Word on the street is that the heads of DC’s Cinematic Universe don’t know what to do with Superman. Can we figure something out?
Continue reading “FDI Cast 149: Can We Make DCEU Superman Interesting?”
Hard NOC Life is back with Keith, Dominic and Britney reviewing the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals. What did everyone think of the film? Why is is struggling to connect with certain audiences? What are its connections to internet stan culture, the DCEU, and The Last Jedi? Tune in and find out!
Since Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938, we’ve seen several versions of him. Evil versions, younger and older versions, even a version that became his earth’s sun! The incarnations that always tend to do the best are the ones that focus on the values of the character. Namely, his family values as mild-mannered, small-town raised Clark Kent, and his heroic values as the powerful protector of Metropolis.
Continue reading “Wolé Parks and Writer Jai Jamison Discuss THAT REVEAL on ‘Superman And Lois’”
Samantha Win is blowing up. It’s only May, but it’s already been quite a year for the actress / martial artist / stunt performer / Amazonian warrior / zombie hunter. In March, she wrote, produced, and starred in a genre-bending shortfilm called Unwelcome. She can currently be seen on HBO Max as Euboea in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. On May 14, her latest Snyder-collab, Army of the Dead opens in theaters nationwide — making it Netflix’s widest release ever — before coming to the streamer the following week on May 21.
Continue reading “From Amazon to Zombie Hunter: Samantha Win Reflects on Her Career”
Two weeks ago, Justice League — WB/DC’s attempt at uniting all of its iconic heroes in a single movie — fizzled at the box office, calling in to question the future of the DC Universe on film. To talk about the movie, and what it portends for the rest of the DCEU, Mashable movie reporter Angie Han joins the podcast to discuss where Justice League failed to deliver as a follow-up to Batman v Superman.
Continue reading “‘Justice League’ and the Future of the DC Extended Universe”
One year ago, history was made when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Wonder Woman Justice opened in theaters.
Why is this a cinematic milestone?
For the first time in history, the Man of Steel, the Caped Crusader, and the Amazon appeared together in a live action story. This is of monumental importance because not only are these iconic heroes the flagship franchises of DC Comics, they are also the cornerstones of western media and western culture.
Continue reading “The Red Capes Are Coming: A Batman v Superman Retrospective”
So last weekend Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters and proved to be a box office hit. For those who want my thoughts on the film, you can read about them here and here. As was the case with Man of Steel, it seems very fashionable to snark on BvS and the DC Cinematic Universe in general. My theory is that the Marvel films are shiny new toys by comparison to the DC franchises.
This isn’t to say that DC and parent company Warner Brothers are above critique. They aren’t. Neither is Marvel and parent company Disney. I both enjoy and take both companies to task for different reasons when it comes to their comics and films. However, not all of the major complaints have been as valid and they definitely illustrate a double standard at play when it comes to Superman specifically.
UPDATE: Part 2 of our BvS podcast crossover with BLKBOARD is available here!
We’re now only a few days away from the worldwide launch of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Before the movie comes out, this special edition of Hard NOC Life — also available on iTunes and Soundcloud — invites the founders of the new website and podcast BLKBOARD, Jermaine Dickerson and Michael Tré, to discuss the launch of the DC Cinematic Universe.
Continue reading “BLK x NOC Preview Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“
Since when did Jimmy Kimmel Live become the go-to place for movie studios to drop their most anticipated trailers? It made sense before to have all-Marvel or all-Star Wars editions — Disney owns ABC, after all — but using Kimmel to reveal Warner/DC’s formal entry into the cinematic superhero wars was a surprise. Like, why not use The CW’s two-part Flarrow crossover1 to show off their big guns? Corporate synergy, remember? Still, like a proper nerd, I tuned in to Kimmel to see the latest tease for what will be the biggest movie of March 2016.
Continue reading “Guess We Don’t Need to See Batman v Superman Now”
Alanis Morissette’s hit track, “All I Really Want,” features one of my all-time favorite lyrics:
And I am fascinated by the spiritual man. I am humbled by his humble nature.
