Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics shared universe through a tale of the Spectacular Spider-Man monthly series.
In issue #87, Spider-Man revealed his secret identity to Black Cat. That was a turning point on not just the romance between the two but also on their combined efforts of stopping crime and helping others in the city. This opens up opportunities for creative teams of Marvel to explore where Spidey and Black Cat’s relationship will go to next.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spectacular Spider-Man #88, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Al Milgrom.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside a secret facility wherein several armed guards are preparing themselves for an unseen incoming force. They are guarding a convict known as The Cobra (Klaus Voorhees) who warns them that the one person after him will find some way of killing him.
Suddenly, Mister Hyde breaks through the metallic gate and demands that Cobra should be given to him. The guards used tranquilizer gas to take Hyde out but it turned out useless. Cobra and his handlers secretly moved to the rooftop of the facility to try to escape by helicopter. Suddenly, Hyde emerges, brings down a solid tower and crashes the helicopter with it. He then grabs Cobra who only slithered away.
Meanwhile in New York City, Spider-Man is inside the apartment of Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) and he feels that something dreadful is going to happen…
Quality
There is a lot of action scenes to enjoy here. Spider-Man and Black Cat have their own moments taking on Hyde.
I will go straight to the point here. This Spectacular Spider-Man tale sure is packed with a lot of action and intrigue balanced by the romance of Spider-Man and Black Cat (who is now living with the knowledge that Peter Parker is Spider-Man). The conflict between Mister Hyde and the Cobra here is preceded by their past collaboration of getting revenge upon Thor. In fact, Spider-Man had encountered both characters sometime prior and his personal knowledge of Thor’s encounter with them added some depth to the new conflict in this comic book. Spidey here became cautious as he knows the extent of the savagery of Hyde.
As this tale took place after Black Cat learned Spider-Man’s secret identity, the dynamics between the two during battle became intriguing when the former took the initiative to strike the dangerous Hyde even though she was told to protect Cobra. This forces the iconic webslinger to put himself at risk by aggressively hitting Hyde while keeping Black Cat out of the way.
The big battle involving the four notable characters is quite extensive and intense to follow. There are a few strong twists between the scenes and it is entertaining to read. When it comes to character development, I enjoyed how the creators portrayed Spidey being concerned about Black Cat’s wellbeing and her lack of super powers while simultaneously portraying her as being determined to so something significant on solving problems.
Conclusion
The romance between the two is worth following.
Spectacular Spider-Man #88 (1984) is not only a good follow-up to the previous issue, it is also a worthy showcase of Spidey and Black Cat’s relationship as Cobra and Hyde engage in a new conflict. As this is an action-packed story, it is not surprising that the character development scenes are fewer. This is a fun read.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics shared universe through a tale of the Spectacular Spider-Man monthly series.
For this particular review, we will explore a major development in the life of the iconic Spider-Man that was told outside of the Amazing Spider-Man series.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spectacular Spider-Man #87, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Al Milgrom.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in New York City as Spider-Man and Black Cat (his romantic partner at the time) spend quality time together. Spider-Man tells her that it is time him to show her where he lives. Together, they swing across the city and even played along a few times.
They finally arrive at the rooftop of the building where Peter Parker (Spider-Man) lives and enter via the skylight. Black Cat is shocked to see how cheap the quality of the apartment is and asks him how can a famous hero like him live in such a place.
Spider-Man begins explaining that as a civilian he works as a photo journalist and he did not become a hero to be prosperous. As he keeps on revealing threads of his past, he slowly makes his move to reveal his secret identity to Black Cat…
Quality
The relationship of Spider-Man and Black Cat develops even more.
As the cover art revealed, this tale authored by Bill Mantlo is about Spider-Man revealing his secret identity to Black Cat who was his romantic partner at this point in Marvel Comics shared universe history. The revelation served as a key turning point in the life of the iconic webslinger as well as Peter Parker’s personal handling of his interactions with the women he loved. Mantlo’s writing of the dialogue between Spidey and Black Cat is really rich and there is also this sentimental touch with how the writer handled the hero’s emotions, especially with regards to the lady’s loving him more as the costumed hero than the civilian he is. I should also state that the impact of knowing Spider-Man’s true identity has subtle emotional effects on the part of Black Cat which must be seen.
