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Post by Cei-U! on Dec 21, 2016 8:45:04 GMT -5
When I named this classic 1966-68 TV series back in ’07, it was out of nostalgia. This time, thanks to receiving Seasons One and Two on DVD for Christmas from my sister last year, I’m listing it out of sincere appreciation for #4. Batman Seeing these again in digital quality without commercials (or edited by hacks to accomodate extra commercials) was a revelation. Sure, it’s campy. That was its shtick. And, sure, if you’re a hardcore Bat-fan, you probably squirm a bit at the way they mock both Batman in particular and the super-hero genre in general. But c’mon! This series is fun with a capital F! The highlight, as others before me here and elsewhere have noted, is the villains: Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s Penguin, Cesar Romero’s Joker, Victor Buono’s King Tut, the various Mister Freezes, two marvelous Catwomen (I prefer Julie Newmar’s but Eartha Kitt is pretty mrowrr, too), and so many more. I haven’t rewatched Season Three, which introduced Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl, yet so I can’t say for sure if the drop-off in quality I recall is really there or not. It doesn’t matter. For the first two seasons alone, Batman deserves its spot on this list. Cei-U! I summon the Holy Lightning, Batman! |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 21, 2016 8:58:49 GMT -5
#4. Duck Tales (1987)
So much has already been said about this one. Sure, changes were made to the premise (Launchpad McQuack = bad, but Flintheart Glomgold as recurring villain = great), but this series successfully managed to take a comic book series that had gone from being an American sensation in the 1940's-1960's to utterly obscure while growing even larger in other parts of the world, and make it adored by a whole new generation of kids. The details were often different, and the show was rarely as clever, but the overall spirit and imagination pervaded.
I STILL love watching this with my kids. It feels so close to the original Barks/Rosa comics, even if the comics remain superior.
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Post by MDG on Dec 21, 2016 9:13:43 GMT -5
Superman: The MovieI just re-watched this and Superman 2 and was amazed how much better the first one held up, controverting the (at the time) common knowledge that the sequel was better. It struck the right balance of acknowledging the past (the B&W opening, the “false” phone booth gag) and updating things as needed (I was initially disappointed that Krypton wasn’t populated by colorful, headband-wearing folks). And the Metropolis “felt” like NYC at the time (it wasn’t all Taxi Driver). The Smallville scenes work well (who else knows how to pick out the two winners of the “You can be in the Superman Movie” contest?) and provide a great contrast to the sterile beginning and the rest of the movie. “Superman’s first night” from the helicopter rescue to the kitten in the tree quickly and definitively set the character’s personality. Good cast. Chris Reeve may have been a little too bumbling as Clark (Kal “trying too hard?”) but I love Margot Kidder in it. You can buy her as a reporter and a romantic, and it’s clear she’s been around the block a few times (if you get my drift). Kind’ve underused, Jackie Cooper is great as Perry White and Marc McClure works as Jimmy. I’m a little less sold on the villains, but there was probably a balance they had to hit between making the threat “serious” but not alienating kids (kind’ve quaint that people used to think that way about superhero movies). Also, apparently, in the original story Otis (Ned Beatty) was, despite his jerky appearance and actions, a genius, which was lost in the movie. Who gets credit for the script? Mario Puzo was a big name to attach to get press, and it seems that most of the Krypton stuff came from him. Robert Benton and David Newman (best known as the writers of Bonnie and Clyde) took a whack at it. Newman spent a day with the Film Dept in my college after the movie was in the can, but before release. His take was they wanted to build and be faithful to a home-grown American myth. Benton got involved in other things and Newman turned in a script by him and his wife Leslie. However, some people reference Tom Mankewicz (credited as “creative consultant”) as the shaper of the final script. (And, of course, as with anything involving DC at the time, Carmine Infantino said he did it.) A great writeup from my favorite movie blog. Original trailer (one of ‘em anyway. Mainstream trailers of the 70s-80s kind’ve sucked): In 1977, a helicopter crashed into the Pan Am building near Grand Central. That was the inspiration for Superman’s first heroics in the movie.
