January 14, 2014 by Billy Henehan

American Hustle – Review

How do you look at American Hustle? Is it Mystique, Hawkeye, Batman and Lois Lane teaming up? The cast of The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook getting together for the movie equivalent of a super group ala The Travelling Wilburies? Watching American Hustle, I couldn’t help but wonder if David O. Russell asked himself if he could do a Martin Scorsese movie, specifically Goodfellas.

American Hustle opens with Irving (Christian Bale) and Sydney (Amy Adams) talking in voiceover about how they met. Their speeches had definite shades of Goodfellas’ opening line, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

The characters costumes seemed right out of Goodfellas as well. During American Hustle, I couldn’t help but think that toupee wearing dry-cleaner turned con man Irving’s story was actually what was going on with Morrie in Goodfellas when he wasn’t being choked by Jimmy Conway.

Then Robert De Niro showed up and I had no idea if I was watching Goodfellas or American Hustle. My confusion mounted when they cut to a flashback scene of Robert De Niro’s character as a young mobster that I think might have been a deleted scene from Goodfellas. American Hustle’s title should have been Goodfellas 2: Camden Nights.

I enjoyed the twist at the end of American Hustle. It was very Ocean’s 11-esque. However, the 20 minutes before the twist seemed to slog. I felt myself fidgeting in my seat, wondering where this movie was going.

Should you see American Hustle? Take this quiz to find out.

1. Are you a fan of Amy Adams side boob?

2. Same question, but this time Jennifer Lawrence.

3. Are you a dude who curls your own hair?

4. Is Fat Batman you thing?

5. Do you want to see Jimmy Conway in action one more time?

If you answered Yes to any of these, you should see American Hustle! If you answered No to all of these, I recommend watching The Fighter again instead.

December 31, 2013 by Billy Henehan

The World’s End – Review

Just in time for New Year’s Eve, I watched The World’s End, the latest movie from Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright. Thankfully, I somehow managed to avoid the plot twist that the movie hinges upon. To protect anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet and has also been lucky enough to not be spoiled, I won’t spoil it here in this review.

The basic, pre-twist premise of The World’s End is that Simon Pegg’s character, Gary King, has a mission. He wants to reunite his high school friends to reenact their epic pub crawl through town from their teenage years, a pub crawl that they never technically finished. That night was the best night of Gary’s life. Gary, it should be pointed out, is that friend of yours from high school (or college) who never changed…and not necessarily in a good way. The eternal pan, Gary is now nearing middle age, but dressing exactly the same as he did in high school. He’s like a British Al Bundy, but instead of throwing four touchdowns in one game, Gary’s crowning achievement is that he almost drank at every bar in town one night.

Gary is that friend.

Gary’s friends have all moved on from their home town, and from Gary, but in a Machivellian scheme, Gary gets the gang back together. If Gary put the effort he put into organizing this pub crawl to making positive changes in his own life, he probably would be in a much better place. But that’s neither here nor there.

I’m glad I watched The World’s End before the end of 2013, because this will definitely be in my Top 5 movies of the year. It is such a perfect mix of action and comedy. The special effects are great. ‘There was definitely a budget jump with this movie over Hot Fuzz. But back to the action and comedy combo for a second. There is a scene where The People’s Elbow gets used a fight. I almost fell out of my chair laughing.

If you liked This is the End, another hilariously funny movie from 2013, I think you will also like The World’s End. The World’s End almost seems like the British answer to This is the End. It’s almost funny how similarly they are named and that they were released around the same time.

I’ve seen Wright, Pegg and Frost’s other two movies, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. If I had to rank them, I’d rank them Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End and Hot Fuzz. But really, they’re all great, and The World’s End keeps the winning streak going for these three.

December 17, 2013 by Billy Henehan

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Review

4/5 – Exciting sequel to the first Hunger Games, that captures the spirit of the source material very well.

As the release date for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire approached, I noticed I did not have any signs of having caught Catching Fire fever. I’d see the posters in the subway and on billboards around New York City, but they barely registered, which is weird, because out of the three Hunger Games books, Catching Fire is easily my favorite

I think my lack of excitement can be blamed on two things, the first of which is the poster for Catching Fire. It just looks too much like it could be a poster for the first Hunger Games movie. It’s not just evocative of the first film, it looks like it could be a poster for either film. I get that there are a lot of similarities between the two movies, the biggest being that Katniss and Peeta head back into the Hunger Games arena, but modeling your poster to remind me exactly of a movie I already saw a couple of years ago? At least give me something new! Or else subconsciously I’m going to just think it’s the same movie I already saw.