While the cover showed what happened, this comic book is still worth reading because the creative duo of Mantlo and Milgrom carefully crafted scenes that gradually led to the big revelation backed with flashbacks of Peter Parker’s private life (as portrayed in Amazing Fantasy #15) and the build-up from his past romances with Black Cat. The pacing is very good and the pay-off to the build-up was worth every moment.
The conflict with the city thugs that took place near the end of the tale served as an additive to the new development of Black Cat and Spidey’s relationship.
Conclusion
Black Cat’s first-ever visit at Spider-Man residence.
Spectacular Spider-Man #87 (1984) is a very worthy read and the creators made daring moves to move the romantic link between Spider-Man and Black Cat forward while adding variety into Peter Parker’s personality. This is a character-driven story that must be read from start to finish.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Woke Disney’s discriminatory practices confirmed and caught on camera – Being woke means being foolish and wicked. What was discussed before about the woke Disney Company’s distorted approach on hiring workers as well as promoting their current workers was confirmed to be true as a Disney executive confirmed it openly on camera. A lot of footage has been recorded of him talking about Disney’s discrimination against white males as they empower people of minorities (colored people, the under-represented ethnic groups, etc.). You should watch the two videos I selected from Midnight’s Edge ad RK Outpost. Woke Disney should be brought to justice!
#2 Video documentary about Sega’s Streets of Rage franchise – YouTuber PatmanQC recently published another informative and entertaining look at the history of Sega’s popular Streets of Rage game franchise. This includes the behind-the-scenes development of the first game that hit the arcades, as well as the different versions that appeared on multiple platforms.
#3 Somewhere in Time videos – Somewhere in Time (1980) was a film that starred the late Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. While it was never successful in movie theaters, it became a big hit on cable TV, public TV and home video. As its legacy lived on, it is not surprising that there are several movie reaction videos, video reviews and other features about it on YouTube. Posted below are some selected videos for those of you who wish to discover more of Somewhere in Time.
#4 A look at the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic – Back in the mid-1990s, a lot of my friends (who love basketball) became fans of the Orlando Magic which had Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson (the guy who missed 4 crucial free throws in specific NBA Finals game), Horace Grant and Dennis Scott. Their excitement really went overboard when the Magic of 1994-95 successfully won the Eastern Conference Finals and entered the NBA Finals to face off with the defending champion Houston Rockets. Of course, as recorded by history, the Magic got swept away by the Rockets even though they had the home court advantage. If you are nostalgic about 1990s NBA action or if you want to see how different the Orlando Magic was back in the 1990s, then you should watch the video below.
#5Stockton to Malone (but still no NBA championship) – Still on the topic of basketball, do you remember the so-called golden age of the Utah Jazz when they had Karl Malone and John Stockton who together were among the very best players in the NBA back then? For the newcomers reading this, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals of 1997 and 1998 but lost each time to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Long before those championship series happened, the Utah Jazz became a serious playoff contender in 1988 (pushing the LA Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals) and went on to struggle in the years that followed. As for Stockton and Malone, they each had great basketball achievements but never won a championship. To learn more with a lot of details plus in-depth analysis, watch the video below.
#6 Heart of Darkness retrospective video – Way back in 1998, I played the video game Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation console but never got to finish it. While the cinematic cutscenes are not outstanding, the graphics used for gameplay was eye-catching thanks to the developers’ artistic and technical approach. This should not be surprising as the game was supervised by Eric Chahi who was best known for Another World. To learn more about Heart of Darkness’ production history, watch the video below.
#7 A look at Salamander (AKA Life Force) – Still on the topic of retro gaming, I had fun memories playing Salamander (titled Life Force in North America) on the Family Computer (Famicom) back in the late-1980s. It was a sci-fi 2D scrolling shooter that not only featured side-scrolling levels but also vertical levels. Developed and published by Konami, Salamander was a spin-off of Gradius (an acclaimed 2D side-scrolling shooter on its own) but it became successful in entertaining players with the two-player mode, unique challenges, fine gameplay features and outstanding visuals. To learn more about Salamander, watch the selected videos below.
