The Writings of Shawn S. Lealos

2012-01-21T02:20:00.001-06:00

The Best of the Best: The Top Movies of 2011

2011-12-31T17:42:00.006-06:00

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be releasing what I consider to be the best of 2011, whether it is the top movies, actors, directors, action movies or more. Check back here, and I will be updating the list of what I consider to be the best of the crop, coming out of 2011.

** These might change after writing the articles when I see some that slipped by me. I will update the lists here but the articles will remain the same.

The Most Disappointing Movies of 2011
Click here to read Most Disappointing Movies 2011 article
1. The Hangover, Part II
2. The Green Hornet
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
4. Insidious
5. Beastly

The Best Animated Movies of 2011
Click here to read Best Animated Movies 2011 article
1. Arthur Christmas
2. Gnomeo and Juliet
3. Winnie the Pooh
4. Kung Fu Panda 2
5. Rango

Oklahoma Sooners beat Iowa Hawkeyes in Insight Bowl

2011-12-31T13:35:00.001-06:00

The Oklahoma Sooners college football season has come to an end with the Sooners beating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Insight Bowl, 31-14. It has been an interesting year for Oklahoma, who started out as the No. 1 team in the nation but ended up playing in a minor bowl on Dec. 30.

Don't tell that to Oklahoma Sooners' head coach Bob Stoops, though.

"So if you are not in the national championship, it doesn't mean a lot? Where do start setting that gauge? I don't understand it," Stoops said. "I'm just saying overall, so what is the big -- why wouldn't it mean a lot? We're playing, right? So which Bowl game means a lot? So if someone else is playing for the national championship and you are playing for the Rose Bowl, that doesn't mean anything, right? Not going to be national champions, or does it? All these games mean a lot if you are the ones playing them?"

If you ask me, a 10-3 season is great for any college football team.

Click here to read my entire recap of the Oklahoma Sooners' big bowl win

Also click on the photo below to see images from the game itself.

'Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy' Review

2011-12-28T23:37:00.000-06:00

Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Written by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan based on the novel by John le Carré
Cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema
Music Composed by Alberto Iglesias

Cast
Mark Strong ... Jim Prideaux
John Hurt ... Control
Gary Oldman ... George Smiley
Toby Jones ... Percy Alleline
David Dencik ... Toby Esterhase
Ciarán Hinds ... Roy Bland
Colin Firth ... Bill Haydon
Kathy Burke ... Connie Sachs
Benedict Cumberbatch ... Peter Guillam

Runtime: 127 min
MPAA: Rated R for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language
Official Website

Originally Published on 411mania.com

Old school spy movies rarely get made anymore. These days when you see something about a spy, you get dizzying camera work (Bourne Identity), over-the-top gadgets (Bond) or crazy stunts that overshadow the story (Mission Impossible). That is what, when a movie like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy gets made, it is a pleasure to sit through. Forget about the gadgets, cars and babes because this is a movie about a spy doing his impressive job, nothing more and nothing less. It is a modern day Film Noir.

Gary Oldman is George Smiley, a semi-retired spy for MI6 pulled out of retirement to find a mole within the top ranks of the British Intelligence (The Circus). There are four men he is investigating - "Tinker," "Tailor," "Soldier" and "Poorman" - with the idea there is a Russian mole in their ranks, an idea perpetrated by the head of the department, Control (John Hurt). When one of Control’s agents (Mark Strong) is gunned down while investigating the mole, Smiley is called out of retirement to find the truth.

While this all sounds exciting, most of the movie is simply spies doing what they do best, searching for clues, discreetly eliminating their enemies and carrying on in meetings and discussions. Don’t worry because there is nothing boring about that in this movie. Gary Oldman continues to be one of cinema’s greatest talents, bringing Smiley to life in this film and doing as much with his eyes and body movements as he does with his limited dialogue. George Smiley is not a man to deliver great speeches or throw out one liners. He is a quiet, reflective man, with a sad past and a bleak future. Oldman knocks it out of the park with this performance.

Oldman is surrounded by a superb supporting cast as well.

Oscar winner Colin Firth is Bill Hayden (Tailor), a man who has a strong past with both Smiley and the agent gunned down at the beginning of the movie. Toby Jones (Arnim Zola in Captain America) is Percy Alleline (Tinker), a sneaky man who has his own underhanded intentions during the investigation. Ciaran Hinds is Roy Bland (Soldier), a staunch, arrogant man and David Dencik is Toby Esterhase (Poorman), a weak man, rescued by Control and relishing his spot. The fifth suspect for the mole is Smiley himself (Spy).

It is also important to point out the actor who carries the largest role, outside of Oldman. Benedict Cumerbatch is Peter Guillam, an intelligence officer aiding him in the investigation. Guillam, comfortably sitting on the outside of this inner circle of power, is who the audience is given to relate to and Cumerbatch delivers a performance that is awards worthy in and of itself. His doubts, concerns and reflections are what gives humanity to Smiley's otherwise steely investigative gaze.

It is these acting performances that carry the film, one that does not treat the audience as stupid followers, but instead gives them something to chew on as the clues slowly move into place and the puzzle becomes clear. Adapted from the spy novel by John Le Carre and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In), the movie takes its time to set up the characters, locations and situations. However, this setup is not a blank slate, instead filled with clues that come to light when Smiley makes his discoveries later in the movie. This is a puzzle movie and one that pays off those who pay attention greatly.