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Post by brutalis on Dec 21, 2016 10:01:01 GMT -5
This Ninth day i am going Christmas Green with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in the Incredible Hulk television from 1978. This is not your comic book Hulk but the the atypical Hollywood idea of purchasing something and changing it to what they think it should be. Yet in this instance it seems the changes work for the viewing public. This is the 1st Marvel live action television series to make a mark and turn from made for TV movies into a weekly series.
Bixby is the heart and soul of the show in his characterization of David Bruce Banner (yeah, Hollywood doesn't think Bruce is a strong enough name or what?) and Ferrigno is really the only way to go before the special effects of CGI to properly portray Banner's green skinned inner monster. Yes it is simply a rehash of several earlier on the run "fugitive" series with the added of bonus of a large and in charge green hero who arrives with the understated quote: you won't like me when i am angry.
Kids like the Hulking out parts of the series. Adults can enjoy the characters and stories. In my high school it had all of the jocks in the school gym every day talking about last weeks show and pumping iron to the chant look like Lou, look like Lou. It can be somewhat slow tempo and pace yet some parts of the show hold up well and other parts not so much but it was an integral part of ending my week and beginning the weekend every Friday night. And it is the freaking HULK on weekly television for gosh darn sake....
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 11:36:14 GMT -5
It's the ninth day of Christmas and we're going to save the universe one more time...  Flash Gordon (The Filmation series)-this is the last Flash Gordon entry for me, I promise. In the wake of Star Wars I was a nut for anything sci-fi or space opera and this hit the Saturday morning airways at the perfect time. It was my first real introduction to the Flash Gordon mythos and with the serialized format, I was hooked. I scheduled my Saturdays as best I could to tune in each week (tough to do in the pre-VCR, pre-cable, and pre-internet days. The Hartford area affiliate didn't carry this, but luckily the one out of Springfield, MA did and we were close enough to get this channel too, though a little fuzzy on the UHF dial, but that didn't deter me. This is what caused my dad to introduce me to the serials and hyped me for the DiLaurentis film, so it all started here for me. I started buying Flash Gordon books featuring Al Williamson art at the Scholastic book fairs our school held and got the Gold Key comics because of this animated series. It was the birth of my fandom of Flash and Ming. -M |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 21, 2016 11:39:11 GMT -5
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
This may be the most fun I've ever had watching a cartoon. It just hits all the right notes. A great middle ground between the oh-so-serious Batman and the goofy campy Batman. And who ever thought we'd see Batman and Kamandi or Jonah Hex together in a cartoon. It also gave us the absolute best version of Aquaman that I've ever seen. And the episodes with Bat-Mite are simply brilliant meta-commentary. The only reason it's this low is because what comes above are either so well done, so important to my life, or both. 
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 21, 2016 11:52:43 GMT -5
4. Jessica Jones (2016-present)  As I said in my post on Daredevil, the Netflix shows are great. Luke Cage is also great, though it didn't make the final cut on my list. I almost cut Daredevil, thinking one Netflix show could represent. But they're just too good, so two shows made the cut. Daredevil is just the superhero show I wanted to see. Whereas this begins with a light touch of superheroness to tell a story about trauma and abuse. Which is intense. I caution everybody I recommend it too. If I had one wish, it would be that the show had waited a bit like the comic did. Let the first season be about her being a private eye, then get to the finale of the comic series. But this show jumps to the finale of the comic series. The superhero films and shows of today have trouble with women. Moreso than the comics. The '60s comics had some difficulty with their characterization of females, but superhero comics of the '80s had largely corrected this, notable in Claremont's X-Men and Stern's Avengers. But the movies seem to have started from scratch, drawing from the sexism and racism subtly inherent in superhero comics of the '60s. And then we have Jessica Jones. A show by women, about women. A few males here and there, to be antagonists or love interests. And it just nails male abuse. Killgrave tells his tragic backstory and asks, "Who's the real victim?" Simpson fancies himself a white knight. The abusive villains cast themselves as heroes.  And Jessica is traumatized. Legitimately and believably. A scary depiction of PTSD. I was not expecting the intensity of this show, or how truly great a hero Jessica Jones would turn out to be. May fair winds be with you until tomorrow.