Side by side comparison of the Catching Fire and Hunger Games posters.

The other source of blame for my lack of excitement was the first Hunger Games movie itself. Don’t get me wrong; I liked the first Hunger Games movie. But it was good, not great, and definitely did not live up to the awesomeness of the book. I get that capturing the magic that made something awesome when you’re adapting it to another medium can be tricky, and changes have to be made. But if the posters for Catching Fire are making me think I’m watching Hunger Games a second time through, then the original Hunger Games movie had to have been amazing for me to get excited for the new movie.

Thankfully, Catching Fire is excellent. It is definitely a step up from the first Hunger Games movie. I felt that the pacing was much better in this movie. The balance between time outside the arena and time spent in the arena, which the first film seemed to have problems reconciling, is handled very well here.

The casting for the new characters was excellent. Finnick is my absolute favorite character in the entire Hunger Games trilogy. It was Finnick who convinced me that Aquaman could be cool. Sam Caflin captures Finnick’s “brash yet really a sweet and damaged guy underneath” attitude perfectly. I’m looking forward to him giving us more Finnick in the next movie.

“Dude! What does mine say?”

Jeffrey Wright was very good in the role of Beetee. He definitely has the role of the loopy science person down. But what else would you expect from “quite possibly the the most underrated and underexposed actor of his caliber and generation.” The man has an “undeniable talent and ability to successfully bring to life any role he undertakes is on a par with the most praised and revered A-list actors in the business.” Those quotes were taken from Wright’s own IMDB page. No joke. Check it out.

Let’s not forget the Tooch! Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman was the highlight of the first movie for me. The Tooch delivers again in Catching Fire, making Flickerman an outstanding satire of the talking heads hosting and commentating on current prime time television. Casting directors: every movie can benefit from more Stanley Tucci.

“Ryan Seacrest ain’t got shit on me!

You know where Catching Fire really succeeded? It really succeeded at getting me excited for the movie version of Mockingjay. That’s no small feat, as Mockingjay is my least favorite book in the Hunger Games series. I’m hoping that the screenwriter and director work on making Katniss more proactive in the plot of Mockingjay. In the book, so much seems to happen around her, or while she’s sleeping. I’d like to see her be more proactive in the third film than she is in the third book. Catching Fire is an excellent adaptation to film. Hopefully Mockingjay will be also.

December 2, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Director Jay Oliva Talks Justice League: War

In the third and final installment of my interviews with the crew from DC Animation at NYCC regarding the upcoming Justice League: War animated movie, I sat down with Director Jay Oliva. Jay is no stranger to directing animation, as he’s already directed Green Lantern: Emerald Knights and the excellent Batman: The Dark Knights Returns Parts 1 and 2, among other things.

Jay explained what makes Justice League: War different from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. “It’s much more ensemble than Flashpoint. In Flashpoint, Flash was clearly the main one.” Cyborg does have a major arc in Justice League: War though. “In this one, Cyborg is the one the audience can empathize with more, because you see him as a regular guy, and then you see him become the hero he eventually does.” But from the sound of it, unlike in Flashpoint, the story will be more divided among the League members and not mainly focus on one hero. Jay explained, “(Cyborg) has more of an arc. Batman shows up and he’s Batman. There’s no Batman arc…He’s just Batman from beginning to end. He’s just a bad ass all the way through.”

I asked Jay if Geoff Johns, the writer of the Justice League comic that Justice League: War is based on, was involved in the script at all. Unfortunately, Jay didn’t know how much involvement Johns had with the script. “When I start, it’s usually after the script has been written. Then I take over and try to do my adaptation of that,” Jay went on to elaborate.