#8 Friday The 13th Part 3 videos – If there is anything significant about Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) other than being filmed in 3D, it is the fact that it marked a creative turning point for the franchise. It was in this movie that the film series really started to take shape with Jason Voorhees as its feature antagonist. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of retro reviews/reactions and feature videos about it. Watch the selected videos below.
Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! In this edition of the Better than Streaming series, we take a look at the upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of the 1942 classic film Casablanca (starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid) which is set for November 8, 2022. Take note that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Casablanca which itself is an iconic American film, won the Academy Award for Best Picture, became memorable for movie quotes, its theme song and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
As I am writing this, Casablanca 4K Blu-ray still has not been listed for pre-order at Amazon.com but you can bet that its November 8 release date is definitive. According to the Blu-ray.com announcement, Casablanca 4K Blu-ray comes with the expected 4K restoration described as having achieved “the richest, most dynamic image possible, rendering the most romantic movie of all time the most beautiful it’s ever been.” For the 4K Blu-ray purists reading this, this upcoming 4K Blu-ray release has native 4K visuals confirmed already!
The official 4K Blu-ray cover of Casablanca.
For the details of Casablanca 4K Blu-ray, posted below are technical stuff sourced from its Blu-ray.com page.
Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A
In the most recent update of Blu-ray.com, more details about Casablanca 4K Blu-ray were posted. Posted below is an excerpt. Some parts in boldface…
The new Casablanca 4K Blu-ray image was restored and remastered from a 2022 4K 16bit film scan of the best-surviving nitrate film elements. The 4K-scanned digital images went through an extensive digital restoration process to clean and repair the picture for an unprecedented and pristine ultra-high-resolution presentation. The restored images were then graded in High Dynamic Range for today’s premium 4K display experience, providing the highest fidelity in image contrast and detail retention. This work was meticulously handled by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. The original theatrical mono audio has also been newly restored as well, providing a richer and broader frequency response than previously possible.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW 4K 16-BIT RESTORATION OF THE FILM (2022)
NEWLY RESTORED ORIGINAL MONO TRACK (2022)
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Commentary by Roger Ebert
Commentary by Rudy Behlmer
Introduction by Lauren Bacall
Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart (1988 PBS special)
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of
Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca (1992 TEC documentary)
As Time Goes By: The Children Remember
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Who Holds Tomorrow? (1955 “Casablanca” TV episode)
Carrotblanca (1955 WB Cartoon)
Scoring Stage Sessions (audio only)
Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast – 4/26/43 (audio only)
Vox Pop Radio Broadcast – 11/19/47 (audio only)
Trailers
Warner Night at the Movies
Now, Voyager trailer
Newsreel
Vaudeville Days (1942 WB short)
The Bird Came C.O.D. (1942 WB cartoon)
The Squawkin’ Hawk (1942 WB cartoon)
The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942 WB cartoon)
Overseas movie poster of Casablanca.
I personally am interested in this upcoming 4K Blu-ray release which is heavily loads with lots of features that will appeal to both Casablanca fans and other movie buffs. It has been a very long time since I last saw Casablanca during my college days. Sometimes, I accidentally saw parts of it played when I switched channels on cable TV. Casablanca 4K Blu-ray should deliver the promised improved visuals, sounds and immersion that streaming simply cannot achieve.
For the newcomers reading this, if you want the best home entertainment with Casablanca and if you are determined to discover its story, performances and memorable moments for the first time ever in your lives, I urge you all to avoid watching Casablanca reaction videos as well as spoileriffic video reviews of the movie on YouTube until you get Casablanca 4K Blu-ray. No offense to the YouTubers who make reaction videos and the spoileriffic video reviews but I say that Casablanca needs to be preserved for the movie-loving people who are about to see it for the first time ever.
