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Is the end nigh for superhero movies?

Director Steven Spielberg has been quite vocal in the past about the marketable quality of superhero movies. He’s back in the headlines saying the end is nigh for them,  that they will go the way of the Western, and I have to wonder about the accuracy of that statement as someone who is invested and writes about the entertainment industry.

I decided my blog would be the best place for this post, and not the websites I write for, on the account that this is more on a personal level then an Op-Ed. I’m also speaking without sources or research. This is purely heart and mind speaking.

So, Mr. Spielberg, with one of the most well-decorated film careers in history, I can’t say I agree with you. But I respect your thoughts on this. There is something similar I believe in.

I do think we will get an over-saturated market on superhero movies. If you look back in the history of comics you will find snags in sales. After WW2, comic book sales were at an all time low. Here we are in 2015, in a post-war era, and comic books, and their movie counterparts couldn’t be doing much better. It is smooth sailing.

Westerns may not be around that much any longer. But there is still deep-seated appreciation in the art. Cowboys are still popular in media. And modern films draw allusions to Westerns and those of the spaghetti variety constantly. Westerns aren’t dead, they just ceased to be as we had known them.

The next few years are jam packed with superhero movies, and more and more keep joining the roster. Comic book fans are excited. There are new demographics of fans rushing into theaters and comic book shops to ingest all that they can, and what they are discovering are beautiful, well-thought out stories. We eventually will tire of the superhero movie, we will find fault in the repetitiveness of these kinds of heroes and villains stories, we will, but we won’t stop loving it. The ticket sales may slump and movie companies may be more wary on green-lighting a new project, but the fans will be there.

Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix proved something to me. It reinvented the story. While I had been feeling tired over Avengers: Age of Ultron, flipping the script on Daredevil put the spotlight on the storytelling. As long as the story told is the root and heart of the film or TV show, superhero film and media will survive.

Spielberg is half-right, or half-wrong, however you want to spell it out. Early on in the production of comic book adapted films, most of them were terrible. Years later, the formula was revisited. People care about these characters and the obstacles they endure, because they are similar to their own battles. While we may not be donning spandex suits, it’s uplifting to see our media represent questions of morality. What is good and what is evil?

Superhero movies will always come back. They will hit snags as people will tire, but the narrative is ever-changing, and they will be back. Remember, only Kryptonite can kill Superman.

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My Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Review

This was written as a word vomit so please excuse the lack of structure.

Watch the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron here.

 

My thoughts as I can process them right now on the Avengers Age of Ultron trailer:

– Opening crowd scene (where Ultron says ‘screaming’) looks like it’s taking place in France due to the French flag and European styled license plates in surrounding screens. Scarlet Witch and Quiksilver are in the front

– The scene where Natasha, Thor, Bruce, and Steve are sitting in what is probably a quinjet. They look shaken, notably Tony is missing. Bruce has no shoes and doesn’t have a shirt on but is wrapped in a sweater or blanket

– “You’re all puppets” we see ultron a bit damaged and staggering to walk. Off to his sides looks like workout equipment. He is probably in the Avengers Tower. The Avengers could have just finished doing a battle and thought they were successful. In the scenes where everyone is in formalwear and getting up from their seats/turning to look at probably Ultron there is alcohol everywhere. They were probably celebrating a job well done when Ultron ‘comes back to life.’

– Also in that scene who is the girl next to Thor? Maria Hill and Rhodey are there too to the right of the screen

– Natasha looks like she is escorting Bruce out in that scene as well. Perhaps Bruce is having difficulty controlling himself

– When the creepy cover of that cheery song from Pinocchio starts we see Iron Man and then also a large stone building in the mountains (probably Europe) it then looks as if Cap is inside said building searching for something. Maybe Cap was on his search for TWS and Iron Man went to go and retrieve him?

– Next scene is police (probably in Europe as well) Notice the ‘Walk Tall’ store in the background. That is a Marvel Easter egg (Skottie Young/Rocket Raccoon)

– Who is that in the yellow rolling onto what looks like a bed?

