Paul Feig, fans are still claiming nothing is on par with the original team of Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. But, I think we saw such a film in the summer of 2012 in the form of the underrated THE WATCH.

 

Under the direction of The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaeffer and written by Jared Stern along with THIS IS THE END's Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, THE WATCH had everything going for it to be the 21st century GHOSTBUSTERS. You had the leading talents of Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, and THE IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade, all of whom are adept at improv, in a film that pits the average suburbanite against an alien invasion. The scale may not have been as big as PIXELS, but THE WATCH is a seriously funny movie that fans never gave a chance.

 

Ultimately, THE WATCH is a movie that benefits from being viewed on demand. The jokes and action set pieces work in smaller doses and as something you can stumble across on cable. While that may not sound like a resoundingly positive review of the film, it is a sentiment shared by most movies like ANCHORMAN, THE OTHER GUYS, and STEP BROTHERS. Come across PINEAPPLE EXPRESS or THE INTERVIEW and you are likely to hit on a funny moment at any time in the film. THE WATCH is like those films and deserves a second look. Or first if you skipped it the first time around.

 

 

 

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The Lone Ranger starring Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp

 

 

THE LONE RANGER topped my list of the most underrated movies of 2013 and for good reason. The movie is a thrill ride of the highest order and the definition of what a Hollywood popcorn movie should be. It has everything you could want in a movie, except for the universal acclaim. I was right there with everyone wondering why the hell THE LONE RANGER cost as much as it did to make, why the movie had so many production issues, and so on. In fact, I wrote off THE LONE RANGER as a lost cause before I even saw it. But, the issue of judging a movie before seeing it is a better discussion for a C'Mon Hollywood. I am here to tell you why THE LONE RANGER is a good movie.

 

First off, it is not PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. I was just as shocked as everyone when THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL ended up being a good movie, but the issue with THE LONE RANGER is that it is marketed as being for fans of Captain Jack Sparrow or Johnny Depp in genereal. While Depp pulls off the role of Tonto well, that is mis-marketing at it's best as THE LONE RANGER is a very specific type of genre film that will not appeal to fans of pirate movies based solely on the star. While Depp is capable of selling pretty much anything, THE LONE RANGER like all westerns should be marketed on the genre. While western fans are typically not going to be enough for a movie to gross over $100 million, Disney didn't even bother to market THE LONE RANGER as an introduction to the genre for kids and movie fans who may not know that the western can be more than just cowboys and Indians.

 

In fact, what steals the show in THE LONE RANGER is the climactic train sequence. Utilizing the signature William Tell Overture from the classic series, the train scene is a masterful balance of Buster Keaton slapstick, over the top action, and top notch special effects. While THE LONE RANGER on the whole is a damn fun time, you will find your money well spent by the time this sequence rolls around. There are few moments in the entirety of the films released in 2013 that can match just how awesome this scene is. It has to be seen to be believed.

 

Much like JOHN CARTER before it, THE LONE RANGER suffered from the tiest marketing Disney had to offer. Bad posters, misleading trailers, and a bad string of production issues contributed to people judging the movie before they saw it. Those that did likely were colored by outside influence. What they, and you, need to do, is push all of that aside and watch THE LONE RANGER free and clear of anything but what you see on screen. I am sure you will find fault and may still not like it, but I am pretty sure you will like it more than you expect.

 

 

 

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... did not like The Lone Ranger... but John Carter was (thumbs u

 

I saw John Carter, and really liked it. To this day, I still have not seen the Lone Ranger yet. And I want to give it a try, at least once.

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I saw that Walmart had an updated release of the Mad Monster Party TV movie created by Rankin-Bass.

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Mad Monster Party review

 

MAD MONSTER PARTY is a relatively obscure treat from 1967 that primarily made its rounds to movie theaters as a Saturday and Sunday matinee film for children. Made by Rankin and Bass, the same production team who famously brought RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER to television five years earlier, MAD MONSTER PARTY is a stop motion musical that is the obvious inspiration for Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993), boasting an infectious musical score and a cavalcade of talent voicing the eclectic assortment of titular characters.

 

Baron Boris von Frankenstein, voiced by Boris Karloff who had one of the greatest voices in the entertainment industry, decides to hang up his lab coat and turn his castle and duties over to his less than capable nephew Felix Flankin (Allen Swift).

 

He plans to make this announcement at a gathering of monsters that includes a dim-witted monster he has created, the monster's mate (voiced by Phyllis Diller who recently passed away at 95), his lab assistant Francesca (Gale Garnett), Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Dracula, the Werewolf, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Mummy, and a King Kong-like ape), and a creepy Peter Lorre-like character. Naturally, Felix goofs up everything, which causes the monsters to conspire to eliminate him and find out the secret that Frankenstein his unearthed, as the film hurtles towards its BLADE RUNNER-like ending.

 

Bolstered by a terrific musical score, MAD MONSTER PARTY was originally released on Embassy home entertainment in the mid-1980s. This release, along with the film's scarce television airings, was sourced from very dark 16mm prints, making it difficult at times to see the action. The opening credits referred to the availability of a soundtrack album, however one was never released at the time. It took nearly 20 years for a now defunct record company, Percepto Records, to finally issue the music on compact disc, which is long out of print.

 

Jack Davis's artwork heavily influenced the character designs.