Casablanca movie poster.
Watch out for Casablanca 4K Blu-ray on November 8, 2022.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the movie and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
When you craft a story meant to entertain people, it is already tough to mix genre elements and make them work together while still telling a cohesive story. Imagine how hard that could be when making a movie with the mentioned creative mix?
After much learning through UCLA, Dekker broke into Hollywood and started a professional career in film and eventually got his dream project in the form of Night of the Creeps.
“Night of the Creeps is very much a first feature with the attitude of many first features. The I-may-not-get-to-do-another-movie-so-I’m-going-to-do-everything-I-want-to-do-in-this-movie attitude. It’s an attitude that often backfires, but in this case, it’s exactly what makes Night of the Creeps so much fun,” Dekker stated.
With the short film history lesson done, it’s now time to take a look back at Night of the Creepswritten and directed by Fred Dekker, and released in 1986 by TriStar Pictures.
If you were the police chief, how many police officers would send to corner one zombie?
Early story
The story begins inside a space ship where one alien creature (carrying a canister) is running away from two armed personnel. With the two chasers delayed, the creature manages to shoot the canister into the realm of space.
On Earth, the year is 1959. In a typical American suburb, a college student visits a sorority house to pick up his date. Together, along with a few other pairs in cars, they spend time at a parking spot with a nice night view. A young police officer, who is aware of the news about a potential killer on the loose, approaches the pair and recognizes the lady from the sorority house. He tells them to go home for their safety, and then leaves them.
Shortly after, the canister from space arrives and crashes nearby causing the college student to drive the car (with his date with him) and find the spot of the crash. He parks the car by the woods and moves into woods leaving the sorority girl alone, sitting and waiting. He finds the canister and decides to look at it closely. Through an opening, an alien slug suddenly jumps from the canister and into his mouth. Meanwhile, the lone lady in the car hears the news about the loose killer and realizes the details about their location (being the destination of the killer). Slowly creeping up on her is a man with an axe.
What teenagers in America used to do in the 1950s.
Someone closing in…
In 1986, at the same locality, college students party around and engage in lots of activities in relation to pledge week being organized at a local university. Among the students walking down the sidewalk are Chris Romero and his handicapped friend J.C. Chris spots a pretty girl from a distance and instantly falls for her at first sight. With the help of J.C., he decides to pursue her…
Quality
Even with a low budget, Night of the Creeps is very creatively done and comes with a good amount of fun for viewers who enjoy elements of horror or sci-fi, 1950s romance, 1980s teen comedy and even detective story. What made this movie a cinematic gem is that Fred Dekker and his creative team combined their strengths with the talents of their cast members specifically Jason Lively, James Marshall, Jill Whitlow and Tom Atkins.
At its core, Night of the Creeps is a zombie horror flick that had sci-fi elements of UFOs and the 1950s as a strong foundation (in addition to serving in the background of the plot). Those combined genre elements alone (backed with a plot that is cohesive enough thanks to Dekker) made this movie solid and yet, the implementation of detective/crime storytelling and 1980s teen comedy (specifically college culture) further added more punch and variety in making the film really engaging and fun.
That being said, the actors delivered the goods with their respective performances. Jason Lively and Steve Marshall have excellent chemistry together as the 1980s college boys Chris Romero and J.C. They started their acts as typical college guys trying to achieve something when it comes to campus achievements and winning the girl’s heart. They also delivered strong performances on the comedy and they pushed their dramatic limits further when the film’s tone shifted to horror. Jill Whitlow is interesting as sorority girl Cynthia who has that girl-next-door charm. She proved to be talented with acting as she had convincing romantic chemistry with a certain jerk and Chris.
Steve Marshal, Jason Lively and Jill Whitlow as J.C., Chris Romero and Cynthia.
The horror film genre legend himself, Tom Atkins!
