Kevin Smith interview

“The Anthrax of film, not the disease but the band”

Multipart interview with film maker Kevin Smith on his career so far, why he’s directing a film he didn’t write, the internet and dying an early death. Interesting, even if you’re not a huge fan of his work…

Part 1 – Sellling Out And Salty Language

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Cue manic laughter

I don’t normally like musicals. The only exception that proves of the rule is Singin’ In The Rain (oh, and White Christmas… but then I’ve only ever seen that during the holiday season when my resistance is low). So I had avoided Dr Horrible for quite some time, but now I’ve finally got around to seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually enjoyed it.

The brain behind Dr Horrible is Joss Whedon, famed for Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and Firefly. And this is very much in the style of his previous creations (of course Buffy famously did an all-singing episode once). I used to really enjoy Buffy (well until Whendon took his eye off the ball, and the characters started changing personality from week to week depending on each writer’s whim) and I very much liked Firefly and its follow-on film Serenity. So actually, despite it being a musical, it’s no real shock that Horrible, wasn’t for me, well, horrible. The songs integrate well into the plot and given it’s brief 40ish mins – tv episode length – running time, it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Watchmen

Worth watching the Watchmen?

So, this is it then, the film of the famously unfilmable, greatest graphic novel evah; the dark, complex, deep and, above all, adult comic book, Watchmen.

So do we have an equally dark, complex, deep and, above all, adult comic-book movie, then? In some ways, possibly – complex, yes; certainly adult enough to get an ‘18′ rating… but overall, no, not really. But then again I don’t think it was ever really possible.

I’ve written about Watchmen in the past, but for the uninitiated: the comic-book (and film) takes place in an alternate reality where, for several decades, costumed vigilantes have battled costumed criminals. It’s the 1980s and Nixon is sat in the White House, able to extend his presidency past two terms on the back of the single truly super-powered individual in the world, Dr Manhattan – a nude, bright blue, post-human demi-god, the result of a scientific experiment gone wrong, who can control all matter and see past, present and future simultaneously – enabling the US to win Vietnam. But the Cold War has not gone away and the world stands of the brink of nuclear armageddon, and the costumed vigilantes – now officially banned – have either retired or gone underground. Then the Comedian, a super-soldier, is murdered; thrown through the window of his high-rise New York apartment by an unknown assailant. Is a ‘cape-killer’ gunning for the ‘Watchmen’ or is a more subtle and sinister plot in effect?