 

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... did not like The Lone Ranger... but John Carter was (thumbs u

 

I saw John Carter, and really liked it. To this day, I still have not seen the Lone Ranger yet. And I want to give it a try, at least once.

 

I still cant understand why people don't like John Carter.

 

 

They are missing out. It is a good movie. One of those I picked up as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack.

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Pathfinder (2007)

 

Starring Karl Urban and Clancy Brown. This movie did horrible at the box office. Yet the creative team behind it purposely designed this film like crafting a comic book graphic novel, and clearly stated that.

 

It was loosely based on the 1987 Norwegian film PATHFINDER (OFELAS).

 

 

I feel it is worth watching. It's not a deep -script, requiring a lot of analysis. But it is loaded with action, including raw characters that made it worth a viewing.

 

The Unrated version is the best way to go.

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A great article on a superb Ridley Scott movie. But you have to be careful which version of the movie we are talking about. In this case, the article covers the Director's Cut of the film.

 

“This isn’t just adding a couple shots at the beginning, a couple shots at the end, and doing an elongated version of a lot of entries and exits of scenes. This is organic characterization put back into the movie.” - Ridley Scott on Director's Cut

 

JoBlo's Unpopular Opinion reviews Kingdom of Heaven

 

I believe KINGDOM OF HEAVEN to be far and away Ridley Scott’s best film. I’ve seen almost all of them except for WHITE SQUALL and 1492: CONQUEST OF PARADISE, and the latter is only because I cannot for the life of me find a copy anywhere (so if you know of one and want to hook me up…). I’ve also watched most of his films many times (GLADIATOR and AMERICAN GANGSTER especially), and most of his films are generally agreed to be cinematic classics and/or revolutionary in one or another (ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, LEGEND, THELMA AND LOUISE, BLACK HAWK DOWN, and GLADIATOR in particular). PROMETHEUS is shaping up to very possibly be Scott’s best yet, but until June 8th rolls around I will say with full fervor and without hesitation that the crown undoubtably belongs to KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

 

The Acting: Nearly everyone involved with KINGDOM OF HEAVEN turns in the best work of their career, with the only exception being those who have such small roles (Liam Neeson, David Thewlis) that better showcases for their talent can be found elsewhere in their more prominent performances.

 

The Story: The scope and vision of KINGDOM OF HEAVEN truly boggles my mind. There are three layers of journey for every major character, those of the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual, and they are allowed their full weight and arc.

 

The Cinematography: As far back as THE DUELLISTS Ridley Scott has (seemingly) endeavored to shoot every one of his films as though every frame is a painting, but nowhere does it show more clearly or successfully as with KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

 

The -script Itself: He juggles epic quotablilty, honest emotion, thematic balance, ugliness, beauty, and everything in between with an impeccable aplomb that is wonderful to witness in a first produced screenplay, with not a single word being wasted or unnecessary to the story’s advancement.

 

The Score: For KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Scott turned to the talents of Harry Gregson-Williams, a student and subsequent protégé of frequent Scott-collaborator Hans Zimmer, who by 2005 had already worked on a wide variety of movies (ENEMY OF THE STATE, SHREK, PHONE BOOTH, MAN ON FIRE) and composed one of the most signature musical themes in video game history (METAL GEAR SOLID 2).

 

Summary: Look, at the end of the day... while each of Ridley Scott’s films may individually do something better than KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, while each of them may have a particular aspect in which they outshine this film, what Scott has been able to do with KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is focus all of his skill, knowledge, and passion onto a single point and create a contemporary work of cinematic art. Every aspect of filmmaking coalesces with KINGDOM OF HEAVEN in a way unmatched by anything else Ridley Scott, or indeed most filmmakers, have ever done.

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And the battle scenes are comprised of thousands of extras, and appear as brutal as you would expect for the times.

 

 

Even in a potential battle, the scenes and acting are spectacular. Ed Norton as the King of Jerusalem was a role that brought him little recognition. Yet his acting and contributions to the movie only add to the experience.

 

 

Well worth watching!

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... did not like The Lone Ranger... but John Carter was (thumbs u

 

I saw John Carter, and really liked it. To this day, I still have not seen the Lone Ranger yet. And I want to give it a try, at least once.

 

I still cant understand why people don't like John Carter.

 

 

John Carter is a fun movie with a great soundtrack, Disney dropped the ball with the marketing.

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This movie bored me to tears when I saw it in the cinema, don't think I can sit through a directors cut.

 

The Director's Cut and the Theatrical Cut have huge differences in storyline. Though it all leads to the battle over Jerusalem in the end.

 

What may have bored you is how much Ridley Scott wanted to share current events of that time, and what it was like to live back then. It felt like he dove way deep into these details. Especially when you watch the 'Making of' featurette. Immersing himself went above and beyond.

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Since there was so much talk about 'The 13th Warrior' and the actors that later on ended up in comic book films such a 'Thor' and 'Thor: The Dark World', I went back to see if Joblo.com had a decent review of this film. That site does periodic reviews of older films called 'The Best You Never Saw'. Bingo!

 

Disney is finally preparing The 13th Warrior for Blu-Ray release.

 

The 13th Warrior blu-ray news

 

Hopefully it contains many of the cut scenes.

 

:wishluck:

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