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The Trade Papers Have Their Reviews Of THE SPIRIT Up!! Is It The Next DARK KNIGHT Or The Next STEEL??
I am – Hercules!!
Frank Miller’s solo directorial debut doesn’t open till Christmas Day, but the trades have their verdicts in now:
Variety says:
… plunges into a watery grave early on and spends roughly the next 100 minutes gasping for air. Pushing well past the point of self-parody, Miller has done Will Eisner's pioneering comicstrip no favors by drenching it in the same self-consciously neo-noir monochrome put to much more compelling use in "Sin City." …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… truly a mess. Fans of "Sin City" and "300" will populate theaters for the film's opening, but boxoffice will fall quickly. The film's campiness might then pull in a different sort of aficionados -- those who celebrate films such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for their silly acting and overripe dialogue. …
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Oh my
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Oh forget it..
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I spent my whole last decade for this moment and now...hollow...hollow...hollow. i have wasted my life.
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Sounds like Franky fucked up good.
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Miller could have set his heart on adapting A Contract With God instead. Can you imagine anyone less suited to that one than Frank Miller?
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Miller is not a film director.
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I'll probably netflix it in a year.
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...at what point in the process has this movie ever looked like anything but what these reviews are saying. I still can't believe more people didn't say the same about Sin City and 300.
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here we are now ENTERTAIN US!!!
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Frank...damnit.
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He's the goddamn spirit. How can it be shit?
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I am a big comic fan, and totally dig Miller's graphic novels and comic runs, but he was thrust into the directors chair after learning from a hack like Rodriguez or Zack Snider. Sin city was a joke, 300 was good, yet kitschy, and making The Spirit with the same style was just blatantly a bad choice. It needed to be gritty and dark. Frank will hopefully learn from this and not get too sour a taste in his mouth. He can still direct someday, but he needs to go to film school with a real director. Frank, booby, stick to the co-director's chair for a while. Soak it in. THEN DO THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Just NOT alone. That should be your baby.
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Dec 18, 2008 9:09:31 PM CST
"C'mon, Sam Jackson! Come on! Come on, come on, come on!"
by jackpumpkinhead
Those papers need more Jondough.
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Dec 18, 2008 9:10:59 PM CST
THE SPIRIT that never was - Brad Bird's ANIMATED ADAPTATION!!!!
by halsolo
Really interesting LA TIMES article about Brad Bird and John Lasseter's unmade SPIRIT ANIMATED ADAPTATION...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/12/the-spirit-that.html
What a shame - the Spirit that never happened vs. the turd that Miller got made. If anyone has a link to their pencil test trailer, PLEASE post it! -
Maybe now Miller will just fade away, never to be heard from again.
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Get David Fincher (Or someone equally good) to "co-direct" Ronin.
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BTW, when's Repo! The Genetic Opera coming out?
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"those who celebrate films such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for their silly acting and overripe dialogue. …"
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I don't care how much you think you can be a good Screenwriter for Ender's Game, or a Director, or whatever you are negotiating to be. You can't. Let someone else "adapt" it or else one of the best pieces of Sci-Fi of all time will turn into a turd. YOU HEAR ME, ORSON, you silly Mormon fuck!
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These complaints are exactly what I was afraid of. Turning everything into Sin City.
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I've heard Miller is potentially involved in Clive Owen's future Philip Marlowe films. As a fan of those books, this makes we more worried than before.
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but I'm waiting for Roger Ebert's review to see if I'm going or not.
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Hook a turbine to Eisner's grave!
Thank you Mr. Miller! -
This whole (apparent) fiasco might turn people off for SIN CITY 2, or at least encourage execs to keep a very close eye on Miller if he's involved in the second round. Sounds like he crashed and burned under the weight of his own confidence. Too bad, really.
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..this a real blow to comic creators in general, who can often be described as frustrated filmmakers themselves. One of 'em finally had their chance at bat & BOOM -like that- they're out.
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If they realize that the only Miller they should be wheeling and dealing with is the one from before 1995
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are going to owe me, that one reviewer, and a few other talkbackers some apologies regarding the quality of this movie. Told ya.
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holy shit what a pile of crap - i can't beleive ANYONE got paid to produce this garbage.
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they both set out to do what they were meant to do..and other than the people on this site, who think they know better...audiences loved both, and both paved the way for hollywood to respect the source material from comics...im not sure what you people dont get about that...the spirit on the other hand, strays far from the source material...frank thought that he was the only one who could bring this to the big screen....talk about arogance...hopefully heads will roll over at lionsgate for the mess that is the spirit and the punisher...why in the world they either didnt shelve this or go in for full reshoots, after the awful buzz from comic con is beyond me...did anyone look at the dailies?
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So it's an easy criticism to say they're all style no substance.
Wankers. -
Will I love The Sprit?
