The Summer of the Superhero continues unabated with Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern, which took a mild commercial snubbing and a severe critical one this past weekend. How bad could it be, really? Listen if you dare find out the answer. Meanwhile, since we’re running out of franchises to review, we turn back to 1995 for another sci-fi actioner / comic-book adaptation about an imaginary law enforcer: Judge Dredd. But which movie will fare better by our estimation? Truly, a battle for the ages.

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Playlist

Dandy Warhols – Green

Tom Waits – All The World is Green

Jerry Goldsmith – Judge Dredd Theme Song

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The summer blockbuster/superhero sweepstakes continue with X-Men: First Class, which is both the latest from director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Layer Cake) and the fifth film in the X-Men series, though the first chronologically speaking. Since we already reviewed all the other X-Men flicks way back when, we’ll also be talking about 2003′s much-maligned Daredevil in its two-hour-plus director’s cut, as well as this month’s listener pick, the would-be franchise-starting superhero/spy/martial-arts oddity Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, starring Fred Ward. Special guest star Josh Youngerman joins us from New York.

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Playlist:

Austra – Lose It

Austra – Beat And The Pulse

TV On The Radio – Second Song

Cut Copy – Future (Chromeo Remix)

On this hour of Sound on Sight: coming attractions. Next Friday sees the release of UK director Edgar Wright’s third feature, the anticipated comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. We got a chance to see it early at the Fantasia Film Festival, and we’ll be letting you know if it’s worth the hype – and if it lives up to Wright’s popular early features, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. Following that, something to look for on the horizon: a bloody and very entertaining horror-comedy called Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, which should be headed to multiplexes sometime this winter.

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Playlist:

Plumtree – Scott Pilgrim

Black Lips – Oh, Katrina!

Blood Red Shoes – It’s Getting Boring by the Sea

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There are some who would say that the Western genre, one of the fundamental underlying narratives of American culture, has been done to death. But there are those who would use psychotropic drugs and earth magicks to bring the genre back to life, sort of like Frankenstein at Burning Man. Jonah Hex, the latest in a long line of comic book adaptations, is just such a film: a Weird Western than plays with the conventions of the genre, though admittedly it does so like Lenny from Of Mice and Men petting a rabbit. Tonight on Sordid Cinema—Sound on Sight’s alcoholic uncle living in a dilapidated halfway house—we’ll take a look at the Josh Brolin’s interpretation of Mr. Hex, as well as El Topo, the prototypical acid western, and Renegade, aka Blueberry, another comic adaptation, though one hooked on stronger drugs.

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Playlist:

The Lonely Shepherd – Gheorghe Zamfir

Once upon a time in the West – Ennio Morricone

Sounds of El Topo – Under the Earth

The Verdict (Dopo la Condanna) – Ennio Morricone

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For the past few years, Mark Millar has been writing some of the most exciting, mature, and original film storyboards in recent memory. The fact that he has the nerve to call his work ‘comic books’ is only mildly insulting to those of us who don’t want to see the medium transform into log lines written to Michael Bay’s reading level. Tonight, on our 200^th show, Sound on Sight takes a look at the latest adaptation of his work, the hard R superhero comedy Kick-Ass, and we’ll also review the Canadian equivalent Defendor, which stars Woody Harrelson as a developmentally challenged crime fighter.

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Music Playlist

Prodigy – Stand Up

Elvis – An American Trology

The Dickies – (Banana Splits) Tra La La Song

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Though the first cycle of Superman and Batman films were box-office successes, the comic book adaptation cames of age with the 2000 release of X-Men. Provided, of course, ‘of age’ is defined loosely, since these are films that essentially portray science as being a mix of magic and laser tag, which is not something you should be watching if you’re old enough to vote and drink. In any case, the film spawned not only a plethora of other adaptations, but also two sequels and a prequel. Tonight, Sound on Sight takes a look at the three X-Men films and the recent release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

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The term ‘Worldbuilding’ originates from science fiction literature, and refers to the laborious process of creating an imaginary universe from the ground up. Clearly, Australian director Alex Proyas is familiar with the concept. His breakthrough 1994 comic book adaptation The Crow was set in a urban fantasy world so dark it must have either enraged or engorged Tim Burton. His follow up film, Dark City, was even more bizarre, a sci-fi experiment that expanded on The Crow’s dark visuals, while removing the fishnet stockings and Bauhaus posters. His new film, Knowing, is yet another science fiction thriller, though with a much bigger budget than his previous films. Join us tonight, as Sound on Sight takes a look at the career of Alex Proyas.

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For over 20 years, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’  Watchmen miniseries has been upheld as the prototypical ‘graphic novel,’ used by generations of comic fans to justify spending a lifetime chasing Spawn back issues, rubbing off to Mary Marvel, and buying Batman underwear at Zellers. In the comic, Moore, one of the most respected writers in the medium, introduced a fascinating level of formal experimentation, creating a complex work that inspired a generation of creators. And though Moore’s literary sensibilities are obvious, the book exists firmly in the comic book world, playing off of the conventions of the super-hero genre while pushing the boundaries of the medium’s structure. Which is why it makes perfect sense to put the Watchmen adaptation in the hands of an action movie director who makes Nike commercials.
Zack Snyder, whose previous feature films, comic book adaptation 300 and the Dawn of the Dead remake, were box office blockbusters, has finally brought a Watchmen film to the big screen after years of legal wrangling and script-problems. But is it faithful enough for comic geeks, or too faithful for mainstream audiences? Tonight, Sound on Sight takes a look at the Watchmen film, as well as From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, two other adaptations of Alan Moore’s comic book work.

