Emerald City ComiCon opinion article (Written in March 2012)

EMERALD CITY COMICON:

GEEKS PARADISE!

By Nico Beland

           “Spider-Man was bitten by a radioactive spider!”
“Clark Kent was the son of Krypton and had awesome powers that turned him into Superman!”
“Dananananananana Batman!”
“Transformers, More Than Meets The Eye!”  

           Comic book geeks unite every year at Seattle’s Emerald City ComiCon, a convention at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, located at 7th and Pike ST, across the street from Meridian 16, where the nerds of Seattle come, most of the time in costumes of their favorite superheroes, or villains, to meet some of their favorite writers, artists, and media guests.
           Though they call it the Emerald City ComiCon, it’s not just for fans of comic books. Fans of video games, popular movie franchises, especially Star Wars, table top games such as Magic: The Gathering and Heroclix, and fans of popular TV programs like Battlestar Galactica will have fun at the Emerald City ComiCon.
            Every year special guests come to the convention and fans can meet them face to face. Last year’s ComiCon (2011) included guests such as Star Trek’s William Shatner, Marvel’s Stan Lee, Bruce Boxleitner a.k.a. Tron, Hellboy’s Mike Mignola, and many others.
           Besides meeting special guests, the best part of the Emerald City ComiCon is seeing all the “Cosplayers” roaming around the convention showing off their awesome costumes. Most of the people who attend the ComiCon appear in costumes of their favorite characters from a comic book, video game, TV show, or movie.
           The most iconic costumes at the convention include characters from Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Watchmen, X-Men, and Iron Man. It’s usually the costumes that everyone knows that get the most recognition from the other geeks who attend.
           At last year’s ComiCon, the characters from the comic and 2010 superhero film, Kick-Ass, had a lot of recognition. Even though it’s not as popular as other comic books, the movie helped Kick-Ass gain popularity. Quite a few Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl cosplayers showed up to the Con.
 I cosplay every year at the Emerald City ComiCon, so I don’t stand out because most of the people who attend the convention are in costumes. The first year I attended ComiCon was in May 2008 and since then I’ve been going every year and in an awesome costume every time.
          It’s perhaps the best nerdy convention in Seattle and die-hard fans of comics should come to this amazing convention. They always try to get the most iconic figures to appear at the convention, this year’s convention included guests such as Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Stand & Deliver’s Edward James Olmos, Harry Potter’s Oliver and James Phelps, Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center, Date Night, Night at the Museum 2, and The Ghost Writer’s Jon Bernthal, and others.
         Sadly Christopher Lloyd from Back to the Future, The Addams Family and Who Framed Roger Rabbit was unable to make the ComiCon due to a filming schedule, sometimes they can’t get every single guest they wanted but they always try to get most of them to show up.
         This year’s ComiCon (2012) was the best year so far because not only did it include famous artists, writers, and media guests, but it also included voice actors from various cartoons and movies. Voice actors include Jess Harnell (voice of Wakko Warner on Animaniacs and Ironhide in the Transformers movies), Maurice LaMarche (voice of the Brain on Pinky and the Brain and Kif on Futurama), Rob Paulsen (voice of Pinky on Pinky and the Brain, Carl on Jimmy Neutron, and Rev Runner on Loonatics Unleashed), Billy West (voice of Fry on Futurama and various Looney Tunes characters), the “Bending” John DiMaggio (voice of Bender on Futurama, Dr. Drakken on Kim Possible, and Jake the Dog on Adventure Time), the delightful Tara Strong (voice of Bubbles on The Powerpuff Girls, Raven on Teen Titans, and Timmy Turner on The Fairly Oddparents), and Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman on Batman: The Animated Series), so this was a real thrill this year at the ComiCon. People enjoyed having them at the convention and they enjoyed meeting everyone.

          Here’s what other Seattle nerds have to say about the Emerald City ComiCon.