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"Well....uh...it sucked causes uh...well its not my fault Will Eisner can't write a decent comic strip!" -Miller
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Live Action.
This should have been animated and stuck close to the original material which was a newspaper adventure strip which is what it really was-- not a friggin' "Comic Book".
They should have given it to Brad Bird. They really, really dropped the ball big time on this one. A shame. -
Never doubted this movie could be/would be horrible. I expected it from the first trailer -- all style, zero substance. Still... Jondough's attempt at a review(and nothing was reviewed, except for his horribly embarrassing inner monologue) was much, much worse than The Spirit could ever be.
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Please, talkback, I wasn't finished. In conclusion... FUCKINAAAAAAAAARGHMYEYEBALLSJONDOUGHMY EYEBALLS! IFEELLIKETHENAZIATTHEENDOFRAIDERS! And while I'm at it, go ahead and throw an 's' in my previous title up there.
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according to the reviews, the only reason why the movie even looks passably good is because of the cinematographer...miller reused the sin city style...and that is not the same as the comic...im still wondering what spirit comics that frank actually read
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SIN CITY was completely over-the-top ridiculous, but 300 was OK.
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Hogarth Hughes shows the Giant a Spirit comic in The Iron Giant ("The Spirit, extremely cool..."), and Mr. Incredible kinda looked like The Spirit...
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Was his review long to the point of self-indulgence? Yes. Did it convey the idea that the movie was awful and to be avoided at all costs, unless one had a personal wish to witness a terrible movie? Yes. Jondough accomplished what he set out to do, and for that I thank him. Some people just like the act of writing, get little chance to do it in normal life, so tend to go on a bit much when the opportunity affords itself. Case in point...
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Would similar music makes sense in a Sin City looking Spirit?
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Dammit, Hollywood, you let the Spirit get away. Don't let the same thing happen to Superman (again). Give Brad Bird a blank check and let him make a Superman movie NOW!
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No doubt those trying desperately to save this turd will say it's "fun".Yeah, riiiiiiiiiiight.
I'll be sure to look for all the marketing calling it a Kooky, Camp, Screwball, Comedy Romp for all the family.
Like I said before, if Miller is incapable of taking this even slightly seriously why should he expect anyone else to ?
I'm still waiting to hear a review that will tell us if there are "comedy" BOING! WHOOOOP! and fart noises on the soundtrack. That really wouldn't surprise me at all now. -
...understand the difference now, Frank?
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is just wasting precious electrons. We keep getting reviews on this site as if the question of its suckage is still in doubt. . .
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Sin City was ridiculous, but "Tonight we dine...IN HELL!" wasn't?
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Yes, that is correct. And if you don't understand, you are no film fan.
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Rocky Horror fans don't think RHPS is a bad movie. It's not "so bad it's good," it's intentionally absurd. Huge difference. That's like calling Monty Python "trash cinema."
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Maybe now Miller will understand hubris and stop his pathetic posturing in every photo you see him in.
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Dec 18, 2008 11:17:12 PM CST
Not liking TDK could inversely equal loving The Spirit.
by thebearovingian
Ahhh, sweet redemption! I doubt it will lead to a profit-generating sized audience but for some folks the wrongs of The Dark Knight will be righted by The Spirit. It's all about balance, justice and equality. Merry Christmas, TBers.
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so big surprise there. I suppose it doesn't help that I couldn't give a shit about "The Spirit" in the first place.
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Seriously.
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Dec 18, 2008 11:32:09 PM CST
"I want this muthafukin' Spirit, out my muthafukin' city!"
by yotzvonfrelnik
A line like that might only just get me to go. Just.
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he needs to just stick to comics and leave the film medium alone.
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It could happen.
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This was Frank's big shot at being a Hollywood director. But I'm glad to know this may mean a triumphant return to comics. The Spirit movie didn't look like what few comics I had seen. And I have never found The Spirit to be interesting in the least. Frank should have stuck to directing an adaptation of his own comic or an original idea for a movie. This movie looks beautiful, but I have yet to feel compelled to see it...WAY before I read even 1 review.
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let it rest fa fa nerd.
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Bear in mind, I have never read nor am I familiar with the comic book, so I can't argue as to whether this film will justify itself as a proper comic book adaptation. All's I know is: 1) It has the same look and feel (judging by the trailer only) as Sin City and to some degree, 300 (I liked both movies). 2) It's got Samuel L. Jackson, a man who makes any movie better just by being in it. 3) I Repeat, IT'S GOT SAMUEL L. JACKSON IN IT. 4) What the fuck else am I gonna see on X-Mas day, MARLEY & ME!? and 5) Most importantly, it has almost every hot chick ever made in it, or so it would seem. (That may not actually be a strong argument, but those are some fucking hot chicks in that film.) (Don't tell my girlfriend, though.)