When you sit down with Jay, the first thing you’ll notice about him is that he very energetic. I think this comes from the huge level of enthusiasm he has for his work with Warner Brothers Home Video. He wants his animated movies to stand out. Jay explained, “You guys are paying 20 bucks for it. It’s on the same shelf as Man of Steel, Dark Knight, The Avengers. I have to be able to compete with that. I want you guys to say, “Hey, this looks like a good film,” and when you watch it, even though it’s animated, I want it to hold up with the live action stuff out there: balls to the wall action, good storytelling….I’m having fun with this stuff.”

When asked what storyline he’d like to turn into a film, he was very quick to answer. “I would do Gotham by Gaslight,” Jay said. He would go on to namedrop Gotham by Gaslight a few times in our conversation. The dude really likes Gotham by Gaslight. And looking at how he handled The Dark Knight Returns, I bet he could do a stellar job on the period piece Gotham by Gaslight. Warner Brothers, let Jay Oliva make Gotham by Gaslight!

Gotham by Gaslight features Batman taking on Jack the Ripper.

Jay also said he’s love to a Kingdom Come movie, but that he wasn’t sure “if we have the technology to do it. It’s too hard. It would have to look like Alex Ross’s watercolors…We don’t have five years for this. We have a one year turnaound.” The 76 minute limitation posed by the budget of the animated movies also comes into play. “I’d love to do 120 minutes,” Jay said, “But the animation studio could not physically do it. Hopefully we can do parts 1 and 2 or more if it sells well….Dark Knight Returns sold really well, so Home Video is seeing hey, maybe we can do two-parters.” I don’t know about you, but if Kingdom Come were done as a four-parter, I’d buy every release!

“Action, action, action.” That was Jay’s response when asked what we’re going to see in Justice League: War. “The comic is literally an invasion of Earth…It’s about a group of heroes who are powerful, but couldn’t take down Darkseid by themselves. So they have to band together to take down this greater evil. Personalities clash. Superman and Batman, whenever they meet they gotta fight. They’re so polar opposite…Ultimately, they become the team we all know and love,” Jay said. He also confirmed that we will see Apokolips, the home of Darkseid and his parademons in Justice League: War. But Jay also pointed out that, “We don’t see any New Gods, which I would have loved to put in there. It’s strictly just Darkseid and his parademons.”

Jay has worked for both DC and Marvel’s animation divisions and was candid about the differences between the two. “From my own experience, the DC stuff I work on, they leave us alone…I don’t have to show my storyboards to the president of animation…They trust us. They know that we’ll do good work,” said Jay. Comparitively, he said about Marvel: “At Marvel, there’s a lot of hands in there. Mind you, I haven’t worked for them since they were taken over by Disney…I would never have been able to get away with The Flashpoint Paradox at Disney. Never.” That said, he also mentioned that he would love to work for Marvel again one day, “but right now I’m enjoying the freedom I have here,” meaning at DC. Going by the quality of his output at DC, I hope Jay Oliva stays with them for a long time.

The February 4 release date for Justice League: War is approaching quickly. Have you made your pre-order yet?

November 27, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Pitch Perfect – Review

2/5 – Off pitch.

On the same vacation that I watched Shag, I also saw Pitch Perfect for the first time. I was really looking forward to Pitch Perfect. Everyone I knew who had seen it loved it. It stars Anna Kendrick, aka America’s sweetheart Anna Kendrick. How could I go wrong?

Well, wrong I went.

Pitch Perfect just didn’t click with me. I don’t know if it had been talked up too much, but I didn’t enjoy the movie. There were definitely high spots in the movie, but for the most part the movie just didn’t work for me.

I found Anna Kendrick’s character, Beca, to be a sullen, spoiled brat. She was the focal point of the movie, but I just couldn’t get behind her. Some of her lines were just laughable. “You know David Guetta is?” Beca, my dad’s cousins know who David Guetta is; come on!

In case you didn’t get that Beca would rather be a DJ than be in school, she walks around campus all day wearing big ass headphones.
Would you like a hammer to drive in that nail?

Jesse, her co-intern, and soon to be love interest was annoying as all get out. When the two of them got together, I think I actually said “Ugh.”

Jesse, you just won our Most Annoying Character of the Year award! How do you feel?

The best thing to come out of Pitch Perfect was having Titanium stuck in my head for the rest of the week. That, and that insanely catchy Cups song and super-cute video. I definitely enjoy Cups the video more than Pitch Perfect the movie.