Anyone who watched Alfredson’s masterful vampire movie, Let the Right One In, knows what they can expect to see. Unlike the American remake, which amped up the horror, Alfredson instead focused on the characters of the vampire and her child friend. He was more concerned with how the plot affected them. The same is true with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a movie that cares more about the characters and how they interact with each other, than it is with Cold War politics.

When the end finally comes, it simply resolves the mystery and paves the way for the resolution. There is nothing exciting here, no car chases or gun fights. This is simply a case of a spy bringing down an upper level British agent who has been trading information with the enemy. It is not the end that is the exciting part of this movie, but what leads up to it. What works here are the great performances by some of the best actors working today, telling a dark, seedy story of paranoia and deceit.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a throwback movie and is a treasure in an otherwise disappointing 2011.

Gary Oldman turns in a masterful performance as George Smiley, one of the greatest heroes from author John Le Carre’s spy novels. He is subdued but you never doubt him for one minute in the movie. He is joined by an amazing cast of supporting actors, led by the impressive Benedict Cumerbatch, who should use this as a breakout role. The movie is a slow burn, espionage thriller, avoiding over-the-top action and replacing it with intelligent storytelling, great characters and a wonderful pace. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the best films of 2011 and Gary Oldman turned in one of the year’s best performances.

Final Rating: 9.5/10

'The Artist' Review

2011-12-24T00:40:00.000-06:00

Your blog's title

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Written by Michel Hazanavicius
Cinematography by Guillaume Schiffman
Music Composed by Ludovic Bource

Cast
Jean Dujardin ... George Valentin
Bérénice Bejo ... Peppy Miller
John Goodman ... Al Zimmer
James Cromwell ... Clifton
Uggie ... The Dog

Runtime: 100 min
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for a disturbing image and a crude gesture
Official Website

Originally Published on 411mania.com

I was ten minutes into The Artist when I toggled the options to see how long the movie was. By the time I was 20 minutes into the movie, I couldn’t turn away. When the movie finally ended, I wanted to go back and immediately re-watch it again. It is movies like this that make me happy to be in a professional critic’s organization that send out screeners to view for those movies that have not made it to Middle America locations like Oklahoma yet.

It is also why The Artist shot to the upper echelon of my year-end award’s list and ended up winning the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle award for Best Film of 2011.

The Artist is a movie about silent film but the unique method director Michel Hazanavicius used to tell his story was to create it as a silent film as well. This had good and bad repercussions. First, there are a lot of people who will not watch a black and white, full screen, silent film, no matter how great it is. However, the unique style of filmmaking gives Hazanavicius a distinct advantage when it comes to critical acclaim. Film critics love something different, especially if it is used to tell a compelling story.

The Artist tells the story of a silent film star, an Errol Flynn styled character, who mugs for the camera and uses his distinct facial expressions to tell the story without ever needing to use dialogue to move the plot along. He was the biggest star in Hollywood until sound cinema changed everything.

Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, the silent film star, and he turned in a performance that was nothing less than masterful. The idea beneath the story is that George is afraid to take the next step in his career, into sound cinema, and wants to grasp his past as long as possible. His memorabilia collection proves how much he cares about his past achievements and he is too prideful to ask for help when things start to go wrong and he loses his way.

Instead of working within the new system for a producer who has stuck with him for years (John Goodman), George decides to use his own money to make a new silent film, bankrupting himself when audiences flock to the latest talkie instead. The only people who stay by his side when he finally is pushed out of Hollywood are his dog (Uggie) and chauffeur, Clifton (James Cromwell).

Personally, I’d vote for Uggie in the Best Supporting Actor (animal) category of any award’s show.

Meanwhile, the story also shows the rise of a new starlet in the world of sound cinema. Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) gets her lucky break in the business when George puts his career on the line for her. However, when his career falls apart, he refuses to ask for help and shuns all assistance from the young actress.

This is a movie about a man who is not able, or willing, to talk. This metaphor goes from his fear of change to his inability to express his true feelings, beneath the bravado of his on-screen persona.

What is most amazing about The Artist is it takes the silent film and somehow makes it appear new and fresh. Yes, they use the silent form perfectly, with two notable exceptions (a nightmare sequence and the final scene of the movie), but the film itself never feels like a silent relic that drags you reluctantly to the end. As a matter of fact, when the end comes and the payoff occurs for our sad sack hero, you can only smile as the final number plays out, but also miss the silent film that just completed.

A lot of people will not give The Artist a chance because of a bias against both black and white films as well as silent cinema. There are simply too many people in the world who refuse to “read their movies.” Those people are in for a loss because The Artist is one of the best, if not the best, movie of 2011.

The Artist is not for everyone. It is a black and white silent film about the silent film era coming to an end. However, it is important to go into the movie without any preconceived notions. Michel Hazanavicius created a film that will be a heavy favorite for Best Film honors at this year’s Academy Awards and Jean Dujardin will surely be one of the names called as a nominee for Best Actor. It is a throwback film but it also holds up well with most movies made today. The Artist is a huge success and is easily one of the best movies of 2011.

Final Score: 10.0

OFCC Names 'The Artist' Best Film of 2011

2011-12-23T17:45:00.000-06:00

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, the statewide group of professional film critics, has announced its sixth annual list of awards for achievement in cinema on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. I have been a member of the OFCC for three years and this is the third time I have voted in the year-end awards.

The Artist, a black-and-white, silent film that speaks volumes about movies and the people who make and watch them, won the Best Film of 2011.