– Bruce stumbling shirtless/barefoot in the forest, perhaps right before that scene he is in, in the beginning of the trailer where he is also shirtless/barefoot and looking psyched out

– Cut to Natasha alone in an empty room and then a few scenes later ballerinas – Red Room/Nat backstory anyone?

– Hospital gurney rolling down oldish looking hospital and old looking medical tools – possibly part of Cap’s flashbacks?

– the ultron bots climbing out of water. Tired/ragged Avengers looking out in rubble. Note: Tony is missing.

– ‘This is the end’ Tony looks like he messed up something big time next to yellow robot (is this an ultron bot? is this the same thing that rolled onto the bed? is this something he made that turned against him?)

– Fury looking like a crusty old sea man haha (not my original thought)

– Witch screaming amidst rubble in probably Europe

– Hulkbuster vs. Hulk – could this be why Tony is apart from the group in many of these scenes and also why Bruce looks so freaked out? also probably taking place in England ‘apartments to let’ is a british thing, correct?

– After Nat dropping out of a quinjet on a motorcycle we see Quicksilver vs. Cap and probably an Ultron bot in what looks like a train. Trains are very bad for Cap (see Captain America the first avenger)

– Next scene is Witch and then we’re cut to warships and then a Cap flashback. We see ‘USO’ in the background and what looks like the silhouettes of Bucky and Peggy walk by

– Who is that guy with the beard turning to look up?

– Next we see Cap on motorcycle which looks like it may be somewhere in Asia

– Why is Thor naked and angry in water?

– Next wee see the Hulk and Nat pressing palms together. AWW trust! Perhaps because Tony is going against the team (and thus also starting to branch out for the Civil War storyline). This is also an important scene because of how the Hulk almost killed Nat in the first Avengers

– Ballerina scene (see Red Room) Am I also the only one who thinks that looks like Hawkeye on the piano? How can he even hear music?!

– Next we see tanks firing into the air and Hawkeye running in a snowy forest, perhaps same forest we saw Bruce stumbling through shirtless. Why are there explosions in the trees? I mean if you’re trying to kill someone running through a forest wouldn’t you shoot the bottom of the trees so it also takes the tree down and that could possibly kill who you are trying to kill?

– Thor is pissed and puts Tony in a chokehold. Very reminiscent of Loki doing the same to him. Plus shows that Tony is at odds with the rest of the Avengers

– Nat looking petrified and alone in a dark room

– cut to Hulk and Hulkbuster fighting again

– But there might be also an going fight between Cap, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver…looks like this may be in Europe again as well (probably France with the mountains in the back)

– Cap is lying on the ground and his shield is split in TWO. Death of Cap maybe?!

– And then last peak is of Ultron fully operational and being menacing… and a puppet master.

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New York Comic Con Recap!

Phew! It is a damn good thing today is  Columbus Day because I definitely need a day to recuperate. New York Comic Con was intense! Intense in all the good ways, of course!

My first time at NYCC was in 2011, and I only got a taste of what it was since I was there for a few hours on the final day. This time around I won a 3-day pass from the wonderful Pete’s Basement Comic Book Talk Show and came equipped with a better knowledge of events and the floor layout.

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Day 1

I took my cousin Sandra as my first guest (I won 2 passes) and she has never been to a Comic Con. I think she totally loved it just by the sheer volume of pictures she took. We arrived to the Javits Center before 10am in hopes of making our way to the Marvel booth. All went well until we got inside, I wasn’t sure where we were in relativity to the booth (we walked in closest to the Weta Workshop booth) and by the time we elbowed our way to Marvel the line for the raffles was looped around a couple times. We still got on line praying for a miracle. Marvel set up their panels and autographing session with Clark Gregg a bit differently then the rest of the Con, you basically get on line and pick a ballot. Some ballots give you the wristband and some don’t so it is a complete gamble. We were maybe 10 people away from getting a chance to pick a raffle before we were told they were out. I’m guessing you have to seek your first-born child to get into a Marvel panel/screening because I lucked out the rest of the weekend too.