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Roquefort Raider
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Dec 21, 2016 12:32:35 GMT -5
The three Netflix Marvel series are a smashing adaptation success, as far as I'm concerned, and although they each have their specific "voice", their specific angle, I find that I enjoyed them all pretty much equally -if not for the exact same reasons.
Having seen eloquent endorsements for the brilliant Daredevil and Jessica Jones, I will therefore nominate, for the ninth day of Christmas,
#4- Luke Cage
I didn't know what to expect of Luke Cage. Unlike Daredevil, who has a very rich backstory with enough material to tell any kind of story (from intricate gang wars and political corruption to ninja conspiracies), unlike Jessica Jones whose traumatic struggle with Killgrave made for a chilling and gripping psychological horror thriller, Luke Cage didn't truly have a defining story arc that was an obvious choice for a TV adaptation. Sure, there's the origin bit in jail, but aside from that, how to make the character compelling? And there, I think the writers knocked it out of the ballpark. In Luke Cage, we were treated to a rich cast of believable characters and the show's fictional version of Harlem became a great character in and of itself. I could believe in Luke as a reluctant hero; I could root for him and his supporting cast -especially for Rosario Dawson, who finally got a chance to shine after playing a less important role in Daredevil and Jessica Jones. I even could root for the villains, at times!
From the three Netflix series, this is probably the one that is the furthest from the comic-book's minutiae... but as far as its heart goes, it is right on the money. This guy is Luke Cage (and Mike Colter is perfectly cast).
The Easter eggs here and there were also so much fun. Even Diamondback's ridiculous comic-book costume was made believable for a TV audience. And that cliffhanger ending? My wife, who's not really into superheroes, wanted to see the next episode now!!!
Besides, which series is better suited for this list?
To one and all, SWEET CHRISTMAS!
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 21, 2016 13:02:03 GMT -5
To one and all, SWEET CHRISTMAS! And a sweet Christmas to you. I agree that they are all different and all great for different reasons. Luke Cage got the shaft from my list for no particular reason, except that two entries from Netflix seemed enough. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 21, 2016 13:23:06 GMT -5
Day Nine was going to be Superman, which I love; but, MDG covers it well. I will just add, it was like a gift from Krypton to comic book fans of the 70s. It was a well acted, well paced, exciting, serious take on Superman. he is an earnest, selfless hero and audiences loved it. Now, before you say, "Well, audiences are more cynical..." I will say "Horse Hockey!" You didn't get much more cynical than 70s cinema, pre-Star Wars. Star Wars and Superman proved that if you give audiences real heroes and villains, without hints of irony, they will respond. Hollywood hasn't done a good Superman since, in my opinion (tv has a better track record with the character), because they won't embrace what Christopher Reeve did. Anyway... My new entry, to steal a bit of thunder from MRP, is Flash Gordon and is related to the animated series. It is Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All.  This is the original movie that Filmation created for NBC, when they realized they couldn't afford to do it as live action. They went to town on the animation, using rotoscoping to give realistic movement to people and objects (the shots of Ming's fliers landing, as well as Zarkov's rocket). It also has a more adult tone, since it was created for prime time, rather than Saturday morning. The film gives a start to things, as we open with the Nazis bombing Warsaw. Flash is looking for a contact, whose dying word is "Mongo." Flash has to get out and is returning home on a plane, along with reporter Dale Arden, who recognizes him from the Berlin Olympics. Then, Ming's meteors hit. From there it is the same roller coaster ride that Alex Raymond gave us, with Flash and Dale meeting Zarkov, blasting off in a rocket, crash landing on Mongo, and the adventures that follow. NBC was so impressed with the footage that they asked for a series. Filmation reused the footage across the first 4 episodes, then reused shots throughout the series. You can spot the difference in the footage. The movie also features some different voice casting. Ted Cassidy voices Thun, rather than Alan Melville, in the series, while David Optashu is Zarkov. Allan Oppenheimer is nowhere to be heard and Ming is instead voiced by Vic Perrin (voice of Dr Zin, on Jonny Quest, and Control, on the opening of The Outer Limits). Flash is still Robert Ridgely and Diana Pershing is Dale, while Melandy Britt gets to be even sexier as Aura. There is a sequence on Aura's ship where she is rotoscoped as she rather sexily lounges before Flash, that most definitely was not there on Saturday morning. This is the Greatest Flash Gordon of all, perfectly capturing Raymond, while not hamstrung by the restrictions of Saturday morning. The film wasn't actually broadcast until after the series had been launched, in a Hollywood twist of irony. Dino De Laurentiss saw footage of it, in development, and was so impressed he invested some money in it, while struggling with his own Flash film. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 15:50:05 GMT -5