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You are "Seriously" asking that question? "Superman Returns" and "Catwoman" will probably be going out-of-print soon as well, because Warner Bros. is trying to salvage their superhero reputation after TDK's phenomenal critical and commercial success. They are picking their next move verrry carefully...
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even when he did a great job the first time? sources inside said sincity was directed more by miller than by rodriquez.
perhaps hitchcock should stay being a production designer, and never tried directing. maybe truffaut should stay being a critic, cameron stay being a model builder, tarantino a video store clerk.
just because you're happy where you are doesn't mean others do not have ambitions. an artist should always go where his hearst want to go. -
because you read his initial scripts? because he directed the movies?
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I cringe every time I'm in a theater and the Lionsgate logo comes up...I used to get that same feeling when I saw the Franchise logo... Absolute crap.
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REPO! is already playing here in Dallas at the Angelika. Anyway, back to The Spirit, it looks like Sin City. And I didn't like that movie at all.
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Dec 19, 2008 12:37:25 AM CST
What has Hercules got against this film?
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
I don't think anybody thought this was going to be great, but whys he feel the need to crawl out of his coaxial hole to post all these negative reviews and shit for?
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I keep reading about comic book fans or 300 ad Sin City fans turningnout for the opening then a big drop. I've met NO ONE who wants to see this. It's gonna be a bomb right out of the gate.
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"Miller will write and direct his own big-screen take on the comic serial; while the creator has only begun to sketch ideas, it's expected to be a darker take, with many of Miller's signature visual elements and themes, such as corruption and redemption."
What??? http://tinyurl.com/3tdqbd
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Completely agree with your post. But did you mean to type "hearst" instead of "heart"? VERY funny typo if that's the case. Congrats.
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And it was written by Frank Miller, just like Sin City was.
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Have fun being a jackass who actually spends time thinking about "openings" and box office results
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Dec 19, 2008 2:08:40 AM CST
If Eva Mendes Sucked My Cock Every Night After Shooting....
by thelordofhell
I wouldn't give a fuck how bad my movie was either. Good job Frank!!
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miller directed sin city more than rodriguez did? post one reliable source...and if that is the case, then maybe that is why the one segment directed by tarantino, worked better than the rest of the movie...but i still aint buying it...directing is much more than just "point and shoot"...there is a need for training...understanding actors...blocking scenes...knowing how things look diferently to the eye of the human vs the eye of the camera...and where did miller learn this skill? he didnt...he writes comics...
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...since they won't bestow an award nomination on "The Dark Knight"?
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I've been waiting for another hilarious disaster.Thanks Frank.
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Look down and DIE!!!
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SHOWGIRLS is so profoundly awful that I suspect it was made so on purpose, as a sort of satirical take on american culture, by Verhoven. I consider it a part of Verhoven's American Satire Trilogy -- 1) Robocop, 2) Showgirls, 3) Starship Troopers.
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without character, substance, suspense, drama... all a bunch of posturing for closeted homosexuals. BUT-- they were competently-made films. This looks like someone handed a mongoloid a MacBook animation suite. And before you say, 'Miller is a legend,' keep in mind that he hasn't written a decent comic in 18 years, only really terrible ones.
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...when the New York Comic Con panel had Frank Miller and Eva Mendez in the biggest room in the place, and only about a quarter of the seats were full.
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'Total Recall' is the second part of Verhoeven's American Satire Trilogy. I want to fit Showgirls in there, but can't figure out how. If the strippers were cyborgs, maybe.
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of Comic Con. In 2005 I listened to two producers talk about how much they love The Spirit and had acquired the film rights and were taking their time in order to get it right. I believed them. In 2006 they were there again and announced Frank Miller as the director and spoke again about how they wanted to make sure they would make a film that best reflected Eisener's creations. They talked of respecting the source material and making a movie that everyone could be proud of. Is this what they meant?
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had better not be ripping on Rocky Horror.
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. . . the chances for Sin City 2.
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Both of those reviews were entirely too short and devoid of any self-referential fashion statements.
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Dec 19, 2008 12:14:15 PM CST
Showgirls would have been better if it had Clarence Bodikker
by most excellent ninja
Bitches...leave.
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I had no idea what The Spirit was until the trailers for this film started playing. I wasn't that interested. Until I started hearing about how campy it is. Now it sounds like trashy fun. Like Van Helsing. I don't need comic book movies to be serious. I just don't want them to be toy commercials like Batman and Robin. I hope that this movie takes a real dive at the box office cause I want the guy who plays the Spirit to play Captain America. I've seen him in a shitty romcom with my wife and I think he'd be perfect for Cap.
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Those films worked because they were very faithful adaptations of the comics, which had their own style and look. The Spirit is something else entirely.
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The Spirit is the first movie that stands up there with Citizen Kane.
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