"Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" is Twice the Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence
DIRECTOR: Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery
WRITER: Dwayne McDuffie
PRODUCERS: Bobbie Page with Bruce Timm
EDITOR: Margaret Hou
COMPOSERS: James L. Venable with Christopher Drake
ANIMATION STUDIO: Moi Animation Studio

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of drama

Starring: (voices) William Baldwin, Mark Harmon, Chris Noth, Gina Torres, James Woods, Jonathan Adams, Brian Bloom, Bruce Davison, Josh Keaton, Vanessa Marshall, Nolan North, Freddi Rogers, James Patrick Stuart, and Cedric Yarbrough

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 direct-to-video superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. Starring DC Comics’ ultimate superhero team, the Justice League, this is also the seventh feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line.

The film’s premise borrows from two DC Comics stories, “Crisis on Earth-Three” (Justice League of America #29-30, 1964) and the 2000 graphic novel, JLA: Earth 2, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths follows the Justice League as the team helps a good version of the arch-villain Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth where evil versions of the Justice League dominate the planet.

While rebuilding the Watchtower, their headquarters that orbits the Earth, the Justice League: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Flash are surprised to learn that supervillain Lex Luthor insists on having a meeting with the team. But wait! Isn’t Luthor in prison? This Lex Luthor (Chris Noth) hails from an alternate universe where evil counterparts of the Justice League rule over earth.

On Luthor’s Earth, Superman is Ultraman, Batman is Owlman, Wonder Woman is Superwoman, Green Lantern is Power Ring, and Flash is Johnny Quick. They form the Crime Syndicate. Now, the Justice League must help Luthor free his Earth from the Syndicate’s tyranny, but a certain Syndicate member is hoping to set a more diabolical plan in motion.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Why do I like it? Of all the straight-to-DVD superhero films I’ve watched, this one offers the most bang for the buck that is my viewing pleasure in terms of fights. Superheroes and supervillains fight, and Crisis on Two Earths doesn’t deny the viewer, as we see every combination of battle possible. It seems as if every member of the Justice League gets a shot at every member of the Crime Syndicate and vice versa – from battles of entire squads to skirmishes of smaller groupings of characters.

This story is also surprisingly dark – from Owlman’s (James Woods) fanatical cynicism and narcissism to Batman’s (William Baldwin) cold-blooded and calculated decision making. The characters also make blunt assessments about each other, as Rose Wilson (Freddi Rogers) does of her father, President Slade Wilson (Bruce Davison). Also, the frank nature of the relationship between Owlman and Superwoman (Gina Torres) is not glossed over for the sake of younger viewers.

The voice-over performances by the voice cast bring to life the excellent character writing from television animation writer/producer, the late Dwayne McDuffie. The direction by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery is marvelous, especially in the framing of the action and fight scenes. Moi Animation Studio, the studio that produces the actual animation, does itself proud. This is a pretty movie that captures the color and energy of classic, four-color, superhero comic books. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths – Encore! Encore!

8 of 10
A

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Cinemark Releases Statement on Aurora, Colorado Shooting

On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred during a midnight screening of the film, The Dark Knight Rises, at a movie theater, the Century 16, which is located in the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall in Aurora, Colorado. The attack occurred in Theater 9 when a gunman, dressed in protective clothing, set off smoke or gas canisters. He then shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 58. Police arrested 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, the lone suspect in the case, outside the cinema minutes after the shooting.

Cinemark Deeply Saddened by Aurora Theatre Shooting

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK): Cinemark is deeply saddened about this tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and loved ones, our employees, and the Aurora community. We are grateful for the quick and professional reaction of all local law enforcement and emergency responders.

Cinemark is working closely with the Aurora Police Department and local law enforcement.

Regal Entertainment Group Releases Statement on Shooting in Aurora, Colorado

Regal is Profoundly Saddened by Tragedy

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--We are profoundly saddened by the tragedy that occurred at a Denver area theatre and are concerned for the victims and their families. The security and safety of our guests and staff is always our number one priority. As is our custom, we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our security needs as necessary. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

AMC Theatres' Releases Statement on Shooting in Aurora, Colorado

Updated: AMC Theatres Statement Regarding the Tragedy in Aurora, Colorado

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following is a statement by AMC Theatres:

AMC Theatres is deeply saddened by the Aurora tragedy. Movie going is part of our social fabric and this senseless act shakes us to our core. We’re reinforcing our security procedures with our theatre teams, which we cannot discuss in detail for obvious, safety reasons. Local law enforcement agencies, our landlords and their and our local security teams are stepping up nationwide to ensure we provide the safest environment possible for our guests. We couldn’t be more grateful for their collective support.