“I like the booths and panels, this was my third or forth year at the ComiCon, I didn’t cosplay but my daughter dressed up as Batgirl”
                                                           -Chris Soethe
“I like just about everything, comics, guests, games, all under one roof, this is my first year”
                                                           -Patrick Bloomer
“I like meeting favorite artists and writers and because it’s One Big Nerd Fest, this is my second year, previous visits were five years ago”
                                                           -Dennis Poor
“I like the ComiCon because they offer a VIP pass, it’s a well organized convention and it hasn’t blown up yet, this is my first year”
                                                           -Brian Lowery
                                              
Emerald City ComiCon isn’t the only radical pop-culture convention in Seattle, Sakura Con, Seattle’s convention for Japanese anime and manga is fun too, but it’s not quite as big as the Emerald City ComiCon because a lot more is going on; more cosplayers, most of the guests are well known, and altogether a bigger and better convention.
But it’s not San Diego ComiCon big, that one’s huge.
It’s the only time of the year I’m psyched about something that isn’t a movie.

American Sniper review

AMERICAN SNIPER:

A WAR EPIC THAT WILL BE HARD TO FORGET!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** 1/2 out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Bradley Cooper is the American Sniper

            Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino) makes a satisfying return as a director and after a few years he finally directed another good movie; it was perfect timing, especially after the poorly received Hereafter, J. Edgar, Trouble with the Curve, and Jersey Boys. Honestly, I thought most of these films were okay, but for a while the last movie Clint directed that I loved all the way through was 2009’s Gran Torino, that is until this new movie came out, American Sniper, based on a true war story.

            This is Clint Eastwood’s third film he directed in the war category, the first two being Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, both of which were produced by Steven Spielberg. This time there’s no Spielberg on board for American Sniper, but I don’t think he really needs him for this movie, American Sniper is gritty and intense, but also has a powerful story, and strong performances by its leads.

            Bradley Cooper (The Hangover trilogy, American Hustle, Guardians of the Galaxy) stars as U.S. military sniper, Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in the U.S. who is sent to Iraq for one mission, to protect his brothers-in-arms. He has pinpoint accuracy when wielding his rifle and saved many lives in the battlefield, unfortunately his reputation is growing behind enemy lines and making him a target for insurgents.

            So Chris must fight with his soldier brothers in Iraq with no man left behind, and return home to his wife (Sienna Miller-Foxcatcher, Stardust, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) and children.

            Overall, American Sniper is a thrilling war epic, with grisly war violence, strong character development, and a thoroughly powerful story. Unfortunately the film does throw in some nasty child cruelty, which can turn people off from watching the movie, but with that said, the scene isn’t very long, but it is very cruel and dark and if you can manage to get past it, you’ll get a great war story brought to the screen.

            It’s very refreshing to see Bradley Cooper take on a serious role, especially after his roles in the past in films like The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Guardians of the Galaxy. He manages to throw in a few witty lines but overall he’s not a comic relief in this movie, he’s takes his job very seriously and his emotion deliveries are very strong, especially when you’re spending your days trapped in a war zone, it’s also great to see Sienna Miller starring in a good movie, despite the fact she was casted in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, hopefully she’ll remain having a strong acting career because she portrays Chris’ wife very well.

            I wouldn’t consider this one of the best war epics like Saving Private Ryan and the Universal classic war movies, but as far as Eastwood directed films go; this is one of his best films as a director in a long time. It’s gripping, it’s intense, it’s compelling…its American Sniper.

            I hope Clint Eastwood stars and directs more movies that critics and audiences enjoy, because after Gran Torino, he hit Rock Bottom with Hereafter, J. Edgar, Trouble with the Curve, and Jersey Boys, I’d love to see what’s next in store for Clint Eastwood, whether it’s good or bad, I’ll be there to check it out.

