I first read Frank Miller’s creation while working in a bookstore back in 93’. I was into comics as a kid & familiar with Miller’s run on Marvel’s Daredevil as well as his influential revamping of Batman via The Dark Knight Returns. The scope & look of Sin City is reminiscent of those earlier projects, but magnified through a powerful misanthropic lens of noir atmosphere, attitude & violence. Stark & striking b&w visuals tied to characters that take hardboiled stereotypes to harrowing & at times hilarious extremes. It definitely made an impression.
Word has it that there’s now a film version in the works. Robert Rodriguez (Mariachi trilogy, From Dusk Til Dawn, Spy Kids franchise, etc.) is at the helm, sharing directing duties with Miller himself- a decision that led to the formers resignation from the Director’s Guild of America- and reportedly, Quentin Tarantino. The plot involves an arc tying together the comic series’ first book with later potboilers That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill. Even more intriguing is the cast either slated or already on board. Mickey Rourke has the lead, playing the sociopathic, but noble-hearted anti-hero Marv. The beefed up, plasticine-looking physique he’s sporting these days, along with his weathered acting chops, might fit the role perfectly. Also supposedly on the payroll: Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Benecio Del Toro and Johnny Depp. Could be a good one, though Rodriguez’s penchant for accelerated production times & covering nearly all bases of the filmmaking process himself could cut either way.
Derek, that's definitely intriguing. I actually never got around to this series, though I like a lot of Miller's stuff. Buscemi, Walken, and Depp in the same film could be great.
Anyone seen the Hellboy film, by the way?
Posted by: Jason at April 12, 2004 6:52 AMJason, from what I know about your crime fiction tastes, I think SC might be right up your alley- at least the first book. The artwork alone make it worth a looksee. I'm pretty sure all of the stories are available cheaply in trade paperback form.
Caught Hellboy over the weekend & came away disappointed. Ron Perelman looks spectacular & is the best part of the production. Rick Baker went above & beyond with the make-up. Same too with the dude who plays Abe Sapien. Del Toro's affection for the source material saturates the whole thing, but the plot & pacing left a lot to be desired. Huge holes & some very stilted moments (Selma Blair is terrible as Liz Sherman). Visuals & FX were for the most part solid though. I'd give it a weak "C" overall. Word is they've already green-lighted a sequel.
Posted by: derek at April 12, 2004 7:25 AMThanks, Derek. I'll take the plunge on Sin City. And I'll wait for Hellboy to come to the cheap theaters, in the meantime getting jacked up for Spiderman 2.
Posted by: Jason at April 12, 2004 7:51 AMGotta dissent on Hellboy. I liked it a lot. But I've never read the comic; that may have helped (and, frankly, I think it's good practice to remember that comic-book movies are not aimed at fans of the comic, generally speaking).
I'm hoping the new Spider-Man is better than the first one. Now that was crap. I wish whoever's got Sam Raimi's brains and balls in jars somewhere would give them back, already. He hasn't made a movie I give a shit about since A Simple Plan.
Posted by: phil at April 12, 2004 1:30 PMJason, looking forward to your thoughts & reactions re: SC.
Phil, curious what you dug about Hellboy. I checked several of the trade paperbacks of the comic out from the library several months ago to bone up. Really like Mike Mignola’s artwork & the stories are a nice blend of regional horror folklore & Lovecraftian creepiness, all told with a refreshing minimum of speech & thought bubbles.
Good point about target audiences for comic book inspired movies. The latest big screen version of The Punisher seems to be an ideal case in point. Haven’t seen it, but all I’ve read says it carries the heavy stink of sulfurous eggs. That said, I definitely think Del Toro had the fan base in mind w/ HB- hell, he’s a huge fan of the comic himself.
I’m on the fence about Spiderman 2. The extended trailer I’ve seen feels like a depressingly complete Cliffs Notes of all the best parts of the flick, start to finish. FX on Alfred Molina as Doc Ock looks top notch, but most shots of Spidey still have a fakey cgi patina to them. I’ll be plunking down the matinee 5-spot price just the same.
Sin City is very cool. I also liked Miller's 300 and Ronin.
Posted by: mwanji at April 15, 2004 4:37 AMJust screened the Sin City trailer:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/sin_city.html
over at Apple.com. Hmmm…
Posted by: derek at February 7, 2005 8:08 PM.................................................. © 2003 - 2006 bagatellen ..................................................