So this weekend I rewatched Man of Steel which still remains one of the most polarizing comic book films to date. The film is essentially a reboot of Superman’s origins much in the spirit of Batman Begins. As Kal-El learns of his origins and his purpose, he soon becomes tasked with protecting the planet from Zod and his invading army.
The verdict?
I take super heroes and the media surrounding them entirely too seriously. This is why I get so worked up over comics and movies. It doesn’t take much for me to launch into an hours-long tirade over the finer points of caped continuity. However, there is some method to my fanboy madness.
Continue reading “With Great Power Comes Great Cynicism”
Let me be as transparent as I can about my DC Cinematic Universe gripes.
Superman isn’t that interesting of a character. Peep the last two attempts. While it would be easy to hang the blame on Bryan Singer and Zack Snyder — these directors did not have too much to work with.
In this outtake from last week’s Hard N.O.C. Life with William Evans from Black Nerd Problems, Keith and N’Jaila get him on a rant about the 2011 Green Lantern film and how it ruined the nascent DC Cinematic Universe it was … Continue reading N.O.C. One-Shot: Green Lantern Ruined the DC Cinematic Universe
Earlier in the week, Drew McWeeny at HitFix sent the internet into a tizzy when he reported that Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment had mandated a strict “no jokes” policy for their entire slate of upcoming superhero movies. As per usual, much handwringing ensued, followed by several reports debunking the original one.
Whether that no joking policy was true or not is irrelevant. The mere fact that so many people believed it in the first place shows just how different and far apart DC and Marvel are in their approaches to superheroes. For decades, DC has embraced grimdark — in both their comics and their movies — to their benefit as well as their detriment.
Continue reading “Why So Serious? Of Course DC has a “No Jokes” Policy”
Remember how — despite all my trepidations — I started actually getting excited for the Man of Steel sequel I refuse to call Batman vs. Superman? It was just last week.
Well, that didn’t last long.
Seems like all the good will Warner Brothers engendered from their sneak peek at Ben Affleck under the cowl has been squandered away with the reveal of the dumbest superhero movie title in the history of dumb superhero movie titles.
That’s right, Man of Steel 2 is now, officially, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ugh.
Continue reading “Man of Steel 2 Should Have Just Stayed Untitled”
I’ve already written about how my love of G.I. Joe and Batman comics informed my entry into NOChood. But I’d be disingenuous if I continued to assert that comics are still my nerdiest obsession. Don’t get me wrong, my shelves are still filled with trade paperbacks and graphic novels, and my parents’ house is still full of longboxes that contain issues belonging to me and my brother. But when I think of what makes me a nerd, it isn’t really comics. Or video games. Or sci-fi/fantasy.
No, I’m really only a nerd for two things: live action adaptations of comic book superheroes and action figures. (And candidly, most of those action figures are based on those same live action adaptations. Movie Masters forever, yo!) The irony is that while I will always identify first as a DC fanboy, I’ve come to the realization that when it comes to my nerd vehicle of choice — the live action adaptation — “Make Mine Marvel!”
Continue reading “The Live Action Superhero Costume Problem”
File this under “Things You Didn’t Know You Needed.”
Since another Oscar season has come and gone, and since — once again — nary a superhero flick was even in consideration, I’m sharing my Superhero Oscar list with you.
For the last several years, I’ve been keeping a running tally of all of the Batman and Superman alumni who have either won or been nominated for an Academy Award. This all started in 2006 when Nicole Kidman handed George Clooney the statue for his supporting turn in Syriana, and I realized, “Hey, these two were in (admittedly crappy) Batman movies!”
So I did what any Batfan with an internet connection and access to IMDB would do, I compiled a comprehensive list of all the cinematic Bat-actors and their Oscars. And it’s a long one! Last summer, in advance of the release of Man of Steel, I created a similar list for the cinematic Superman alumni as well.
Continue reading “Superheroes and Their Oscars — DC Edition”
So yeah. That happened.