Pitch Perfect does have its high points. Pretty much any scene involving Lily made me laugh very loudly.

Lily is the best..

It’s funny, I went into Shag ready to roll my eyes and went into Pitch Perfect ready to love it. But out of the two of them, I think I’d rather watch Shag again. But maybe I just need to give Pitch Perfect a second chance. It wouldn’t be the first movie I disliked the first time I saw and then loved after more viewings.

All that said, Anna Kendrick is still America’s sweetheart.

November 27, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Star Trek: Into Darkness – Review

I caught Star Trek: Into Darkness on Blu Ray recently. I liked it a lot. J.J. Abrams has now made two of the best Star Trek movies. Okay, if not best, then definitely rewatchable. If I had to pick three Star Trek movies to watch again, it would be his two and Wrath of Khan.

The opening scene of Into Darkness was awesome. I really like J.J. Abrams’s take on the Star Trek crew. He brings a sense of humor to the science fiction that really helps make these movies so enjoyable. His skill at mixing sci-fi and humor is at a Whedon-like level.

Probably what I liked most about Star Trek: Into Darkness was the complexity of Benedict Cumberbatch’s character, Commander John Harrison. In the movie, Harrison is a suped-up super-soldier that would put Captain America to shame. He marches through scenes of destruction with the resolve of a Terminator. Thankfully, Harrison is given more depth than that of a cybernetic killing machine. He’s been used and abused by Starfleet and is seeking revenge against those who wronged him. But he’s not only seeking revenge. He’s trying to carve out a place for himself and his people in the galaxy, away from his abusers. He’s Starfleet’s greatest enemy, and it’s all Starfleet’s fault.

There were plenty of Easter Eggs for longtime Star Trek fans in Star Trek: Into Darkness. The most obvious one is the reveal that John Harrison’s real identity is Khan, who was the main villain in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I like that Khan is now a sleek weapon of destruction. Gone is the Elfquest-esque outfit that has definitely not aged well. Cumberbatch is as emotionless as Khan as he is as Sherlock. Watching Khan onscreen, I couldn’t help but think we were seeing what an evil Spock would be.

The radiation room scene where Kirk lies dying and Spock can do nothing to save his friend was a mirror of the classic scene at the end of Wrath of Khan. I love that Spock and Kirk were switched in this scene. If it played out the same way as the original, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. It would have just seemed like an unnecessary remake of a classic scene. But switching the two of them made for such a great nod to Star Trek II. When Spock let out the iconic scream of “KHAAAAAAAAAAN!” my inner nerd fist-pumped (okay, I actually fist-pumped on my couch. There was nothing inner about it).

I really like that Leonard Nimoy is still playing Spock Classic in this movie. I was wondering if he’d be cast to the side. But Abrams has definitely not forgotten the longtime fans while making Star Trek accessible for a new generation. In that way, his Star Trek movies are similar to BBC’s Doctor Who.

If the Star Trek movies are any indication of what we can expect to receive when J.J. Abrams tackles the Star Wars films, then I am one very excited Star Wars fan.

November 25, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Geeky Holiday Gift Guide

The holidays are right around the corner. Are you looking for the perfect gift for the geek in your life? Tuesday Night Movies is here to help!

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Boxed Set

This box set comes with all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies leading up to and including The Avengers. You get Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers. What really makes this set cool is that everything is packaged in a SHIELD-branded briefcase that contains a light-up tesseract inside!

Captain America: The Winter Solider Ultimate Collection

Next year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie is largely based on Ed Brubaker’s run on the Captain America comic, where he introduced Cap’s mysterious new enemy, the Winter Soldier. This collection has stunning art by Steve Epting and Michael Lark, and an amazing story by Brubaker.

Doctor Who: Series 1-7 Limited Edition Gift Set

BBC has finally released the Chistopher Eccleston and David Tennant years of Doctor Who on Blu Ray. This set includes all of those seasons, plus seasons 5-7 starring Matt Smith as the Doctor. The set also includes an awesome fully functional sonic screwdriver universal remote control. You can use it on your TV, blu ray player, speakers, anything that will work with a universal remote. This is the closest you’ll get to feeling like a time lord without having a second heart implanted in you.