“This was a close year in our voting,” OFCC President Rod Lott said. “Drive, a film that in many ways is the polar opposite of The Artist, came in a close second for best film of 2011. We had to have a tie-breaker vote, our first, for two categories: Best Screenplay, Adaptation and Best Supporting Actress.”

Click here to see the full list of winners for 2011, but first, here is who I voted on in the 2011 year end voting.

Top 10 Films

    “The Artist”
    “Source Code”
    “The Descendants”
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II”
    “Super 8”
    “Moneyball”
    “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
    “Drive”
    “Shame”
    “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Film

    “The Artist”

Best Director

    Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Best First Feature

    Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

Best Actress

    Saoirse Ronan, "Hanna"

Best Actor

    Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Best Supporting Actress

    Jessica Chastain, “The Help”

Best Supporting Actor

    Alan Rickman, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"

Best Screenplay, Adaptation

    “Moneyball,” Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

Best Screenplay, Original

    “Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen

Best Documentary Film

    “Page One: Inside The New York Times”

Best Foreign Language Film

    “Troll Hunter”

Best Animated Film

    “Arthur Christmas”

Obviously Worst Film

    “Beastly”

Not-So-Obviously-Worst Film

    “The Hangover Part II”

Best Guilty Pleasure

    “Paul”

Comicpalooza 2011 Interview: Tony Todd

2011-06-10T00:04:00.001-05:00

This is the full transcript of the interview I conducted with Tony Todd (Candyman) at Comicpalooza 2011. A portion of the interview was also published on Associated Content by Yahoo!

Most people know Tony Todd from his role in the iconic horror film, "Candyman." What many people don't realize is he is a classically trained stage actor who has appeared in movies directed by men such as Oliver Stone and Clint Eastwood. While appearing at Comicpalooza 2011, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Tony Todd and he made it clear he was more interested in talking about the future instead of a history everyone already knows.

Shawn S. Lealos: Most people know you for your horror movies. Is it hard to find people willing to cast you in non horror movies or are most offers in the horror genre?

Tony Todd: I have to qualify. The reason people mostly know me from horror is because I played a couple of iconic films but technically, of the 100-plus films I have done, only 40-percent of them are horror. Actually, the naturalistic outweighs. The way I think is I never take no, I have always been a fighter. I’m an only child, so I’m spoiled. I was raised by a good woman, a single mom, and I have no fears about what I can do. When it comes to getting on stage or getting inside and role, or anything like that, I know what to do. This year, I have five films in the can, at least three of them are going theatrical and only two of them are horror. I’ve got “Sushi Girl,” which is my pet project that I am executive producer. It’s going to be very hot, it’s sizzling and has nothing horrific in it.

Shawn S. Lealos: I was going to talk about “Sushi Girl,” but first I want to talk about “Unbroken.” There is very little on the Internet about it and the “Unbroken” website only says coming soon. What can you tell me about “Unbroken?”

Tony Todd: When I first got that job, it was an unsolicited inquiry, and I read the script and loved it. Paul Moore is a friend of mine and he is the director. What I have done in the last year or so was become friends with the people I work with. We enjoy each other so that is the new thing in my life. Paul Moore is here, he is talking to investors about the next project and then at night, we have a drink and talk. It’s like the relationship John Huston and Humphrey Bogart had. I’ve got that with about five different directors now but it’s not a calculated thing. It’s more of natural friendships and it means we can help each other.

“Unbroken” was going to be shot in a small town in Virginia, they met our price – it was a fair price, it was not my normal price but it was fair for five days work. I knew it was going to be big because I had 60-percent of the dialogue but we shot it. It was shot in a dilapidated church. Basically, I am an exorcist, who travels from place to place, fixing up churches, introducing the new congregation and moving on. Even though I am a man of the cloth, I don’t have commitments. When I come to this Virginia church, I know and the church knows this is my final stop. “Unbroken” refers to a man’s last mettle, his test of faith.

And, it’s a ghost story. It’s not horror in the sense of someone being slashed and it’s not a thriller, it’s a ghost story. The main ghost is a little boy. There are a lot of scenes with me and this little boy. I’m this tall man and then there is this little calm boy. And this boy can’t be at peace without me.

Shawn S. Lealos: Let’s talk about “Sushi Girl.” Man gets out of prison and meets with his friends about the diamond robbery that sent him to prison. They have dinner on a Sushi Girl and try to figure out where the diamonds are and everything goes wrong. You have compared it to “Reservoir Dogs.”

Tony Todd: To make it easy, it is a Quentin Tarantino-esque movie. Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have supported us behind the scenes. It is the study of civility. When you look at the poster, it is a mock of the Last Supper. My character, and I really tried to dig deep for this, is I wanted to present a complete and utter sociopath. This man dresses in the finest suits, smokes Cuban cigars. I’ll like you one minute and as soon as you, it can be anything, it can be from blowing your brains out to taking a hammer and breaking your little finger.

The rest of my crew is a motley crew. We are all specialists in torture of various degrees. So, by the end of the movie only one person survives. Who do you think that will be? The movie is filled with things like ‘is mercy killing that happens a murder?’ When mercy killing is done, does the person who does it really believe they are doing a person a favor? They’re not.

Shawn S. Lealos: You mentioned the eclectic cast, from Mark Hammil, Sonny Chiba, Danny Trejo…

Tony Todd: Sonny Chiba!

Shawn S. Lealos: It seems like it is a mixture of genre favorites, like “The Expendables” was.