Selma review

SELMA:

AN INTENSE BUT COMPELLING STORY ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICANS WHO HAS EVER LIVED!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads a rally of African-Americans from Selma

            We all know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and what a big role he had in American history during the Civil Rights Movement. He fought for civil rights for all, no matter what color or gender they are.

            Dr. King’s powerful “I Had A Dream” speech continues to be studied in public schools and remembered by Americans everywhere. Not to mention there were lots of documentaries, movies, and shows about Martin Luther King, the one I remember the most is The Boondocks season 1 episode, Return of the King where Martin Luther King comes back.

            Now this new movie, a historical drama about Martin Luther King leading African-American citizens from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery to fight for their civil rights in America. I am of course talking about Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay (Scandal), produced by Oprah Winfrey (Precious, The Butler, The Hundred-Foot Journey) and starring frequent collaborator with Precious director, Lee Daniels, David Oyelowo (The Paperboy, The Butler) as the man who had a dream.

            The film chronicles the three-month period in 1965 where African-Americans were segregated from white people, beaten and murdered by white people, and were not allowed to vote. A public speaker known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. steps up and leads a dangerous campaign to claim equal rights for African-Americans in the face of violent opposition.  

            The march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery reaches a climax when President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson-Sense & Sensibility, The Full Monty, The Green Hornet) signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965, thus granting civil rights to African-Americans.

            Overall, Selma is a wonderful telling of what happened during the Civil Rights Movement, the drama is very solid and the intensity is uncomfortably cruel, but not quite as graphic as 12 Years a Slave. David Ovelowo does an amazing job portraying Martin Luther King, hearing him give a speech almost convinced me that he actually was Dr. King, a very similar to feeling to when Daniel Day-Lewis portrayed Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

            It’s nice to see Hollywood do films based on the real life events of struggling African-Americans who step forward and say “No more” with films like 42, The Butler, 12 Years a Slave, and now this movie. Whether you’re white or black, this is a movie for every American citizen to see, if you can get past some of the unsettling intense moments, the performance by David as Dr. King and the overall telling of the story should be enough to win you over.

            Not to mention the film was released at a perfect time since it’s almost Martin Luther King Day, I’m certain lots of people are going to see the movie on that day. And you should see it on Martin Luther King Day; it’s an intense but inspirational story about a man who fights for the good of the country and changed America forever.

            We are all grateful to acknowledge what Martin Luther King did for all of us, and now we have a movie depicting how he gave civil rights to African-American citizens that I’m sure we will all be watching for generations to come. 

Into the Woods review

INTO THE WOODS:

DISNEY MAGIC OVERLOAD SET TO STEPHEN SONDHEIM SONGS, MERYL STREEP AND JOHNNY DEPP’S ACTING, AND A NEW TAKE ON OUR FAVORITE CLASSIC STORIES!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

DISNEY

Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, MacKenzie Mauzy, Lilla Crawford, Emily Blunt, and James Cordon as Cinderella, Prince Charming, The Witch, The Big, Bad Wolf, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Baker’s Wife, and The Baker in Disney’s Into the Woods

            Hey kids, who wants to see a Disney movie? Who wants to see a Disney fairy tale movie? Well how about a Disney fairy tale movie with all of your favorite fairy tale characters together. You name it, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, sounds like a match made in heaven, and it is.

             Disney and director, Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) bring us their latest musical fantasy, Into the Woods, based on the Stephen Sondheim musical of the same name.

            I’ve never seen Sondheim’s musical, but I think this movie convinced me to check it out, especially since I’ve been a long time admirer of Disney’s movies. For many children, this is a dream come true, their favorite fairy tale characters in one movie, it’s almost like The Avengers of Disney…if Disney didn’t already own Marvel.