The standout performer among them all, unsurprisingly, is Tom Atkins as detective Ray Cameron. Before making this movie, Atkins worked in horror movies and a few cult movies, and got involved with the legendary John Carpenter. As such, playing the veteran detective Cameron here was a natural fit for the actor. As the aging and troubled detective, Atkins portrayed him dramatically and because of his very rugged touch, the actor really looked like he actually lived through decades of police work in the fictional town. Atkins also proved to be very good with quotes, specifically with “Thrill me!” It should be noted that this is Atkins’ personal favorite role in the horror genre.
When it comes to telling a cohesive story to emphasize the mixed genre elements, I should say Fred Dekker and his team succeeded. The pacing ran at a medium pace for the most part and even during the slower scenes, there was never a boring moment. More on storytelling, Night of the Creeps’ concept made sense for the most part (about how a slug from outer space would gradually cause zombification on people and even animals, in the midst of college-related events happening) and still had room for suspense, spectacle (note: Jason Lively and Jill Whitlow themselves used dangerous weapons near the end of the film) and, yes, character development! All of that pulled of nicely in roughly ninety minutes and the viewing experience was ultimately fun and engaging.
I wonder if this image would be considered offensive by the SJWs…
Perhaps this will inspire you to research what American life was like back in the 1950s.
It should be noted that, in terms of presentation, key scenes were very well directed and strong performances from the actors were realized. The scene where detective Cameron and Chris had a private talk was intriguing to watch, and that one had the strongest act Tom Atkins made in the film. I should also mention that, apart from the dramatics and performances, I enjoyed the cinematography done by Robert C. New especially with the way the camera moved as the actors delivered their lines in key sequences. There were closeups that perfectly captured the moments when the actors delivered their strongest acts. Last but not least, the music by Barry De Vorzon fit the film’s tone and concept smoothly.
Conclusion
Here they come…
I really love Night of the Creeps and I want you – my readers and fellow film buffs and pop culture geeks – to watch it from start to finish. I never saw this movie in the cinemas in the 1980s but was fortunate enough to watch it on cable TV on a late night in 1998 (twelve years after its cinematic release). That was a night I’ll never forget because Night of the Creeps delivered the fun and exceeded my expectations. Then years ago, I finally acquired the Sony Pictures Blu-ray disc release which I replayed from time to time at the comfort of home with my Xbox One console as the disc player. The film looks even better in high-definition!
The best thing I love about Night of the Creeps is its big mix of genre elements which was supported by solid storytelling and performances. When it comes to spectacle or shock moments, it should be stated that the practical effects used (note: no CGI or computer-generated images here) in the movie still stand up strongly until now although I must say that the aliens creatures in the early part of the story were just not convincing enough.
Even by today’s standards, Night of the Creeps is enjoyable and gripping to watch, and the fact is nobody in Hollywood is making anything like it, nor are there any filmmakers willing to do a big mix of genre elements and tell a cohesive story with good performance from hired talents. This alone makes Fred Dekker’s directorial debut a cinematic gem that has been overlooked by too many people
In light of modern society and its norms, I declare that Night of the Creeps will give you a good dose of escapism not only from real life but also from the corrupted and highly politicized culture of Hollywood which points to the Political Left (whose central figure Barack Obama supports Iran, the terrorists and illegal immigrants) and its trouble makers (examples: social justice warriors or SJWS, the socialists, the radical feminists, the LGBTQ) who managed to infiltrate the American film industry and even the American media (note: you can tell if a movie review was written by an SJW who only writes something to fit his/her social justice agenda). This old movie was made to deliver fun without any political garbage whatsoever. That being said, it will make you wish that Hollywood would just focus on making their movies truly entertaining and be free from political poison at the same time. Movies that carry political overtones or emphasize identity politics are major turn-offs.
Overall, Night of the Creeps is highly recommended! That being said, I urge you to order a Blu-ray copy of Night of the Creeps now at Shout Factory and Amazon. Whichever Blu-ray version you acquire (note: the Shout Factory version has newer and more extra stuff), you can’t go wrong with Night of the Creeps in high-definition.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Write About Love is the first new Metro Manila Film Festival movie I saw in the theater in many years and I should say it was surprisingly good.
Here’s my review of Write About Love directed by Crisanto Aquino and released by TBA Studios.