It’s the year’s most anticipated film, so accordingly we’ve got an extended look at The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s latest Bat-opus. We’re going to look in-depth at Nolan’s work on the series, as well as getting into the nitty-gritty on the film itself, both in spoiler and non-spoiler segments. If you haven’t seen it yet (and why not?) come for the first part, then stay and join the cool kids for the spoiler section once you’ve had the pleasure. Same Bat-time…you get the picture.

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]]> http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-48-the-killing-joke/feed/ 2 http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-44-the-spanish-inquisition/ http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-44-the-spanish-inquisition/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:16:17 +0000 Ricky http://www.soundonsight.org/?p=467 [Read the Rest]]]>

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Episode 44: The Spanish InquisitionIn a nice bit of synchronicity, Fantasia has offered us a slate of new Spanish fantasy and horror films – specifically, the much-hyped “verité” thriller [rec], silent throwback La Antena, apocalyptic thriller Before the Fall, and the time-travel black comedy Timecrimes. Meanwhile, over in Hollywood, Spanish wizard Guillermo del Toro is finally ready to unleash his latest opus, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Lucky for you, we were able to catch all of these films over the past week, and we’re going to tell you which to seek out and which to ignore, not forgetting to take a quick look back at the first Hellboy.

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The Hulk debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1, by writer Stan Lee, penciller and co-plotter Jack Kirby, and inker Paul Reinman.

The original series was canceled after six issues, with the finale cover-dated March 1963. Lee had written each story, with Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The character immediately guest-starred in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and months later became a founding member of the Avengers appearing in just the first two issues of that superhero team’s eponymous series , and returning as an antagonist in issues #3 and #5 (Jan. & May 1964). He then guest-starred in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 .

Around this time, co-creator Jack Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk had been chosen as its official mascot. Kirby and Lee realized their character had found an audience in college-age readers.

The Hulk than became the backup feature in Tales to Astonish in issue #60 until taking over the series and also renaming the book to The Incredible Hulk by issue #102!

		
		

	

	


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The term “alternative comics” is one of several labels applied to a range of comics that have appeared since about 1980, in the wake of the undergound comix movement of the late 1960s and early 70s. Typically, these are authored independently by a single creator; they are aimed at adult readers and are often formally experimental. The works in question have variously been labelled “post-underground,” “independent,” “small press”,” “new wave,” or “art comics.” – Wikipedia

Tune in to the Naked Lunch (After Hours) this week as we will be stepping outside the mainstream in our History of Comic Book Films marathon! Special guest August from “Rein In August will join Sic Ric and discuss the works of Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, Ralph Bakshi and many more. Also the best in Jazz music and talk on Chasing Amy, American Splendor, and ton of other surprises!

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Marvel Comics was founded as Timely Publications in
1939, and is now the largest comic company in the world. It was founded
by Martin Goodman, a pulp-magazine publisher whose first publication
was a Western pulp in 1933. Expanding into the emerging and by then
already highly popular new medium of comic books, Goodman began his new
line at his existing company at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City,
New York. His official titles were editor, managing editor, and
business manager, with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher.

Tune into the second hour of this show. Everything
from Howard The Duck to Fantastic Four. The first of a four part
special on The History of Comic books film adaptations.

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A comic book — or comic for short — is a magazine or book containing sequential art. Although the term implies otherwise, the subject matter in comic books is not necessarily humorous; in fact, it is often serious and action-oriented. Comic books are so called because some of the earliest comic books were simply collections of comic strips (most of which were humorous) that had originally been printed in newspapers. The commercial success of these collections led to work being created specifically for the comic book form, which fostered specific conventions such as splash pages.

Long-form comic books, generally with hardcover or trade-paper binding came to be known as graphic novels, but the term’s definition is vague. Like jazz music (and a handful of other cultural artifacts), comic books are a rare example of an indigenous American art form though prototypical examples of the form exist.

]]> http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-30-1st-hour-a-history-on-comic-book-film-adaptations-pt1/feed/ 1 http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-29-no-use-for-a-name/ http://www.soundonsight.org/episode-29-no-use-for-a-name/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:47:38 +0000 Ricky http://www.soundonsight.org/?p=282 [Read the Rest]]]>

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You know the summer is on it`s way with the opening of the first blockbuster film. Iron Man opens up this week with a projected 65 millions box office take. What better way to open our show than with our review of the film and an interview with director John Favreau.

Also Simon joins me in the studio once again this week has we tackle on two heart breaking documentaries; War Dance & Young at Heart.

Last week we were not able to broadcast due to CJLO’s annual award show. What happens when we take a week off? We find ourselves in a difficult spot in reviewing too many movies in one show. However we did not let that get us down. In between the hot docs we found time for The Diving Bell & The Butterfly and The Savages. Our weekly DVD contest is back as well as our phone calls to our local video store Movieland. All this and more on The Naked Lunch episode 29.