Thursday Movie Picks
As I was wandering around the blogosphere today I stumbled upon an ongoing blogathon that I just had to jump in on for this week. Over at Wondering Through the Shelves they do a Thursday Movie Picks where there’s a topic each week and everyone who participates chooses 3 films that fit with the week’s theme. This week is superhero movies so obviously I had to jump in on it. Make sure you check out their choices and the other participants as well.
As I have already done a few of my top superhero movie lists, I thought I would narrow it down a bit and since I have been watching a lot of animation this month which is usually kiddie fare it’s the perfect excuse to go to the other end of the spectrum and list three of my favorite R-rated superhero movies.
The Crow
This is still one of my favorite films. I love the look of it, the feel of it, and it’s entirely quotable. “Victims, aren’t we all?” “He went and got himself perished.” “It can’t rain all the time.” The soundtrack was also a standard in my CD player when I discovered this probably just after high school, mainly because I was a Nine Inch Nails fan with a collector’s mentality and the soundtrack was the only place to find their song Dead Souls. It just has a style all its own that’s been attempted to be copied several times over, but nothing has quite captured the same magic that this film has.
Blade II
Before he made Hellboy his own, director Giullermo del Toro brought his touch to this vampire hunter with a touch of superhero. It even had Ron Perlman in it as one of the enemy of my enemy vampires. There have been many different variations on the vampire design, but this is one of the most imaginative and grotesque, with the mouth that splits all the way down the middle. There’s plenty of action and a lot of fun to be had here with the double crosses and begrudging teamwork.
Watchmen
Love it or hate it, Zack Snyder turned one of the most revered comic books in recent history into an feature film that was impressive for how closely it hewed to the source material. Even though critics of the film begrudge the fact that he missed a lot of the subtle underlying message in exchange for mindless action and violence, it’s still incredibly ambitious, stylish, and holds a large part of what makes the original comic so great. It’s one of the most mature looks at superheroes, and not just because of the blood and nudity. And whether or not you think it holds up to the source material, it helped bring the original back into the spotlight and introduced it to a new generation.
And there you have it! If I were to toss in some honorable mentions I would also include Dredd, the Toxic Avenger, Super, and of course Kick-Ass. So what are your favorites? Until next time, this has been Bubbawheat for Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights.
Posted on April 23, 2015, in Lists and tagged blogathon, list, movies. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights 
I love The Crow and Blade II. You are dead right on it either. Get it? Dead ri…never mind. Not the biggest fan of Watchmen. Despite that I actually purchased it on DVD when I came across a used copy for $2 so I am going to watch it again. Soon, I hope. Maybe my mind will be changed this time around. Glad you joined us this week!
I’d like to revisit it again as well since I own the director’s cut though I watched the theatrical cut the first two times (curious about the ultimate cut, but that may be a little much even though I have watched Under the Hood & Tales of the Black Freighter separately), I thought it was pretty breathtaking the first time I watched it, but also a little overwhelming. The more I got the chance to explore it as a film and eventually the graphic novel, the more I’ve appreciated it.
Haven’t actually seen any of your choices, but I know that one my favourite musicians, Leonard Cohen, features in the film Watchman. I believe it’s the song Hallelujah from his 1984 album Various Positions, a version of his song rarely used.
I still haven’t seen Blade II or The Watchmen, but I’ve been meaning to. I really liked the first Blade. The Crow is a really interesting film. I almost went with that one myself. Glad you played along this week!
Great picks! All three of these are very good, I especially enjoy The Watchmen. I think it gets a tad too much hate.
Brandon Lee was absolutely brilliant in his portrayal of The tortured crow… I often wonder if his performance was an inspiration to the legendary Heath Ledger when he was getting into the mind of Joker.
I often wonder if there is there a curse. Because why else have two actors in their twenties died after playing a psychotic figure who wears makeup ? Don’t feel like you have to answer that, I was just thinking out loud.
Yeah, I’m not sure if I’d go that far on it, both tragedies for sure. Thanks for stopping by.
I could not get my head around Watchmen but I loved the other two.
I didn’t finish Watchmen the first time I saw it, but it has grown on me more after multiple viewings. Reading the comic helps too, one complaint that I do have is that it is very dense in places.