Doctor Who Tardis Beach Towel

Sure, it’s cold out now, but summer will be here soon enough. Or maybe the Doctor will show up to pick up you and friends for a weekend getaway to the Caribbean in the middle of January. In either situation, this Tardis towel is a must-own item.

Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite Bottle Opener

Transform your kitchen in Jabba’s throne room! This is quite possibly the coolest looking bottle opener ever, a highly detailed replica of Han Solo frozen in carbonite from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. And it’s functional too. The back of Han Solo is magnetic, so it will stick to your fridge. The bottle opener is solid metal, not some flimsy plastic, so it should last you a long time.

Star Wars Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

I received one of these Tauntaun sleeping bags for Christmas when ThinkGeek first introduced them a couple of years ago. It is quite possibly the best Christmas present I ever received. You should buy this for someone you love. And buy one for yourself too while you’re at it.

Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection (Blu Ray/DVD Combo/Ultraviolet Combo)

There have been many Harry Potter movie collections over the years, but this is the mother of all Harry Potter movie collections. It is 31 discs in total, including all 8 Harry Potter movies on both Blu Ray and DVD, and tons of special features. But what really sells this collection is how it’s contained. The box is a fold out chest of drawers. The discs are in book-like boxes. One disc is even hidden behind a secret compartment. The Ultra-Violet download codes are written on rolled-up scrolls. There are a couple of books included, The Catalog of Artifacts and The Label Collection, which really show off the detail that went into producing the props for the movies. There’s a map of Hogwarts and the surrounding area, and a blueprint of Hogwarts Castle. There’s even a horcrux locket! This is the ultimate gift for the Harry Potter fan in your life!

Harry Potter Triwizard Tournament Shirt

The perfect gift for the quidditch fan in your life. This is an exact replica of the shirt that Harry wears in the third challenge of the Triwzard Tournament. Potter is embroidered on the back and the shirt has the Hogwarts school crest on the front.

Star Trek Transporter Room Bath Mat & Shower Curtain Set

Modeled after the original Star Trek series, this bath mat and shower curtain set will transform your bathroom into the Transporter Room. Beam up to the Enterprise every time you step out of the shower!

Star Trek Spock Oven Mitt

This is just super. It’s an oversized Spock hand, giving the “Live long and proper” sign and it’s an oven mitt. I don’t know if this combination is logical, but it is definitely awesome!

Game of Thrones Scarves

Winter is coming. A man needs a scarf.

Game of Thrones: Iron Coin of the Faceless Man

Because a man needs a coin. This is a replica of the coin that Jaqen gives Arya. One side shows a faceless man. The other says reads: “Valar Morghulis, Valar Dohaeris,” which translates to “All men must die, all men must serve.” This is quite possibly one of the coolest prop replicas I’ve seen from HBO’s hit TV series.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Limited Edition Boxed Set

Winning the prize for the creepiest boxed set on the market is this version of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 3. It comes packaged with a replica of The Governor’s collection of zombie heads in fish tanks. It even lights up from within to illuminate the heads. You can even fill the aquariums with water! And it comes with all of season 3 of The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Funko Pop Vinyl Figure

Easily the coolest character on The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon can now guard office desks and bookshelves from walkers in the form of this vinyl figure from Funko.

Batman: Arkham Origins Collectors Edition

The Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games have been my absolute favorite video games of the last couple of years. The latest chapter in the franchise was recently released, Batman: Arkham Origins. The collectors edition of Arkham Origins contains a slew of cool stuff, most notably a light-up statue of Batman’s archenemy, The Joker. You even get more game, as the collectors edition includes download codes for bonus content not included in the standard edition. When your thumbs are sore, you can watch the included Blu Ray of Necessary Evil: The Villains of the DC Universe.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Deluxe Edition

When DC first released the animated version of The Dark Knight Returns, they did it as two separate movies. The movies were very well received and DC has now combined the two of them into one epic movie. The Dark Knight Returns is one of the coolest Batman stories ever told.

November 25, 2013 by Billy Henehan

James Tucker Talks Justice League: War

After sitting down with Andrea Romano at NYCC, I had the chance to sit and talk with James Tucker about Justice League: War. As you may know, James is the new Bruce Timm at DC’s animation group. In other words, he’s the new head honcho.