Day Nine was going to be Superman, which I love; but, MDG covers it well. I will just add, it was like a gift from Krypton to comic book fans of the 70s. It was a well acted, well paced, exciting, serious take on Superman. he is an earnest, selfless hero and audiences loved it. Now, before you say, "Well, audiences are more cynical..." I will say "Horse Hockey!" You didn't get much more cynical than 70s cinema, pre-Star Wars. Star Wars and Superman proved that if you give audiences real heroes and villains, without hints of irony, they will respond. Hollywood hasn't done a good Superman since, in my opinion (tv has a better track record with the character), because they won't embrace what Christopher Reeve did. Anyway... My new entry, to steal a bit of thunder from MRP, is Flash Gordon and is related to the animated series. It is Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All. This is the original movie that Filmation created for NBC, when they realized they couldn't afford to do it as live action. They went to town on the animation, using rotoscoping to give realistic movement to people and objects (the shots of Ming's fliers landing, as well as Zarkov's rocket). It also has a more adult tone, since it was created for prime time, rather than Saturday morning. The film gives a start to things, as we open with the Nazis bombing Warsaw. Flash is looking for a contact, whose dying word is "Mongo." Flash has to get out and is returning home on a plane, along with reporter Dale Arden, who recognizes him from the Berlin Olympics. Then, Ming's meteors hit. From there it is the same roller coaster ride that Alex Raymond gave us, with Flash and Dale meeting Zarkov, blasting off in a rocket, crash landing on Mongo, and the adventures that follow. NBC was so impressed with the footage that they asked for a series. Filmation reused the footage across the first 4 episodes, then reused shots throughout the series. You can spot the difference in the footage. The movie also features some different voice casting. Ted Cassidy voices Thun, rather than Alan Melville, in the series, while David Optashu is Zarkov. Allan Oppenheimer is nowhere to be heard and Ming is instead voiced by Vic Perrin (voice of Dr Zin, on Jonny Quest, and Control, on the opening of The Outer Limits). Flash is still Robert Ridgely and Diana Pershing is Dale, while Melandy Britt gets to be even sexier as Aura. There is a sequence on Aura's ship where she is rotoscoped as she rather sexily lounges before Flash, that most definitely was not there on Saturday morning. This is the Greatest Flash Gordon of all, perfectly capturing Raymond, while not hamstrung by the restrictions of Saturday morning. The film wasn't actually broadcast until after the series had been launched, in a Hollywood twist of irony. Dino De Laurentiss saw footage of it, in development, and was so impressed he invested some money in it, while struggling with his own Flash film. I've only ever seen clips and exceprts of this, never the whole thing, something I need to correct. -M |
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Dec 21, 2016 16:01:56 GMT -5
4. Iron Man
We're getting to the business end of the whole thing now and Im struggling to differentiate between my last choices. On any given day they may well change places, but Im guessing that is the same for all of us to some extent. Today I give you Robert Downey Jnr's Iron Man. I remember being optimistic when this was announced, but extremely cautious. He had such a reputation for...excess...or maybe implosion, that I was half expecting a train wreck. In addition it was only Iron Man, a character I'd never had much of an affinity with. Sure I'd read plenty of books, loved the Michelinie JR Jr Layton run, but to be honest that was the only real run I liked. I'd always thought the armor thing was too much of a stretch, especially in the 60s.
Boy was I wrong, this movie gave us a pitch perfect Marvel Universe movie. The hero is flawed, makes mistakes, is at times a colossal F-up, BUT there was that ability to do what is right when needed, there was the billionaire playboy, there was a suit of armor that worked, there were the quips, there was a perfect Happy and Heather, there was the gateway to the Marvel Universe that we had been wait...no demanding for years.
We'd had our tastes, with Blade, or the X-Men movies, Sony were getting it right with Spider-Man, but we wanted it all, and here it was.
Its not just that they gave us the start of the MU, even if this was the only movie made in the series I would love it. It absolutely nails the fun aspect of superhero movies and that is the greatest reason of all aint it?
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Post by Pól Rua on Dec 21, 2016 19:00:09 GMT -5
4. Batman: The Brave and the Bold I grew up a DC kid. Pretty much all my early comics were Australian DC reprints. Most of the characters I saw, from Adam West as Batman, George Reeves as Superman, Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, and the Super Friends were DC characters, so I have something of an attachment to the whole weird shebang. These days, the thing I love most about the DC Universe is it's wild variety of tones. This is a universe that can encompass the pulp machismo of Mike Grell's Warlord, the rockets-blazing space opera of Adam Strange, the kitschy absurdism of Detective Chimp, the downbeat grittiness of Jonah Hex, and the just-plain-weirdness of Angel and the Ape, 'Mazing Man and Prez. It's a universe where a masked pulp crimefighter can meet up with his pals, the King of Atlantis, the outerspace muscleman with the laser eyes, the mythological clay golem turned statuesque glamourpuss, at least two space policemen, one channeling Aladdin's magic lamp and the other the Egyptian god Horus and a character straight out of an atomic age sci-fi film "I was the Fastest Man Alive", and they can all hang out in their clubhouse on the Moon. Sadly, a lot of recent DC stuff doesn't get that... which is why I love this series so much. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Brave and the Bold is everything wonderful about the DC Universe that Dan DiDio just doesn't understand at all." So yeah. Bulletman and Spy Smasher. B'Wana Beast and Detective Chimp. Green Arrow and Etrigan the Demon. Jonah Hex and The Female Furies. The Haunted Tank, The Challengers of the Unknown, Kamandi, Viking Prince and Black Orchid. We got a musical episode, A riff on Corman's 'Deathrace 2000' (or was it Wacky Races?), Aquaman's Rousing Song of Heroism, the Rise and Fall of the Doom Patrol, the Triumph and Tragedy of B'Wana Beast (of all the characters!), a note-perfect reconstruction of Wally Wood's 'Batboy and Rubin' from 'Mad Magazine' and so many others. Little stories and big ones. Broad slapstick and solid character drama. I could gladly have watched another dozen series of this and I don't think I'd ever have got tired of it. And just when you think it can't get any more perfect... suddenly, this happens:
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 21, 2016 19:08:29 GMT -5
#4. Watchmen 2009 It's been posted by a few other people so I'll just add these random thoughts: This might be the most faithful of all the comic adaptations right down to the dialogue . The only noticeable change was the ending, which made it better. Just as the comic, Rorchach steals the movie. I really liked the musical soundtrack that Includes Jimi Hendricks and Bob Dylan. This was my intro to Jeffrey Dean Morgan who i also enjoyed in the Losers.
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Post by foxley on Dec 21, 2016 19:28:14 GMT -5
4. Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Quite frankly, if do not love this paean of praise to everything that was great about the Silver Age, then you have no business calling yourself a comic book fan. This show is just awesome. You never knew who you were going to get teaming up with Batman. It could be big names like Superman and Womder Woman; modern day favourites such as Blue Beetle; silver age stalwarts like the Metal Men and Kamandi; or the truly obscure, like B'wana Beast. Did you ever expect to see B'wana Beast on television? And the show wasn't afraid to mine Batman's rich history. All kinds of one-shot silver age villains showed populating Gotham's bad guy bars, like Tiger Shark, Mr Camera and the Spinner. And there were all kinds of Easter eggs for comic fans, such as scenes reconstructing specific covers. And references to the 'Rainbow Batman' and 'Mummy Crimefighter' stories. And Mogo the Bat-Ape! And the Bat-Mite episodes gave us all sorts of meta madness and fourth-wall breaking, ("Ambush Bug? You're a pretty obscure character, even for this show.") And the show made Aquaman AWESOME! I could keep keep raving forever, but you get the picture. Now watch the show.
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