Tony Todd: Yeah, but we didn’t start it out that way. The story stands on its own and would do just as well with unknowns. It’s a hell of a story and I was the first one to fall into place. The director was there first, a newcomer named Kern Saxton. He has a June 8 deadline and we have an inside shot at the Venice Film Festival and we also have a shot at the Toronto Film Festival.

Shawn S. Lealos: You mentioned more than anything you want to be a director. Are you looking at directing your own scripts or are you looking for someone else’s script to catch your eye?

Tony Todd: Ideally, I would like to do something I wrote first but recently some things have happened where I may give up the project I had originally written for me to direct, turning it over to somebody else. I might turn that over to one of those directors I told you I have a relationship with. Instead I may end up directing something that is not a great project but is not a horrible project. It just needs some fixing and I’ll be more of a mechanic, working it out. It will give me that credit I need to get the next project.

Shawn S. Lealos: Are you hoping this will eventually lead you to your passion project about a musician…

Tony Todd: Sam Cooke.

Shawn S. Lealos: Are you hoping this will open the doors for you to direct that project?

Tony Todd: Well, sure, three or four films down the line when I prove I can make money for them. I’m a history buff and there are all kinds of forgotten and chapters of American history to be uncovered. I’m not interested in the commercial, I don’t want to make “Fast and Furious,” I want to tell the truth.

Comicpalooza 2011 Interview: Larry Carrell

2011-06-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

JACOB

[Originally published on 411mania.com]

I also got to talk to some local independent filmmakers from the Houston area. Kenny Beyer is a director and producer who has a movie out right now called Spirit Camp, which is a film that pays homage to the classic slasher genre. He calls it "Friday the 13th meets Bring it On." Another film I saw some footage of is Jacob (Odyssee Pictures Website), by filmmaker Larry Carrell. Check out the teaser trailer from Jacob:

Shawn S. Lealos: How important are conventions like Comicpalooza for independent filmmakers?

Larry Carrell: For me, it's crucial, man. You know, we don't have the resources the big studios do. I've got to get out here on the ground floor and reach out to people to really start to build that audience. These are the type of fans who go home and get on their computers to blog and tell people what they've seen here. I can't even put a price on it. It is so important to get out here and meet these people and show them what we're doing.

Shawn S. Lealos: How many conventions do you try to get out to with your films?

Larry Carrell: As many as possible. With Jacob, we just wrapped on it in March so the first opportunity we had was Texas Frightmare, followed by Comicpalooza here. Any time we are able to go, we are all about it.

Shawn S. Lealos: Do conventions like this offer filmmakers a better opportunity than basic film festivals?

Larry Carrell: Definitely, the horror conventions because that is a special niche. They are really hungry for the horror films. We have gotten a really good response at Comicpalooza but it isn't really your horror crowd. Even if we reach just ten people, I'm satisfied we got ten people interested.

Shawn S. Lealos: Talk about your young actress (Grace Powell) and your main actor (Dylan Home), both of whom were acting in their first film.

Larry Carrell: They were great and I was so pleased. My big direction as a director is to make sure there are no false moments in front of the camera. Grace is very well trained with several years of acting lessons. Dylan had trained in school in theater so they both had natural abilities. We just worked on the scenes and worked on the moments and it wasn't hard at all. I make it a point when I do a project to surround myself with the most talented people I can find.

Shawn S. Lealos: (to Grace:) So, how old are you?

Grace Powell: I'm 12.

Shawn S. Lealos: What was it like working on a big movie like this?

Grace Powell: It was really different than a lot of little things I have done. It was amazing because I got to be on a real movie set and do all the real movie things. It was a good experience and a ton of fun, so I'm glad I got the chance to do it.

Shawn S. Lealos: Did you get scared at all shooting a horror movie?

Grace Powell: No. Once you learned what it was all about you are like ‘really? You made that out of that?' It's not really scary at all.

Shawn S. Lealos: How have you enjoyed Comicpalooza?

Grace Powell: It's interesting. You get to meet all these people and actually see how they are reacting to the movie.

Shawn S. Lealos: Where can people go to find more information about this?

Larry Carrell: www.odysseepictures.com.

Comicpalooza 2011 Interview: Dan Braverman, Dylan Dog

2011-06-04T15:06:00.001-05:00

DYLAN DOG

[Originally published on 411mania.com]

Yeah, a lot of people didn't seem to like Dylan Dog, including 411mania.com's new reviewer, Jeremy Wilson, who gave it a 4.5 score. I haven't seen it yet so I can't judge it. I still want it to be good as a fan of the comics (Check out my review of Dylan Dog: Dawn of the Living Dead here). I had a chance at Comicpalooza to interview Dan Braverman, who played Big Al in the movie.

Shawn S. Lealos: Talk about coming to conventions like Comicpalooza and meeting fans of the movies you appear in.

Dan Braverman: It's like, this is the most relaxation I've had in about two weeks. I get to just sit here and watch the passing parade. I see a lot of interesting people doing interesting things and everyone is having a good time. Everything is positive and it's nice to have people come up and appreciate you and say nice things to you.

Shawn S. Lealos: Dylan Dog. Not a lot of people in America had heard of it. Do you think the movie has helped more people now know more about the comics of Dylan Dog?

Dan Braverman: Yes and no. I've had a lot of people come up who have seen the trailer for it, they know about the movie. A lot of them have not had the chance to see the movie yet because it was in theaters a very short time. I think once it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD, which should be about a month or a month and a half from now, that is going to change. I think it's got built-in cult status because of its association with the Italian comic book. It is doing well in Europe and it did very well in Italy although a lot of people went to see it to see if it was as bad as they thought it would be. It took some liberties with their comic book icon.

Shawn S. Lealos: They eliminated the Groucho character.

Dan Braverman: They did, Groucho's not in this one. They have a lot of homages to the Marx brothers in the movie but Groucho himself is not in it. That's sad because I'm a big Groucho fan. But, I think the movie works well on its own merits. It's a buddy film, it's a comedy movie, it's a horror movie. I think this is the kind of movie parents can go with their kids to. It will scare the hell out of their kids but parents can laugh their asses off.

Shawn S. Lealos: I am a Brandon Routh fan and the reviewer from our website was not impressed with Brandon Routh's performance.

Dan Braverman: I think Brandon Routh's character is a lot more low key and he's like an old school, hardboiled detective – sort of a Philip Marlow type or a Maltese Falcon era movie. This is kind of a parody of Film Noir. So, everything Brandon does is deadpan, nothing really seems to scare him, nothing makes him laugh, but he's the perfect straight man. Then, everybody around him is totally off the wall, especially Sam Huntington, who is phenomenal as Marcus. He had the hardest road to toil since he is not Groucho.

Shawn S. Lealos: After Superman Returns, this is their second time together.

Dan Braverman: Yes, he was Jimmy Olson. It was kind of a coincidence they both got cast together in this. It was not exactly planned that way. The two of them are destined to be together forever. Anyone who doubts Brandon Routh's comedic ability needs to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, because he was hilarious in that. I just want to see, if you go in to see Dylan Dog, don't go in with any preconceived notions of what it is supposed to be and I think you will really enjoy it. It is funny, kind of light with little depth. It is a great comedy, buddy, horror, Film Noir.

Shawn S. Lealos: What is next for you?

Dan Braverman: Three things. One thing is Dead of Night, which is no relation to Dylan Dog. This is a Houston production, very low budget. It is a horror comedy where I play Detective Sutherland. We have a premiere for a pilot I shot called Hot Dogs and Hand Grenades, it is premiering in June in New York City, opening for the new Pierce Brosnan-Marisa Tomei film called Salvation Boulevard. That is sponsored by IFC, so we have high hopes for that. After that, I just wrapped a new film called Medallion, which is a Nicholas Cage action adventure movie directed by Simon West, who did Con Air. Things are going well, things are looking good.

Dylan Dog: Dawn of the Living Dead Review

2011-06-04T15:04:00.002-05:00

Dylan Dog: Dawn of the Living Dead

Words by Tiziano Sclavi
Art by Angelo Stano

At the end of April, a comic book movie based on a character almost no one in America has ever head of will be released. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night will star Brandon Routh as the title character, a paranormal investigator in the world of demons and monsters that many people consider to be nothing more than a con-man. The movie hit theaters in Italy last month and will reach theaters in the U.S. on April 29. I saw a standup at the local AMC Theater here in Oklahoma, so I assume it will get a wide, if somewhat limited, release.

With that in mind, I figured it was a good time to introduce you to Dylan Dog and, to do so, I will be looking at his storyline for "Dawn of the Living Dead."

The first thing you should understand is that Dylan Dog is an Italian comic book series that debuted in 1986. Dark Horse Comics published the English version of Dylan Dog but, for many years, most of the Dylan Dog stories were unavailable in America. The very first comic book in the series was "Dawn of the Living Dead." No reason why we shouldn't just start off at the beginning.

When this comic start out, it is obvious the entire story pays homage to George Romero, all the way down to the title itself. A woman is running from an off-panel person and, since this is an Italian comic, she is half nude (topless) as she runs for her life. These are horror comics, created for adult audiences, and are not held down by the same censorship laws as the U.S. comic book industry at the time. We soon see that she is pursued by a zombie and ends up killing him.

At this point we enter the world of Dylan Dog. The woman is accused of murdering her husband and no one believes he was a zombie. She approaches Dylan Dog to hire him to help clear her name. The first person we meet is Felix, Dylan Dog's companion (think an annoying version of Watson from the Sherlock Holmes franchise, except with the face of Groucho Marx and a really annoying propensity to make jokes and bad puns). As a matter of fact, the character was originally named Groucho but disputes with the estate of Grouch Marx forced them to change his name and slightly alter his appearance in reprints of the original stories.

The writing early on is sketchy and it seems Tiziano Sclavi is just trying too hard to be sarcastic in his dialogue. He also embodies Dylan Dog with some strange character traits and tics. Dylan is always working on a model ship, one that he never seems to finish. When Dylan needs to think, he plays the clarinet. He also gets motion sick and hates to travel. Plus, he is always broke and doesn't seem to care that he can't afford anything needed to get by. Oh, and he almost always has sex with his female clients.

The comic then pays its latest homage to George Romero on page 32 as artist Angelo Stano recreates scenes from Dawn of the Dead, which it turns out Dylan Dog takes his client to while waiting for their train to leave.

This is where the book really begins to pick up pace as Dylan Dog meets Doctor Xabaras, the man it turns out is responsible for the zombie outbreak to begin with. Xabaras, who turns out to be Dylan Dog's arch nemesis in the comic book series, invented voodoo as the first ever Necromancer. He had battled with Dylan's father and grandfather before him and is an immortal.

