Sunday 16 December 2007

Clunky web-swinging

I've just returned from watching Spiderman 3 with Best Mate and Anton on an overhead projector thinger he brought home from work - marvellous contraption, it made the image huge (probably about the same size as the Richmond Odeon screen - which isn't really saying much mind you) and the sound is extra loud and comes from behind you, which feels like a proper cinema experience. None of this surround sound nonsense.

Loved the movie, a fittingly excitable end to the trilogy. Nothing like a bit of clang and bang of a Sunday afternoon and now I'm in a post-movie glow of serene happiness.

Favourite moments: when Peter Parker drove across the screen on his small, crap scooter and Anton commented that it sounded as if it was powered by an army of very small wookies. And the typo that Best Mate made when sending me an IM in which she announced she'd finished lunch and was ready to watch Spidernan (that would be me, were I a superhero. Actually maybe not, I couldn't be a spider, I'd frighten myself stupid).

There was one annoying clunky bit near the end: I won't give too much away in case you haven't seen it yet, but basically a random peripheral character who has literally two lines in the whole movie appears from nowhere to reveal something to a main character it was clearly implied he had just realised for himself - and it would have been a better message had he been allowed to do so. It was so obviously added on after a test audience full of thickies didn't understand what was happening that I'm almost convinced Sam Raimi made it clunky on purpose.

It's all got me to thinking that I'd quite like to have a go at graphic novels. I'm not sure where to start, but I think I know exactly who to ask...

P.S. Laura has asked me to somehow include the word 'pants' in this post, so there it is to please her.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Discreetly Willow, DISCREETLY!! Now I look like a pant-loving fool..

<3

WillowC said...

I know :)

Tim said...

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but I thought Spiderman 3 was bloody awful. Far too much of Snaggletooth Dunst.

WillowC said...

Pffft it was fun and bangy, what's not to like? It was no Spiderman 2, but it was still good. I can't stand Dunst either. And her hair looked in dreadful condition.

Now be useful please and recommend a graphic novel. Yes, I meant you!

Tim said...

I just thought coming after 1 and 2 it was a bit of a let down. And also, coming after Superman Returns, which I thought was a beautiful movie.

Ah! Graphic novels, eh? Depends what sort of thing you're after. If you want Superhero stuff, without question read Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Long Halloween, DC: The New Frontier, or Superman for all Seasons. If you're looking for something else… well, I suggest taking a look at Love and Rockets - start with the recently collected Maggie the Mechanic (just over a fiver on Amazon); basically, it's about two young bisexual girls growing up in the early eighties and the shenanigans they get into. The early stories feature some fantastical elements that sort of disappear over time as the characters get older (implying they were actually elements of daydreams).

Oh, also take a look at Bone - pick up the massive 1000 page complete edition; it's kind of like a funny Lord of the Rings, but absolutely amaaaazing.

WillowC said...

Hmmmm, I rather fancy Dark Knight Returns and The Long Halloween but they're out of stock on Amazon, so I've ordered Love and Rockets. I shall need to find a tangible outlet in the vicinity if this goes well, methinks. Thank you for the advice - always ask the expert, I say! I quite like the look of Watchmen, Sin City and The Sandman, how bad are those as choices go?

p.s. OK I'll agree with you it wasn't in the same league as the first one, but I wasn't expecting it to be so avoided the disappointment factor. I'm easily pleased by bangs and crashes, too!

Tim said...

If you don't love Love and Rockets I will scream and throw a massive tantrum.

You do know there's a wonderful little comic shop within spitting distance of you, don't you?

Tim said...

Oh, and Watchmen is great, but I don't think it's quite as amazing as everyone else says, and the first season of Heroes kind of rips it off massively; I've never read Sin City because the movie adhered so ridiculously close to it that I thought there was no point, and I've never read Sandman because I'm a cheeky little bugger!

WillowC said...

Interesting! I thought there was, I've never actually seen it though, where's it hiding? I want Dark Knight Returns!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, this really is a bunch of intellectual comments. So, what does everyone think of the word 'pants'? Discuss.

Tim said...

I f**kin' love pants.

HeatherFev21 said...

Noone has seen a snaggletooth until they've seen the snaggletooth that wills and I have seen, OH NO.

Utter bobbiny pants.

HeatherFev21 said...

OH! and also, I <3 love and rockets!! My bro has tons of them, sometimes I think he wishes they were REAL rockets, he wouldn't care about the love.

-fin-