When asked if it was a smooth transition taking over for Bruce, James said it was. He elaborated, “He was outside smoking and said, “Hey, do you want to take over the DVDs?” and I went, “Sure.” It was that simple. It wasn’t like a coronation or anything. I didn’t go into the throne room and he knighted me. It’s very casual at Warner Brothers. ” By the time the official announcement was made, James already had experience in the job. According to James, “When it was announced, I had already been doing the job for two years. We were working on War a year ago. I had been doing the job long before they announced it. He was working on Green Lantern. It was very smooth and not a big deal.”

Regarding the future of the DC animated movies, James said that from this point forward, we’ll be seeing a Justice League movie, followed by a Batman movie, followed by a Justice League movie, followed by a Batman movie. Having movies whose stories focus on specific characters set in the framework of the Justice League. James used Wonder Woman as an example. “With the way we’re setting it up, it’s easier for us to do a Wonder Woman featured Justice League movie, meaning the story has something to do with her, but it’s a Justice League movie.” If you’re wondering why, according to Mr. Tucker, it’s because, “Home Video thinks they can sell it better. Rather than doing standalones. Because the Green Lantern movie didn’t do so hot. The Wonder Woman movie didn’t do so hot, despite what you see online about statistics. Pretty much Superman doesn’t even sell well. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the character you want to focus on and in War, if you read the graphic novel, Cyborg gets a lot of the spotlight. Each movie will have one character who gets a lot of spotlight and the other characters will get…story development that will carry over to the next movie.”

In case you’re wondering what the next animated movie will be after Justice League: War, it will be a Son of Batman, based on the Grant Morrison Batman story that introduced Damian Wayne into the DC Universe. The Son of Batman movie will be in continuity with Justice League: War. “It’s totally different from what Bruce and those guys had done before. I like world building, so it’s a nice opportunity to have continuity among the movies, and yet Son of Batman will feel totally different than Justice League. It’s kind of like comics in a way, in that they’re connected, but not connected. Justice League comics are totally different than Batman comics, yet Batman is in both. ” said James.

For fans wondering why Aquaman is not in Justice League: War, the reason that he was replaced by Shazam (I know, I know, Captain Marvel) in this movie is that DC is planning a Justice League movie centered around Aquaman! Aqua-fans rejoice!

Shazam is replacing Aquaman in Justice League: War.

James walked me through some of the process of making these movies. When asked if he used the same animation studios for the Justice League and Batman movies, he revealed that DC has three different animation studios that “we float episodes to. Not one studio can do all the animation.”

When asked how Justice League: War would be different from past Justice League animated projects, such as Justice League: Unlimited, James said, “I worked on Justice League with Bruce and Justice League: Unlimited and I didn’t want to go back and do exactly that.” He elaborated, “When I read the New 52 Justice League, I could see see they were trying to break down the Justice League and make it something where you could not instantly know what to expect. We took that aspect and ran with it and pushed people’s personalities into different areas.” Comparing it to the Bruce Timm Justice League cartoon, James said, “If the fans are expecting a carbon copy of the TV series, they’re not going to get that. It’s going to be a little edgier and definitely more violent. It’s not Superfriends. Even the old Justice League cartoon show was kind of Super Friends, if it’s Friends the TV series with Jennifer Anniston. It was about relationships. This is more like a big movie, and their personalities are more edgy. They’re all new to it. They’re all trying to figure out how to be their own individual heroes. Some of them have codes about not killing. Others don’t. There’s all these areas of conflict we have that we didn’t normally address in the earlier versions of the Justice League.”

Expect Wonder Woman to use the sharp edge of her sword in Justice League: War.