Denied but not defeated, my cousin and I perused the showroom, gaping at the ginormous Bumblebee at the Chevrolet booth (real person in there too). I bought an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt from the Super Hero Stuff booth and I made it my mission to also track down a Funko Pop Vinvl of The Winter Soldier. That figure has been just as elusive as the character is and I finally found him an hour before we left. I also bought an original Winter Soldier paining by Tony Santiago and a Hello Kitty style Winter Soldier from I believe Tom Kelly. It’s pretty evident that I really love this character and I am so glad there was plenty of great artwork that has interpreted him.

Comic Con also has a lot of fun photo booths scattered all over the place. My cousin and I took lots of them and had lots of goofy faces to give the camera. Artists Alley was also another highlight. We spent a lot of time just watching these artists at work and admiring their craft. I know who to keep an eye out for as I learn more about comics and what I like in reading and viewing comics. It was really something special to meet Allen Bellman who drew for Marvel in the 1940s and 1950s.

Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) was doing his signing at the Marvel booth. We were able to watch him and got some photos of him. Gregg has one of those demeanors that make him look so warm and caring. Two of the people getting autographs signed had a phenomenal cosplay of Captain America and The Black Widow and Gregg jumped up to take a special picture with them. He is a total fanboy and proud.

Our day ended around 4:30/5ish. My cousin had to leave to go to work and I left with her because I needed her 3-day pass for Saturday since I was bringing a friend.

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Day 2

Saturday was easily the busiest day. My friend Cat and I arrived about an hour in and it was already bustling. Unfortunately, it had been a very rainy morning and while I kept my Winter Soldier metal arm dry, putting it on my own wet arm was a bad, bad, terrible idea. I suspected the top part was beginning to crack the night before when I was trying it on one last time but I felt it crack more on this morning. There is still no visible crack but it is going to need a Franken-fix on it. The water also smudged some of the paint. I couldn’t get the arm up to my shoulder due to my arm being wet so it didn’t look right in its placement. Also, I need to make the cuts better so I can have some mobility with it. ONE MORE THING: A lot of people kept bumping into my arm. Dear people, please try to respect anyone wearing a homemade costume, it is likely that we spent a LOT of time and MONEY on it and even if it’s not that good it is still near and dear to our hearts.

Despite my cosplay snafu I enjoyed the rest of my day. I didn’t buy much except for lunch, beer, and an Agent Jemma Simmons identification card. My bank account needed a rest from how much I spent on Friday. We tried to get into a couple  panel’s such as the Mary Sue one on women in comics but we were shut out. We even showed up an hour before it would start. I guess I just don’t know how to get into them!

We met up with some other friends who had taken advantage of the fact you can buy alcohol. It was fun to talk with them and hear about their Con stories. I ended up taking the same train ride home with them which was definitely nicer than traveling by myself.

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Day 3

I arrived on time and by myself this time. My friend Erin was caught up in an assignment and didn’t make it until the late afternoon, but I am so glad she got to enjoy herself for a few hours. I did bring my nice D-SLR camera so I roamed the floor taking shots of people cosplaying. I’m always in awe over these costumes. The time, love, and craftsmanship that goes into them is astounding. It’s interesting to see what people chose to cosplay, to see what’s important to them.

Erin and I had a lot of fun trying on silly hats and goggles. We had a really awesome conversation with one of the guys from the Weta Workshop (post will come later). I bought some cool prints made from a 95 year old press machine and also a Doctor Who tumbler so I can enjoy my pumpkin spice beverages any time I want.

There was a guy outside of the Javits Center dressed up as The Doctor and he brought his own Tardis. He was a great sport and a fantastic Ten impersonator. He definitely put a lot of smiles of peoples faces that day, including mine.

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New York Comic Con was a blast and I wish it was every month. I barely slept with how excited I was every night. There a few things left in my adulthood that cause that kind of reaction. It had a way of making me feel so relaxed. I was surrounded by things I love and people who love them just as passionately as I do. And like the heroes we admire, I had no fear.

Well, there’s now less than 365 days until next year, time to get planning!

Here are couple pictures I took throughout the weekend: