Venom: Let There Be Carnage has everything a comic-loving moviegoer could ask for in a sequel: a logical story, well-placed humor, excellent acting, and brilliant special effects. In a nutshell, it’s as good as the first movie, Venom, was bad. Sony Pictures, clinging to its tiny piece of the Marvel movie empire, had the courage to release the sequel during a pandemic, which … [Read more...]
The Sanctum Shang-Chiacomo: Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting and Other Cool Stuff!
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is Marvel’s latest foray into the new cinematic cycle without powerhouse actors like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans – and it is a masterpiece. Shang Chi, a stalwart hero from Marvel Comics since his introduction in 1973, has been through many changes -- including the cancellation of his own series – and … [Read more...]
The Sanctum Sangiacomo: Suicide Squad!
It took a Marvel Studios director to show DC/Warner Brothers how to make a superhero movie. Fans can thank James Gunn (who directed Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy) for writing and directing a DC comic film that can stand up to Marvel’s. Solid characterization, a faithfulness to the original comic characters, incredible special effects and touches of comedy make this a … [Read more...]
The Sanctum Sangiacomo: From One Kajillionaire to Another
Kajillionaire is an interesting, little art house movie that examines a man and woman and their adult daughter who live in a world of lies, theft and deceit – and a complete lack of emotion. Robert (Richard Jenkins) and Theresa (Debra Winger) are borderline insane, living by their wits on the edge of society in modern Los Angeles. Their daughter Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) … [Read more...]
Thirteen Ways, Part VI: Wishes, Careful and Not
Editor’s note: In the series, we've asked 13 interesting people to consider a work of comic art and tell us what it means to them. They can focus on the character, the history, the artist, the context, how it makes them feel…heck, even how it doesn’t make them feel. For this installment, we asked comic icon, American Splendor collaborator, and all-around great guy Gary Dumm … [Read more...]