The 1990 s were a weird time if you liked comic books. A supposition boom and subsequent bust mopped away stores and publishers alike, and even Marvel–yes, Marvel–filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Yet the 1990 s is furthermore weirder if you wanted to see comic books on the big screen. Dick Tracy. The Rocketeer. The Phantom. Spawn. Judge Dredd. Jim Carrey in The Mask. Wesley Snipes as Blade. Even the…
Teacher and novelist Jeffrey Boakye has encountered endless labels all of which have informed his experience of being black and British today. Here, he unpicks their meanings BLACK I’ve been black since about 1988, when I was colouring in pictures of priests at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic primary school in Brixton Hill, south London. I remember it well. We were sharing tables and colouring pencils and I appeared up to…
Jokers teaser promises an absorbing origins story for Batmans nemesis. It remains to be seen how much of its distorted Gotham vision lives beyond a one-off outing There ought to have many Jokers in big screen history, and rarely have we needed to glean too much about their background. All we knew of Jack Nicholson’s Jack Napier prior to his change into the clown lord of Gotham in 1989′ s…
The star on industry prejudice, female friendship and why ageing is so appealing The Help (2011) as much as she is for her early Oscar (for Melvin and Howard, in 1980). Despite her friendship with Hillary Clinton and her longstanding support for civil rights (she once said of Arkansas: Growing up someplace like that, you either become committed toward bigotry or against it. You cant really sit on the fence),…
After much online gaiety, the publisher has removed the first peek of the superheros genitals from its latest Batman issue stimulating fans to chase unaltered copies DC Comics has withdrawn a page of a brand-new comic that presented Batman’s genitals for the first time, leaving fans scrambling to get hold of existing issues featuring what has rapidly become known as the “batawang”. Published this week, Batman: Damned- part of a…
There is no chance that anyone could become a Nazi by speaking that book, says the Norwegian author who discusses his autobiographical novels, his love of schnitzel and Liverpool FC For anyone who has read all or part of the six volumes of Karl Ove Knausgaard’s autobiographical novel Fischer’s, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King’s fantastic Viennese cafe on London’s Marylebone High Street, designed in 1920 s style, established four years…
Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight: merely a few years ago young adult fantasy cinemas were massive but periods, and adolescents, have changed Tanya Seghatchian started working at Heyday Films in 1997. Heyday, a brand-new, tiny studio, had landed a addressed with cinematic giants Warner Friend as their UK eyes and ears. “Listen,” a pal informed her.” This deal will only last if you find Warner Bros the equivalent of…
Star Treks Captain Kirk voices concerns about virtual reality after simulating a stroll on Mars As Captain Kirk in Star Trek, William Shatner took us to places” where no mortal has gone before”, with narratives that foreshadowed the invention of the mobile phone and tablet computers. Now, in real life, the actor is exploring virtual reality- but he craves the entertainment industry to be aware of its potential detrimental impact…
The Lost showrunner is bringing Alan Moores classic to the cable channel next year and the superfans are already moaning about it. But could they be jumping the gun? HBO’s brand-new Watchmen series is going to make a lot of people very angry. The whole thing is loaded with red flags: it’s an adaptation of a beloved comic book, the comic book’s architect is notorious for being opposed to any…
Will 'Game of Thrones' win or die in 'The Great American Read's competition to determine the country's most beloved book?Image: pbs Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is notorious for killing off all his characters. But he’s adamant about keeping a love of reading alive in America. He and other celebrities are contributing to the PBS series The Great American Read, which is asking everyone to cast their…