            The story begins in a village far, far away, where a young Baker (James Cordon-Starter for 10, Begin Again, All or Nothing) and his wife (Emily Blunt-The Adjustment Bureau, Looper, Edge of Tomorrow) dream of having a child together, unfortunately they just can’t seem to make one. That is until they are visited by an old, ugly, witch (Meryl Streep-The Devil Wears Prada, The Iron Lady, August: Osage County) who once put a curse on the bakery where the Baker’s father worked after he stole from her, preventing them from ever having a child, due to the loss of her beauty.

            She tells them in order to lift the curse, they must bring her four things, a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. So the Baker and his wife are off on a journey to find the items needed to lift the curse.

            While that’s going on, a beautiful maiden named Cinderella (Anna Kendrick-Scott Pilgrim VS The World, 50/50, Pitch Perfect) dreams of going to a festival ball where she can get her “Happily Ever After”. Unfortunately her evil stepmother (Christine Baranski-The Birdcage, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Chicago) and stepsisters, Florinda (Tammy Blanchard-Rabbit Hole, Moneyball, Blue Jasmine) and Lucinda (Lucy Punch-Ella Enchanted, Hot Fuzz, Bad Teacher) forbid her from going to the ball and leaves her at home with a lot of chores to do.

            So she flees into the woods where she finds her Fairy Godmother and makes a ball gown with gold slippers for her and off to the ball she goes. While there she meets her Prince Charming (Chris Pine-Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Rise of the Guardians), dances with him, and constantly flees from him due to her claiming that she doesn’t belong with royalty.

            Meanwhile, a young girl with a red cape is on her way to grandma’s house, also coincidentally in the woods and she encounters a foul creature known as the Big, Bad Wolf (Johnny Depp-Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) who at first seems nice and glad to meet Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), but unfortunately the wolf inside emerges when he eats her grandma.

            Also Prince Charming’s brother (Billy Magnussen-Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Happy Tears, Twelve), who is also a prince rides into the woods (Just like everyone else in this movie!) and finds a tall tower which houses a young maiden named Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy-The Bold and the Beautiful, NCIS: Los Angeles, Forever), with very long hair as yellow as corn, who also happens to be the “Daughter” of the Witch (Okay, if you want to go ahead and make connections to Tangled, you go right ahead because this movie is just asking for it!). Rapunzel’s prince guarantees he will see her again; let’s certainly hope he does.

            Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood eventually run into the Baker and wife and agree to help them lift the curse, with the help of the white cow’s owner, a young boy named Jack (Danie Huttlestone-Les Miserables) who previously met the Baker and had his cow traded for a bag of Magic Beans (Gee, what do you all think happened?).

            So the Baker, his wife, and their newfound friends must bring all the items together, lift the curse, and make sure everyone lives “Happily Ever After”.

            Overall, Into the Woods is a very solid Disney fantasy, although I’m not sure how closely it follows Sondheim’s musical, but as a Disney movie, it pretty much does everything you would expect from Disney, but also throw in a few surprises along the way. The cast does a wonderful job portraying these iconic characters we all know and make them into something different and original, especially Meryl Streep as the Witch and Johnny Depp as the Wolf.  

            Streep does a fantastic job portraying the Witch and like most of the films I see her in, they always end with me asking “How does she do it?” which is a very good question. Johnny Depp, who previously worked with Tim Burton on an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street back in 2007, despite having limited screen time in this movie is very entertaining as the Wolf, you can tell just how creepy he is, but also very charming and cynical at the same time, truly the act of a talented man.

            Besides the acting and directing, the writing and humor are very witty as well, especially when they poke fun at the fairy tales they’re referencing, the humor definitely resembles films like The Princess Bride, Shrek, and Disney’s 2007 hit, Enchanted.

            So if you’re a fan of Disney, fantasy, or musicals, chances are you’re going to love this movie. It’s like going to Disneyland except you don’t need an airplane to get there, just a local movie theater showing Into the Woods.

            I’m very glad I checked the movie out, it certainly is a unique but altogether wonderful Disney fantasy. Just don’t be surprised if Once Upon a Time makes an episode based on this.