Early story
The story begins when a lady (Miles Ocampo) succeeded in selling her story to executives of a movie studio. A short time later, the executives found her story looking “too mainstream” and was very similar to that of another movie. This results an order on revising the story and she has to do the rewriting assignment with the involvement of a seasoned indie screenwriter (Rocco Nacino). They have only thirty days to revise and improve the script and the state of the film project was at stake.
Together the screenwriters work and discuss in detail how to establish the situations, how to develop each character through trials and emotional rides, what to do to make the story deeper and the like.
As the film’s narrative and the screenwriters work on, the respective lives of the in-story characters transpire.
Quality
To put things in perspective, Write About Love is a character-driven movie about screenwriters who are challenged to craft a much-improved screenplay for the movie studio while dealing with matters of their respective lives. Miles Ocampo is clearly the protagonist of the film and through her, you will relate with the pressure of work she goes through, the creative challenges of writing stories (and developing the characters), and the fractured parts of her personal life (hint: she lives with her mother but maintains contact with her father). When it comes to acting, Ocampo delivered the emotions needed in each scene that required heavy drama. You will see her cry a lot and you’ll even feel her pain.
Her co-star Rocco Nacino (the other screenwriter) has comparable screen time as hers but with much less dramatic scenes. Nacino does excel, however, with the more creative side of screen writing.
What really stood out with the dramatic performances are the supporting players Yeng Constantino and Joem Bascon as the screenplay characters of Joyce and Marco. Joyce and Marco are lovers living-in together but their relationship got hampered by their respective careers. Joyce is a musician and Marco is a corporate executive. When things get rough between them, crying scenes happen along with convincing moments of depression. Constantino herself stands out as her in-depth talent in singing blends nicely with the dramatics of her character.
Constantino and Bascon are not the only supporting players in the film. There was also Romnick Sarmienta (himself a star in many romantic comedies in the 1980s) and Che Ramos, and each contributed nicely into the film.
When it comes to storytelling and visual presentation, Write About Love was very nicely done. The story moved at a steady pace and there was a good amount of interesting dialogue. In my experience, nothing felt padded. Even the slowest scenes did not bore me. The drama was heavy and there were several moments of clever humor executed.
I also really enjoyed the filmmakers’ smart of use of visuals in which screenplay scenes showing the lives of Joyce and Marco happening while the screenwriters appear near them as if they are watching (actually they were imagining and structuring the scenes which were part of their work for the movie studio). The shots of Joyce and Marco interacting were in full color while the shots showing the screenwriters had desaturated colors.
While it was clear that the filmmakers got great performances from the actors, this movie should be recommended for some very memorable cinematography that took place in the 2nd half. I’m talking about the location shots of North Luzon locations like Baguio City and Sagada. The most visually striking scene was the sunrise scene and if you ever see it, do your best to feast your eyes on it.
Conclusion
Write About Love is a pretty good film to watch and definitely it is one of the better movies released here in the Philippines for the past decade. It does not have an epic concept but rather a small and simple concept that was nicely executed with fine cinematic artistry. The performances are very good (without going into over-acting), the characters are worth caring and following, and the film offers a very unique look at what goes on behind the scenes in the local movie industry.
Also the theme about love is nicely expressed through the trials and emotions of the characters. In relation to its title, this movie shows that writing about love will never be easy because love itself is complicated and unpredictable. In short, realizing the true meaning of love is an everlasting struggle.
Overall, Write About Love is recommended.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
What is my favorite superhero movie of all time? It is none other than 2017’s Wonder Woman movie that starred Gal Gadot and was directed by Patty Jenkins. That film is truly a spectacular spectacular!
Naturally I am heavily anticipating the next movie Wonder Woman 1984 which is set for a June 2020 worldwide release in cinemas. It was originally set for a November 2019 release but Warner Bros. had to push it back.
Why am I excited for the movie?