At this time, our show schedules circuit-wide will not change. We will not allow any guests into our theatres in costumes that make other guests feel uncomfortable and we will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings. If guests wish to exchange or refund any tickets, we will honor our existing policy and do as our guests wish. We are taking necessary precautions to ensure our guests who wish to enjoy a movie this weekend can do so with as much peace of mind as possible in these circumstances.


About AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres delivers distinctive and affordable movie-going experiences in 346 theatres with 5,034 screens across the United States and Canada. The company operates 24 of the 50 highest grossing theatres in the country, including the top three. AMC has propelled industry innovation and continues today by delivering premium sight and sound, enhanced food and beverage and diverse content. http://www.amctheatres.com/.

Review: New Talent Emerges in "The Loveless" (Happy B'day, Willem Dafoe)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 68 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Loveless (1982)
Theatrical release: Jan. 1984 (USA)
Running time: 82 minutes (1 hour, 22 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITERS/DIRECTORS: Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery
PRODUCERS: A. Kitman Ho and Grafton Nunes
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Doyle Smith
EDITOR: Nancy Kanter
COMPOSER: Robert Gordon

DRAMA

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Gordon, Marin Kanter, J. Don Ferguson, Tina L’Hotsky, Lawrence Matarese, Danny Rosen, Phillip Kimbrough, Ken Call, and Elizabeth Gans

The subject of this movie review is The Loveless, a 1982 outlaw biker drama. The film is notable for being the actor Willem Dafoe’s debut as a lead and for also being the first feature film by Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker). According to the Internet Movie Database, The Loveless appeared in film festivals in 1982 and was released theatrically in the United States and Sweden in 1984.

Leather-clad biker, Vance (Willem Dafoe), leads a group of fellow leather-clad bikers who make a pit stop in a backwater Georgia town en route to a stock car race in Daytona, Florida. While waiting for one of their bikes to be repaired, the gang takes a measure of the town and finds it woefully wanting. On the other side of this equation, some of the townsfolk, from a distance, grudgingly admire the bikers’ freedom. There are also a few troublemakers, and one of them, Tarver (J. Don Ferguson), looks to bring this story to an explosive conclusion.

The Loveless was Willem Dafoe’s film debut, and it was also the first feature film directed by Kathryn Bigelow (who actually co-wrote and co-directed this with Monty Montgomery). Bigelow would go onto to direct such films as Near Dark, Point Break, and Strange Days (in addition to being married to James Cameron for two years). The Loveless is a stylish ode to the Marlon Brando film, The Wild One. It’s violent, a little randy, and its mood perfectly captures the essence of an isolated Deep South hamlet stuck in the past, suspicious of strangers and all things different. Incest, bigotry, prejudice, and murder, The Loveless delves into Southern Gothic while worshiping the post-World War II era biker in a languid, sensuous fashion.

The film’s pace and acting style recalls pre-method acting Hollywood films. The performances are very affected in that stage acting manner of movies of old Hollywood. Dafoe gives one his sexiest performances. Dangerous, young, and reeking of raw sex, he wouldn’t appear like this again until 2002’s Spider-Man. The Loveless isn’t great, but its raw, almost amateurish atmosphere and execution is mesmerizing.

5 of 10
B-

Thursday, April 26, 2007

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Review: "The Dark Knight Rises," But the Movie is Bloated

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Running time: 164 minutes (2 hours, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITERS: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; from a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (based upon the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lee Smith
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matthew Modine, Cillian Murphy, Ben Mendelsohn, Burn Gorman, Tom Conti, and Liam Neeson

The subject of this movie review is The Dark Knight Rises, a film directed by Christopher Nolan. It is a sequel to The Dark Knight and is also the third film in Nolan’s “The Dark Knight trilogy,” which began with 2005’s Batman Begins. The Dark Knight Rises is a highly-anticipated film, and I have been anxious to see it for some time.

