Man of Steel Post-Script

Release dates are no Kryptonite for me. I can't be bound or weakened by them! I rejoined Panel Culture, a weekly comic book podcast, as their special guest for a discussion of Zach Snyder's Man of Steel five weeks into its successful run. Why did they wait this long to discuss it? They'll tell you.

Listen in and join the conversation about...

• Whether this Superman is successful as icon, hero and performance
• If this Lois Lane dynamic (or lack thereof) works
• How Michael Shannon's General Zod measures up to Terence Stamp's
• That surprising first half hour on Planet Krypton with Russell Crowe
• Tornados, mass destruction, and whether or not to save a life or keep on fighting
• What the sequel should fix or keep or jettison

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What Would Superman Do? A Superhero's Guide to National Security Crisis

[Editor's Note: Please enjoy this guest post from the recently Reader Spotlighted Andy Hoglund. We haven't said much about Man of Steel (Nathaniel hasn't even seen it yet!) so here's Andy to do some thinking about it for us!]

Life is about choice, particularly in America. Coke or Pepsi. Elvis or Beatles. Biggie or 2pac. The choices we make engulf us, setting course for the lives we lead and informing the men and women we are to become.

No choice is more indicative of who we are than a decision made by most early in life. Though perhaps aided by circumstances out of our control – marketing, household income, geographic location – I feel nothing better defines a person’s character than their answer to this simple question:

Batman or Superman?

Sure, at first it’s a distinction without a difference, maybe even a little inane. After all, both are superheroes owned by the same parent company, originated in the same decade of American pop culture and, indeed, arguably the two most beloved superheroes in the country (sorry Iron Man).

But, in a rare streak of bipartisanship, politician fans of both characters have crossed the aisle to support their favorite superhero. Their endorsements may underscore nothing less than our continued capacity for a broad political discourse. [more...]

Click to read more ...

Strong Lex For Second Steel

JA from MNPP here with today's rumor going around that Man of Steel director Zack Snyder and the powers that be at Warner Brothers have narrowed the search for their sequel's Lex Luthor to one fella you probably recognize - Mr. Mark Strong. Although the source giving this info up says the sequel's going to shoot next year I still think it's way way early to be speculating on this... ahhhh but speculation's what the internet does. And I'd wager that Lex is, as a villain or at least as an important character that will be introduced, a given as far as the second film is concerned - he's arguably as important to the world of Clark Kent as Lois is.

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Mark Strong is probably a great pick, too - he's older than Cavill, but as we saw in Man of Steel Lex is already an established force in the world to be reckoned with; his company's name is all over the place. So making him older make sense. The thing that gives me pause is...

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... Mark Strong has already played a DC character. He was Sinestro in Green Lantern. Granted he looked a little different. And he was probably the best thing going on in that movie. (Not counting Ryan Reynolds' muscles.) Of course Green Lantern was a bit of a disaster for the studio, and sweeping all of that under the rug is probably where DC are going slash have already long gone, so I should get over this.

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It just makes the field for these roles seem small though, doesn't it? I'm not knocking Mark Strong by any means, I like him, but there are lots of actors out there in the world with access to a razor blade and a nice shaped head who might be interesting and unexpected and haven't already played the bad guy in a DC movie, you know? Any suggestions, folks?

Man of Link

Film Studies for Free collects essays on Todd Haynes' 1995 masterpiece [safe]
Advocate Man of Steel as gay allegory?
Scriptnotes discusses The Little Mermaid in depth. For a whole podcast 
Guardian lists the 5 best performances of Kevin Costner. And it's SO bizarre I don't even know where to start. No Bull Durham (which as Tim correctly stated this week is by far his best work) but Robin Hood: Prince of Thi.... no I can't even type the full title out. Blargh!
Pajiba celebrates Men in Tights given that Supes is back in theaters

Cinema Blend Marvin Gaye Biopic starring Jesse L Martin doesn't have funds to finish production. Boo. I need another biopic about a famous singer with drug problems like I need another superhero flick but I like Jesse.
/Film Sandra Bullock for Miss Hannigan in Annie? That could be fun but as always say it with me now... "can she sing?"
In Contention a biopic of Ingrid Bergman? I can deal with that... especially since this possible new one has a tight focus on one moment in her life (the best kind of bio) 

Off Cinema
Salon on the battle over Detroit's art collection. News from my first home always seems to be bad :(
Towleroad Cheyenne Jackson pleads "Don't Look at Me" in his new video. We disobey
Vulture the ten best oral sex faces of the 2013 tv season  

"Kneel Before Zod!"

poll by twiigs.com

Man of Steel is just 62 days away.

Do you think this'll be a big year for Michael Shannon what with General Zod and The Iceman hitting theaters soon and possibly the creepy thriller The Harvest (with Samantha Morton!!!) later in the year?  I know that actors generally become far more famous (at least visually) when they're submerged in CGI for blockbusters (see also: Tilda Swinton's Narnia run) but to me Michael Shannon will always be that crazy naked guy with a thing for aphids.

What will Michael Shannon always be to you?