Describing the state of superhero cartoons on TV, James was very blunt. “It’s a different climate for superhero action shows,” he said. The abrupt cancellation of Young Justice was cited. “I don’t think (Young Justice) was a great fit for Cartoon Network. They got caught in a situation where things are changing in the climate on television for animated things. They’re finding action in general is not doing as well on kids networks. A show like that would have been great for Netflix. That might be the next place for a show like that,” James said. Please note that this interview was conducted before Marvel announced their deal with Netflix. James seems very bullish on the Netflix model. He said, “As far as binge viewing, I think a show like Young Justice, Justice League too, will do well and I think that’s the future. I welcome it.” James went on to explain why he liked it so much. “You won’t have the same restrictions. You can do a limited miniseries. You can tell a really controlled story. You don’t have to worry about selling toys. The industry is all wondering what Netflix is going to do next.” With Marvel’s recent deal with Netflix, it will be interesting to see where DC and Warner Bros pursue their streaming model. Maybe Amazon Prime? Or Hulu Plus? We do know that James Tucker is in the driver’s seat at DC Animation and he likes the streaming model, whether it’s Netflix or elsewhere.

Will Netflix be the future home of DC superheroes?

James would like to incorporate lesser used characters into the animated movies. James said, “My goal for all the Justice League and Batman movies is to include at least one character who hasn’t appeared either on television or in the films.” When asked if there were any plans for Batgirl, say maybe Batgirl: Year One, James said that he would definitely like to do a Batgirl-centered story, but it probably wouldn’t be Year One. “The truth is, that’s not going to sell. I hate to say it. For whatever reason, they have a hard time selling that kind of stuff. Granted, that could (work) on Netflix. The thing about Netflix is that it’s open to niche markets. You could do something for a smaller group and not have to worry about selling units.

Justice League: War comes out on February 4, 2014.

November 19, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Andrea Romano Talks Justice League: War

Justice League: War is the next release in Warner Bros Home Video’s line of direct-to-DVD animated movies featuring DC superheroes. The official release date is February 4, 2014. I expect that Best Buy will once again have an exclusive version of the DVD that comes packaged with a mini-action figure. There has been no word yet as to what that figure will be. My guess is on Cyborg, since his origin story makes up a large portion of Justice League: War. If not him, then Darkseid, the main villain of Justice League: War.

At New York Comic Con this year, I had the chance to sit down with casting director Andrea Romano about Justice League: War. Andrea and DC animated projects go back. She’s the woman who originally cast Kevin Conroy as Batman in Batman: The Animated Series. Since then, she’s cast Batman enough times to lose count as to what the actual number is. “I’m looking for someone to tell me how many times I cast Batman. I think it’s somewhere around 17.” said Romano.

Justice League: War is the first of DC’s animated movies set in the New 52 universe. For those unfamiliar with the New 52, in 2011, DC rebooted their entire line of comic books, calling the new universe and continuity the New 52, which was the number of titles DC put out that month. Origins and costumes have been modified and modernized. When asked if she approached casting for Justice League: War differently than how she cast prior movies, Andrea said “(It was) pretty much the same process. We all looked for the best possible voices.”

I asked Andrea if there was a mandate from on high this time about not repeating voices. Andrea said there was, but that it changes every film. Andrea elaborated, “My first question on every job is can I use people I’ve used before? May I use Kevin Conroy? May I use Mark Hamil?” Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes they want her to have an all-new cast. According to Andrea, sometimes a change in visual style or the use of a different color palette from a previous project will lead to the decision to work with a new cast of actors.

Bruce Timm handed the reins of the DC animated movies to James Tucker in order for Bruce to focus on other projects. When asked how working with James Tucker compared to working with Bruce Timm, Andrea said, “I love working with both of them. I worked with James on Brave and the Bold and many other projects in the past, so I knew him. Bruce and James have very much the same mindset on the way they think things need to be depicted, and the way they want it to look and sound. It’s kind of a seamless transition. James is great. I love both of them.”

Andrea walked me through the production time line for a project. She explained, “There’s lots of time limits. The script is written. Then I do casting and voice directing. Everything then takes its cue from there, so if I’m late, everyone else is late, and that’s not good. We have to deliver by a certain date. Even though we might deliver this now to Warner Home Video, it may not release for another six months, but we still have to deliver it. And if we don’t deliver it, we’re fined, because they have plans for it. They have to promote it. They have to get footage out there. If I’m late, the next step gets late, then the next step. I’m at the end doing the ADR, so I’m impacting my own schedule, because I have less time. And when I use celebrities, trying to get them in to their ADR, I’m working on Saturdays, I’m working on Sundays, I’m working on holidays just trying to get it done so that I can get it in to the mix, so I that I can deliver on time. Production takes about a year and a half to make, start to finish, and then it may sit another six months before it’s actually released.”