Now, that I’ve seen The Dark Knight Rises, I must admit that I did not like it. In fact, not long into the movie, I was bored with it and, three times I considered walking out of the theatre. The Dark Knight Rises has some interesting ideas, characters, and subplots, but they don’t really come together to form a complete movies. The story elements feel like they are building up to something big; the film is like a constant upsurge of anticipation that never delivers. Too often, scenes ultimately deliver an anti-climax.

The Dark Knight Rises opens eight years after the events that closed The Dark Knight, which saw Batman (Christian Bale) vanishing into the night after he made it seem as if he (Batman) had killed District Attorney Harvey Dent. By assuming the blame for Dent’s demise, Batman sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) both hoped was the greater good. In a sense, that worked. As the film begins, organized crime in Gotham City is dead.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has given up being Batman and lives in seclusion, but his meeting with Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cunning cat burglar gets him interested in what is currently happening in the city. Meanwhile, a masked terrorist called Bane (Tom Hardy) has come to Gotham to tear the city down in the name of revolution. Bane’s acts of destruction and terror drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile, but Batman may be no match for Bane

Although the film runs at nearly 2¾ hours, The Dark Knight Rises did not seem too long to me. It did seem bloated. The film does have some good action set pieces, but they combine to form a movie that is too damned loud and obnoxious. Talk about full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Speaking of loud: Hans Zimmer’s score is comically overdone, even farcical. Every time something momentous is about to be said or done, Zimmer unleashes ear-drum pounding brass and Ragnorok synth. The music makes the movie seem either pretentious or a joke.

The new characters are interesting, but they’re equally pompous and hollow. Anne Hathaway has a great moment as Selina Kyle when the character first meets Bruce Wayne that is deliciously cool. After that, the character comes across as tacked-on. Nolan is too coy about her; is she villainess or anti-hero? Please, make up your mind, Mr. Director. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake is a good character lost in the excesses of this movie. Tom Hardy’s Bane is scary, but his frightfulness is mitigated by this story’s murky intentions. Utterly underutilized are two supporting characters: Bruce Wayne’s business rival, John Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), and his assistant, Stryver (Burn Gorman). The actors give this film’s best performances, and the characters are this movie’s dynamic duo. I was sad when they “left” the story.

All of The Dark Knight Rises’ characters, settings, sub-plots, and action don’t lead from point A to point B – beginning, middle, and end. They come together as one huge rambling wreck that eventually crashes, which we can call the end of the movie. The story is a good idea, but the screenplay is overkill. This is Christopher Nolan’s worst major film to date. If I did not know better, I would think that Joel Schumacher had directed The Dark Knight Rises, but this movie’s self-importance reminds me that this is a Chris Nolan flick.

4 of 10
C

Saturday, July 21, 2012

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About this Movie: The Dark Knight Rises

WARNER BROS. PICTURES Presents
In Association with Legendary Pictures
A Syncopy Films Production
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITERS: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; from a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (based upon the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lee Smith
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

OPENING DATE: Friday, July 20, 2012
RUN TIME: 164 minutes
RATING: MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman

Synopsis:
Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. "The Dark Knight Rises" also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

The screenplay is written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on "Batman Begins" and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters created by Bob Kane and published by DC Comics.

Behind the scenes, "The Dark Knight Rises" reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on "The Dark Knight." The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan's "Inception"; production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming ("Topsy-Turvy"). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in "Inception," supervised the visual and special effects, respectively. The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King").

In helming the film, Christopher Nolan utilized IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on "The Dark Knight," which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was even partially shot with the large-format cameras.

"The Dark Knight Rises" will be presented on 70-millimeter film in 102 IMAX 15/70mm locations worldwide. Christopher Nolan stated, "Having shot almost half the picture with large-format IMAX film cameras, it is very important to me that we show 'The Dark Knight Rises' in the IMAX film format wherever possible. Audiences everywhere should be assured that every presentation of the film will be of the highest standard—having benefited from the clarity and depth IMAX cameras offer. However, these 102 screens will showcase the original IMAX film photography in its optimum form, and I hope anyone who has an opportunity to experience the film in these theatres will seek it out."

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight Rises." Opening in theatres and IMAX, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/