If you haven’t heard, the Oscar-nominated actor has been cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. Oscar winner Jeremy Irons has also been tapped to play Alfred Pennyworth in the film (which has been pushed to Summer 2016). Best know for portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Eisenberg’s name wasn’t on anyone’s radar for the role — those names belonged to folks like Bryan Cranston and Joaquin Phoenix, to name two. So this news was definitely… unexpected.
Continue reading “Jesse Eisenberg is Lex Luthor… Wait… Wha?”
Late last night, a game-changing shock wave was sent through the internet when Beyoncé dropped a brand new album when no one was looking!
Also, Sony Pictures revealed it was expanding its Amazing Spider-Man cinematic universe with separate movies focusing on Venom and the Sinister Six. And while the Spidey announcement is not quite the game changer that Queen Bey’s new album is (in fact, it’s more of a game-follower, but more on that later), it’s definitely a smart move on Sony’s part. How well Marc Webb and Avi Arad (and the nerd rage-inducing duo that is Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) execute this move, however, remains to be seen.
Earlier today, Keith posted a strong plea for Jason Momoa — who is currently in negotiations to join the cast of Man of Steel 2 — to play the role of Lobo. Keith’s not alone; the internet rumour mill has been spinning full-force since yesterday’s announcement, with plenty of speculation about whom Momoa might play from Doomsday to, well… Doomsday.
After the jump, here are 15 other DC superheroes Jason Momoa could bring to life in Man of Steel 2.
Continue reading “Top 15 DC Characters Jason Momoa Could Play in Man of Steel 2“
I will accept no other casting. It is too fraggin’ perfect.
Ever since news broke that Jason Momoa (aka Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones or Conan from, well, Conan the Barbarian) was in talks to join the cast of the movie I refuse to call Batman Vs. Superman, I could think of no other role other than the Main Man himself. While speculation on who he might be playing has ranged from characters as different as Martian Manhunter, Bizarro, Doomsday, and Metallo, one thing is for sure, the dude is the spitting image of the Scourge o’ the Cosmos.
Continue reading “Jason Momoa MUST Play Lobo in Man of Steel 2“
As of April 2013, The Avengers had grossed more than $600 million dollars in the US, a box office performance that has nearly tripled its (already bloated) production budget. It would be fair to say that if you’re a Hollywood movie producer, The Avengers makes you very, very, very happy. In fact, you’re hoping to make as many Avengers franchises as you possibly can.
Against this backdrop of undeniable success, it seems major Hollywood production companies are hoping to do just that. For the last few months, the Internet has been a-buzz with casting rumours for Man of Steel 2: first with news that Ben Affleck was being tapped to play an aging Batman, and last week with the announcement that virtually unknown actress Gal Gadot (of Fast and Furious franchise fame) was assuming the mantle of Wonder Woman. Although fans have long clamoured for a live-action Justice League adaptation, the fact that all three members of the heralded DC Trinity will be making an appearance in Man of Steel 2 — a movie that we all expected would be just another Superman solo vehicle — is clear indication that WB/DC has drawn inspiration from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is looking to fast-track the Justice League movie by rapidly introducing other characters to the silver screen. Fans have since speculated that while Gadot might make a minimal cameo in Man of Steel 2, it’s likely that she will subsequently headline her own Wonder Woman movie that would further stoke the fires for a full Justice League film.
Continue reading “How Avengers is Ruining the Superhero Movie”
As we barrel toward the end of the year, we figured it was a good time to go on hiatus and take stock of Hard NOC Life before returning on the other side of the new year with a better experience for the viewers. If you have any suggestions on how to improve the show, please feel free to let us know in the comments!
For our special year-end wrap up, Keith (@the_real_chow) has asked a roster of panel all-stars to come back one more time to the topics of the day. Joining the show are Raymond Chow, Julie Kang (@JulieKang), N’Jaila Rhee (@BlasianBytch), Shawn Smith, and Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria (@rscspokenword). As always, Hard N.O.C. Life is directed by the indomitable Nelson Wong (@aarisings).