The rest of the story is a straight forward Romero-styled zombie tale, all the way down to being trapped in an old house. When the story finally ends, with a twist straight from an old horror movie, the book ended up being well worth the time spent on it. While there is a little too much stupid humor, especially with the overwhelming abundance of Felix and the dated sexual advances of Dylan onto his client, the story holds up well 25 years later.

From the looks of the movie's trailer, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is going to be a horror comedy and, based on the feel of the comic books it originated from, that fits perfectly with the style that Tiziano Sclavi created. As long as the movie keeps the same irreverent humor of the comics, it is something I am actively anticipating.

Comicpalooza 2011 Interview: Nick Jones, Green Lantern

2011-06-04T01:02:00.001-05:00

GREEN LANTERN

[originally published on 411mania.com]

Yeah, there was a big Green Lantern theme at Comicpalooza 2011 and, while I don't know who most of these Lanterns were supposed to be, they seemed enthusiastic. Speaking of Green Lantern, I had a chance to talk with Nick Jones, who is playing John Stewart in the movie and I learned Stewart won't become a Lantern in the film. Here is what he had to say:

Shawn S. Lealos: We're you a comic fan growing up?

Nick Jones: I was.

Shawn S. Lealos: We're you a Green Lantern fan in specific?

Nick Jones: Not a Green Lantern fan in specific. I wasn't really introduced to Green Lantern until the JLU cartoon came out on Cartoon Network so I was a Justice League fan and knew about John Stewart. I didn't know too much about Hal Jordan until the movie went into pre-production. That's when I started reading about the mythology of that. I kind of grew up on the Marvel side.

Shawn S. Lealos: Do the fans that stop by seem pretty accepting of the movie so far?

Nick Jones: Yeah, I think so. I know there was a lot of heat towards Warner's in the beginning when they cast Ryan but we all knew he was the best person for the job. I think fans are starting to see that as more of the footage is being released.

Shawn S. Lealos: With Ryan in it, you might think it has a lot more humor in it because he is known for comedy. The first couple of trailers were iffy but the last trailer really kind of kicked some ass.

Nick Jones: A lot of people may forget but Ryan played in Smokin' Aces and he was serious that entire film. And also The Amityville Horror. So, I've seen him play a character and go one entire movie without saying one joke or having one comedic scene in the film.

Shawn S. Lealos: Have you seen Buried?

Nick Jones: Yes, so there are three films right there he starred in that had no comedy. I knew he could pull it off.

Shawn S. Lealos: Does John Stewart become a Lantern in the movie.

Nick Jones: No.

Shawn S. Lealos: Is it kind of like Iron Man, where you say ‘here is Rhodey and he is going to become War Machine down the line.' Have you signed on for the sequels?

Nick Jones: We are all open for sequels but no one has signed on yet. I think they are waiting to see how big the first one does. As far as me being like Rhodey in Iron Man, I can only say if you have read Secret Origins, you kind of know where we are going.

Shawn S. Lealos: Have you seen the movie?

Nick Jones: Not yet.

Shawn S. Lealos: People have been kind of worried about Ryan's costume.

Nick Jones: Nothing to worry about. It was the best idea for the costume.

Shawn S. Lealos: So, what is next for you?

Nick Jones: I've got Weather Wars coming out July 7 on the Scy-Fy channel. I've still got a year and three months left in the military so I'm not out there auditioning as much as I'd like to because I've got restrictions. We'll see where it goes.

Ranking the Movies from the first quarter of 2011

2011-04-29T01:44:00.001-05:00

With summer movie season starting, I figured now is as good a time as any to look at the movies that I have seen so far this year and rank them!

** I am only listing the movies I have seen. Movies I still want to see but have not yet include Sucker Punch, The Lincoln Lawyer, Limitless, Red Riding Hood, Battle: Los Angeles, Super, Your Highness and Scream 4. I will be seeing Dylan Dog, Thor and Hoodwinked 2 this weekend, FYI.

1. Source Code – My God, this movie was phenomenal. Duncan Jones is a huge talent and is 2-for-2 as far as I am concerned. Click here to read my review of Source Code.

2. Hanna – This movie is like Leon: The Professional, except with a girl who majorly kicks ass. It also has touches of Run Lola Run. Saoirse Ronan is one of the best child actresses working today. Click here for my ‘First Look’ mini review of Hanna.

3. Paul – I can’t believe I never reviewed Paul. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite in this comedy where they find a strange little alien and have to help him survive. It is like E.T. from the minds of the men who brought us Shaun of the Dead. Of course, Edgar Wright was not involved so the camerawork is not magnificent but it is still one of the funniest movies so far this year.

4. The Adjustment Bureau – Based on the Philip K. Dick story, Matt Damon stars as a man who learns that ‘Fate’ is a group of men in suits who makes sure everything in the world goes according to plan. It is smart, exciting and a great time at the movies. Click here to read my review of The Adjustment Bureau.

5. Fast Five – This is the true definition of a “Guilty Pleasure Movie.” Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are at the top of their game, The Rock is The Rock and the action is psychotic. Awesome flick.

6. Win Win – Paul Giamatti stars as an attorney who represents the elderly and also coaches the high school wrestling team. When his business starts to fail, he learns he can make some extra cash by becoming the administrator of one of his clients. He takes the responsibility, puts the old man in a home and collects the check. When the old man’s grandson shows up, things take a turn. It is the feel good indie film of the year, so far.