1) Gal Gadot as the Queen of Superheroes – Israeli actress Gal Gadot is a lot more than a talented actress. She has proven in the 2017 that she IS Wonder Woman as she captured the core values of the icon and convincingly dramatized those values and character elements on the big screen. With Wonder Woman 1984 coming, I am excited to see how Gadot will flesh out Diana/WW as she spends time in Man’s World in the year 1984. When it comes to spectacle, Gadot is a proven action performer and knows how to please viewers with WW in action. Of course, the stunt and fight coordinators as well as the physical trainer all contributed to the spectacle in the first movie and for sure they are working hard to fill WW84 with new spectacle.
2) Patty Jenkins’ direction – To make things clear, Patty Jenkins is a storyteller first and foremost. Her work in the 2017 WW movie was very good and there was a nice balance between spectacle, character development and plot development. The strong focus on the development of Diana from the world of Themyscira to Man’s World really reminded me of what I read in the comic books long ago (particularly George Perez’s WW in the post-Crisis DC Comics universe that started in 1986). Not only that, the sequence from the early part of the moving with the narrative drifting from the present day into Diana’s past as a child in Themyscira was easily the most immersive narrative transition I’ve ever seen in any superhero movie! Don’t forget the now iconic No Man’s Land scene which heavily emphasized Wonder Woman’s presence in Man’s World. Before I forget, the implementation of humor in the film was clever as supporting cast members performed it leaving Gal Gadot free to play Wonder Woman straight.
Considering what was achieved in the 2017 movie, I am confident that Jenkins has new concepts to realize on the big screen in WW84. We just have to wait until June 2020 to find out.
3.Kristen Wiig as Cheetah – This one is more intriguing. Kristen Wiig is often identified with comedy and this alone made her look like an unlikely candidate to play one of the classic Wonder Woman villains…Cheetah. In the comics, specifically during the George Perez era, Cheetah was tough and rough against WW. I believe that with the strong support from the film crew and director Jenkins, Kristen Wiig can prove herself to not only be serious but also gritty as Cheetah. So far there are no images showing Cheetah in her anticipated beastly look which is fine with me because I prefer that Warner Bros. should keep such images secret until the film’s opening.
4. The 1980s setting – While it is a fact that nostalgia for the 1980s has waned in reality, having Wonder Woman in the said decade could create something new and memorable for all moviegoers. As far as we know, Wonder Woman is into a conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War and Cheetah lurks somewhere. Will the sequel adapt key story elements from George Perez’s 1980s Wonder Woman? Will there be references to the Iran-Contra connection of the decade that saw the murder of many men, women and children? The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan perhaps? We won’t find out until June 2020. The 1980s setting, by the way, could be an opportunity to add zest to the ongoing superhero movie craze that Hollywood as a whole has been benefiting from and, story-wise.
5) Gradual build-up for the DC Comics cinematic universe – I have no doubt that Wonder Woman 1984 will gradually help build-up the DC Comics cinematic universe in terms of storytelling and world-building under the watch of Walter Hamada. The recent mega-blockbuster Aquaman was a finely crafted movie that portrayed the origin of Aquaman while at the same time tell an epic story in the present day set after the events of Justice League no less! In my view, there is a clean slate for universe-building as far as DC Comics superheroes in cinema is concerned. While the future of the cinematic Batman and Superman remains unclear, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are here to stay and then there is also the upcoming films of Birds of Prey and the Suicide Squad sequel that will add to the cinematic universe build-up. Personally I prefer the cinematic universe build-up to be gradual and not rushed and heavy loaded (as seen during the watch of Zack Snyder). Building up the current cinematic universe piece-by-piece by releasing standalone movies of DC’s superheroes (and teams of intriguing characters) from time to time is preferable. Under the watch of Walter Hamada, I am confident he is executing plans on not only improving the DC Comics cinematic universe but also defining it. Going back to Wonder Woman 1984, I really look forward as to what its plot will add to the cinematic universe as a whole.
June 2020 is still far away but it will come and already I am looking forward to watching Wonder Woman 1984 on opening day on an IMAX screen.
For your enjoyment, here are some YouTube videos I embedded. Also included is a short clip of Kristen Wiig’s act.
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