In regards to specific casting, Andrea was very high on casting Shemar Moore, from Criminal Minds, to play the part of Cyborg. “There are always actors I watch on television shows or films that I keep a list of, that I want to find a role for.” said Andrea. Shemar was one of them. Andrea went on to say “It’s his first time ever doing voice animation. You would never know it how good he was. Really good.” She shared a funny anecdote about Shemar’s recording session. “It took a lot of screaming in that particular role, because he’s almost killed. If you watched the Emmys…he was doing a couple of interviews; he had worked for me that day. I was like, “Shemar, I hope I haven’t destroyed your voice for the night.” Because he just did all the ADR for him. I was like, “Oh lord, I hope I didn’t wreck you for the night.” But he was good.”

Andrea also shared a story of voice direction gone bad. “We do so many of these projects simultaneously where we are doing post production on something, casting the next one and recording for one. When I directed this piece, I had forgotten that it’s really the Justice League origin story. When I was directing Alan Tudyk as Superman, I was directing him incorrectly.” How? “I was directing him as playing it kind of the hands on the hips, arms akimbo, secure. But he wasn’t that yet. The character hadn’t grown to that yet. After we animated it and I got the track back, I went, “Oh, I screwed up.” I had to go back in and ADR his first lines of the piece, making him sound more innocent…It was very interesting to make that change because to me, they’ve always existed forever. But it was the origin story. I forgot.”

When asked if she wonders why Warner won’t release DC animated movies on the big screen, Andrea replied, “I wonder that often.” She said she was happy with the way Batman: Mask of the Phantasm turned out. Andrea elaborated, “When you make something intended for the small screen, if there are flaws, no one is ever going to see it. Of course, when we made that (Phantasm), people didn’t have 56″ flat screen TVs to watch. But you put that on a big, huge feature film screen and (you) see all those flaws. That film did really well in that there were no many flaws that showed up.”

Possibly the greatest thing about talking to Andrea is that you get a real sense of her high energy and enthusiasm for every project. I expect her to be casting Batman, and the other heroes of the DC Universe, long into the future.

Justice League: War will be released on February 14, 2014.

November 19, 2013 by Billy Henehan

Gravity – Review

When I first saw the trailer for Gravity, I thought it looked stunning. At the same time, I also thought it looked like it might be incredibly boring. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney stranded in space? With no aliens or laser guns? I had the feeling this would be the outer space version of Open Water*.

*Note: I have never seen Open Water, but I have always pictured it as the ocean version of what I thought Gravity would be.

I wanted Gravity to be a suspenseful thriller. Luckily, if it turned out to be boring, I was in the right theater. I caught Gravity at my new favorite movie theater, the AMC on Broadway and 84th. If the movie was a snoozer, at least I’d be snoozing in an oh comfy recliner for the next two hours. Win-win!

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!

Unfortunately for nap time, Gravity is a really good thriller. It’s a classic man-versus-nature story, even though most of the dangers from nature are man made. The premise for Gravity is very simple: an accident causes a chain reaction of satellites to explode, sending deadly shrapnel at 50,000 mph at our stranded astronauts . They need to get to the International Space Station for a ride home before being eviscerated by said shrapnel or running out of air. I wasn’t sure how the story was going to sustain itself for the length of the movie, but it did. I was on the edge of my seat, which is quite an accomplishment for a movie when the viewer is in a recliner.

Besides being a great thriller, Gravity is visually stunning. I wanted to see Gravity on the IMAX in 3D, but waited too long. It’s been booted off every IMAX in the New York City area thanks to Ender’s Game and Thor: The Dark World. Still, Gravity looks great in 3D. I highly recommend seeing it in 3D and seeing it on the big screen. I think you’ll be missing out on something if you just wait to catch it on DVD.

When Gravity comes out on DVD, I will definitely be buying it, mainly that for the first time in a long time, I really want to watch the making-of special features. The making-of specials are usually boring back-slapping on the part of the producers, cast and crew, but I am utterly fascinated to see how this movie was made. I could easily spend an hour listening to director Alfonso Cuarón talk about how he chose his shots.

If you haven’t seen Gravity yet, go see it! And see it in 3D! You won’t regret it!

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