7. Country Strong – A country music legend gets out of rehab and goes right back on the road with a young talented musician she met at the hospital. It is a dark, depressing look at addiction. Click here to read my review of Country Strong.

8. The Mechanic – Look at what I said about Fast Five and you will understand why I loved The Mechanic. This is another big time guilty pleasure with Jason Statham doing what he does best. Click here to read my review of The Mechanic.

9. I am Number Four – Based on the youth novel, this sci-fi movie follows a group of teenage aliens with special powers who are being hunted down, one by one, and killed by an evil alien group. It is what Percy Jackson should have been. Click here to read my review of I am Number Four.

10. Drive Angry 3D – Look at what I said about Fast Five and The Mechanic. Nic Cage escapes from hell to exact vengeance on the people who killed his daughter. It makes no sense and is brainless action. It is also a lot of fun. Click here to read my review of Drive Angry 3D.

11. Hop – In the first really fun animated movie of 2011, Hop follows the Easter Bunny’s son who runs away from home when he realizes he doesn’t want to take over the mantle. It is a lot like Alvin and the Chipmunks and is made mostly for little kids. Click here to read my ‘First Look’ mini review of Hop.

12. The Dilemma – Ron Howard returns to comedy for this movie, starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James but it is a dark comedy with a lot of drama as well. That makes it better than any movie involving Kevin James has any right to be. Click here to read my review of The Dilemma.

13. Gnomeo and Juliet – Yeah, it’s Shakespeare with Elton John songs and garden gnomes. My wife loved it and I found it tolerable. This one is really for the little kids, though. Click here to read my review of Gnomeo and Juliet.

14. The Green Hornet – I really wanted to like this movie. I love the work of director Michel Gondry but he really dropped the ball with this one. The camera work is fantastic but Seth Rogen is a very unlikable superhero. That was apparently the point but it makes this comic book adaptation a disappointment. Click here to read my review of The Green Hornet.

15. Insidious – This movie was a pretty solid and smart horror film until the end. The setup and the entire premise was tremendous. Then, at the end, the lead character decided to do everything wrong, make the worst decisions possible and screwed everything up. It was uncharacteristic of what we had seen up to that time, making it unforgivable. A good movie ruined by a horrible ending. Click here to read my ‘first look’ mini review of Insidious.

16. Beastly – Beastly retells the story of Beauty and the Beast and screws everything up. Neil Patrick Harris is fun in his small role but the rest of the movie is a sloppy, poorly paced, horrible movie that gets everything wrong. This movie was made for young girls. Everyone else stay away. Click here to read my review of Beastly.

My Uninspired Life 04.11.11

2011-04-12T00:16:00.007-05:00

Well, I showed back up for the 411mania 3R's this week for a one-night only return. For those who don't know, I started the column almost two years ago and handed it off when I realized that I needed to devote more time to writing for money. It was the one that had to go. However, the writer who took over is on vacation this week and I couldn't pass up the chance to rip on Snooki again. Ahh, good times. Check out my 3R's of the movie and TV world here.

Feels strange to be here on a Monday night and realize there is no Bricktown Brawlers Coaches Show to edit this week. Coach McCarthy had to leave town for the weekend and, as a result, there will be no show this week. Oh well, here is last week's show if you want to check it out.

Things are a little frustrating on the Examiner front right now. After getting press credentials from the NCAA to cover the Final Freaking Four in Houston, we get word that, once again, the Oklahoma Sooners are denying our request for press credentials, this time to cover the Spring Red/White game. I guess I am good enough for the NCAA but not for OU, despite the fact that I GOT MY JOURNALISM DEGREE FROM OU? I covered the Oklahoma Sooners for all four years I went to college there, won numerous awards, and I am not worth giving press credentials to cover the team.

Pisses me off.

Add to the fact that money at Examiner is getting hard to come by thanks to Google's Monopoly of the news search engines. Things are tough right now.

I finally got back into the groove of writing again since returning from the Final Four. It's about time too. Money has got to start coming in again.

Media: Didn't really do much today. No movies. Some music. Played some MLB: The Show.

Music: I listened to the new Foo Fighter's album, 'Wasted Light' today. Even reviewed it for 411mania Music Zone.

Family: Johanna worked late so Ash and I played ball.

Work: Wrote a bunch of stuff for Examiner but Google is making me feel like doing so will put my family in debt. I hate that search engine more and more every day. Also pumped out a Oklahoma City Thunder article and find it funny how butt hurt Lakers fans get when you hint their team is beatable.

My Articles

My Uninspired Life 04.06.11

2011-04-07T01:35:00.006-05:00

I went to a very interesting press screening tonight of the movie 'Hanna.' It had me thinking about it long after leaving the theater. First of all, it is nothing like the trailers make it look. Second of all, on initial viewings it seems like nothing more than a bunch of fights and chase scenes. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize the movie is really quite brilliant: a fun, dark modern day fairy tale. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty meet Jason Bourne. I really think a lot of people will see 'Hanna' and dismiss it with a knee jerk reaction but it is quite good. I might be reviewing it for 411mania and will definitely have a "First Look" mini-review for Yahoo CN.

Speaking of "First Look" reviews, my look at 'Source Code' is up and you can read it by clicking on the movie title. I'm pretty disappointed that these are going on Associated Content instead of Yahoo! Movies since they are assigned 'beats' but I am getting an upfront for them, so do with them as they will. I'm more disappointed that my interview with Oklahoma casting director Chris Freihofer about his actor's studio got dumped on Associated Content. It is a great interview and deserves more attention then it will get on AC.

Oh well, I get paid.

I should be a lot more tired than I am. With the long drive back to Norman yesterday and the late night editing of the Bricktown Brawlers Coaches Show, as well as the early up to deliver the show, I should be exhausted. I'm actually pretty refreshed and ready to get back to writing. All the work on the Final Four caused me to get behind on assignments that pay me upfront (the Final Four stuff only pays me if people click on it, so head here and read the articles!).

Starting tomorrow, I have a lot of writing I need to get caught up on. I also am preparing for a contest with Yahoo CN where the winner gets a one-year contract to write reviews for Yahoo! Movies with premium pay. I have to write three reviews of specified movies over the next three weeks for the contest. Then Yahoo decides who wins the job.

Getting ready to throw the Coaches Show up online and then head to bed. Got a lot to do tomorrow.

Media: I watched 'Hanna' tonight. That's pretty much it.

Music: Not really feeling music today. Steve O is on Sixx Sense instead of Nikki, so I listened to fantasy sports radio instead.

Family: Johanna went with me to see the movie while Grandma Marla watched Ash.

Work: Wrote a couple of articles for Yahoo CN, one over the Thunder and one over the Sooners. Also wrote a new article for Examiner fantasy sports title - want to see what kind of views it gets before I decide to do too many more of them. We'll see.

Other articles published today:

A Bloody Good Time: Celebrating 'Women in Horror Recognition Month'

2011-02-09T00:56:00.005-06:00

When discussing horror movies, there is a prevailing thought that the genre is just for boys. Directors like John Carpenter, George Romero, and Wes Craven are names that any horror fan can spout off the top of their head. However, ask those same fans to name one female horror director and you might get a blank stare. Even in the horror anthology "Masters of Horror," not one episode was directed by a woman.

This is something Hannah Neurotica hopes to rectify with Women in Horror Recognition Month.

Click here to read the full story at Yahoo!

Shawn interviews Brett A. Hart about 'Bone Dry' casting

2011-01-28T20:33:00.005-06:00

Brett A. Hart is an independent filmmaker that rose through the ranks of music videos and commercial directing to finally achieve his dream of making a feature length film. Since the release of his film "Bone Dry," Hart has been working on a number of projects while searching for a property to become his sophomore feature.

Click here to read the interview

Refocusing my Blog

2011-01-21T23:01:00.002-06:00

I have neglected this page for awhile when I realized it wasn't really helping in bringing hits to the writing that I needed hits to get paid for. As a result, I have done some thinking and have decided this page will be dedicated pretty much solely to my movie and entertainment writing. What that means for you is no more endless links to Oklahoma Sooners news, college basketball news and fantasy sports news.

I might go ahead and list a post of links at the end of each week with the articles broken down into categories ... or not. We'll see.

Basically, if you want the best in movie writing (with some comic stuff thrown in for good measure), this is where you'll find it.

Film and Video Production Forms: Personal Release Forms

2010-10-04T23:02:00.000-05:00

One of the most important things for an independent filmmaker to receive during film and video production is a Personal Release form from all actors involved in the motion picture. Here is a look at what needs to be included in the release forms and why they are so important to the production.

Click here to read the full article...

Movie Review: The Social Network

2010-10-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

When David Fincher said he was making a movie about the formation of Facebook, it caused many raised eyebrows. The man who made the anti-establishment film Fight Club was turning his attention to a social network craze. Was David Fincher selling out or, as he has many times in the past, was the genius director simply flying under the radar?

Click here to read the full review...

Movie Review: Let Me In

2010-10-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

I am going to assume few, if any of you, have seen Let the Right One In, the Swedish movie on which this remake is based. The original film, released two years ago, tells the story of a young boy, picked on in school by vicious bullies. He meets a girl new to his apartment building one night on the playground, who happens to be a vampire. The two strike up a friendship and the movie is about two outsiders who meet and connect in a way that they can’t with anyone else.

Click here to read the full review...

TNA Wrestling news: Okahoma City results

2010-09-25T00:43:00.000-05:00

In TNA Wrestling news, the promotion put on two cards Thursday night, September 23, 2010. While the card in New York City saw a title change (The Amazing Red won the X-Division belt from Jay Lethal), the fans in Oklahoma City got to see two legends of the sport in a one-on-one match.

Click here to read the full results...

You Again Movie Review

2010-09-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

You Again is another in a long line of movies recently released concerning the angst of high school girls. Much like Easy A, You Again starts with the lead character speaking into a camera and explaining how bad her life was through high school.

Click here to read the review...

Easy A Review

2010-09-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

Easy A wants to be a John Hughes movie in the worst possible way. The manner in which director Will Glick approaches this is to pay homage to John Hughes throughout the entire film. The homage backfires by reminding viewers of how great John Hughes’ movies were. Easy A is definitely not a John Hughes movie.

Click here to read the full review...

Scott Pilgrim vs The World Review

2010-08-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the best video game movie I have ever seen. The fact it is based on a cult favorite graphic novel series is inconsequential. Video game adaptation directors would be well advised to look to this movie when creating the next big video game movie.

click here to read the full review...

The Other Guys Review

2010-08-10T01:22:00.000-05:00

When Adam McKay and Will Ferrell began working together in feature films, they created the amazing Anchorman. It seemed like the sky was the limit for the duo. The two followed up with Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, two humorous movies that failed to reach the brilliance of the comedy duo’s debut.

click here to read the full review...